Word riddles are often fun, challenging ways to stretch your mind. Room escape games also serve the same function. But what happens when you combine word riddles with a room escape? You get the latest iteration of an old favorite, New Who Am I? by Robamimi, one of the better room escape designers working today.
The original was a cute little game, but it had some flaws. Rather than just leave it be, Robamimi actually redesigned and retooled the game into a remake, one of the most popular room escape games of 2009. Now Who Am I? is back again with a completely new central riddle and escape.
New Who Am I? is a classic one room escape. There's of course a few furnishings, of course, and plenty of puzzles to work your way around as you find helpful objects and also collect "Hint Cards". Collect five to help you solve the central riddle, namely, who you are. Despite the shortness of the game and the smallness of the space there's still quite a bit of puzzle solving fun packed within the four walls.
There's not a whole lot of navigating to be done, but what there is can be accomplished by red arrows that appear at the sides of the screen. Items picked up go into an inventory at the right of the screen. Using or examining these items are simple with Robamimi's two-toned inventory control. Each item has a background of white at the top and green at the bottom. Click on the white area and you can examine the item, click on the green and use it, quite simple. Hint cards can be pulled up from the inventory and scrolled through with a handy arrow button as well. Most thankfully, there is a changing cursor that indicates hotspots to be investigated, so the pixel hunting is at a minimum in this delightful little game. You will even find a helpful hint button in the game which will nudge you along if you get stuck.
The backgrounds are Robamimi's usual "plastic" 3D rendered style, and feature the return of the charming little screwdriver-loving marionette from Who Am I? (Remake). There's a generic tune playing in the background which can helpfully be muted, and there's even a save button if you want to stop halfway and go back later. Despite the fact that this is a Japanese game, there is an English version. Just remember to switch it to English at the title screen before you start the game.
Analysis: Robamimi rarely disappoints and the New Who Am I? is no exception. A little shorter than usual for Robamimi's work, but nonetheless lots of casual gameplay fun is here to be had. Perfect for a short break, most gamers will find themselves out in ten minutes or less. It's worth playing just for the final puzzle, which is something you might not expect to have to do in an escape title.
Other than the short length there's little to complain about. Most of the puzzles are straightforward and logical, the central "Who Am I?" riddle makes a nice change from the standard room escape, and the little marionette is a nice touch as he becomes central to the action. Perhaps the only downside is the music which can get annoying pretty quickly. Fortunately, it is also easily muted so as to not provoke homicidal rage. There is one puzzle which is color based, which might make playing difficult for those with color-blindness. The translation is pretty good, but there are a few rough spots to be found. Regardless, Robamimi has once again presented us with some fun for your morning.
It's time for the mid-week break from the every day, time for some personal reflection, and time to fire up the little gray cells and figure out, who am I, really?
Walkthrough Guide
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New Who Am I? Walkthrough
General Information
Please remember to switch the language at the title screen. The language and sound controls are on the upper left of the title screen.
There is an in game hint system if you need to use it.
There is a "save" button above the inventory control of the game.
If coming back to a saved game remember to push the "load" button at the title screen rather than the "start".
Inventory Control: An item in your inventory will have a white background at the top and a green background at the bottom.
To view an item, click on its white background. To use an item, click on its green background.
Click on the hint card in your inventory to pick them up. Use the arrow to scroll through and read the hints.
Have fun!
Preliminary Look Through
You begin facing a TV set and a pink chair. Click on the chair for a close up.
There is a flat white box sitting on the chair, with buttons that have card symbols (hearts, diamonds, spades, clubs) on them. Notice at the very top of the box is a thin green line.
Click on the green line and you've picked up Hint #1.
There's nothing more to do here, so back up.
Turn left.
You are now facing a nice floating shelf with a mirror above it.
Click on the top of the shelf for a close up and notice the scratch-off lottery ticket.
Once you are in the first close up, click on the right side of the shelf.
Okay, some sort of color/letter code.
Back up.
You can't open the sliding doors yet, and you don't know what to do with the clock, so back up.
Turn left.
You are now facing a low dresser with a photo on the top. Click on the photo for a close up.
Click on the photo again to pick it up. Aw, poor plastic dude, mourning the loss of his screwdriver!
Click on the photo again to turn it around. Click on the back to remove it and you have Hint #2.
Click on the photo once more to put it down. Notice the cards on top of the dresser.
Click on the cards for a close up. Okay, we have the 3 of diamonds, the Ace of Hearts, the 4 of clubs, and the 2 of spades. I'm sure that means something.
