A decade ago, something shiny and new appeared on television sets across the country. That's right, the forensic procedural is that old. Not hard to believe since nowadays the formula is everywhere. Turn on a channel and you might find geeks picking up tiny pieces of evidence, the primal scream of Roger Daltry, or David Caruso douching it up all over the screen. With this kind of viral spread it was inevitable that the formula would eventually creep into every aspect of our lives, including the basic room escape. Anonymous is that type of escape, one that actually requires both the collection of evidence and some serious deductive reasoning to find your way out of yet another locked room. No sunglasses required.
Designed by HILG, Anonymous begins when you, the hero of our little story, enter a secure room in the police station where you work. Unfortunately, seconds later, you remember that the code has changed and you don't know what the new one is! Now you have to search the room for clues as to who your co-workers are, who changed the code, and what the new code is so that you can get out in time for dinner. Let's call that pulling a Caruso, shall we?
Navigation through the room can be a little clunky, involving both arrows at the sides and bottom of the screen as well as clicking on random items for close ups. The changing views, both angled and head on can be a little confusing at first, but it's not exactly a large room so eventually you'll get the hang of it. Pick up everything that you can, and be careful to examine everything you pick up for clues. Most items will not be used directly, but will enable you to solve the central mystery.
Unfortunately, there are a few flaws in the game. A changing cursor would have been nice to highlight the hotspots, so be prepared for some pixel hunting. Some of the puzzles are color based, making them difficult for the color blind. And although there is an English translation for the game, finding it can be a bit of... well, a mystery. After the introduction (in both Japanese and English), click on the left (yellow) button to bring up the system menu, which will enable you to turn on the English version, and even a hint feature. Feel free to also use it to mute the music, which frankly should die in a hail of gunfire on a Miami street corner. On the plus side, HILG gives the gamer a nice save feature, allowing you to walk away and come back later, refreshed and lightly tanned, to pick up where you left off.
Despite the flaws Anonymous is quite a fun challenge, involving not only the basics of room escaping fun; finding items, mysterious clues, headbanging puzzles, but with an interesting twist involving deductive reasoning and co-workers who discourteously leave food to rot in their lockers (ewww!). So put on some classic Who, slip on a pair of ray-bans, make a few disastrously bad puns, and get escaping!
Walkthrough Guide
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Anonymous Walkthrough
General Information
There will be directions for the colorblind included in the walkthrough.
Once you click on the start button there will be in intro in both Japanese and English. Wait for it to finish and click "Go".
Once the game begins notice the three small buttons to the left of the dialogue box at the bottom of the screen. The far left button (yellow) controls the system. Click on it to change the game to English and to put on the hints if you'd like.
Examine everything that you pick up. Many items have clues on them that you will need later.
Not all items will have a function other than for clues.
Good luck!
Exploration
You begin the game facing the locked door. To the right of the door is a window with a tan shade. Click on the window for a close up.
Click on the shade to lift it up.
Once the shade is open you can see into the next office. Way back on the far wall of that office is a poster, click on it for a close up.
Yes, that is a very disturbing poster, but there's a clue there, the number 101237.
Back up twice.
Now click on the little number panel to the right of the door.
Well, we don't know the code yet. If you click on it, it will tell you to stop touching it barehanded. Hmmm, wonder why?
Back up.
Just to the left of the door is a wooden name plate holder. Click on it for a close up.
"One of these plates is not like the other, one of these plates just doesn't belong..." Click on the plate with the black writing (the one on the far left) to take it. Gee, it's your own name plate!
Pull up the plate into close up, and click on it to turn it over. Now the writing is in red.
Click on the bottom kanji symbol and a key will pop out of the plate. Cool!
Close down the plate into your inventory and back up.
Click on the tea set on the low table to the left of the door for a close up.
If you click around the table you will find out you don't like coffee.
There is a small green coffee mug sitting alone just to the left of the coffee maker (it has no saucer). Take it.
Pull up the coffee mug from your inventory and click on the handle to turn it around. Hmmm, a lipstick stain. A clue? Yes, it's a clue and the number 4 will appear on your screen to let you know that it is clue number 4.
Close down the coffee mug and back up.
Turn left.
