Part 16: Puzzle Time

Puzzles Remix





3. From the points where the two flower beds touch, draw two diagonal lines that cur through the centre of the diagram and end where the other flower beds touch. These two lines divide that middle space between all four flower beds into four neat sections. What can you learn from those four sections?

Not gonna lie; for, uh, every single math puzzle ever I always manage to overthink it greatly. I just can't not make everything more complicated than it is I guess.






Folsense



You're just one of those people who does everything, hur? I get tired just thinkin' about it.



Unlike the last one of these we got, this one is actually useful right away. How nice!



One Oasis Leaf and two Peppercherries gets us the very... spicy... Chery Boost tea. Sure, okay.



But now we can also take that Dream Fluff before, add it to one Peppercherry and top it with some Brisk Berry to make the milder Dream Spice. Which, yes, is less spicy despite having "spice" in its name.



This is important because it means we can do two things with Felix. There's his puzzle, but there's also his tea!



What seems to be ailing you?
Every day I stand out here for hours and hours. All that standing makes my knees creak like crazy.
I should really start scheduling a mid-shift break or something.
Being a doorman does sound like an exhausting job.
Perhaps a cup of tea would help restore your spirits? I'd be happy to brew you some.
OK, but I should warn you, working at a five-star restaurant has made me a fussy drinker.
But if you can brew up something that tastes mild with a hint of spice, I'll be a happy camper.



Conveniently, this is one of the two that we just made. It's the only one of the two we just made that's getting any use in the near future, even!



I know good tea when I taste it. This tea, my friend, is simply out of this world!
Working as a doorman in the best restaurant in town, I have to be on the ball 100 percent of the time.
I mean, back in the day, even the duke's son and his fiancée used to come here.
When you've got customers like that, service has to be perfect from the second they turn up.
Wow, Folsense's elite, eh?
That's right, little man.
Come to think of it, I haven't seen those two for a while now. I really hope they visit us again some time.

Fascinating, thank you. Now, uh, where were we again...? Ah, right.

Puzzles Remix





3. Focus your search on the lower-left section of the picture.

This one I could kind of see, but it's awful to try and do. Thankfully, you do not need to be particularly precise with the solution.






Even more useful is the post-completion image gives a better idea of its actual location. While I put in the effort to get things to look acceptable for the writing bits, here I just couldn't get it to work.



Huh?
Um, Professor, I don't think that's quite what he meant.
Be that as it may, I'm not taking this hat off. Let's go, Luke.
But I was really looking forward to dropping in for a snack!
It takes a very special occasion for this hat to come off. That's all I have to say on the matter.
I think this is too deep for me...

I gotta admit, I do sort of want to see beneath that hat. Maybe sometime in the future we'll get a peek...



But for now, we'll just take a second house for Hamtaro. We're actually very close to doing more exercises, for that matter. There's a lot more toys to go but we only need one more.





2. Photo C is the only one where the stairs aren't illuminated, because there's no visible streetlight. Both photos C and D are missing the big, orange building in the background. By contrast, the building and streetlight are visible in photos A and B.
3. The door to the photo studio is the same colour in all pictures except A. Also, in B, one of the restaurant's windows is broken. However, the window is patched up in A, so A must have been taken after B.






History



To be honest, I've meant to rearrange them for a while now, but never got around to it.
It was no trouble at all.
I did notice one thing though. Considering their age, these are in remarkably good condition.
Tell me, what's your secret to keeping the photographs so vibrant?
Ha ha, either you flatter me or your eyes are playing tricks on you.
I take no special measures in preserving my photographs.



Well, perhaps the preservation methods here are a trade secret.



It's just so perfectly fitting that we get the final camera piece from the photography studio.

A Moment of Rest



Yes, final. Which means that it is time to make real progress on these minigames at last!

And it comes in two flavours to choose between. Well, kind of.

Fixing The Camera



Right at the end there, my brain just... shut down, I guess. You can even see the marker for where that penultimate piece goes! I give no excuses. I have no excuses. It is just... how did I even do that?





End

So, yeah, here's the twist.



Our reward for finishing this minigame is a different minigame. You may have been expecting some post-game puzzles, because that's what you got for this stuff in the first game. This game does not play by those silly sensible rules. No, you want the postgame content you've gotta earn it. Jump through these hoops!

In all seriousness though, this is kind of annoying because it screams padding. They could've had it do what it does now AND give you the post-game puzzles at this moment without gating it further. That'd be sensible though, and this game doesn't do sensible. You may have deduced that from a significant portion of the first half being glorified padding.

Of course, it's entirely possible this is something that only bugs me. Maybe you think getting two things out of this would be weird and silly. I mean, it's not like the first game had a mechanical device that was finished first, gave you some postgame puzzles and also had a main game function...

Suspense



Anyway, I'll stop harping on about this ultimately minor detail. For now.







Folsense



We'll start things off by going immediately to the left of the museum gate. That brings us here, which puts us not too far north of where Barton blocked us from going before. Hmm...



