Escape from the Garden
This week we find ourselves in yet another space in which it seems a shame to have to escape from. After all, this is a lovely little garden, complete with trees, plants, shade, a nice bench to sit on, a fountain (albeit a broken one) and even some animal companions with which to pass the time. So why should you make the effort? Because escaping is what we do, and this is Weekday Escape, of course. Welcome to Escape from the Garden!
Designed by Maruho, this charming little Japanese escape game is a delightful little romp through someone's back yard. How did we get locked in there? Well, it may say so in the opening, but I don't read Japanese, so it remains a mystery for now. What is obvious, however, are the items and clues scattered around the space that will eventually result in leaving what is really a pleasant little place to spend some time. Escape from the Garden is a nice balance of use of found objects, interacting with your surroundings, and lots of logic. For such a short, sweet game there's lots of puzzling packed into the experience.
The usual downside to a Japanese escape game, for those who do not speak Japanese, is all of the Japanese text. But escape aficionados should be able to reason their way through without being able to read any of the cues. Navigating the space can be a little strange at first as well, what with the multiple turns and angles available to be explored. Some color based puzzles and lack of a changing cursor round out the difficulties that can be encountered while relaxing in this quaint little garden.
So why feature a game in a foreign language that has all those flaws? Because despite the minor problems, Escape from the Garden is an amusing, delightful example of the room escape genre. Amusing gameplay that includes logical puzzles that flow easily from one to another, a charming area to explore, and the added bonus of needing to interact with the garden's animal inhabitants to complete your escape. Combined that makes an escape worth...well, escaping. So take a little time and enjoy the seasonal and adorable Escape from the Garden. And remember, kindness to animals is its own reward.
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
First walkthrough!
1.
Click the lamp to the upper left of the door. Pick up the clear glass bead that is hanging beneath it. Return to the door view.
2.
Go to the left. Pick up the bird seed on the boards and the ladder.
3.
Click the rocks underneath the lowest shelf board. Pick up the poor butterfly and note his wings. Return to the view of the shelf boards.
4.
Go to the left. Open the blue trashcan and retrieve the bottle inside. Note the orange glass bead inside the bottle.
5.
Note the open window. Place the ladder underneath and then check out the window. Get the dog food from inside. Return to the garden view.
6.
Check out the bird house. Fill the bowl with bird seed. Return to the garden view for a moment, then return to the bird house to pick up a really large seed the bird apparently cannot eat. Return to the garden view.
7.
Click on the rocks underneath the windows. Pick one of the cottontails. Return to the garden view.
8.
Go left. Click on the plant pot to the right. Click it again. Retrieve the folded note next to it. Return to the full garden view.
9.
Go left. Click the dog house. Fill the bowl with dog food then wake the dog. Get the cloth from the dog house. Return to former view.
10.
Click the cat. Use the cottontail on the cat to play with it. Retrieve the key from the necklace. Return to former view.
11.
Click on the red bench then examine the rock behind it. In the mud, retrieve the small trowel and immediately use it on the mud. Get the frog figurine. Return to the cat/dog view.
12.
Go left. Click on the mailbox. Open it with the cat key and retrieve the mysterious note. Return to former view.
13.
Back to the garden with the gate in the back. This time, click on the frog well. Click on the square door on the pedestal. Place the frog figurine in here to open it. Refer to the butterfly wings for the right adjustment of the dials that are visible now, then click the button above the dials. Hooray, you got the water running!
14.
Check out the water. Retrieve the watering can. Also, soak the piece of cloth from the dog house.
15.
Return to the red bench. Clean it with the wet cloth to get some roman numerals.
16.
Return to the shelf boards and click on the locked box there. Insert the Roman numerals to open it and retrieve a hammer.
17.
Use the hammer on the bottle you're carrying. Retrieve the orange glass bead.
18.
Time to decipher the cryptic note from the mailbox! Do these numbers make any sense to you? No? Think dates...
12/31, 1/1, 1/X, 1/3...
The needed numbers are 2, 8, 9, 1
19.
