Mystery House in Japan

By Jess | June 17, 2009

Currently 3.5/5
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Rating: 3.5/5 (125 votes)

Platform: Flash

Categories: biancobianco, browser, escape, flash, free, game, japanese, linux, mac, pointandclick, rating-g, windows

Comments (56) | Views (8,183)

Jess So, just what is the mystery inside the Mystery House in Japan? I guess we could ask Japanese designer Bianco Bianco to let us in on the secret of its newest escape game. Or, conversely, we could just go ahead and play. Yeah, that's probably the better option.

You begin the game in darkness. After fumbling around long enough to locate a source of light, you'll find yourself in a small room appealingly decorated in a traditional Japanese fashion. But wait...with closer scrutiny, you might notice something strange. The pattern spreading like a Rorschach blot across the double doors of the room's exit looks disconcertingly like a face, and not a human face, either. And are those handles on the doors, or are they eyes? What on earth is going on? It looks like escaping this mystery house may involve more than just finding the right key...

All mysteries aside, MHIJ's handful of puzzles are well-designed but fairly standard room escape fare, mainly involving combining items and solving codes. Nothing fancy here, but nothing illogical either. One puzzle uses Japanese characters, but another item will help you to easily decipher them and come to a solution; the other Japanese text in the room (which can be found on various objects you collect) is not crucial to completing the game. I do wish that the game was a bit longer and more substantive; veteran escapers will probably be able to finish MHIJ in 10 minutes or less. Still, what is there is quite well made (and with a fun ending!), and in my opinion a short, well-executed piece is highly preferable to a longer, mediocre game. Quality over quantity, right?

MHIJ's graphics, while hardly photorealistic, are nonetheless quite nice and professional-looking. The game doesn't have any sort of soundtrack, but in this particular case the silence meshes well with the room's spare decor and general ambience. There's no save feature, which is always a little bit irritating, but for a game this short it's not such a big deal. Navigating around the room is easy, and I only counted one instance of moderately annoying pixel-hunting (hooray!).

While not the magnum opus of the escape game genre, Mystery House in Japan is fun, quick, and indisputably well-designed, perfect for a brief break in your day. While Bianco Bianco may not be the most stunningly original designer out there, it can always be counted upon to provide a solidly constructed and entertaining experience. Enjoy!

Play Mystery House in Japan

Mystery House in Japan Walkthrough now available!

Walkthrough Guide

(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)

For anyone who is still stuck, hope this helps.

Mystery House in Japan Walkthrough

Turn left and click on the calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall for a close up. Click on the bottom of the scroll to reveal an alcove and take the object in the alcove (matches).
Turn right and use the matches to light the candle to the right of the door. Let there be light!
Turn right. Examine the clock to learn Japanese numbers. Click on the lower left of the dresser to look behind it. Take the stick from behind the dresser. Click on the top of the dresser on the right side and take the clippers.
Go back to the scroll/box/closet area. Open the left side of the closet and take the bunny. Turn the bunny around and use the clippers on his back. Take the key.
Open the right side of the closet and take the hook. Attach the hook to the stick.
Use the hook/stick combination to open the upper left closet door. Take the red ball.
Back to the dresser. Use the key on the right drawer. Close up on the box and enter the code 5-2-9-4. The blue light on the right side of the box should light up. Use the red ball to open the left drawer by placing it on the red tape. Take the object (handle).
Go back to the scroll/box closet area and close up on the box. Click on the lid and it will now open. Take the ball.
Turn left and use the ball on the blue tape holding the window shut. Open the window and take the blade. Attach the blade to the handle and voila! You now have a Samurai sword.
Turn right and close up on the calligraphy scroll. Click on the bottom of the scroll and remove the necklace/amulet from the alcove.
Turn right. Kill the demon with the sword and open the door. You're out!

Posted by: grinnyp | June 17, 2009 3:52 AM

56 Comments

Clueless

• June 17, 2009 12:54 AM

Woo~hoo! Really liking this game but alas! I'm stuck and need some help...

