Dereba... Dererereba... Derereba! I don't know how to pronounce it, or even what it means but I love the game! Detarou's latest release is completely Detarou; in other words, it's a wonderfully weird, surreal, delightfully presented and maybe even a little unsettling point-and-click game with three endings to discover.
The goal, of course, is to escape using your mouse to click on objects, add them to your inventory and use them to interact with the characters and the environment. There's also a little puzzle solving to do, but it's really only a smidgeon. In typical Detarou style, collecting and using items is a one-click delight. The trick is figuring out what to use and where, resulting in some of those nice moments of "oohh, right..." The logic is a tad bewildering, but it's there.
Those familiar with Detarou's previous games, Henna Escape and Gold Door, will know how confusing and surreal these games are. I would suggest that quite a bit of the confusion lies in the presence of items that appear to be clickable, but really are not. Many of the items and characters present in the environment are included simply as detail. And some of them, despite their benign presence, lend a wonderful quirkiness to the game. It's worth clicking everywhere just to find them.
Much of the appeal of Detarou games lies in the surprisingly realistic artwork; the posturings of each character and their facial expressions convey so much mood, and despite the apparent lack of a storyline you can't help but feel your imagination stirred into wondering about what the heck is really going on in this house. There's also a delicious anticipation of what lies around each corner, because you know that what's next is will be utterly bizarre and either funny in a left-field kind of way, or almost poignant.
I've Google'd Derereba until my fingers were sore, and I still don't know what it means. The game itself defies any sense of reality, but it's funny, quirky, surprising and a real pleasure to play. And each ending only adds to the enjoyment of play with startling humour.
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
Derereba Walkthrough
Items
Cup
Facing the Horned Lady and and the Priest, go left through the door to the hallway.
Click on the door on the left and click again to open it.
Collect the cup from the toilet cistern.
You can ignore the female golfer lining up her putt with her putter in the toilet.
T-shirt
In the same hallway, take the door opposite to the golfer in the toilet.
Collect the T-shirt from the floor.
While you're there, open the double doors to watch the folorn man in the fish-suit taking a shower.
Close the doors, click out of the screen, click back and open them again.
Now the guy in the fish-suit is taking a bath, looking even more forlorn.
Coin
In the view with the bartender, click on the doorway to the left to go to the hallway with the three masks.
Facing the three masks, take the door on the left.
Click on the moving lump on the bed, and click again.
Take the coin.
The squirming worm creature is fun to watch for a while.
Pantyhose
Enter the code into the bottom drawer of the cupboard in the bedroom.
Collect the pantyhose.
Red curtain
After taking the pantyhose, click on the same drawer while it's still open, towards the back.
Take the curtain.
To unfold the curtain, click on it while it's in close-up.
Screwdriver
Enter the room that's opposite the bedroom and note the anime type character sitting, clutching a screwdriver.
Note the robotic type arm hovering above his head.
Click on the character for a close-up, and then click on the pantyhose in the inventory.
Click on the robotic pincers and the pantyhose will be pulled onto the character's head.
Click on the character's pantyhosed head and watch the robotic arm pull back.
This will cause the character to drop the screwdriver, so click out and take the screwdriver from the floor.
Code box
Located in the cupboard below the stereo.
Cocktail Shaker
Click inside the cupboard where the codebox was found.
Use the screwdriver on the screw.
Click back out twice and click on the top drawer to open it.
Take the Cocktail Shaker.
Paper Clue
Give the cocktail shaker to the barman.
Go to the view with the Priest and the Horned Lady.
The Horned Lady will now be distracted by the dancing barman, so click on the cup in the inventory and click on the drink dispenser that the Horned Lady was resting on.
You'll get a cup full of hot water.
Go to the view of the Dancing Orange-Heads and the Head-In-The-Vase.
Click on the cup of hot water in the inventory and use it on the Head-In-The-Vase.
The Head will get so steamed it will have to open the cupboard doors to cool off.
Click to the lower left in the open cupboard view to get the paper clue.
Key
Located in the Code Box once the code has been entered.
Clues and Solutions
Bottom drawer in the bedroom
When in the hallway just left of the Barman, note the three masks and the coloured dots on their foreheads.
Blue, Green, White
Enter the colour code into the bottom drawer.
For those who have difficulty discerning colours:
First button - click twice
Second button - click three times
Third button - leave as it is
The Code Box
Clues
The three clues to solving the code box are located:
On the back of the orange t-shirt.
In the blue book on the desk, where the screwdriver is located.
In the cupboard where the Head-In-The-Vase is.
Solution
Combine the paper clue from the cupboard with the torn page in the blue book.
8-Square-Triangle minus 12 = 813.
Add 813 and 12 to get 825 and combine that with the t-shirt clue.
82591.
Enter this into the box, and you may have to click in various places on the box before it will open.
Pay a coin to get a hint
Use the coin you found on the bed on the cupboard in the bedroom.
Wait 10 seconds while the guy in the cupboard sketches the hint for you.
HaHaHa! I love it! Okay, sorry. This is a dead-end. But it was funny, dontcha think?
Endings
Ending 1
Okay, so you've got the key and now you can use it on the brown door.
Once you've used the key, click again to leave.
Hm. That was exciting.
Ending 2
You've spent your coin in the bedroom for a non-existent clue, but all is not lost.
You've still got your key.
Use the key on the brown door but don't leave just yet.
Remember that red curtain you found in the bottom drawer in the bedroom?
In the hallway with the three masks, click on the masks for a close-up.
Click on the red-curtain, make sure it's unfolded, and click on the hooks below the masks.
Watch as a guy in a bull-costume head-butts the wall down and reveals a Panda giving directions.
Head in the direction that the Panda is indicating.
Evil Panda is singing "Na Na Na-Na Na" but God is sad.
Ending 3 - The Ultimate Escape
First and foremost, KEEP THE COIN!
Use the red curtain on the hooks, where the three masks are.
Follow the Panda's directions.
Click on the green door.
You'll still fall down into the trapdoor.
Use the coin on the sealed panel on the wall, left of crying God.
Click to enter the tunnel.
Click on the blue door twice.
Revel in your success and see a happy God.
Thanks, Chiktionary, for the walkthrough!
Posted by: Mike | April 26, 2011 1:07 PM