A mysterious castle with untold secrets resting inside are now begging to be discovered.
100 Stones Interactive’s The Eyes of Ara pushes you to solve the many brainteasers also lying inside it. After an unseen force begins sending out a mysterious signal, you are put on a path to discovering the meaning behind it. Getting to the bottom of the castle’s biggest mystery means you’ll have to use every bit of logic you have in you. Thankfully, the game’s talented developers have concocted an essential tips guide for newcomers. With this bit of advice, you’ll become a puzzle master and discover the truth in a quicker manner.
Here are the top 10 tips, tricks, and cheats you need to know for The Eyes of Ara.
1. Take a Moment to Learn the Interface
100 Stones Interactive
• The controls work how you’d expect for the most part, but there are a couple of things you should get used to early on to make things a little easier. Namely, the fact that you have to “pinch” the screen to back out of inspecting an object, and that you can use the same motions to zoom in and out when reading documents. It fits the way you’re used to using your phone, but you may not expect it from other games you’ve played.
2. Look Around You
100 Stones Interactive
• Each room has many things for you to investigate, from lore tidbits to puzzle pieces. The more thorough you are, the easier it will be to figure out what needs to be done. If you find yourself stuck, take another walk around the area and see if there are any details you might have missed.
3. Tap on ALL the Things
100 Stones Interactive
• Another thing that helps if you get stuck is to see if there might be any interactions in the room you may have missed. If you see something that looks like it could be puzzle-related, or even something that looks a little out of place, give it a tap anyway. Worst case scenario nothing happens and best case you end up finding something important.
4. Inspect the Items You Pick Up
• Anything you pick up and add to your inventory can be more closely inspected by tapping on it in the inventory bar. From this view, you can spin the object around or sometimes even manipulate it. If you can’t quite figure out how to solve a puzzle, check your inventory to see if there might be ways to manipulate your items that might help.
5. Read Everything
• The documents you’ll find scattered around are a good way to learn more about the history of the castle and the people who used to live there, but they can also reveal clues to various puzzles. Keep an eye out for things scribbled in the margins or text that might pertain to a puzzle.
6. Mostly Everything is Out in the Open
• All of the clues, items and, documents you’ll need are sitting out in plain sight or hidden behind obvious puzzles. So don’t worry too much about trying to search inside desk drawers or under statues for things you’re missing. If you need something, chances are you’ll be able to spot it in the environment.
7. Be on the Lookout for Collectibles
• There are a number of items throughout the game that don’t have any influence over the many puzzles you’ll encounter, but instead reveal additional story bits. Keep a sharp eye, and try tapping around all the little nooks and crannies – you never know when you’ll find coins, photos, and the like tucked away somewhere.
8. When You’re Done, You’re Done
• Once you’ve solved a given puzzle or found all you can find in a spot where you can zoom in (like the top of a desk, for example), you won’t be able to investigate that specific area any longer. This is a handy way of knowing when you have no reason to go back to an area. It also conveniently narrows down the number of interactable places in a room, which makes finding other goodies you may have missed a lot easier.
9. Stuck? Go Somewhere Else
• If you hit a wall while trying to decipher a particular puzzle, sometimes it’s best to just come back later. It could be that you’re missing a puzzle piece or clue that’s hidden in another room. Or maybe you just need a break. Take some time to relax and come back with fresh eyes. You may even find a few collectibles you missed!
10. Mess Around With the Options
• If you find yourself having a tough time locating small collectibles or puzzle elements, look at the Options menu. There you’ll find a few checkboxes for highlighting puzzle items and/or hidden pickups that should make things a little easier for you.
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