Way, waaaaaaay back in the ancient annals of time known as 2012, Kotorinosu released a challenging little escape game called Sphinx. Now, apparently, it's time to revisit that classic with Sphinx (2015) (Android and iOS versions coming soon!), which keeps the Egyptian setting but provides you with an entirely new place to explore and set of puzzles to crack. There's no changing cursor, so if you want to find everything you need to interact with, you'll have to put on your Sherlock hat and scour every dusty inch of this place, and if you expect the game to give you any hints and direction, well... looks like you're going to be entombed for quite some time. This update of the original game concept strikes a solid balance between simple "use item X on space Y" style puzzles and more complex offerings that require a lot of logic and attention to detail. Whereas the original kept you facing a single direction, not counting any close up examinations, this one lets you move around a lot more, and thus feels complex in a different way. Pixel hunting isn't really an issue, but some puzzles require more thinking than others, and with some inventory items needing to be combined or used more than once, you have your work cut out for you. As of this writing, I'm unsure if this web version will vanish after a while as happened with Kotorinosu's last update of a classic and subsequent mobile release, but for the moment, it's freely available for all to attempt to unlock. B Y O Explorer Hat, and maybe give Brendan Fraser a call... he was always good with ancient temples.
44 Comments
Really enjoying this game. But I'm stuck.
solved the first yin/yang puzzle, but can't do the second. Made the circular form depicted on the second panel, and tried putting the pointy pieces in to match the gold/white, or in other ways too and can't get the second panel open!
Have:
opened jar with 8 triangle design on bottom, knife used to open jar, cloth (can't wipe the spot on the wall), pickaxe (used on loose brick), extra pointy piece.
Exactly where you are fox.
feel like we need to find something else to complete the handle of the ankh. Can put the knife blade into either the crook or the ankh and put it in the hands once assembled, but can not put the other non-assembled on in. And what to do with the chain length that we still have?
Ha! Fox, I figured the next step! For the handles,
couple of items in your inventory can be combined to make something we frequently have to make in escape games.
Consider
on the 1st day God said, "let there be..."
Then once you have it
there's only one place dark enough to need a little light to see.
Finally out! Super great game.
In addition to KMB's pixel hunt clue, I think its also worth noting that
you have to click and drag the cube to observe its other sides
so you can
then invert it
and obtain
the clue to the puzzle under the blue hour glass
This is the only item that acts in this way.
I found everything else to be challenging but totally solvable. 5 stars!
arte, I'm in the room after
you play the flute. Is that where you are? Is the telescope thing the thing you got from the throne? Because I can't figure out how to do anything with that? Also, did you manage to
get the balls back from the statue, because I don't have of them anymore. Or, which balls are you talking about?
I need to figure out the
multi-color pyramid.
Ha! Out! That was THOROUGHLY enjoyable. Lots of thinking and figuring - great! Two things, though:
as mentioned above, rather a bit of a challenge having to depend on my computer speed to make it clear there were different amounts of sand in the hourglasses - but a great concept! So, my own fault there.
Didn't like that I had to actually re-fold the cube to be able to solve its related puzzle. I solved it by sight without re-folding, but it wouldn't let me enter the correct sequence until I went back and re-folded it. Still, nice clue!
Thanks, Dora, for finding it and putting it up, and doing the write-up!
Hm... I seem to be missing something. I just finished the
ankh and crook
puzzle, and made it into the room beyond. I have
The green pot, the chain, and the metal rod for blocking hourglasses.
None of them seems to be applicable to anything I can do, though? I see
The red pot, which I assume I need to get at, and the constellation painting with the numbers 1-4, which I don't see a place to enter. There's a diamond-shaped indentation that nothing I have fits?
Littleghost - you may have made the same mistake I did initially!
Does the handle of your crook and ankh match its top part?
Specifically, the KNIFE is the handle for the crook, so the whole thing is striped. The silver handle is used for the ankh, so the whole thing is silver. Then just use the picture as reference for which hands to put them in.
Trust me, I just about slapped myself when I realised this, haha.
Walkthrough:
First Room:
Facing the pyramid door, note the pyramid on the left pedestal and nothing on the right pedestal
Turn right
Facing the sun door, examine the panel on the left. Note that it matches the door.
Examine the box on the left. It has a dial.
