Ghost in the Sheet (1): Beginning

As Halloween is coming up, I thought I'd try the little game, Ghost in the Sheet, which I first noticed mentioned on a few adventure game sites. Seemed like an intriguing title, then I found that Big Fish has it for cheap, so I downloaded a copy over on my XP side. Looked at a review which says it's a short game. I have a few days before my next delivery of Kirkus, so I thought I'd try it while I'm waiting for Bracken Tor.

At first I thought I wouldn't be able to play it. The ghost is supposed to have special powers, which you can pick by using the function keys. But my function keys don't work on the XP side, except for their normal Apple functions such as changing brightness. But I'm OK. All the special functions appear in the upper left corner of the screen, so all I have to do is click on them. Shoot, I'd rather do that anyway, as a mouse addict.

The first scene is a simple-as-pie find-the-way-in puzzle. Once I realize that I can access the special powers, in this case telekinesis, in the corner I have no difficulty at all getting in.

I go ahead, then! Hmm. It certainly is low budget, but that's fine with me if it's got imagination. I've only seen one other game that has just one scene per location, the even-lower-budget Intrigue at Oakhaven Plantation. However, the screens are really well done. It's a bit difficult to see everything so this is going to take the usual strategy: explore everywhere.

OK. Forward. I'm in a cable-car bay, and my character says he's supposed to get in the car and cross the chasm. Click on the hole in the floor and that's where I just was. So, I go to the left and find a new room. Looking around, I find that the next room beyond that has a machine that's obviously a puzzle. I figure out how to push the buttons, but nothing happens. Back up. Ah! I can move the odd, glowing brick. Under that is a diary. This gives me some good number codes and a bit of backstory. Plus, I find the diarist's employee card with some useful-looking numbers on it. Also, throughout the diary they keep changing the "cellar door codes." I notice a pattern in the progression that ought to help later on.

Keep looking around and I find some instructions for the machine on the wall in the office. Lights have to be on? Maybe that's why I can't get it to do anything.

I go back to the cellar and examine the fuse box more carefully. OK. There it is. Sure enough, now I can get lights on the machine. It isn't straightforward, but it doesn't take me too long to solve it.

I wonder what the ladybirds are?

So, I'm off across the chasm! My, this is low budget indeed. But so far the puzzles haven't been too tough or solvable within 10 seconds, so that's fine.

I think the lead character here is voiced by our old friend Klemens Koehring from the Lost Crown. I'm sure of it. Sounds exactly like him: same accent, same intonations.

Speaking of intonations, I see that some of the written English in the game is just hilarious. Examples: "Empty papers" instead of blank papers. And a real gem: "Wooden door leading to the factory entrails."

And looky! I have acquired a new special power up in the left corner.

Oops! By clicking "exit to the station" I wind up on a cable car ride back to the original location. So I go back.

We have acid dripping from a pipe. I can lift a pot, but that doesn't help. I click it on everything, but make no progress. I do manage to open the gate (good misleading graphics on the numerical pad), but can't get through the door. Look around, look around, look around.

Ooohhh. I find an "asbestos sleeve." So by this I see that some of the hot spots are teensy. I try the sleeve on everything, and find where it goes. I try the pot on everything, and find where it goes. I try that on everything and find out what that does.

But I still can't get through the door. Oh, there it is. I just missed a teensy cursor change.

So I'm in Hall A. Hey! I find a real person and have a conversation that ends with the first (intentional) good joke of the game. Laugh out loud. I look down the rest of the corridor, but the thing that needs to be done here appears to be the gas line puzzle.

So I'll save here and go take care of Dad.