Welcome back to Link Dump Friday, where sackboys cavort for your amusement, you have to grow your own sushi, and getting out of bed is detrimental to your health. Where bad guys obligingly fly in easy-to-shoot formation, and we all join hands with the sky-squid for a brighter tomorrow. Where little orange men roll you off to be juiced and the snozzberries taste like snozzberries. No, I'm serious. It's weird around here on Fridays.
Ray Quest - Blast down enemies and upgrade your ship in this good-looking vertical shooter featuring the ability to gain multiple LAZORZ. This genre isn't as prolific as it used to be. More's the pity, since I can't even remember the hours I lost to Gradius 3. Unfortunately Ray Quest kind of runs out of steam; the bosses are too easy and the enemies are too same-y, and the voila! just never happens. Still, it's impressive enough to play through to the end, and with more variety would easily have sucked in any fan of the genre for a good long while.
Sophiphobia - Sophi wakes up one morning to find herself with a strange predicament in this intriguing but slightly awkward point-and-click escape game. It's got a very interesting premise, but it'll take you longer than it should to puzzle your way off the bed to find it. With more intuitive navigation and a less obtrusive inventory, Sophiphobia could have been a real winner. As it stands, it's still a clever little escape game, and decidedly different compared to Escape The Generic Box of Conundrums. Do you think Jay would buy "I can't risk my life by getting out of bed!" as an excuse for not writing an article?
Ozee - So here's a little physics-puzzle-platformer apparently inspired by Little Big Planet and brought to you by the creators of Cargo Bridge. Run, jump, collect stars, and race through the world because... well, because! Ozee's world needs a lot more personality than it has to really engage the player, unless you've secretly harboured a burning desire to see a Sackboy run the Ninja Warrior course.
Wasabi - Sushi can be nasty, but this weird little game about managing a sushi bar isn't. It's part resource management, part time management, and part WEIRD. The gameplay unfortunately isn't that deep, but it's fun and adorable while it lasts. It's Just take it from me, kids; if you ever see a restaurant selling "all you can eat" sushi for a dollar (the word sushi should probably be in quotations there too), you probably shouldn't eat there.
flowEST - There's not much point to this weird little game about floating doo-dads and happy critters other than to make you smile. Just draw a path to make your little dude sail through the air, linking up with buddies and grabbing the coloured orbs you see. That's... about it, really. But it's so soothing and lovely and weird that it's easily worth the minute or three it'll take out of your day.
Wasabi was mindlessly interesting. It feels hard to make progress in the beginning. My advice is to
upgrade the shop as quickly as is feasible, maybe taking the time to upgrade the fishing rod first.
I'm having trouble doing anything in Sophiaphobia. Can only seem to get 4 views and 1 'item.'
What? No comments for Friday the 13? :)
Amy,
I'm assuming you're still stuck on the bed. You probably need to push some items off it before you can.
And I agree with Dora, navigation for Sophipobia could be much much better.
@Dora
figure out how to get off the bed
In Sophiaphobia
I've
pushed the two pillows off the bed
but still can't do anything else.
???
@devron
If you look over the side of the bed to where you pushed the pillows off you can now jump down onto the pillows.
Basic Sophiphobia tips. Not really spoilers, but
The shiny card is an "about item" box, not an item.
Click the big arrow icon to drop things.
On Sophiphobia, I have
a stick and a piece of charcoal, and I'm on the floor.
Anyone know where to go from here?
As the world biggest LBP fan 'Ozee' drew me in to play. But what I found was it was almost copying LBP, step by step. But (sorry to say) in a bad way. The movement of the jump didn't feel right and for me thats a no-go. Shame as it could have been good with a little more originality.
On Sophiphobia, I have the same thing as probably everyone so far...
A stick, some charcoal and a hole that I have scratched into my head trying to figure out what to do with the items. I'm stumped.
Sophiaphobia INVENTORY GLITCH; it isn't really a glitch. Just take the inventory item and click on the arrow in the upper left hand corner (knew that arrow thingee was there for a reason)
I looked for a walkthrough for Sophiphobia, but apparently it is for one where you are still human. It says nothing about a bed and the first instruction is "Open the left door."
