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Features on things wordy, geeky, and webbyMystery Case Files: Ravenhearst PC Game Review
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007 at 7:55 AM | 28 commentsRavenhearst Manor is a cliché old abandoned manor filled with secrets piquing the curiosity of many including me. The wondering doesn’t last long as Emma Ravenhearst’s diary shows up providing clues that could finally crack the manor’s secrets and mysterious tale.
Step into the shoes of Master Detective to search for clues in 32 rooms to find the diary’s missing pages, which hold the key to the sinister manor’s story. The rooms contain puzzles resembling I Spy where you locate the missing items to bring you closer to finding another diary entry. Beware! The missing items surprised me a few times, as they weren’t always what I expected. These surprises kept the hidden puzzles from getting boring as they take up about 75% of the game’s puzzles.
These puzzles grabbed my seven-year-old’s attention. He wanted to sit with me and find all the items. Not only did I get to enjoy a game with him, but also he’d ask what a “pick,” “bamboo steamer” or other item was. He was practicing reading and learning new words. It was a nice change of pace to have him learning without the word “homework” entering the picture.
The game even captivated my three-year-old. He may not have helped find missing objects, but he loved watching me play. For this mom, the game took the guilty out of this “guilty pleasure” since the kids took an interest. As soon as I started playing Ravenhearst, I didn’t stop unless I had to. I played the game in two days, staying up past my bedtime to finish it — and I’m strict about getting my sleep.
After finding a specific number of hidden items for the level, I ran into a jigsaw puzzle (a simple one, thankfully) to access another page of the diary. In between hidden objects puzzles, you enter a crime scene with a puzzle (known as the “door puzzle”) that stands in the way of your unlocking the door. When I encountered my first door puzzle, I was — apologies for the unavoidable pun — puzzled.
I was still perplexed at the different style puzzle from what I had been playing to this point. It finally clicked — I needed to figure out the buttons, objects and tasks to complete to get the key to open the door. From then on, I completed most of them. I gave up on several after too much time passed. I wish I had known about the BigFishGames forums for this game, which includes a Door Puzzle sub-category. I want to go back and figure out the ones I missed, but unfortunately, it means playing the game all over again.
Each level contains five hints. A few tips: When getting a hint, don’t click the screen again until you finish reading the hint. I wasted a few at the start of the game before I caught on. Also, avoid wasting a hint until you’ve answered and completed the previous one. Otherwise, an unsolved hint will appear again until you solve it.
Desperate times call for calling the professional puzzle solvers’ hotline. Taking advantage of this takes you past the puzzle without seeing its resolution. When I took this step the first time, the game confused me. It took me to another hidden puzzle, which I later realized was the first hidden puzzle you get after completing a door puzzle. Calling the hotline was like a non-event. It’s a good and bad thing that the game skips over the door puzzle solution. Good — you might try it later, bad — you might not have time to play the game to get back to that point.
Using the hotline takes away all the remaining hints for the level and five minutes on the clock. Oh yes, there’s a clock counting down as you work your way around the manor and through the mystery, but I opted for the easy way. The game offers two modes of play — Detective Mode, which has normal timed play, and Relaxed Mode, which offers extended time.
This beautiful graphics-based mystery will hook puzzle lovers of all ages. The sounds enhance the game offering a more shadowy feel to go along with the images and story. The game took me eight hours and I only know that because it reports the time spent at the end.
The free trial lets you play for one hour by real-world time, not the game’s time. Prepare yourself as the hour goes fast as it did for me, but don’t worry — if you run out of time and buy the game — you pick up where you left off.
System Requirements
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Pentium III 700 MHz
RAM: at least 128Mb
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28 comments
I tried several times to download this game - during the trial period I bought the game and haven’t been able to use it since.
If you purchased a game from BigFishGames and you need the activation code you can get it by clicking here. Just fill in your email address, and click the “Email order history” button, and your game information will be sent to your inbox.
I have just bought the full game and have my activation code, but when i try and play the game it just keeps saying “Downloading game content. Please wait.” and then nothing happens. Please help!
