Wasabi, Sara's cat, ever appreciative of being rescued from cat-nabbing goblins, looks her deeply in the eyes and says, "Sara, we have a train to catch." She's quite miffed that her cat waited all this time to reveal his loquaciousness. Still, she gives in to his insistent demands and boards the midnight express, unanswered questions rolling through her thoughts, to travel through the countryside with a bunch of Weirdos on a Train.
You begin this point-and-click adventure from Tucker Bowen, author of the Something Amiss series, in your cabin in train car one. By following clues and using a bit of ingenuity, acquire the five tickets needed to reach—a mysterious someone in—car six. It feels a bit like an escape-the-room game meets Alice is Dead; the teasing discoveries, need to sleuth and narrative elements are here albeit the tone is much different, more unique to Tucker's talent as an artist and storyteller. Navigation seems a bit awkward, especially since one black and grey shaded cabin door looks much like the next. Still, you have a talking cat and enough guideposts (car numbers, quirky occupants, imposing conductor) to help you make the necessary distinctions.
Weirdos on a Train is the fourth in the saga, Sara and the Sarcastic Creatures, and it is by far the best of the bunch. Sara's story started as a coffee shop simulation/hidden object game called Javinians, then continued in a quiz game called I Dream of Weirdos and, after that, another point-and-click adventure, Stupid Cat Snatching Goblins. Truthfully, none of the previous three have much to recommend them in terms of game play. Nonetheless, they're worth taking a look at for the intricate and quirky artwork and characterizations. It's also nice to see how Sara's story unfolds and to notice Bowen's improvement as a game developer.
If the trend continues, we can look forward to more adventuring (or platforming? or metroidvania?) in episode five. Where will these sarcastic creatures lead Sara next? What's the big secret Wasabi's hinting at? And why, if Wasabi could talk all this time, didn't he speak up sooner? One thing I do know: if weirdos jumped out from behind my espresso machine, a talking cat would be the least of my worries.
Walkthrough Guide
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Weirdos on a Train Walkthrough
Train Car One
Getting a Yellow Ticket
Starting out, you're gazing at your cat, Wasabi, who is sitting on the luggage rack in your train compartment, compartment 1a.
Click on Wasabi to get your mission and learn how he'll help you with hints if you're uncertain where to go next.
Move your cursor to the lower right edge of the game screen until the downward pointing hand appears--click to move to the seating area of your train compartment.
Now you can see your suitcase sitting on the seat across from you; it needs a key...
On the left edge of the seat is the key. Pick it up.
Highlight the key in your inventory then click the suitcase.
With the suitcase open, rummage around to find--and take out--two things:
the WHITE TICKET.
a stick of GUM. Click the gum in your inventory to chew it into a sticky pink wad.
Hover your cursor along the right edge of the game screen until it turns into a hand pointing right. Click to leave your cabin and go into the hallway.
Click once in the center of the screen (cursor should be a hand pointing forward) to move to outside of Compartment 1b.
The train conductor appears and asks for a yellow ticket; but you only have a white one.
Click Wasabi's paw print (in the bottom left corner near the word "website") for a clue.
Now click the left edge of the screen (hand pointing left) to enter Compartment 1b.
Here you see a woman doing yoga. She tells you to try her tea.
Click the TEA box to get a TEA BAG.
If you click on the yoga woman again, she gives you a warning, which is also a good hint.
Now go up (upwards pointing hand), to view what's in her luggage:
There's a red creature there who tells you that his water is boring.
Now you should know how to get the yellow ticket.
SOLUTION:
Put the TEA BAG in the glass of water to turn it into tea. The red creature takes a drink then leaves the rest.
Put the white TICKET in the glass of tea to turn it yellow.
Go back down and out into the hallway.
Hand your ticket to the conductor then move forward to the next car, train car 2.
Train Car Two
Getting a Red Ticket
When you first enter the second train car, you'll be outside Compartment 2A.
Click left to go inside Compartment 2a. Here you see guy who can't sleep because of the noise.
There's nothing you can do for him right now because the odd balls above him are content to keep playing their music, but note that the sleepy guy will give you a blue ticket if you can help him.
Click to move right, back into the passageway.
Click once in the center of the screen to move forward, to outside Compartment 2b.
Enter Compartment 2B. The Journeyman inside tells you he lost his pocket watch.
Click up to look in his luggage rack. You'll notice several things up here:
a RED TICKET stuck to the ceiling in the upper lefthand corner of the screen.
Inside the biggest canister, the one on the right side, is the POCKET WATCH. Grab it.
and, when you move the smallest box on the right side, a SCREWDRIVER leaning against the big canister. Take it, too.
Now you need only a bit of ingenuity to get the RED TICKET:
Click down to see the old journeyman again.
Give the old man his POCKET WATCH and he'll let you take his WALKING STAFF.