You are now facing the corner of the room. There's lots of stuff to do here, so let's get started.
Click on the upper part of the brown cabinet to the left of the table with the tea service.
Once the bookshelves are in close up, click to open the glass cabinet doors.
Click on the empty top shelf for a further close up.
Take the white object (glove) and back up twice.
Now click on the lower part of the brown cabinet for a close up.
Notice the lower cabinet doors are locked. Try the nameplate key on the door.
Take the item from the cabinet and back up.
Pull up the item from your inventory. Does that look like a bomb?
If you hover your cursor over the button to the right of the numbers (the blue button) you will notice that it is the start/reset button.
If you hover your cursor over the button to the left of the numbers (the red button) you will notice that it is the stop button.
Click on the start button and watch the numbers. Notice that some of the numbers are in color.
If you let the timer go long enough, you will see that 1 = blue, 4 = yellow, 6 = red, and 7 = green.
Also notice that there are four wires of the same colors as the numbers, coming up from the numbers and leading to the left side of the "bomb".
Click on the left side of the bomb to turn it around.
Okay, we need to enter 4 numbers here. The wires leading to the numbers are, from left to right, red, blue, green, and yellow.
Using what you learned from the counter, set the numbers to 6174.
Once you have the correct numbers entered into the end, click on the right side to turn the "bomb" towards you, then click on the right end to see that end in close up.
Click on the end in close up. If you entered the correct numbers at the other end it should open up and reveal a small jar of powdered aluminum. Take the jar and close down the "bomb" into your inventory.
Now notice that to the left of the brown cabinet is a narrow, gray locker and a hat stand with a hanger. Click on the hat stand for a close up.
Take the hat from the top of the hat stand. Yes, it is your hat.
Pull up the hat from your inventory and notice a gray circular shape on the brim on the right side of the hat. Click on that circle to get a locker key.
Close down the hat into your inventory and click on the gray locker to the left of the brown cabinet.
Use the locker key you just got from the hat on the locker.
When the locker is opened you will notice a green jacket that belonged to Mr. Turumi. The game will tell you he quit last month. This is clue #6.
Back up twice.
Turn left and you are looking at a straight view down the desk, with a clock on the wall in the background.
Click on the clock for a close up.
Hmmm, the clock is missing two numbers, the 2 and the 7.
Back up.
Right in front of you, in the foreground, is a scanner. Click on it for a close up.
You can open the scanner, but you have nothing to put in it yet.
Back up and click on the PC tower in the middle of the desk.
You are now in a close up of your very own work PC.
To the right of the PC is a small drawer unit, click on it for a close up.
If you open the drawers, you will find a note in the third one down, and another glove in the bottom one.
Pull up the note from your inventory.
Cool, a clue for the password to your PC.
Close down the note and back up.
Now click on the monitor for a close up.
Click on the monitor again and note the date (5/19).
Looks like we need that password.
The note indicates that the password is a red bar minus two red dots.
Well, there was a red bar on that disturbing poster.
The position of the red dots seems to indicate the missing numbers on the clock.
The number on the poster (101237) minus the two missing numbers on the clock (2, 7) would indicate a 4 digit code of 1013.
Once you enter the code and click log on, there is an icon on the screen. Click on it and it says no data. Looks like we need to find something to put on the scanner.
Back up twice.
Turn left.
You are now facing a corner of the room with three gray lockers and a desk with a laptop.
Click on the lockers for a close up.
The locker on the right is Mr. Turumi's locker. Click on it to open it.
Now that he's gone looks like they're storing brooms in there. Take the broom.
The locker on the left is Ms. Mugisawa's locker. Click on it to open it.
Take the small red can of spray lubricant.
The middle locker is Mr. Akanve's locker, but it is rusted shut and smells bad.
Use the spray lube on the middle locker to open it.
Take the small item at the bottom of the locker.
Pull the item into close up (rotten bean-jam bun).
Click on the package to remove the rotten bean-jam bun (yummy).
Notice that there is something sticking out of the right side of the bun. Click on that object to take it (smelly key).
Look closely underneath the desk, there's a yellow handbag there near the lockers. Take the handbag.
Pull up the handbag from your inventory and click on it to reveal a book.
