Vampireville
Platform: Mac, Windows
Looking for a hidden object game with a bite? Been craving a casual adventure game with teeth? If you've been looking for a hidden object adventure that's full of vampires, ghosts, chat room crazed butlers and, most importantly, fun, Nevosoft's Vampireville may just be what you've been thirsting for.
Take on the role of the oddly Keanu Reeves like Michael Christensen, employee in good standing at the firm of Rockwell & Rockwell, and the soon to be recipient of an excellent opportunity for career advancement (this, granted, due to your predecessor having gone batty). The ancient Malgray Manor will soon be up for auction and you have been selected to appraise the mansion as a potential purchase prospect for your firm. If only things were that simple.
No sooner do you arrive at your destination do you begin to realize that things aren't quite right. Over the course of twenty-four chapters your task evolves from simply appraising the worth of a mansion to solving a centuries old mystery to ultimately fulfilling a very bizarre request. And all of this while coming to grips with the, um, curious statuses of vitality exhibited by your hosts.
Standing in your way are a brood of hidden object scenes, adventure game style puzzles, and classic mini-games. Luckily you have your wits and a decidedly quirky cast of creatures of the night to help you (to varying degrees) on your nocturnal quest. Just remember to steer clear of Glenfield when he's checking his email, and don't worry too much about the thing that goes bump in the night, it's probably just Rover who doesn't really bite people's head off.
Analysis: Vampireville is positively frothing at the mouth with a likeable kind of faux horror camp. With its juxtaposition of classic vampire tale settings and tongue in cheek dialogue, this game ends up catching the same vibe that earned such devoted followings to Scooby Doo and the Addam's Family.
Helping make this a success is the high quality in Vampireville's aesthetics. The decision to use three dimensional polygon models for all of the characters and some of the effects helps give this title a visual feel that sets it apart from most hidden object games. Most importantly it helps imbue a great deal of personality into the central cast with, in some cases, some pretty impressive looking models.
Supplementing the great visuals is a witty script that is excellently voice acted. Suffices to say that while Michael Christensen looks uncannily like Keanu Reeves, at the very least he is voiced by someone who is actually capable of speaking in an English accent. Not only is the dialogue capable of coaxing a smirk or a giggle from time to time, but it also does a serviceable job in keeping the gameplay tied together.
When it comes to gameplay, Vampireville doesn't exactly burst with originality, but it is apparent that the fun dial is cranked up to eleven. The clean presentation makes object finding actually pleasant as opposed to painful, and all of the tasks set before you from the familiar mini-games to the rapid fire item based puzzles are all very nicely timed and help keep up an invigoratingly brisk pace. By breaking things up into manageable bite sized chunks, Vampireville ends up moving too quick to let its audience get bored while providing an experience that fits perfectly into casual game breaks.
Perhaps the one area where Vampireville does distinguish itself in gameplay is in the fact that instead of punishing random clicking, it rewards and even necessitates it. The background is often open to manipulation in a number of ways and in order to find every object and item you'll push and pull a number of objects out of the way. This dynamic is actually a double edged sword. It definitely spices up the gameplay a little and gives Vampireville something to let it stand out, but this can also lead to undue frustration. Thankfully the rechargeable hint system is quite generous.
Beyond that there are few other problems with Vampireville. The use of polygon imagery has its drawback in that textures seen too close up tend to look kind of mushy and out of place. Further, while the story and story telling have their charms, one feels that more could be done. But I suspect the biggest complaint this game will draw has to do with the chaptering system. While breaking the game up in twenty-four chapters is great for pacing, your game is only saved in between chapters. If, for some reason, you have to put the game down mid chapter, you'll have to start that chapter all over again. Still, considering that no one chapter is particularly long or difficult, this isn't too bad.
With more focus on fun than difficulty, and humor instead of horror, Vampireville is an excellent offering for casual gamers looking to take a bite out of boredom.
