By John Walker on January 8th, 2008 at 12:59 am.
How to fill your next lunchtime: Guest House.
I’m really falling for these Flash-based minis. Minimal interface, minimal design, point-and-click adventures, lasting an hour tops if you get stuck often enough, they’re ideal little morsels. Especially when they’re as serenely designed as this.
The Japanese game is the first of a series of three, under the umbrella title, Terminal House. Guest House, seemingly having no relation to its title, tasks you with leaving the room in which you begin, and that’s it. But to do so you’ll have to solve various puzzles, from searching out objects to use, to reasonably simple maths puzzles, exploring what at first appears to be a very blank location. There’s a flaw: finding hidden areas – essential for completing the game – requires some rather aimless and random clicking, hoping you’ll find the spot that lets you peak behind an unmarked corner. It’s frustrating to be limited by this, and not particularly satisfying when you eventually click on the correct spot. A relief, but no sense of achievement. However, the calming music, gorgeous sound effects, and really remarkable animation, offer enough incentive to do so. It’s peculiarly beautiful at moments.
A big thanks to reader Martin Edelius for pointing us toward this. And now onto the other two.
08/01/2008 at 02:22 WCAYPAHWAT says:
There was something similar floating around a few years back. The Crimson Room or some such.
And for the more strategy minded, there’s the ever wonderful Warbears Series.
08/01/2008 at 04:31 Zeno, Internetographer says:
Love WarBears… because it’s possible to actually fail.
08/01/2008 at 06:45 Peter Bessman says:
AWESOME!
08/01/2008 at 07:22 Benjamin Finkel says:
Guest House appears to be the most recent game, actually, and it shows. Terminal House is an ugly, poorly designed game, including three arm-wrestling sections. Ew. Guest House, though, was really quite neat.
Ben
08/01/2008 at 08:00 Thiefsie says:
Yeh I always enjoy these for some masochistic reason… unable to pull myself away yet still knowing there is absolutely no skill involved etc. Hmmm. Quick entertainment I suppose. I’ve done guest house (took about 10 minutes) onto the others now :)
08/01/2008 at 13:03 Mouj says:
Alright, by chance, will anyone tell me what to do with the cans, without being sarcastic…?
Neat little game nonetheless.
08/01/2008 at 13:09 noggin says:
HELP! Lunchtime is nearly over and the purple lady won’t wake up. The energy drink just dribbles down her chin…
08/01/2008 at 13:10 noggin says:
I can help there – she’s got a coin under her hand. Use it to get a yellow can. You have to open the can before you can pour.
Beyond that I’m stuck….
08/01/2008 at 13:11 MisterBritish says:
Hotspot hunting without even a cursor change for a hint was rubbish, but a little light maths was fun.
08/01/2008 at 13:16 Mouj says:
Already.. now i need the next one !
Hint : indeed, you need to be clicking all over the place to find the second coin (that’s the hint).. i even found a place with nothing to do.
Anyways that was a fun couple of minutes.
08/01/2008 at 13:18 noggin says:
ah that’s where I’m stuck… [*more aimless clicking*]
08/01/2008 at 13:23 noggin says:
*click click click* god this is getting tiresome….
is that second coin in with her?
08/01/2008 at 13:27 noggin says:
*click click clickety click* i can’t believe I’m still doing this…
still a few more un-clicked pixels to go!
08/01/2008 at 13:34 noggin says:
ok got it… stupid coin! nice game
08/01/2008 at 14:35 Nallen says:
It’s not a nice game, it’s a bloody stupid game. Not even a game really!
clickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclickclick
Hooray!
08/01/2008 at 14:48 Ian Kiigan says:
That rhythm action bit in Terminal House was terrible though :(
08/01/2008 at 15:40 drunkymonkey says:
I hear you on the Flash-based love. The fact that there’s no downloading involved, and you can play literally right away, is always a bonus.
It’s why I can’t wait for that Quake 3 remake that iD are making.
08/01/2008 at 17:58 azalin says:
wheres the second coin? i cant stand it anymore
08/01/2008 at 19:19 Martin says:
I haven’t actually played it a lot myself but got hooked anyhow.
And yes, the random clicking around is a bit annoying but I sometimes keep the game on in the background just for the music. It’s quite lovely.
08/01/2008 at 21:41 Dario says:
Where the hell is that stupid second coin? This was entertaining till this whole pixel hunting thing started.
08/01/2008 at 22:42 Richard says:
Sorry, it looks pretty but that’s a terribly-designed game.
That is unless you are about to re-define “game” as being “something that requires you to click everywhere on the screen with no apparent purpose for minimal reward”.
I gave up when I couldn’t find the second coin. There is far too little incentive or reward for the mindless clicking.
08/01/2008 at 22:57 andreadst says:
*********
SPOILER
*********
second coin is on top of the fuse box
10/01/2008 at 23:36 Richard says:
I still don’t care
01/05/2009 at 16:59 Dwane Bird says:
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