Examine the broken pots on the right - pick up the symbol.
Examine the symbol. It can be reversed to white. Note that it matches the door and can be placed in it.
Examine the figurines on the right. Note the eyes and the bodies.
Turn right
Examine the left statue.
Take the stick.
Examine the spider web.
Poke the web with the stick to get the note.
Examine the note. Open it. Note the pattern matches the dial from the box.
Return to the box and match the dials to the note. Open the box and take the pyramid and the sphere.
Turn right twice
Note the splotch on the wall.
Examine the chains on the left. Note the fractured brick.
Examine the bricks. Click the right brick to retrieve another symbol.
Examine the statue. Examine the box. It opens but is empty. Examine the statue's throat.
Deposit the sphere into his throat - we're gonna need four more spheres
Turn right
Place the pyramid on the right pedestal.
Red Room:
Examine the left side.
Take the pot. Examine it. Look at the bottom (8/8ths - this will make sense later)
Take the symbol.
Examine the right side.
Click on the crate. Note the hole in the wall.
Click on the crate again.
Note the eyes and bodies on the figurines.
Examine the center console. Note that the triangles can be lit. Note that they match the bodies of the figurine sets.
Top triangles correspond to figures from this room:
Open eyes (lit), Open eyes (lit), Closed eyes (unlit), Open eyes (lit)
Bottom triangles correspond to figures from first room:
Open eyes (lit), Closed eyes (unlit), Closed eyes (unlit), Open eyes (lit)
Examine the slot at the bottom of the center console - take the knife.
Examine the pot from your inventory.
Use the knife to remove the cloth.
Look into the pot - take the symbol.
Examine the red hour glass. Rotate it and note the rate at which the sand flows (this will make sense later)
Return to the first room.
Face the sun door.
Place the symbols to complete the sun. (All symbols should be on gold side).
Examine the sun panel. It now opens. Take the pickaxe head. Note the new moon panel.
Examine the sun door again. Retrieve all the symbols.
Examine each symbol and flip them.
Now place each white symbol into gold slots and the 'yin yang' symbol back in the center. We almost have a moon - just two more white symbols.
Examine the pickaxe head. Turn it and take the sphere. Now use the stick on the head to make a pickaxe.
Turn right twice.
Examine the fractured brick. Use the pickaxe. Take the symbol.
Examine the statue. Deposit the sphere.
Return to the Red room.
Examine the bricks.
Use the pickaxe to smash the left brick. Take the symbol.
Return to the first room.
Face the sun door. Flip each symbol in your inventory to white and place them in the remaining gold slots.
Examine the moon panel. Open it. Pull the lever.
Blue Room:
Examine the blue hour glass. Rotate it and note the rate at which the sand flows relative to the red hour glass.
Faster flow = less sand
Examine the panel beneath the hour glass. Note the lit symbol. Note that a lit path can be made through the symbols.
Examine the chest. We're gonna need a key.
Examine the right side of the chest. Take the cube.
Examine the cube. Click and drag to rotate it. Find the side with an open corner. Use the knife to pry it open.
Take the sphere.
Click thrice to invert the cube. Find the bird side. Follow the line from dot to arrow to determine the order of symbols for the panel under the blue hour glass.
Bird, Arrows, Snake, Pot, Scale, Scarab, Pot, Arrows, Bird.
Take the ankh part/key.
Use the key on the chest. (Chain is retained)
Open the chest. Take the crook part.
Examine the picture. Note the person holding a crook in his left hand and the dog holding an ankh in his right hand.
Examine the fire.
Examine the pickaxe.
Remove the head from the stick.
Examine the stick. Use the cloth on the stick. Light your torch.
Return to the Red room.
Examine the hole in the wall.
Use the torch to illuminate it.
Take the ankh part.
Examine the first ankh part. Separate it from the key. Use the second part to complete the ankh.
Examine the crook part. Use the knife on it to complete the crook.
Return to the first room.
Turn left
Deposit the sphere.
Turn left to face the two statues
Per the picture from the Blue room, place the ankh in the dog's right hand and the crook in the man's left hand.
Green Room:
Examine the green hour glass. Note that the sand is stuck in the up position.
Take a closer look at the center of the hour glass. Remove the pin. Note the rate at which the sand flows.
Examine the water. Fill your pot.