Take the book and pull it up from your inventory. Click on the cover to open and read the manual for setting the door code (clue number 2).
Close down the book into your inventory.
Now click on the narrow area between the lockers and the wall on the right for a close up.
There's something there, but it's too high to reach! Use the broom on the space to get another piece of paper, a schedule.
Pull up the schedule from your inventory and look closely. Who has been in the office and who has been on vacation? (clue number 3).
Back up twice.
Click on the laptop for a close up. This is Mr. Akanve's computer.
Notice that the mouse is on the left.
Back up and turn left.
You are now facing a white board in front of an exit door.
In the rack below the white board, where the pens would go, is a small white object. Click on the rack for a close up and click on the object to take it (a tool).
Back up.
Click below the white board for a close up of the door behind it.
Use the smelly key (it says "escape" on it) to open the door.
Click on the railing to the left of the "down arrow" to look down. You should now see an ash tray and a book on the ground. Welcome to the smoking balcony. Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.
Click on the book for a different view and take the book.
If you click on the book in your inventory you will find that it is Mr. Akanve's notebook (clue 5).
Back up four times until you are facing the white board again.
Turn left.
You are now facing a corner that has a photocopy machine in it. Click on the machine for a close up.
Click on the top of the machine to open it. Take the transparency lying underneath the cover.
Back up and turn left. You should now be facing the main door again.
Time to solve a mystery!
Detective Work (Part 1)
Click on the number pad to the right of the door.
We now have all the tools to figure out the code.
First, let's see what the last numbers pushed on this keypad were.
Notice that the "tool" you picked up from the whiteboard looks like a fingerprint brush?
Pull up the jar of aluminum powder from your inventory.
Use the tool (brush) on the jar.
You should now have a combination of the tool and the jar. Close it down into your inventory.
Pull up the white gloves from your inventory and click on them to put them on.
Now use the tool/jar combination on the keypad.
Use the transparent sheet you got from the copier on the keypad to lift the prints.
Back up and turn left.
Click on the scanner for a close up and click on the top to open it.
Place the transparent sheet (with fingerprints) onto the scanner and back up.
Turn left and click on the PC tower for a close up.
Click on the monitor and enter the password, then click on log on.
The password is 1013 if you don't remember.
Click on the icon in the upper left of the screen.
The scanner has analyzed the fingerprints and identified the straight ones as left handed, and the slanted ones as right handed (clue 1).
Back up.
Click on the scanner, open it, and take the transparent sheet.
Back up twice, and turn right until you are facing the door.
Time to figure out the code!
Detective Work (Part 2)
Click on the keypad to the right of the door for a close up.
Place the transparency on the keypad.
We have two different sets of prints, each using a three digit code.
The trick is to figure out which is the old code and which is the new code.
Think back to the clues.
There are four people working in the office, Mr. Turumi, Mr. Akanve, Ms. Mugisawa, and you.
Mr. Turumi quit last month, so he can't have changed the code.
You don't know the code, so you can't have changed it.
That leaves Mr. Akanve and Ms. Mugisawa.
The lipstick on the coffee cup would indicate that it belongs to Ms. Mugisawa, who is hopefully the only person who wears lipstick to work.
The placement of the lipstick is such that the handle of the cup is on the right, indicating that she is right handed.
Mr. Akanve's laptop has the mouse on the left, indicating that he is left-handed.
Remember the schedule?
The date on the PC indicates that it is the 19th of May.
The schedule indicates that Mr. Akanve goes on vacation on the 20th.
Ms. Mugisawa, on the other hand, has apparently been on a trip since before the 10th.
Since Ms. Mugisawa is a right hander, and she's been gone a while, that would indicate that the 1, 5, 7 code is the old one.
That would leave the numbers 3, 4, and 9 as the new code, in some order.
Remember the manual?
The code can be any number between 0 and 399.
That means the first number has to be 3.
That leaves a combination of 349 or 394.
If you try each combination (remember to use the clear button in-between tries) you will find that the code is 394.
Close down the transparency, then push 394, then set.
If you enter the code correctly the right (blue) light will come on.
Back up, click on the door to open it, then click on it again to escape.
Enjoy the freedom!
Posted by: grinnyp
|
June 2, 2010 9:21 AM