When you open the game, there should be a link on the “title page” that should let you enter the activation code. If you need it again, go to http://csc.trymedia.com/csc/start/ and enter your address, then click “Email Order History Button.” The game information should be sent.
Let me know if this doesn’t work. I’ll help you make sure it works.
The game has acepted the activation code it just wont ‘continue’ the adventure.
Did you try closing the window and restarting the game?
Yes, i’ve even restarted the computer, it just seems to never begin downloading.
Sounds like a firewall problem with fetching online content. It isn’t an activation issue. BFG support will help.
http://www.bigfishgames.com/support/
http://www.bigfishgames.com/support/support.php
Please help. In the las scene, I found all skeleton keys, but I can’t solve the puzzle there I need to unlock door. I tried different combinations of words (like Charles; Dalimar; england and etc.) but I don’t know the right word…
It’s been a while since I played the game, so I can’t recall how to finish it off. Check the forums at BigFishGames where users offer help and hints.
Angel, after finding all the skeleton keys, you must go to the cellar, click the button in the door and then solve the puzzle. It will lead you to the coffin of Lady Ema and then click on it… it’s done!
I cant get past the music room door. help
I have the seven keys and must be the world’s biggest DUNCE!!! I solved every other puzzle but I can not solve the way to open the cellar door. Right now I feel DUMB DUMB DUMB! T have breezed though the rest of the game and then to have a brain freeze now. DUH!
Warning: Contains spoiler for the final door. Highlight the following empty space to see the answer.
Each key has a symbol that matches a symbol on the door near the circular displays. Drag each key to the screen near the top of the door, and the screen displays a letter.
Click the red button next to the symbol that matches the key so it turns green. Use the dial at the bottom of the door to rotate to the matching letter. Repeat until you’ve spelled out the word.
the final door in the cellar the word is cherish. good luck
Have found all 7 keys and more in the last bit of the game and it still don’t give me the option to go to the cellar? am so stuck and its really getting to me cos i’ve sailed through the rest of the game! do you have to collect specific keys cos i’ve just seen a key and collected it and its let me! so i was assuming that they were one of the skeleton keys needed? helppppp!
I am at the last stage and i cannot get the door open to unlock her from the house..help
I am having the same problem as eve the skeleton keys collected still wont let me in the cellar
I love this game! However, I did not like the end! Click on the Basement tab and click on cellar, then click on the door and it’ll take you to the final puzzle!
I can’t get into the cellar or basement, i have all 7 keys.
PLease help
Posted by: shy on September 3rd, 2007, 1:41 PM
I can’t get into the cellar or basement, i have all 7 keys. PLease help
wHen Looking for The seven Keys, do Not go to the basement. find the 7 keys in all other locations. when u’r done, then click the basement tab and cellar will be available to you =)
Hurray!!! I completed the puzzle. Hey the 7 lettered word in the final puzzle changes… Its jus not the same.
Hi everybody, I have problem with solving the riddle, the one after the 20 clues.
I enter in her room, click on the dresser and then I can see the numbers in the riddle, but I cannot do anything…
what should I do?
since no 1 else will give ya a better hint try putting the keys inside the littel window ..it will then spell out the word for ya..for those that cant figure it out thwe answer is forever
i having problem with door lock. i can’t open it. i tried several times. please help me. solve it
help!!!
well i’ve got the seven keys and then i fonded another 3 keys but i only can enter to the kitchen and living room, what can i do?? i cant enter to the cellar!!!
pleas help me!
help. i have the same dilemma with vampirita. i have found all 7, and then another 3 keys. but i can only go to the dining room and living room. the 1st floor is the only tab i can open. i kept clicking on the basement tab, but it won’t budge. its not even blinking.
pls help. asap. i really wanna finish the game..
excactly the same i have found all 7 now 3 more and it says minus 3 and i can on go to the kitchen and the dining on the first floor basement tab has been closed the whole time even as soon as i started collecting keys no websites are helping !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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