Created by Fummy and translated by vgperson, the free indie horror adventure The Witch's House combines the surreal creepiness of Ib with tricks, traps, and a whole lot of gore. As 13 year old Viola, you awaken to find yourself alone in a strange forest, watched over by a talking black cat that seems largely apathetic towards your fate. The way out of the woods is blocked by a wall of red roses, but there's a house with a door opened wide in welcome. That's not suspicious at all. Still, Viola's got no other choice but to head on in, and throughout the five floors that comprise the bizarre house she now finds herself trapped in she's going to encounter a lot more than cobwebs and broomsticks.
Use the [arrow] keys to move, and the [spacebar] to interact, hitting [X] or [ESC] to open your status screen and inventory. You can save your game whenever you talk to the cat, and that's one privilege you should probably take advantage of since, uh, well, Viola is full of squishy red meat and this house is hostile. Keep your eyes peeled for danger everywhere, but also for clues as to how to get past hazards. There's nowhere to go in the witch's house but up, and each floor presents different puzzles and challenges for you to outwit or die trying... literally. Heck, just walking in the door can mean becoming a Viola sandwich. Of course, if you want to make it out and find out the truth behind the house and the strange spectre that seems to be following you, you'll have to brave much bigger and stranger dangers than a mere flattening. Especially if you're intrepid enough to find out the true ending and a bunch of other secrets besides.
The Witch's House may have some moments of masterful terror, but for the most case it's more about being shocking. The story winds up taking a backseat to providing an experience somewhat like going through a theme park haunted house. Just when you think you have it pegged as a slow, subtle crawl through surreal imagery and creepy corner-of-your-eye fleeting creatures, it turns into an absolutely bananas chase sequence with giant angry skulls, thrown swords, vengeful giant bears, and more. It's a lot of fun, provided you don't mind terrible things like being rendered into a fine red mist or tearing her own eyes out happening to a little girl when you screw up, and the moments of subtler creepiness do manage to balance out the more outright weirdness. The downside is that some of the clues for solving puzzles can be almost too vague to the point where they blend into the background with all the other useless interactive objects you can find, and wrapping your head around each obstacle's strange logic can usually mean a few fatal tries. But is it worth it? If you're a fan of horror that keeps you on the edge of your seat and tries to make you jump out of it more than once, absolutely. The Witch's House is a gory, moody, fantastic little adventure to spend an evening with, especially with the lights turned down low and your speakers turned up.
Note: You must install the free RPG Maker VX RTP in order to play The Witch's House.
Windows:
Download the free full version
Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.
Thanks to Hyena for sending this one in!
Walkthrough Guide
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The Witch's House Walkthrough
Basic Controls
You can use your space bar to interact with items and to run fast.
Arrow keys can be used to move around.
ESC will take you to your inventory where you can use items.
You can save your game with the cat.
You have the option to not speak with the cat at all. Not speaking with the cat will provide a few slight changes in the environment of the game but overall still leads to one of the two endings of your choice.
First Half
Getting into the Witch's House
Once you wake up feel free to investigate your area, notice the rose bush's blocking the path out of the grove.
Go down to the second path and walk to the next area.
Move down so you're near that cluster of roses. If you go left towards the sparkle in the bushes you will find there's a hidden trail.
Pick up the sparkling item. It is a machete.
Return to the previous scene and go up to the roses blocking your way out. Use the machete to cut them down.
Go forward into the next area. Keep walking until you reach the cat on the tree stump. Speak with the cat to open the door of the house.
Go inside the house.
First Floor
Combining Teddy Bears
Keep walking until you go through the second door.
When you're in the room with the blood on the floor avoid the blood at all costs. It will kill you.
Go around the blood and read the note on the wall when the spider has gone back up.
Return to the previous room after reading the note.
Go to through the door on the right side.
Walk through the hallway then go through the door into a room/den with a pile of toys (the one next to the grandfather clock).
Investigate the pile of toys and pick up the teddy bear.
Read the witch's diary on the desk.
The dresser doesn't do anything until "the house returns to normal."
Leave the room and go down the hallway where you originally entered. Go back through the left door.
Go across the hall and through the door on the far left.
There are a pair of scissors on the work bench. Use the teddy bear on them to cut up the bear.
