Upon first playing Escape Artist, a new room escape game from the venerable Pastel Games studio, you may be surprised that this is a creation of the same designers who produced such dark, brooding classics as the Submachine and Covert Front series. You'll soon find out, however, that Mateusz Skutnik & company do sweet, serene and light very well indeed; Escape Artist is lovely, cute without crossing the line into saccharine, and a real pleasure to play.
As one might infer from the title, in Escape Artist you find yourself trapped in a painter's studio. It's a very nice place to be stuck in, what with the pets and art supplies and comfortable-looking furniture, but I suppose that even the most dedicated artist must eventually venture into the outside world (to get milk for the cats, if nothing else). However, the piece of stained glass that adorns your door seems to have broken, and you must find the remaining pieces and assemble the image before leaving.
In truth, Escape Artist is not very difficult; I completed the game in about 10 minutes, and was never stumped or tempted to look for a walkthrough. I don't think, however, that that's really the point. Perhaps, as the theme might suggest, the game is intended to be enjoyed more as a piece of interactive puzzle-art than a true intellectual challenge; if so, it succeeds wonderfully. The game is chock-full of little details to enjoy; the tubes of paint can be squeezed, books can be opened, even the yummy-looking slice of cake can be eaten. Despite the lack of difficulty, Escape Artist really becomes alive through these non-puzzle related elements.
Enter a real Pastel Story:
Cheers to Linda for the alert about the new game! =)
Walkthrough Guide
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The Tale of the Escape Artist (a.k.a. Walkthrough)
I don't know why or how I got locked into an artist's studio, but I know an escapable room when I see one. I started by assessing the area in front of me; a dog was napping on a couch.
I took the trowel from on top of the table to the left, and opened the cabinet to the right, in which I found a blue shape painting. Under the couch I found a piece of something, which I pocketed for later use.
I hung the painting on the wall between two others that looked like it, and discovered that when I touched the colored shapes they turned into other shapes. On a hunch, I made a mental note of the shapes and their colors: red triangle, blue square, yellow circle.
Turning right, I picked up a paintbrush someone had left on the floor, then moved the chair aside to reveal another mystery piece. I also used the trowel to scrape some paint off the painting in front of me, revealing a third piece.
After that, I set up a folding easel by standing it up, then spreading out its legs. I also found a fourth piece behind an art cabinet, and ate up the fruit that had been left on a plate next to it. I then shifted the empty plate to the floor for no apparent reason before turning right again.
A white cat sat on a chair, but I didn't pay it much attention. I picked up a carton of milk on the ground to the right, and checked one of the posters on the ground. When I touched the three shapes on the poster, they changed. I fiddled with them until they matched the three paintings from before, then took the piece on the back of the poster. I also found yet another mystery piece in the left cabinet of the desk.
A third right turn presented me with the door, but it was locked (as usual). Another piece hid behind the legs of the end table, and moving some empty frames aside revealed a blank canvas which I also took with me. I didn't try to put the pieces in the door just yet. I had to find the rest of them first.
I turned around and faced the easels again. I installed the blank canvas on the folding easel, then used the paintbrush to paint a picture of what I imagined the jewelry box key to look like. Amazingly, my drawing became a real key, which I took. I then poured some milk from the carton into the empty dish, and when the black cat came to drink it, I immediately turned back around and snatched the piece it was sitting on.
While I was facing the door, I used the key to unlock the jewelry box. Inside was piece number nine. I now had nine pieces, exactly the number I needed. Approaching the circular frame on the door, I fitted all nine of my pieces into their appropriate spots. When they were all in, I was out.
...Hey, who blocked the door with a giant landscape painting?
Posted by: SonicLover
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July 12, 2008 5:09 PM
My first walkthrough!
Couch room:
Click under the couch below the dog to get stained glass piece
Rifle through ottoman to get picture frame then hang it on the wall above the couch.
Click on the paintings and note the shapes revealed.(pink triangle, blue square, yellow circle)
Pick up the trowel
Portrait room:
Click on the fruit to eat it and place the plate on the floor.
Use the spatula on the painting to reveal a stained glass piece.
Set up the easel
Look below the cabinet by clicking on the far left leg, get the stained glass piece.
Office
Get stained glass piece from left cabinet.
Get the milk
Unroll canvas in bin - change the pictures to match the hidden shapes in the couch room. There are two different triangle shapes, so make sure you have the right one.
Entryway
Find canvas behind picture frames
Get the stained glass piece from under the table
Go back to Portrait room and put the canvas on the easel.
Pick up the paint brush from the floor and "paint" a key on the canvas. Get the key.
Put the milk on the empty plate on the floor
Go back to entry way and get piece the cat had been sitting on
Unlock the chest and retrieve a piece.
Now you have all the pieces. Click on the stained glass door, and put them into place.
You're free!
Posted by: Mele | July 12, 2008 5:18 PM