There was this dame named Valerie, see, a dame with a sharp mind and great gams. This dame, she had ambitions, she wanted to be a reporter. All she needed was some juicy dirt and a good lead. Oh, and a job at a newspaper. And a boss that didn't just send her out to pick up his lunch. Welcome to Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal, a hidden object/adventure hybrid set in the roaring 20s. Designed by Game Brains, it's a tale of greed, lust, and power as seen through the eyes of novice reporter Valerie Porter. Everything begins with a rather gruesome murder of a starlet in a dingy alley next to a gin joint. Valerie arrives at the scene and wonders if a story she broke for the Daily Informer could have caused the tragedy.
There are 11 chapters and a prologue to this messy tale, each chapter containing multiple HOG scenes interspersed with a variety of mini-games. Navigate from place to place using a subway map while attempting to accumulate clues. There's lots of cut scenes and dialogue which can be skipped, but it's not advisable, as many of the mini-games depend on your recall of events that transpired during the chapter. Although there are no timers in the scenes (except for the 60 second subway challenges), you gain more points for finishing quickly and creating as many "chains" as possible.
Many hidden object scenes contain puzzles to solve as well as a fun dynamic: combos. In any HOG scene, if there is more than one item, say ten pieces of a letter or 17 dolls, you can click and drag from one to another to pick them up simultaneously in a "chain", which nets extra bonus points. Each HOG scene also includes five bells, a sort of extra scavenger hunt. Areas that need to be examined more closely or that can be manipulated will cause a blue question mark to appear above the cursor. Hints are on a refilling timer which can refill even faster with batteries, which the player can find in every HOG scene. Clicking on the name of an item in the list to be found will bring up a helpful silhouette of the object to aid in its recovery.
List items themselves are not always straightforward. Some lists contain actual item names, some lists merely contain clues, and some contain riddles. Find "an object for luck", or find "five flies that aren't flies" to add to the HOG fun. Although most dialogue passages are simple cut-scenes, there are areas where you will have to choose the correct question to get a suspect spilling their guts.
Adding to the challenge of some of the HOG scenes are the "footsteps of doom". In some locations Valerie is certainly where she shouldn't be, and if you hear footsteps you must turn of the light in the room and continue searching by flashlight, upping the difficulty in some areas. What happens if you don't turn out the lights? Well, Valerie gets caught and you have to start the whole scene over again.
Many of the mini-games between scenes are either word searches, "fill in the words" challenges, or "create the headline" challenges, all of which rely on the memory of the player. In the word searches, you will be presented with lists of words to find that relate to a section of the chapter. However, only the first words in the lists will show, forcing you to remember details about both HOG scenes and dialogue. Other mini-games involve assembling equipment, creating developer for the darkroom (with all the labels from the chemical bottles conveniently missing), and manipulating a classic old-style black and white enlarger to print evidence photos. All of the games are rather familiar, but the difficulty climbs nicely as the story progresses.
Analysis: The artwork of Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal is, for the most part, bright and photorealistic. HOG scenes are a bit cluttered but not terribly so. Not, perhaps, the most stunning or original artwork out there, but fun nevertheless as everything is done up in a fabulous art deco style, from the cursor to the menu and everything in-between. Clothing and locations also reflect the time period, as do the objects that you are finding. No anachronisms here! Period appropriate music and snappy dialogue (delivered with some fine voice acting) completes the illusion of being transported to a time when women were just joining the workforce, when organized crime owned most politicians, and when alcohol was illegal (but still widely consumed).
You can skip the dialogue sections, but you will find yourself at a disadvantage when you reach the end of a chapter and have to complete a "fill in the word" puzzle based on the chapter events. All of the mini-games are skippable, but that would lessen the enjoyment of the immersion. Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal lends itself well to casual gameplay, each chapter being pretty self-contained.
