Mystery of Time and Space: Level 20
For room escape fans, Jan Albartus, the grand-daddy of all room escape games, has added an all-new level to his continuing series, Mystery of Time and Space (MOTAS). Fans of the genre will already know that this series has been around since 2001, quite a lot longer than most people have even known about room escape games.
For the uninitiated, MOTAS is the original, the blueprint from which so many (too many?) others have tried to follow. What sets MOTAS apart from most, however, is that its puzzles are generally original, rooted in logic and not in exasperating pixel-hunts.
But why are we repeatedly placed into the scenario of being in a room with no apparent escape? To unlock the mysteries of time and space, of course! You see, in order to perceive the mysteries of the universe, we must first be stripped of our own memories and experiences so that we may see the bigger picture. That's the role you play in MOTAS: a human with unique abilities capable of seeing parallel universes and who has agreed to help further our understanding of life as we know it.
Analysis: The interface and graphics remain much the same as they were back in 2001, and yet resemble much of what we've come to expect from the genre even today. The interface has grown over the years to include some pretty tasty features. For example, the new "full screen" feature scales everything to fit the size of your monitor, filling it to the brim with escape-the-room goodness. This feature may also help solve some puzzles, so be aware that it's there. Graphics and interface aside, though, the appeal of MOTAS is definitely the puzzles.
One significant shortcoming is the lack of an integrated level select that allows you to skip past levels. Jan explained to me that he purposely does not provide this capability because he wishes everyone to play through his rooms in sequence. After you solve a room, the next room is unlocked for you, and you can skip directly to it next time you play by clicking on the floppy disk in the game's menu. However, for those of us who have already played the game a long time ago and who may not have the saved game files still present on our computers, or for those who get stuck on one room and wish to just skip it rather than have to resort to a walkthrough, cheats, or to stop playing entirely, a level select feature is sorely needed. In other words, don't expect to pick up the game and play only the latest level unless you have all 19 completed MOTAS levels still saved in your Flash local storage; you'll have to play through them all again first.
And one slight disappointment is with the newest level itself, Level 20. Although it continues along the same logical path of the others to come before it, I felt the level was just a little too easy and fell into the trap of including puzzles that feel all-too-familiar. Innovation and originality were clearly not the motives for the latest level of MOTAS. It was, none the less, enjoyable to play as is the case with the entire series.
Still, MOTAS continues to entertain and delight puzzle fans to this day, and continues to be updated periodically by its gifted and loving creator. Fans of room escape games simply can't go wrong to
Play Mystery of Time and Space
Note: MOTAS was previously reviewed here at JIG in 2005, and again in 2007, in case you're interested in looking back over the comments.
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
I'm including the walkthrough here from our previous reviews, plus added Tom's addition for Level 20:
Here's a complete walkthrough (levels 1-20)...
Level 1 Walkthrough
get key from under pillow
open locker and get screwdriver out of box
put wall poster under door
use screwdriver to take elephant pic off wall
then you'll get a thin screw use thin screw in door lock
pull out poster from under the door and get key
Level 2 Walkthrough
Get the diskette box from the top of the cabinet and go to the next room and take the lower right hand corner pin from the flag.
Use pin on diskette box to get the floppy out.
Insert the floppy disk into the disk drive on the right hand side of computer and turn computer on.
Now you have the 1 2 8 6 4 code...enter it into the panel by the door.
Level 3 Walkthrough
Go through the door to the floor room and switch off the light.
Get the 3 wall tiles and switch the light back on.
Move the floor tiles at a 90 degree angle to each other and create a pattern that will link top right hole to left one so that the head can move all the way across the room.
At the rathole next to the stairs, put the diskette box over the rat hole. Wait for the head to be under the trap to click on it and capture the head.
Click on right hand side of stairs to raise them. Put the three wall tiles into the slots under the stairs.
Pull out the wall tiles in this order from left to right pull out first tile 2 times second tile once third tile twice and then put the box with the head in it on the tiles...it should move across them if you've pulled them out right.
Move the chair to the left side of the stairs..click on stairs to lower stairs.