You receive a teddy bear torso.
Leave the room and go back to the door on the far right. Go through it then continue going straight through to the right door. You will be in a room with a teddy bear in a basket.
Read the note on the wall.
Place the teddy bear torso in the basket with the other teddy bear.
Getting to the Second Floor
Leave the room and go out to the hallway. Go through the door on the left once more.Once you leave the hallway a giant bear is going to try to chase you. Run straight back into the room you just left. Wait for a moment and you can go back out and it will be safe.
Once you're back in the room with the cat go through the door on the far left to get into the room with scissors.
Move towards the door and click on it. Some teddy bear parts will fall. Pick up the teddy bear parts.
After picking up the parts go back to the door and go forward into the next room.
You are in a dining room. Do not drink the soup yet!
Go to the back of the room where there is a door. Go through the door into the kitchen.
Next to where a knife is being chopped is a person you can't see. Use the teddy bear parts on the ghost. If you talk with him prior to giving him the parts then bad things will happen.
You receive a silver key.
Go back out into the dining room. Move the chair that's in front of the soup and use the silver key on the soup.
Put the silver key in the bowl of soup.
The door in the kitchen has unlocked. Go into the kitchen and go through the door.
Second Floor
Go up the staircase and up to the second floor. If you want to avoid the ghost leave the staircase for a moment then go back in and head upstairs.
Go to the far left. There is a locked door. Go through the door closest to the locked door. This is the library.
You can read the books for some information on the witch.
The important part of the room is the ghost near the clutter of books who needs something to tie things together.
Leave the room and go to the door to the right of the cat.
Once through the door walk all the way down the corridor. There are a bunch of barrels, and a spider web. On the right side of the room is the spider and some barrels opposite of the spider web. Go to the barrels and click on the one that doesn't have a barrel stacked in front of it. You will receive rope.
Leave the room and go back to the library. Give the rope to the ghost. In return you will be given book of death.
Go back out to the hallway. Opposite the door of the library is another door. Go through that door. Go through the whole room until you're in front of the lone bookcase. Place the book of death in the bookcase.
After you place the book on the book case there will be a skull that will chase you and kill you if it catches up. To avoid this skull run around the book case then go out of the room before going back in.
Go back in the room and get the butterfly model. Leave the room and return to the room with the spider web (where you got the rope from).
Get close to the spider web and pick up the butterfly then immediately replace it with the butterfly model.
Leave the room.
The locked door at the end of the hall is now unlocked. Go through it and go upstairs to the third floor.
Third Floor
Mirror Room
When walking down the hallway after leaving the room with the cat, stick to the left side of the corridor. Knives will be flying at you. The first will come from the center. As you continue walking down the hall on the left side several will come from behind you. Move to avoid then return to the safety of the left wall. Go through the door at the end of the hallway.
After you enter the third floor area there will be a hard to see door on the left that is there immediately after entering the floor. Go through that door.
Interact with the frog and nod. You will get the frog to join you by doing this.
Leave the room.
Walk past the alcove where the cat is and go down to where there's a miniscule bridge. Use the frog on the bridge to get the lever pulled.
After the frog returns to you go to the alcove where the cat is and go through the door.
The room you have entered must be done to mirror the other side.
Place the frog on the middle chair on the left side of the room.
From the little cupboard in the middle area of the room take the piece of cake.
Go to the table on the right side of the room. Move the plant on the right out of the way.
Pick up the rose.
Place the cake on the table.
Rearrange the shelves of the cabinet next to the painting on the right side twice.
Examine the painting on the right side and press the button to change it.
Go to the vase of flowers on the left and add the rose to it.
Once done making everything match go to the note and tear the note off. This will unlock the door on the other side of the room.
Screenshot
Pick up the frog before you leave the room and go into the next.
Getting to the Fourth Floor
Go through the room into the Hall of Distraction. Stay in the center. Do not leave the center, ignore the knives they can't hurt you.
Once you get into the room with the note on the floor read the note. Go to the other door in the room and interact with it. Once it's given the message interact with the door again to see the window. Choose do nothing then use the frog on it.
Force the frog through the window.
Open the door and go into the room.
Cross the room to the other door and go through it into a hallway.