There are a few problems, however. The game is not as long as it could have been. As with most HOG/adventure hybrids on the market you are looking at perhaps 2-3 hours of gameplay. The click area for picking up objects is very tight, which can get a little frustrating when you are trying to pick up objects quickly. A few of the character portrayals — while perhaps accurate to the time period (or at least, accurate to movies of the time period) — border on stereotypical and even perhaps mildly offensive. The subject matter itself, corruption, infidelity, greed, murder, and suicide make the game perhaps not the best choice for younger players. The memory mini-games are a fun change from the ordinary, but they are pretty simple, and could have used some beefing up. On the plus side, extra effort was exerted to make the game playable for both the hearing impaired and those who like to play with the sound off. Places where audio clues are vital also have visual cues so that nothing is missed.
Wander back to a time when men were guys and women were dolls, when gin joints and speakeasies were the happening places to be, and when an intrepid girl reporter could really make a difference.
Windows:
Download the demo
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Mac OS X:
Download the demo
Get the full version
Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal is available to download from these affiliates:
Walkthrough Guide
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Valerie Porter and the Scarlet Scandal - Walkthrough
General Tips
There is no time limit, except one hog-scene per chapter. If you fail with this, you will get less points, but you do not have to do it again.
There is a point system - as faster you finish a scene as more points you get, but playing in your own pace will not be punished in any way and has no influence on the games process.
You can restart every location as long as you are still in it. After you finished it, there is no way back - except you will have to go there again later in the game.
The "Recap" button allows you to look up, what you have discovered so far.
Sometimes you will have to choose on the map, where to go now, sometimes you will be brought to the next location automatically. When you find your map with more than one location to choose from, you can go where ever you want. Just make sure, that the newsroom, where you write your articles, is the last location you choose.
Not all objects are simply named, sometimes you will get hints as "a sour fruit" (lemon) or "something to scrub the sign" (brush).
Objects you find with numbers behind can (but do not have to) be chained. Keep your left mouse button pressed and drag your mouse from one object to the next. As more objects you chain, as more points you get. Each chained object will bring more points than a single one.
Beside the points, a chain-action refills your hint more quickly.
The light bulb low left corner is one of your to ways to get a hint.
The hint is endless but needs some time to refill.
There are two options to reload the bulb more quickly: Chain same of the kind objects and find batteries.
Two batteries can be found in each scene. Collect them and they will be added to the number you see below your hint light bulb. When you need a hint, but the bulb isn't filled, click the numbers and the light bulb will be recharged at once.
Coming back to a location the second time (or more), you will have two batteries again, hidden at another place.
Batteries can be taken into the next location, but not into the next chapter. You will start each chapter with no batteries.
Not used batteries will be rewarded with bonus points at the end of a chapter.
Collect the batteries latest before you click your last object.
Clicking one of the items in the search list will show you the silhouette in the glass ball right next to the hint - light bulb.
There is no recharging time, you can do this as often as you want.
Items on your search list written in red are hidden. You will need to use an inventory item to find them.
Hovering over the scene with your mouse, you will sometimes see a question mark. This are the places you need to use an inventory item.
Click the "Inventory" tab at the bottom of your screen and choose the wanted item. Click it at the place with the question mark. When it is the right item, you will see a exclamation mark. If there is still a question mark, you are using the wrong item.
Most of the inventory items are used in the same scene you find them.
Mini-games can be skipped by using the skip button. It will need a moment to charge.
To skip a mini game will cost you a few point from your overall score but there is no further punishment.
You can also skip the dialogs, but this might be a bad idea, as you will need the informations for some of the mini games. Skipping the dialogs will might make you need to skip some of the mini games.
The game has an auto save function, but mini games will have a reset and you have to play them again, when you leave the game in the middle of a mini-game.
Each scene (not location) hides 5 bells.
Bells can be shown as church bells, service bells, drawings, door bells, jingle bells and every other kind of bell.
Finding 50 bells will be rewarded with a medal as well as all 100 medals.
When you find all five bells the first time, you come to a location, you will not have new bells when you visit that place the second time.
When you did not find all the first time, the remaining bells will still be there, when you return.
But as you do not know, if you return to a location, it is good to collect them all first time.
You will need to do this before you collect your last item from your search list, as the scene will close as soon this one is found, no matter if you found all bells (or batteries).
Search objects are not random - they are shown in the screenshots together with the bells and the batteries.
