Samantha Swift and the
Hidden Roses of Athena
Platform: Windows
Standing toe to toe with games like Azada: Ancient Magic, Dream Chronicles 2: The Eternal Maze, and even the Mystery Case Files series isn't an easy job, but Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena matches (and, in many areas, surpasses) its contemporaries with a fun blend of adventure and hidden object gaming. Each scene is vivid and unique, packed with hand-drawn artwork, simple item finding (read: no gigantic items confusingly camouflaged in the foreground), and a strong emphasis on using objects you find to interact with the scenery to solve puzzles. It's a balanced and enjoyable game you won't want to turn away from once you've started playing.
Samantha Swift is an archaeologist on the lookout for new and exciting artifacts to bring back to her museum. A nefarious competitor swoops in at the last moment and steals her prize find, but Samantha learns of an even bigger fish to fry. Piecing together the Shield of Athena, we learn of six roses that are missing from its face. Samantha immediately sets out to find them, but her rivals are hot on her heels!
Each scene in Samantha Swift is packed with items, just like every other hidden object game on the market. A scanner helps you out by showing a silhouette of any list item you click, and you have a handful of hints to use at any moment. Items are usually pretty easy to find, and in many cases you can pick up most of the list before you even read what's on it! If you're looking for a hidden object experience, however, you're missing two thirds of this extraordinary game.
After you track down a handful of things on the screen, you can begin to uncover little secrets using your inventory. Finding a shovel, for example, sends it to your Tools bar, and if the cursor turns blue over the soil, you can bet some digging will be in order. A few mini-game-style puzzles can also be found, and each fits perfectly in the story and setting.
You travel the world with Ms. Swift, visiting Italy, Guatemala, France, and more. The locations are unique and illustrated with a superb art style that's bright, lively and interesting. Many areas offer several scenes you'll need to travel back and forth between in order to find all of the items and solve every puzzle. Not much backtracking, but enough to make you feel like you have a large area to explore.
Analysis: It's a bold thing to say, but Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena is a game that gets just about everything right. From the overall design angle to the little gameplay details, everything fits together in perfect harmony. Common annoyances I've had with hidden object games are absent in this game. In fact, Samantha Swift made me realize a few things about other games in the genre that bug me, like a hint system that randomly shows you where an item is. Here, using a hint lets you choose which item you'd like to find, a subtle improvement that really brightened my gaming experience!
The only possible detractors to this game are its relatively short length and low level of difficulty. Puzzles, however creative and interesting, don't pose too much of a challenge, though they're always fun to complete. And even though you can charge through the game in one or two sittings, you can replay the game afterwards with different lists of items to find.
Samantha Swift and the Hidden Roses of Athena is easily one of the best adventure/hidden object hybrids I've played. It's not perfect, but it's a fresh and fun experience that trumps most other games out there.
Windows:
Download the demo
Get the full version
Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.
Samantha Swift is available to download from these affiliates:
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
This is a walkthrough for only the blue items that need tools to be found, and for the mini-games. The lists of white items change with every game, so I can't really help with those. Each section of the walkthrough assumes that you've already found the items listed in white.
Scepter of Zeus
First room
PDA
Use the knife on the vines on the left.
Golden Owl
Use shovel on dirt in lower right corner.
Exit
Use the golden owl on the door to the left.
Second room
Lance
Use the crowbar on the column in the lower left corner.
Greek boat
Use the water jug on the rock in lower center.
Shield
Use the chisel multiple times on the large stone between the columns to reveal the shield.
Athena
Put the helmet, chest armor, and lance on Athena. Pick up the dropped shield.
Exit
Exit through the revealed hole in the floor.
Third room
Greek letter
Use the brush on the wall to the left of the statue. Use axe on cracked wall on the left.
Mini-game
Panel to the right of the statue. Device is missing some levers. Come back to it later.
Exit
Exit through hole revealed by the axe.
Fourth room
Note the five arrows etched on the boulder beside the skeleton.
Key
Use miner's pick on the rocks piled in the butter in the center of screen. Click on each rock to remove it. Pick up the key that floats down the gutter. Use the key on the swirl symbol at the top center of the screen.
