Popular developer Mateusz Skutnik wishes us all a Happy New Year with another entry in his "Where Is..." series of New Year's games! Unlike previous "Where Is..." games, which repurposed characters and artwork from Mateusz's other franchises, Where is 2012? features new design and gameplay, as players help a gnomish-looking Santa find the infant personification of the new year, who is hiding somewhere in Mateusz's slightly askew vision of the North Pole. The adventure-platforming gameplay is fun, if not particularly difficult; and the quirky character design, watercolor background art, and atmospheric music and sound are all quite engaging. The overall mood is somewhere between whimsical and just plain strange, and is very intriguing for such a simple game. Where is 2012? is a great, quick, unique way for casual game fans to start the new year.
Review
- Walkthrough
14 Comments
Ah, this is why I love being a gamer!
Love the watercolors! But I'm stumped on the top present in the first room and how to open the door in the egyptian catacomb.
POP on the first room present. :P
Well, I'm confused... and stuck. I've been to the basement of the outbuilding on the 3rd screen and spun the wreath, but can't figure out what to do now.
Very pretty game though!
The music, the background, and the little Gnome-like Santa were utterly adorable. A simple, cheerful game -- I loved it!
Yay! That was wonderful... and the very first game by Mateusz I was able to finish without help. His stuff is really amazing. How do we thank him for this beautiful present?
Happy New Year to everyone at JIG-
Where is 2012? walkthrough
Note: This walkthrough will tell you how to get all the presents. You don't need to grab them all to beat the game, but it will increase your score.
First Room
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Grab the present on the left side of the screen.
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Jump on top of the end table on the right, then jump to grab the present on the curtain rod.
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Exit the door.
First Wreath
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Jump on the end table, then jump again to get the present atop the clock.
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Flick the candy-cane switch and exit throught the door that opens.
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Move left to cross the yard, being sure to jump and grab the three tiny presents on the way. Enter the shed.
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Climb the ladder and grab the two presents on the right side of the screen.
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Flick the candle switch, then climb down again.
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Move right and enter the open door.
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Grab the present in the left corner, then turn the wreath-switch.
Second Wreath
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Exit the shed and return to the house. Enter the door
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Move right, then jump on the platforms to grab the presents.
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Continue jumping on platforms to the right until you get to the ladder on the next screen. Climb the ladder.
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Grab both presents, then jump on the windowsill and exit through the window.
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Jump on the platforms until you get to the window of the alien-looking purple building. There are five presents to grab in this screen. If you fall over the edge, you start the scene over and lose points.
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Enter the window, grab the present on the right, and turn the wreath.
Third Wreath—Secret Passage
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Exit the alien-house and go back through the window of the less strange, earthbound house.
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Climb down the ladder and go over the ledge. Turn the wreath. Note how the nearby panel has one red light for each wreath you've turned.
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Proceed right and enter the doorway, revealed now that you've turned all the wreaths.
Frosty Dungeon—Rotating Puzzle
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Climb all the way down the ladder and head left. Flick the candle switch.
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Move several screens to the right until you get to the doorway. Grab the present and enter.
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Flick the candy switch on the other side of the room, then exit.
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Go back to the ladder, climb it, and enter the lower door that is now open.
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Solve the rotating tree-glyph puzzle. The goal is to make all the trees pointing up.
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Flicking either the candy cane switch or the candle switch to the left rotates the top two glyphs clockwise.
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Flicking the candy cane switch to the right rotates the middle glyph clockwise.
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Flicking the candle switch to the right rotates the bottom two glyphs clockwise.
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Skip the puzzle by pressing [A], though you gain more points if you solve it.
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Use the platforms to get to the door that opens, being sure to grab the two presents along the way. Exit the door.
Tree Climbing
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Grab the three presents to the left side of the Frosty building, then move right to the next scene.
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Grab the present on the stone star on the right, then start climbing up the tree by jumping on the branches.
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Grab the four presents along the way before jumping up to the next scene.
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Move left along the long branch to the next scene, then flick the candy cane switch. Do the same moving right along the next long branch above.
