Completed The Keepers: Lost Progeny

[IncendiaryDevice]

Those decline years did funny things to gamers. All sorts of weird aberrations emerged in people's gaming habits. One of the things that happened to me is that I discovered the ginormous well of Hidden Object games.

Back around 2010, browsing at the local shops that sold new PC games, I'd find myself thinking "I don't want to play any of this shite, wtf!" until one day I thought "fuck it" and decided to try three Hidden Object games for ten bucks.

And ever since then I've grown a certain affection for the genre. Partly as a positive memory for helping me get through the decline years and secondly because these games have a certain quality to them that no other games provide.

Just like an iced sorbet, there's no better way to cleanse one's pallet between more... intense (?)... games than plugging through a relatively quick Hidden Object game. In this regard they've stayed on my gaming menu ever since.

It turned out Hidden Object games aren't necessarily just hidden object games, the good ones are simply Adventure Games which also have occasional hidden object puzzles. But not just any random adventure game, but a whole familiar universe which spans almost all titles which provides an easy familiarity, in the same way chips are chips, even when they're called fries.

They have a reputation for being games for girls, but they're hardly My Little Pony, more Nancy Drew meets Broken Sword really so, while not being Doom level manly man material, I think they're a fairly neutral entity that doesn't really deserve its single-sex reputation.

I thought I'd do a let's play because I should think many people dismiss these kind of games too easily and likely have no idea what they're even all about. And because I just feel like doing a let's play and these games are relatively short so it's more likely I'll actually complete the thing.

I've also picked quite an entertaining one that I've played a few times which I think provides a good example of the genre:

Is a game developed by Blam! Games exclusively for Windows PC (but is also now avaialble on Mac and mobile etc) and was released in 2011. Before and after the above screen there are a couple of very short cut-scenes which are skippable.

I have to say, I really like the aesthetic of this game, from colour design to music and from sound effects to animation.

The game is a PEGI 16, so this ain't no kiddywinkies game either...

So let's play...

Part 1

Options screens and game settings:

Spoiler

The options screen is quite sparse and to the point, not much faffing needed here:

The game does not have a save function. The game simply takes you to where you last logged out once you've started. So if you want to start afresh while maintaining a previous save, or if someone else wants to have a go while you're in the middle of the game you simply press "not you? Click here" and create a new player to start at the beginning:

Upon pressing play you are then provided with the most important options screen, difficulty level. In Hardcore Mode not only will the game not provide any unwanted hints while you play but the options to ask for hints are also excluded:

Finally, the last option screen. If its you're first ever HOG then sure, go for it, but this LP will not be using it:

Looking over hell town:

Spoiler

It's a dark and stormy night and you've just parked your bike next to an urchin in a suit scrabbling around in the dirt:

Moving the mouse around will reveal what's clickable, the mouse changing into many different icons to depict what you can do at that set of pixels. The pixel fields are normally quite large but it's still possible to miss stuff if you're too impatient. The mouse pointer informs me I can only click on the boy:

Hmmm, it seems safe enough for a boy to be out on his own. But where's everyone else? Sometimes during dialogues the NPC will give you something when they've finished talking. There is nothing being given here though. Closing the screen informs me my journal has been updated:

Now that the mandatory introductions are over the screen suddenly becomes very interactive and I have loads of stuff to click on. I'll start with clicking on the town in the background. Ah, some flavour text:

Now the signpost. More flavour text:

But this one also updates my journal:

The game isn't like a lot of games with NPCs, once you've clicked on an NPC and heard their speech re-clicking them wont repeat the speech, instead you'll get a new speech which acknowledges that its a re-click:

Clicking on a part of my motorbike reveals that I can do something with my headlight:

My headlight has screws loose. Ah, a good bit of early humour combined with a puzzle, excellent. Clicking the screws does nothing and its not recorded anywhere, I'll have to remember this:

Clicking on the satchel on my motorbike reveals another mini-window:

This time I can interact with it immediately, so I open the satchel:

And get my first item of the game, an old photo:

And that seems to be everything. There's only one path away from this screen, forward into the post-apocalypse, so onwards I go.

Entering the post-apocalypse:

Spoiler

The black clouds slowly breeze by and the sound of rain clatters on the streets. I have three paths out of this screen, forward-left, forward-right and back from whence I came. This screen itself has four items of interest: the impressive statue, the decaying posters, the water hydrant and the door:

I don't like to get ahead of myself too much, so I'll do the four points of interest. First up the statue. Ah, it's a puzzle. But I can't do anything with it at the moment as I'm missing something:

Now for the posters. There's a pick-up-able object here, I'll have that. It's a door handle:

But I can continue to interact with this screen:

Hmmm, these newspaper stories are pertinent, my journal has been updated. The journal doesn't only record bits of the story, it also logs some puzzle discoveries, (discovered) clues to puzzles and anything else the game feels its important for you to know:

The fire hydrant looks useful but there doesn't appear to be anything I can do with it at this time. The running water is animated with sound effects:

Now for that door:

Hey, what a surprise, that door handle is used on this. So I move the door handle onto the small mini-screen. It clicks into place and I click again to activate it, it rattles with sound effects:

The door is open. I now have a choice of four different directions to go to:

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 2

The Hotel. Seems... normal?

Spoiler

Again, trying to keep it neat and tidy I choose to go through the newly opened door to the hotel. Hey, another human being... kinda... is that Luzur?:

I can click everything, but lets start by talking to him, just for continuity. Oh, he wants me to fuck off as well:

But maybe not, it is suggesting I have ways of making him talk:

Oh well, enough of him for now. Lets loot this room. That bill-hook looks nice, I think I'll have that. Hmmm, shame it doesn't work on Luzur though:

That door behind him is currently blocked:

Going upstairs looks like its blocked by an item requirement as well:

The photo display on the wall looks it might contain some clues:

Excellent, it's a clue to solving the Luzur problem, I've got to show him that picture from my satchel:

Oops, forgot to show him the pic and just clicked on him. Yes I do have questions for you good sir:

I do it properly and remove the picture from my inventory and drop it on him:

A curse eh, who'd've thunked it. So he, quite sensibly really, tells me to piss off to the police station to ask that kind of shit. However, his wording is suggestive that doing so might not help that much:

He's still nice enough to give me a code sheet to use at the police station though I have to wonder how he got hold of it...

Whelp, nothing else going on in here, might as well go look for that police station.