Level 4 Walkthrough
Get piece of wood out of fireplace Put piece of wood under laser burn it put it back in fireplace
Put triangle under laser ...break it (turn off lamp if need be for more power) put it back in panel by door
When putting pieces back in panel by door, put small triangle on bottom large one towards the left and fit the other pieces in after that.
Level 5 Walkthrough
smilie face pad...press the buttons in this order (if the code says 6 then count across from left to right to the sixth button and press that button and so on) 6, 7, 11, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 11, 6, 10, 1, 7, 6, 6, 9, 7, 4, 5, 11, 12, 1, 11, 6 last button is 1101
after you've finished the smiley panel, then go into next room, move cabinet and box, and get key from small panel on wall
Level 6 Walkthrough
Lift doormat and let key drop down through the grate
Fix flashlight by using batteries from radio and headlight from motorcycle (use screwdriver to get headlight)
Open tiles under rug in this order click upper left one then lower right one then lower left one
Click on hose once then click on opening once go down and find key on the floor between 2 cabinets
Level 7 Walkthrough
Get blue wheel out of picture frame in room that has the note on the table...put it on the leftmost pipe
Go up elevator and get green wheel out of cabinet drawer....put it on rightmost pipe
Find a pen and a piece of paper...the pen is in a desk drawer...(look for a room with a mailbox...there is a ladder in that room go up that ladder to the room with the desk)...the piece of paper is on a table in a room with a towel draped over a pipe
Put the pen and piece of paper on the clone note that was on the table should give you a letter to mail after mailing the letter then look in the bottom of the mailbox for the red wheel put it on middle pipe
Find floppy the floppy is in a locker the locker is in a room with a big box that says "this side up" then first put the floppy in the disk drives in teletransporter room (right hand side of room)
Click on the small wheels to first change the color of the big wheel at the end they should all turn grey do it in this order click small green then red...big wheel should change to blue then small green then blue...big wheel should change to purple...then small red then blue all wheels should change to grey
When all the wheels are grey open panel click on user input screen step into transporter
Level 8 Walkthrough
Pick up the screwdriver off of the table and go to the panel on the wall beside the poster.
Click on the buttons on the panel so that the numbers will add up to the number at the top of the panel and then press the "enter code" button. You will have to do this 12 times.
Move through the fireplace room, and then the upper right room and click on picture frame to reveal a hidden part of the room.
Use the screwdriver on the grating to be able to go through the opening to the next room where you will pick up the clock weights from the clock.
Go back to the room with the poster and number panel on the wall and press the panel which will make the wall move.
Go into the secret room and pull the string down from the right hand side of the ceiling fixture...then put the weights on it once the string is pulled out.
Take the horse chess piece and go back to the clock room...then put the horse piece on the pedestal.
Keep moving horse chess piece towards pedestal piece, always attempting to get it to land on pedestal piece, while at the same time trying to move both of them towards the fireplace....and then continue doing this until both pieces eventually end up in the fireplace.
Once both pieces are in the fireplace, then go back to the other fireplace room and go into the lower right hand room (originally the room that had the force field in front of it.)
Once in that room, open locker 1, put on the alien suit, open the air lock door and enter the cabin.
Level 9 Walkthrough
Open the cupboard that's by the spaceship and get a key from the box.
In the next room open the cupboard with the key. In it you will find a floppy disk and a big triangle.
Put the triangle on the broken part of the high voltage panel to fix the force field and then go back to the spaceship room.
Now you can enter the door that was previously locked on the other side of the locker.
In the room that has the computer in it, open the cupboard and you will find another key there.
Then go back to the spaceship room again and open the locker with the key..it will show you the word QUEST.
Go back into the computer room, and put the floppy disk into the disk drive and then restart the computer.
Type QUEST on the computer and then press the return/enter key.
A picture will appear with some letters...remember the letters and click on the door to change the picture...you will see some more letters in the next room...take all the letters and make a word with them and type that word on the computer.
Then you should get the following message: "I hope I unlocked the door".
Now go over a couple of rooms till you get to a room with 2 cupboards, and 2 chairs with a plant between them...open the cupboard closest to you and find a key.
"Here is the machine that will unlock the doors in room#7. Default position is door#1 opened in room#7. You will have to go to room#7, open the door that corresponds to what the machine shows, and there will be the exit door behind one of them. This is random so I can't tell you which door to open. Just try them all, and change which door is opened by hitting the center of the machine." Once you find the correct door, then use the key to open it.