The Mini-Games
There are six mini-games, you will all have to play more often. They will get harder with the time.
Persuasion tactic puzzle - You will need the right answer for the conversation to go on. Follow the line from the word "Correct" on the right to the sentence on the left. Click the sentence.
Search the words puzzle - while playing you found information by searching, puzzle or conversations. Your goal is it to find the right words for the umbrella terms on the left. Click the first letter of the word you found, keep the mouse button pressed and click the last letter of your word. When you are right, you will see it on the left.
Writing articles - On the left, Valerie starts writing the article about the found informations in the played chapter. You will have to fill in some words - a choose list you find on the right. Click one of the words and it will appear in the article. After finishing the article you will see it complete. Green words mean you did everything right, red words are at the wrong place - click to remove and replace them.
Headline puzzle - To make a head line, place the letters in the correct place. Right placed letters will turn dark and lock. You can place letters in any order. Duplicate letters can be used in any spot, there is no order.
Darkroom puzzle - You will need to have a solution with ph-value 7. The upper number is the ph-value the solution has right now. You will have to fill liquid from the bottles at the right into it, to get the correct ph-value. The problem is, that most of the labels have been fallen off. So you will have to try out and see what the liquid does. If you have a ph-value 10 and pour liquid in and the ph-value changes to 12, you know that bottle adds 2 to the ph-value. Best way is to click the label at the bottle, so you will know, what it does. Try out, till you find the combination to get ph-value 7.
Focus the picture - You have two layers of a photo and want to match it by using the arrows at the right side. When you have the picture set up perfectly, an arrow will appear on the left point to the exposure button. Until that arrow appears, you can't press the button.
For the Screenshots: Clocks are marked with a green square, batteries with a yellow and inventory items with a red square. As the objects are not random, they are also marked with yellow circles.
Prologue/Tutorial
Crime Scene
To find the correct answer follow the line from the word "Correct" on the right to the sentence on the left.
Click "Valerie Porter from the Informer"
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Follow the tutorial and find all items from your list.
The paper scraps you can chain in every order.
The brush on the ground, low left under the wall is your inventory object.
It will clean the sign far left in the dark area.
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After this, you will have to reassamble the paper scraps.
Click to pick up and click again to place a part where it belongs to.
Tiles at the right place lock.
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Chapter 1: 5 Weeks earlier
Valerie's flat
Collect batteries and bells.
Hat and scarf are going into your inventory.
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After finding all you will be brought into the bathroom.
Look for bells and batteries.
Blush, lipstick and eyeliner are inventory objects.
After finding everything, open your inventory.
Place the hat on Valerie's head in the mirrow, the scarf around the neck.
Eyeliner goes at the eyes, blush on the cheeks and lipstick on the lips.
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Tram
Find 8 bags - look for all kind of bags as suitcase, purses, handbag, paper bag ....
Use the chain to get more points and be faster.
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Office Mr. Hart
Look for bells and batteries.
You may get bottles and scrumbled paper by chaining, but you do not have to.
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After the conversation with Terry you need to find:
Banana, apple, coffee, egg, muffin
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Now play the first the the "search for the words" - mini-game.
The words are: Banana, Apple, Coffee, Egg, and Muffin.
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At last you will have to write your article.
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Chapter 2: The first Assignment
Archive
You will receive 3 files to go the archive (files are in your inventory after the conversation with Mr. Hart).
You will be taken to the archive automatically.
Look for batteries and bells.
Find the objects from your list.
The three keys will go into your inventory.
The all do have a different shape at the end and so do have the three file cabinets at the top.
Inside inventory you will be able to see the shapes of the keys better.
Open your inventory and place the keys according to their shapes at the file cabinets.
The triangle key goes to the left cabinet, the square key to the far right and the circle key to the right cabinet in the front.
The keys will open a drawer of each cabinet.
The drawer do have a label on - Letter, roman number or a number and so do have the files in your inventory.
Place the files into the according drawer.
File L goes to the left, file II in the far right and file 7 in the right cabinet in the front.
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Hotdog Stand
To find the correct answer follow the line from the word "Correct" on the right to the sentence on the left.