I have and done the following:

Matches (used), Toy Rabbit with symbol from the clock on it, scissors, long stick and grabber used together to get the silver ball with red writing. Used the ball on left dresser drawer with the red paper to open drawer and got a wooden shaft (for a sword?). I can see how the symbol on the rabbit and the box with number can work together but haven't figured out how to use that yet

I'm searching all over but the room is so sparse, I must be overlooking something really obvious.

Help?

PS: Love this site! and Love escape games. Thanks to all of you who makes it happen!

Anonymous • June 17, 2009 12:59 AM

I'm at the exact same point, thinking the exact same things... I'm worried pixel hunting is needed now, so i'll give that a shot.

Jonathan

• June 17, 2009 1:00 AM

clueless, for the box

and the rabbit look at the

clock

Also, for the rabbit, you need to look

to the right of the dresser, and use what you find on the

rabbit's back

Coldfrog

• June 17, 2009 1:00 AM

You know, with the exception of Six recently, I have noticed a huge trend in the escape games to be of this kind of quality: Looks good, decent puzzles but nothing new and exciting. A very humdrum barrel of good but un-exceptional games. While not every one has to be as thematic and moody as Submachine or as well-polished and simple (interface wise, not puzzle wise) as Sagrario, I've just not been satisfied with how escape games don't seem to be advancing. Every once in a while something unique like 6 will pop up, but I feel like those are few and far between these days.

Have I been desensitized by playing these far too much? Am I over thinking this? Possibly. Well, OK, almost definitely. In fact, if it's not broken, incomprehensible or just plain too easy and derivative, hey, they're all free, I shouldn't complain. But I've just been wanting to get this off my chest.

Foof. OK, I'm done. Maybe I should try and make my own that lives up to my ludicrously high standards. That ought to be a humbling experience. Well, for now I'll just finish this one.

Kiwi • June 17, 2009 1:01 AM

Help I can't find the matches

Jared • June 17, 2009 1:01 AM

I don't know if I was expecting something grandiose or if it wasn't very end that was the "fun ending" but the end was very anti-climactic for me after reading the review. oh well still a fun game. and one of very few i've completed without help from walkthroughs!

Jonathan

• June 17, 2009 1:04 AM

and ... I'm out

when you have all items in your inventory except one,

look in places that you've already looked

twosixtyseven

• June 17, 2009 1:04 AM

if if makes you feel better, i'm stuck where you are, clueless.

Clueless

• June 17, 2009 1:06 AM

Hey! Yippy! I finished it without help. The ending was a little creepy... If I can finish it, it must be a pretty easy game for most of you.

Have fun!

LeVu • June 17, 2009 1:13 AM

I can't find long stick and don't know what to do with the grabber...HELP

benhere

• June 17, 2009 1:22 AM

I've felt the same way about these games - same general look and feel, well done but nothing special. Then I went surfing around for other escape games, the ones that don't show up here. There are dozens of sites that churn out these games...and they are mostly junk. Poor navigation, non-intuitive puzzles, clunky in every way. They give me a much better appreciation for the escapes that get reviewed here.

Apparently, it's not that hard to throw together any ol' escape game. The ones that show up on JiG are really the cream of the crop. If they're not always the most innovative, they're at least clean and clear and challenging (the 3 C's).

Thanks Jess, for finding the good ones.

Coldfrog

• June 17, 2009 1:29 AM

Out of curiosity, are you one of the guys who created Ben Here, Dan That? Fun one, that.

I guess that is fair, I've never had any problems with the ones that get posted here and it must take a bit of time to wade through them all (as even a cursory search has revealed) so I do commend the team on picking out ones that are good. Though I suppose if I am serious about making my own I should try and learn from the errors made in the other ones.

I did finish it though, and with the good ending (because I knew it couldn't be that easy). I just had to get that out of my system I guess. I still love these games.

Jewel • June 17, 2009 1:31 AM

First time I've made it out of an escape game without any help! Granted, it's a fairly easy one, but I'm still proud! :P

Mr. Anonymous • June 17, 2009 1:40 AM

Got through without a walkthrough.

Commenting on the above, I've notice that yes, there are a lot of humdrum games recently. Also ones where the puzzles don't make a lot of sense.

