It's Christmas Eve, and what you probably need most is something quiet, almost Zen-like, to sooth the holiday nerves. So here's a special Christmas Present, another in a recent spate of excellent Holiday themed escape games, Escape of Santa Claus 3 by Tesshi-e. Welcome to another escape from the everyday!
Now here's a classic room escape scenario: You appear to be Santa Claus, trapped in a lovely, warm A-Frame cottage trying to make your way out. It's tempting to just relax in the rocking chair, but there's escaping to be done, so try to avoid the temptation. Wander around the cozy, inviting space and investigate every nook and cranny, there's bound to be a way out. Somehow. Or two ways out, as the case may be.
Navigation through the small space is accomplished with bars at the sides and bottoms of the screen. Unfortunately there's no changing cursor, so be prepared for some pixel hunting. And yes, there is a small bit of construction, very logical, that needs to be done in order to escape to your sleigh. Hey, it's Christmas time, so you should already be used to a bit of assembly. Inventory control is accomplished with an "about item" button that can be used to look at things you've picked up in close up. Play with everything you acquire, it could be important.
As always with Tesshi-e games, the environment is three dimensional and beautiful to look at. This time around the space is very warm and cozy, unlike the usually chilly and sterile spaces that characterize Tesshi-e's work. There's a cute little tune playing in the background, and a handy mute button when it all becomes a bit too much.
Analysis: Tesshi-e games are often a bit controversial; some folks like them, some folks don't, mostly due to the ever present construction aspects and the calm sterility. However, Tesshi-e always gives us a very polished, nicely presented room escape. As usual there is a happy coin escape, but quite nicely at the end there are also three Christmas presents to choose from as a special virtual gift.
Anyone who's played a few of these games will recognize some recycling of puzzles, especially the picture with the clickable corners. Luckily, Tesshi-e has managed to put a new twist on this old chestnut, making it not as easy as it first appears. None of the puzzles are terribly tricky, but this is a fun, calm, quiet room escape perfect for the holiday season. What are you waiting for? You have presents to deliver!
Walkthrough Guide
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Escape of Santa Claus 3 Walkthrough
General Information
Use the "about item" button to bring up items from the inventory.
Click all around the items, some can be turned around.
Remember that there is some construction.
Enjoy!
Main Game
You start facing a rocking chair in front of two windows.
Click on each window for a close up. Nice, miniature snowmen.
Turn left.
How cozy, a roaring fire.
Click to the right of the fire for a close up.
Fireplace tools! That should come in handy.
Take the shovel and the hook from the fireplace tools.
Click on the drawer below the fireplace tools. A box! But it's locked. Back up.
Now click on the fireplace itself (below the mantel).
How cheerful, a nice roaring fire.
Click on the woodpile to take some sticks. Back up.
Now click on the dolls on the mantel above the fire.
Well, their arms move, and they're on a box. Back up.
Click on the wood thing on the left of the mantel.
That looks like one of those bingo spinners, but there's no handle. Back up.
Click on the picture. Nice, a picture of the house that you're locked in. Hey, it moves! But we don't know the combination yet.
Back up and turn left.
Okay, a bookcase. There's lots here to explore.
The bottom cabinets of the bookcase both needs codes, the lower left needs a three digit code, the lower right needs a four digit code.
Let's look at the top shelves. Click on the shelf with the gift boxes for a close up.
Click on the boxes one at a time and they should move left. Nice, a screwdriver!
Take the screwdriver.
Click on the books for a close up.
Okay, we have some green doll box books with the numbers 4, 1, and 5. There are red doll box books with 6, 2, 3, and 7 on them.
Didn't we just see a green and a red doll on a box on the mantel?
Before we leave, let's click on the books. Hey, The Mild Escape 2 book opens to reveal a key! Take the key.
Pull up the box from your inventory and use the key on it. Okay, we now have nails.
Back up to the long view.
What's that golden plaque on the wall? Click on it for a close up.
Okay, it says Santa Claus, and there's a light switch. Let's turn off the lights.
Cool, numbers to go with the letters.
Back up and take a look at the bookcase.
Now you can see letters on the pictures that spell n, u, and t.
Close up on the golden plaque again.
According to the plaque, n is 8, u is 7, and t is 3. Hmmm, that cabinet did need a three digit code.
Turn the lights back on and back up.
Click on the lower left cabinet and enter 8 7 3.
Open the cabinet. Yay, a goody sack!
Click near the top of the sack to turn it around. Cute, a pink heart! Take the heart.
Back up.
Hey, isn't there something in that narrow space just above the cabinets?
