Goliath The Soothsayer

January 16, 2008

Platform: Flash

Tags: adventure, bleffler, escape, flash, free, game, horror, macwinlinux, pg13, pointandclick

By Patrick | add to favorites | add to your website | Comments (93)

Do you agree with any of the following: A) The Mars Volta is tight, B) Room Escape games are tight, or C) Ouija boards are gateways for demonic forces? If so, you're in for a treat. A treat that will attempt to eat your soul.

Goliath the Soothsayer is an adventure game designed by Ben Leffler (of Exmortis series fame) to promote the upcoming Mars Volta release, The Bedlam In Goliath. The story is based on the experience of the band's sick guitarist, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. The guy goes to Jerusalem for vacation and walks into a curiosity shop. Of course, when you walk into a curio shop in Jerusalem you're bound to leave with a demonically enchanted artifact, right?

In the fiction of the game an insurance salesman buys the same Ouija board that Omar did. You play the poor guy's brother, the game starts with you waking up in an attic. Salt barricades the locked door, and your first task is to make an escape. After you do the game opens up a little bit and the mystery of Goliath the Soothsayer starts to unravel. Gameplay involves the usual clicking around for items and figuring out logic puzzles. Occasionally, a scary thing will happen, and it is possible to lose your soul to demonic entities while playing.

Analysis: The game is very good but it suffers from a lack of feedback in several respects. The exploratory process of clicking around for clues often isn't conclusive enough. Good adventure games don't hold your hand, but this one doesn't even nudge, and odds are you'll find yourself resorting to FAQs or spoiler tabs in the comments section in order to complete it. The writing that accompanies the object mouse-overs is also a bit overwrought, though not to the extent where it uses words like "overwrought".

With all that said, the puzzles hang together with a nice metaphysical logic, so if you start thinking like a paranormal investigator, it might come around smoothly for you. The graphics and audio are well done, making it enticing to continue despite the rough edges. No matter what you think of the genre or Mars Volta's music, you gotta admit, Ouija boards just don't get enough love in the media these days. Lets give all those repressed demon spirits a holiday. Play Goliath the Soothsayer.

Goliath The Soothsayer walkthrough now available!

Currently 4.4/5
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Rating: 4.4/5 (126 votes cast)

Walkthrough Guide

Full walkthrough:

Click on the pocket of the coat, get prayer card.
Go to the other end of the attic. Get the rope from underneath the chest.
Open the middle drawer of the chest and get the crucifix.
Look on top of the chest. Use the rope with hook to combine the two items.
Go back to where you woke up in the attic. Use the combined rope and hook on the gap above the door.
Play around with the rope by moving left and right to "fish" for the doorknob from the other end. Once this is accomplished, and you hear a noise that signals that the door has been opened, click the doorknob to open the door.
Proceed down the stairs. Click the lightswitch on the left side of the screen.
Click on the hallway that leads to the master bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom is not necessary, but it gives you a hint for later. Enter the bathroom.
Turn on the faucet. It will cloud the mirror, telling you to look for what is not there, rather than what is there. This refers to the alarm clock in the bedroom...
Enter the bedroom.
Get the statue of Shiva on the left.
Click on the switch for the lamps. It is located in the middle of the power cord below the window.
Get the "Love" note on the right side of the bed. Get the alarm clock on the right side of the screen. A four-digit number can be read on it by looking at the spaces that are NOT lit up. This number is the password for the computer diary in the office.
Go back to the main hallway and enter the office. Get the "Murder" note on the rightmost printer. Turn on the computer and read the diary after inputting the password from the alarm clock. It is necessary to read this in order to finish the game, and it is important for the story and setting.
Go back to the main hallway. Enter the door on the right that closed by itself. Wait for the weird stuff to happen, then switch on the lamp on the right side of the room.
Get the Qur'an on the small table on the right.
Continue on downstairs. Turn up the lamp. Enter the loungeroom. Get the shofar and the Buddha statue (in the middle and next to the TV respectively).
Return to the hallway. Enter the linen closet. Get the Ema (prayer board) and the "Lust" note.
Notice that the closet lights up. Click on it. Get the key. Click on the safe. If you got all three notes, you notice that each word (Love, Lust, Murder) is written inside a shape (Heart, Square, Circle). On the safe, these shapes are inscribed in that order, so go ahead and input the numbers that correspond to the letters LOVELUSTMURDER. Those numbers are 56835878687337. Access is granted, and you get the Soothsayer.
Go back to the hallway and use the key on the locked door.
Two endings, take your pick:
1. Use the Soothsayer with the Ouija Divining Glass in the middle of the kitchen (bad idea!) or...
2. Go out to the backyard and click on the pre-dug hole.
Congratulations, you finished!