Perfect example are the balls or marbles in this game. I didn't see anything that would let me know how they are used. Sure there is a color connection, but really is that it? A key fits in a keyhole, that makes sense. You figure out the password to unlock something, but the balls doing what they did just didn't work for me.

Here's a list of items for those looking for a little help

Matches

Stick

Rabbit

clippers/scissors

Hook

Ball/Marble w/Red symbols

Key

Handle

Ball/Marble w/Blue symbols

Blade

Necklace with Amulet?

help • June 17, 2009 2:41 AM

I'm having a difficult time figuring out the code to the box. I noticed the characters on both the clock and the rabbit (they are numbers), but I can't make sense of it.

On the back of the rabbit, it says the number 5. I also noticed the box near where you get the matches with the -3 -> -5 -> +7.

I was looking at the numbers on the clock. I am guessing it means 2:16 or 2:17? Though the math doesn't add up.

5-3 = 2.
2-5 = -3.
-3+7 = 4.

So, is the code the actual time on the wall? (And the button next to the code doesn't push. Do you open the box with the -3, -5, +7?)

I feel so clueless. Thank you!

holyduckie • June 17, 2009 3:02 AM

Hello. Just to answer the query about the balls making sense. Actually the first one does make sense in Chinese/Japanese.

The character on the red ball means "to unlock", while the character on the paper means "locked".

As for the ball melting the paper, that's...witchcraft perhaps...

grinnyp

• June 17, 2009 3:08 AM

Help -

The code to the box is:

5 2 9 4. Basically you had it right, you just have to remember that on a clock the -3 position is 9:00 o'clock. Put 5 2 9 4 in the box and the little blue light turns on. Then go to the other box and open it.

Michelle S. • June 17, 2009 3:12 AM

@help

You're pretty close. You have the number right, and you do need the clock (kinda), but you don't need the time at all. ^^ Just a hint.
If that really wasn't enough...

Take 5, subtract 3, subtract 5 from that (wrapping around the clock) and add 7 to that. Those four numbers are your code:

4183

However, I can't actually get the box open...-_-

Michelle S. • June 17, 2009 3:15 AM

Ah, the power of posting...XD
Nevermind, got the box.

Look at the OTHER box.

grinnyp

• June 17, 2009 3:24 AM

And I'm out! That was...strange. It took me a while to figure out the code, but the really hard thing to figure out was the balls.

bimal • June 17, 2009 3:51 AM

Need help. Ending? not able to move out.

I have got the necklace and some ghost is appearing. I tried everything, but not able to escape. What is the last thing to be done after getting the necklace and sword?

grinnyp

• June 17, 2009 3:52 AM

For anyone who is still stuck, hope this helps.

Mystery House in Japan Walkthrough

Turn left and click on the calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall for a close up. Click on the bottom of the scroll to reveal an alcove and take the object in the alcove (matches).
Turn right and use the matches to light the candle to the right of the door. Let there be light!
Turn right. Examine the clock to learn Japanese numbers. Click on the lower left of the dresser to look behind it. Take the stick from behind the dresser. Click on the top of the dresser on the right side and take the clippers.
Go back to the scroll/box/closet area. Open the left side of the closet and take the bunny. Turn the bunny around and use the clippers on his back. Take the key.
Open the right side of the closet and take the hook. Attach the hook to the stick.
Use the hook/stick combination to open the upper left closet door. Take the red ball.
Back to the dresser. Use the key on the right drawer. Close up on the box and enter the code 5-2-9-4. The blue light on the right side of the box should light up. Use the red ball to open the left drawer by placing it on the red tape. Take the object (handle).
Go back to the scroll/box closet area and close up on the box. Click on the lid and it will now open. Take the ball.
Turn left and use the ball on the blue tape holding the window shut. Open the window and take the blade. Attach the blade to the handle and voila! You now have a Samurai sword.
Turn right and close up on the calligraphy scroll. Click on the bottom of the scroll and remove the necklace/amulet from the alcove.
Turn right. Kill the demon with the sword and open the door. You're out!

Vogonviking

• June 17, 2009 5:14 AM

I found this game disappointing. :( Without the walkthrough I wasn't sure what some of the objects were! Maybe I'm getting too fussy after playing so many escape games! Roll on next Weds for the next one! Thanks anyway Jess, I've had my 'fix' for today so I'd better go to work!

