Balls is not, as you might think, a game made by Bobby Singer, but rather Robamimi's latest escape game in which you must find four balls in order to get out. It sounds simple, but the reality is anything but. Just click around to interact when the cursor changes, and use the arrows at the edges of the screen to move around. The changing cursor, while helpful, is nothing new, but the game also includes an option to display colour names when you mouse over certain items whose colour is relevant to solving puzzles, making the game much more playable for people who have difficulty distinguishing colours in general. There's also a hint function, but don't expect it to do much more than gesture vaguely in the right direction. But hey, that's all you'll need, right?
What's impressive about Balls (stop that giggling) is how user-friendly it is. The big transparent overlay on some mouse-overs might be a bit of overkill, but it's still always nice to see a developer working to ensure their games are as playable as possible for everyone. As for the gameplay, it's about what you'd expect from Robamimi, which means it relies on a lot of clever, subtle clues to unlock its puzzles. Many puzzle solutions are hidden in plain sight, but that doesn't mean the game is easy by any stretch of the definition. Its clean, professional design means that no space is wasted and everything has a function... it's figuring out what that function is that may take some brain power. Sneaky and smart in equal measure, Robamimi's Balls (I can hear you laughing back there) is another fine escape game that expects you to step up your game in order to win. Let's play ball!
Walkthrough Guide
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Walkthrough
I've tried to do things in the order of the in game hints, even though I did it differently myself. It may not be the most efficient way to escape. but it follows the developers plan.
1. Exploring
a. First screen
i.
The hotspots are the three lights at the top, the black-lined window on the left, the diamond sign “R270”, a device that looks like a stopwatch, the round sign “R150”, the green cap on the chair, the wooden box, the table.
ii.
The table
1.
Hotspots are the clock, the note, the red cap on the table, and the drawer labelled “FC open”
b. Turn right to face the wardrobe
i.
The hotspot is the lock
c. Turn right to face the door
i.
The hotspots are the lights, the roof between the left two lights (a duct too high to reach), the door, the shoes, the blue and black caps on hooks, the diagram on the wall.
d. Turn right to face the sink
i.
The hotspots are the three lights, the shelves on the left, the bathroom and the doors on the right.
ii.
The shelves on the left
ii.1.
The hotspots are the shelves
iii.
The bathroom
iii.1.
The hotspots are the towel, the thermometer, the buttons on the right and the tap.
iii.2.
The thermometer
iii.2.a.
The hotspot is the middle section
iii.3.
The buttons
iii.3.a.
They are marked U, V and Enter
iii.4.
The tap
iii.4.a.
The hotspots are the tap and the code above.
iii.4.b.
Use the towel on the water from the tap
iv.
The doors on the right
iv.1.
The hotspots are the buttons on the left, the left door and the blind cord on the right.
2. The Clues
a.
9 lights, wall, 4 buttons
i.
Meaning that there are 9 lights in the room that combine with a clue on the wall to form a 4 button code.
ii.
The clue on the wall is a map that indicates the order of lights to use as the clue for the stop-watch like device on the first screen.
iii.
If the buttons on the device were numbered (1 & 2 on top, 3 & 4 on the bottom) the code would be 1 3 3 2 4 4 3 4 2
iv.
Take the top off the device and take the battery
b.
270 degrees : 150 degrees
i.
The note on the table combined with the two signs gives the ratio 270:150 which reduces to 9:5
ii.
Zoom on the clock, then turn it around Not the key in the compartment.
iii.
Put in the battery and turn it back.
iv.
Press the left button 9 times and the right one 5 times. You’ll hear something.
v.
Turn the clock around again and get the key.
c.
UV is not ultraviolet. END
i.
Use the key on the wardrobe. Open it.
ii.
Note the 9 pairs on shorts
iii.
Note the 11 shirts on the top bar. The closest one says END.
iv.
Look through the shirts and notice the necklines. There is a mix of round and v necks.
v.
Determine the order of necklines from the wall to the END shirt.
vi.
The code is v v v u v v u u u v u
vii.
Use the code on the buttons next to the sink. The light goes on on the balcony.
d.
You can see the balcony
i.
Look through the balcony door and see the black lines on the left.
ii.
Go back to the first screen and look through the window. The black lines match up to make the code 308. Use the code on the door buttons.
e.
Use a chair in the room
i.
Go to the balcony and get the stool. Note the box with the combination lock on top, the yellow cap in the basket on the ground and the vent above the arrow on the right wall. There is also a smudge on the ground near the door.
ii.
Go back inside. Put the chair under the duct in front of the wardrobe
iii.
Get the note from the duct
f.
Look at the faucet
i.
Use the code above the tap to work out the code from the note.
ii.
The code is R 3 L 8
iii.
Go to the box on the balcony. Turn the knob clockwise to 3, then anticlockwise to 8.
iv.
Get the truck and note the diagram.
g.
FC is not Football Club. Let’s air the room.
i.
When the door is open, the temperature in the room is different.
ii.
It’s 86 Fahrenheit or 30 Celsius.
iii.
86F or 30C
iv.
Go to the table and use the code 8630. Get the remote control.
h.
Positions of Caps are important
i.
The caps are at different heights. Yellow is on the ground, green and red are at table height, blue and black are up on hooks.
ii.
Enter these heights on the wooden box. Get the baseball.
i.
Let’s Clean away. And the high place.
i.
Use the towel to clean the smudge on the balcony.
ii.
It reveals the code 17 62 35 84
iii.
The code is the order to press the corners of the duct. (press the corners in order 1 to 8)
iv.
Something fell, look at the shoes and find the battery.
j.
The shade + numbers on the floor
i.
Close the blinds and go to the balcony
ii.
There’s a code on the back of the blind – Up Right Down Left
iii.
This makes the direction code URDLDRUL
iv.
Go to the clock and get the other battery.
v.
Get the stool and go to the balcony.
vi.
Put the stool under the vent and put the truck into the vent.
vii.
Put the batteries into the remote and use the code on it to drive the truck.
viii.
Get the stool back and go back to the duct inside.
k.
Look at the ceiling in the room
i.
Get the tennis ball
l.
How many wears? People? Head = high, Foot = low
i.
Get all the balls. Note the clue on the soccer ball.
ii.
From Wikipedia, there are 9 players on a baseball team, 2 in tennis, 5 in basketball and 11 in soccer.
iii.
From the room there are 5 caps, 11 shirts, 9 shorts and 2 shoes.
iv.
This gives the order the balls go on the shelves: From top to bottom: basketball, soccer, baseball, tennis.
v.
The key is released, use it to escape.
Posted by: Jonathan Kok | August 25, 2014 10:56 PM