First though! We gotta talk to this woman. It's double-important.

Huh? See what?



Drat. I must have missed it.
That's the twelfth time today he's flown by. This must be the best spot for ghost watching.
I've been here for hours! It's all just so fascinating! I'm utterly captivated!
I'm sure it's all very exciting, but would you care to take a break and have a cup of tea?
That sounds great! I screech like a banshee every time I spot a ghost, and boy, is my throat sore!
But if I'm going to take a tea break, let's make it a mysterious one. WooooOOOoooo!
Ahem... That means I'd like something sweet and kind of unusual.



Ayup. Can't say you're surprised by this, can you?



Hey, there really is something a little mysterious about the way this tea tastes. Good job!
I'm glad you liked it.
Oh, yeah, it was great.
Let me thank you by telling you where all the spookiest ghosts in town hang out.
Folsense has got loads of great ghost-watching spots!
Thanks for the offer, but I'm scared enough as it is!



More important is that she has our first puzzle of the update. Yeah, see, it's been a while since we've gotten a break from the plot and this just so happens to be exactly when we get one.



Actually, we're searching for an item called the Elysian Box. Does that name sound familiar?
Wow, now that's a fantastic name! Here's a puzzle for sharing that great name with me!

Umm, this is... completely unrelated. Like, even by Layton games standards this is a leap.



The puzzle itself I mean. "You said a thing? PUZZLE AT YOU!" is so common, I got four thrown at me just crossing the street the other day.



Anyway, directly south of Clarice we find... this interesting locale. This is what Barton didn't want us to get to. Well, we showed him!



I would be remiss if I didn't immediately point out that like the Hankist Formerly Known As Steve, Vera here is renamed from the US version. There she was named Ilyana. I have never seen her dialogue but I am going to presume that she is still ABSURDLY Northern. Like, Steve was it done wrong. Vera is it done almost scarily right. You'll see.

Hmph, I wish. I told Sam to track it down, but that boy is about as useful as a chocolate frying pan.
Oooh, don't fret like that, love. You'll get wrinkles in that distinguished brow of yours.



this is just to show that no i am making none of her dialogue up she really talks like this



This, meanwhile, is to show that despite his best intentions Barton was fighting a losing battle. We made it here and Luke already knows what a cabaret is anyway. Plus, well, considering the locale I doubt it's a burlesque show so Barton needs to get his head out of the gutter.

Luke is like maybe twelve years old at most here, by the way.

Let's take a closer look, shall we?



Well, we kind of will. We can't get in with Vera blocking the way, but maybe she'll let us enter if we solve her puzzle.



You're coming in to see the show, aren't you duckie?
I apologise, madam, but we're in the middle of-
'Ey, you aren't going all shy on me are you? I can see you blushing under that big hat!
Oh, and who's your little friend there? He's a right strapping lad isn't he! Aren't you, love?
Me? Um...

Oh right, and the fact that Vera does not care that Luke is here kind of makes it super-obvious that, no, this is not what Barton thought it was.



Ooh, one of Mr B's friends are you?
Something like that, yes. Tell me, does Mr Beluga visit here often?
Well, you could certainly call him a patron of the arts, love.



Ooh, but you are a handsome devil, aren't you? Charming, dapper and such a gentleman.
Show me you've got some brains behind that pretty face and I might get a bit... indiscreet.

Oh, well, in that case I guess I'll just decline for now I guess.



Not for any great reason, mind you, just that we're done with all the plot we're getting for this update already.



Instead, we'll help Vera out in a slightly different way.



Ooh, I was in a world of my own there, love. Sorry, pet, I'm just a bit tired. And thirsty!
It's right dead in there and all. I think a nice sit down is what I need.
Your job must be very taxing. Make sure to allow some time in your schedule for recuperation.
Ooooh! Don't go worrying about me, love. You'll get wrinkles.
You're right, though, I need to schedule some Vera-time.
If you'd like, I think we could prepare you a nice cup of tea. How does that sound?
Oooh, you're a man after my own heart. I'm gaspin' for a cuppa!
I need a lift after the day I've had. Could you make me something refreshing?
Oooh, and make sure you sweeten it right up and all, sugar lump.
I think we might be able to able to make something that fits the bill. Let's see...



Nice and easy, this one. Even by the tea distribution standards we've seen thus far.



Oooh, now that is divine. I do like a man who knows his way 'round a teapot.
There's a lot of new faces passing through town these days, but yours is the best of the lot, love.



Lookswise, he didn't hold a candle to you, of course, but he had a touch of class, I'd say.
Now if you two ever get tired of running around, stop in any time and say hi, you hear? Tee hee hee.



So, if we head down those stairs to the left of the Cabaret we can find Granny Riddleton's shack. That's not all that's here though; this is the first screen we've found where we can put our new camera to good use. Let's just click that and...



Yes, like with all things relating to the camera this is surprisingly tedious. It doesn't seem like it yet but just you wait.