Select your CHEWED GUM (click it twice if it's not a pink, chewed up wad yet) and put it on the WALKING STAFF.
Go up to the ceiling and use the GUMMY STAFF to retrieve the RED TICKET
Now, with the red ticket (see above spoiler), go back out to the passageway, hand the RED TICKET to the conductor, and move on to the third train car.
Train Car Three
Getting a Blue Ticket
Go inside Compartment 3A. There you'll see a businessman trying to complete a crossword.
Take the PEN from the table. Unfortunately, it's out of ink.
Also take two sheets of paper lying on the seat next to the man: CROSSWORD CLUES.
Go out into the hallway and move forward to compartment 3B. Enter it.
Inside 3B is a very cold woman. Go up to investigate the problem.
A fairy and a squid are up there, blue with cold. Someone up here can give you some ink. First, help warm them:
Use the SCREWDRIVER to take the panel off the wall next to her.
Turn the knob on the heating controls.
Now the squid is red and comfy. Click on the squid and he'll squirt INK onto the wall.
Select your PEN and click on the INK BLOT to fill the pen with ink.
With the problem fixed, go back down, and click on the woman wearing the earmuffs to get...
A pair of EAR MUFFS.
Remember someone who said he'd give you a blue ticket if you helped him?
Go out into the hallway and back up until you're at Compartment 2A. Go inside.
Hand the EARMUFFS to the guy trying to sleep and he'll hand you the BLUE TICKET.
You have a blue ticket now (see above spoiler) but you need another tool before moving on to train car four. Move forward to Compartment 3A and go back inside; you have a task to complete in here:
With the inked-up PEN and the CROSSWORD CLUES, you're ready to finish the businessman's crossword puzzle.
You can do it the long way, and solve all the "down" words. Or the fast way and just answer 9 "across"....Click on then type in the letters to spell the correct word:
acrobat
Out of gratitude, the businessman lets you take his FLASHLIGHT.
With both a FLASHLIGHT (above) and a BLUE TICKET, you're ready to enter train car four. Just go out into the hallway, hand the ticket to the conductor, and move forward.
Train Car Four
Getting the Purple Ticket
In the fourth train car, go forward and then enter compartment 4B.
Move up to the top berth to see A SAFE. You need to change the four symbols to open the safe.
Note that the first digit has one line in its circle, the second has two lines, and so on.
As you were exploring this train, you've seen all those symbols in similar circles. Do you remember them?
HINT:
One is seen in the yoga lady's room, two are in the journeyman's room, and another is in the business man's room.
SAFE CODE:
1st symbol = two squiggly horizontal lines.
2nd symbol = two squiggly horizontal lines.
3rd symbol = circle rising out of two straight lines.
4th symbol = two curved vertical lines crossed by a horizontal line.
When you open the safe...
...take out a BATTERY
Now put the battery inside the FLASHLIGHT
Go back to compartment 4A, and use the flashlight to see. Move to the top bunk and take the PURPLE TICKET.
Now use the PURPLE TICKET to get past the conductor and head forward into train car five.
Train Car Five
Getting the Green Ticket
Go inside Compartment 5A and talk to the sleuth. He's looking for a gemstone.
Take his CLUE and you're ready to find the gemstone for him:
According to the clue, you need to go back to compartment 4B (four bees, haha).
So go back down the hallway to Compartment 4B, then move up to the top bunk.
Hold up the CLUE over the panel (under the white bunny) and knock three times on the panel shown (click three times).
The panel opens to reveal a gorgeous GEM. Take it.
Go back out to the hallway and forward to Compartment 5A to talk to the detective again.
Give the detective his missing GEM and he'll hand you the GREEN TICKET.
Go forward to Car 6.
Train Car Six
Getting Past the Dog
The dog won't let you pass but you know you have to get to compartment 6B (on Wasabi's insistance). What do dogs like?
Go inside compartment 6A for now.
Check the top berth. Take the red SUITCASE KEY from the elephant.
Move back down. Open the suitcase.
Click the inside of the lid to pull back the lining and get a PARCHMENT
Exit and go back to car 5 and enter Compartment 5B. The safari woman there needs help opening a box.
Move up to the upper bunk. Use the parchment to open it for her:
Look at the parchment from 6A. It shows you the symbols you need to open the box....
Circle in the top. Pyramid pointing up (the bar across it is horizontal). Two arrows pointing down.
Turn the symbols on the box to match those on the parchment and it will open. Inside is a gold idol.
To the left of the box, after you've opened it, is a large BONE. Take it.
Leave compartment 5B and go forward to train car 6.
Give the BONE to the dog. He'll move out of the way.
Now you can enter Compartment 6B. Talk to the woman there.
That's the end of this chapter in Sara's story... Tune in next time!
Posted by: elle
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March 28, 2012 5:37 PM