NOTE: the online Flash version of the new edition of Matryoshka is available to play from July 19 - July 27 only.
You're in a room that appears to be round; this is confirmed as you tap the arrows at the sides or swipe left and right on the screen, inspecting your surroundings. It's a pleasant enough room, painted in a pastel palate of blues and whites, a fashionably modern yet comfortable looking sofa, plant, desk, picture... but no door! As pretty as this room may be, eventually one has to eat, breath the fresh air, go to work. But how? To do that, investigate your surroundings, look for hints to help you solve the visual riddles nestled all about the room. Maybe then you can peel back the layers of this deceptively congenial trap and make your way out of Matryoshka (New Edition), available for iOS and Android, as well as on your browser for a limited time. The appeal of this cleverly inventive escape game by Kotorinosu, like the Russian nesting dolls it's named after, is in its many layers and surprises held within. Besides the satisfaction that comes from having your mental prowess challenged—and succeeding—there is much to enjoy in Matryoshka's design with very cool visuals and fun animations to reward your progress.
If you've played any of Kotorinosu's other escape games, such as Room Gamma or Pixel Room, you already know you're in for a treat, even before opening the app on your mobile device. This time Kotorinosu has gone all out to make the user interface as intuitive as possible, all actions completed by a simple tap. Tap on any object in the room and, if it can be picked up, it'll automatically appear in your inventory at the bottom of the screen. Tap to select an object in your inventory then tap again somewhere in the scene to (attempt to) put it to use. Or, tap an object's icon twice to examine it in more detail, which you'll want to do as a number of puzzles take place that way. There is slight drawback to this as the inventory animations could be distracting. Yet it's a minor nitpick considering the overall high quality of the design and interface.
As far as being a "new edition", while sharing its title with Matryoshka, a browser-based escape game released some time back, this particular game is truly original by its own rights—the visuals are completely revamped and there are many newly-designed puzzles to boggle your wits. Even though a couple concepts appear in both versions, there is much more that is notably unique and different, making this a game that shouldn't be overlooked. It can be enjoyed by fans familiar with the original as well as anyone who loves a good puzzle adventure to go. It's hard to decide which is more enjoyable about this new edition of Matryoshka: the crisp, fresh aesthetics or how the puzzles are the perfect level of difficulty. But you get to enjoy both simultaneously, so no need to choose. Save that brain power for the true tasks at hand, unlocking the delights nestled inside this new edition of Matryoshka.
Matryoshka (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad)
Matryoshka (Android)
NOTE: This game was played and reviewed on the iPad 2. Game was available in the North American market at the time of publication, but may not be available in other territories. Please see individual app market pages for purchasing info.
Walkthrough Guide
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Matryoshka New Edition Walkthrough
Starting Off
SOFA WALL
You start facing the SOFA WALL.
Zooming in on the pot plant reveals a white petal. Collect it. The pot also has a bolt on the side... mysterious.
Zoom out, then zoom in on the painting on the wall. One of the leaves on the right plant seems oversized, tapping on it will reveal that it is in fact another white petal. There is what seems to be a card scanner to the left of the painting, but we can't do anything with that yet.
Zoom out, then zoom in on the sofa. Checking under the pillows reveals a tiny doll, which has a hexagon shaped hole. Tapping underneath the sofa will present you with a dry cloth.
Zoom out, then zoom in on the clock. The top, misshapen hand end is another white seed.
Zoom out, and turn right.
DESK WALL
On the desk there is a set of scales, which is missing one platform, and a large doll which is somehow attached to the desk. Opening up it's head reveals spaces for eight white petals.
Checking all the drawers of the desk we see that two are locked and one is missing a handle.
To the right there is a modern sculpture of some sort which appears to be attached to both the floor and the wall.
Nothing we can do here for now; turn right.
CYLINDER WALL
On the left side of the wall, there are two painted arrows facing each other, and a screwed down panel (with Phillips type screws). In the center there is a large white cylinder. Inspecting the gap in the middle of the cylinder will let you see and collect a torn maze drawing. The cylinder also has a small locked door and a lever, which does not appear to do anything for now.