Coldfrog - make a room escape for us please, you know you want to really...!

help • June 17, 2009 5:23 AM

I would like to take the chance to thank everyone who offered their opinions and walkthroughs.

Oh, so the -3 is a 9 on the clock!

No wonder! I managed to get out!

joye

• June 17, 2009 5:55 AM

I don't think I could have done this without a walkthrough if not for my knowledge of Chinese characters.

chocolate • June 17, 2009 7:16 AM

Sure there is a color connection, but really is that it?

(Not sure how quoting works here.)

The words on the marbles read "Jie", or "Release", while the words on the seals are "Feng", or "Seal". Therefore the marbles "release" the seals.

For non-Japanese/Chinese speaking people, the connection would not be apparent, but kudos to the author for attempting to color code them and give us a hint. =)

Jess

• June 17, 2009 8:41 AM

Thanks, benhere, for your observation. I really appreciate you recognizing that even if not every escape game featured on WE is incredibly amazing, they're still much better than the vast majority of escape games released. It can be frustrating for me too, because I'd love to give y'all a Sagrario's Room or Vision every week, but sometimes have to settle for just good enough.

And in terms of the balls, I thought that

even without there being a direct and obvious connection between the balls and the seals, the colors were enough of a hint to get the player there without too much trouble.

Of course, maybe I feel this way because I've played approximately 1,563 of these types of games so am used to making such leaps of logic. :)

Anonymous • June 17, 2009 9:00 AM

Hm... I noticed that

after you've killed the big demon face, there's still one ghost left in the closet. Is there anything else to do before leaving? (I tried giving the amulet to the ghost, and putting the amulet back in the wall, but neither worked.)

Shudog

• June 17, 2009 9:12 AM

...I didn't need any Japanese character knowledge? Once you find the

clock

it was no problem. What got me was once again the pixel-hunting around the

low cabinet.

Bianco-Bianco has this problem a lot.

There are some cultural things here, though not insurmountable. The

sword-mirror-jewel

theme; the idea of

holy seals (the papers)

which is an everyday sight; and the whole aesthetic of a dark room

from which demons and monsters arise -- a lot of the scariest ones come from telling stories in the dark, or alternately traveling lonely roads in the dark.

It explains why you can't open the door, for one.

So yeah, it might not make sense to someone outside the culture. But does it stop 'em from playing the game? No, IMO.

I agree on innovation, though. The only new thing here is the narrative leap: why you're trapped in the first place.

JoeFish • June 17, 2009 10:32 AM

Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I'm not looking for innovation in my escape games. I'm looking for a fun puzzle game with an intuitive interface. Pretty graphics a plus, but not a requirement. Did that sound like a personal ad for an escape game?

I felt this one delivered on my (perhaps simple) needs. The puzzles made sense to this Westerner, except for the

Holy seal thing

but I was able to figure it out because we're given the cursor cues for things we can click on. It was one of the simpler escape games, puzzle wise, but a nice morning distraction.

Billy Nitro

• June 17, 2009 10:43 AM

For those wondering about the good ending and/or what the ghost is still doing in the closet:

After you kill the demon, check the right side of the cabinet under the mirror. There's a thread and needle. Use that to sew up the stuffed bunny, give it to the ghost in the closet, and then leave. U MAK GOST HAPI.

Bad Dog

• June 17, 2009 12:35 PM

Made it through on my own with no problem, although it did take a little more than 10 minutes. The Japanese characters are not an obstacle at all. They may as well be geometric shapes. The "good ending" isn't anything special.

I liked this game and don't understand some of the complaints about lack of creativity or inventiveness. It's fun and serves its purpose. Just think of TV shows or even food as an analogy. Something needn't be "the best thing ever" to have merit. This satisfied me and supplied my weekly escape game fix. Thanks for featuring it.

4red3s

• June 17, 2009 1:56 PM

Hmmm...
I cannot

get the handle of the sword onto the blade. I have tried having the handle selected for viewing and then selecting the blade. And then selecting the blade for viewing (which actually has a close up of the bottom area) and then selecting the handle. Nothing works.