Also, I have had to create two (considering a third) account for this site. It refuses to let me log in. The only time I DID get in was after clicking the confirmation link.
I am SkylerWF that commented last on "P.I. Chronicles: Skull Island" and SkylerF that posted a walkthrough at the end of the comments on "Monday, 16:30."
I have reset passwords on BOTH accounts and it still will not allow me to log in!
FlowEST taught me that it's better to be a 'No-Friends Nelly': it got me further to be a lone fish. Still, really enjoyed the ambience and the relaxing mindlessness...
Wasabi: I didn't really get it. I spent a lot of time fishing and donating my catches to the sushi bar for zero profit. Managed to grow a turnip. Cool.
@ Avetre
Use the stick to prise open the wooden door.
I still can't
open the door with the wooden thing, doesn't seem to be working for me!
[Walkthrough removed. If you don't write the walkthrough yourself, you may not post it here in the comments. Please understand site policies before posting comments. Thank you! -Jay]
In Sophophobia:
In the inventory which is the diary, you can put the charcoal into the small canister... I wonder why...
@K2ulu
Glad it's not your walkthrough because it's not that clear, just in terms of clicking areas. I tried clicking everywhere to place
the note at the right side of the iron door, but couldn't find any where to place it...
:/
Ah. Turns out
it's actually the left side of the door whereupon the note is to be placed
Sophophobia is unique, around storyline and graphics. Like the sound effects too. However the navigation is clunky and awkward, and has kinda put me off of playing it through.
@Chiktionary
Yes I know what you mean! Just thought it may give a little bit of help in the right direction.
But yea I too gave up! :)
Wasabi was fun but I didn't get a sense of achievement at the end :(
Well I got a long way into Sophiphobia without any help, but then I was struggling to get any further so I looked at the walkthrough posted by k2ulu and I'm apparently missing...
A nail!
Unfortunately, there's no mention in the walkthrough of where this nail is supposed to have come from. So frustrating!
Ray Quest is so easy it's almost boring.
Following on from my last post...
I remembered I did get the nail from the corner of the cupboard, but I'd saved the game and the nail had disappeared after loading it back up!
Walkthrough Sophiphobia Not mine
You'll wake up on the bed this time. To get off you need to push both pillows off the bed. Click the red one to the right-most of your screen. Click a couple to your right and take the notebook on the pillow. Click at the top of the pillow until it's off the screen. Click right again to the entrance screen (where you pushed off red pillow) and click it off the bed in the same way.
Click once to the right and click the side of the bed, you will see both pillows on the floor. Click pillows and now you're able to explore the room.
II: Find out what happened.
As you're going through the room you'll notice that there are things you can't do. Sophie will say "not until I find out what happened to me." So you're limited.
Go to the potted plant and take the stick. Inspect the plant and take the coal.
Inspect both doors and use the stick on the wooden door to pry it open. Once inside click towards the back and then click the mirror. SUPRISE!
III: First dialogue - Looking for help.
Now that you know what happened, you can do other things.
Now click on the box and take the canister.
Go to the bookshelf and zoom in. Take the cannon. Check near the rear of the blue box and take the white powder. Check the black book for the formula to make gunpowder. Click the left page to be taken to the inner cover and take the bookmark.
Go to the desk. You'll need to click a couple of times in order to get the correct angle here. When you're clicking away from the view of the ball, in the next scene click the rubbish bin and take the candy. Now click towards the back of the wall and take notepad.
Open your inventory.
Now you can do a few things. You can now open the canister in the view mode (when you drag it onto the paper) and put the white powder and coal in it. You can also inspect the bookmark to find a seed there.
Plant seed in potted plant (will get the water later).
Go to the steel door and slip notepad in the small crack to the left-most side of the door.
Interact with the dialogue and enable your pincers when finished.
IV: Second dialogue - Doorkeeper
Go to the closet and zoom in on the left boot. Open your inventory and use the pincers to take the shoe lace. Go back into your inventory and place your shoelace in view mode. Click on it to turn it into a lasso.
Go back to your bed and go left twice. Click the "bar" like thing in your sight. Go to your inventory and use the lasso to grab it. You know have a hammer.
