Tone of Vesper
It's Weekday Escape time! Tone of Vesper, by Strawberry Cafe, is less of an escape from a room and more of an escape to a certain state of mind. Strawberry Cafe has stripped away many of the usual room escape trappings, leaving a game that is more of a point-and-click adventure than an escape. The object, you see, is not to get out of the space, but to explore it and find out what hidden treasures it holds. Specifically, what hidden musical treasures.
You can still use your usual escape skills to explore every item you can find to see what kind of noise it can make. Each noise gets you a musical note, and when you complete the collection you will be treated to a lovely tune with which to enjoy the serene night and the brilliant full moon which hovers over the area. There is very little navigation here, the space, what looks like a back courtyard with a small pool, is the only place you will explore. There's no turning around, simply looking at things either in the long view or close-up, making Tone of Vesper resemble the stripped down gems of Petithima. Everything is a potential source of music, from the rustle of leaves to the...but that would be telling. Most of the fun in this game is discovering for yourself what items can make beautiful music.
Tone of Vesper is done up in darker, more realistic shades than Strawberry Cafe's usual efforts, although there are touches of the trademark pink and red here and there. The dimmer lighting and the night setting give the game a surreal yet calm feeling, a perfect setting for what is to come. Although there are some puzzles to be found, almost everything is use of found objects. What happens when you use this on that, what sort of noise will this make. Slow down and take the time to really explore, and discover the music of the night (sorry, bad pun).
There's no internal music, so the game is pretty quiet other than the minor sounds you will hear when you manipulate objects. However since sound plays an integral role in Tone of Vesper don't play with the mute on or else you will miss most of the charm and the lovely melody at the end. There's no changing cursor so be prepared for some pixel hunting which is minimized somewhat by the minimal space of the game.
Take 5 minutes out of your day to make some beautiful music, and enjoy the night and the rhythm of everyday life.
Walkthrough Guide
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Tone of Vesper Walkthrough
General Information
Examine everything. Items you pick up may be manipulated, or may be hiding other secrets.
There is a color based puzzle, so there will be directions for the color-blind.
Items will disappear from your inventory when you are done with them. If an item is still in your inventory, it may still be useful somewhere.
Good luck!
The Table
You begin facing the courtyard. Click on the table in front of you.
You will see some glasses, a decanter, and some stirrers. Pick up the left stirrer on the table.
Pick up the ice cube from the large glass.
Put the ice into the snifter (one note).
Click on the decanter to pour water into the glass (one note).
Use the stirrer on the glass of water and ice (one note).
The table will get you 3 notes. Back up.
The Plant
Click on the potted plant on your right for a close up.
The planter looks like it is ceramic. Use the stirrer on the planter to get a note.
Click on the plant to move the leaves and get another note.
You should now see an object hidden within the plant. Take the object (cell phone).
Use the "about item" button to pull up the cell phone into close up.
Click on the cell phone to open it and get a note.
Click on the keypad to close the phone and get another note.
Click on the cell phone again to open it and click on the display for a close up.
The picture looks like those 3 colored columns to the right of the pool. Note the red X above the columns in the picture.
Close down the cell phone and back up.
The plant and the cell phone get you 4 notes.
The Leaves and the Pool
Click on the cabinet on the left for a close up.
Looks like it will need a 3 digit code to open it.
Click to the left of the cabinet to look behind it.
Take the object from behind the cabinet (broom) and back up twice.
Click on the leaves on the far side of the pool for a close up.
Use the broom to remove the leaves and get a note.
Pick up the object that the leaves concealed (stone) and back up.
Click on the center of the pool for a close up.
Drop the stone into the pool to get a note.
Notice that there is a small object at the bottom of the screen, near the back arrow. Take the object (lighter).
Pull the lighter into close up and notice that there are 3 colored bars on the lighter, from top to bottom yellow, red, and green.
Click on the top of the lighter to open it and get a note.
Click on the wheel of the lighter to light it and get another note.
Close down the lighter and back up.
The leaves, pool, and lighter will get you 4 notes.
Opening the Cabinet
Click on the columns on the right for a close up.
The red X on the picture on the cell phone indicates a certain brick above the columns.
The brick is 5 rows above the columns, slightly to the left of the red (first) column. Click on this brick.
You are now in extreme close up and should see a button on the wall. Push the button and back up.
Click on the columns again for a close up and notice that they now have lights: The red column has 2 lights, the yellow column has 4 lights, and the green column has 3 lights.
Back up and click on the cabinet for a close up.
Click on the cabinet door for an extreme close up that allows you to see the 3 digit code.
This is a code based on the colored columns.
Each column has a different number of lights. However, the order is not necessarily the one that the columns are in. For the order, you need to look at the lighter.
The lighter had the bars in color order of yellow, red, and green. That would make the code 4 2 3.
Enter the code into the cabinet and click on the handle to open it. This gets you a note.
Take the object from inside the cabinet (firework).
Back up twice.
The cabinet gets you one note.
The Iron Column and End Game
You should now have 12 notes.
Click on the iron column (at the upper left corner of the pool) for a close up.
Put the firework into the column.
Use the lighter on the protruding fuse. The firework will get you your remaining notes (15 notes total).
Enjoy the music of the night.
Posted by: grinnyp | September 15, 2010 8:51 AM