Chasing the hot chick:

Spoiler

Upon leaving the establishment I am entranced by a wandering beauty. And can click nowhere but upon her:

A small animation plays and she runs away in the direction of the police station. I can move again, so I follow her. I can take a double hint:

A small animation plays as the girl runs away again down the lava filled street. I should follow, but I might as well check out this police station while I'm here:

A wanted poster for a kindly old gardener who's wanted for... MURDER. Thanks, I'll add that to my journal:

Those nails look like they could come in handy too, but alas, I have no means to extract them:

It seems I cannot go into the police station at this point either. It is locked, so I guess I need a key:

Looking at my journal its not MURDER, its MURDERS. The plot thickens:

With nothing else to do here I continue to chase the babe to the next screen. Once there a small animation plays as she runs through the gates:

However, my path is now blocked. It seems that lava pit is a bit more dangerous than the artist suggests it might be:

Looking around, I decide to start with the body lying in the lava pit. Hey wow, he's a policeman with a key, just what I was looking for:

But unfortunately I simply cannot reach it. Damnation!

Maybe that fire hydrant can help me put out the fire. Oh, what a shame, this one isn't broken like the other one, I need to find a way to use it properly:

Or maybe not. It's suggesting these wooden planks will be more useful:

If I can find something to do a bit of carpentry with them, obviously:

What does my journal say. OMG, no! The hot chick might be my mom! Oh well, she's still hot:

Oh wait, silly me, the boards and fire hydrant are for crossing the lava pit, I could try the bill hook to grab the key. yes, that was it:

Right, this is a dead end for now, back to the cop shop:

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 3

The cop shop:

Spoiler

Where was I? Ah yes, back at the cop shop:

And, yup, the key fits like a glove. I insert the key and turn it a few times:

And blamo, the door is open:

It looks like a wild bull has been raging in here:

First up, lets pick up that screwdriver off the floor, I've been looking for one of those since the start of the game:

Now lets have a look in that medicine cabinet. The flavour text agrees with my philosophy on life:

I take the syringe. Perhaps I can put Luzur to sleep and sneak into his back door:

Now for that big block of stuff behind the desk. Hooray! It's the first normal Hidden Object game of the game. Feel free to play along at home:

The objects marked in red are usually either hidden or require other objects to manipulate them into view:

In this case I simply have to open one of the drawers:

I am rewarded with one of the items, in this instance a lock pick:

There's nothing more to do in this room for now, so I go through the door at the back of the room into the office area:

I'm not allowed to look at anything in the room except the lamp and wouldn't'cha know it, its missing its bulb:

There's nothing else to do here, so I guess it's time to leave this area, go get those screws out my motorbike headlight, then go visit Luzur again.

Explosions, ghosts, more corpses and the plot thickens generally:

Spoiler

On my way back to my motorbike I get accosted by a cut-scene outside the hotel as my bike, on fire, comes flying past me and crashes in the middle of the crossroads:

At least the headlight is closer to me now. Its broken but, now that's handy, the bulb will still work if I can remove it:

I apply the screwdriver to each screw individually and the casing pops off. I take the bulb:

I guess that means Luzur can wait as I can go and finish off the cop shop now. However, first of all I want to go see if that kid saw who tossed my bike at me. Hmm, nothing there and the kid's gone:

I go back to the cop shop to see if the bulb will fit:

It does! But, whoa, as soon as the light goes on it displays a cut-scene where the ghost of a child sucks the soul of the dead policeman then evaporates out the window:

I make a grab for the policeman's gun but I can't grab it, the pixel area was actually for some documents about his investigations into the case. OMG, it appears that I'm missing! Its a nice touch having the in-game document pick up on your chosen named character here:

I'm able to click on a pocket book sticking out the dead guy's breast pocket:

It has a code in it:

This must be where that code sheet comes into play. I apply the code sheet:

Lets have a look at that filing cabinet:

It seems the maid at the manor poisoned her master then hung herself:

Or does it?

I can get nothing more from the dead policeman:

Lets have a look at that safe. Ah, this is where I need to enter the code:

So lets solve this easy starter puzzle. Blimey, it's basically giving me the answer:

The safe opens after I turn the knobs to the correct answer:

Yay, Goodies:

I take the bird object and the metal flower:

Now for the top secret documents. Well how's'a'bout that. It turns out Luzur and the murdered gentry were members of a secret society... The Keepers:

Time to go see Luzur again, post-haste!

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 4

Trails of blood:

Spoiler

I get back to the hotel without any further interruption:

But... OMG... it seems I'm too late. Blood. Blood everywhere:

Looking behind his desk I find another hidden object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

I get a vinyl record as my reward. Hmm, no idea where this goes yet:

I decide to follow the blood trail that leads into the back room. The door is no longer locked but this still doesn't reveal what's happened here:

Moving the carpet reveals a trap door, but it's locked:

The sofa reveals another hidden object puzzle, feel free to play along at home:

I'm rewarded with another unusual object, a red gem set in an ornate metal design:

Looking up at the painting I suspect I can use my metal flower here, but it turns out it's just a clue as to how I might use the metal flower in the future:

I've no idea what could possibly be in the fridge. Maybe I've seen too many movies, but could it be... someone's head? It matters not, it's locked for now:

The last thing in the room seems to be rifling through someone's pockets again:

This time its another clue to some future puzzle by the looks of things:

There's nothing more that can be done here. I should be able to look upstairs though as I have the bird object I collected from the cop shop.

A lock picking mini-game and more goodies:

Spoiler

Back in the reception area I try the bird in the lock that is blocking me from going upstairs. It fits perfectly and the chain falls to the floor:

I see three things to interact with in the upstairs room, a chest, a drawer and a wardrobe:

My RPG instincts impel me to lunge for the chest first. But of course, it's locked:

Taking out my lock pick, as you would for every lock in a game like this, I'm delighted to discover this is the lock it picks. But instead of the box opening I have to perform a lock picking mini game. Quite easy this one, you just have to move the bottom row of blocks until they match the top row:

The chest is quickly unlocked and I get two items from the chest, the ring-lock for the trap door downstairs and a pair of pliers:

I noticed during this process that my journal updated, but it turns out it was a rather retarded update about the puzzle I just solved:

I move my attention to the desk and open the drawer:

If I had a hammer, I hammer in the... oh, wait, I do now actually have a hammer, nice:

Just the wardrobe left. It's locked. Obviously:

Ah well, Back to the trap door with me! Will I ever see Luzur again or am I about to be led into a maze-like dungeon of no return? Who knows! Tune in next time to fin... etc etc

 

[HeroicBloodshed]

This looks... pretty good actually. Will have to give the genre a chance.

Great LP so far!

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

This looks... pretty good actually. Will have to give the genre a chance.