Windows:
Download the demo
Get the full version
Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Get the full version
Jayisgames has always been one of my favorite sites, but lately it's become ridiculous how many ads and pay-game reviews you have to scroll past to get to the kind of review of a free internet game that made me love Jayisgames in the first place. I haven't been following all the comment boards, so maybe this has been addressed elsewhere, but I just wanted to say that I'm disappointed in the direction this site is going. I realize you need, and deserve, to make money from this site, but there has to be a better way than bombarding us with advertisement features and advertisements disguised as reviews. A fund drive one a year to ask for money would be a much better option. We'd come through for you, I promise.
[I appreciate the feedback, and thank you very much for your support. We have, for a very long time, featured download games on the weekends, and browser games during the week. But we have had to increase the number of ads to make ends meet due to rising costs paired with a decrease in revenue. I do like your idea of a fund drive, and I'm also working on a subscription system where subscribers receive ad-free pages from us. Look for an announcement of that soon. Also, if browser games are all you're interested in, there's a tag for that: https://jayisgames.com/tag/browser -Jay]
Interesting as this game was I couldn't help feeling a bit creeped out that its only socially redeeming value was targeted at something like, uh,..."Base your life on Ebenezer Scrooge or Charles Montgomery Burns, desire to live forever, desire to become a vampire, have a kiss-ass toady employee succeed in making this happen, retain your wealth & evil personality, and win the game". Yeah.
Family Guy hasn't even touched this meme, and that's saying something right there.
Finally,a game that made me feel like I got my moneys worth!I love HO games,but lately most have been the same old thing.Vampireville was pleasing to look at,the voice acting was good and there was enough new twists on old puzzles to keep it interesting.I really enjoyed playing.It was also a relief to get through a game without having to resort to "cheats".Hard enough to be interesting,but not so hard as to make my brain hurt.
Vampireville Walkthrough
Chapter 1: Business Trip
1-1: Find torn piece of castle floor plan and tape together
Click lower right door of cabinet for 6th piece of map.
Screenshot
1-2: Open Jewelry box
Screenshot
Chapter 2: Following Jim's Trail
2-1: Find Jim's things
Screenshot
2-2: Find the hiding place
Screenshot
2-3: Reconstruct the picture
Rotate each square to organize the picture.
Screenshot
Move the painting
Pick up the jewelry box
Find the numbers
Screenshot
Take key to bathroom door to unlock it
Chapter 3: In The Boiler Room
3-1: Fix the pipe
First, pick up the Hose.
Behind the Hose are Matches. Pick up matches and strike one to light it.
Move door on right to find welding Tank.
Move bucket to find Key.
Open crate with Key to find Tank Attachment.
Assemble Attachment on tank, then Hose, then use Match to light welder.
Weld hole in pipe.
3-2: Rearrange letters to decode message
Message reads: "Get out, or else! Black Macho"
3-3: Light the boiler
Grab Shovel but it falls behind boiler.
Go to Utility Room, move curtain on upper right to find Fire Poker.
To get rid of poisonous spider, open cabinet on back left wall. Move silhouette of dog to find Bug Spray. Use Bug Pray on spider.
Pick up Shovel and put shovel full of coal in boiler.
Move Welding Tank to Utility Room and place it on stair to the right.
Return to Boiler Room, open curtain on right and pick up Papers.
Crumple Papers and put in boiler.
Light Match and put in boiler.
Chapter 4: The Art Collection
4-1 Draw the curtains
Move the drawing on the table to find the Key
Use the Key on the cabinet in the center and pick up Weight inside
Go to 2nd room and pick up the Cord
Pick up Upper Fastener from behind the red curtain
Pick up 2 Pulley Wheels from small table and fireplace mantle
Move the curtain on the left to reveal mechanism. Assemble parts and put Weight on left side
Return to first room and pull the cord
4-2 Find 20 dogs
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
Screenshot Room 3
Pick up Stone Ball behind dog picture on small table in Room 2
In 3rd room, pull up on plant in planter on left. Pick up second Stone Ball
Return to first room and place balls into safe
Pick up Scroll from safe. Behind the scroll is the 20th picture
4-3 Match the picture
Simply memorize and match the hidden pictures. It helps to know your dog breeds!