Posted by: DLand | January 17, 2008 1:31 AM

93 Comments [leave a comment]

I think I will be stuck in the attic forever. All I have so far is the prayercard, the rope, and the crucifix. This is a tough game.

Posted by: TTT | January 16, 2008 10:28 PM

example

try clicking on top of dresser in attic

Posted by: Frised | January 16, 2008 10:52 PM

I got really confused when I was directed to amazon.com... but then I saw that the game was there and now the confusion is over. weird.

and then I got the door open and... ugh. I don't think I can play this one. Just a wee bit too realistic and creepy for me.

Posted by: wendy

| January 16, 2008 11:17 PM

Ack! How exciting. I like the layout of the inventory, but I am scared out of my wits to play further than the outside of the attic! It's too dark outside right now.

Especially after the

cracked wall!

Ahh! Something is going to pop out at me, I KNOW it.

But I will try.

Posted by: Zoya

| January 16, 2008 11:18 PM

Oh, but we intentionally waited until dark to post this one. Bwahahaha! >:)

Posted by: Jay

| January 16, 2008 11:26 PM

:O
That is the cruelest thing I have EVER heard of.

-emotionalbreakdown-

Why are people so mean?

-sob-

Posted by: Zoya

| January 16, 2008 11:29 PM

This game's kind of annoying. But so far...

Move your cursor over the jacket until you find text about a lump in the pocket. Click to receive a prayer card.

Turn left. Click under the dresser to retrieve a rope. Open the drawers to get a crucifix. Click on the top of the dresser to find a meat hook. Use the rope on the hook.

Turn back toward the door. Move your cursor to the rafters above the door until you see text about the wall not going all the way to the ceiling. Use the hook there, wiggle your mouse around, then click on the doorknob (if the door won't open, keep moving your mouse around some more until the hook latches). Go down the stairs after the scene. Click on the lightswitch to the left to turn the lights on in the hall.

Click on the end of the hall to go to the ground floor. Click the lamp to turn the brightness up. AH A GHOST! Go into the linen closet and pick up the note ("Lust" written in a square) and the shinto ema painting on the wall. Go back out, enter the lounge room. Take the Jewish sofar off the coffee table, and the Buddha statue off the table by the TV.

Go back to the main hall, and click just to the left of the end of the hall to go to the bedroom and bathroom. Go into the bathroom and click the faucet to turn on the hot water. The steam shows a message on the mirror.

Go to the bedroom now. Take the shiva statue. Over on the far right, you should be able to make out a red light. Click to see a broken alarm clock.

Think about the mirror's message.

Look at the lights that AREN'T lit up. They form the numbers. This changes each game.

Go back to the main hall and go to the left into the office. Take the note out of the printer ("Murder" written in a circle). Click on the monitor in the center of the desk to turn it on. Click again, and it asks for a password.

Use the code from the alarm clock. You need to manually click each square and type in one number in each one.

The diary is long and filled with backstory. The only thing of note I found was mentioning breaking the bond with the Ouija board by splitting it into 7 pieces and burying it with 7 religious artifacts, as well as a "Love Lust Murder" triangle of spirits.

Go back to the main hall, and move your cursor to the right wall until you find the door that you saw closing the first time you entered this area. Go in and look around until the lights go out and the TV turns itself on. It apparently says something, but my volume is off.

That's as far as I got for now.

Posted by: James | January 16, 2008 11:38 PM

Done with both endings. It was enjoyable, and easy to play with my sister in the room, the lights on, the volume down, and a lot of focus on the puzzle itself.

I liked the backstory, though it creeps me out that it was based on truth.

Posted by: Zoya

| January 17, 2008 12:11 AM

I didn't find this too hard, and beat it without any hints, hurray :D

The only thing that creeped me out a bit was the

thing in the forest

Posted by: Harukio

| January 17, 2008 12:15 AM

Yeah, I didn't used to believe in demons ect. but I like the band, so I'm willing to change my worldview.

Posted by: Patrick

| January 17, 2008 12:30 AM

I've gotten as far as James and have no idea what to do now. Any Help?

Posted by: Sean

| January 17, 2008 12:32 AM

@ Patrick - your comment is seriously one of the funniest things I've ever read.