Great LP so far!

Just be careful, some of them really are pure hidden object puzzles and nothing else. Finding the good hybrids is ideal.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 5

He's... he's dead Jim:

Spoiler

I make way back to Luzur's back room and prepare for the worst:

First, let's attach that ring handle to the trap door:

And heeeere weeee go:

A small cutscene plays out whereby the ghostly demon boy sucks up Luzur's soul then vanishes in a puff of smoke:

Oh wow, looks like there's a lot to do here. First up, loot the body, of course. Luzur's hand is clenching something important:

I take the key, it's the wardrobe key for upstairs:

The note is a simple phrase which logs into my journal:

Having been quite efficient, I already know he was indeed part of a secret society. The game isn't linear and it's possible to solve things at different times without, as far as I know, ruining the game. Another strong plus point IMO. I move on and look at the book in his other hand. He must have crawled in here with his last breaths in the vain hope of casting a pre-prepared protection spell:

I take a look at the poster on the wall. Nothing logs in my journal and I can't interact with it, but its suggests that its important to know:

I move over to his safe and the game sends me into a puzzle and my journal updates. Luckily I've already found the clue for it.:

I have the missing gem and insert it:

This is the first puzzle of the game which involves a little bit of deductive thought and can't be entirely brainless. While still easy, at least for me, it requires you rotate the colours so the highest value is on the left and the lowest on the right and would be a bit of a pain if you went the trial and error route:

The safe is quickly open:

I take a small metal sword and the previously hyped medallion of hope:

The document completes the rest of the note found in Luzur's cold dead hand. He did indeed have good reason to be in possession of that code for the police station. He suggests I seek out the secret society:

There's a bucket in the room that's lootable so I loot it:

The last thing in the room is a water valve that's clickable:

I try my hammer but to no avail. I don't want to use my pliers as I thought they were for the nails outside the police station, but I give it a shot and they work and the pliers vanish while I gain a valve:

There's nothing more that can be done in Luzur's basement and, trying to keep things neat, I determine to go back upstairs next and check out that wardrobe.

A demonic hellhound:

Spoiler

I make my way back upstairs to the wardrobe:

The key fits like a glove:

I turn the key a couple of times and I'm presented with another Hidden Object puzzle. This time most of the items are inside something... the wardrobe (including one of the two required fans). Feel free to play along at home:

I'm rewarded with an oil can, presumably full of oil:

So that seems to be everything done in the hotel except the fridge. I decide to go back outside but, instead of heading towards the police station I'm going to go the other way, left from the hotel, as I haven't been that way yet, always being pulled away from choosing that direction by events and discoveries. My curiosity is overwhelming me so I determine to try out that direction before moving on:

That is... let me just try out my bucket on the water hydrant first, it seems logical:

It works and I upgrade my bucket to a bucket full of water:

Now I'm ready to turn left. Perhaps I should have tried this earlier, it's just a quick dead end, my path blocked by a barking, demonic eyed, doberman hellhound:

Clicking on the dog brings nothing but some good ol' sark:

I wonder what it is I'm looking for behind the beast and click on the background buildings. The first is just flavour text but the second, around the classical entrance-way reveals my intended destination, the secret society circled in red in the photo from Luzur's safe:

Over on that rubbish bin to the right is an object I can pick up. It's the fridge door handle. Awesome, just what I wanted:

Clicking on the third water hydrant of the game I am informed that this one, surprise, surprise, also requires some action:

I remember my recently acquired oil and give it a try after my hammer, once again, fails me:

It works like a charm and I take the hydrant hose as my reward:

While I'm here I try the sedative on the dog but to no avail. Both the bucket of water and the hammer fail as well:

I've now got quite a build-up of goodies and left over bits and pieces to finish up in this area, but I feel progress to a new location is but a hair's breath away.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 6

Loose ends and then opening up two new paths:

Spoiler

I make my way beck to the fridge:

I apply the handle and give it a click. The door swings open:

Well, I wasn't far off, it turns out the fridge contained some rough looking meat:

Unlike normal adventure games, when this game wants you to combine items it's done via the item windows rather than moving stuff around on your inventory. Here it wants me to apply the sedative to the meat. This is indeed a bit more sensible than trying to wrestle with the dog while trying to stab it with the needle:

I add the tainted meat to my inventory:

Now to go and get those nails from the police station:

Finally I get to use my hammer. There are two types of hammer in this world, ones with a forked back and ones with a ball back. This one is fork backed and is ideal for removing nails. Once I apply the hammer it automatically removes all the nails for me, the game is a little bit odd here in that usually you would have to do them all one by one. Also interestingly here, the hammer stays in my inventory:

Now back to the path blocked by the lava pit:

First up, the hydrant. I apply the valve and the hose and then turn the valve:

And the lava pit cools down in the middle section. I still feel sure I could jump it, but that's more the fault of the artist really:

So time to make the bridge:

I apply the four nails and then give them all an individual hammer. Once again, the hammer stays in my inventory. After so many failed uses of the hammer it now seems I'm using the hammer on everything!

I now have a bridge in my inventory and immediately use it to open up the path to the mansion:

Now to go sort that dog out:

He really liked that tasty shack meat. A short cut-scene plays and the dog falls asleep, complete with snoring sound effects:

I decide to stay on this path as this is the path to the secret society that I was told to seek out. The door has a puzzle:

Ah yes, this is where those metal objects come into play. I place the flower and sword on the screen and it tells me I have a puzzle to complete. I have the clue already and this puzzle is a jigsaw-like puzzle made slightly more interesting/annoying by the ability to rotate the pieces. The rotating and finding of the sweet spot takes longer than the knowing where to put things:

And the door to the secret society is soon open:

The game's objective is finally revealed:

Spoiler

Upon entering the hallowed turf of the secret society I'm a tad underwhelmed by the single room with not a lot in it, even if it does look nice and cosy:

I've got a record so I head for the record player first and add the record:

But that is not enough, I also need to find the handle from somewhere. Yeek, hope I didn't miss anything:

I move over to the fireplace and it suggests I can put out the fire, which I can as I'm carrying that bucket of water, so I do:

Once again my hammer comes into play, this time for the last time as I give the brick a little tap:

It reveals a button. Hmm, should I press da button? Yeah, of course I do:

A small cutscene plays and the fireplace collapses revealing a hidden passage to another room:

I check out the painting first. It just shows me an image of some figures standing around a circle. I can't interact with it and my journal doesn't update:

I decide to venture forth to the new secret room to discover a much more impressive spectacle combined with a new unique creepier musical score, complete with trailing whisper noises:

My journal updates, telling me what each statue is missing. I go round the statues individually to confirm there's nothing else in each box and to get a better visualisation of what the text means. My amulet wont fit in the amulet spot at this time:

I feel I should know more about what's going on here, so I click on the big plated text next:

This time there is something to pick up, a gramophone handle, just what I was looking for, and quite hard to spot as well. I pick it up:

Finally I turn to the stained glass window:

Wouldn't'cha know it, it's missing some pieces:

Right, that's all I can do here, lets go see what the record player does. As soon as I back out to the previous room a small cutscene plays out as the demon child demolishes the fireplace. What an imp that guy is:

I apply the handle to the record player:

It's a maze puzzle. I'm normally good at mazes, but this one throws me a loop as you have to direct the needle to the centre via the two buttons at the bottom, left and right. For some reason I always click the wrong way to how I want the record to spin, my brain just farts terribly with this kind of stuff. I reset four or five times before I get the hang of left and right:

As soon as the puzzle is complete a ghostly obi-wan-like figure appears in the room and starts giving me the low down:

When he's completed his answerphone duties the ghost vanishes in a whiff of wiffiness. The record player also reveals an item:

It's a numbered disk. I should think its for that statue outside the hotel, one of the first things I looked at in the game. I guess I'll pop by there on my way to the creepy ol' mansion. I take the disk:

Next up... a creepy ol' mansion. What more could you want on an evening out! At least I know what I'm looking for now...

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 7

Running towards my doom:

Spoiler

I make my way back to the imposing statue:

And insert the number 2:

This is a more involved puzzle and one that regular puzzlers would be more adept with than inexperienced puzzlers. All the rows have to equal 12 and you have to slide pieces rather than pick them up and place them:

I faff around for a bit until I establish some basic logic and then it doesn't take long to quickly try a few trials and errors. The statue reveals an object:

It's a runestone:

And that about wraps up this end of town. Just to be sure I revisit all the previous locations before pressing on but find nothing and take a deep breath at the bridge:

As I enter the new area a small cutscene plays and the hot girl again runs further away and into the mansion:

There's nothing to click here except the gate on the right, but it refuses me admission at this point in time:

I come to the entrance of the creepy old mansion:

Again, there's not much to click here other than the door and the thing I can click I can't do anything with at this point:

Clicking the door reveals a slot for my rune:

As soon as its placed the window closes and the door opens:

Onwards! The new area presents me with a choice of directions, either left through the open door, up the stairs or I can look at the closed door on the right:

I click on the closed door first, but, again, I am missing something:

I decide to go through the open door on the left and a small cutscene plays out as soon as I enter. The girl is now standing with the boy in a friendly stance. Before I can even get my bearings the boy speaks:

The screen fades to black...

Trapped in the dungeons:

Spoiler

I awake to find myself in a dungeon, all my possessions stolen:

I take the chain hanging on the grills:

The grills themselves offer nothing but flavour text. That nasty flavour that tells you you're trapped in eternal doom:

Clicking the pile of skeletons reveals a particularly nasty hidden object puzzle, the best of the game so far. What other game has you play hunt the monocle, huh, huh. Feel free to play along at home:

My mouse pointer explodes twice during this one as I find myself clicking lots of red herrings and random stuff out of impatient frustration. I'm rewarded with some handcuffs:

There's nothing more to do here other than move deeper into the dungeon:

Looting the body seems like a good instinctive place to start, but it has nothing to take:

I definitely need to do something with this skeleton:

The cage is attached to the wall via one of the lion's heads:

moving my new found objects onto this uses both up. I appear to be attaching the chain to a different part of the wall:

Clicking on the part of the wall where I attached the chain tells me that a breeze is coming through the cracks in that area. It also updates my journal where I also realise my journal updated while I was asleep:

The window on the upper left also has some information for me:

The last thing to click in the room is the trunk, so I click... and it moves across the floor to under the window grate:

I climb up and find myself overhearing the dastardly dastards being dastardly:

Eeek, I'm doomed! Dooooomed! Ah well, at least my soul is pure... *cough* *choke*

There's a piece of lead piping here, and its now mine:

I've no idea what to do with the lead piping and click it on everything in the room to no avail. Re-clicking without the piping reveals it's destination, the dowel above the cage:

After inserting the piping a short cutscene plays out as the cage falls, ripping the loose part of the wall asunder:

Free, free at last!

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 8

Grave digging and other cryptology:

Spoiler

Oh well, farewell dungeon! I go forward into the newly created gap:

And emerge among the crypts:

I have a choice of going left, right or straight ahead toward the crypt, but first I check out the elaborate graves near the cavernous lava pit:

Both appear to have some use later on. The above needs a ring and the below a dog collar:

There's nothing more to do here so I head for the imposing main crypt:

First, I grab a nearby spade:

Then move onto the pot which, though breakable, seems impervious to my spade:

A gravestone elicits my attention, but I can get nothing from it other than an indication that its roman numerals are of importance:

Above the door to the crypt some symbols beam out at me but I can do nothing with them. My journal updates:

The door to the crypt is blocked by a puzzle and I am, of course, missing a piece to that puzzle:

I go back to the crossroads and decide to head right, revealing the graveyard's even more ominous church:

I can't seem to go towards the church even though it looks like I can as my mouse pointer doesn't change to an arrow clicking on the path. Instead a window pops up and some coiling and writhing thorn bushes sprout in front of me:

I go round the graves. The first offers up another breakable pot which is also impervious to my spade:

The second grave is just another set of roman numerals:

As is the third:

The fourth suggests I have a dig though:

So this is where I use the spade. I acquire a small skull:

Finally, I prod around in the small pile of leaves that have been brushed into a pile:

And receive a small coin with a skull on it as a reward:

This is getting really quite creepy now, as in kinda expecting a jump scare any minute kind of thing. Oh well, time to move on.

