Almost exactly one year ago, Mateusz Skutnik gave us a holiday riff on his popular Daymare Town series in the short point-and-click game Where is 2010? This year, he's giving us a New Year treat in the aesthetic guise of his 10 Gnomes series. Enjoy beautiful monochrome photographs of Gdansk, Poland as you try to answer the question,
Where is 2011?
The new game's short length is similar to its predecessor, but it has a completely different feel, being heavier on the hidden object motif (like the 10 Gnomes games it's inspired by). It's a powerful testament to Skutnik's talent that he can create two games with such drastic stylistic differences and yet have each be unmistakably his work. Not only that, but I'm looking forward to Where is 2012?, which could riff off of Submachine (please oh please!), or the Fog Fall, or Covert Front, or... Okay, I am making an executive decision that the world cannot end in 2012 because clearly Mateusz Skutnik will not be anywhere near finished with New Year's games at that point.
As I've already said, the game is very brief, so if you cheat and go straight for the walkthrough, you'll only be cheating yourself of enjoyment. In fact, now that I know how to beat the game, I can do the whole thing in well under a minute. There is a little something called atmosphere to be appreciated here, along with your usual point-and-click finding of objects to manipulate. There's no mute button, and while usually that's one of my pet peeves, I can't fault him for not including it here, because the understated sound effects are an essential part of the game experience. Definitely put your speakers or headphones on for this one.
Above all, pay attention to the subtle differences in the images through the changing seasons and time of day. In order to find 2011, after all, you have to go to where he enters. Don't rush there, because he'll be coming soon enough.
Thanks to Aexis and Spike for sending this one in!
Walkthrough Guide
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Where is 2011? Walkthrough
WARNING: Even more than in most games, if you simply follow the walkthrough and don't explore on your own, this game will be over extremely quickly (you could probably do it in a minute). Take your time and enjoy the photography and the ambiance.
To December 31:
Click the last set of metal light fixtures in the row (circled in this screenshot).
Click the fixture on the left to zoom in.
Click the piece of paper.
Click on the 31st.
To Midnight:
Back out to the main screen and click on the area with the drainpipe on the right wall (circled in this screenshot).
Click on the metal panel with the keyhole on the left.
Click on the clock inside the hole.
Drag the hands to 12:00 and then drag the slider from day to night.
Find 2011:
Back out to the main screen and click on the second light fixture in the line (circled in this screenshot).
Zoom in twice into the light fixture to find the gnome sitting inside it and click on him to find 2011.
Optional Secret Snow Demon:
After changing the time to midnight but before finding 2011, click on the last light fixture in the row (where you found the calendar). Click on the back light and zoom into it again, then mouse over the snow to reveal the "snow demon" secret (screenshot).
Posted by: joye
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December 31, 2010 6:29 PM