Go to the Blue room.
Examine the fire. Put it out. Click the ashes. Take the hook.
Examine your chain. Connect the hook.
Return to the Green room.
Examine the water. Use the chain to get the sack. Examine the sack. Get the sphere and the pyramid key.
Examine the pyramid key. Use the pin to complete the key.
Examine the pyramid keyhole. Use the key to lower the bars.
Take the red pot. Note the symbol (6/8ths) - remember the bottom of your green pot?
Click the small arrow underneath the symbol. Its a place to dump water.
Examine the red pot. Look at the bottom (5/8ths).
It looks like we need to make 6/8ths from our two pots and pour it down that hole. The pots can be emptied into each other as well as the sides of the pool.
Fill the green pot. Empty it into the red pot. Dump the red pot. Empty the green into the red. Fill the green. Empty it into the red again. The green pot now has 6/8ths.
Pour the 6/8ths down the hole. Take the last sphere.
Return to the first room.
Turn right
Deposit the last two spheres.
Open the box. Take the ocarina.
You should still have some water in your red pot. If not, go get some (either pot).
Apply the water to the splotch.
Examine the now visible picture. Look closer. Note the darkened stars in the constellation, and the number of dashes each has.
Examine the ocarina. Hit the notes in the correct order.
From the left - 6th hole, 3rd hole, 2nd hole, 5th hole
Yellow Room:
Examine the throne. Take the totem piece.
Examine the yellow hour glass. Rotate it and note the rate at which the sand pours.
Examine the right pyramid. It can be color coded.
Remember, the longer the hour glass took to pour, the more sand it contained.
From most to least sand (bottom to top on pyramid): Green, Red, Blue, Yellow
Examine left pyramid. Take the key.
Examine the padlock. Use the key.
Take the padlock. Open the doors. Click the eye button.
Examine the padlock. Take the pin.
Go to the red room. Something is different.
Examine the center console. Note the color and orientation of the hour glasses. The red and yellow ones need to be inverted.
Examine the red hour glass. Use a pin on it. Invert it.
Go to the yellow room.
Examine the pyramid key in your inventory. Retrieve the pin.
Examine the hour glass. Use the pin on it. Invert it.
Examine the eye button. Push it.
Exit Room:
Its dark in here!
Examine the center console. Take the totem piece (right side).
Combine the totem pieces.
Go back to the yellow room.
Place the totem on the throne.
Examine the top of the throne. Take the sphere.
Go back to the exit room.
Examine the center console. Place the sphere.
Observe the center console.
Its a map of all the rooms. You're in the room where you just placed the sphere.
Back up to see a now lit room.
Examine the dog on the left. Take the telescope.
Examine the telescope. Remove the sphere.
Examine the lever on the right. Hit it.
Back out to the red room. Examine the lit spot. Its a bird.
Back out to the first room. Look for the lit spot. Its a camel.
Go to the blue room. Examine the lit spot. Its a scorpion.
Go to the green room. Examine the illuminated water. Its a fish.
Go to the yellow room. Examine the lit spot. Its a snail.
Return to the exit room. Hit the lever to turn the lights back on.
Back out the the first room.
Turn left
Examine the statue where you deposited those spheres.
Deposit the black sphere.
Examine the box. Retrieve all those spheres.
Return to the exit room.
Examine the center console.
Examine the telescope.
One by one, place each sphere into the telescope and have a look.
Each sphere has an image.
Each image corresponds to one of the symbols you found in the dark.
Each symbol corresponds to the room in which you found it.
Each room corresponds to a slot in the center console.
Place the spheres in the corresponding slots.
Red sphere = Desert = Camel = First room
Green sphere = Leaves = Snail = Yellow room
Aqua blue sphere = Water = Fish = Green room
Blue sphere = Sky = Bird = Red room
Gray sphere = Rocks = Scorpion = Blue room
From top to bottom, then left, then right:
Blue sphere, Red sphere, Aqua blue sphere, Green sphere, Gray sphere
A button lights up. Push it.
Examine the pedestal. Open the box. Take the key.
Examine the back wall/door. Insert the key.
Congrats!
Leave a comment [top of page]
Walkthrough Guide
(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)
Walkthrough:
First Room:
Facing the pyramid door, note the pyramid on the left pedestal and nothing on the right pedestal
Turn right
Facing the sun door, examine the panel on the left. Note that it matches the door.
