A piano melody sets the mood, a welcoming armchair beckons you to browse through Shakespeare's classics, and it is so tempting to just sink in, forgetting the cares of the day to lose oneself in the lovely subtle magic of Robamimi's world. This is quintessential Robamimi, an escape game that is as much about escaping into serenity as it is about finding clues and solving puzzles all in pursuit of getting out: Kumakinoko.
Those of you who are familiar with Robamimi's style of escape already know the treat you're in for (in fact, you're already playing, not reading this review). For the rest of you, welcome to a place of seamless navigation, an intuitive inventory, changing cursors and a kindly hint function to assuage frustration and increase immersion.
In being so nice and friendly, Kumakinoko does tend toward being "too easy" for the practiced escaper, but it's only a fault because we don't want to leave so soon from this peaceful room of bears (kuma) and mushrooms (kinoko). Still, the puzzles are creative and do take some thought and nimble observation to solve. As always, Robamimi is a respite from all that is dull and inane, always charming and affable, and the only disappointment is saying goodbye.
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Walkthrough Guide
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Kumakinoko Walkthrough
Starting Out: Exploration
When you begin, you're facing a table, a door, a box, a safe and stacks of cups.
Make a few notes about what you see:
The cups have three different patterns on them.
The door has three mushroom buttons on it.
The box needs a key.
The safe is missing a handle.
There's nothing you can do in this view right now, though, except poke around, so....
Turn right. There's a wide, rectangular aclove in the wall with couple boxes and a big red button:
The large box needs a 4-digit number code.
The small box has a 3x3 grid of buttons.
Pressing the red button reveals a bear behind the panel, but it won't stay open.
Turn right again. Here is a lamp, a chair and a three-door chest:
Take note of the codes needed for each door:
Top: "cups" needs a three-letter code.
Middle: five sliders with green buttons.
Bottom: a moon and two buttons, "a-m" and "n-z."
Turn right a third time.
Here you see a grey box on the wall, a light switch, some books, and a low window through which mushrooms can be seen.
The grey box needs a 3-digit number code and the light switch doesn't seem to work.
Perhaps it's also a good idea to observe the books now, though, taking note of their arrangement.
Now you should be ready to open some drawers.
The 3-door Chest:
The middle door is opened by observing the books:
The green buttons should be in this pattern...
down-up-up-down-up
...then click "enter"
When you open the door, take the DOORKNOB.
Note the pattern: stripes, dots, plaid.
Turn back to the table with the cups. Use the pattern you saw in the middle door of the chest to figure out a three-letter code.
Return to the top door of the chest and enter the code...
Starting with the stripes, note which shelves have cups with stripes on them: tracing those shelves make the shape of a letter. Do the same for dots and then plaid. You'll end up with three letters...
A H E
...and click "OK" to open the door.
Get an ICEPICK.
Go back to the safe under the table:
Put the DOORKNOB on the safe and open it.
Inside, you see a block of ice. Use the ICEPICK on the ice.
Get a KEY.
Go to the little box on top of the table, next to the cups. Use the KEY to open the little box and make a note of what you see:
BLUE (moon picture) MOON.
Three jars of jam. Note the letters on their label and whats inside them.
Now go to the bottom door of the chest to open it based on what you saw in the little jam box on the table...
Notice some letters in "blue moon" are on the right (R) button, some are on the left (L) button. Just push the buttons to spell out blue moon...
L - L - R - L - L - R - R - R
When you get the bottom door open:
Take the bottle of WINE. Notice the number on its label.
Also look at the numbers on the brandy and whisky bottles.
3x3 Button Box and Grey Wall Box:
Use the information from the bottles in the bottom chest door and the jars in the jam box to figure out which buttons to press...
Column A = light up 1 and 3
Column B= light up 2
Column C = light up 1 and 2
Click enter and get the CABLE.
Turn back to the grey wall box and input the numbers from the cable...
2 1 9
Insert the CABLE to the "in" slot in the grey wall box.
Back up and go over to the light switch. Now you can switch it up to "IN."
Look around the room. Notice something different?
Go over to the grey wall box again and arrange the switching on the "out" panel to match what you saw on the lamp:
left-right-left-right
(The red indicator light will turn green when you have it correct.)
Go back to the light switch and flip it to "OUT" position.
Now look at the mushrooms through the floor window; they're lit up.
The Door to the Hallway and the Wobbly Picture:
After you flip the switch to "OUT," look door and zoom in on the mushrooms through the floor level window. Make a note of their pattern...
middle - left - left - right - left - middle
Note: the door won't open until you look at the lit up mushrooms, even if you use the correct code.
Go over to the door and input that same pattern and click "OK."
Go inside the hallway and look at the picture to the left.
Everything you need to know about this wobbly picture is in the picture.
Just follow the bus route to know which corners of the picture to click:
Top Left - Top Right - Bottom Right - Bottom Left - Top Right - Top Left
When you click the corners in the correct order, the PICTURE comes off the wall.
Make a note of the pattern you see on the back of the picture, then put it away.
Get the BLUE BEAR.
Turn to face the doorway you just came through. Close the door.
Behind the door is the RED BEAR. Take him.
On the other wall is a niche with a place for four bears...time to go find the other two.
The Big Wooden Box and the Four Bears:
Go back over to the rectangular niche in the wall. Put the BOTTLE OF WINE on the big red button and the panel will stay open.
Get GREEN BEAR.
Then, move back to the big wooden box and enter the 4-digit code from the back of the PICTURE...
(The number on the back of the picture is upside down, so just turn it around...)
5 1 7 9
Inside is the YELLOW BEAR.
Make a note of his weight, then take him.
Then weigh the other three bears.
Go back out to the hallway and turn right to face the shelf for the four bears.
Put the bears on their stands according to how much they weigh and the diagram on the wall:
From left to right:
yellow - blue - red - green
The door opens and you're automatically escorted outside to see the bears playing under the mushrooms.
Enjoy!
Posted by: elle | October 10, 2012 5:23 AM