The gravedigger's shack:

Spoiler

Heading back to the crossroads and turning left brings me to the gravedigger's shack:

I can go further forward but decide to see what I can do here first. First off, another grave with roman numerals:

The door to the shack is not blocked by a regular puzzle, but rather a combination of objects:

The door to the cellar is more inviting as it requests a small silver coin with a skull on it:

I place the coin and am presented with a puzzle. The crosses have to be pressed in order, getting one wrong in the order makes them all spring back out:

The door open:

I head on in:

Well that's nice, it looks like I'll be collecting a mouse's skeleton at some point:

There's yet another gravestone hinting at roman numerals:

The coffin lurches me into another Hidden Object Puzzle, feel free to play along at home:

I lift the coffin lid:

I remove the drapery on the top shelf:

I get a fireplace handle for my endeavours:

There's one last thing to look at here, the chessboard looking thing:

It needs my small skull and I place it down and a puzzle starts. I like this puzzle, it's both fun and entertaining. When you place a skull in a grave all the other graves along its row and column become filled with a shimmering ghostly skull, preventing any regular skulls from being placed in those graves. You have to place all the skulls into a grave:

For my efforts I get a small metal ball and another clue to the roman numerals puzzle:

I see it mentions a labyrinth. I do like a good labyrinth. Shame Easter is here really, it'll be quite a few days before I'll get a moment to do part 9.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 9

Running around the maps so I don't have to run around the labyrinth:

Spoiler

Time to head forwards towards the labyrinth:

Ah, a locked gate, of course!

Clicking on the mansion reveals some flavour text:

The bench has an item on it:

These wirecutters should come in handy:

Now, what's this clock all about:

Why, it's a another edition of the clue. This puzzle now makes a lot more sense:

Now for the gate puzzle. I have the required small ball and add it to the puzzle:

I'm really good at this puzzle for some unknown reason. Where the left and right switching of the record player puzzle completely threw me, here I just blast through it instinctively. I think it's because in this puzzle the arrows themselves are pointing how the circle will turn whereas with the record player puzzle they point abstractly straight left and right:

The gate is quickly open:

Before going forth I go back to all the graves and note down on pen and paper all the answers to the question marks in the labyrinth clue. At the end of the journey I try the wirecutters on the vicious weeds, but to no avail:

I go back to the gate and press forward:

It actually wants me to note the numbers in the journal, not on a piece of paper. Clicking the right direction at this point just takes me back out the labyrinth. So I go back and re-look at all the graves again, this time actually clicking on the numbers:

Now I'm set:

As I exit the labyrinth a small cutscene plays and the evil uncle boy shuts the gate behind me:

And it's now locked. Again the wirecutters offer no help:

I move towards the mansion. Just outside the door I decide to try the wirecutters on the object here because, why not:

And it worked! This one seems a bit off to me. Firstly, the flavour clue suggested I couldn't reach it, not that I needed something to cut the bars and, secondly, those are bars, not wires:

I get a gear. It looks like I need two of them at some point:

Witnessing a murder:

Spoiler

Back at the hallway I choose to turn left into the fateful room once again:

This time I step in and I'm not thrown out:

However, I still can't look at anything as the room is full of smoke:

I now spot something small and clickable. So I insert my thing into it:

After a few turns of the fireplace handle I pop back to the room scene with the latch now open:

Pressing it again reveals a valve puzzle:

I'm terrible at this puzzle. I just lash the three red valves around in a pretty trial and error fashion until I hit things that look like they're getting close. Luckily, this time I do it fairly quick, but for the life of me I can't fathom any solvable logic to the puzzle. Maybe it's a plumbing thing:

Clicking on the actual fireplace now reveals more things to find:

As does the mantelpiece:

There's some funny looking green tea on the table:

Clicking on the tea prompts a small cutscene as we get to witness the poisoning of the old guy by the evil boy uncle:

The tea remains clickable:

And I get some oil:

The door to the next room is barred from the other side:

The clock needs me to find some clues about it:

Finally, the last notable thing in the room is the dresser which offers up an Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

I open one of the cabinets, but to no avail. I gradually open and close as necessary all the cupboards to solve the puzzle:

And am rewarded with a door handle:

Next time I think I'll have a nosey around upstairs as all other paths seem to be temporarily blocked.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 10

Falling chandeliers and noxious gasses:

Spoiler

So I make my way back to the hallway in preparation of going upstairs:

When I press forward a small cutscene plays out and my potential mother tries to batter me with a falling chandelier:

Appearing on the floor is the second gear, so I pick it up:

Clicking on the chain's wall attachment brings up slot to insert objects, I start by placing the gears:

Then the handle and, after turning the handle, the chandelier lifts back to the ceiling:

The pile of waste that's broken off supplies me with a candle:

And upstairs I go. There's surprisingly not a lot to look at here aside from the two doors, one already open, the other shut:

The shut door is locked and it looks like it needs a small shield:

So I head on into the open room:

Which, like the room below, needs to be fumigated before I can look at anything:

I can just reach one item though, it's a small hook, presumably for opening the back door downstairs:

So I head back downstairs to the back door and open it up:

More dead people, more item collection and more dead ends:

Spoiler

Going out the back door leads into a pantry:

The trap door is locked via a combination lock to which I don't think I've found a clue yet:

There's a barrel which requires stuff:

And a painting:

On the worktop is an empty cup I can have though:

And opening a cupboard reveals another item I can have, a drain key:

And that's about it for this room, so I head out into the grounds via the open doors at the back of the room. Ooo, a noose, hope that's not meant for me:

The noose reveals it's the noose that the maid was hung from, the girl from the files in the police station. I can have the noose at some point it seems:

Clicking on the hole in the tree causes a load of bats to come flying out of it. Hooray, an actually well timed and half decent attempt at a jump scare. Re-clicking the hole takes me to a Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

I'm rewarded with some tongs:

Finally for this screen I use the drain key on the drain cover:

And collect and empty sprayer:

I continue to push forward into the grounds:

The bench reveals a wooden tap which I add to my inventory:

Stuck in the tree is a rusty old knife which I also add to my inventory:

The small flower in the centre of the screen is named as if it's the quest item of some companion mission. Needless to say it wants me to pick it at some point:

It seems sensible to try the knife and the game has a preprepared answer to that, I guess it was a preprepared red herring:

Moving on further still I come to some shabby old barn/shack like building:

In what looks like an orange bush I discover it's actually a rose bush and there's another flower I need to pick:

The cart offers me the eternal Hidden Object pun phrase and suggests I pick a needle from a haystack. Looks easy enough, it's right there on top:

As I go to grab it it falls lower into the stack. Ah, an old logic problem:

I pick up a ladder. Another good ol' adventure game amusing humour cliche:

The scarecrow to the right is holding some cloth which I can freely take:

And finally, to the door to the building. Another lock which is missing a part I don't have:

Oh well, I've picked up quite a few things, lets go and use some of them on the way back to the house. I start with the knife on the noose:

A small cutscene plays out as we see the maid hanging and then vanishing in a misty vapour:

I don't get to collect the noose, but just some rope. The knife also stays in my inventory:

I head back to the pantry:

And apply the tap to the barrel:

And then the cup:

Turn the handle and get myself a full cup of water:

Now I use the knife once again, this time on the painting:

And peel back the canvas to reveal... ugh, more dead people by the look of it:

Clicking on the hand brings up a second miniscreen which, when clicked updates my journal:

Re-clicking that part of the wall just brings up a new miniscreen, the painting seems to have vanished:

And that's me a bit flummoxed now. I thought I'd be using the cup of water on the fireplace next but it didn't seem to like that so I'm not really sure what I do next. I have tuns of items and tuns of stuff that needs items so there must be something somewhere...

