Introduction:

A prototype for a game in which you need to solve mysteries in a mythical museum with magical paintings.
Made for the Case of the Thinky Jam.

Controls:

  • Move with the arrow keys
  • Click on the characters to talk to them
  • Click on the labels to switch answers
  • Input the correct answers to unlock the door

Updates after jam entry:

  • Added some UX improvements which make it easier to navigate in text (added 'previous' and 'exit' button)
  • Repainted a certain clue in the big painting to be more clear.
  • Reworked some texts to be less ambiguous.


More information
StatusPrototype
PlatformsHTML5
Rating
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
(4 total ratings)
AuthorJoszs
GenrePuzzle
Made withGameMaker
TagsDetective
Average sessionA few minutes
LanguagesEnglish
InputsKeyboard, Mouse

Download

Download
case-of-the-canvas-jam-version.zip 785 kB

Comments

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SupremeQilin360 days ago

The game was Great until the Large Mosaic with the Lion, Rabbit, Dragon, and Skull. The hints don't seem to connect to find out the skull's identity.

Reply
Joszs360 days ago (1 edit)

Thanks for playing the game! Really appreciate the feedback. I did not have much time at the end of the jam to do playtesting that is why this puzzle turned out to be a bit rough on the edges.

I think these kind of games need a lot of playtesting to be fun and balanced. If I will continue working on this game I will definitely do that more, I can see that it is very easy to not remember or find certain clues for players.

The clues that need to be connected to deduce the identity of the skull:

  • The fox in the first painting said he is always reading books about magical artifacts
  • The fox in the first painting has a crown
  • The skull in the second painting has a crown
  • The painting of the chicken says that "the skull" was looking for some magical artifact and that he learned the location from his father
  • One thing that might not be completely clear is that the skull was a king (not a prince), I should have made that clear
  • This one is more of an assumption: If a father is a certain animal his children also are the same animal

The above clues should make it possible to answer the identity of the skull. I agree that this is the most difficult and most unclear puzzle of the game, sorry for that. Let me know if you want more information to find the answer.

Reply
Joszs359 days ago

I uploaded a post-jam version which should make the second puzzle a bit less ambiguous.

Reply
SupremeQilin359 days ago (1 edit) (+1)

Thank you for updating the demo! The first version, although confusing, was still a 5/10, but the update brought it to a solid 8/10. The only problems are the lack of background music, sound effects, and a weird wall/ceiling collision bug that caused me to soft-lock twice.

The condensed conversation routes are fluid, and the 'return' button makes the dead ends far less frustrating. Not having to wait for conversations to fade is a massive quality of life change. 


TL:DR; The game is GREAT.  The art is extremely cute, the concept is novel, and the solutions are rewarding. After finishing the second puzzle, the Large Mosaic, I found myself hungering for more content. I can easily see myself paying for a longer, more furnished game in the future. 


Looking forward to your next creation,

Review by SupremeQilin (12/21/23)

Reply
niefia360 days ago

Great concept, and the theming fits the idea really well. Art style is perfect with it too. The questions had a bit of ambiguity to them though (unless I missed some hints?), so may need a little more refining/playtesting if it's developed further.  Game wise it felt fairly polished and smooth though.

Reply
SupremeQilin360 days ago

Would it bother you if I asked for the solution to the Large Mosiac with the dragon and the skull?

Reply