Boat House

July 2, 2008

Platform: Flash

Tags: escape, flash, free, game, gump, japanese, kidsafe, macwinlinux, pointandclick, puzzle

By Jess | add to favorites | add to your website | Comments (71)

Weekday Escape

Jess Welcome to the second edition of Weekday Escape! This week we highlight a great brand new escape game from GUMP, another veteran developer of the genre. Boat House is the fourth installment of a series that began with Terminal House, followed by Rental House and Guest House. If you've already played through the first three games you'll be familiar with the oddly blue protagonist, his pink lady love and the futuristic, whisper-quiet environments that Gump is so fond of. Boat House is no different; the player must navigate a chamber filled with initially-puzzling gadgetry, codes and machines in an effort to escape, this time all the way home from some distant location in space.

Boat House is extremely well done. The game treads the line nicely between difficulty and hair-pulling madness, offering some truly clever puzzles without resorting to total incomprehension. The graphics are spare but well-drawn, and the story is communicated surprisingly well without the use of an actual narrative. Pixel-hunting is at a minimum, which I'm grateful for, and the cutscenes are simple but well-utilized. All in all, a thoughtful, sophisticated, entertaining game.

They've been through a journey. Now, help our heroes to finally get back home: Play Boat House!

Cheers to Martha, Mitch and Linda for suggesting this one! =)

Boat House walkthrough now available!

Currently 4.5/5
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Rating: 4.5/5 (100 votes cast)

Walkthrough Guide

Boat House Walkthrough:

Click the bottom right hand side of the vending machine to get the blue coin. You can use this in the vending machine to get the green energy drink
Open the can and look on the bottom to find a red key taped there
Go left and click on the photo of earth. Click the bottom right hand corner of the photo to remove the picture. Get the bolt and tile.
Go left again and click the lower panel between the two chairs. This will zoom in on the panel. Ignore the buttons for now and click right. Get the tile. Go left and click back again.
Go left and use the red key on the blue wall panel. Get the bolt and the purple key.
Go left again and notice the panels on the floor. Click them and use the purple key to open the right hand panel. Inside you should find a tube and the final purple tile.
Take the blue cap off the tube and pour the energy drink inside. This charges the batteries of the ship.
Return to the original screen and open the white panel on the wall. There should be a gap for a tile. Each tile will give you a number that can be entered in the keypad to open the wall panel in the room to the right.
So if you place the vertically lined tile in the gap add the lines vertically to find the missing number and so on with all the other tiles. If your still unsure the code is in the next spoiler.
The code is 658. Use this code in the wall panel in the screen to the right of the code panel. Examine the wheel. Combine this will the bolt and then place them both in the gap in the wall. Push the button.
Wait for the cut-scene to finish then return to the original screen. Click beside the vending machine again to find the chess piece.
Examine the piece and find a key taped to the bottom and some weird kind of code. The key opens the other floor panel.
As for the code on the bottom of the chess pieces. It is a mirror image so if you only look at half the puzzle you get the numbers 2751. This can be entered on the panel between the two chairs.
Go left twice so you're looking out the window again.Click to zoom in on the middle panel. The code is entered vertically using the buttons ie. you push the top button twice, the second button seven times, the third button five times and the last button once. Then push the large rectangular button to open the panel. Inside will be a keycard and the final coin.
Go right twice and put the coin in the vending machine. Get the purple energy drink. Go right again and zoom in on the floor panels. Open the furthest one and pour the drink into the pipe. This should fully charge the batteries.
Zoom out and open the wall panel again. Push the button again and wait for the cut-scene to finish. You should now be able to enter the final code and leave the ship!
Zoom out and go right twice. Click the middle panel again, then go left. Click the panel to zoom in (like you're sitting in the chair)
Examine the swipecard and notice the numbers and red letters on the back. Match the letters up to the word earth that was written on the wall. You should get the numbers 20958.
Swipe your card in the slot and then enter the code and now just enjoy your exit sequence!

Posted by: honeybeebear | July 2, 2008 3:11 AM

71 Comments [leave a comment]

Played this one already, it got some great smooth graphics and nice logic puzzles that require no pixel hunting skills.
A great game in a nutshell. A bit more of the story line is being revealed (just a tiny bit) but I think the creator wants us to figure the story out ourselves. anyway, I rated this game 4 mushrooms(yummie) because It's just a little bit to short compared to the last game the series.

cheers!