"Your hot dogs are the bees knees!" (Bee Knees = slang of the 20th and means something real good).
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Look for bells and batteries first.
Hotdog and buns can be chained.
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Terry's Office
Look for bells, batteries and the objects from your list.
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Tram
Find 9 hats
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Mayor's Office
Find bells, batteries and your search items.
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Play "Find the words"
The words are: Baseball, Tennis, Golf, Bible, Crucifix, and Helmet.
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Find the right question for the Mayor.
"What should women voters know about you?"
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Terry's Office
Here are no bells, but two batteries.
Find the typewriter parts.
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To rebuild the typewriter have look a the scheme, low right.
Pick up the parts with a click and click again, where you want to place it.
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Write your article.
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Place the letters to write the headline.
The solution is: I'm a family man
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Chapter 3: The Proud Prizefighter
Archive
Find the batteries and your search items.
The both files can be found in the according drawers - click the bottom and second from top drawer.
The files will be shown, click them to get them off your list.
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Use the tram to come to the boxing gym.
Tram
Find 7 clocks
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Boxing Gym
Find batteries, bells and your search items.
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Talk with Johnny Jackson.
Play "Search the words"
The words are: Belt, Trophy, Medal, Jab, Hook, Uppercut, Barbell and Dumbbell.
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Office Mr. Hart
Find batteries and your search items.
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Darkroom
Play the "Darkroom" puzzle.
The solutions are random.
Play "Focus the Photo" puzzle .
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Newsroom
Write your article
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Write your head line.
"Pride Powers Prizefighter's punches"
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Chapter 4: The Starlet Scarlet
Terry's Office
Find the batteries first and answer the phone after.
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Choose: "Jackson tells me great things about you".
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Terry's Desk
Find the 11 camera parts.
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Repair the camera and use the scheme at the left to see, what goes where.
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Tram
Find 6 spectacles.
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Scarlet's Appartment
Find batteries, bells and your search items.
Open your inventory, get out the camera and make a photo of Scarlet's baby.
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Sanatorium
Find bells, batteries and your search items.
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Mayor's Office
Find the objects from your search list.
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Darkroom
Play the "Darkroom" puzzle.
The solutions are random.
Play "Focus the Photo" puzzle .
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Newsroom
Write your article.
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Write your Headline:
"Mayor's Mark in Scarlet Affair"
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Chapter 5: The Director
Tram
Find 8 Newspapers.
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Sanatorium
Choose "Ted Sweeney sent me."
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Find the batteries and the items from your search list.
Open the right drawer far middle and get Scarlet's medical files.
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Sanatorium - Tara Sommer's Room
Find batteries, bells and your search items.
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Boxing Gym
Find the batteries and look for your search items.
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Kauffmann's Apartment
Play "Search for the Words".
The words are: Jackson, Kauffman, Sweeney, pregnancy, reporters, sanitarium.
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Find batteries, bells and the objects from your list.
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Find then the batteries, bells and objects on the list.
Reassemble the paper scraps.
Parts at the right place will be stuck.
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Terry's Office
Find the batteries and the items from your list.
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Chapter 6: Today
Tram
Find 7 ties (bow ties, neckties, scarfs)
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The Gin Joint Alley
Find batteries and your search items.
In case you did not collect the bells in the very first scene, collect them now - for the places, please have a look at the screenshot of the tutorial-spoiler.
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Choose a wrong name: "Doris Dandy."
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The Gin Joint - Bar
Find bells, batteries and your search items.
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Tell Ginger: "I found this feather in the alley."
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The Gin Joint - Storage
Find batteries, bells and the listed items.
When you hear steps (you will see footsteps at the door and Valerie will tell you), click the light switch.
Your cursor will be as a flashlight, and illuminate a small area as you move it around.
Valerie will tell you when you can put on the light again.
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Police station
Find the batteries, bells and objects from your list.
The blue books, 4 medals and 3 files will go into your inventory.
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Open your inventory and place the objects into the according box.
The box go into the box low left side.
The medals go into the box on the desk.
The files go into the box on the chair in front of the desk.
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Click the book box and find a photo.