If only I changed my way of thinking everytime I liked a band! ;)

Posted by: wendy

| January 17, 2008 1:28 AM

Full walkthrough:

Click on the pocket of the coat, get prayer card.
Go to the other end of the attic. Get the rope from underneath the chest.
Open the middle drawer of the chest and get the crucifix.
Look on top of the chest. Use the rope with hook to combine the two items.
Go back to where you woke up in the attic. Use the combined rope and hook on the gap above the door.
Play around with the rope by moving left and right to "fish" for the doorknob from the other end. Once this is accomplished, and you hear a noise that signals that the door has been opened, click the doorknob to open the door.
Proceed down the stairs. Click the lightswitch on the left side of the screen.
Click on the hallway that leads to the master bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom is not necessary, but it gives you a hint for later. Enter the bathroom.
Turn on the faucet. It will cloud the mirror, telling you to look for what is not there, rather than what is there. This refers to the alarm clock in the bedroom...
Enter the bedroom.
Get the statue of Shiva on the left.
Click on the switch for the lamps. It is located in the middle of the power cord below the window.
Get the "Love" note on the right side of the bed. Get the alarm clock on the right side of the screen. A four-digit number can be read on it by looking at the spaces that are NOT lit up. This number is the password for the computer diary in the office.
Go back to the main hallway and enter the office. Get the "Murder" note on the rightmost printer. Turn on the computer and read the diary after inputting the password from the alarm clock. It is necessary to read this in order to finish the game, and it is important for the story and setting.
Go back to the main hallway. Enter the door on the right that closed by itself. Wait for the weird stuff to happen, then switch on the lamp on the right side of the room.
Get the Qur'an on the small table on the right.
Continue on downstairs. Turn up the lamp. Enter the loungeroom. Get the shofar and the Buddha statue (in the middle and next to the TV respectively).
Return to the hallway. Enter the linen closet. Get the Ema (prayer board) and the "Lust" note.
Notice that the closet lights up. Click on it. Get the key. Click on the safe. If you got all three notes, you notice that each word (Love, Lust, Murder) is written inside a shape (Heart, Square, Circle). On the safe, these shapes are inscribed in that order, so go ahead and input the numbers that correspond to the letters LOVELUSTMURDER. Those numbers are 56835878687337. Access is granted, and you get the Soothsayer.
Go back to the hallway and use the key on the locked door.
Two endings, take your pick:
1. Use the Soothsayer with the Ouija Divining Glass in the middle of the kitchen (bad idea!) or...
2. Go out to the backyard and click on the pre-dug hole.
Congratulations, you finished!

Posted by: DLand

| January 17, 2008 1:31 AM

Minor correction to walkthrough:

You actually do need to solve the alarm clock problem and successfully open the diary in order to finish the game.

Posted by: DLand

| January 17, 2008 1:43 AM

Got it! Used only one small cheat to

find the hook

but was fun from there on. Of course, it's almost midnight and I have to go from this room to our bedroom with the lights off so I don't wake the honey.. hmm.. maybe a round of Dumbolf before bed!
One complaint though.. if there are

only two endings

why does the message in the kitchen imply

that you can save the brother??

Spent forever looking

for another way to play the board!!

Posted by: Meowfunk

| January 17, 2008 2:19 AM

Marz Volta rocks! This game is Silent Hill awesomeness!! Play it!!!

Posted by: Abner | January 17, 2008 2:28 AM

The prose isn't overwrought, it's just plain bad English. It takes a real knack to make EVERY description and journal entry wordy, convoluted, and unconvincing. Nothing sounded remotely like what someone experiencing the game events or the Jerusalem events might write or think.

Exmortis 1 & 2 suffered from this as well. Please, please, please hire a writer.

Illogical puzzles:

The radio clock puzzle was decent if you assume tricky spirits want you to know the password to his diary and hid the code in the clock. But there's no reason to associate the bathroom mirror with the bedroom clock.
As to the safe, please explain how the manufacturer stamped three symbols in the correct order to convert the associated ancient spirits' English names into a 14-number string that happens to be the combination???

Posted by: Strangelander

| January 17, 2008 2:39 AM

Meowfunk,

The message in the kitchen

wasn't written by the brother...
Arcane evils can be tricky like that.

Posted by: Strangelander

| January 17, 2008 2:43 AM

The constantly raising dark bar on the bottom irks me quite a bit.

