Your grandma was pretty rad. Not only was she giving Indiana Jones a run for his money, she claims she stumbled across an ancient place decades ago in her travels where the people were able to control the seasons at will. She's too old to continue on now, but she's entrusted you with a relic from that place, an old stone heart, that she believes is the key to solving the mysteries there and restoring the balance of nature. The Lost City for your iOS device is a gorgeous puzzle adventure from Fire Maple Games (creators of The Secret of Grisly Manor) that might be somewhat light in the challenge department, but delivers a beautiful and engrossing expedition sure to speak to the Indiana Jones (or River Song) in you. Ancient artifacts? Mystical energies? I am so there.
All you have to do is tap around to investigate. Interactive areas aren't always highlighted, but you'll usually get a fairly obvious visual indicator of someplace that has something to tap on. Items are stored in your backpack, and when you tap on that to open it, you not only gain access to a handy map that tracks where you are, but your journal which jots down various clues and also lets you view a walkthrough right there in the game if you so desire. (If Grandma's journal can do that, I kind of think she was just being lazy when she didn't solve all this the first time through, don't you? For shame, Granny.)
Also available: The Secret of Grisly Manor for browsers, iPhone (iOS), Android, Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire!
Even without the handy-dandy hint/walkthrough function, however, it's unlikely The Lost City would provide much of a challenge for fans of the genre. There aren't really any surprises, and the straight-forward design means it's usually very clear what items you'll need for any situation as soon as you find them. This shouldn't be taken as a mark against it, however; with its beautiful design and accessible gameplay it's the perfect casual treat to sneak some time in with whenever you get a chance. It's the gaming equivalent of one of those relaxation CDs, something with whales or panpipes, or whales playing panpipes or whatever (panpipe whales?). Its friendly user interface and beginner-ready gameplay coupled with its beautiful style also makes it perfect for roping in non-gaming friends and family members. Looking to get away from it all but don't want the journey to be too challenging? Then chart a course for The Lost City.
Walkthrough Guide
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The Lost City Walkthrough
Please check that you are in the correct season if a solution is not working! Many solutions only work in one season; that is why the WT is organized by season.
Frequent Trouble spots
Floor Tile Rotation Puzzle:
Rotate all the tiles so that every piece is lit. Screenshot (the unlit piece simply needs to be rotated)
Traffic Puzzle (Chest):
Numbered screenshot.
Move 5 left once.
Move 2 all the way down.
Move 1 all the way right.
Move 3 up.
Move 5 all the way left.
Move 7 and 2 all the way up.
Move 6 and 5 all the way right.
Move 3 all the way down.
Move the gold piece all the way right.
Move 4 all the way up.
Move the gold piece back (move 3 out of the way and back)
Move 5 all the way left.
Move 3 out of the way and back for the gold piece to get forward.
Bring 6 to the left and bring 2 down to clear the way for the gold piece.
The Snake Rotation Puzzle:
Even though this is one of the first puzzles you come across, you will not be able to solve it until you have gotten into summer. So if you think you are stuck here, you are probably just not far enough! However, if you have gotten far enough, read on:
Use the spyglass on the holders on screens 41 and 10 to get two halves of a clue. The gears represent the snakes, with the largest gear representing the largest snake and so on. Here is a screenshot of the solution.
The Seasonal Tile Puzzles:
Swap the tiles. If you need help, view these images.
Spring: Screenshot (switch the two lower right to complete)
Winter: Screenshot (switch the two upper left to complete)
Summer: Screenshot (switch the two upper right to complete)
Autumn: Screenshot (switch the two upper left to complete)
The Underground Flower Box (Snake Code):
The clue from the snake code indicates not the number of flowers, but the number of leaves on the flowers. The flowers with 1 leaf should be colored red, the flowers with 2 leaves should be colored blue, and the flowers with 3 leaves should be colored green. So clockwise from top left, it should be red green blue red blue green.
Screenshot (but the top middle flower should be clicked one more time to turn to green--the game changes immediately once you enter in the combination, so it was too quick for me to grab a screenshot)
Full Walkthrough:
Beginning and Spring:
Go left to screen 1 and pick up the flint next to the lion and look at the puzzle clue on the wall (the clue will be written into your journal).
Go right twice to screen 3 and enter the code into the wall.
Go forward to screen 4 and put the green heart into the statue, then press the button.
Go back to screen 2 and then go forward through the gap in the wall. Go right and up to screen 10 to get the rope.
Go forward to screen 12 and take the stone plug from the stump.