4-4 Check painting for anything unusual
Find 15 unusual things by matching the silhouettes in the picture
Screenshot
Chapter 5: A Pleasant Encounter
5-1 Find the light switch
Move curtain then the red cloak to find the battle axe
You have to find all the objects in the dark. Some are in the storeroom to the right
Your last object will be the mask in the first room on the back wall
Behind mask you will find the Light Switch
5-2 Fix the light switch
Screenshot
5-3 Find Rover's tin dish
Move the harp and tear off painting behind it. A mean cat protects the Dish
Look on floor. When you see a mouse run by, pick it up. You must collect 3 total
Got to storeroom to find 2 more mice
Return to cat and give her the mice, then pick up the Dish
5-4 Clean the dish
Return to the entrance and pick up Scissors on the crate
Move the pillow on the left and pick up the Cloth
Use Scissors to cut piece of the Cloth
Return to storeroom, open the thin cabinet on the far right. Move the statue and pick up Dish Liquid
Combine Liquid and Cloth and click on dish to wash it
Chapter 6: Groundsman Brandon
6-1 Match pairs of cards
Make sure to look ahead at which cards do not have an even number of matches. Jokers can be used as wild cards.
6-2 Prepare dinner
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
6-3 Arrange blood and herbs
Screenshot
Chapter 7: Unexpected Telegram
7-1 Find the telegram
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
Once you find the objects, return to the sitting room
Pick up jewelry box. You'll need the key for the briefcase.
Turn on lights on left wall by clicking on the bulbs
You'll see a flower below the lights. Click on it to reveal the Key.
Unlock briefcase with Key and pick up Telegram
7-2 Decode the telegram
Screenshot
Chapter 8: Discoveries From The Master's Book
8-1 Find a light bulb
Open the cabinet on the left and move the books to find the correct bulb. Pick it up and place it in the lamp.
8-2 Put photo back together
Remember: you're building an image of the room you were just in.
Screenshot
8-3 Find all the symbols
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
8-4 Open the Master's cupboard
Go upstairs and place the 4 runes on the gargoyle columns
Pull out the brick on the wall to find the Key
Go back to the cellar and use the Key on the cupboard
Move the book on the floor and pick up Hairpin. You'll need to bend it.
Find Pliers in back cabinet. Use them on the Hairpin
Use bent Hairpin to open cupboard. Pick up Book.
Chapter 9: Rover's Savings
9-1 Find the money
Most jars will be empty.
Move pillow from the chair, move the vase, then pick up Rope
Pick up large blue vase on far right.
Pick up Magnet in lower left cabinet and attach it to the Rope
Use it to fish out coins from large blue vase
Pick up vases and drag them to the table
In "Next" room, move books on top left shelf. Pick up vase
Pick up all the coins and take them upstairs and place them on the table
Screenshot
9-2 Find 6 jewelry boxes
The crow guards the box. Open bottom right cabinet and pick up blue box of Matches
Use Matches to light the candles on top left. Pick up the jewelry Box
Click on pouch on the couch and pick up Key
In back right cabinet find and pick up Box
9-3 Move chess pieces to get boxes
Move the chess pieces to slide the two boxes off of the table
Chapter 10: So Close, Yet So Far
10-1 Hide the jewelry boxes
Move the screen and start moving items away to clear the shelf
Ghost from the vase will prevent you from continuing. You must find 5 pieces of the medallion
1st is behind the curtain
2nd and 3rd are behind the screen
4th is at the door of the storeroom entrance
5th is above the door of the storeroom
Return to the ghost and give it the medallion
Move the stack of boxes to the left, largest to smallest
10-2 Move the jewelry boxes
Move stack from left to right one at a time so that they are stacked largest to smallest
10-3 Open the door
Pick up Hammer on the crates
Go to the storeroom, open the cabinet on the right and move the vase to find the Wrench
Move the wallet on the crate to find the Screwdriver
Put screwdriver into door, then use Hammer to pound it in. Use Wrench to turn it and open the door.