Posted by: baba44713

| January 17, 2008 10:21 AM

I found the graphics a bit cheesy. Whenever the ghouls showed themselves I wanted to laugh, and the spell was broken. Which just goes to show you why the imagination is so much more powerful.

I had a similar problem with Exmortis. Very very creepy, up until the end when things start revealing themselves. But walking through those dark rooms is definitely frightening.

Posted by: annepin

| January 17, 2008 1:55 PM

Does anyone know where to find the light switch in the room across from the office? I saw the lamp there but am unable to find a way to turn it on.

Posted by: Nette | January 17, 2008 3:17 PM

I too was unable to find the light switch in the room across from the office. I clicked everywhere on the right side of the screen but nothing happened.....

Posted by: Anonymous | January 17, 2008 4:48 PM

strangelander, about the safe:

who says the manufacturer imprinted the shapes? True, the safe is very unusual as it holds the length of numbers that the code is, but other than that, it's a normal safe (the cellphone-like keypad is getting more common as more people pick alphabetical passwords. For instance, instead of "1234", they may choose "password").

One thing about getting out of the attic:

Seeing as there were descriptions to near everything irrelevant, it seemed odd not to have a description for the top of the dresser. Maybe it's me, but even though it has no hover-text, it still seems like a very strange angle for looking in an attic (there's a door in the attic, and you're telling me you have to look up to see above a three-row-drawer dresser, and above the bottoms of two windows?!?!)

Posted by: EMDF

| January 17, 2008 5:36 PM

New point and click! Yayyyyyyyyyy! I mean Yiiiiiiiiikes! My, how sinister a turn the digital realm has taken. Hope no unfortunate soul decided to start a Diary in this game....

Diving in now!

Posted by: Jac

| January 17, 2008 6:57 PM

So far so good, making progress without hinnts but ACK! Every time I suceed at something I am rewarded with copious amounts of splattered blood... and the audio in not getting any less creepy as I move along.

Posted by: Jac

| January 17, 2008 7:18 PM

OK I'm giving up for now, I was doing fine without a walkthrough or hints until this point, But even after getting a hint I've tried twice with no success to

turn on the light in the creepy TV room after they go out

but can't get it to work. I'll try again on another dark and stormy night.

I thought the mood was good, the graphics didn't frighten me but I didn't find them goofy, either. The writing, on the other hand, is a little hard to take. Maybe a few more words like overwrought would have helped!

As for it being a true story, well, maybe some time at the Amazing Randi's site would put that in perspective! ;-p

Posted by: Jac

| January 17, 2008 8:26 PM

I play the game and got to the ending by

buring the soothsayer in the hole

The whole thing freaked me out a little but I'm still curious as to the outcome of the alternate ending when you

use the soothsayer on the kitchen table

Will someone tell me what happens so I don't have to go through it all and be scared out of my wits again?!?!?

Posted by: Anne | January 17, 2008 8:45 PM

I'd love to tell you if I could get the light back on in the TV room, Anne! Can you give me any info on how to get that done? Is it a switch? Should I be clicking on the upper, middle or lower right? This is VERY frustrating, I've tried four times now!

Posted by: Jac

| January 17, 2008 9:05 PM

OK! For those who seek illumination of the lamp:

The light in the creepy TV room is turned on with a switch -

You don't have to click around, it will show you a phrase "this is the switch for the light" or something, when the pointer comes to -

It is about mid screen from top to bottom, on my screen about a quarter inch from the right edge (IF it doesn't move game to game, I don't think that it does.)

Why this is so tricky I'm not sure, but it certainly is!

Posted by: Jac

| January 17, 2008 10:33 PM

Sorry Jac, I stepped away for a while. The light switch took me forever to find too. It caused me more angst than any other part of the game.

So what's the word? Is the other ending as terrifying as I have imagined???

Posted by: Anne | January 17, 2008 10:56 PM

bwahahah, I loved getting to the ground floor for the first time.

appears the building is being haunted by Jesus!

Posted by: Nekodoshi | January 18, 2008 4:46 AM

I also found that parts of this game weren't as scary as they tried to be.

For example, "You attached the rope to the meat hook", yet the message is given to you in a splatter of blood. Maybe next time I should try attaching the rope to the non-pointy end first? Also, the Floating Woman bit reminded me too much of Ghostbusters. I keep expecting stuff to leap out, though, so this game's better for me than Exmortis.

The atmosphere looks dark, but in the "old with too little light" sense, not the "Oh no! Zombie monsters!" sense.