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Go back to the trunk and continue jumping up, being sure to grab the three presents on the way.
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Continue up, using the platforms deployed by the candy cane switches. Be sure to grab the three presents.
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Grab the present at the top of the tree, then click [down] to look in the basket and find 2012.
Climbing the tree, and then there's a part too high to jump...
Is it always..umm.. female?
billyswong: See those long branches?
They seem to extend pass the screen...
It's not really entirely "new." There are plenty of visual references to both the Submachine and Daymare Town series, which are wonderful easter eggs for us longtime point-and-click fans. That being said, it's still another wonderful game from the point-and-click-adventure master.
okay found the way you see the long branches? walk all the way all the end of them...:)
Weird. Chrome on Linux (Ubuntu 10.04 LTS netbook) told me I was missing a plug-in. Weirder was that it was simply a brief line of text underneath where the game should have been.
It worked just fine in Firefox, though.
I found this game very annoying!! For some reason, Santa would just go to the right or left on his own or when I would hop once, it would put him in a hopping mode. It was a pain climbing the tree because I never knew when he was going to glitch on me!
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Walkthrough Guide
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Where is 2012? walkthrough
Note: This walkthrough will tell you how to get all the presents. You don't need to grab them all to beat the game, but it will increase your score.
First Room
Grab the present on the left side of the screen.
Jump on top of the end table on the right, then jump to grab the present on the curtain rod.
Exit the door.
First Wreath
Jump on the end table, then jump again to get the present atop the clock.
Flick the candy-cane switch and exit throught the door that opens.
Move left to cross the yard, being sure to jump and grab the three tiny presents on the way. Enter the shed.
Climb the ladder and grab the two presents on the right side of the screen.
Flick the candle switch, then climb down again.
Move right and enter the open door.
Grab the present in the left corner, then turn the wreath-switch.
Second Wreath
Exit the shed and return to the house. Enter the door
Move right, then jump on the platforms to grab the presents.
Continue jumping on platforms to the right until you get to the ladder on the next screen. Climb the ladder.
Grab both presents, then jump on the windowsill and exit through the window.
Jump on the platforms until you get to the window of the alien-looking purple building. There are five presents to grab in this screen. If you fall over the edge, you start the scene over and lose points.
Enter the window, grab the present on the right, and turn the wreath.
Third Wreath—Secret Passage
Exit the alien-house and go back through the window of the less strange, earthbound house.
Climb down the ladder and go over the ledge. Turn the wreath. Note how the nearby panel has one red light for each wreath you've turned.
Proceed right and enter the doorway, revealed now that you've turned all the wreaths.
Frosty Dungeon—Rotating Puzzle
Climb all the way down the ladder and head left. Flick the candle switch.
Move several screens to the right until you get to the doorway. Grab the present and enter.
Flick the candy switch on the other side of the room, then exit.
Go back to the ladder, climb it, and enter the lower door that is now open.
Solve the rotating tree-glyph puzzle. The goal is to make all the trees pointing up.
Flicking either the candy cane switch or the candle switch to the left rotates the top two glyphs clockwise.
Flicking the candy cane switch to the right rotates the middle glyph clockwise.
Flicking the candle switch to the right rotates the bottom two glyphs clockwise.
Skip the puzzle by pressing [A], though you gain more points if you solve it.
Use the platforms to get to the door that opens, being sure to grab the two presents along the way. Exit the door.
Tree Climbing
Grab the three presents to the left side of the Frosty building, then move right to the next scene.
Grab the present on the stone star on the right, then start climbing up the tree by jumping on the branches.
Grab the four presents along the way before jumping up to the next scene.
Move left along the long branch to the next scene, then flick the candy cane switch. Do the same moving right along the next long branch above.
Go back to the trunk and continue jumping up, being sure to grab the three presents on the way.
Continue up, using the platforms deployed by the candy cane switches. Be sure to grab the three presents.
Grab the present at the top of the tree, then click [down] to look in the basket and find 2012.
Posted by: Mike
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December 28, 2011 5:24 PM