Quaint Room, created by Japanese developer Mofuya in 2005, is not the most ambitious of escape games. Released barely a year after Crimson Room, the great grand-daddy of the genre, the game hearkens back to a less complicated time. But ah, let us not forget the joys of simplicity! Though briefer and less intricately-plotted than many modern escape games, Quaint Room is nonetheless a quality piece of work, a yummy amuse-bouche that leaves the player wanting more.
The scenario is simple. You awaken, disoriented, in a tiny, charming (one might even say...quaint?) room, a cubbyhole furnished with little more than a cupboard and low table. You were visiting your uncle...but wait, you don't have an uncle! What on earth is going on? What's worse, you're locked in this strange place. You can't remember how you got there, but one thing is clear: you gotta get out.
Quaint Room is among the shortest of the room escapes that I've fully reviewed, and certainly one of the easiest, containing only a couple of relatively simple puzzles. Despite this, however, the game is impressively polished and well-made. The graphics, while far from photorealistic, are aesthetically pleasing in a tidy sort of way, and the interface is completely smooth and user-friendly. The game also makes good use of sound, an oft-neglected component of the escape gaming experience; the lack of music and occasional jarring, electrical buzz adds a note of discord to the otherwise peaceful ambience. However, many will be happy to note that unlike in Mofuya's other games, it is impossible to die or find yourself in an inextricable situation while playing Quaint Room.
So, take a break. Relax, step back a few years and enjoy this lovely example of classic Japanese escape gaming goodness. It's the middle of the week, you deserve it!
Walkthrough Guide
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This one's pretty easy, but here's a walkthrough if you're having trouble:
Walkthrough
Pick up the matches and pipe off the table in front of you, and the white stick out from the bin. The paper is a hint for a later part of the game.
Look at the pipe you picked up by clicking it, then about item. Click on the open end, and you'll get a crumbled black ball.
Examine the black mush, and click on it to fold it out to a black... shape.
Look under the table for another white stick (2) and under the pink mat for another (3).
Turn left twice, you should end up facing a 'picture'.
Click the bottom right corner of the 'picture' to reveal it's not a picture at all. What a tweest! Take the candle.
Turn left again to face the shelving. Click the left side of the cabinet to open it, take the stick (4). Close it again, and open the other side. Take the wallscroll.
Look in the pot for another stick (5), and get another from the top shelf next to the plate (6).
Turn left again, take the stick from the back corner (7), and final one from under the white... thing?
Use the wallscroll on the white patch on the wall to hang it up, and click the middle to zoom in. Use the black shape on the space between the faint lines to place it on the scroll.
Move back out, and examine the candle. Light it with your matches. Life the white thingumy again, and put the candle under it, then put the white boxamajigger over the top.
Now, wait till the lights flicker again, and a diagram will be displayed on the black box. Memorise this quickly. It changes every time.
Finally, tur left twice again (or right, you know, whatever you fancy)n to face the door. Click on the puzzle in the center, and put the white sticks in the places shown by the black square's diagram. You probably won't use them all. When it's done right, you'll hear a sound.
Zoom out, and open the door. Congratulations!
Posted by: Chris Brown
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March 25, 2009 10:30 AM