P.S.
Captcha doesn't work for me
zzdqw7
also tried
zzdgw7

Zabigdog

• June 17, 2009 3:10 PM

Anyone else have a bug in the closeup of the box? I zoom in on it and then cannot get back out. Keep having to restart.

If there's a secret hotspot to click, clue me in, would you? So the next player benefits. Yuck.

Love B*B's games though.

Zabigdog

• June 17, 2009 3:15 PM

AY DIO! Okay, you have to go just *beneath* the image, into the black area outside the tortoiseshell texture, at the bottom. The blue "get me outta here" bar appears. God help me.

grinnyp

• June 17, 2009 3:51 PM

4red3s -

Just click on the blade once to put it on the screen, then click on the handle and click on the bottom of the blade to attach. If you click on the bottom of the blade first to get a close-up of the writing, the handle will not attach.

JT • June 17, 2009 6:28 PM

Uhhhh, you know the numbers on the clock are CHINESE right? :D unless they are also Japanese. i only know chinese numbers, so... hmmmmm....

Escapist

• June 17, 2009 6:34 PM

I felt kind of silly after banging my head on this one for a while. Everyone said how simple it is, so that made it worse. To my credit, I actually tried to do what I needed to do next, but I was off by a few pixels.

I had all the items I could get, but I couldn't figure out what the scissors were for. I tried them all over the rabbit, including the back, but it requires a bit more precision than I would think is necessary.

I agree that some of the latest escape fare has been a little less than spectacular, and I also thank Jess for finding them, either way. The main reason I come to JIG is to see if there's a new escape game up, and I often find myself salivating when one does show.

I think the problem is that there are some very good developers (I'm talking about you, Neutral and Mateusz Skutnik!) out there that spoil the rest for me... games that are intuitive, but not obvious; gorgeous, but simple; and ultimately plain entertaining.

This being said, I would say that it's a bittersweet victory for us fans. We get to enjoy these amazing games with the side effect of having to compare every successive game we play to them. I still appreciate the effort that these up-and-comers are putting in. Not everyone hits on gold right away, but through patience and unrelenting "stick-to-it-iveness," I think it can be developed. I enjoyed this one simply for being an escape game, and I look forward to more games from Bianco Bianco, hoping each evolution is better than the last! (Hopefully, there's less emphasis on the Japanese language in the next ones... or at least an option for translation to other languages)

grinnyp

• June 17, 2009 6:55 PM

JT -

I only know them from watching Japanese anime. :-) Maybe they're both.

NaoMi

• June 17, 2009 6:56 PM

@ Zabigdog:
I also had a problem of not being able to exit from that screen! I was JUST about to restart, when I suddenly found that it was now allowing me to leave... Very odd!

@ JT:
The characters are both the numbers in Chinese and Japanese. They look the same but are read differently.

I actually really liked this game. Short, simple...yet fun, nonetheless! The ending was very strange, but... I don't see why such a low score. :(

An Onyx Mouse

• June 17, 2009 7:17 PM

I can't get the game to load. ;_; Gets up to about 60% loaded and then...nada.

energythief

• June 17, 2009 11:08 PM

I got the good end. :) Fun game, solved it without any walkthrough assistance.

Anonymous • June 18, 2009 4:32 AM

I must admit, I often feel that Room Escape games are in a different phase today than they used to be. The more quasi-realistic graphics, often involving you escaping into a lush green paradise, are getting common, but I miss the very long and very inventive cartoon-styled Room Escapes, like My Diamond Baby, the Crimson Room series, and, uh, I've forgotten the name but in the first part you had to blow up the room with gas and in the second part you were in an underground chamber and had like a battle suit at the end. Would really appreciate it if anyone remembers the name, it was something simple.

I think that sometimes lush graphics are being used in an attempt to compensate for lacklustre, copy-and-paste puzzles. There's less intricacy.

Shudog

• June 18, 2009 8:25 AM

You're thinking of Out File by Tonakai Interactive, and holy spoilers batman.

Az's Where the Lights Are is in my top three (early Skutnik and Mya of Neutral, of course). 58 Works and Robamimi are working on their game, but that's about it.

To be honest, when things were hopping, we were seeing more entries from students, and more large organizations were ordering games. Key example: GotMail.