On the left of this view there is a small doll in a wide jail cell, and a modern painting which has a red pencil resting on top.
Turn right.
BOOKSHELF WALL
There is a modern bookshelf in/on the wall; inspecting the books on the sides reveal hidden flathead screws.
There is also a blacked out picture (underneath it is another flathead screw) whose frame is held by a phillips screw.
Now that we've collected all the items we could and inspected everything, it's time to solve some puzzles!
Cleaning Up and the White Petals Puzzle
At this point you should have in your inventory: 3x white petals, tiny doll, dry cloth, torn maze drawing and a red pencil.
The tiny doll had a hexagon shaped hole in it... what could it be used for?
Use the tiny doll to unbolt the pot plant on the SOFA WALL. Zoom out and open up the pot.
Collect the water bottle.
The dry cloth isn't much use in its current state, so combine it with the water bottle to get a wet cloth.
What have we seen in this room that might need some cleaning?
Use the wet cloth on the blacked out picture on the BOOKSHELF WALL.
This reveals a strange picture of three white petals and five blue petals, all facing different angles.
Hey, we have three white petals, and 3+5 equals eight, the amount of slots in the large doll!
The white petals in the picture show where to place the petals in the large doll. Note the orientation of the petals in the picture, and place the petals in the corresponding positions in the white doll.
The correct positions are (numbering the slots 1-8 from top going clockwise) are 2, 5, and 7.
Opening the large doll we can collect a medium doll.
Matryoshka Maze
At this point you should have in your inventory: tiny doll, torn maze drawing, red pencil, and a medium doll.
The medium doll we just picked up has a twisty head. Twisting it 180 degrees reveals a brown key taped to the back.
Use the brown key to open the right locked drawer on the DESK VIEW, which allows us to collect the other piece of the torn maze drawing.
Combine the two torn maze drawings to get a better view of the entire maze.
How could this maze help us solve any puzzle?
The maze is a 'map' of the turns we must do on the medium doll. Turn the head to follow the curves of the path through the maze.
The correct sequence of turns is: Clockwise, clockwise, anticlockwise, clockwise, clockwise, anticlockwise, anticlockwise, anticlockwise.
Collect the phillips screwdriver.
Screwing Around Pt. 1
At this point you should have in your inventory: tiny doll, red pencil, medium doll, and a phillips screwdriver.
Now that we finally have a screwdriver, we can go and tackle all those pesky screws we've been seeing around the room.
First we can unscrew the frame of the white and blue petals picture (on the BOOKSHELF WALL) to get a blue card, and the panel on the left of the CYLINDER WALL to get a notebook.
The Jailbreak Escape
At this point you should have in your inventory: tiny doll, red pencil, medium doll, phillips screwdriver, blue card, and a notebook.
On the CYLINDER WALL you may place a doll of any size on whichever 'jail' is open, at the moment the one of the left. Doing so will close that jail but open the other.
So, logically, we will always have one doll in jail... right?
If you put the correct dolls in the correct jails you can end up with the tiny doll in the jail to the right, which has wider gaps between the bars... wide enough for the tiny doll to escape.
The way to do this is to place the medium doll in the left jail, collect the small doll from the right jail and replace it with the tiny doll which you can then collect through the bars of the jail before going back tot he left jail to retrieve the medium doll.
You now have three dolls! Just one left to go.
Winding Up and the Three Dot Puzzle
At this point you should have in your inventory: red pencil, phillips screwdriver, blue card, notebook, and the tiny, small, and medium dolls.
Now that we have a blue card we can use it on the card scanner on the SOFA WALL.
This will present us with a black box.
Examining the black box will present us with a windup handle and a strange pattern of dots.
Having a closer look at the small doll will reveal that there is a slot for a windup handle which, handily, we have.
Winding up the doll will activate the three buttons on the front.
We don't appear to have enough clues for the correct sequence yet, so we'll see what we can do with the items we have at the moment.
The notebook is blank apart from some red scribbles... we know what to do here!
Use the red pencil on the page to reveal a clue.