Chapter 11: Mr. Rockwell's Arrival
11-1 Put pages back together
Screenshot
11-2 Find the books
Screenshot
Click on fireplace twice and move books. Pick up 4 books.
Click statue on top of staircase. Secret door opens. Pick up the Books.
Screenshot
11-3 Arrange illustrations
Hint: Vampire related images go on the left and "anti-vampire" images go on the right
Screenshot
Chapter 12: Vampire Encyclopedia
12-1 Fix the ladder
Screenshot
12-2 Find the green book
Put ladder up on the chandelier
Find 5 items: Bulb 1 is on table. Bulb 2 is behind pillow on right chair. Bulb 3 is in right most cabinet. Rag is on the left chair and Cleaning Liquid is in right most cabinet near the top.
Green book is on very top right most shelf
12-3 Repeat the combo
Repeat the following patterns:
9, 2, 4
1, 5, 11, 7
5, 8, 3, 10, 1
2, 10, 4, 8, 12, 6
1, 11, 9, 3, 5, 7
1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10
11, 7, 2, 4, 9, 3
1, 8, 5, 10, 3, 11, 7
2, 12, 10, 3, 4, 6, 8
3, 9, 12, 6, 3, 9, 6, 12
Chapter 13: A New Plan Of Action
13-1 Take your things
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
13-2 Pack your things
Match the silhouettes
13-3 Find diagnosis
Pick up Hair Dryer from the bed
Look in bathroom and pick up the Towel
Move the vase and pick up the Diagnostic
Move feather at the end of the bed and pick up Key
Go to the sitting room and put Diagnostic on the table
Use the Key on the lower left cabinet. Move the vase and pick up the Cord.
Move curtain and pick up the Iron
Put Towel on the table and dry the Diagnostic
Chapter 14: Blood Type
14-1 Pack bags
Match the silhouettes
14-2 Determine blood type
Move the metal dish and pick up the Dropper
Use Dropper to pick up blood. Put one drop on each spot.
Use Dropper to put one drop of each antibody on each blood sample and compare results
Answer: Type AB
14-3 Magic solitaire
Follow the same rules as previous game
14-4 Get Ellen's blood type
Answer: Type O
Chapter 15: Down In The Basement
15-1 Get silverware
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
15-2 Find box
Pick up Saw from lower right
Pick up Handle from between two large barrels
Go to parlor and pick up Hammer Head from under shield
Move books on lower shelf and pick up Drill in cabinet
Take the four items to cellar and get box with them
15-3 Empty the box
Take items out of box in order given. Hint: Stash is under lower right part of box
15-4 Get 2 bottles of wine
Pick up 2 empty bottles in upper room inside the cabinet
Pick up Tap behind ship in a bottle on top of cabinet
In cellar, pick up opener in the cabinet
Click on cask behind stairs and open with Opener
Use Tap to fill the first bottle then replace cork from table into cask
Remove cask from table, then pick up second cask from behind stairs and repeat the process
Chapter 16: Malgray Golf Club
16-1 Gather golf equipment
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
16-2 Play golf
Click the middle of the ball then stretch the arrow for the proper distance and direction. Good Luck!
16-3 Map the golf course
Screenshot
Chapter 17: Up In The Attic
17-1 Find the differences
Screenshot Room 2
17-2 Collect spiders
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
Chapter 18: A Trap For Brandon
18-1 Find something to cut the ropes
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
18-2 Paint the spiders
Go to the utility room and open the bottles of red and green paint
Put the spiders on the table and pick up brush behind the harp
Paint the red spider green and the green spider red. Pick up the spiders and take them to the boiler room.