And artistically, it could just be the times we're living in. Room escape is very much a response to a feeling of claustrophobia, of lack of agency. When you have artists and audience with the same feeling, that's where the zeitgeist lives.

elle

• June 18, 2009 3:11 PM

Can someone help? I'm stuck with a pixel hunt, and it seems I've tried every spot on the screen....

I have:

a bunny, with a clue on its back; silver cutters with some japanese characters on one blade; a short, flat stick that appears to be hollow or to have a grove on the left end.

I've already used up the matches, the grabber thing, the long stick and the acid ball

I cannot find a use for the items I have left nor can I find any spot on the screen that I've yet to click on.

Please give a little hint as to where I should be clicking or what I should be using at this point.

Thanks :)

elle

• June 18, 2009 3:14 PM

Sheesh, nevermind...I was not clicking in the -exact- spot I was supposed to on one of the items. Blah.

Mr. Anonymous • June 18, 2009 11:37 PM

Replying about the balls - Thanks for the translations. That would certainly make it more obvious. The color coding also made it simple to put figure where you used the balls.

I guess my real complaint is the lack of logical steps in recent games. When I find a ball/marble, I don't see how anyone would normally think, "Hmm...I bet that opens a lock."

I should probably quit complaining and learn how to design and program a room game myself.

Zack • June 19, 2009 4:40 PM

I don't suppose anyone would be willing to post an English translation of the text that appears in the "good" ending?

Anonymous • June 20, 2009 5:11 AM

Sorry for the Out File spoilers, but I couldn't remember any other way to distinguish the games. "Oh yeah it's in a room and you have to escape from it, it was pretty good???" As for Gotmail, it seems you have to register with their site to play all their games now, and it's a step beyond willingness.

I get the feeling that there's a certain Japanese cultural aesthetic to these games - especially given the current trend where you escape into a beautiful lush green landscape. The densely-populated nature of Japanese cities, and the pressures of work and their own economic problems? Having to grind through meaningless tasks and obscure codes to get a chance at peace?

Erwin Schrodinger • June 20, 2009 10:38 AM

And what exactly was the point of this game?!? This game was horribly illogical, bizarre and unchallenging -- not to mention derivative and completely unoriginal. Unfortunately, this has been the trend lately with room escape games.

Note to developers: You are boring us! Give us something different!

What ever happened to creativity in room escape games? Are developers simply cranking out the games as soon as possible in order to make a quick buck (or yen)? Honestly, if things don't improve soon, then I just might have to go back to playing Windows solitaire again. :P

Nice try, Bianco Bianco. But if we wanted to see sub-standard electronic entertainment, we would all start reading musical greeting cards.

Flick • September 10, 2009 9:04 PM

I really enjoyed this game even though I needed a bit of help at the start trying to light up the room! I think it makes it infinitely easier if you can read the characters as you intuitively knew what to do certain named objects.

Anime_Spaz_3love • October 13, 2009 1:09 AM

Hmmm... I was trapped in a room... with a rice paper door... how does that work again? Ah well, a nice game to play, nothing jumping out at me (unlike the last game I played) until I had to get out (of the rice paper door) and found THAT hovering there...

By THAT I do mean the hovering demon head

IloveHenryTownshend • November 1, 2009 7:02 PM

Ok I can't get out of the drawer. I put in the code for the box and I can't go to the normal screen!

DinkDinkLee • February 5, 2010 6:16 AM

The demon shocks me~! >.

Agent H • August 28, 2010 6:35 PM

That demon freaked me out... O_e

Meterman70

• November 3, 2013 12:35 AM

Seems all of BiancoBianco's games are offline.

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Mystery House in Japan

Platform: Flash

Categories: biancobianco, browser, escape, flash, free, game, japanese, linux, mac, pointandclick, rating-g, windows

Mystery House in Japan Walkthrough now available!

Walkthrough Guide

56 Comments

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Mystery House in Japan

Platform: Flash

Categories: biancobianco, browser, escape, flash, free, game, japanese, linux, mac, pointandclick, rating-g, windows

Mystery House in Japan Walkthrough now available!

Walkthrough Guide

56 Comments

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