Hosted here with kind permission by creator Eric Vaughan, Strange Magic Escape (also playable at the official site) is, as the title might imply, an escape game that's just a little weird... in a good way. You find yourself in a small room with two locked doors, though only one leads out, and you'll need to solve the puzzles around you to find the clues needed to open the final lock. There's no changing cursor to show what's interactive and what isn't, but there's also no pixel hunting either. Just click on things to examine them or pick them up, and use the arrows that appear at the edges of the screen to move around the room. If an item can be combined with another you're carrying, it'll happen automatically, and if you want to try using something, just click it to highlight, and then click again wherever you want to try to use it. Some items may take a little time to take effect, so take a step back and nose around the room a little from time to time.
The way some items stick around in your inventory even after you've gotten their use out of them may lead people astray a bit, as will some objects around you that may act as red herrings, of a sort. By and large, however, Strange Magic Escape manages to feel clever without ever being unfair. Once you actually figure out what to do, the game won't take you very long, but each puzzle is well thought out and implemented within the environment. The whole thing looks fantastic, with smooth, polished visuals that animate beautifully, and some surprisingly clever details tucked into certain places. While it's not as big in scope as some other titles out there, Strange Magic Escape feels professionally polished and doesn't waste your time. There are a few ways that the game provides some nudges that work quite well, but most of the puzzles manage to be intuitive on their own, combining interesting mechanisms with just enough whimsy to live up to the name. Strange Magic Escape will leave you wanting more in a good way, and hopefully isn't the last escape game we see from its creator. Oh, and make sure you sit around for the whole ending... it's worth it.
Walkthrough Guide
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Strange Magic Escape Walkthrough
Notes:
There are two variants of arrows, one has a little thicker head than the other.
The thicker ones zooms out of the current view, while the thinner ones moves you around.
In some cases you can both move downwards and zoom out, in which the arrows will be in the same direction, but the thicker one will have a little lower hitbox.
Some objects are visible and clickable in two or more views.
The game also has a hint system in the lower right part of a billboard. There is a note that changes it's message depending on where you are in the game.
Collecting items:
Click on the white box to zoom in on it, and get a golden piece from the space to the left of the box. Back up.
Turn right to the view with the ship, and zoom in on it.
Get the matches to the right of it, and click on the little plaque in front of it to reveal the text "Elsie 1910".
Back out twice, and zoom in on the drawers instead. Open the right one, and pick up the golden piece in it. Back out once.
Turn right to the billboard, and zoom in on it. Click on the lower left part, and get the string package. Back out twice.
(If you examine the lower right part, you can acess the in-game hint system by looking at the little note in the top right. It will change, depending on how far you have come.)
Turn right to the desk, and zoom in on the drawers. Open the lower one and collect the seed. Back out once.
Zoom in on the wooden box on the desk, and get a golden piece. Click on the lower left to reveal a word. This word is different each playthrough.
The white door:
Use the clue from the ship on the wooden box on the desk.
1910 -> 1 9 10
Flip down number 1, 9, and 10, and note the suits and the values. These change between playthroughs.
Back out once.
Turn right to the white door, and zoom in on it. Click on the metal plate, and enter the clues from the wooden box. (The leftmost one on the top)
(The dials are sensitive to your clicks. If you click on the right part of them, they will spin clockwise, and if you click on the left side they will spin counterclockwise.)
Make sure that the value has the same color as the suit.
A blue blinking and a beep should signal that the door is now open.
(If you spin the dials after that happens, the door will lock itself, and you will have to enter the code again.)
Back out once, and open the door. Get the binoculars hanging on the wall, and back out once.
Turn left (if you need to), so that you face the right window. Click on it to zoom in, and then click on the top of it.
Use the binoculars on the airship, and note down the symbol. (It changes between playthroughs.) Back out thrice.
The picture code:
Turn right to the painting that hangs on the wall, and zoom in on it. Note that the corners have letters on them.
Use the word from the wooden box to create a code that consists of the corners.
(You can zoom in on the bottom or the top to see more clear.)
Zoom out again, and turn left to the desk. Zoom in on the drawers, and then on the four squares on the top left. Enter the code from the painting.
The drawer should open, letting you take the fish food. Zoom out once.
The astrological code:
Turn left to the aquarium (if you need to), and click on it. Use the food on the hatch to move the fish to the top of the aquarium.
Click on the left part, and note the symbols of the three statues that are facing outwards. These change between playthroughs.
Zoom out twice, and turn right to the box to the right of the white door. Click on it to zoom in.
Enter the code from the statues by clicking on the pieces that corresponds to the symbols, so that they are the only ones in the "up" state.
The box should open, letting you take the magnet and another golden piece. Zoom out once.
The blank page:
Turn right to the glass of marbles, and zoom in on them.
Click twice on the string package to zoom in on it, and click on the big view to turn it around.
Click on it once more to open it and get the string.
Highlight either the string or the magnet and then click on the other one to combine them.
Use the new item on the jar to get the key. Back out once.
Zoom in on the white box, and use the key on the box to open it. Get the blank page, and back out once.
Turn left to the jar with the green candle (to the right of the desk), and zoom in on it.
Light the candle with the matches and use the blank paper on it.
A shape should reveal itself. Since you still carry the paper, you should not need to write it down. Back out once.
The flower:
Turn right to the shelves. Click on the middle of the screen twice to zoom in on the cat.
You should have four golden pieces. Put them inside the groove on the left, so that they form a perfect cylinder.
From top to bottom:
Piece with one hole
Piece with two holes
Piece with a peg
Piece with a peg
Close the lid on the pieces, and the shelf to the left should open. Take the water bottle, and back out once.
Turn right to the flower pot, and zoom in on it. Plant the seed, and use the water bottle on it.
Now you have to simply wander around the room until the plant has fully grown, and turns into a flower. This might take quite a number of clicks.
When the flower has grown, examine it, and note the symbols on it. (They change between plays.) Back out once.
Endgame:
Turn left to the door (if needed), and zoom in on the panel to the right of it. Click on the three symbols that you've found.
-The symbol on the burnt paper
-The symbol on the airship outside the window
-The symbol on the flower
The panel should flash, and the door should open revealing the end scene.
Posted by: Questioner
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January 30, 2016 1:14 PM