Posted by: Pufje | July 2, 2008 1:16 AM

I have two tiles, a bolt thingy, and a blue coin. I'm sleepy, so I've hit my wall early. Any clues on anything at all?

Posted by: WaltBomb | July 2, 2008 1:18 AM

Argh! I can't play these games without people telling me what to type. ;)

Quickly someone solve it.

PS Jay is games is great thanks for the escape games.

Posted by: ianuniacke

| July 2, 2008 1:20 AM

I've completed the game if you have any specific question, I'll try to give you a nudge in the right direction. :)

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 1:25 AM

So far I have:

two tiles, a blue coin, and what looks like some kind of bolt. I have no idea what to do next.... I keep clicking all over, heh.

Posted by: smjjames

| July 2, 2008 1:29 AM

I'm currently looking at

a grid of numbers. There is also a combination lock which has similar looking symbols to the one I placed. I have no idea if this is related.

Posted by: ianuniacke

| July 2, 2008 1:29 AM

also:

that vending machine keeps spitting the blue coin back out and I can't get either of the cans in there with that coin.

Posted by: smjjames

| July 2, 2008 1:31 AM

smjjames - about the coin in the vending machine

you're not turning the coin return knob are you?

try pushing one of the buttons under the pop cans

push the left one after inserting the coin.

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 1:34 AM

NM... I beat it. Fun.

Posted by: WaltBomb | July 2, 2008 1:34 AM

ah, i think I got the tiles figured out.

Posted by: smjjames

| July 2, 2008 1:36 AM

After

moving the boathouse (?)

I'm unable to find

a 2nd coin for the 2nd drink, or a keycard of some kind to enter what I think the code might be

Thanks for any help.

Posted by: AdamC | July 2, 2008 1:38 AM

Oh and yes I already found

the key under the black horse statue that fell

Posted by: AdamC | July 2, 2008 1:43 AM

Adam - you're at what I think is perhaps the most difficult puzzle. Have you found the

chess piece?

Try looking in places you may have already looked, as the rumbling may have dislodged something not previously seen.

Check next to the vending machine again.

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 1:44 AM

Ah, ok then

you already have the code to get the 2nd coin.

Did you look under the odd chess piece?

The code you need can be deciphered from that.

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 1:46 AM

I don't get this code on the bottom of the chess piece.

Posted by: smjjames

| July 2, 2008 1:50 AM

For chess piece code:

think about folding it in half

I feel kind of ridiculous (maybe I need sleep, I don't know) but I don't know where to enter the code since the keypad at the front doesn't seem to accept it.

Posted by: AdamC | July 2, 2008 1:53 AM

yea, the keypad at the front is not working either. I mean the buttons still click, but it doesn't look like it's on or anything.

Posted by: smjjames

| July 2, 2008 1:58 AM

About the code

Look at how the horses are oriented, and use that to decipher the code.
The horses are a mirror image of one another.
The code is aligned vertically on the bottom of the chess piece. Where else is there a vertical orientation to possibly enter a code?
Check out the panel between the two pilot chairs.
Enter the code by pressing each button the corresponding number of times.

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 1:59 AM

Ohhhhh the code goes in...

At the 4 vertical buttons in the central console thing.

Posted by: AdamC | July 2, 2008 2:00 AM

um, help?

so far I've found...

The vertical tile, bolt thingy, and gotten the green drink

and i figured out

The code given to me by the tile, and thus the first number of the combination

but now i'm totally lost... clicking randomly has not helped me any...

Posted by: waycooler

| July 2, 2008 2:01 AM

waycooler - have you

looked under the pop can?
examined the picture on the wall?

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 2:06 AM

Can anyone give me a hint as to what the grid of numbers means? I have the three tiles but I have no idea at all as to what the grid of numbers is supposed to represent.

Thanks in advance. :)

Posted by: ianuniacke

| July 2, 2008 2:10 AM

i'm so lost, can i get help with the 3 purple cards code?

Posted by: Phobic.Heart

| July 2, 2008 2:15 AM

The 3 purple cards:

You're gonna kick yourself for not figuring this one out on your own (it's very logical).
Notice the orientation of the purple stripes. What correlation with the numbers can you figure?
For example, take the vertical lines. Have you tried adding up the numbers in the columns? What number do you keep finding?

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 2:19 AM

About the grid code:

Add up the numbers in each column/row, and for the corner add up the numbers from the column and find the missing number for the row.