I like how it's set up as a room-escape game at first, but with all the salt and religious imagery in the house, it must have been pretty hard for the evil forces to get so far in it.

Posted by: Gar | January 18, 2008 2:22 PM

Oh, I just pressed Tab, figuring some big gross thing would chide me for pressing Tab, but nothing did! (It just shows the cover for the music album)

Posted by: Gar | January 18, 2008 2:29 PM

uMM...This is a good game. Not too long and pretty damn scary!!!!

I strongly suggest to wait till morning light to play this (which is what I did cause when I started last night, I nearly screamed out loud at certain parts). Soundtrack is pretty good.

I had to watch some Family Guy cartoons for a bit before going to sleep cause I was soo scared. LOL but..who am I kidding, I watch Family Guy any time it's on tv!

Posted by: moseywo

| January 18, 2008 2:51 PM

Yeah, there's nothing like killing an atmosphere by sticking a plug in for the album at the press of a button!

Posted by: Razorgirl

| January 18, 2008 5:12 PM

pshh, the beginning part annoyed me so i didn't play. so why wouldn't he start looking in the attic when he first got stuck there? and if i had been stuck in some creepy shreiking house for days, even if i hadn't been clever enough to find the rope i think i would have taken my chances with the window anyway.

Posted by: mushroom | January 19, 2008 8:08 AM

If it weren't for this game, I wouldn't have known about the new Mars Volta album. So this is awesome.

Posted by: kaelb

| January 19, 2008 2:17 PM

Being able to fast forward through the tedious intro stuff would help this game immensely.

Posted by: Diorist

| January 19, 2008 3:54 PM

The light switch, in the darkened room:

Near the crack of light, about midway up the screen.

I was too freaked to do the scary ending, my imagination is too wild.

Posted by: Megs | January 20, 2008 6:06 AM

Hi everyone!
I would really love some help, cause even with the walkthrough I am stuck!
Here is what I've got so far:

the three notes (love, lust, murder), prayer card, crucifix, shofar, shinto ema, shiva staute and I have read the diary. The walktroughs say that the closet will light up and I will get a key. Which closet?

.
I keep on doing circles and I am completely stuck. By the way, I like this game although the language could really be a little easier. English is not my language and the diary was kind of too much for me.
Thanks a lot in advance!
^_^

Posted by: KittenInPyjamas | January 20, 2008 9:14 AM

The miracle of posting! I solved it! ^_^

Posted by: KittenInPyjamas | January 20, 2008 9:21 AM

OH MY GOD!! I did the alt. ending and now I have to change my pants!... Just kidding. The "bad" ending isn't as scary as the "good" ending. XD

Posted by: kenshiro | January 20, 2008 9:46 PM

Is this a REALLY freaky game? o_O? I don't want to play if I will have nightmares. I am 13...overactive imagination I hate thou.

Posted by: Midnight

| January 21, 2008 12:25 PM

This was an incredible game! I know I'll be playing it many times over. Ben's work is the best of the P&C genre of online gaming, and I really wish that there were more scary games out there as good as his.

Posted by: SC | January 27, 2008 6:47 PM

Somebody help me....
How do I get

in that room on the main hallway, the one where the door closed by itself? I saw the walkthrough but it doesn't say anything about a key.

Helppppp pleeeaasseeee
Thanks

Posted by: carine

| January 29, 2008 1:22 PM

yes!!!

I did it
(the right ending)
bit spooky but
fun !!

-Xx-

Posted by: lola | January 30, 2008 11:11 AM

i can't figure out the pass code for the computer?
can anyone email it to me?
it's really making me mad :[
i can't read it

Posted by: kira | February 1, 2008 8:56 PM

I kind of like the Mars Volta, but I kind of don't like scary games, but I reasoned that it can't be THAT scary since it's promotional!

So I got two of my friends to play it at the same time as me to make it easier and less scary. It was nice. What an elaborate board.

Posted by: Reibear

| February 1, 2008 11:55 PM

holy crap, that was pretty freaky especially at 10:40pm. Great game keep it up!

O by the way all you light witch seeking people. The room with the tv's light switch is about 1/4 of an inch away from the door on the right

Posted by: Joe | February 2, 2008 10:44 PM

To kira,
The password to the computer is 5507.