Go to the back of the closet and look into the mirror again. Smash it with the hammer and take a shard. Click out of that view and go to your right. Take the loose nail there by using the hammer again.
Now go to the suitcase and click on it's right side towards the wall. Use the pincers on the patch to get the lollipop.
Click out of the view and click towards the back of the suitcase to view the patched up mouse hole. Use your pincers to gain entry here.
The object here is to trade what you have for the devil's pitchfork and contents of the bag.
Read the note below the devil and it reads "Trick or Treat," meaning give him the candy.
Place a candy in the bag laying on the alter and leave the hole. You'll see a shadow move. Once that's done go back in and take the contents of the bag. You will see that the devil will have one of your candies in it's hand. Do the same thing with your other candy. When this is finished you should have the yellow powder and pitchfork.
Go to your inventory and combine the yellow powder with the canister. Now you have an empty petri dish.
Go to the bookshelf and look at the black book again. Go to the inner cover by clicking the left page. Use the glass shard to cut it and take the coin. Now go to the clock laying on the floor near the bed. Flip it over and unscrew it with the coin to take the battery.
In your inventory, place the battery in the view mode and use your pincers to pierce it. Now you have battery acid.
Go towards the back of the closet again and go to your right. Zoom in on the metal protrusion from the pipes and use the pitchfork on it. Back out and now use the acid on the pipes to weaken it. Use the hammer and then use the petri dish to carry the water. Leave closet and water the plant where you planted the seed.
Wander around the room and come back to the plant. Take what's inside the red plant. Now view the cannon in the view mode and combine it with what you got from the plant and the canister. It should say "it's loaded."
Go back to under the desk near the phone cord to view the hook. To do this click the phone cord while in facing the rubbish bin (away from the ball). Shoot hook down with cannon.
Click out of the view and click the the left of the desk leg in your sight. This should be the view of the phone cord under the window. Use your pincers to cut the cord. Click to the right of the desk leg for a different view of the cord and use your pincers again. Now go back under the window and take the cord.
In the inventory combine the phone cord and lasso. Then combine the hook and the combined rope you have made. Use this hook on the bed.
Go back to the steel door for more dialogue.
V: Final Part - Gathering Your Thoughts
Now you have to finish collecting your thoughts in the notebook.
Go back to the devil and you'll see that he's eaten the candies. Take the note in his hand and he'll also give you legs.
Go to the ball between the desk and wall, you're able to climb it once you use the legs. Take the screwdriver and go back.
View the table from your bed and use the screwdriver to take the gum. Chew it by placing the gum in view mode and using the pincers.
Go back to the ball and climb the wall. When you get near the top you will start scurrying for grip, quickly use the gum on the desk.
On the top of the desk click towards the phone and take the match. Click left twice and you now have a different view of the red glass.
Shoot the glass off the desk and collect the sharpener. Place sharpener in view mode and use match on it.
Go to the desk draw where the drive is. Zoom in and use the match. Take the key.
Go to the blue box on the bookshelf. Zoom in and use the key. Take the paper and the decoder.
For the decoder you need for symbols in order from left to right. The symbols are numbered and they are:
1. Divided square (found on the right-most book on the bookshelf).
2. Big Square w/ tiny square (found under the bag in mouse hole).
3. S shape (found on the coin now located on the clock)
4. Peace symbol (found on the cannon)
If the decoder doesn't seem to open after you get this, click out and view it again and collect the paper.
Now go back to the back of the closet and go to the right. Use the paper you aquired on the water. Climb back up the desk and view the window by clicking the corner near the top of the screen when you're viewing the phone.
Place the paper on the window and click again. Now you have wings.
Click out and click left. Use wings on lamp and take last thought. Click right and use wings to take string.
Climb back down to the steel door and you will begin the dialogue and will be trapped in a net.
Here you are supposed to create an exploding keg by dragging the canister into view mode and piercing a hole into the lid with the hammer/nail combo. Afterwards, view the canister again and combine it with the string.
Take the canister and place it on the net. Use the match.
This will get you Ending
Sophiphobia has got to be THE most awkward website I've ever been to. The game seems interesting...I'll comment on it when I find it.....