Click the medal box to find the report.
Reassemble the paper scraps.
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Play "Search for the words".
The words are: negligence, homicide, termination, pension, resignation, weapon, footprints, witness.
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Jackson's Cell
Find batteries, bells and the items from your list.
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Darkroom
Play the "Darkroom" puzzle.
The solutions are random.
Play "Focus the Photo" puzzle .
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Newsroom
Write your article.
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Write your Headline:
"Head of police axed Mayor"
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Chapter 7: Loving, Longing, Loss
Hotdog Stand
Find the batteries and items from your list.
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Tram
Find the 8 umbrellas
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Kauffman's Penthouse
Find the batteries and objects from your list.
The suicide note goes into your inventory.
Place it onto the notebook on the desk to find out, that Kauffman did not write this.
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Scarlet's Apartment
Find the batteries and objects from your list.
When you hear someone coming use the light switch, till Valerie tells you different.
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Jackson's Cell
Find the batteries and objects from your list.
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Jackson will talk with you, when you choose:
"You were given the same bottle."
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The Gin Joint - Bar
Find the batteries and objects from your list.
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The Gin Joint - Dressing Room
Find the bells, batteries and objects from your list.
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The Gin Joint - Storage
Find the batteries and objects from your list.
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Newsroom
Write your article.
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Write your Headline:
"Famous Director's final shot"
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Chapter 8: The Tramp and the Tease
Tram
Find the 6 cups
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United Industries
Find the batteries, bells and objects from your list.
When you hear someone coming use the light switch, till Valerie tells you different.
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Mayor's Office
Find the batteries and your search items.
The key will go into your inventory.
The safe will be found behind the mayor's picture.
Use the key to open the safe.
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Reassemble the letter.
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Find the objects in the mayor's safe.
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Sanatorium - Tara Sommer's room
Find the batteries and objects from your list.
The film reel goes into your inventory.
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Sanatorium
Find the batteries and the objects from your search list.
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Rebuild the projector according to the scheme on the right.
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Place the film reel from your inventory into the projector.
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Darkroom
Play the "Darkroom" puzzle.
The solutions are random.
Play "Focus the Photo" puzzle .
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Valerie's Apartment
Find two batteries and the objects from your search list.
Thread and scissor are going into your inventory.
Use the scissor to cut the pillow left down corner, place the envelope there and use the thread to close it again.
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Chapter 9: The Batton and the Bottle
Tram
Find 8 things to eat.
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The Gin Joint - Dressing Room
Find two batteries and the items from your list.
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Police station
Find two batteries and the items from your list.
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Jackson's Cell
Find two batteries and the items from your list.
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Terry's office
Find two batteries and the items from your list.
Click the telephone at last.
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Newsroom
Write your article.
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Write your Headline:
"Kauffman Jackson Connection"
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Chapter 10: A Woman Scorned
Office Mr. Hart
Find two batteries and the items from your list.
The business card will go into your inventory.
Get it out and click the telephone with it.
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Archive
Find two batteries and the items from your list.
Click the drawer Q-T in the far left file cabinet.
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Tram
Find 5 pipes
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Valerie's Apartment
Find the batteries and the objects from your list.
Take care to put off the light, when you hear someone coming.
The scissors goes into your inventory.
Use it to open the evidence hide pillow middle on the floor.
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After the cut scene you will need to get Tara talk.
Choose: "You killed Scarlet for the Mayor."
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Newsroom
Write your article.
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Write your Headline:
"Real Scarlet Slayer Confesses"
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Chapter 11: The Big Story
Tram
Find 7 chess pieces
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United Industries
Find 2 batteries and the objects from your list.
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Docks
Find 2 batteries, 5 bells and the objects from your list.
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Mayor's Office
Choose: "I'll help you set the story straight."
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Docks
Find 2 batteries and the objects from your list.
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Newsroom
Write your article.
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Write your Headline:
"Mayor Mob Murder Mayhem"
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Watch the ending.
Thanks to Kayleigh for writing up this awesome walkthrough \o/ :D!
Posted by: Kero
|
November 7, 2009 9:25 PM