Level 10 Walkthrough
Go to the room on the left and open the cabinet and take the white ball and a key.
Going back through the first room, go upstairs and open the right hand locker with the key getting the red pass card out of it.
Go back to the circular puzzle room and use the red pass card over the green circle at the bottom of the puzzle which will make the colored circle move down.
Enter puzzle and line up colors with each other red with red blue with blueetc OR...
Click on colored part of puzzle to enter it and then you're going to be clicking the colors "in the following order"
the first one is lower right red
then lower left red
lower left yellow (small one)
lower right yellow
upper right green
upper right red
upper left green
upper left blue
upper right red
upper right green
lower right red
lower right green
upper right green
upper left red
To enter the puzzle ...Use the red pass card on that green circle....and open the black center. Inside it you will find a key which will open the exit door in room #1.
Level 11 Walkthrough
Walk through the rooms till you get to a room with a chalkboard.
Open the cupboard and get a key and a screwdriver...Then pick up the chalk from chalkboard.
Go back to the first room where you will open the chest and find a coin in it and then go to the pool table room when done.
Put the white ball on the pool table, the coin in the slot, and use the chalk on the cuestick.
Aim cuestick mostly to the middle right hole and shoot...The reward is another key (found in front side of pool table)...use key to open door.
Level 12 Walkthrough
click on the first button, going down, skip two, click the next, skip two, click the next all the way to the end of column
always move left to right and top to bottom.
Next go to column #3, skip #2 competely
on column #3, click every button that has a black button to its immediate left. do this for the rest of wall
the last column will leave four buttons black, but that's okay.
green wall solutions:
Green Wall Solution
green wall video 8.396 MB
Once the green wall is done the wall will move. Go to the room on the left closest to the green wall, and on the shelves you will find a light bulb...take it and go to the room on the right closest to the green wall.
Open the left cupboard, and get the wire-cutter. Then push the right cupboard and enter the room behind it.
Erase the wrinkle in the rug, and move the chair over to the lamp, then get a key from the ceiling light.
Now put the light bulb into the lamp on the table and turn it on...read the code along the wall that appears when you move the light up and down to read the full code. There should be 8 numbers...write these down to remember them.
After the code is written down move locker to clear the path, and go back to the green wall room and then the lower right hand room.
Move the table with clock on it first, then the box, then the tall piece of furniture, then desk with green picture and plant, and finally the bed...go down in hole under bed to laser gates row.
Move the shelves under opening in ceiling, and then go into laser room 1 and push the red button which will deactivate laser gate #1.
Go into laser room#2 and open the right panel on the machine with screwdriver, and then cut the green wire with the wire-cutter.
Go back to laser gates row. Now you can go to the laser room#3 and press left corner of wall under window to open the secret passage.
In laser room 3 open the cupboard with your key, where you will find the last key and a screwdriver...now go back to laser room 1.
In laser room 1, press blue button. It will reactivate first laser gate, and deactivate the third one.
Go to laser room#3 through hole in ceiling above shelves, and go through the hole under cabinet in lamp room where you got the 8 numbers off the wall to be able to access the final room. The room you're trying to get to has a number panel in it with an E on it and a laser wall in front of a door.
Enter the 8 number code that you wrote down into the 123E panel SLOWLY and then press E, (it won't look like it's doing anything) and then when laser wall in front of door disappears, use the key found in laser room#3 to open the last door.
Level 13 Walkthrough
Go outside and click on the block under the wagon..then click on the manhole. This powers the elevator inside.
Take the elevator to floor D and click on the shelves to pick up the waterproof tape.
Then go to level B and put the red card on the "eye." You'll see a picturejust to the right of the eye... Click on its caption and remember the color andcompass direction. Then go further right down the hallway and do the same forthe other three pictures.
Return to level A. Enter the room to your right where there is a colormachine. The 4 sides rotate when you press the button on the right (not the redlever). The button on the left only changes the shape from rectangular totriangular...but I've been told it doesn't matter which way it's set.
