Phantom Mansion: The Red Chamber

For anyone who is familiar with Chip's Challenge, this new game called The Phantom Mansion will feel somewhat familiar. It's a walk around adventure game where you have to solve puzzles by pushing around boxes and avoiding monsters while collecting keys and other objects. There are plenty of levels, which is kind of a nice change from those games that seem to be over just as you're getting into them.

I found most of the levels fairly straightforward, although I did need to reload some of them for a few attempts. But the last level was a bit of a bugger. If you try to solve the problem of the switches for the gates in the wrong way, it will look like the level is glitching... you'll be able to walk through the gates but not push a box through them. But it's not a glitch, it's just a way to make sure that you don't take any shortcuts here. You need to find the correct way to solve this level. And you don't have enough boxes to put two of them on the switches for each gate, but the zombie will push it off if you only use one box. At first I thought I would try to trap the zombie in between the wall and one of the switches but I think that approach is impossible (though I would be very curious to hear from anyone who actually managed to solve it that way). So here's the trick: you need to race that zombie. Use two boxes on the far switch and just one box on the near one and then make sure you get what you need before that zombie comes back and pushes the box off that switch again.

If anyone needs any help with any other levels, feel free to post a comment and I'll post a hint in reply.

Mystery of Time and Space (MOTAS)

Originally posted 7.05.2005 on Limes with Orange.

Here's a fun online adventure game for you: The Mystery Of Time And Space (M.O.T.A.S.)

If you liked the Crimson Room, you'll like this game even more!

Hints:

1. The security panel on Level 5 can be decoded through trial and error, but if you want a shortcut go here;

2. Level 7 is a little tedious because you have to go back and forth so much. A couple of hints... Take note of the colour chart on the wall; you'll need it soon. And to write a letter after you've found paper and pen, return to the room with the letter from the security guy so that you can trace his handwriting;

3. On Level 8, the clock weights are to be used in a room that is hidden at the start of the level;

Read more...

4. When using the computer on Level 9, after you've entered the first command you'll be shown a couple of different pictures and 4 or 5 letters total (this may change from game to game). Make a word out of the letters you saw and enter it to open up the next door;

5. I hated the green wall on level 12. If you want to take the easy way out, go here for step-by-step instructions. And if you reach the last door but don't have the key, go back to the room where you found the hidden numbers on the wall and check the overhead light (that's not the door key, but it will help you get the door key);

6. On level 13, read the plaques at the bottom of the paintings for a clue to the colour machine on the main floor (the colours change direction from game to game, so take note of what they are for your game). And when you program that machine, make sure it's rectangular before you pull the handle.

There's a whole forum at Nordinho.net devoted to walkthroughs and hints for all the various levels of M.O.T.A.S.

And there are no shortage of walkthroughs on the internet:

Text Walkthrough, 1-12
Walkthrough with Pictures, 1-12
Another Walkthrough with Pictures, 1-12
Text Walkthrough 1-19
Another Text Walkthrough, 1-19.

For a preview of Level 14, go here (the password is "taters").

Addendum: Levels 14-19 are now online. I haven't had a chance to play them yet, but there are hints and walkthroughs over at Nordino.net.