Examine the box on the left. It has a dial.
Examine the broken pots on the right - pick up the symbol.
Examine the symbol. It can be reversed to white. Note that it matches the door and can be placed in it.
Examine the figurines on the right. Note the eyes and the bodies.
Turn right
Examine the left statue.
Take the stick.
Examine the spider web.
Poke the web with the stick to get the note.
Examine the note. Open it. Note the pattern matches the dial from the box.
Return to the box and match the dials to the note. Open the box and take the pyramid and the sphere.
Turn right twice
Note the splotch on the wall.
Examine the chains on the left. Note the fractured brick.
Examine the bricks. Click the right brick to retrieve another symbol.
Examine the statue. Examine the box. It opens but is empty. Examine the statue's throat.
Deposit the sphere into his throat - we're gonna need four more spheres
Turn right
Place the pyramid on the right pedestal.
Red Room:
Examine the left side.
Take the pot. Examine it. Look at the bottom (8/8ths - this will make sense later)
Take the symbol.
Examine the right side.
Click on the crate. Note the hole in the wall.
Click on the crate again.
Note the eyes and bodies on the figurines.
Examine the center console. Note that the triangles can be lit. Note that they match the bodies of the figurine sets.
Top triangles correspond to figures from this room:
Open eyes (lit), Open eyes (lit), Closed eyes (unlit), Open eyes (lit)
Bottom triangles correspond to figures from first room:
Open eyes (lit), Closed eyes (unlit), Closed eyes (unlit), Open eyes (lit)
Examine the slot at the bottom of the center console - take the knife.
Examine the pot from your inventory.
Use the knife to remove the cloth.
Look into the pot - take the symbol.
Examine the red hour glass. Rotate it and note the rate at which the sand flows (this will make sense later)
Return to the first room.
Face the sun door.
Place the symbols to complete the sun. (All symbols should be on gold side).
Examine the sun panel. It now opens. Take the pickaxe head. Note the new moon panel.
Examine the sun door again. Retrieve all the symbols.
Examine each symbol and flip them.
Now place each white symbol into gold slots and the 'yin yang' symbol back in the center. We almost have a moon - just two more white symbols.
Examine the pickaxe head. Turn it and take the sphere. Now use the stick on the head to make a pickaxe.
Turn right twice.
Examine the fractured brick. Use the pickaxe. Take the symbol.
Examine the statue. Deposit the sphere.
Return to the Red room.
Examine the bricks.
Use the pickaxe to smash the left brick. Take the symbol.
Return to the first room.
Face the sun door. Flip each symbol in your inventory to white and place them in the remaining gold slots.
Examine the moon panel. Open it. Pull the lever.
Blue Room:
Examine the blue hour glass. Rotate it and note the rate at which the sand flows relative to the red hour glass.
Faster flow = less sand
Examine the panel beneath the hour glass. Note the lit symbol. Note that a lit path can be made through the symbols.
Examine the chest. We're gonna need a key.
Examine the right side of the chest. Take the cube.
Examine the cube. Click and drag to rotate it. Find the side with an open corner. Use the knife to pry it open.
Take the sphere.
Click thrice to invert the cube. Find the bird side. Follow the line from dot to arrow to determine the order of symbols for the panel under the blue hour glass.
Bird, Arrows, Snake, Pot, Scale, Scarab, Pot, Arrows, Bird.
Take the ankh part/key.
Use the key on the chest. (Chain is retained)
Open the chest. Take the crook part.
Examine the picture. Note the person holding a crook in his left hand and the dog holding an ankh in his right hand.
Examine the fire.
Examine the pickaxe.
Remove the head from the stick.
Examine the stick. Use the cloth on the stick. Light your torch.
Return to the Red room.
Examine the hole in the wall.
Use the torch to illuminate it.
Take the ankh part.
Examine the first ankh part. Separate it from the key. Use the second part to complete the ankh.
Examine the crook part. Use the knife on it to complete the crook.
Return to the first room.
Turn left
Deposit the sphere.
Turn left to face the two statues
Per the picture from the Blue room, place the ankh in the dog's right hand and the crook in the man's left hand.
Green Room:
Examine the green hour glass. Note that the sand is stuck in the up position.