Go to the left side of the hallway where a door is. Go through the door to head upstairs to the fourth floor.
Second Half
Fourth Floor
Sheet Music and Pumpkin
Go up the stairs. There will be a note saying to go where only one eye is open.
Go right until you're between the face with both eyes closed and the face with both eyes opened. Be in the middle of the two faces so that only one eye shows for each face. Press on the wall to reveal a door. Go through it.
Screenshot
Go straight forward the whole way and through the door to the hallway with the cat.
Go through the door at the very back of the hallway.
Read the book on eye and hair color to give you a hint for a previous puzzle.
Leave the room and go down to where you have the option to go left or right into different doors. Go into the right door.
Read the note on the wall. You need to find the direction the blue eyes are staring in.
At the back of the room are four paintings of women each with different colored hair. Based on the information you obtained in the previous room you must figure out which one has blue eyes.
The woman with the black hair, next to the woman with the silver hair.
Go to the spot across the room from where she is looking and click on the wall. Pull out the white sheet. You will get a sheet of music.
Move away quickly because the woman of the painting will come after you and kill you. All the doors of the room are locked. You must go to the spot on the wall where her painting was held and hit the wall to stop her.
After you have braved that encounter go to the pumpkin that has no carving. Hit it four times in a row to open the door in the room.
Music Box and Piano
Go through the door and into the room. Read the note at the back between the two statues. It is a riddle.
I can be the sun. I can be sand. I can be a bird. What am I?
A clock. Sun= sun dial. Sand= hourglass. Bird= Cuckoo clock.
Once you have solved the riddle go up to the piece of furniture that is the item the riddle describes.
The clock.
You receive a queen key.
Go back to the hallway where the cat is.
Head through to the door on the left.
Go to the middle of the room and use the queen key on the music box.
Once the music box starts playing leave the room.
Go to the back room with the piano in it. Use the sheet music on the piano but do not play it. The piano will play itself.
The plant beside the piano will drop a key and you will receive the king key.
Making Music in the Last Room and getting to the Fifth Floor
Return to the room with the clock riddle. Move the chair in front of the clock then use the king key on the clock to make sound.
Leave and go to the piano room. Go through the door at the back of the room that was locked before.
Talk with the statue of the woman. After speaking with her return to the piano room.
Investigate the newly revealed fireplace.
Go down the ladder.
Go to the right and go into the kitchen.
Go through the door in the back of the room. Open the door.
Go to the pile of skeletons on the top left. Inevstigate the pile on the farthest left side possible. Pick up the golden chopsticks.
Leave the skeleton room and go to the steaming pot on the oven in the kitchen.
Investigate. Turn off the fire, take off the lid, then use the golden chopsticks on the pot.
You receive a pig ring.
Go back into the room with the skeletons and return the golden chopsticks to the ribs.
Leave the kitchen. After leaving the kitchen you will have five seconds to click on the fireplace to go back up. Run to the stairs to do so.
Go into the room with the statue and put the pig ring back on the woman. The door will unlock. Go through it.
Go up the stairs to reach the fifth floor.
Fifth Floor
Getting the First Skull and White Powder
Run to the end of the hall and go through the door. You will wind up in a room with three dolls but four tables.
You will need to pick up the dolls and place them on the correct pedestal. The color of the pedestal should match the color of the doll.
After placing them on the proper pedestals the door will unlock.
Go through the door and you will be in a garden area. The cat will be sitting on a bench. Two doors will be located to either side of the bench.
Go through the left door.
Once inside go to where the beds are and cross over them. Look under the table.
Pick up the skull.
Speak with the yellow flowers, especially the one on the bottom.
Leave the room and go across the way. Enter the door on the right.
Read the book on the talkative plants. Pick up the skull from the chair.
Go to the end of the room and speak with the plants. They will tell you how to X. Only one of them is telling the truth.
The proper way to X is plucking.
Leave the room and go out to the garden area. Speak with the white flower.
Pluck the white flower then pick up the petals after it vanishes.
Go into the room with the yellow flowers and speak with any of the yellow flowers. You will be given white powder.
Skulls 2-4 and Getting Water
Leave the room and go back through the door on the right. Go to the second door, it's to the right of the note on the wall saying "medicine." Give the white powder to the person behind the door.
