In the Castle

In the Castle - by Muffle



First Thoughts:
It's been a while since I played a puzzle tower game. The last one I played was befuddle quest (the first one) and I'm trying to remember the story if there was one. In The Castle isn't so much about the puzzles themselves as it is about the character and his reasons for climbing this dangerous tower.

Story:
Legend has it that a beautiful princess is locked in a tower with long golden hair. Anyone who can save her will be rewarded with fame, fortune, and a beautiful bride. Many a hero has dared enter to the tower, never to return.

You are no hero. You are a simple man cursed with a deformity and must wear a mask to hide from the world. Your reasons for entering the castle tower are simple. Either you rescue the princess and maybe earn the respect of your father... or you'll die trying, win-win for everyone else either way.

In between each of the puzzles, you learn a little bit more about the character and his life and upbringing. Can anyone every learn to love that hideous face?

Game Play:
In the castle has 6 classic puzzles that we've seen in previous puzzle tower games like the aforementioned befuddle quest. They puzzles are not too difficult, but at least one of them had me stumped for a little while.

The first room has a rock(or ball) pushing puzzle. The object is to push each ball into a seal on the floor. Once all four are set, you can continue to the next room. If you mess up, you can flip the switch in the center of the room to start over.


The second room contains a color orb puzzle. The object here is to light four flames, but following the directions on the signs on the wall. For instance, one sign says the corners should be the same, but not the sides. To change the colors of the orbs, just step on the seal in front of it and it will cycle through Purple, Red, Green, and Blue. Once you've satisfied all the requirements for each flame, you may continue to the next room.


The third room is a classic sliding arrow puzzle. Step on any of the arrows and you'll automatically follow the path to the end. If you touch the seal you start the room over, and if you make it to the door, you move on to the next room.


In room number four, there are flowers in four places, plus a book in the center of the room. Signs give you clues as to the nature of this puzzle. Each flower has a name, and the first letter of each flower has a number. For example, the Craspedia flower begins with C, so it's numeric code is 1. Forget-me-nots begin with F, so it's number is 6. Pretty easy huh? Well... each flower also has a "meaning" behind it, and the book has a lyric poem that expresses different meaning. You have to translate the meanings to the flower... and then distill that into a six digit numeric code overall. This puzzle had me stumped for a good 20+ minutes before I found the right combination. Later I learned that the solution is in the games files :) (By the way.. the six digit number in the screenshot below is NOT the solution)


The fifth room contains a bunch of teleport spots. The object is simply a matter of finding the right one, just keep trying them all until you get the door.


The six room is covered in ice, all you have to do is skate your way to the door, it doesn't take long to get to it.


Once you complete all six puzzles.. you have made it to the princess!

Graphics and Music:
The graphics in this game, like most puzzle games, is mostly RTP from the native RPG Maker engine. The background music is sad and depressing, which fits the story as our protagonist is really really down on himself.



Overall:
I really liked the message behind this game. The princess's speech at the end, combined with the sad soundtrack would soften all but the most hardened of hearts. All in all, it's not a bad way to spend 40 or so minutes.