Put one spider on the barrel and one on the boiler
18-3 Check Brandon's blood type
Answer: Type B
Chapter 19: A Family Secret
19-1 Find scrolls
Open all the cabinets
Pick up Statue in top right cabinet
Pick up Statue behind harp
Pick up Scroll on top right shelf
Move the vase to find third Statue
Put all three Statues on large right statue in the back to find next Scroll
Go to second room. Scroll is in the left cabinet. Also, pick up record on the shelf.
Pick up record in lower right cabinet and another on the table. Put them on gramophone for next Scroll
Move books by the stairs for the last scroll
19-2 Find family tree
Labeling the boxes 1-25, for each family member, click the following sequence:
1: 1, 8, 17
2: 11, 12, 13, 20
3: 2, 3, 6, 14, 19
4: 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 18
5: 9, 16
19-3 Find jewelry box
Pick up the Knife on the table
Pick up the Scissors on the stairs
Click Key hanging on the stairs. It will fall into the gramophone
Got to the library. In top right cabinet, pick up the Pliers
Open the curtains and move the harp to find the Cutters
Put all four tools together with the rope in the other room to make a hook
Pick up hook and use it to get key from gramophone. Use Key to open bottom left cabinet.
19-4 Open jewelry box
There are 12 keys on the box. Label the keys left to right 1-12. The ten patterns are:
6,8,4,6
1,12,4,9
3,5,7,9,11
6,3,1,7,10,12
12,11,1,2,3,10
2,11,6,7,4,9
5,8,6,9,7,10,8,11
3,6,9,12,10,8,6,4
12,10,7,3,1,3,6,10
6,7,5,8,4,9,3,10,2,11,1,12,6,7
Chapter 20: DNA Tests
20-1 Find the objects
Screenshot
20-2 Compare DNA
Pick up Vial on round table
Move the glasses and cups from the center of the table to make room
Pick up silver case from the ground and open it
Put Vial of blood in the center gray square
Add Reactive Agent to the Blood
Got to the other room and pick up locket in the left lion's mouth
Move small boxes on bottom of stairs and pick up tweezers
Use the Tweezers to pick up Lock of hair
Put hair into the DNA analyzer and add reactive agent
Chapter 21: An Old St. Bernard's Fortune
21-1 Collect pieces of the will
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
Light match from blue match box and use it to light candle
Pick up Knife from on top of painting
Heat the Knife over the candle and use it to open the box
Take Key to other room and open cabinet on the right
21-2 Arrange text
Screenshot
21-3 Move the boxes
Arrange boxes largest to smallest on left moving one at a time
Chapter 22: The Castle Security System
22-1 Find control panel
Pick up Screwdriver on right
Pry off all three panels in the fireplace and unscrew top left screw
Go to the other room and find Phillips Screwdriver in left cabinet
Pick up Duct Tape on stairs
Move cat sculpture on stairs and pick up Pen
Go to fireplace and unscrew right screw with Phillips Screwdriver
Put Pen into middle slot. Use Duct Tape on pen to get a better grip
Turn Pen to open panel
22-2 Figure out the code
Code = G1387M
22-3 Fix the wiring
Screenshot
Chapter 23: The Cure-It-All
23-1 Collect candles
Screenshot Room 1
Screenshot Room 2
Screenshot Room 3
23-2 Arrange the candles
Arrange candles so that their lines do not cross
23-3 Catch a bat
Pick up lemon on table. Place the metal plate on the floor
Got to second room and pick up Knife from the table on left and Sugar from the table on the right
Put Lemon on the plate and use Knife to cut it
Pour Sugar on the lemon
Go to third room and pick up String off of the couch
Place String on the plate to make bat trap
Special thanks to Walzar for this fabulous walkthrough!
Well done!!! Loved this game...not only for the play value, but the truly stand out characters & the great humour!
How do you light the match?
In Chapter 18, another player and I have not found a way to get the antibodies into the blood samples. Nevosoft says to just look at the walkthroughs, but all they say is to put the antibodies into the samples. I've tried touching the pipette's tip to the A vial, clicking on A's cap and click-and-dragging A to the slide. HOW do you get the antibodies into the samples?
Update