MUMBO JUMBO KNEW HOW TO PUT THE FUNBO IN A GAME!
The ghost of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of *The Scarlet Letter* and *The House of the Seven Gables*, appears before you as a tormented soul. Nathaniel asks you to uncover the mystery behind his untimely death, which he believes is connected to a curse placed by accused witch, Sarah Good, upon his family during the Salem Witch Trials.
Your unique skills as a paranormal investigator allow you to travel to past timelines, including 17th-century Salem, where you will interview key characters, most of whom have been dearly departed for ages.
The deeper your investigation into the Salem Witch Trials, the more complex the conspiracy becomes. Who is telling the truth, and who is hiding the darkest of secrets?
The Midnight Mysteries series should not be overlooked by HOPA fans, especially those who appreciate games with a classic touch. Originally released in 2010, “Salem Witch Trials” was groundbreaking and ahead of its time in terms of game mechanics and features. The narrative blends fact and fiction, creating numerous plot twists and even a few jump-scare moments!
FEATURES
There are several items that can be interacted with during the game, and some have clever jump-scare moments. Salem Witch Trials has a free-roaming aspect that allows you to roam all unlocked locations, with the exception of a few scenes that are temporarily blocked by ghosts until their specific needs are fulfilled. FYI: Scenes you think were completed sometimes have something new to discover upon returning, such as a new inventory item or a new Hidden Object Scene, so if you get stuck, try revisiting the scenes until you discover something new. Some of the ghosts have valuable information that requires an otherworldly conversation, which is accomplished by clicking on the available questions. You can ask all of the questions or simply choose the most pertinent question and say goodbye.
DIARY
The Diary not only tracks your game progression percentage but also updates the story and the map in detail as you uncover new information, catering to those who enjoy a more in-depth narrative. The diary also adds codes and clues discovered, some of which you may not even realize are important until you encounter a mini-game puzzle!
COMBO ITEMS
There is a Combination Device on the right side of the Inventory Bar that allows you to combine two inventory items together when you click the plus sign. If the two items can’t be combined, they will turn red; otherwise, they turn green, and the combined item goes into your inventory. It’s up to you to determine which items can be combined, but most items are logically combined. I love this added step because it feels more authentic.
HINTS
The Hint feature is awesome! When you click on an item in the Inventory, it will display an image of the area where it will be used. In the Hidden Object Scenes, when you click on a listed item, the Lantern will show you a glimpse of what the listed item looks like, so it never feels like cheating, it’s just a nudge in the right direction…but HOW you earn the hints is even cooler!
RAVENS
There are 28 Ravens throughout the game, as well as within some HO scenes. Each Raven equals one hint. FYI: There is a detailed Strategy Guide included, so you’re never going to be hopelessly “stuck.” When you click on the raven, it turns into a ghostly apparition and flies to the Lantern, to add another hint.
CLOVERS
Each scene also has at least one four-leaf Clover to find, including within the Hidden Object Scenes. These little clovers are often hidden in plain sight, yet they remain challenging and incredibly addictive to find. FYI: I believe there are 63 Clovers in total, so it’s okay if you miss a few.
HIDDEN OBJECT SCENES
All of the Hidden Object Scenes are Listed Item finds; however, some of the items are listed as descriptive clues where you must figure out what item you are looking for based on a riddled, descriptive clue, such as “Eve’s Tempter.” The scenes are well-organized and include some items that are hidden inside drawers or cabinets, requiring an interactive action to discover them.
MINI-GAMES
I haven’t had this much fun solving a puzzle in a long time! This is definitely a “Think Outside the Box” kind of game because most of the mini-games require a code of some sort. Important dates and various numbers you randomly come across during the game are actually the solution to the puzzle, but it’s up to you to figure out which ones are relevant. One of my favorite games required finding a Morse code sheet and cross-referencing the dates from the clue…. Think dots & dashes!
ACHIEVEMENTS
There are 15 Achievements to earn, and I strongly suggest that you read over the available achievements on the main menu before starting the game. There are achievements for not using Hints in the HOs, and another for not using hints in the main story. There is also an achievement earned if you don’t get the Scaredy Cat pop-up warning for randomly clicking on HO scenes. Most of the achievements are story-driven and earned as you progress, apart from the achievements earned for finding all clovers, ravens, silver dollars, etc.
EASTER EGGS
There are a couple of Easter Eggs to discover/collect in the game. Although these items will go into your Inventory when you click on them, they do require an extra step to earn the Easter Egg Achievement! (SPOILER ALERT: The Alice in Wonderland achievement items must be combined correctly) If you earned these achievements, you can access Alice in Wonderland from the Extras menu.
UNLIMITED HIDDEN OBJECT GAME
If you find at least 50 Clovers, you will unlock an Achievement as well as an Unlimited HO Hunt, where you search for every item hidden within 8 Locations. There are at least three lists per scene, shown one at a time, and basically, you will empty the scene of all Hidden Objects. You’ll earn either a Gold, Silver, or Bronze stopwatch trophy, depending on the time it takes to find all of the objects.
SILVER DOLLAR HUNT
Once you complete the Main Game, you will have access to the “Silver Dollar Hunt”, where you return to the House of Seven Gables to search ten rooms for 100 Silver Dollars. (SPOILER ALERT: There are 10 Coins in each room) My only complaint is that there doesn’t seem to be a way to reset the Silver Dollar Hunt because it’s really fun, and I would love to be able to replay it.
EXTRAS
Strategy Guide (very detailed), a Panic Room (don’t panic!) Character Sketches, Deleted Scenes, Before/After Artwork featuring the artist’s sketch and then a computer rendition, and the final touched-up scene as it appears in the game. Research History with three fun fact stories about the Salem Witch Trials, a Nathaniel Hawthorne bio, and a Native American legend about The Thunderbird Myth, which is touched upon briefly at the end of the game, and the Easter Eggs (if the achievement was earned).
The entire Midnight Mysteries series by Mumbo Jumbo belongs in every HOPA fan’s library. They feature fantastic storylines, detailed graphics, and a wealth of collectibles. Most importantly, these games are just as enjoyable, if not more so, to replay!
Find this game in the Midnight Mysteries Collection – 5 Pack and the Dangers from Dreamland Vol. 3 – 15 Pack.
Happy gaming!