The revealed clue seems to relate the the pattern of dots in the black box. The four squares that the arrow passed through have the numbers 2 1 3 2. Maybe that will work on the small doll. Hmm, no. But maybe it's not the number that matters?
Instead of using the numbers, use the positions of the dots that make up the numbers, moving from left to right. So the first number 2 actually means the bottom button then the top button.
The correct sequence of button presses is (numbered 1-3 from top to bottom) 3 1 2 1 2 3 1 3.
Open the doll to get a handle.
Weighing Things Up
At this point you should have in your inventory: tiny, small and medium dolls, and a handle.
The use of the handle should be obvious; use it on the cupboard on the DESK WALL to get a scales plate, which can be used to complete the scales on the desk.
The scales have a 'measuring' device of sorts, where a white needle points to how much the scales are off balance. There is also a grey arrow marking where you want the white needle to point.
The aim is to place the three dolls (some nested if required) to make the needle point to the grey arrow.
The tiny doll has a weight of 1, the small doll has a weight of 3, and the medium doll has a weight of 6.
The grey arrow points to 8 on the right.
6+3-1=8, so nest the small doll in the medium doll on the right scale plate, and put the tiny doll on the left scale plate.
Collect the silver key, and don't forget to recollect the three dolls.
Use the silver key to unlock the left locked drawer of the desk to collect the flathead screwdriver.
Screwing Around Pt. 2
At this point you should have in your inventory: tiny, small, and medium dolls, and a flathead screwdriver.
If you check in the cupboard under the large doll, there is a flathead screw at the top of the compartment. Unscrew it and collect the large doll.
Now go to the BOOKSHELF VIEW, and unscrew the three flathead screws (on each side behind the books and under the picture).
You can now remove the bookshelf.
Family Portrait
At this point you should have in your inventory: tiny, small, medium, and large dolls, and a flathead screwdriver.
The compartment behind the bookshelf has places for three dolls. It also has some decorative branches which are also on the family portrait on the SOFA WALL. Could the portrait be a clue to the doll placement?
The 'daughter' doll (small) goes on the left, the 'father' doll (large) goes in the middle, and the 'mother', pregnant with the 'baby' (tiny nested in medium) goes on the right.
After the animation, recollect the four dolls.
Painting and Nesting
At this point you should have in your inventory: all four dolls.
Take a look around the room to see what has changed.
The modern sculpture on the DESK WALL has opened up, revealing four nested colors.
The arrows on the CYLINDER WALL now point to a small hidden compartment which contains a gold key, which can be used to open up the door of the cylinder.
This compartment will paint the dolls. It works by placing a doll in the compartment, selecting a color, then pulling the lever. By painting each of the dolls you need to replicate the 'nest' of colors in the modern sculpture.
Once you have painted all four dolls correctly, nest them all inside each other and place them in the center of the cylinder.
After the animation, go back to the CYLINDER WALL and climb down the ladder.
Congratulations, you escaped!
Posted by: thegreatescaper
|
July 20, 2014 1:06 AM
Walkthrough
1. Couch View
a. Couch
i.
Zoom in and move the cushions. Retrieve the doll. Note the shape on the front of the doll.
ii.
Look under the couch and get the cloth.
b. Plant
i.
Zoom in and collect the teardrop. Note the bolt on the plant’s side.
ii.
Use the doll on the bolt. Move the top of the plant and get the bottle.
c. Picture
i.
Zoom in on the picture. Note the card reader. Get the teardrop.
d. Clock
i.
Zoom in on the clock. Get the teardrop.
2. Bookshelf View
a. Left Books
i.
Move the books and note the screw.
b. Right Books
i.
Move the books and note the screw.
c. Picture Frame
i.
Use the bottle of water on the cloth then use the wet cloth on the picture. Note the grey petals.
ii.
Zoom in on the picture frame and note the screw on the back, and the screw on the shelf behind.
3. Desk View
a. Cabinet
i.
Note the missing handle.
b. Scales
i.
Note the missing plate and the arrow on the dial.
c. Doll
i.