Exit
Exit through the revealed door.
Back in third room
Click on the panel for the mini-game.
Mini-game
Put the 2 levers in the empty slots. Move them into the position of the arrows on the boulder in the previous room - first 3 are down, last 2 are up.
Exit
Exit through the door revealed.
Fifth room
Wheel hub
Use the shovel on the dirt at the bottom center of screen. Put wheel hub in center of circle of wall on the right.
Mini-game
Put the three statues into the slots on the wheel (blue arrows will tell you which ones go where). Align the wheel - turn the center until it clicks into place. Turn the middle. Then turn the outer. The statues will line up and it spins. You'll be back in the room.
Exit
Exit through the door in the upper left to check out the noise in Apollo's room.
Gold chamber
Key
Use the scoop on the coins in the center of the screen.
Sun pendant
Use the key on the chest in the center left of screen.
Scepter of Zeus
Use sun pendant on right side of the same chest.
Exit
Exit through the door in the upper right of screen.
Rose of Industry (Yellow) - Rome, Italy
First site
You get no tools.
Exit
Exit to the left of the construction sign.
Second site
Paper clip
Use the magnifying glass on the right tread to get the paper clip.
Exit
Go back to the first site, exit upper left.
First site again
Artifact
Use the hammer on the box in the center of the screen. Take the artifact.
Blue lever
Use the chainsaw on the bush in the lower left of screen to get the blue lever.
Exit
Return to second site.
Second site again
Get in the driver's seat.
Put blue lever in horizontal slot.
Put red lever in horizontal slot.
Put paper clip in keyhole above the "back" button.
Click the blue lever.
Click the red lever.
Exit
Exit through revealed door.
First room
Jewel
Use cane on hanging bowl in center of screen. Pick up dropped jewel.
Artifact piece
Use saw on board at the top of the third ladder (center of screen). Pick up fallen piece.
Mini-game
Click on curtain on right of screen. Assemble statue.
Back to the room
Get statue (right of screen).
Exit
Exit through the door on the right.
Second room
Rig something to move the wood piled at the doorway on the left.
Column ruin
Use two chains on the hooks in the ceiling (top of screen).
Use crowbar on the boulder in upper right of screen.
Put column ruin in loops of the two chains. Click it enough times to make it swing into the blocked door (5 times for me).
Exit
Exit through revealed door on the left.
Third room
Coin #1
Use hook on mouth of fish above fireplace.
Coin #2
Use magnet on dome in center of screen.
Coin #3
Use fan on sand spilling out of bowl on right side of screen.
Exit
Exit through door in center left of screen.
Second room (again)
Drop all coins into the pitcher in the center of the screen.
Exit
Exit through the door at the top of the screen.
Fourth room
Put on female statue: necklace, sandal, mirror, and earring.
Put on male statue: spear, shield, and helmet.
Crown
Use the brush on the cobwebs above the door. Put the crown on the female statue.
Exit
Exit through the open door.
Fifth room
Mural block
Use the hammer on the floor at the bottom center of the screen.
Mini-game
It's the panel on the right. Assemble the mural blocks.
Exit
Exit through the revealed door.
Sixth room
Rose of Industry (yellow)
After picking up the three remaining gears, put them on the machine. They are color coded. Turn on the machine using the lever on the left. Pick up Rose of Industry.
Rose of Conquest (Blue) - Tikal Guatamala
First market
Not enough tools.
Second market
Gather all the items and return to first market.
First market (again)
Marbles
Give the baseball to the boy with the cup on the left. He will trade for the marbles.
Brooch
Use the scoop on the bags of grain on the right. Pick up brooch that falls to the ground.
Feather
Use the camera on the blue bird above the boy. Pick up the feather that falls to the ground.
Second market (again)
Money and watch
Use the feather on the boy standing in the road. Pick up the dropped money and watch.
Nightstick
Put the marbles at the feet of the man standing at the left. Pick up the dropped nightstick.
Golden mask
Use the night stick on the piñata (several times). Pick up the fallen mask.