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 11

A barrage of Hidden Object puzzles:

Spoiler

After some brief random clicking on stuff and staring at my inventory I decide that the fireplace was indeed the place to head to next only this time I give the tongs a try:

And out pops a thingamajig:

Which is too hot to hold. Ah... this is when I use the water:

It looks like the item needed for the shack/barn door:

As I move my mouse to the door at the back of the room my pointer suddenly suggests I can look at the display cabinet again. It's another Hidden Object puzzle in a place I've already done one in, the doors are even all still open. Feel free to play along at home:

I get a box of matches:

Heading out towards the barn I notice the hole in the tree is again available for view:

It's another Hidden Object puzzle in the same place I'd done one before. Feel free to play along at home:

I am rewarded with a set of weights:

I finally make it back to the door's puzzle and insert the required item:

This is an exceptionally easy puzzle, just clicking on the three buttons which match to the pattern found on the bricks in the pantry:

And the door swings open:

I enter the new area:

Clicking in the dark corner reveals I need to do more work to make that part of the room accessible:

I have a candle and I spy a candle holder, so I give it a click:

And apply what's obviously needed, the candle and then the matches:

That area reveals... another Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

And I get some shears. I guess for the flowers:

Another murder or two and the scales of injustice:

Spoiler

I zoom out to get the first flower near the bench:

As soon as I cut the flower a small cutscene plays out as what is supposedly my father gets attacked by two demonic dobermans, similar to the one I put to sleep earlier before the image fades to the sight of the boy grinning with delight:

The flower enters my inventory:

Now to go get the other one from the orange bush looking rose bush:

I re-enter the barn:

And click on the desk below the window. It reveals the nature of the noxious gas in the room in the mansion and my journal updates, revealing the cause of another murder:

Moving just slightly to the left my click reveals a pot for crushing the flowers:

Moving slightly left again I get presented with a set of scales:

I'm not entirely sure what to do here, so I start by putting some flowers into the pot:

Ack, now I need a pestle. Or is it the mortar? One of the two anyway:

I go back to the desk to see if I missed anything, and, oh boy did I. There's pages of it, found by clicking on a corner of the page. The final page reveals what I need to do with the scales and also reveals the masher:

I go back to the flower crushing and make some powders:

Finally, I go back to the scales and start putting down all my items:

After I put the weights down it tells me I'm still missing something, the recipe. Dang, I thought I read that:

So I go back to the recipe but this time click on the page and my journal updates:

Phew, this one's quite a palaver. Now, back to those scales. At last, the puzzle is active:

You do what now? Sheesh, I've never seen scales like this before. You put on 250 and it reduces the total by 62 and doesn't effect the other side? What are all those fractions. Oh my oh my, I might be here some time:

Some time later I get the anti-noxious gas sprayer:

I then realise the candlelit corner has reactivated and another Hidden Object puzzle is available. Feel free to play along at home:

I'm rewarded with a magnet. Of course, to get the needle from the haystack:

I make my way quickly to the haystack and apply the newly found magnet to get the needle:

And, as far as I can tell, that about wraps it up for out here in the grounds. Next time I'll finally be able to get to look in at least one of those upstairs rooms.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 12

Granny's death scene and vandalising a vandalised painting:

Spoiler

I hurry back upstairs without any further incident and spray the room:

The noxious fog clears:

I decide to start with the painting on the right:

Clicking on the bottle instead of the painting gives me further instructions:

So I add the oil:

And then the rag:

And my inventory updates me with an oiled rag which I proceed to rub over the painting a few times, revealing what must be the code for the trap door in the pantry and a none too pleasant original image:

I leave this and try the cradle at the end of the bed:

Next up is the bedside drawers:

The note of paper seems to be someone's birth certificate, but why I need this info I've no idea:

The flower remains clickable:

Clicking on the flower starts a small cutscene as we watch the boy put the noxious flowers in the vase and granny chokes to death in her sleep before evaporating into the ether:

The last aspect of this room is the pillow:

Moving the pillow reveals a book I can pick up, one of three I need to find it seems:

Another gruesome body is revealed and a puzzle drives me nuts:

Spoiler

Back down to the pantry I go:

And insert the code which instantly flips open the trap door:

This doesn't lead to a new room but instead goes straight to a Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

Which rewards me with a pickaxe:

Which I can use immediately on the wall where the hand sticks out:

Revealing that the gardener most certainly didn't do it:

I take a thingamajig off of him:

And then click on the note clenched in his hand:

And that about wraps up the pantry. Poor old gardener doesn't get a death scene, but with him you can come and gaze at him whenever you like:

The newly found thingamajig goes in the locked downstairs door, so I head back to the staircase area:

And insert the whatsit:

I hate this puzzle. Clicking one arm moves several others and you have to get it so that all twelve arms are away from their lock position:

So, if I click just the top right arm, the following happens, but, once out, clicking another leg somewhere else will shoot one of them back in as part of that other leg's movement:

And, for me, it's just a case of clicking legs until something clicks. I have no idea how to logically approach this kind of puzzle. I suddenly find myself with one leg left, and it's infuriating:

As clicking that leg, obviously send a couple more back into their locked position. I flay around a bit more and... *sigh*:

Eventually the laws of statistics play nice and the damn thing unlocks and the door opens, though what I did I have no idea:

So next time looks like its going to be checking out that side of the house, hopefully both upstairs and downstairs. I am so relieved my least favourite puzzle of the game is now behind me.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 13

Finishing off the household chores:

Spoiler

I excitedly enter the right hand downstairs door:

For all the junk in here and for all the difficulty getting in, the room seems really quite sparse of activity:

I can interact with just two things, firstly, the rose emblem on the curtains:

It's an intriguing little item with the Wonderlandesque inscription of "Heat me", I add it to my inventory:

And secondly, the bookcase, which will, at some point, presumably take my three books:

And that's that room done for now. Off back to the dining room:

I insert the newly found item into the slot above the fireplace:

It glows 5:45 at me, which I assume is the clue I've been searching for with regards the clock in the same room:

Lets find out:

I move the hands to the appropriate time and the face springs open:

And I take the second book:

And a metal disk with a big capital M carved within it:

And that's this room cleared. All that's left is the box near the bed upstairs, so off I trot:

And place the newly found M into the lock:

And get myself another batch of goodies: The third book:

And a mace:

And this room's clear. To the bookcase!