Using the colors and directions from the pictures, click the small colorbuttons. To start, the side of the machine facing you is south, so use thosesmall color buttons in front to put the correct color for south on that side ofthe machine.
Now click on button on the right once to move the machine to west...put thecorrect color for west on that side...click on right hand button once...putcorrect color for north....click on right hand button once...put correct colorfor east..then rotate machine to let south side face you again.
When you have all the colors lined up on each side correctly, then pull thered lever on the right side of the machine.
You should now have the golden key.
Go to floor C. To the right of the elevator is a wall puzzle. Click on it toreveal a color puzzle. There are four sides to the puzzle...Starting in anyinside corner click until you get all the colors filled in for thatsection..then go to the rest of inside corners and do the same.
After finishing wall puzzle it will open up to reveal a key. Take the keyinto the room to your right and use it to open the cupboard and get the bucket.
Return to A level and go outside. Moving all the way to your left you shouldsee a well and a gate with a fire in front of it.
Take the bucket and place it at the end of the rope attached to the well.Click on it and then click on the wheel on the side of the well to bring up thebucket. Use the waterproof tape to fix the bucket, and then use the wheel todrop and raise the bucket once more.
Click on the bucket with water and use it to put out the flames and then usethe golden key and unlock the door.
Level 14 Walkthrough
Go out the door on your right, go to the end of the street, go right to the park, then right again to the mill.
Get the axe on the stump.
Click on the axe, then click on the piece of sandpaper near the left corner of the screen. This will sharpen the axe. Now you will need to sharpen the axe on all the other pieces of sandpaper located in flood control, front end of the street, underneath the container in the first room, and the room to the left of that one.
When your axe is fully sharpened, go back to the mill.
Use the axe to cut the rope that is holding the windmill down.
Go to flood control.
Click on the buttons until the boat is all the way to the left side. You can do this by clicking the buttons in this order: 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3.
Exit flood control and go to the park.
Use the rope to get the spade from the boat that is now floating down the river.
Go back to the front end of the street and use the spade to knock down the pair of pants hanging from the wire. You will get a key.
Go back to the original room, then the room left of it with the projectors. Write down the numbers on the wall.
Go to the end of the street and unlock the door to the left.
You will need to solve this color block. Start by getting the movable piece to the top-left, then the one on the top-right, the one on the top-middle, the one on the bottom-right, the one on the bottom-middle, then the one on the bottom-left.
A panel will open up where the color block was. Click on the circle on the left side of this panel.
A doorway to the left will open. Go in and enter in the code you wrote down from the projectors.
Go right, and use the screwdriver to knock down the panel. Enter the hole.
Level 15 Walkthrough
Use the screwdriver on the panel in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Now put the screwdriver where the panel was.
The four screens will light up, and you must put them in chronological order of the game.
First screen of the game, the bedroom you wake up in.
The second screen of the game, has a clock on it.
The bridge.
The end screen with the table and talking robot.
Enter the door to your right.
Click on the ball on top of the pole in the middle of the screen. A portal will come down, and you enter it.
Level 16 Walkthrough
Go into the second doorway to the right.
Read the note on the right wall.
Flip the switches according to the note, and the power will come back on.
Exit that room, and go into the first doorway on the right.
Click on the icon 'My Computer.'
Click on 'Desktop Images' to change the background.
Click on 'readme.txt.' Write down the password at the bottom. It will be taters***.
Exit out of the window.
Write down the numbers after 'UNOX Operating System v.*.**.
Open up 'My Computer' again.
Click on 'Password Settings.'
Enter taters*** into the top text box that says 'Enter Password.'
Enter *.** into the bottom-right text box that says 'UNOX Version.'
Click the LOGIN button on the bottom-right corner of the window.
Click on the last icon in the last column on the right. It will be titled BLENDER.
Write down the numbers that appear in the middle of the screen *.**.
Exit out of the window.
Go to 'My Computer' then 'Password Settings.'
Enter the numbers you just got into the text box that says 'Blender Version' then click LOGIN again.
Now go to 'My Documents.' Click on the Saved Email Folder and click on the Document that's in it.
If there are a lot of boxes and no spaces between any of the words, click on DECODER 2. If the words are spaced out, you don't need to click on anything. Once the words are spaced out, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Write down the numbers. Exit the window.