Posted by: Tara | February 3, 2008 4:40 PM

to tara the computer password changes each game mine was 6690 so kira dont listen to her

Posted by: DUH | February 3, 2008 7:26 PM

im still having trouble with the clock i dont get it im looking at the unlit spaces but my guesses never seem to work can some one tell me a hint or do i have to click on the clock in a certian area or something plz help

ps good game but to hard

Posted by: annex | February 4, 2008 2:05 PM

I am only 8 so after the intro i was way freaked out but the sound was off so i just quit but i wish i did play it to see the bad ending maybe when im 18 or 16 i will play it 8 or 10 more years now.

Posted by: jack clark | February 5, 2008 7:34 AM

This would have been more interesting as a short story. Hopefully with better writing. Getting out of the attic and putting the bathroom note reference to the bedroom clock was all I couldn't figure out on my own. What the hell is a meat hook doing on top of a dresser in an attic? Also, the damn online diary is really freakin' long, wordy, and written by a damn third grader. The safe combination was spelled out. The only thing easier would have been to write the numbers in order on the face of the safe. Plus it's not scary. It's only mildly startling since they used cheap tricks of flashing things on the screen and loud noises to make people jump. Plus the band this is for sucks.

If you want to play a real "puzzle" game and actually have to think for more than 30 seconds, play the Submachine series.

Posted by: Metallgoth

| February 5, 2008 11:56 AM

what's the alternative ending whee you use the soothsayer on the kitcen table?

Posted by: Anonymous | February 7, 2008 5:53 PM

For those of you too freaked out to try the alternate ending, if you put the Soothsayer on the glass thing, you will start "playing" it. First you just hover your mouse over the glass thing while it spins around for awhile, then the screen fades in and out. Then (cue that scary music we all love!) the glass starts moving by itself. The screen is shaking while the glass spells out "YOU ARE MINE". Once it is done spelling, a bloody hand juts out of the board, the screen fades out, and you go to the end screen... I recommend you do not go for this ending, unless you are mature enough to handle it without screaming your head off. I just laughed so hard I almost had to "change my pants", when the hand popped out. I guess that moment just killed it for me :). Oh, and the weird "grudge"-like black kid that was hiding in the forest? I didn't see it until it zipped away. Not scary at all..... Good guide though.

Posted by: YOU ARE MINE | February 7, 2008 8:25 PM

that game was pretty sweet...and damn creepy...neone else have too wild of an imagination or broad definition of reality?

Posted by: webster

| February 7, 2008 11:04 PM

Okay, what are you guys serious the password changes every game and is not limited to the numbers on the clock, how the hizzle am I supposed to figure that crap out, i aint no cryptologist, i mean come on, it was a good game but it sounds like the ending sucks so forget it.

Posted by: Dalton | February 8, 2008 10:36 PM

The alt ending sucks. The hand coming out of the soothslayer looked a little too much like "evil dead". It would have been better to actually get to save the brother. Kind of lost the momentum of the plot once you got to the ground floor. BORING!

Posted by: sarah | February 9, 2008 11:42 PM

I admire Ben Lefflers work here, as well as in the 'Exmortis' series, the diary journals in both games (Exmortis2) kept me interested in the plot, and giving a well written back story.

The tension kept on building with every further door that was opened in the game, good work, cant wait for Exmortis3.

Posted by: Ernest | February 14, 2008 4:56 AM

the text in this game hurts my eyes

Posted by: link_991

| February 16, 2008 2:25 AM

How do you get the combination to the safe, I got this far and I am now stuck.

Posted by: Anonymous | February 17, 2008 5:31 PM

I'm so freaking scared, I don't even want to play anymore, cause I'm paranoid enough without this man's games to haunt me....I think I'm being watched RIGHT NOW.

And it's sunset....meep.... :'(

Overall, for the scare factor? 10/10. Just like Purgatorium, and possibly worse (OMG, WORSE?!) than Exmortis and Exmortis 2.

Posted by: Peridot_Horntail | February 18, 2008 5:44 PM

great game, pretty scary except for the alt ending which was really not worth going back!!!

Posted by: sushi | February 20, 2008 5:32 PM

They keep saying a closet light will turn on. How do i get that on?

Posted by: Mary | February 22, 2008 11:29 PM

I don't know the code for the computer!!!!
help me please???

Posted by: michael | February 23, 2008 1:27 AM

This is very similiar to an early PC game called AMBER. Personally, I consider AMBER to be the scarier even though it is 10 years old.
I did enjoy Goliath.

Posted by: me | February 25, 2008 7:02 PM

ive got out of the attic but i cant open the ediary
does anyone know what that massage in the bathroom means

(look not for what is there,but what is not there...)