So, you take a "photo" of the screen then you go into the trunk and the camera submenu. This brings up a mini-photo album and you pick one of the photos you've taken. This gives you a bland puzzle that we'll is VERY SLOW to actually resolve. You'll probably smash it in seconds but then take about a minute or so to actually get it finished because this was not well thought out. Each photo gives you the exact same puzzle but reskinned, for the record. We'll cover it more later though...



For now, we'll head back to the Cabaret and then south to the area where we ran into Stachenscarfen and then back to here. That direct path is open now that we've gone the whole way around to the museum, which made Barton stop blocking the stairs.



Now why are we here? Well, there's a new character here and she could provide useful information. Could.

Hmm... How to satisfy a sweet tooth...
I know! Why don't we make you a cup of tea?
Capital idea, Luke.
Tea? Gosh, I was hoping for a sugar-coated choco-cookie cupcakes... But I suppose tea could be tasty.
Just make sure it's EXTRA sweet. OK?



Actually barely harder than Vera's, because it only gives you one of the two criteria in the second sentence.



Mmm! You know, that wasn't half bad at all. Actually, it was pretty tasty! Thanks a million!
That's the first sweet thing I've had since Mum made me give up cola. She says it rots your teeth.



Oh, and of course Joanie has a puzzle for us. It's not really a question of "if" but rather "when."



Honestly, I can't stand to see you looking like that, so here's a little puzzle my friend told me.

I'm not sure I can bring myself to school a child over something like this. At least not at this hour.



Instead, let's head into the antiques store now.



Dawson does actually have something important for us but first we must find a way past his creek.



What's the matter, sir?
I had a set of cards that were arranged in a very specific way.
Unfortunately, I seem to be all thumbs today, and I dropped them while dusting them.
Until I can put the cards back in their proper order, there's no way I'll be able to sell them.
This looks like a job for me! I'll have those cards back in order before you know it!

This is a bit too much for me. My biggest shame...



Instead, we'll head back towards the hotel to catch a rest an--



Well, she wasn't here before. And she doesn't have a puzzle for us! (She can get thirsty, as can Dawson, but we can't make their tea yet.)



Then Duke Herzen discovered a vast gold deposit on the outskirts of town, which changed everything.
Folsense developed rapidly, but word of the gold brought in all sorts of unsavoury types.
It's such an awful shame. This used to be such an enchanting town...

We keep hearing about this gold deposit, but you'd think we'd see some indication of it by now. Or at least of its prosperous after-effects. Maybe that's more obvious in a part of the town we haven't gotten to yet.



Well, no time to worry about that right now. Let's head on in to the hotel and finally talk to the doorman/bellboy and provide him with a drink for a change.



Oh, don't mind me, sir. I just get a little gloomy when I think about how slow business has been lately.
To be honest, just thinking about it puts a raincloud over my head.
Well, how would you like a cup of tea?
I'd be happy to make one for you, and you'd be surprised what it can do for your mood.
I'd appreciate it. Maybe something spicy will cure me of this case of the blues.



Well, we do get to put this one to use once here as well.



So we've used all of our current teas at least once now! How... nice. Yes, let's go with that.

Oh my, that is delicious. Mmm, each sip reveals more flavours. It's like the tea I drank as a child.



Yes, they were simpler times, but when you look at what gold did to the people here...
Well, let's just say I preferred the days gone by.



And thanks to perfect pattern recognition, we can pivot from the end of the tea drinking straight to the puzzle obtaining.



May I suggest a light puzzle to refresh the body and mind?

Well, I'll pass on that for now actually.



Instead, we'll just head on up to our room to check on Flora and rest our legs for a few minutes.



I dunno, that sounds good to me.



We will, Flora. Do feel better soon.







Puzzles Remix





1. There's no need to decipher the relationships of every person in the picture. Just focus on finding the answer to the question at hand.
2. Who's married to the eldest sister? Using the clues you've been given, you should be able to find the answer to that question almost instantaneously.





1. You'll have a tough time if you just dive straight into adding up different strings of gems. There's an order you need to proceed in. Why don't you start by adding up the total value of the necklace?





1. "When you've got a puzzle like this one, what you wanna do is go over all the info you've got and find the stuff you can use. The difference between my parents' ages probably won't help you. But... my sister's age could be kinda useful."





1. The sum of all cards is 21. Knowing this, you can deduce that the top row of three cards in your solution should add up to 10, while the bottom row must add up to 11.





1. Once you see the pattern that runs through this puzzle, it's not very difficult to solve.
2. 15+51=66; 34+43=77; 53+35=88 So is the pattern clear yet?

So, what about that Photograph "puzzle"? Well...





It's a spot the differences puzzle. Compared to even the easiest normal puzzle, this shouldn't be too taxing.

Just for the record when you're playing, this is ungodly tedious because you get to find them one at a time... then sit through Layton or Luke's animation... then the (in)correct screen and then repeat. Every. Single. Time. It makes it take way longer than it needs to. Thankfully for you, that's something only I need to deal with. Just find all three and we can move on.