[UPDATED VERSION] Bigloop's Escape from 26 isn't just a gorgeous escape game... it has one of those rare premises that's just the right amount of creepy mixed with surreal wonder to make it compelling. You wake up in a golden cage with the number 26 on it, in a tiny house and yard that seems to have everything you need... but even more than figuring out where you are and why, finding a way out becomes increasingly pressing as you soon realise that whoever is supposed to be tending these cages hasn't come by in quite some time, and with supplies dwindling and the place falling into disrepair, things are looking grim.
Just click to walk around and interact with things, and your cursor will change to let you know what you can do as you mouse over objects and people. You're not alone in your not-so-gilded cage, but your new "roommate" doesn't seem interested or capable of helping you out, and you'll soon discover you're not the first occupant. It's a wonderful premise, and Escape from 26 has great atmosphere on top, with a wonderful "dollhouse" look to its detailed visuals and a haunting soundtrack. Though some hotspots are small, the game's user-friendly and logical design makes playing smooth and simple.
The downside is that Escape from 26 suffers from feeling a bit rushed. The "big reveal" makes no sense and is explained poorly in a wall of text with nothing to back it up, and tacking on an abrupt ending to a game that's already on the short side. It's a concept that would have made for a fantastic Twilight Zone episode, and some better writing with more clues and explanations to back it up would have made it stellar. The other issues are, comparatively, minor, like the slow walking speed and two of the game's handful of puzzles basically consisting of housework. (Where's the dialogue option for "How about you give me the key and I don't PUNCH YOU IN THE SOUL.") Still, while it lasts, Escape from 26 is a surprisingly captivating experience and the concept has such enormous potential that I would dearly love to see the development team come back to it again. They clearly have a massive amount of talent, and though it isn't perfect, Escape from 26 is one of the loveliest little escape/adventure games to surface in a while, with a clever premise to boot.
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
Escape from 26 Walkthrough
Getting to know the world
Spend some time wandering around--it's well worth it. There are lots of interesting easter eggs.
You'll discover several things that you can do right away, but here is the order I did them:
Walk to the well. Pick up the bucket. Take the bucket out of inventory and put it in the well. You now have a bucket full of water.
Something sparkled up in the top center part of the cage. Go pick it up. It's the first piece of the clock.
More sparkles! One is near the broken swingset, another to the right of the outhouse; one is next to the bench and one is in the tall grass near the bottom center of the cage. You should now have five clock pieces.
The Rooms
Go to the upper center of the cage and enter the room you find there. Click around and you'll see it's the laundry room.
Take the soap. Leave the room.
Go to the upper right part of the cage and enter the second door. This is a very dirty outhouse. Eww!
Leave the outhouse and climb the stairs. Enter the door and have a conversation with Andy. Agree to do his laundry.
Before you leave Andy's room, you'll see a sparkle. Take the clock piece. There are also matches on the floor (or a shelf or something) on the far wall from him.
Leave Andy's room.
Do the Laundry
Go down the stairs and take the wood that is near the bottom to your left. Go get Andy's dirty laundry from the clothesline.
Go to the laundry room and put the wood and the water in the heater. Light it with the matches.
Take the bucket to the spiget and you'll have hot water.
Put the hot water, laundry and soap in the washer. Wa la! Clean clothes.
Take the clean laundry back to the clothesline and then sit on the bench.
Remove the clothes and take them to Andy for the key.
The Locked Door
Go to the door at the bottom of the stairs and unlock it. Enter the room.
Rifle through the coat pockets and find a pen in one and a piece of the clock in the other.
Read the letters on the floor.
Enter the bedroom and look around. You'll find a cleaning cloth, another piece of the clock, and a screwdriver. You'll also see a radio and a couple of other interesting things.
Lie down on the bed. When it becomes dark, click outside the door so that you get up while it's still dark (don't click on the bed again yet).
You hear sobbing, so you go outside to investigate.
Now Things Really Get Strange
Go to the ghostly lady and speak with her.
Return to the room, lie down on the bed, and wake up.
Outside, your new friend is gone, but the outhouse could sure use a cleaning. Get more water from the well into your bucket.
Poor the water on the floor of the outhouse and use your cleaning cloth.
Take the toilet paper.
Return to the room and find the code on the radio.
Put your paper and pen on the radio, and it will record the code.
LIe back down on the bed and go back to sleep so you can return to the ghost lady.
Ask her about the code and she will give you a number for the closet (mine has been different every time I played).
The Clock
Return to the bed and wake up.
Go to the closet and input the code the ghost lady gave you.
Enter the closet, where you will find bolts, a winding tool, and the last two pieces of the clock.
Open the clock and put the pieces where they belong. I found that the hand, and not the piece, had to be touching the place where the piece belonged.
Close the clock and put in the bolts. Use the screwdriver, then wind it.
Return to the bedroom and go back to bed.
Return to the ghost lady and fly away!
Posted by: dsrtrosy
|
September 21, 2013 11:13 PM