Posted by: Zace

| July 2, 2008 2:20 AM

And in fact, it's very logical XD
But i'm tired, so thanks a lot :P

Posted by: Phobic.Heart

| July 2, 2008 2:23 AM

Oooh i can help with the grid codes!

ok for me at least, i don't know if it's random...

The direction of purple lines indicate which direction you need to figure out a code for. for the vertical, you look at the numbers and add them together, and they are all the same, so you figure out the missing number where the purple tile is. then the horizontal tile is the same, but a different number. The angle tile is easier, and there is no math involved. you just look at the sequence, according to the tile, and figure out which number is there. for me it was the one in the middle of the right column. then you take your three numbers and put them in the corresponding spots in the combination on the other wall.

Again, that was for me... my code was

658

so i don't know about it being random or not.

Posted by: waycooler

| July 2, 2008 2:24 AM

So obvious. *note to kick self*

I actually thought of adding up rows like that but I must have had the vertical tile in and been adding up rows at the time so I didn't make the connection.

Posted by: ianuniacke

| July 2, 2008 2:26 AM

Waycooler

It is not random

Posted by: Phobic.Heart

| July 2, 2008 2:28 AM

Where's the last code? I'm thinking its from the grid but I thought it wasn't likely, and how would you get it? May I have some hints please?

Grid code thingy comment:

Lucky for you lazy ones I'm sure it is the same because I also had 658. (for the 3-digit gear hole panel thing code).

Posted by: Zace

| July 2, 2008 2:29 AM

Zace -

Do you have the card with the magnetic strip yet?

If so, there should be a rather obvious cipher on there.

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 2:31 AM

oooh last code i know too!

basically, use a combination of the

card thing that says "we are still alive here" or whatever

and the bit behind the

picture of the earth that says "earth"

if you still don't get it,

earth is the code for the code, and the card is the code for the earth. Examine the numbers under the message on the card. they correspond to the letters in the message, which correspond to "earth"

Posted by: waycooler

| July 2, 2008 2:33 AM

for the moment i have

bolt, round thing with sharp edges, green pop can, i've open the card code door, but my bolt and my round thing aren't fitting anywhere!

Posted by: Phobic.Heart

| July 2, 2008 2:44 AM

Phobic.Heart -

Try combining the bolt and the gear first.

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 2:45 AM

Yay! I'm out.

I had a dream last night that I was in an incredibly scary room escape game, and this was MUCH better.

But I wish I knew half an hour ago that

you have to click on the button in the gear box one more time before the code will work. D'oh.

Posted by: Anzhela

| July 2, 2008 2:51 AM

Gaah I just had to come here before going to bed...

I have:

--Both energy drinks (used them both in the floor hatches)

--The horse statue

--The keycard

--The three striped purple plates

I've figured out:

--use the corresponding numbers for the leatters in "earth" from the keycard as the password

But I don't know why it won't let me enter the password.

Posted by: LSN

| July 2, 2008 2:54 AM

As much as i love those games, i still cannot finish one on my own :D
But i don't care, it's so much fun anyways!
Thanks for the help and for the weekday escape!!
this one was hard :P

Posted by: Phobic.Heart

| July 2, 2008 2:54 AM

I think I understand how to decipher the last code, I got

20958

but when I try to enter the code nothing happens. The number display doesn't change to reflect that I've input some numbers and no doors or anything open or whatever. I've tried swiping the card then entering the code, entering the code THEN swiping the card, and all sorts of combinations. Also, it shows that both batteries are charged up..

Posted by: Jihiro

| July 2, 2008 2:55 AM

Oho! Never mind! Thanks to Anzhela for their awesome help!

Posted by: Jihiro

| July 2, 2008 2:57 AM

Oh, nevermind. Got it with Anzhela's hint.

Man, I think if I were ever stuck in a room escape game, I would fail horribly unless someone was there to hint me through it.

Posted by: LSN

| July 2, 2008 2:57 AM

Jihiro

go to the gear again and push the button

Posted by: ianuniacke

| July 2, 2008 2:58 AM

Where do I find the

purple card with horizontal bars?

So far I have the

other two cards, the green drink, the bolt and gear, and i've used the red and purple keys and the blue coin

Any help would be much appreciated =)

Posted by: JP | July 2, 2008 2:59 AM

Haha, so true, LSN! I think if I were trapped all alone in a room escape without all these helpful spoilers, I would have gotten so angry I would have smashed the consoles all up and NEVER been able to escape!