Back up. Notice that you cannot open the drawer (it's locked).
Back up again, then turn left.
Okay, there's the door. Of course it's locked.
Notice the panel to the right of the door.
Click on the panel for a close up and you will see that you need a regular and a phillips head screwdriver to open it.
Back up and turn left.
Main Game
Let's solve the puzzle on the chair, shall we?
Click on the chair for a close up.
Notice the buttons on the box have card suits on them.
We did just see some cards, didn't we?
Maybe the cards are the hint to the order to push the buttons.
Number the cards from 1 to 4 (with the Ace being 1).
Click the buttons in the order of the card suits: Hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs.
If you pushed the buttons in the proper order the center of the box opens up. Yay, a coin!
Back up and turn left.
Click on the shelf top and click on the scratch-off card for a close up.
Use the coin in your inventory on the scratch-off card.
Once you have used the coin click on the card again. WC is 233, hmm?
Click on the card again to put it down and back up until you are at the long view.
Let's think about this.
W is the 23rd letter in the alphabet, C is the third.
Where else have we seen letters?
Turn right and click on the TV.
Click on the green button on the right to turn on the TV.
Okay, you can use the knobs at the bottom to control the four numbers.
So what's the code?
If WC is 233, then what are the numbers for TV?
T is the 20th letter, V the 22nd.
So the code is 2022.
Turn the knobs until the proper code is showing on the screen.
Okay, it says Accent Color, with the A in red.
Back up.
Turn left.
Click on the shelf for a close up and click on the right side of the shelf.
Now we just need to know the color/letter combination.
Remember what the TV said? You should always listen to the TV.
The "A" in Accent color is in red, so the code is red on the left, and the letter A on the right.
When you put in the correct combo the lock symbol will open. Back up.
Now you can open the sliding cabinets. Open the one on the right and take the blue key.
Back up, then open the slider on the left. Hint #3!
Back up twice and turn left.
Let's use the key to open the drawer.
Click on the drawer for a close up, then use the key on the lock.
You get a hairdryer and Hint #4.
Back up and turn right.
Okay, underneath the mirror is a power socket. How about we plug in the hairdryer and see what happens?
Click on the socket for a close up and use the hairdryer on the socket.
Back up. The hairdryer is now sitting on the shelf.
Click on the mirror for a close up.
What would happen if we used the hairdryer on the mirror?
Click on the hairdryer and click on the mirror. Keep using the hairdryer until the mirror symbol is revealed.
Okay, we have something that looks like a backward C, then a colon, the a forwards C.
I wonder if it relates to the clock in any way?
Well, on an analog clock, the backwards C might represent a hand pointing towards the number 9.
And, on an analog clock, the forwards C might represent a hand pointing towards the 3.
But the colon in the middle indicates a digital time.
Well, the hour is always on the left of the colon, so the hour would be 9.
The minute is to the right of the colon, so the minute hand pointing to the 3 would indicate 15 minutes.
That would indicate a time of 9:15.
Back up and click on the clock for a close up.
Set the time to the code from the mirror (see above spoiler) and click the OK button.
Yay, a phillips head screwdriver and Hint #5!
Take the items and back up twice.
Turn left twice until you are facing the door.
Time to blow this popsicle stand!
End Game
Click on the panel to the right of the door for a close up.
Use the phillips head screwdriver on the screw on the right.
Okay, what do we do about the screw on the left?
Hey, the coin is still in our inventory!
Use the coin on the screw on the left.
Okay, one last puzzle.
There are 6 buttons with animals (and a snowman) and the clue red alphabet.
Where have we seen a letter in red?
That's right, the TV clue!
The A was red.
How about we press each button with an animal (or snowman) which contains the letter A?
Click the Cat, Snowman, and Zebra, then click OK.
Okay, time to solve the riddle of the hint cards.
Hint 1# You exist in the world.
Hint 2# You are familiar to nearly everyone.
Hint 3# You accept anybody.
Hint 4# You are downtown oasis.
Hint 5# Sometimes you are used as the evacuation center.
The answer is park.
Click on the black space in the center of the cubby, type in the answer to the clues, then click the OK button.
Yay, a key! Take the key and back up.
Click on the door for a close up and use the key on the knob.
Hey, it's the little plastic dude, blocking our way to freedom!
Wonder what he wants?
Remember the picture?
He seemed to be pretty upset about something.
In the picture, he is mourning his broken screwdriver. Give the plastic dude the screwdriver.
Freedom! Enjoy the credits.
Posted by: grinnyp
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January 6, 2010 11:31 AM