Beard of Santa
Christmas is a stressful time. The dread of family get-togethers, the apprehension that you won't be able to find the one perfect present, the fear that you won't be able to afford any presents (thanks economy), the horrible crowds at every shopping center, the whining children ("I want that one!"), the snarled traffic, those bell-ringing Santas blocking you wherever you go. Don't you just wish sometimes that it would all just go away? Okay, calm down, take a deep breath, we have a solution. Sit down and spend five minutes with Beard of Santa, a cute, surreal little room escape by Minoto.
Well, technically this isn't a room escape. Or any kind of escape, really. Except, perhaps, an escape from all the stress of the Holiday season, or from reality itself. Taking place in the most surreal house ever, where you turn from the living room to get to the garden, and from the garden to get to the kitchen, Beard of Santa is a quest. A quest to take revenge on the jolly fat elf who is making your life so miserable right now. Or maybe a quest to help him, who can tell?
Navigate through this topsy turvy space with the help of large arrows at the top sides of the screen. Click on everything to see what you can pick up. Click on an item in your inventory then click on the blue bar with a question mark to discover what exactly that item is. And please, you absolutely must use the "about item" question mark to examine everything you pick up. Trust me, you need to. Who knew Santa was that heavy? There's no changing cursor, but everything that you can pick up or use is pretty obvious on the screen.
Done up in Minoto's usual cutesy style, Beard of Santa looks lovely in its hand drawn, washed out pastel style. Thrill to the kitty gymnastics, marvel at Santa's other talent, and just enjoy yourself immensely for the five minutes or so that this little gem will take to complete.
Analysis: Where to even begin? Salvador Dali would have adored this game, it is that bizarre. Breezy, fun, cute casual gameplay at its finest. Okay, this is not the most difficult room escape ever featured here in Weekday Escape. Sometimes you just need a little something to brighten your day, don't you? Beard of Santa is guaranteed to do that. The end goal is a bit obscure, but hey, who needs logic all the time?
The only thing that would have made this experience better would be a bouncy holiday tune playing in the background as you watch in amazement some of the things this game does. Is it difficult or challenging? No. What Beard of Santa is, though, is the perfect mid-week pick-me-up, especially at this time of year. Fire up this little gem and learn what you've always suspected: cats are good gymnasts, raccoons are helpful gardeners, composting is good for the environment, and Santa really does suck sometimes, doesn't he?
Walkthrough Guide
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Beard of Santa Walkthrough
Yes, this is a strange one.
You are facing a cat on a sofa. On the ground is a tube-like thing, take it (pump).
Turn right.
You are now in a garden. Click on the bushes in the foreground and they will move. Take the item revealed (the "peace").
Click on the shed to open it.
Put the pump in the gas can.
Take the filled blue tank.
Turn right.
Click on the vacuum cleaner to open it.
Place the blue tank in the vacuum cleaner and click again.
Boom!
Take Santa.
Turn right.
Someone is very messy!
Place Santa on the litter and watch him suck!
Take the other "peace", you should now have two.
Click on Santa and watch him jump on the chair.
Turn left.
Pull up one of the pieces (peaces?) into close up.
Put the second piece on the first.
You now have a cutting board!
Place the cutting board on the counter by the chef guy.
Once the guy cuts the mushroom take the end piece.
Turn left twice until you are back at the couch.
That cannister on the floor is a composter.
Open the composter, put in the mushroom piece, and close it.
Take the resulting mulch and turn right.
Put the mulch on the garden plot and watch the happy racoon come by to dig up everything.
Once the racoon is gone take the hanger.
Turn right twice until you are back to Santa.
Put the hanger on the bar above Santa and watch him fly!
Ooops.
Take the broken bar.
Turn left three times until you are back at the couch.
To the right of the couch are two uprights. Place the bar on the uprights and enjoy the kitty gymnastics.
Once the cat is off the couch lift the right couch cushion and take the object.
A sharp razor, hmmm? Oh Santa...
Turn right three times to go back to Santa.
Shave Santa's beard.
Peace out!
Posted by: grinnyp
|
December 9, 2009 2:19 PM