Go forward again to screen 15 with the 4 lions, then go right 3 times to screen 25 to get the pry bar.
Go back to screen 15 and go forward to screen 21. Use the pry bar on the floor to get a strange tile.
Click on the floor to solve the rotation puzzle. If you need help, check out this screenshot (the unlit piece simply needs to be rotated).
Click on the hole in the floor to get the leather strap.
Go right three times to screen 22 and up to screen 24. Use the leather strap on the gears.
Go forward. Check out the code on the wall and take the large jewel from the statue head.
Go back to screen 21 and use the jewel on the wall.
Go forward and to the left to screen 26 to get the spring flower.
Go forward to screen 30 and use the rope on the ring.
Go down the screen 31 and take the broken tile. Use the pry bar on the inset in the wall to get a copper lion key.
Go back up and take the rope back.
Go back to screen 23 and go right to screen 27. Use the copper key on the lion to get a slingshot.
Back all the way out to screen 12 and go right to screen 13. Use the slingshot on the target to bring up a bridge.
Go forward twice and take the machete from screen 18. Click on the chest and solve the traffic puzzle. Please check the troublespots guide if you need help with the traffic puzzle. Take the blue winter heart from the chest when you beat it.
Go to screen 23 and solve the tile puzzle (see troublespots section if you have problems).
Go to screen 26 and use the machete on the thorns, then go through the doorway.
Go left to screen 35 and use the blue heart on the statue.
Winter:
Go all the way back to screen 1 and get the winter flower.
Go to screen 23 and solve the tile puzzle (see troublespots section if you have problems).
Go forward to screen 12 and one left to screen 11. Click on the rock to get a code.
Go to screen 32 and use the code (purple squiggle, red coil, yellow radiating heart, aqua pea pod) on the rock (shift the rows and columns with the buttons). Take the hammer.
Go to screen 25 and go one forward to screen 29. Use the hammer on the waterfall. Go in to screen 34.
Use the hint from the cave in screen 28 to solve the puzzle. (Tap the first one four times, the second one twice, the third one leave alone, and the fourth one tap three times.)
Take the broken tile out of the basin and go forward to screen 37. Click the door to open a passage back to screen 34.
Go to screen 14 and use the hammer on the jar to get a silver lion key.
Go to screen 21 and go left and forward twice to screen 41. Use the silver lion key and get a hook.
Go to screen 28 and use the hook on the chain, then click the chain. Take the yellow heart (summer).
Go to screen 37 and go up the stairs to screen 39. Click the statue and use the heart to change the season to summer.
Summer:
Go to screen 23 and solve the tile puzzle (see troublespots section if you have problems).
Go to screen 16 and use the plug on the mouth of the statue. Look inside the basin for a hint if you like.
Go to screen 40 (across the lake) use the pry bar on the chest. Take the spyglass and old coin.
Go up to screen 41 and use the spyglass on the brass holder to get a clue.
Go to screen 9 and climb the tree to screen 10. Use the spyglass on the holder to get the other half of the snake clue.
Climb down the tree and back one. Click the snake puzzle and use the tower clues to solve it. (The largest gear represents the largest snake, the smallest the smallest, etc, and the arrow represents the head of the snake.) Here is a screenshot of the solution. Take the golden snake.
Go to screen 14 and go one left to screen 19. Use the flint on the dry logs.
Go one right and one back to screen 6. Use the rope on the branch and go down into the well (screen 7).
Take the silver bowl. Use the golden snake on the circle indentation to get a clue and open up the wall.
Enter the wall and take the rusty key from the indentation.
Go to screen 27 and enter the cave (screen 33). Use the silver bowl on the flowers to turn around the sun tile and get an iron lion key.)
Go to screen 17 and use the key on the lion to bring down the broken tile.
Go to screen 32 and go up one to screen 36 and get an orange flower.
Go to screen 4 and change the season back to spring.
Spring Again!
Go to screen 19 and pull the lever to extinguish the fire. Click on the coals to get a piece of charcoal.
Go to screen 22 and use the rusty key on the floating chest. Take the amber heart (autumn) from inside.)
Go to screen 40 and rub charcoal on the markings on the cliff to get a clue in your journal.
Go upstairs twice to screen 42 and put the amber heart in and change the season to autumn.
Autumn:
Go to screen 23 and solve the tile puzzle (see troublespots section if you have problems). Take the wooden lever.
Go to screen 19 and take the pink flower (it looks more purple to me, but the game calls it pink).
Go to screen 36 and use the lever on the slot on the right. Go forward to screen 38.