Click on the white line in that narrow space and you will get some papers. Click on the papers again and you will see a code.
Okay, the picture code shows a doll, a snowman, and books.
Close the papers and turn left.
Click on the piano for a close up.
Okay, more dolls, and they appear to be telling us something with the position of their arms.
That may be a code for how to remove the picture, but it doesn't seem to work.
The piano is locked, and we don't have a key yet, so back up.
Turn left.
Nice furniture, but there doesn't seem to be anything to do here. Turn left.
And we're back at the rocking chair, which really rocks. No time to rest now, so turn left.
Back to the fireplace again. Let's click on those dolls on the mantel for a close up.
Okay, the doll on the left is green, the doll on the right is red.
Remember the doll box books?
I'm sure the numbers on the books and the color of the books gives us the code to use the dolls.
Click on the dolls in the order given by the books: green, red, red, green, green, red, red. Or, for the colorblind, left, right, right, left, left, right, right.
Nice, the box opens and gives us a pretty pink cross.
Back up and turn left.
Let's think about that note clue for a minute.
How many dolls are in the room? How many snowmen have we seen? How many books are there?
The answers are 8, 8, and 15.
Hey, together that is a four number code. Let's try it on the lower right cabinet.
Okay, it looks like the box has places for five ornaments, so only three more to go.
Open the cabinet and take the hammer and the pretty decorated box. Back up.
Hey, could there be something between the bookshelf and the wall?
Click on the area between the bookshelf and the wall. Yes, there's something back there.
Click on the space between the bookshelf and the wall to get the large pieces of wood. Back up.
Hmmm, let's see if we can construct something.
Pull up the two long pieces of wood from your inventory.
Place the smaller pieces of wood with them.
Gee, that looks familiar.
Use the hammer and nails on the wood.
You made a ladder!
Turn right twice until you are facing the rocking chair and windows.
There appears to be something up high above the lights on the left.
Place the ladder against the wall on the left.
Click on the protruding piece of wood.
Hey, there's a key and a towel up there! Take the key and the towel.
Back up.
What's left that needs a key?
Turn right twice and face the piano.
Click on the piano for a close up.
Use the key on the piano.
Hey, there's something pink on the keyboard.
Take the pink tree ornament from the keyboard.
Okay, there's some numbers here.
Maybe that's why the picture code didn't work, the numbers indicate the proper order.
Combining the numbers with the dolls, the code for the picture is upper right, lower right, lower left, lower right, upper left.
Back up and turn right twice.
Does the fire seem to be getting lower?
Click on the picture for a close up.
Click on the corners of the picture in the order shown by the piano dolls (see above spoiler).
Okay, the picture goes away. Look, a handle!
Back up.
That's right, the wooden thing on the mantel needs a handle. Click on the wood thing on the left of the mantel.
Place the handle on the wood thing and click on it to spin.
Take the ball that falls out.
Hey, there's a little notch on the ball.
Use the screwdriver on the ball.
Nice, a star ornament!
Back up.
Bummer, the fire's gone out.
Hey, we're still missing an ornament, maybe it's in there.
Click on the fireplace for a close up.
Let's use the hook to pull up the grate.
Yech, it's nasty in there. Let's dig around with the shovel.
Okay, that revealed something. Pick it up.
And boy, is that dirty. Lucky we have a towel!
Use the towel on the dirty object.
Well, it's a pink ornament, but it doesn't look like a size that will fit on the box.
Click on the right side of the ornament to turn it around.
Hey, there's a latch on that side!
Click on the latch.
Now there's the right size ornament. Take the hexagon ornament.
Back up twice.
Regular End
Pull up the ornamental box from your inventory.
Place all five ornaments.
The box opens and gives you a key!
Turn left twice.
Use the key on the door and out!
Happy Coin End
Just like in the regular end, pull up the box and place the ornaments.
Take the key.
Click on the wooden spinner thing on the mantel for a close up.
Click on the lever and another ball will come out.
Pick up the ball and use the screwdriver on it.
Another key!
Pull up the ornamental box from your inventory.
Use the key you got from the ball (round key) on the left of the box.
The box should turn to the side. See the keyhole?
Use the round key on the keyhole.
Happy coin!
Take the happy coin.
Now head for the door and use the heart key to get out.
Wait a moment and three presents will appear.
Click on one for a virtual prize.
The box on the left is a chocolate cake.
The box in the middle is a jeweled key necklace.
The box on the right is a nice bottle of wine.
Merry Christmas!
Posted by: grinnyp
|
December 24, 2009 1:13 PM