Examine the bird cage and pry it open.
Go back to the entrance then instead of going out go up. Creepy vines have been eaten away. Go through the door on the right.
Inspect the vase and put your hand inside. You will get a third skull.
Leave the room after doing this, and go back out to the garden area.
Go towards the back of the garden where the door was once blocked by the vines. Go through the door.
Once you go through the door you will be in a room covered in poison. You have 15 seconds to get in and out. You can repeatedly go in but you will always be limited to fifteen seconds in there.
Go to the shelves at the back right. Investigate the one in the middle to take an empty bottle. Leave the room as quickly as you can.
Return to the poison room and get the skull from the far left dresser on the top left side of the room.
Go down and go into the room on the right (the one where you gave the man the medicine).
Go up to the room where you got the third skull from and go into the door on the opposite side from where you entered.
There are four empty spots in the skull pile. You will need to properly place the skulls in each spot.
Top left: Facing straight/forward.
Top right: Facing straight/forward.
Bottom left: Facing left.
Bottom right: Facing right.
Once you have placed the skulls in the proper direction flip the lever that's on the wall.
When you leave the room there will be a giant skull that will chase you. Run back into the room with the skulls. It will follow you in so run around the square and back out the door then down the corridor as fast as possible. Once you are out of the corridor it will be unable to follow you further.
Go through the topmost door that is next to the door you just came out of.
A Light Source and Getting Through the Poison Room
Use the empty bottle on the water to fill it up. You now have bottle of water.
Use the flower petals on the water to get a prompt to place them in the bottle of water. Put them in. You now have a light source.
Leave and return to the garden. Go through the door to the left (the room with the yellow flowers). You can now go through the door at the bottom.
Go down the second tunnel you come across in the dark. Follow it all the way through. When you have an option to either go to the room with the caskets or go left, choose to go left. Follow that route until you come to dressers. Go to the dresses on the very far right.
Investigate the dresser to receive jade pipe.
Run back to escape. As you're trying to leave you will drop the light source and will be plunged into darkness. Keep running until you escape the tunnels.
Go back out into the garden then go through the right door. Go to the man you gave the white powder to and give him the jade pipe.
Move and go into the jail cell on the left.
Head to the back of the room and remove the cloth from a pair of red shoes. Pick up the red shoes.
Go to the room with the water. Wash the red shoes off in the water.
Leave the room. When you get to the door to try and get to the garden the giant skull will reappear and try to kill you. Run back to the room with the water in it. The skull will disappear after you do this so you're safe to head to the garden.
Go through the door into the poison room. With the glass slippers you can now walk across the poison. Head down the poison trail and keep running until you hit the door at the very end.
Final Puzzles and Epic Battle
Once in the room you can read the witch's diary.
Go forward through the other door.
The door needs a code to get through.
6-0-0-6
Once inside head to the case that has the red markings on it. Investigate the case and pick up the cute little bottle.
Something will be thrown through the stained glass window. It is a doll head. Go pick up the doll head but be prepapred to run because there will be things that want to kill you.
After you get the doll head and run through the room keep running until you're in the passageway where the poison once was.
Go down to the door in the middle way of the corridor and go through it.
Get the doll body then combine the doll body and doll head.
After doing that run back to the room with the dolls that you had to put on the proper pedestals. Place the doll on the remaining pedestal.
A hole will appear to the left of the dolls. Investigate and descend.
Walk straight forward until you reach the door then read the note.
Go into the room. Go to the desk and read the diary. Make sure to save your progress.
This is the point where you can get two different endings.
Possible Endings
Ending One
After you read the diary you bolt out of the house as fast as you can.
You will go down all the staircases and leave through the middle door on the first floor where you originally started.
Once out of the house use the cute little bottle on the roses blocking the way out.
Ending Two
Read the diary and run to the first floor.
When on the first floor run through the door on the right and go up the corridor.
Go through the door on the right and get Ellen's knife from the dresser that you couldn't open when originally on the first floor.
Flee from the house and the girl as quick as possible and run out.
Use the cute little bottle on the roses that block the exit.
A special ending will occur if you do this.
Posted by: Meaghan
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November 17, 2012 10:58 PM