ANYONE KNOW
IM STUCK ...........

Posted by: connie | March 1, 2008 4:40 AM

For those having trouble with the clock, maybe this will help:

If the display were completely lit, it'd look like this: _ _ _ _ |_||_||_||_| |_||_||_||_| You need to look for "what is not there" - the bars that aren't lit. So remove the lit bars from the graphic above, and it'll show you 4 numbers. Now where can you use 4 numbers...

Posted by: Lodrelhai

| March 3, 2008 5:39 AM

Argh... it didn't show up right, trying again (and if someone can delete my previous comment, that'd help)

If the display were completely lit, it'd look like this: _ _ _ _
|_||_||_||_|
|_||_||_||_| You need to look for "what is not there" - the bars that aren't lit. So remove the lit bars from the graphic above, and it'll show you 4 numbers. Now where can you use 4 numbers...

Posted by: Lodrelhai

| March 3, 2008 5:58 AM

Awfully unsporting

of the brother to beg us to use the darned board.

Why would he do that?

Posted by: nobrothers | March 9, 2008 7:34 PM

When i get into the room with the TV, I can't turn the lights back on after they go off. What am I doing wrong?

Posted by: CobaltLion | March 12, 2008 2:38 PM

dude this is the scariest and coolest escape game i have ever played but i seem to be stuck with the code on the clock

Posted by: a guy | March 23, 2008 10:35 PM

dude i finally got the code to the computer (go me!)

Posted by: a guy | March 23, 2008 11:04 PM

great game cant wait for exmortis 3 if it will ever come out -.- ive been waiting years man!

Posted by: jake | March 24, 2008 2:41 PM

Click on the pocket of the coat, get prayer card.
Go to the other end of the attic. Get the rope from underneath the chest.
Open the middle drawer of the chest and get the crucifix.
Look on top of the chest. Use the rope with hook to combine the two items.
Go back to where you woke up in the attic. Use the combined rope and hook on the gap above the door.
Play around with the rope by moving left and right to "fish" for the doorknob from the other end. Once this is accomplished, and you hear a noise that signals that the door has been opened, click the doorknob to open the door.
Proceed down the stairs. Click the lightswitch on the left side of the screen.
Click on the hallway that leads to the master bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom is not necessary, but it gives you a hint for later. Enter the bathroom.
Turn on the faucet. It will cloud the mirror, telling you to look for what is not there, rather than what is there. This refers to the alarm clock in the bedroom...
Enter the bedroom.
Get the statue of Shiva on the left.
Click on the switch for the lamps. It is located in the middle of the power cord below the window.
Get the "Love" note on the right side of the bed. Get the alarm clock on the right side of the screen. A four-digit number can be read on it by looking at the spaces that are NOT lit up. This number is the password for the computer diary in the office.
Go back to the main hallway and enter the office. Get the "Murder" note on the rightmost printer. Turn on the computer and read the diary after inputting the password from the alarm clock. It is necessary to read this in order to finish the game, and it is important for the story and setting.
Go back to the main hallway. Enter the door on the right that closed by itself. Wait for the weird stuff to happen, then switch on the lamp on the right side of the room.
Get the Qur'an on the small table on the right.
Continue on downstairs. Turn up the lamp. Enter the loungeroom. Get the shofar and the Buddha statue (in the middle and next to the TV respectively).
Return to the hallway. Enter the linen closet. Get the Ema (prayer board) and the "Lust" note.
Notice that the closet lights up. Click on it. Get the key. Click on the safe. If you got all three notes, you notice that each word (Love, Lust, Murder) is written inside a shape (Heart, Square, Circle). On the safe, these shapes are inscribed in that order, so go ahead and input the numbers that correspond to the letters LOVELUSTMURDER. Those numbers are 56835878687337. Access is granted, and you get the Soothsayer.
Go back to the hallway and use the key on the locked door.
Two endings, take your pick:

Use the Soothsayer with the Ouija Divining Glass in the middle of the kitchen (bad idea!) or...
Go out to the backyard and click on the pre-dug hole.
Congratulations, you finished!

Posted by: jake | March 24, 2008 2:43 PM

what will happen in the room where the lights turn off?

Posted by: a guy | March 24, 2008 5:38 PM

What's with the loading screen? It just keeps counting...how far does it have to count to before the game starts?!