Read the paper on the table (the book just gives hints to the locations of the flowers). Use the flint on the bowl, then use the flowers red/spring, orange/summer, blue/winter, and pink/autumn.
Take the trowel and last broken tile out of the opened compartment. Also take the broom on the right.
Summer Again:
Go to screen 39 and change back to summer.
Go to screen 26 and use the trowel on the X on the ground. There is a box inside. Use the code from the golden snake (clockwise from top left red, green, blue, red, blue, green). See the troublespots guide if you have difficulty. Take the crank.
Go to screen 10 and open up the trapdoor. Use the crank on the metal socket and tap it to reveal a coin.
Go to screen 8 (the room inside the well) and use the broom on the dusty floor.
Tap the symbols based on the clue you got with the charcoal on the wall. The symbols are hard to describe so I'm not going to try; you have a picture of them in your journal.There are 8 symbols total. Take the gold lion key after you solve it.
Go all the way back to screen 1 and use the gold lion key on the lion.
Go to screen 15. The four lions will open a staircase leading down.
Go down the staircase (the location will not show up on the map). Take the crescent moon from the wall. Go back up.
Go to screen 33 and use the moon on the wall to get half of a clue.
Go to screen 37 and put both coins into the open slots. Take the fishing pole.
Go to screen 11 and use the fishing pole on the shiny object in the water to get a fish key.
Go to screen 18 and use all the broken tiles and fish key to get a crystal.
Go back two to screen 13 and use the crystal on the sundial to get the other half of a clue.
Go back to the secret room below screen 15 and use the positions of the red and blue light from the clues on the dial on the wall. (The red is at 10'o'clock and the the blue at 2:30, roughly.)
Go to all the statues and take back the hearts (screen 4, 35, 39, and 42).
Go back to the secret room and go through the gate and place all the hearts in the marked slots (winter with winter etc).
You win!
Item Location Guide:
Items:
Flint: Screen 1
Rope: Screen 10 (also make sure you don't leave it on screen 30)
Stone plug: Screen 12
Pry Bar (crowbar): Screen 25
Strange Tile: Screen 21
Leather strap: Screen 14 (after floor puzzle)
Large Jewel: Screen 28
Red flower: Screen 26 (Spring)
Broken tiles: Screens 31, 34, 17, and 38
Copper lion key: Screen 31 (lion is on 27)
Slingshot: Screen 27
Machete: Screen 18
Blue heart (winter heart): Screen 18 (after chest puzzle)
Blue flower: Screen 1 (Winter)
Iron hammer: Screen 32 (after using code)
Silver lion key: Screen 14 (in jar) (lion is on 41)
Hook: Screen 41 (from lion)
Yellow heart (summer): Screen 28 (after hook on chain)
Silver bowl: Screen 7
Spyglass: Screen 40 (inside chest)
Old brass coins: Screen 40 (inside chest) and screen 10 (inside tree)
Golden snake: Screen 5 (after puzzle)
Rusty key: Screen 8
Iron lion key: Screen 33
Orange flower : screen 36 (summer)
Charcoal: screen 19 (after lighting fire in summer and extinguishing in spring)
Amber heart (autumn): Screen 22 (see WT)
Pink flower: Screen 19 (autumn)
Trowel: Screen 38 (after flower puzzle)
Broom: Screen 38
Crank: Screen 26 (from flower box)
Gold lion key: Screen 8 (after symbol puzzle)
Golden moon: Screen 15 (downstairs)
Fishing pole: Screen 37 (coins)
Fish key: Screen 11 (fishing pole)
Crystal: Screen 18 (tiles completed)
Statue Locations:
Spring Statue: Screen 4
Winter Statue: Screen 35
Summer Statue: Screen 39
Autumn Statue: Screen 42
Posted by: joye | February 9, 2012 12:19 AM
The Flower Box (Snake Code) Solution
If you have a problem with this puzzle, you're not alone! The clue is pretty ambiguous and the in-game hints aren't very helpful.
Want a better hint?
The clue from the snake code indicates not the number of flowers, but the number of leaves on the flowers.
Need a full solution?
The flowers with 1 leaf should be colored red, the flowers with 2 leaves should be colored blue, and the flowers with 3 leaves should be colored green. So clockwise from top left, it should be red green blue red blue green.
Screenshot (NOTE: the top middle flower should be clicked one more time to turn to green—the game changes immediately once you enter in the combination, so it was too quick to grab a screenshot of it completed.)
Posted by: joye | February 9, 2012 12:49 AM