First market (again)
Map
Use the money on the girl in pink on the right.
Exit
Exit twice to the next section.
First location
Bridge
Complete the bridge by placing the planks in the correct spots (blue arrow will guide you).
Mini-game
Click with the green arrow on the far side of the bridge. Use the sonar to see where the things are buried. Use the shovel to uncover the items. If you seem to get stuck uncovering the items, click away from the mini-game and then click back on it.
Exit
Exit upper left.
Second location
Distract the guard
Put coins on the plastic water bottle in the upper left corner.
Wire cutter and totem piece
Use the scissors on the tent.
Pick up the key on the box near the right side of the tear in the tent.
Use the key on the box at the far right. Take wire cutter.
Use wire cutter on the cord on the ground next to the tent.
Take totem piece.
Put the large stone in the spot where the totem piece was.
Exit
Exit out the top of the screen.
Third location
Detonator
Use the key on the blue box. Take detonator.
Blast through the rocks
Use metal detector on the ground at the bottom of the screen.
Put dynamite into the 4 holes at the top of the screen.
Put detonator in the brown box. Click it to set off the explosion.
Exit
Exit through the exposed doorway.
Fourth location
Totem pieces
Collect all the totem pieces. When your inventory gets full, start using the totem pieces in the circular bases to build the totems.
The finished totems will drop and a doorway appears.
Exit
Exit through the revealed door.
Fifth location
Bag of gold
Use the brush on the spider web.
Skull
Use the flute on the bats, left of top center. Take the skull.
Ruby
Use the diamond on the crystals to the right of center. Pick up ruby.
Bow
Use rock on the other rocks near the center of the screen. Pick up the bow.
Exit
Use the bow at the blocked exit. Make a fire and exit through the revealed door.
Jungle
No tools found.
Exit
Use machete to hack out the entrance. Exit through the revealed exit.
Snake Temple
Flower
Use the glove to pick up the flower in the lower center of the screen.
Snake eye
Pick up from corner of green pool, near bottom.
Snake skins
Put one snake skin on each of the large snake carvings.
Snake eyes
Put the green eyes on each of the carved snakes.
Snake tongue
Put the snake tongue into the mouth of the carving on the right.
Exit
Go through the revealed door between the two carved snakes.
Altar Room
Put on the altar
Heron, bat, snake, jaguar, and flower.
Shaman staff
Use the shaman staff in the hole in front of the altar.
Mini-game
Match three to clear the tiles.
Rose of Conquest
Rose will appear after finishing the mini-game.
Rose of Justice (Purple) - London, UK
First Room
Crown and throne
Use ladder on blue seat on the right.
Rose Painting
Use Pencil on painting of woman in red dress. Rub the pencil to show the rose.
Exit
Click on red button revealed by the painting. Exit through the revealed door.
Second Room
Ship
Use paperweight on the glass bottle on the desk in the center.
Dancer
Use wind-up key on the box on the left.
Diamond
Use nail file on box on right.
Mini-game
click on tablet hanging on left wall. Use gavel to break the code (literally). Remember: FOLLOW KING ARTHUR.
Exit
Exit through revealed door on right.
Third Room
Dove
Use lance on curtain in center.
Glass cutter
Use hand cart on statue in center.
Fix stained glass
Use glass cutter on round stain glass above curtain.
Mini-game
Put the stained glass pieces in the empty spots. Use existing glass pattern as a guide.
Exit
Exit down the revealed stairs in the floor.
Fourth Room
Goggles
Use trowel on the brick in the center.
Skeleton key
Use goggles on the screen for night vision. Pick up the key in the center.
Exit
Use skeleton key on the door in the center.
Fifth Room
Navigate the catacomb maze
Find the objects by following the letter signs to spell K-I-N-G-A-R-T-H-U-R.
Exit
Zoom onto door at the end of R hallway. Take the skeleton key in the upper left. Use on door.
Sixth Room
Weights
Put the knights on their stands (the blue arrows will guide you). Pick up the weights that appear under each statue.
Exit
Use the skeleton key on the revealed door.
Seventh Room
Horse
Use staff on the rat.