Go to the tricycle next to the plant pot and click on the locked box. Open it using the numbers from the deciphered note. Get the bottle from within.
20.
Time for some planting! Put the seed into the plant pot. Water it. Apply the pink fluid from the bottle. Hmm, something's missing according to the folded note...
21.
Go to the frog. Replace his missing eyes with the glass beads of the right color. Then click the button on his head. Ooh, pretty!
22.
Go to the flower, retrieve the key. You can now leave the garden through the door and end the game. However, you can unlock the door and still have the key and the cottontail left and explore the garden some more. Hidden ending? Who knows?
Posted by: Taleweaver | July 14, 2010 5:21 AM
Complete Walkthrough:
1)
Press Start.
2)
Click on the lamp, then on the blue glass orb at the bottom.
3)
Go back and left and take the ladder and bird food (top shelf).
4)
Click on the ground beneath the shelves and take the butterfly then go back and left.
5)
Click on the bin then the bin's lid and take the bottle of water.
6)
Click on the rocks under the window on the right and take a reed then go back.
7)
Click on the bird table and use the bird food on the bird tray. When you've done this, go back and then return to the bird house and take the brown seed that's appeared on the top of the food.
8)
Use the ladder on the wall under the window on the left, then click the window and take the dog food, then go back and left.
9)
Go left, click on the blue plant pot and pick up the note, then go back and left.
10)
Click on the cat, then use the reed on the cat and collect the key. Go back and use the dog food on the dog's bowl, and then click the dog then the pink cloth that appears.Go back, then click on the bench and then the plants on the right and take the trowel. Use the trowel on the mud here and take the frog's head.
11)
Go back twice and left, click on the post box and then use the key on the lock and take the note that's inside.
12)
Go back and right twice, then click on the blue plant pot area, and then click on the tricycle and then the basket. Using the note, you can figure out the code.
Using the American way of writing dates (MMDD) take each line which is a consecutive period of time. (i.e. the first date is 1231 - 31st of December)
Each line is a different set of dates, the first of each being 31st of December, 28th of February, 9th of November.
If you really need the code:
2891
13)
Open the basket and take the bottle of pink liquid, then go back three times.
14)
Click on the fountain then the white box under the frog. Use the frog's head you collected on the space available then click it once more to open the box. Using the pattern on the butterfly, position the dials and press the button to release water.
15)
Go back, click on the water and then take the watering can and use the pink cloth on the water.
16)
Go back twice and left and click on the bench, then on the patch of mud on the bench. Use your damp cloth on the mud to take note of the Roman numerals.
17)
Go back and left twice and click on the toolbox on the shelf, and input the code to get the hammer which you should then use on your bottle of water. Take the orange glass orb that appears when you smash the bottle.
18)
Go back and left twice, then click on the blue plant pot twice. Use the seed on it, then the watering can, then the bottle of pink liquid. Go back twice.
19)
Click on the fountain then the frog and put the glass orbs on their respective eyes and click the heart on the frog.
20)
Go back twice and click on the blue plant pot twice and take the key. Go back twice and left twice and use the key on the door. Click on the door and you've finished.
Posted by: Dom
|
July 14, 2010 1:00 PM
Escape from the Garden Walkthrough
General Information
You can hit the "Skip" button at the beginning if you want to avoid the all Japanese intro.
There is no changing cursor, so brace for some pixel hunting.
Click on an item in your inventory and a flower appears in the lower right corner. At this point you can use the object, or click on the flower to see the object in close up.
There will be directions for the color blind.
Exploration
You begin facing the door to the house. Notice the mailbox to the right of the door.
Click on the mailbox for a close up and you will see that it is padlocked. Back up.
To the left of the door is a wall mounted lamp. Click on it for a close up.
Dangling from the bottom of the lamp is a light blue ball. Click on it to take it (frog's eye). Back up.
Turn left. You should now be facing some shelves along the wall of the house.
Click on the ladder to take it.
On the top shelf is a burlap bag, take it (bird seed).