Posted by: Jihiro

| July 2, 2008 3:00 AM

JP - You can:

Combine the bolt and the gear.
Then you should be able to find someplace for that.
Then use the purple key on one of the floor panels.
That should give you a nudge in the right direction. ;)

Posted by: Jay

| July 2, 2008 3:07 AM

Boat House Walkthrough:

Click the bottom right hand side of the vending machine to get the blue coin. You can use this in the vending machine to get the green energy drink
Open the can and look on the bottom to find a red key taped there
Go left and click on the photo of earth. Click the bottom right hand corner of the photo to remove the picture. Get the bolt and tile.
Go left again and click the lower panel between the two chairs. This will zoom in on the panel. Ignore the buttons for now and click right. Get the tile. Go left and click back again.
Go left and use the red key on the blue wall panel. Get the bolt and the purple key.
Go left again and notice the panels on the floor. Click them and use the purple key to open the right hand panel. Inside you should find a tube and the final purple tile.
Take the blue cap off the tube and pour the energy drink inside. This charges the batteries of the ship.
Return to the original screen and open the white panel on the wall. There should be a gap for a tile. Each tile will give you a number that can be entered in the keypad to open the wall panel in the room to the right.
So if you place the vertically lined tile in the gap add the lines vertically to find the missing number and so on with all the other tiles. If your still unsure the code is in the next spoiler.
The code is 658. Use this code in the wall panel in the screen to the right of the code panel. Examine the wheel. Combine this will the bolt and then place them both in the gap in the wall. Push the button.
Wait for the cut-scene to finish then return to the original screen. Click beside the vending machine again to find the chess piece.
Examine the piece and find a key taped to the bottom and some weird kind of code. The key opens the other floor panel.
As for the code on the bottom of the chess pieces. It is a mirror image so if you only look at half the puzzle you get the numbers 2751. This can be entered on the panel between the two chairs.
Go left twice so you're looking out the window again.Click to zoom in on the middle panel. The code is entered vertically using the buttons ie. you push the top button twice, the second button seven times, the third button five times and the last button once. Then push the large rectangular button to open the panel. Inside will be a keycard and the final coin.
Go right twice and put the coin in the vending machine. Get the purple energy drink. Go right again and zoom in on the floor panels. Open the furthest one and pour the drink into the pipe. This should fully charge the batteries.
Zoom out and open the wall panel again. Push the button again and wait for the cut-scene to finish. You should now be able to enter the final code and leave the ship!
Zoom out and go right twice. Click the middle panel again, then go left. Click the panel to zoom in (like you're sitting in the chair)
Examine the swipecard and notice the numbers and red letters on the back. Match the letters up to the word earth that was written on the wall. You should get the numbers 20958.
Swipe your card in the slot and then enter the code and now just enjoy your exit sequence!

Posted by: honeybeebear

| July 2, 2008 3:11 AM

How does this guy know when to drink the drinks and when to pour them as fuel?

If I were him, I would have chugged those energy drinks first chance I got and started tearing on the panels with my fingernails...

Posted by: baba44713

| July 2, 2008 3:48 AM

Great game! I really like the addition of the Weekday Escape - keep them coming!!!

Posted by: MkeH

| July 2, 2008 8:24 AM

How do you examine an item?

Posted by: Mebeme | July 2, 2008 9:54 AM

Double-click an item to examine it.

Posted by: SonicLover

| July 2, 2008 11:45 AM

Is it just me, or did one of the bouncy-happy soundfiles fail to terminate at the end? I'm hearing it interspersed with sound effects that are decidedly more sober. Kind of odd!

Posted by: Shudog

| July 2, 2008 12:03 PM

Oh wait, it is just me. Sorry!

Posted by: Shudog

| July 2, 2008 12:05 PM

i would have laughed if the hole in the bottom was closed!!

Posted by: nmar | July 2, 2008 1:36 PM

Hi, Jess! I haven't played the game yet, but great review. Btw, tacos rule.

Posted by: AMarvell | July 2, 2008 1:49 PM

Nice little game. The chess piece code had me stumped, I couldn't figure out how or where to enter it Cheers to honeybeebear for the help on that one.

Posted by: sillybuttons™

| July 2, 2008 2:50 PM

Hey Guys,

Great website! It has been loading slow for me as well. I'm in Montreal, Qc, Canada and my ISP is Telus.

Thanks,
Doug

Posted by: doug | July 2, 2008 6:11 PM

This game seemed easier than the others in the series.

