When it comes to cats and dogs, people tend to be split on which one rules and which one drools, but Cogito Ergo Sum's Nyan and Wan rise above such conflicts to star in a series of adorable room escape games together. In this latest, Porch Escape 3, Nyan forgets that porches are malicious and not to be trusted and wanders out on one again with the dynamic duo's new smartphone, only to be locked out with no reception to contact Wan for rescue. While it might be tempting to leave a bunch of giggling, snorting comments about Droid vs iOS, that really isn't going to help Nyan, and your skills might be better suited for clicking around to find a way out. Be part of the solution, man, not part of the problem!
With no changing cursor to denote hotspots, you'd expect to find a lot of pixel-hunting here, but like all Nyan and Wan titles, Porch Escape 3 is remarkably cleanly designed. Places to interact with are usually fairly obvious, and clues are never obscure or unreasonable. While there are more difficult or complex escape games out there, Cogito Ergo Sum is always dependable for accessible, enjoyable titles with a lot of charm. It's hard not to smile at the cutscenes, and dividing the escape up into two short chapters for the series' two heroes is a nice touch... especially given that most escape titles are more than happy to make you stare at four walls until you go insane and a new supervillain with a perplexing tendency for overly elaborate, tiny traps is born. (Do you think Batman would even get out of bed for that?) There are three endings to find with varying degrees of difficulty to them, so stretch out your genius muscle and help Nyan and Wan reunite!
Walkthrough Guide
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Porch Escape Walkthrough
Part One: Nyan's Trapped on the Porch
Getting Oriented and Solving the Cat Toy Puzzle
When the game starts, you are holding a cell phone; the face icon is blinking:
Smile = happy face
Cry = sad face
Angry = mad face
Heart = heart-eyed face
Click "back" to leave cell phone view and take in your surroundings:
To the left, a grey door (to storage closet)
Left of center, a yellow-face cat toy.
Center, the door back into house.
Right of center, a lit lantern.
To the right, a cat skill stand.
Turn around by selecting the "back" arrow and survey the other view:
To the left, a ladder (it's too heavy for Nyan)
Center, a fence post with a sign (click on it to read it): -- "Pet Etiquette. Hallway is no walking your pets. If the carrier or cage is used, your pet can carry. CASH Apartment. Home management ( : | ) association."
The "Pet Etiquette" sign has a yellow face on it, too.
You now have enough information to solve the first puzzle...
Solving the Cat Toy Puzzle
Put together the information from... the cell phone yellow face app:
S mile = happy face
C ry = sad face
A ngry = mad face
H eart = heart-eyed face
and the "Pet Etiquette" sign...
C - A - S - H
Then apply that info to the yellow face springy cat toy thingy by the door:
From left to right:
Cry (sad face) -- Angry (mad face) -- Smile (happy face) -- Heart (heart-eyed face)
Arrange the faces correctly to get: a KEY to the storage closet.
The Box in the Storage Closet and the Cat Skill Stand
Use the silver key to open the storage closet (grey door to the left of the cat toy).
Inside the storage closet, get the FRAME
Focus on the wooden box and notice it needs a 4-digit code. Start looking around for clues.
The FRAME has a "sun" or "flame" symbol.
Hold the FRAME up to the lit LANTERN:
2 1 0 6
Use the code on the box to get: "Aliens" cell phone wallpaper.
Go to the Cat Skill Stand (right of the door). Use the clue from the cell phone wallpaper:
Some of the aliens are holding pink tiles: LIE S
The cat skill stand is pink. But it doesn't take letters. How would "LIES" look like a number?
Flip the word "LIES" over on its side to get a number:
5317
Enter that code into the Skill Stand to learn: PUNCH skill
Turn back around to face the porch fence and ladder.
Climbing the Ladder
Now that the Nyan knows how to punch, how can she put the skill to use?
Use Nyan's punch skill (by selecting Nyan's face in your inventory) to move the ladder.
Climb up the ladder.
Click the intercom call button (marked with a music note) and you'll be given the option: "Contact?"
Select "Yes" and a short cut-scene sends you to Wan's view inside the house.
Part Two: Wan, Inside the House
Getting Oriented and Gathering clues
The left button on the futon looks odd. Click it to get: BATTERY
Zoom in on the picture above the futon. Notice that something is missing (the picture is incomplete).
Back up then focus in on the plant to the right of the futon. Find the PAPER
Open the paper to discover the game has three endings:
EASY = use the card key.
NORMAL = use the intercom.
HARD = use the smart phone.
Back out and turn right. From this view you can see: a card key that you can't reach, a green dog Skill Stand, a flat-panel TV, and twelve blocks with assorted color lines on them.
Card Key and Easy Exit
Arrange the blocks by color to get a code:
5 3 8 2
Enter the code in order of colors in "Pass" on the Skill Stand to get: JUMP skill.
Use jump to reach the card key.
Use the card key on the door to get out (save your game before exiting so you can come back and try the other exits)
Normal Exit and Intercom
Instead of using the card key, keep gathering clues...
Turn around until you face a book case and sliding glass door. Click on the bookcase to zoom in.
Take the green book, open it. Memorize the symbols then turn the page to see a series of lines.
Put the two together to get number code:
9 3 6 8
Enter that code into the green box to get: Colored Pencils.
What should you draw with the colored pencils?
Perhaps finish an unfinished picture?
When you use the pencils on the picture above the futon, flowers bloom. Count the flowers by color to get a code:
4 1 2 3
Enter the code into the panel behind the picture to get another clue for a 4-digit code for the intercom.
The letters represent roman numerals:
5 1 0 1
Enter that code into the intercom and select "unlock" (be sure to save your game).
Smart Phone and Hard Exit
Instead of using the intercom or card key, keep looking for clues...
Pick up the trophy next to the book shelves to get: Blue Paper with another clue on it.
Pick up the mirror from the top right shelf, then hold up the paper to the mirror to get a code:
6 1 1 0
Enter that code into the blue box to get: remote control
Use the smart card on the glass door to find a gold cylinder. The clue for the gold cylinder is in the grey book:
H = red; I = green; N = blue; T = yellow
6 red 2 = 8; so red is + (plus sign)
10 yello 2 = 8; so yellow is - (subtraction sign)
4 green 2 = 8; so green is x (multiplication sign)
16 blue 2 = 8; so blue is (division sign)
Enter the symbols into the cylinder in the color order given, get: second BATTERY
Put batteries in the remote control. Use the remote control on the TV. Ducks come out to give you the next clue (in a very spooky way!):
Take the cell phone from the panel behind the TV
Arrange the ducks so that they spell "RING".
You can now figure out the numbers by following the arrows or hit "apply" to get another clue:
follow the directions to form another number:
2 5 7
Enter that number into the cell phone and enjoy the ending!
Posted by: elle
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September 7, 2011 12:46 AM