On the middle shelf is an orange box. Click on it for a close up to see that it is a tool box. Click on it again to see that it needs a three digit code in Roman Numerals. Back up twice.
Underneath the shelves is a patch of ground with some rocks. Click on the far right rock for a close up.
Take the butterfly from the spider web. While it is in close up, pay particular attention to the markings on its wings. Back up.
Turn left. You are now facing a wall of the house with two windows, one open.
There is a bird feeder on the left, click on it for a close up.
Awww, a hungry birdie! Use the bird seed on the empty tray in front of the bird and back up.
Click on the trash can to bring it into close up, then click on the lid to open it. Take the bottle. Hmmm, there's something inside that bottle!
Close down the bottle and the trash can.
Against the wall of the house, underneath the window on the right (the closed window) is a rock at the base of some climbing ivy. Click on the rock for a close up.
Click on the cat-tails (the fuzzy plants) in the foreground to take one. Back up.
Place the ladder against the wall underneath the open window, then click on the window for a close up.
Take the item you can see through the window (dog food) and back up.
Click on the bird feeder again and take the present the bird has left for you (large seed).
Back up and turn left.
You are now facing the back of the garden, with a path leading down to a gate in the distance.
On the right is a blue pot on a plant stand in the corner of the garden. Click on it for a close up.
Now that you are in close up you can see the pot on the stand as well as a tricycle. Click on the tricycle for a close up.
Once the tricycle is in close up click on the basket between the handlebars and notice that it needs a four digit number code. Back up twice.
Click on the blue pot for a close up.
Take the note that is on the left side of the pot, and click on the note to open it.
This appears to be instructions for planting something. Step one appears to be a large seed, step two appears to be a drop of water, step three appears to be a pink drop that might be plant food, and step four appears to be two circles of light, one light red and one light blue (infrared and ultraviolet?).
Close down the note and click on the pot to lift it.
There's a hole underneath for drainage, but nothing else interesting. Back up twice until you are looking at the gate again.
To the left of the path is what appears to be a water feature of some sort. Click on it for a close up.
Cool, a froggy fountain! But it doesn't appear to be working.
Click on the base of the fountain for a close up and notice that there is water, but it is too far to reach. Back up.
On the plinth beneath where the froggy is sitting is a square area, maybe that is where the controls for the fountain are? Click on the square area for a close up.
Looks like a panel, but it appears to be missing a cut-out of some sort. Back up.
Click on the froggy for a close up.
Hmmm, the froggy's eyes look strange, like there should be a lens or something in them. Notice the one red eye and the one blue eye. Back up twice.
Turn left.
You are now facing a red bench, with a cat on the wall and a dog in a doghouse.
Click on the bench for a close up.
Hmmm, there's a spot of mud on the back of the bench, looks like it needs to be cleaned off.
To the right of the bench is a plant and a large gray rock against the garden wall. Click on the rock for a close up.
We have a nice area of soil, with a little hand spade stuck in it. Take the spade.
Use the spade to dig in the soil and you will uncover a little cut-out. Take the cut-out.
Back up twice.
Click on the cat on top of the wall for a close up.
Awww, how cute. Let's wake the cat up! Use the cattail (fuzzy plant) on the cat to tickle it.
When the cat wakes up, take the key that is hanging from its collar and back up.
Now click on the dog house for a close up.
Looks like someone forgot to feed the dog! Use the dog food on the empty bowl and click on the dog. When the dog moves, take the revealed object inside the dog house (pink cloth).
Back up.
Turn left and you are back where you started, facing the door to the house.
Time to solve some puzzles!
The Mailbox/The Tricycle
Click on the mailbox for a close up and use the key you got from the cat on the padlock.
Open the mailbox and take the note.
You have a sequence of numbers here, three lines, and what appear to be four missing numbers.
The first line is 1231111(blank)13.
The second line is 22(blank)313233.
The third line is 11(blank)1110111(blank).
Wonder what it means?
When looking at each line, think dates (without the / in them).
Each line is a series of consecutive dates.