I'm still trying to figure out how Captain Unibrow in the Weekday Escape banner can make it out of the cave. Now THAT has me stumped.

Posted by: Billy Nitro

| July 2, 2008 6:16 PM

great game, enjoyed it a lot.

the graphics were fantastic, best i've seen in a room escape game, really. normally, i couldn't really care whether the game has screen transition animation or not, but this game did it really, really well. it helped draw me into the game.

the puzzles were really logical, too, as others have said. i would STRONGLY suggest that people sit and try to figure this one out on their own for a while before resorting to a guide. one reason is because the ending is very nice and rewarding. the other is because, chances are, once you read the answer online, you'll wonder how you didn't think of it yourself. SERIOUSLY, really sit and think through this one if you can.

anyways, great 2nd weekday escape, jess, keep it up!

Posted by: twosixtyseven

| July 3, 2008 2:56 AM

OK I need some assistance anyone out there? So far I have

a can of green soda, a bolt and two square discs.

Can someone tell me where to go next I am clicking everywhere, but to no avail.

Posted by: Tiana | July 3, 2008 9:57 AM

Tiana,

are you sure you have examined every object in your inventory thoroughly? Double click all objects to see them bigger. This allows you to examine (click) on different areas of the objects you found...

Posted by: Bram | July 3, 2008 3:33 PM

ESCAPE No. 12476

Posted by: Buffalo | July 3, 2008 9:37 PM

Hmmm.
Don't know why I cannot seem to combine the two metal pieces together? I try to double click one from the inventory and then drag the other one on it, doesn't work. Then a tried to drag the two together without examining one and... same thing. I think i'm stuck here:

i have the 2 metal things, used the 3 tiles, opened the door to find the mechanism, used the green bottle and have 1 battery lightened up

Any help? thank you, Bebel

Posted by: JIGuest | July 4, 2008 8:22 PM

I didn't find it logical at all! So sitting and thinking did nothing for me. When I read the bits of the walkthrough I needed I was saying to myself "Who on earth would do that? That makes no sense at all." So while I'm glad it was logical for some, I think it's a bit condescending to say "if you think about it you'll figure it out."

Posted by: dsrtrosy

| July 6, 2008 11:49 AM

JIGuest, I found the walkthrough above to be helpful--as mentioned, it was not very logical, so I had to rely on several hints. As for the two metal bits

you may just not be clicking in just the right location. I double clicked on the gear to open it large in the window, then single clicked on the bolt and clicked directly in the center of the gear. The bolt should slip in to the center of the gear. Hope that helps!

Posted by: dsrtrosy

| July 6, 2008 11:52 AM

So far i have

2 tiles, the green can, a gear and a bolt. I got the key off the can and poured it into the pipe, combine the bolt and the gear. i cant find the third tile and i dont know what to do with the gear and bolt.

Can someone help me?

Posted by: maddie

| July 6, 2008 9:08 PM

An excellent game, puzzles just complex enough to be entertaining without being arbitrary, and minimal pixel-hunting. Can't wait for the next installment!

maddie:

You haven't said which tile you're missing, but based on what you've written you've been in locations that have two of them, so I'm guessing you're missing the tile that's on the chair to the right of the console.

Posted by: Stormy | July 7, 2008 7:29 AM

First escape game played without a walkthrough. Yay!!

Posted by: xadrian

| July 7, 2008 5:13 PM

I clicked everywhere and was stuck, I did not think to clink on the bottom of the energy drink because in previous games it was just a fuel source. thanks for the help guys

Posted by: kenny | July 8, 2008 7:26 AM

I got it. Thanks Stormy!

Posted by: maddie

| July 8, 2008 4:03 PM

Where do I get 2nd coin? have the code, don't know where to enter it. Irritating. Please help.

Posted by: Amylittlekitten | August 6, 2008 7:08 PM

Can someone please help me? I've opened the code panel but dont know how to combine the screw thing and nut. I've tried clicking everywhere but i cant do it! Thanks.

Posted by: Shazzaprincess | August 17, 2008 8:54 AM

Cog

Click on the cog first to get a close-up view, then pick up the axle and drop it in the center of the cog. They should combine and you can go to the next step.

Chess code

If you've deciphered the code on the chess piece, go to the center console in front. Not the one with the picture of the ship and the keypad. Click the buttons, from top to bottom, with the numbers on the code. So if the first # is 14, then click the first button 14 times.

Posted by: Shudog

| August 17, 2008 1:37 PM

Update