Gold crown
Use the dagger on the floor in left center.
Puzzle of the Round Table
When the letters appear around the circle, click K-I-N-G-A-R-T-H-U-R. Click on Statue of Justice that appears at the top of circle.
Statue of Justice
Put on the blindfold, sword, and the two scale plates.
Balance the scale
Each side of the scale will hold three weights. Both sides need to equal 11 pounds. Put 7, 3, and 1 on one side and 2, 4, and 5 on the other side. Take Rose of Justice.
Rose of Art (Red) - Paris France
First Room
Key
Use the box cutter on the trash bag on the right.
Screwdriver
Use the pliers on the hook above the statue on the right. Then use the key on the box that is revealed on the left.
Exit
Use the screwdriver on the panel under the flag. Pull the switch and exit through the door on the right.
Second Room
ID badge
Use scissors on the fabric handing from the crate on the left. Pick up the fallen ID badge.
Key
Use the ID badge on the box under the picture on the wall.
Tape
Use the vacuum on the floor in the center.
Key card
Use the key on the box in the bottom center.
Exit
Exit through the door on the left.
Third Room
Crowbar
Use gloves on fallen cactus in the center.
Necklace
Use guillotine on the cake on the left.
Black light
Use crowbar on the crate on the right. Then use access card on the box inside.
Exit
Exit through the door in the center.
Fourth Room
Red jar
Put the sail on the ship on the left.
Yellow jar
Put the Tut mask on the sphinx on the right.
Blue jar
Put the staff in the hole in the floor.
Mini-game
Put the jars on the color matched stands on the right. Click on the wall above. Solve the hieroglyph code by scrolling through each set of symbols along the top to make them match the ones along the bottom. Find the master code by using the duster to reveal the symbols near the shoulder of each sketch. Scroll the figures at the bottom to match them. Take the scroll revealed.
Exit
Exit through the door at the back.
Fifth Room
Solve the painting puzzle
Use the date scroll on the right wall of the scrambled paintings. Arrange the paintings according to the scroll. Then use the black light on the completed puzzle.
Exit
Exit through the door at the back.
Fourth Room (again)
Statue
Adjust the shield.
Exit
Exit down the stairs revealed in the floor.
Sixth Room
Violin, hat, and cherub
Use the Tudor Rose on the wall at the back. Take items from the barrel on the left.
Joan of Arc
Use the mallet on the barrel on the right.
Mortar
Use broken glass on the dirt at the bottom left.
Jewel box
Use mortar on crack in ceiling.
Sun god
Use vinegar on barrel lid at bottom.
Exit
Put Sun god on the door at the back. Exit through door.
Seventh Room
Mini-game (left of throne)
Click pairs of identical symbols to clear the screen. Take the glasses below.
Mini-game (right of throne)
Click pairs of identical symbols to clear the screen. Take the throne leg below.
Child
Put the throne leg on the throne. Take the revealed picture of the child on the right.
Royal crown
Use the glasses on the wall to the right of the throne. Then use the bludgeon on the blue X.
Rose of Art (Red)
Use the royal crown on the column on the right.
Rose of Wisdom (Green) - Lhasa, Tibet
First Room (outside)
Hot coffee
Use the coffee pot on the burner. Us the canteen on the coffee pot. Use the lighter on the coffee pot.
Open the frozen door
Use the miner's pick on the rocks in front of the door. Use the hot coffee to melt the ice on the door.
Exit
Exit through the revealed door.
Second Room
Idol
Use the broom on the snow in the right center.
Ice key
Use miner's pick on the ice rocks in the center. Use canteen on the mole.
Exit
Use ice key on the door at the back.
Third Room
Put instruments on the altar and play them
Put chimes, drums, and brass bell on the altar in their carved spots. use the padded stick to play the instruments in this order: Drums, chimes, then bell.
Exit
Exit through door on the right.
Fourth Room
In this location, you'll go back and forth in the four rooms until you find all the tools and locate all of the medallions. Left to right, the doors are: Garuda, dragon, tiger, lion. Use the appropriate key in the spot above each door.