The first line starts at December 31, so 12/31, then 1/1, 1/2, and 1/3.
Using that logic, the missing number in line one is 2.
The second line starts at February 28, so 2/28, 3/1, 3/2, and 3/3.
That makes the missing number in line two 8.
The third line is trickier, but deals with the month of November.
The dates are 11/9, 11/10, 11/11, and 11/12.
That means the two missing numbers in line three are 9 and 1.
There's your code, 2891.
Close down the note, back up, and turn right twice until you are facing the gate.
Click on the blue pot on the right for a close up, then click on the tricycle twice until you can see the code on the basket.
Enter the code from the note and click on the latch above the code. Once the latch is open, click on the top of the basket and take the bottle of pink fluid (plant food).
Back up three times.
Making the Fountain Work
You should be facing the back gate of the garden. Click on the fountain for a close up.
First, let's get the water running. Click on the square area beneath the frog for a close up.
That missing cut-out area looks just like the cut-out we dug out of the ground near the bench.
Place the cut-out in the panel then click on the panel to open it.
Cool, dials! Hey, the shape of those dials looks familiar!
Remember the butterfly?
Pull up the butterfly from your inventory and notice that the markings on the wings resemble the dials.
The markings would seem to indicate that the left dial should be pointing at the 3 o'clock position, and the right dial should be pointing at the 10 o'clock position.
Click on the dials to get them pointing in the correct position and click on the rectangular area above them.
We have water! Back up.
Click on the base of the fountain for a close up.
Take the watering can.
We still need another eye for the frog though, so there's not much more to do here right now.
We could, however, moisten the pink cloth.
Use the pink cloth on the water so that it becomes damp.
Back up twice.
Opening the Toolbox
Let's investigate that dirty patch on the bench, shall we?
Turn left until you are facing the bench, then click on the bench for a close up.
Click on the dirty patch of the back of the bench for a close up.
Use the damp pink cloth on the dirt to reveal a code in Roman Numerals. Note: if your cloth is not wet, you need to go back to the fountain and use the cloth on the water. This is presuming you have fixed the fountain.
The code is V, II, and VIII.
Where have we seen a code needing Roman Numerals?
Back up twice and turn left twice, until you are facing the shelves.
Click on the toolbox twice for a close up, and enter the code you just got from the bench.
Once the code is entered, click on the latch above the code.
When the latch is open, back up once and click on the top of the toolbox to open it. Take the hammer.
Let's get out of here, shall we?
Back up.
Growing a Plant/Getting Out
We're in the home stretch now!
Turn left until you are facing the back gate of the garden.
Click on the blue pot on the right for a close up, then click on the pot again.
Take a close look at the note in your inventory for the order in which to do things.
First, put the large seed in the pot.
Second, water the seed with the watering can from the fountain.
Third, use the fancy, stoppered bottle of pink stuff (retrieved from the tricycle basket) on the seed.
Back up once, then click on the pot again.
Well, we have a flower bud, now we just need to open it.
The note seems to indicate two colored beams of light, red and blue.
Remember that the frog's eyes are red and blue, and look like they need lenses.
Back up twice and then click on the fountain for a close up.
Click on the frog for a close up.
We have the blue lens, which we found way back in the beginning hanging off of the lamp by the door.
Place the blue lens in the right eye.
But where is the red lens?
Remember the water bottle we found in the trash?
There's a reddish object in there, if only we could get it out!
Hey, we have a hammer!
Pull up the bottle from your inventory, then use the hammer on the bottle.
Take the red lens from the broken bottle, then place it in the left eye of the frog.
Now click the heart shaped button between the eyes and voila, we have light beams!
Back up twice and click on the blue pot twice for a close up.
The flower has opened and we have a key! Take the key.
Back up twice and turn left twice until you are facing the door.
Use the gold key on the door, then click on the door handle to open it.
Click on the open door to escape!
Enjoy a nice relaxing snack after all that hard work.
Posted by: grinnyp
|
July 14, 2010 1:01 PM