Take a closer look at the center of the hour glass. Remove the pin. Note the rate at which the sand flows.
Examine the water. Fill your pot.
Go to the Blue room.
Examine the fire. Put it out. Click the ashes. Take the hook.
Examine your chain. Connect the hook.
Return to the Green room.
Examine the water. Use the chain to get the sack. Examine the sack. Get the sphere and the pyramid key.
Examine the pyramid key. Use the pin to complete the key.
Examine the pyramid keyhole. Use the key to lower the bars.
Take the red pot. Note the symbol (6/8ths) - remember the bottom of your green pot?
Click the small arrow underneath the symbol. Its a place to dump water.
Examine the red pot. Look at the bottom (5/8ths).
It looks like we need to make 6/8ths from our two pots and pour it down that hole. The pots can be emptied into each other as well as the sides of the pool.
Fill the green pot. Empty it into the red pot. Dump the red pot. Empty the green into the red. Fill the green. Empty it into the red again. The green pot now has 6/8ths.
Pour the 6/8ths down the hole. Take the last sphere.
Return to the first room.
Turn right
Deposit the last two spheres.
Open the box. Take the ocarina.
You should still have some water in your red pot. If not, go get some (either pot).
Apply the water to the splotch.
Examine the now visible picture. Look closer. Note the darkened stars in the constellation, and the number of dashes each has.
Examine the ocarina. Hit the notes in the correct order.
From the left - 6th hole, 3rd hole, 2nd hole, 5th hole
Yellow Room:
Examine the throne. Take the totem piece.
Examine the yellow hour glass. Rotate it and note the rate at which the sand pours.
Examine the right pyramid. It can be color coded.
Remember, the longer the hour glass took to pour, the more sand it contained.
From most to least sand (bottom to top on pyramid): Green, Red, Blue, Yellow
Examine left pyramid. Take the key.
Examine the padlock. Use the key.
Take the padlock. Open the doors. Click the eye button.
Examine the padlock. Take the pin.
Go to the red room. Something is different.
Examine the center console. Note the color and orientation of the hour glasses. The red and yellow ones need to be inverted.
Examine the red hour glass. Use a pin on it. Invert it.
Go to the yellow room.
Examine the pyramid key in your inventory. Retrieve the pin.
Examine the hour glass. Use the pin on it. Invert it.
Examine the eye button. Push it.
Exit Room:
Its dark in here!
Examine the center console. Take the totem piece (right side).
Combine the totem pieces.
Go back to the yellow room.
Place the totem on the throne.
Examine the top of the throne. Take the sphere.
Go back to the exit room.
Examine the center console. Place the sphere.
Observe the center console.
Its a map of all the rooms. You're in the room where you just placed the sphere.
Back up to see a now lit room.
Examine the dog on the left. Take the telescope.
Examine the telescope. Remove the sphere.
Examine the lever on the right. Hit it.
Back out to the red room. Examine the lit spot. Its a bird.
Back out to the first room. Look for the lit spot. Its a camel.
Go to the blue room. Examine the lit spot. Its a scorpion.
Go to the green room. Examine the illuminated water. Its a fish.
Go to the yellow room. Examine the lit spot. Its a snail.
Return to the exit room. Hit the lever to turn the lights back on.
Back out the the first room.
Turn left
Examine the statue where you deposited those spheres.
Deposit the black sphere.
Examine the box. Retrieve all those spheres.
Return to the exit room.
Examine the center console.
Examine the telescope.
One by one, place each sphere into the telescope and have a look.
Each sphere has an image.
Each image corresponds to one of the symbols you found in the dark.
Each symbol corresponds to the room in which you found it.
Each room corresponds to a slot in the center console.
Place the spheres in the corresponding slots.
Red sphere = Desert = Camel = First room
Green sphere = Leaves = Snail = Yellow room
Aqua blue sphere = Water = Fish = Green room
Blue sphere = Sky = Bird = Red room
Gray sphere = Rocks = Scorpion = Blue room
From top to bottom, then left, then right:
Blue sphere, Red sphere, Aqua blue sphere, Green sphere, Gray sphere
A button lights up. Push it.
Examine the pedestal. Open the box. Take the key.
Examine the back wall/door. Insert the key.
Congrats!
Posted by: zejoro | April 7, 2015 10:02 PM