Posted by: not telling | March 27, 2008 12:37 AM

It wasn't bad, but I still have a few complaints, like the fact that most of the clues just didn't make sense, like the broken clock and the message on the bathroom mirror. I can't imagine how people actually figured that out on their own. I wasn't scared at all by this game, I've seen to many scary movies to be caught off guard by the odd ghost just apearing and disappearing every once in a while, it's not very original. The ending could have been better, I can't see why the spirits wouldn't put up more of a struggle to keep you from burying the board, aside from just leaving that fake message from the brother on the kitchen table. This game just seems like a lazy version of Exmortis to me. Hiring a writer would have helped a lot too. Like I said, this wasn't bad, it just doesn't seem like a great deal of effort was put into it, aside from the graphics, the graphics were pretty good. I'll rate it a three, only because I liked the graphics and imagery.

Posted by: S.M.B. | March 27, 2008 4:44 PM

that was one scary game. those stupid things that pop out at you are *@$#ing scary!!!!!!!!! damn you evil spirits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am going to have nightmares tonight.

Posted by: scared to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | April 6, 2008 5:20 PM

I got stuck for a while because apparently you can't use the key until you finish everything else.
That didn't really make sense to me. :\

Posted by: Doctor | April 13, 2008 7:10 PM

That was rather nice, and for me, who is a zero in such games, not that hard to play. But to admire the graphics... Wow. Last time I tried any games was two years ago, when I was sitting at home with broken arm, I remember enjoying Ben Leffler's art too. Jay, could you ask, if Ben gets scared by his own creation? :)

Posted by: ina | April 14, 2008 4:37 PM

CRAP this was creepy the mirror got me the most especially the voices didn't really make me jump though and my heart didn't speed up much because i'm used to it, got the creeps now though.. overall great game ben can't wait till exmortis 3 and sorry about the laptop. =D

Posted by: Jade | April 15, 2008 2:33 PM

i have done all the steps...but i cant get the closet to light up to get the key...any suggestions?

Posted by: Jenfer | April 15, 2008 7:01 PM

having 1 small problem he computer in the office wont accept the password and i'm sure i got it right

Posted by: luke | May 16, 2008 11:17 AM

This game is story-rich but not very puzzle-rich. It isn't very challenging unlike some point-and-click games. The puzzle is not too easy but not too hard either. I think the hint is good enough to be not too obvious. But if you are smart, you will be able to get it. For people who wants a challenging and funny game, it may not what they want. But for people who are willing to read story and enjoy the storyline, it is a great game. Good artwork. Good sounds and effects.

I give 5 stars for the serious work created by the author. :)

Posted by: Someone | May 18, 2008 12:11 PM

To S.M.B.

His quote:

My reply:

Well if you examine the alarm clock for some time, you may even notice it without the hint. The non-lit up part looks like some numbers so you will get it without the hint. If you see the hint, it becomes clearer when you see the alarm for a while.

Posted by: Someone | May 18, 2008 12:26 PM

I quite enjoyed this, although there wasn't many actual puzzles to do. I thought the large amounts of text was also very well-done. Graphics were excellent, too.

4/5

BTW I just want to brag and say that I figured out the clock on my own and WITHOUT the hint in the bathroom :D

Posted by: Wes | May 25, 2008 12:41 PM

dang.... i was pretty scared about these game even thou i look up for some walkthrough... woooo...
pretty scary... nice game... great ending...
i was about not to read the diary.. coz it takes me long time to read.. and its already night.. it makes me sleepy so i just click and click.. i dont even understand wat i read.. haha funny...

Posted by: kel | June 6, 2008 4:35 AM

i got everything but the closet wont open
it didn't even light up
what do i do?

Posted by: jill | June 6, 2008 6:34 PM

this game is pretty freaky, but the alt. ending wasnt as freaky as i thought it'd be. the only thing i have a hard time understanding is the safe combination. i kept getting afraid to leave the attic bur i'm glad i did! ben leffler is awesome!!!! i havent seen one game by him that really sucked. cant wait for exmortis 3!! btw, the password can be different, mine was 0500.

Posted by: bethi | June 11, 2008 12:57 PM

it was a very chilling and entertaining game with a good back story as well. it was challenging enough without being so difficult that you have to have walkthrough open in another window.

Posted by: cata

| July 22, 2008 8:34 PM

I nearly wet my pants when I was in the attic, because I kept hearing this scuffling noise when got near the door! I even had to close up the game! But I'm trying again.

Posted by: Strawberry

| July 28, 2008 3:56 PM

Update