Garuda room
Put wood in urn. Leave to find more wood.
Dragon room
Use water bag and shell on the urn. Leave to find other elements (lower right).
Tiger room
Find items in white. Leave to find other elements (bottom).
Lion room
You'll have to start the sand art puzzle to make room for more tools, then go back to finish it.
Mini-game
Located in the center of the screen. Use the existing colors and patterns to arrange the sand art pieces. Note: the pieces in your tools inventory do not need to be turned when they are placed. Take the Earth Medal from the center when complete. Then exit to the right.
Back to Garuda Room
Put all the wood in the urn. Use flint and knife on the wood to make a fire. Take the Fire Medal.
Back to Dragon Room
Use the bottle and bowl on the urn. Take the Water Medal.
Back to Tiger Room
Put the fire urn in the bottom and the water urn on top of it to make steam. Take the Air Medal and exit.
Back in Main Room
Put all four medals in the box in the center.
Mini-game (back wall)
Use the paint brush to touch the paint cans and paint the wheels. It spins green when you have the right color. Here is the correct color solution:
First row:
Yellow, blue, red
Second row:
Blue, red, yellow
Third row:
Yellow, yellow, yellow
Take Rose of Wisdom (Green)
Rose of Skill (Pink) - Kyoto, Japan
First Location
Koi fish 3
Go across the bridge to get the right tool. Then use the fish food on the pond at bottom right. Go back over bridge.
Second Location
Butterflies
Use chimes on the pink flower bush, then use the net to catch the two butterflies.
Horse
Use the shears on the tree at top center.
Yang Symbol
Use the rake on the patch of dirt in center.
Exit
Put the yin-yang pieces on the door in upper right.
Third Location
Mini-game
Use the map to place the rocks and houses. Then use the rake in the sand to make the ripples.
Exit
Exit through the hole in the sand.
Fourth Location
Buddha
Use crowbar on chest on the top edge of the pool.
Rose symbol
Use the scraper on the brick wall on right.
Exit
Exit down the pool.
Fifth Location
Pearl
Use the knife on the clam shell at the bottom.
Blowtorch
Use the hand rake on the sand to the right of the clam shell.
Exit
Use the torch to cut open the exits.
Sixth Location (from left exit)
Coins
Use the hammer on the clam shell on the left.
Dragon buckle
Use the spear gun on the rocks on the right.
Exit
Exit through the light on the right.
Seventh Location (from the right exit)
Gems
Use key on chest on the left.
Helmet
Use scraper on ground at the bottom.
Exit
Exit through the right.
Eighth Location
Horse
Use flashlight on falling water in lower right.
Door pull
Use the flute on the rat on the right.
Mini-game #1
Turn the tiles to make a picture of a rose. Put the door pull in the slot on the right of the door. Exit through open door.
Mini-game #2 (Gong Hammer)
Remove the door handles. Note that the center of each panel has a symbol. Use the green arrows on the top and side to move the matching symbol in direct alignment with the symbol in the center of the panel. The symbols will turn yellow and lock when you hit the right one. When you have a yellow symbol on both the horizontal and the vertical, the panel center will turn green. Then move the center bars (also now green) to the green center. That panel will open. Repeat for the next three panels. Take the gong hammer from the turtle on the left. Bang the gong on the right. Exit to the Samurai Warrior
Mini-game #3 (Samurai Warrior)
Complete the Samurai Warrior using the items in the tools inventory. Blue arrows will guide you. Take the PDA in his chest.
Laser room
From the tools inventory, avoid the lasers and drop the roses and the scarf into the slots on the columns.
Japan
Scarf
Tibet
Green rose
France
Red rose
Rome
Yellow rose
England
Purple rose
Guatemala
Blue rose
Dr. Butler
The lasers across the screen will disappear and the red vertical lasers will appear at the back of the room. Use the shield to block the lasers on the far left at the white square on the wall. Click the square and get Dr. Butler.
Exit
Take the shield back and use it to block the lasers in front of the open door.
Watch the drama. Clear the next room of white items and you're done!
Posted by: Pam
|
November 1, 2008 10:52 PM