When we reviewed The Final Spell in March, one of developer Zibumi's previous escape-the-room games, it was met with a mixed reception; some players really enjoyed the game's levity and ease, while others criticized the lack of polish and depth. Happily, the fine people at Zibumi seem to be quick learners! Their newest release, Little Hostage, preserves the finer points of Final Spell while adding complexity and cleverness. While still not excessively challenging, Little Hostage is a fun, satisfying game perfect for a coffee break or random escape-the-room craving.
Little Hostage further continues the saga of Tom "Tucker" Crubucker, the plump, perenially-perturbed-looking magician-in-training. After celebrating the successful completion of his exams (a la the end of The Final Spell), Tom wakes to find himself locked in a small, rather eclectically-furnished apartment. He will, once again, need your help to escape (and find out who is holding him in captivity!). The puzzles are on the whole fairly simple, though the designers have thrown in a few rather clever touches that hold the player's interest and add depth to an otherwise straightforward task; one involving a mechanical hula doll especially made me happy.
While I have a deep appreciation for ingenious enigmas and love unraveling a seemingly impossible puzzle (see: Jess's next review), sometimes it's really nice to play something well-designed, entertaining but not-too-tough. Little Hostage will probably be completely by veteran escape-the-room artists in 30 minutes or so, and those new to the genre will find it to be a relatively accessible introduction to the beautiful world of point-and-click. All in all, it's definitely worth your time.
Help the hapless would-be Houdini.
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough
Take the token, it's in the leftmost brown bowl.
Turn right. Take the battery from the table.
Note the token next to the doorway. Take the token.
Read the paper on the table. Note the three numbers in question two. They change each game!
Turn right twice. Enter the code into the lock. The lock opens. Pick the fishnet.
Use the fishnet on the fish in the aquarium. You get the fish.
Zoom in on the dancer-doll. Put the battery in the side. Press the red button to make her dance. It's a pattern of 8 sides (left, right, left ,right, etc. This also changes every game.
Zoom out, click right twice. Enter the room.
Click left twice. Zoom in on the metal panel with the two arrows. Input the directions from the dancing doll. It will open. Inside you find a token and a butterfly-key.
Zoom out once. Note the vase with sticks, pickup the stick without anything on it.
Turn left. Pick up the token below the window.
In the same screen, pick up a green chili from the plant.
Turn right, leave the room.
In the other room, turn left. Use the stick on the blue thing above the door.
Turn left again. Use your butterfly key on the butterfly closet. Pick up the blue butterfly.
Note that there is something in the butterfly-closet. It's a key, pick it up. It's hard to see, it's on the bottom, to the left.
Zoom in on the red machine. Put your 4 tokens in the machine.
Pick up the orange snail.
Zoom out. Turn right twice. Use the key on the cabinet. Pick up the Blue Curacao and the square piece of paper.
Turn right. The next instructions may vary each game, I don't know. Use the butterfly on the top-left bowl. Use the blue curacao on the middle-left bowl. Use the blue thing on the bottom-left bowl. Use the snail on the top-center bowl. Use the fish on the bottom-center bowl. The chili goes in the bottom-right bowl.
The blue key will have come out, pick it up and turn right. Enter the room.
Turn left, use the key on the closet. Pick up the orange neck-tie. On the boxes that are above the bottom-most boxes, one of them has a piece of paper, pick it up.
Turn left, enter the room, turn right, use the orange neck-tie on the middle-most bowl.
Take the orange key. Turn right, enter the room. Look under the bed, and use the key on the chest.
Pick up the token and the green ring.
Zoom out. Turn right twice. Enter the room. Turn left twice.
Zoom in on the machine. Insert the token. Pick up Kermit. Zoom out and turn left.
Use the ring and kermit on the remaining bowls and pick up the last key.
Turn right, enter the room. Use your green key on the last chest.
Pick up the piece of paper.
Turn left twice. Enter the room. Turn left.
Use the three pieces of paper in the three empty spots on the door. The door opens.
Posted by: Maqrkk
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June 20, 2008 2:14 PM