Best Game award winner at the Flash Forward Festival in San Francisco this year, Chasm is a point-and-click adventure game that stands head-and-shoulders above the rest of the pack.
Created by Transience from Australia, Chasm contains top-notch production values that rivals many commercial products—the only downside to the game is that it plays like a very short story. However, a story it has indeed. Chasm is engaging for about an hour or so while you solve the problem of Chasmton after something happens to the town's water supply, and you—not surprisingly—are designated the one to fix it.
The game consists of a couple of rather intricate contraption-like puzzles that are reminiscent of what you might find in a Legend of Zelda dungeon. The animation is excellent with colors and cell shaded graphics that resemble a Warner Bros. Loony-Toons cartoon. The soundtrack also complements the production and is on par with the standards set with the rest of the game. Highly recommended.
Walkthrough Guide
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Chasm Walkthrough
The Beginning
After the intro, put your mouse over Joe when he stops moving. It will change to a hand icon.
Click on Joe, and he will go across a bridge of wooden beams. After he walks for a bit, a piece of wood will collapse under Joe. He catches himself, so all is well.
Getting Inside the Structure
Joe will continue along the path. When he stops and looks at you, click on the path in front of Joe. He will walk in that direction.
Joe will round the corner and come to a spot where water is pouring into the chasm from the broken part of the channel. He can
traverse to the very end of the bridge right before the place where the gap begins; so click anywhere in this area for him to continue.
Click the inside of the channel (to Joe's left). He will hop to this area safely.
Now move your mouse to the left, (behind Joe), and click. He will go down a tunnel and arrive at a dead end. (Note that the door
is closed).
Click on the ladder so Joe can climb it.
Inside the Structure
When Joe reaches the top, you can click on the windows and see outside to get an idea of what's ahead. But we won't be attending to these spots just yet. For now, walk Joe over to the blue lever, and click it so that he can turn it.
Walk Joe over to the window at the far top right of the screen and click the window. Joe will make a short trip, and you will see him pass by a window overlooking the broken channel.
When Joe comes to a stop, click the round window on the right wall for Joe to go through it.
Getting to the Top
You should now see an overhead view of the chasm. Click the top of the channel that Joe is in; he will make his way to a point where water is pouring through a hole.
Make Joe climb the ladder.
When he stops, click the ladder on the pipe, and he will climb it.
When Joe stops again, he will be on a plank with 3 valves. Click the valve near him. (This is "valve 3", counting from left to right).
As Joe turns this valve, it lowers a door that dams the flowing water. The trapdoor below is now accessible.
Crossing the Chasm - The Two Valves
Click on the rope below the middle valve so that it drops, and let Joe climb down the rope.
Click on the trapdoor to open it, and then again so that Joe will climb down inside.
Now click the bridge. Joe will make his way across.
Let him go up the ladder to another trapdoor. Click once for it to open, and again to make him go through.
After he emerges, click the bottom of the screen so that Joe walks toward you.
Make Joe climb the ladder to the narrow ledge, and then around the corner to the right.
Joe will be near 2 valves. Take him to the valve between the 2 wheels and get him to turn it.
Back to the Three Valves
Now you need to get Joe back to that rope. Click the right side of the ledge that Joe is standing on. (This is where he entered this area). He will go back to the ladder.
Climb down the ladder, go down through the trapdoor, back across the bridge, and then up through the first trapdoor. Voila, there is the rope.
Click the rope so Joe can climb up. Note that the 3rd valve is lower than the 1st 2. This is because Joe already turned it.
Now, turn valves 1 and 2 to lower the doors, and turn the 3rd valve to lift that door again. Now Joe needs to get to the other side of the chasm where there are only 2 valves again. (See "Crossing the Chasm - The Two Valves").
