It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... wait, wait, hang on... that's wrong. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I... mmm, no, closer, but still not quite right. Ah! It was the ghoulish shade of decay, antiquity, and dissolution; the putrid dripping eidolon of unwholesome revelation... There we go! The Outsider is a short point-and-click horror game by bcdefg123 and based on a short story of the same name by none other than good ol' Howard Phillips Lovecraft. You find yourself lost and alone somewhere in a dark, unfriendly environment and think only of escaping and finding your way back to civilization... but are you ready for what waits for you there? Just click on the screen to interact, and click on an item in your inventory to "equip" it, then anywhere on the screen to try to use it. Some items can be combined, so click on different things in your inventory to see what you can create.
If you're anticipating the thing that goes bump in the night leaping out at you and going YARRRRR while the music goes SCREEEEE, well... don't. The Outsider, despite some wonderfully creepy atmosphere thanks to the gloomy-yet-lovely artwork of Aigis and J-qb, to say nothing of some smartly chosen music tracks, The Outsider is largely a sedate experience. There are actually a few places where you might be expecting a jump-scare simply because it seems like the logical spot to stick one, but when nothing materialises, you'll either feel relief... or disappointment. While Lovecraft's work is admittedly a lot more vague than most authors of horror (everything is always terrifying, but unknowable and indescribable), The Outsider still feels like it might have benefited by less shadows and more fangs. Of course, considering the game was made in just three days for the Newgrounds Game Jam 5 (theme of "literature"), it's still a remarkably well designed little package of heebie-jeebies.
The Outsider will probably take you less than ten minutes to play, but if you're a fan of Lovecraft it's well worth the trip. It's not particularly difficult, with items and their use typically being extremely obvious and only one number puzzle to speak of, but since Lovecraft's strength has always been in his dreamlike narrative, maybe it's for the best that the gameplay doesn't get in the way. You can actually read the original short story here if you're of a mind, though I don't recommend doing so until you've played the game to avoid ye olde spoilers. Whatever your opinion on Lovecraft as a writer, there's no denying the huge effect he had on literature, and this little offering serves as a great snack in his memory.
Walkthrough Guide
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The Outsider Walkthrough
General Knowledge
The circles at the bottom of the screen are the inventory spaces.
Items can be combined by first clicking an item to select it, then clicking a second item to attempt a combination.
Clicking musical note in the middle of the inventory mutes the music.
Click the speaker icon below the music note mutes all game sound.
To travel between scenes, click the black directional arrows on the top, bottom, left, or right sides of the screen.
The Outsider
Click the title to begin.
Click the back arrow to step into the cave.
Take the stick lying on the ground to add it to your inventory.
Click the back arrow to return to the forest.
Click the forward arrow to travel to the bridge.
Click the forward arrow again to zoom in to the door puzzle.
To open the door, enter the combination by typing the correct numbers in the three spaces.
We'll call the first digit X, the second Y, and the third Z.
With the hints provided on the left side we know that:
X=2Z
Y is a prime number.
And X+Y+Z=9.
Using the substitution method, that means 2Z+Y+Z=9, or 3Z+Y=9.
The prime numbers lower 9 are 1, 3, 5, and 7.
The only solution for the equation that doesn't end in a fraction is Y=3.
3Z+3=9.
3Z=6.
Z=2
Thus, X=4; Y=3; Z=2
The combination is 4-3-2.
Click the "Check" button to submit your solution
Click the forward arrow to move into the treehouse.
Take the rope on the ground to add it to your inventory.
Click the right arrow to go into the dark room.
Take the cleaver on the table next to the candle.
Use the cleaver on the stick in your inventory.
Click the back arrow to leave the dark room.
Click the forward arrow to go into the library.
Use the sharpened stick in your inventory on the board atop the right bookcase.
Click the back arrow to leave the library.
Use the wooden board from your inventory on the gap in the stairway.
Click the upper arrow twice to ascend the stairs.
Use the stick from your inventory on the lock in the door.
Click the forward arrow to move into the castle.
Click the second box on the left side to reveal a book.
Click the fourth box on the right side to receive the matchbox.
Take the brick at the bottom of the stairs in front of the door.
Attach the brick to the rope in your inventory.
Leave the castle by clicking the back arrow three times, then click the right arrow to return to the dark room.
Use the matchbox from your inventory on the candlestick.
Take the key from the skeleton's hand.
Leave the dark room and climb back up the stairs to return to the castle.
Use the Key from your inventory on the locked door.
Click the forward arrow to travel to the graveyard.
Take the shovel leaning against the right tree.
Leave the graveyard and click the back button 7 times to return to the forest.
Use the shovel from your inventory on the hole in the ground to receive another piece of rope.
Attach the second piece of rope to the combined brick and rope in your inventory.
Return to the graveyard.
Use the tethered brick from your inventory on the gate.
Click the forward arrow to reach the path.
Click the window to look inside the house.
The End
Posted by: Trinn
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June 22, 2011 1:19 PM