Click on the START button, then click on UNLOCK THE DOOR.
Enter the numbers you were just given into the text box, then click UNLOCK THE DOOR.
Exit the room.
Click on the square panel in front of you in the middle of the screen. It will open.
Go outside.
Level 17 Walkthrough
Go to the left.
Click the bottom-right of the window so the target is now on the UFO.
Click on the arrows in this sequence: Up, Up, Right, Right, Down.
The UFO head should fly off. Click inside the UFO, where the head just was. You will get the MOTAS device.
Click on the MOTAS device, then on the third orb that appears. You will be taken back to a previous level. Pick up the screwdriver on the chair.
Click on the second orb.
Use the screwdriver to open up the door marked 2. You hide inside and watch your former self go by. You will get an IC board.
Click on the first orb, and put the IC board in the UFO.
Click on the third orb.
Click on the broken UFO to get another IC board.
Click on the first orb and insert the other IC board into the UFO.
Click on the UFO and read the note that was beneath it.
Now when you click on the MOTAS device again, a fourth orb appears. Click on it.
Level 18 Walkthrough
Enter the screen to the right, and click on the big black block. It will move aside to reveal a note.
Click on the note and write down the numbers.
Go back to the left screen, and enter the numbers by clicking on the dice looking obects.
Once the correct code is entered, a panel will slide up. Put the MOTAS device in the insertion slot at the bottom of the panel.
Make sure the two bottom circles nf the panel are pointing toward the MOTAS device and the one on top is pointing upwards. The little triangle switches need to be up, down, up, down, up. When the MOTAS device is floating, pick it up.
Click on it, then click on the second orb.
Click on the alien and the UFO. The alien will get in and fly away.
Click on the note it left behind.
Level 19 Walkthrough
Go one screen left.
You can click on three things: the big green button, then the two smaller knobs. Click on both of the knobs, then on the big green button. This will put you in the future.
Go as far right as you can. You will see a big tree, a fence, and a seed. Pick up the seed.
Go back into the room with the three buttons. Click on the left knob, then the big green button. This will put you in the past.
Go all the way to the right again, to the room with the tree and fence. Now there will be a ladder on the right side. Pick it up.
Go back to the room you started in, the one to the right of the three buttons. Put the seed in the plant pot.
Go right and click on the left knob then the big green button to be in the future again.
Go right to where you planted the seed. Put the ladder against the plant pot and fully grown tree.
You can now go into the room above. Go up then right. Click on the bookcase and write down the code.
Go back into the room with the buttons. Click on the right knob then the big green button. This will put you back in the present.
Go into the room on your left and enter in the code you were given.
The panel will slide open. Enter in.
Level 20 Walkthrough
You start with the MOTAS device. Get the screwdriver from clicking on the cardboard box.
Go left two times.
Use the screwdriver on the fan in the left window.
Go right and put the fan into the hole in the computer.
Press the power button on the right part of the computer. Click the top right corner of the mini windows until you get to the back one.
You'll get a code. It corresponds to the color buttons under the windows in the room to the left. Go there and click the buttons until you match the code.
R - red
G - green
B - blue
Y - yellow
C - cyan
P - purple
Go left. Get the USB device on the floor here. Take it to the computer and put it in the slot.
Restart the computer. You'll get a new red window, and the player character will say a number code. Click on the red window to see the code.
Go all the way to the left. Enter this code on the grey buttons on the box on the left wall. The numbers should be arranged 1, 2, 3, 4 (in columns left to right) for each of the 5 rows.
Pick up the magnet. Go right.
Use the magnet to pick up the key outside the left window.
Go to the starting room, and use the key on the key locker. Pick up the new key.
Go all the way to the left. Use the key on the keyhole.
In this puzzle, you can click on the four grey circle buttons and bits of the concentric circles will rotate. You need to align the gaps with the lengths of the grey pegs, which will slot into the concentric rings when you get it right.
I assumed I would stumble on the correct solution by random clicking, and I did...but you could sit down and work it out on paper. Note that the outermost ring rotates each time, but has 4 gaps, so you can ignore it completely and focus on lining up the inner 3 rings. Good luck!
Posted by: Jay
|
May 29, 2008 4:45 PM