The Two Valves - Round Two
Once you are at the 2 valves again, you need to turn them both. (You already closed the valve between the 2 wheels; it now needs to be opened, and the other needs to be closed). You will see a brief scene with water flowing. Joe will run along the ledge and stop to watch the water flowing near a pipe.
Pink Belts
Walk Joe to the end of the ledge where he is watching the water, and then around that corner. Continue along past the ladder (do not go down the ladder — keep moving) — and you will see a pink, spinning belt.
Get Joe close to the belt and then click on it. He will jump up and grab it, and ride to the top.
Click the far end of the plank that Joe is on (towards the top of your screen).
Click the wooden planks ahead of Joe so that he will continue. He will stop near a hanging sack.
To the Telescope or the Sack?
At this point, you can either take a detour to the telescope to get a good view of the water system, or continue on via the sack. From the telescope, you may be able to to figure out how the system works and solve the rest of the puzzle. If you'd like to try the detour, continue to the next spoiler. If not, continue here...
For now, we shall bypass the sack to get a good look at the water system. Click on the ledge in the distance (above Joe).
Then click to the left of the screen.
When Joe stops, click on the wooden step on the lower right of the screen. Joe will make his way along these precarious steps.
When he stops near a curving tower, click ahead of him so that he will continue.
Now click the telescope for a better look.
To move up or down, left click on the screen and drag in either direction.
To zoom in, place the mouse on the outer circle of the telescope view and drag downward.
To zoom out, follow the same procedure and drag upward.
To exit the telescope view, click anywhere outside of the glass lens.
Returning to the Sack
Click the wooden steps below the telescope and Joe will make his merry way back to the ledge. Now go down the tunnel and he will reach the sack again.
The Sack
Click on the sack so Joe can jump in.
Click to the left of the screen (in front of Joe), and the sack will make its way to the other side.
To get him out, click the ground.
Now click the ledge in the distance, and Joe will make his way along it. He will arrive at the top of a set of ledges with wooden steps. Now, he needs to get to the ground level to tackle this problem.
Maze of Pipes
Oh Joy. A maze. Get Joe inside the 4th pipe (from the left).
Keep going straight ahead, past tunnel exits labled "D1", "D2", and "D3".
When Joe gets to exit "D4", make a left into that tunnel. He will now be at juncture "C4A", where light is pouring through.
Click to the left of Joe, and he will emerge at "C4".
Click the tunnel hole at the top of the screen.
Go left at "C5", and left at "B5". He will arrive at "A5", where there is a door.
Open the door and click the ladder so Joe can climb up. Joe is now at door "A9".
Once inside door "A9", go straight ahead, past "B9", and make a left at "B10".
No, you are NOT going to that light ahead. When you pass "A10", you will see another light at the end of that tunnel. Head straight towards it. Make Joe walk along the ledge until he reaches a wooden plank and a valve.
Open the valve and Joe will surf along with the water. He thinks he's finally made it. (Not yet!)
The Belts Revisited
So after quite a ride and a bit of banging up, Joe ends up back on the ledge. Now walk Joe along the ledge, around the corner, and back to those pink belts. This time, we are choosing the belt in the middle. Grab it in the same way you did earlier. Joe will land on a small ledge.
Send Joe into the dark entrance, and he will make his way again
to the sack.
When the sack stops moving, click the ledge to Joe's right so he can get out. This time when he jumps out, the sack retreats to its former spot. Tough luck, Joe.
The Beginning is the End
Well, there is nothing to do now except to go down the road (back toward the sack). Joe will end up near the broken channel, which is where he was in the beginning of the game. Get him back to the control room as you did earlier.
Joe needs to turn the lever again so that the direction of the water will head once more to Chasmton. After this, he will do the rest to get back to his town, and you will finally be able to relax and watch him cruise home.
Congratulations! \o/
Posted by: Amit | May 27, 2005 4:59 AM
Chasm pipes map
this is a map for any having trouble climbing the pipe
Posted by: Cam34 | July 15, 2007 5:01 AM