I've played Sophiphobia before but didn't give it much of a chance. It's a good concept and I wish someone would make a better version of it. Like Mateusz Skutnik or someone with that style.
I just have to ask myself... WWKD?
Go read metamorphosis if you have no idea what I'm on. It's amazing.
Franz is my dreamboat.
For the record. Ozee is just LittleBigPlanet in flash. And an inferior model at that.
Whew! I finally finished Sophiphobia.
As others have said, the navigation lets it down a bit--and it didn't help that a bug caused me to lose a vital piece of my inventory after a save & load operation--but aside from that I don't think it was that bad. It helped to while away an hour or so, anyway...
I don't understand the "area right of the
steel
door"... I've found pretty much everything else; could someone please help with specifics?
On Sophiaphobia:
I agree the navigation was frustrating and combining items was maddening. I never would have stuck with it without the walkthrough(thank you, k2ulu). The story was good and the dialog at the door was above average.
Do developers even have people try their games out before releasing them? I would assume that they wouldn't want a game's challenges to primarily involve clicking the EXACT right place on items or only finding an navigable area through furious clicking.
Sophiphobia has to be the most surreal counterintuitive difficult escape game I have ever tried. The designer is obviously insane.
Oh, and the navigation sucks, and the controls are weird and non conventional.
Without Julie's walkthrough above, I probably would have ended up crushing my skull by banging it on the desk so much (thankyou for saving my life BTW). I mean part of the charm of escape games is the frustration, but man that was frustration on steroids on super steroids. I had to check the walkthrough I dunno more than 10 times, which is really high for me. Just sayin.
Glad I helped; or my sister did..she was the brain for sure
Wasabi has one off-color joke in the "?" box in the store.
Sophiphobia seems to bring to mind Franz Kafkaa's "Metamorphoses"
I'm nearing the end of Sophiphobia (fear of lies?), and am now in full walkthrough mode. I like this game, but man, does it need some polishing.
I've finished the second "steel door dialogue" sequence, but according to Julie's walkthru, Rupert the devil should have eaten the candies. He hasn't, and I can't seem to affect ANYthing. I infer that the notepad returns to your inventory; it has not. What step am I missing?
to Tomas: in my experience, there is a direct correlation to the quality of a game and the amount of playtesting it's had.
Okay, Sophiphobia is officially the most bizarre escape game I've ever played. O_o;
Though I have to admit,
(MASSIVE SPOILER)
being a beetle
was actually kinda cool...
Wasabi was interesting. Kinda. I never bought any other storage spaces and only bought one vegetable plot, and it did get mundane after a bit. I couldn't motivate myself to get that post-game makeover.
Anon.: In fact, right there in the game, a copy of The Metamorphosis, in its original German (Die Verwandlung) is in the shoebox in the closet. By the way, Anon., Ovid wrote the Metamorphoses; Kafka wrote The Metamorphosis.
/pedant
Huh... I am surprised you didn't mention the whole "Friday the 13th" thing. Good dump.
Bah. I figured Sophiphobia would be based on Sophie's World, turns out it's loosely based on The Metamorphosis by Kafka.
The controls in Ozee are a tad clunky, especially on this little netbook, but I completely disagree with the comment that it "lacks personality". Charming, winsome, surprising.
And sure, it's a whole lot like Little Big Planet in Flash Form, but I don't get why that is such a problem. Enjoyed this one more than any other title on this Link Dump, even with it's flaws.
I hope Wasabi gets improved on. I think it's got some potential.
I love the serene feel to FlowEST, the retro-glyphics on WASUPE, and the innovative promotion for Ozee!
Sophiaphobia - nice idea, crap execution. How hard is it to implement the inventory-item-turns-back-into-pointer thing? Answer: not very. :)
I thought that a not-so-clean version of Sophiphobia had been showcased before? Nonetheless, super awkward fun :)
I find the concept of Sophiphobia, and the limitations it places on you, fascinating. But the game itself is frustrating and illogical, and the controls are... stupid is the nicest word I can come up with. It shouldn't be this hard to drop an item when you're through with it, or navigate around the room. I would never stick with the game without the walkthrough, and even with the walkthrough... it just doesn't make sense. Too bad!
Update