This puzzle is actually harder than it looks. It's like a jigsaw puzzle but without edge pieces and corners to help get you started. It's an excellently monocled picture you're making but the combination of low colour variation and light-highlighted edges to the books makes for a lot of shuffling about:

Upon completion the bookcase reveals a secret passage, as they always do:

A very brief history of the Order of the Knights of something or other:

Spoiler

Going into the passage reveals another small room:

First off I pick up a really weird looking crystal:

Then discover another Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

And am rewarded with a small shield:

The book on the desk provides some flavour text about this secret organisation. I'm not sure if any of it is important, but mentioning the Teutonic Knights is always good for a few pages of game lore:

My journal updates with a tl:dr:

And that's everything done apart from the one door to the right upstairs. Back upstairs I go. It's a healthy and active job working these post-apocalyptic demon-infested detective cases:

I add the shield:

But nothing happens. I then realise the mace probably needs to be added as well, even though the mace in the box looked like an actual real mace rather than a tiny door lock sized one. Another black mark for the artists:

And the door swings open:

Last room in the house... I hope it's interesting... all in all, for a mansion, this place has been more like a two-up-two-down with an overly elaborate staircase and a dungeon...

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 14

Mother's death scene and Obi-Wan provides another ghostly answerphone message:

Spoiler

Right then, lets enter that room on the right:

It's a study room. Seriously, this house only has one bedroom? Kinky. Anyway:

The piece of paper on the floor provides more backstory on my family, revealing the demon boy to be adopted. Ah, that explains everything!

Clicking away from the page starts a cutscene where we see my mother being stabbed in the back by the demon boy. Is the current in-game mother a ghost then? Am slightly confused here. The document also enters my inventory, which is unusual for this game:

The bookcase has a book to look at:

Opening the book reveals some more backstory, and a piece of stained glass window which I take for my inventory, and a clue diagram which updates my journal:

Clicking on the desk takes me to the puzzle the clue was designed for and which requires me to deposit the funny looking crystal:

This is a real doozey of a puzzle. I've got some idea of what's going on, in that the small white pyramids change the shapes of the designed image and are easy to rotate onto place, but the coloured pyramids are merely providing the light source for the projection which compounds different colours with + and - symbols and you can pick these up and move them around, and, for these, I'm pretty lost:

First you have to get them all to beam light, and then you have to make it so the beams stay intact while shuffling them about to get the right colour beam and although there must be some sense to it, I can't understand any of the logic beyond gradual trial and error. I get to this point though and moving any pyramids that don't fuck up the progress only takes me backwards:

Eventually, by the laws of statistics they all slot into place and the image matches the diagram. As soon as this happens Obi-Wan pops up and starts giving me another batch of advice and direction on how to proceed before vanishing in a puff of smoke. A small hidden compartment opens in his desk:

Inside are a nice cache of goodies:

Which I take, three pieces in all, a stone head, a devil statuette and a cloak:

He suggested I've now been given access to the crypt, so I guess this is the grand finale for the mansion, all done here, so back to the labyrinth I guess is the best bet:

I place the stone head on the gate and it swings open:

Once more unto the graves dear boy, once more:

Spoiler

Luckily I don't have to re-navigate the labyrinth and it shoots me out the other side:

Nothing here, so onto the grave-digger's shack:

I think I have the items needed to open the door now:

Paper under the door:

Pin to push the key out and slide the paper back out:

Pick up the key and into the keyhole, turn a few times and... it's open:

Another messily cluttered room:

Clicking on the floor suggest there is an upstairs, so I give the ladder a try:

And it fits, revealing access to a new room upstairs:

I take the dagger near the window, it claims to be a ceremonial dagger. Ooo, fancy:

The rubble of skulls reveals a Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

I'm rewarded with an eyeball. Nice:

Lets 'av a gander upstairs then:

I quickly and excitedly take the sledgehammer:

But can do not much more in here as this room also requires some action before looking around:

I can look at the window at the back, but have nothing for it. I'm guessing it wants me to clean the window to let some light in, rather than just bash it with the hammer:

I can do no more here, so I might as well go to the place Obi-Wan told me to go to, the crypt:

First of all, that vase:

And my sledgehammer:

Gets me a gem. Looks like I'll need to find three of these:

And now for the door puzzle. I insert the demon statuette:

And this is really quite easy:

But wait... solving this one just reveals a slightly harder second puzzle:

And solving this one leads to harder puzzle. Luckily something I can happily cope with though:

And the door swings open:

I have to say, it's nice to be out the house and back amongst the tombstones. The game has some pretty atmospheric sound effects alongside some decent music and this area is quite successful at building up that gorgeous creepy vibe.

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 15

A bedroom in a crypt?

Spoiler

Time to enter the crypt:

There's not much to do here, but there are two doors leading out to other rooms:

First up, I pick up a vase:

The centre table has a puzzle on it that I don't have a piece for, but I think I know where it is:

The locked door has a puzzle lock that I can't attempt at this time:

So without any further ado I go into one of the back rooms, the door on the right being open. It's a bedroom? For a girl???? Intriguing:

Clicking on the horned skeleton brings up a puzzle I have the requisite piece for, the eyeball:

This is quite an amusing puzzle as the eyes blink at you and move around instead of just staring blankly into space. Clicking an eye either opens or closes both it and all eyes adjacent to it. Usually I hate these kind of puzzles and they drive me nuts, but this one I can cope with for some reason:

Upon completion the book opens to reveal a clue on how to make holy water:

Underneath the note is some goodies hidden in a cut-out of the pages and I get the medallion back along with a ring:

On a shelf in the top right corner of the room is an object I can pick up:

It's a glass cutter:

Vanishing tombs and dancing skeletons:

Spoiler

With nothing else to do in the crypt at this point I decide to go and retrace my steps and use some of these new found goodies. First on-route is the tombs:

Where, on the nearest one, I can insert the ring:

A small animation plays and the ring returns to my inventory while the top of the tomb crumbles away into the lava revealing a Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

This one is much harder than it looks as not only are the clues somewhat vague but some are downright misleading. For example, the clasp isn't one of those many clasp-like looking C-shaped round things strewn around the screen and the armour isn't either the big gold part on the left, the helmet nor shield in the middle. My mouse explodes four or five times for this one. Eventually I get my award... A brush... I'd have had the treasure myself, but heh-ho:

I now head back to the bottom floor of the gravedigger's shack:

To use my glass cutter on the imprisoned mouse skeleton:

While I'm here, the coffin has reactivated its Hidden Object puzzle ability. Feel free to play along at home:

And it gives me a vial of blood:

That's this area done, now to go see if I can clear the top floor:

I use the brush on the window:

And all is now visible:

The coffin image provides me with the clue for the skeleton puzzle:

And the other clickable thing in the room takes me to another Hidden Object puzzle. Feel free to play along at home:

The prize is the aforementioned dog collar (as in a collar for a dog, not a collar for a vicar):

And that's the grave-diggers shack all done and literally dusted. So back to those tombs:

In order to put the collar on the dog:

A small cutscene plays out as the tombs crumble and shatter into the lava, a sword manifesting itself on a slab like some Arthurian legend:

I take the sword:

I head back into the crypt with my newfound goodies:

The mouse skeleton goes onto the empty noose:

This puzzle is quite fiddly. You have to keep looking at your journal to keep re-checking what positions the skeletons need to be in and the skeletons themselves have 10 movable parts each to get in exactly the right position, with many of the positions having two positions which kinda look like they could be right, so even once you've got all eight limbs where you think they should be... and nothing happens... then... which part of which limb do you correct...

Upon completion the shield on the wall turns into a real shield you can pick up:

Next time I suspect I'll be getting very close to end-game as I now have four of the required artefacts, but there's still obviously lots to do, the last room in here for a start!

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 16

Totally fucked:

Spoiler

Let's get this door open then:

I apply the vial of blood to the puzzle:

And this puzzle looks quite hard. You start at the small red dot in the middle and are allowed to move the dot towards any of the larger red symbols each turn to create a red line. You have to cover the whole pattern without getting in a position where you need to go over a line again. Throughout the puzzle I'm convinced I've fucked it up many times but keep going and complete it on the first attempt fairly quickly:

The door swings open:

The room is another where I can't touch anything until I've cleared the room of a pollutant, this time a devilish mirage via a splash of holy water:

With everything done here that can be I head for the church:

I take my sledgehammer to the pot in the grave:

And get a second gem:

Next up I try the sword artefact on the weeds:

Which clears the path completely:

Finally allowing me access to the church area:

At the well I apply the rope and the vase, but it still needs something else, a cross, to convert the water to holy water:

I leave that and look at the statue, which requires a crown to presumably release the sceptre, but not the stained glass window crown piece:

The door to the church is blocked by a strange force but there's an item I can pick up, a runed rod:

And I am now completely fucked. The only things left to do either involve getting a cross to get holy water or a crown for the statue. I search every area this side of the labyrinth for something I've missed or a Hidden Object puzzle that might have reactivated, but find nothing. I go round all the areas again only this time include a journey through all the areas around the mansion as well. Nothing. I look around all the areas this side of the labyrinth again to no avail. This is the only other thing "not done", it's that clue for the church door that's already in my journal but it doesn't do anything:

I give up and sneak a peek at a walkthrough. All these games usually have A1 walkthroughs as walkthroughs are as much a part of this community as they are at Gamebanshee, it's kind of part and parcel of a release. Still pissed off about it though, especially as I've played the game a couple of times before over the years

Back on track:

Spoiler

And, of course, I feel like a complete tard, but the item was just a random pick-up in the grave digger's shack. I'd scanned this area for any kind of items like this about five times now and have absolutely no idea why my mouse hadn't alerted me to this item before. The detection area is quite small, but not so small I shouldn't have picked up on it. I'm fairly flabbergasted to say the least:

Anyway, back to the well and lets get that cross in the water:

I lower the vase into the now holy water and the vase glows as I add it to my inventory:

I zoom back to the crypt room and splash the holy water as required:

The room reverts to its true form:

Clicking on the animal skull at the end of the beam of red light reveals a really easy puzzle. I insert my runed rod and just have to line them up so that it resembles that clue, literally just pull the rods into the right place:

A small animation plays of the church door opening and the crystal ball in the room turns blue:

Clicking on the crystal ball reveals a lump in the cloth:

I apply the ritual knife and get the third gem:

And the room seems to be done and dusted so I head for the church post-haste:

I'll finish off tomorrow by the look of it...

 

[IncendiaryDevice]

Part 17

Lots of statues:

Spoiler

Brace one's self, entering the church:

Hey, its this place again... but I thought this place was in town somewhere... oh well, artists gonna art:

Before starting this room proper though, I guess I ought to sort out that crown:

It requires my collection of gems:

I pick it up and it enters my inventory:

Now back outside:

And to the other statue that requires the crown:

The hand releases the sceptre and I can click and collect both the crown back and the newly acquired sceptre:

Back to the end game:

And putting each artefact onto the relevant statue, from the left going round clockwise:

Upon completion of this process the floor plan lights up, suggesting I have to do something with the sceptre, but the answer is not to insert it here:

A stained glass window and an angry demon shows his true form:

Spoiler

I still have a piece of stained glass window to put somewhere and the stained glass window is the last thing to do here:

Its a jigsaw puzzle, but, again, not really an easy one to say the least:

Even separating out all the pieces doesn't help too much in getting started, aside from the two holes in the middle:

Upon completion the demon is summoned and a cutscene starts. I haven't provided any screenies of cutscenes throughout this LP, but since this is the end of the game I thought I'd go through the hassle of this more complicated process and see if I could snag anything interesting for you:

The clue from the floor panel was that the sceptre had to go in between the statues somewhere, ie: lob it at the window:

The screen fades to back outside town:

And the credits roll:

And back to the main screen:

Here starteth and endeth the game.

I've played a few like this since 2010, but this was the only one I bothered keeping for some reason, though most are much of a muchness the quality does vary. There's a sequel to this game called The Keepers: The Order's Last Secret which I bought and played recently which is ok, not quite as good, but engaging enough, but that one does have a rather absurd final puzzle which was a 5 step puzzle of vastly increasing difficulty/time consumption, though, with that game, I simply lowered the difficulty at the end and chose to skip the last three. It might greatly please a true puzzler, I dunno. I'm not sure if you can lower the difficulty of Lost Progeny mid-game, I've never tried.

If you wanted a decent list of hybrid HOG/Adventure games then I'm not sure one exists, but you could soon create one by asking on the right forums if you were that interested. I'm happy just to try and play whatever I end up with, it's part of the fun of the lottery aspect of these kinds of games IMO.

Anyway, hope you found it fun etc. Later.