Zoom in on the doll, and open its face. Place the teardrops as indicated by the picture in the bookcase view.
ii.
Open the doll and get the next doll. Examine it and note that the head spins.
iii.
On the back of its head is a key. Take it.
d. Drawers
i.
Note the two locked drawers.
ii.
Use the key on the right drawer. Open it and get the maze piece.
4. Column View
a. Column
i.
Note the lever and locked door.
ii.
Zoom in on the middle of the column and take the second maze piece.
iii.
Fit the two maze pieces together. Plot outward path.
iv.
Solution
1. Rotate from the doll’s point of view
2. Right 180 degrees
3. Left 90 degrees
4. Right 180 degrees
5. Left 270 degrees
v.
Take the first screwdriver from inside the doll. Note that it is phillips.
5. Bookshelf View
a. Picture Frame
i.
Use the screwdriver on the back of the frame and take the access card.
6. Couch View
a. Picture
i.
Zoom in on the picture and use the card on the card reader. Take the box from behind the picture.
ii.
Open the box and get the winding key.
7. Column View
a. Sealed Wall (left)
i.
Use the screwdriver on the wall section and get the book. Put the larger doll in its place.
b. Painting
i.
Get the red pencil.
c. Right of Column
i.
Take the doll. Replace it with the small doll.
d. Left of Column
i.
Take the doll.
e. Right of Column
i.
Take the doll.
ii.
Examine the newest doll and use the wind-up key on the back of it.
iii.
Examine the book. Use the red pencil on the page with the scribble. Note the highlighted squares.
iv.
Examine the black box. Note the exact pattern of the DOTS that correspond to the highlighted squares.
v.
If you work from left to right, the dots correspond to the buttons on the new doll.
vi.
SOLUTION: bottom, top, middle, top, middle, bottom, top, bottom
vii.
Take the handle.
8. Desk View
a. Cabinet
i.
Use the handle on the cabinet and open it.
ii.
Take the plate.
b. Scales
i.
Use the plate on the scales.
ii.
Put the dolls on the scales to align with the arrow on the dial.
iii.
The small doll weighs 1, the medium one weighs 3, the large weighs 6.
iv.
The target is 8.
v.
SOLUTION: Nest the medium inside the large and put it on the right plate. Put the small on the left plate.
vi.
Take the key and the dolls.
c. Drawers
i.
Use the key on the left drawer and take the second screwdriver. Note that it is flathead.
d. Cabinet
i.
Unscrew the largest doll and take it.
9. Bookshelf View
a. Left Books
i.
Move the books and remove the screw.
b. Right Books
i.
Move the books and remove the screw.
c. Picture Frame
i.
Zoom in on the picture frame and remove the screw on the shelf behind.
ii.
Zoom out and remove the bookshelf.
iii.
Zoom back in and note the three spaces for dolls and the leaves on the wall.
iv.
The leaves match the ones in the painting in the couch view.
v.
Place the four dolls on the spaces to match the painting.
vi.
SOLUTION: The painting shows the daughter, the father and the pregnant mother. Put the biggest doll in the middle as the father, the next biggest with the smallest inside it on the right as the pregnant mother and the last one on the left.
vii.
After the cut scene, take the dolls back.
10. Desk View
a. The Sphere
i.
Look up at the inside of the sphere and note the colours from the outside inward.
11. Column View
a. Between the Arrows
i.
Look on the ledge and open the panel to take the key.
b. The Locked Panel
i.
Use the key to open the locked panel.
ii.
Change the colour of each doll by putting it into the device here. Set the colour you want it to be at the top, close the door and pull the lever. Set the colours from the code given in the sphere.
c. The Platform on the Column
i.
Nest the dolls and put them onto the platform on the column.
ii.
After the cutscene use the ladder to escape.
Posted by: Jonathan Kok
|
July 20, 2014 7:16 AM
Argh, I made a couple of errors in my walkthrogh.
I the very first part I called the white objects 'petals' twice and then I called the third one a 'seed'.
Also, I believe that the three dot puzzle is randomized.
Posted by: thegreatescaper
|
July 20, 2014 8:50 AM