MOTAS

Last updated
Mystery Of Time And Space
Mystery Of Time And Space (logo).png
Developer(s) Jan Albartus
Publisher(s) Jan Albartus
Composer(s) Sam Cardon; John Frederick Coots, Haven Gillespie (Level 8); Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern (Levels 9 & 13)
ReleaseFirst version: November 2001 (22 years ago)
Current version: May 2008 (15 years ago)
Genre(s) Escape the room, Puzzle

The Mystery of Time and Space (commonly known as MOTAS) is a popular online graphic adventure game created by Jan Albartus (LOGAN). The game was produced using Macromedia Flash (now Adobe Flash) and was an early influential example of the escape the room genre. [1] There are 20 levels of varying length, some consisting of a single room and others consisting of a large network of rooms. Though advertised as a constant work-in-progress with "new levels coming soon," MOTAS has not been updated since May 2008.

Contents

The game is currently available in 15 languages, including English, French, German, Japanese, and both traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese. There is also a moderated chat room available for players to discuss the game.

The levels have been noted for their jazz soundtrack, especially the Christmas-themed Level 8 and its jazz representation of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". Levels 9 and 13 play a MIDI version of "The Way You Look Tonight".

Gameplay

As with most games of this genre, the player interacts with the environment within the game by pointing at and clicking the elements within the game's environment in order to solve the game's puzzles, with many of them exhibiting a high technology and science fiction influence. The environment may be "searched" by clicking at various spots within the game's environments to uncover hidden items; for example, in the first room, the player has to retrieve a hidden key under the bed's pillow. Retrieved items can then be used to interact with elements within the environment to solve puzzles. A player uses retrieved items by clicking on it in their inventory (shown on the upper left corner), and then clicking on the element within the environment to interact with the element using the selected item. Taking the key from the previous example, a player can click on it when it is in their inventory, and then click on the cupboard's door again to open the cupboard using the retrieved key. If the item is not meant for the element, then nothing happens. Again using the key as an example: if the player tries to use the key on the door instead of the cupboard, nothing happens and the door remains locked.

Often, solving one part of the puzzle will reveal items, codes (passwords), or pathways that in turn that help solve another part of the puzzle. The aforementioned cupboard, for example, yields a screwdriver, and the screwdriver is used to unscrew the painting, which yields a screw in return, and so on. The player must often apply lateral thinking when trying to find uses for the items retrieved in order to solve the puzzles. Codes can be in a variety of formats, usually involving simple number sequences but can also be as complex as involving colours, directions and binary; these must be entered into the appropriate elements inside the game's environment correctly in order to advance through the game.

Some of the puzzles may be presented as a single element within the game's environment itself, rather than involving multiple items and elements within the game's environment; these are usually presented in the form of locks preventing access to other elements or pathways. For example, in one of the rooms on the tenth level, the player must unlock a safe by solving a circular, colourful pie chart-like puzzle, through interaction with the elements of the puzzle itself.

Many elements within the game, such as many pieces of furniture and some of the puzzles themselves, can be interacted with without using any additional items. For example, unlocked doors can be opened simply by clicking on them, and some chairs can be moved around by clicking on them.

As the game advances, the gameplay itself steadily evolves at the same time, the levels and puzzles gradually becoming more complex and multi-layered. Levels begin taking place over multiple rooms at once and eventually ventures into an outside world beyond locked buildings. In later levels, the player acquires a device called the Manipulator of Time and Space (MOTAS) device, which takes the player back to previous levels via time travel in order to retrieve items; the player then returns to the current level to solve the puzzles using the items retrieved.

Plot

Unique among many games of this genre, MOTAS features a plot that changes and evolves as the player advances through the course of the game. MOTAS begins in a relatively formulaic fashion; as is the convention in escape the room games, the player awakens in a bedroom that is locked from the outside with no memory of prior events. As the game progresses, the player discovers several elements throughout the game's environment that suggest the player is a clone, such as a letter left on a table in one of the rooms on the seventh level regarding an escaped clone, and a manual about cloning left on a table in the eleventh level, which leaves the player wondering about their existence afterwards. There are also subtle hints throughout the game suggesting that the player may be an alien, such as at the end of level eight the player puts on what is described as an "Alien Suit". Depictions of aliens can also be found throughout the game: for example, on the ninth level the player sees the dead body of an alien lying outside a crashed UFO in the first room.

Both possibilities are most strongly hinted at on the sixteenth level. On that level, an encrypted mission report, written by an unknown group of persons aboard an "artificial moon" and left on a computer to be discovered and decrypted by the player, mentions clones being trained in a "Logic Training facility" on the artificial moon along with the discovery of a planet that is named by the writers as "Terra Prime", and is reported as being called Earth by its inhabitants. This strongly suggests that the writers may be extraterrestrial aliens; the report also mentions hostilities from the inhabitants of the planet after the writers' presence in the Solar System was uncovered, and of the measures taken against it by the writers of the report, including the creation of a clone to "hopefully save the planet"; this clone is hinted at the end of the report as being the player.

One plot suggestion has been dismissed though: on the eighth level of the game, a figure in a pink alien suit was shown apparently following the player by exiting one of the two doors inside a room after the player has left the level; this figure was revealed in the seventeenth level to be merely the player themselves, the pink colour explained as the result of an accident while attempting to hide behind the door. The version of the player in the pink suit had travelled from the future using the MOTAS device; the item also helps serve to further the game's metafictional elements.

Other elements that serve as plot suggestions include a book named after the game itself, various notes left behind by persons unknown throughout the game (with one reading "No unauthorised time travel"), and the use of portals and teleportation devices to advance between some levels of the game.

Development

MOTAS was created in November 2001. At that time MOTAS was hosted on a free web server and the game featured only one room (level). In February 2002, a counter was added. As of May 2008, MOTAS has 20 levels plus the guestbook/end level. At several points, the game became so popular that bandwidth became a problem, and so the game was moved to another web host.

Reception

Mystery of Time and Space is considered to be a highly significant escape the room adventure that helped propel the genre to significance as a subset of online games. It has been referenced in other adventure games, such as the similarly alien-themed Cybee's Adventure, in which a "MOTAS Deluxe box" appears as an item. [2] The credits of the seminal escape the room adventure Crimson Room name MOTAS as an inspiration. [3] Channel 4 has commented on the game, describing it as "a treat" with "intricate problems", although it also criticized the game for the obscurity and difficulty of its puzzles. [4] Nytimes.com mentioned MOTAS in its article "GAME THEORY; A Little Getaway: Small, Simple, Fast and Fun". [5] MOTAS is also mentioned in an article on TheStar.com: "For lots of gamers, escapism means starting out in a trap - 'Room escape' games, with their endless variations, are booming". [1] PCWorld.com wrote: 'If you liked the Crimson and Viridian rooms, you'll get a kick out of "Mystery of Time and Space," a 12-level game of the same ilk as the "rooms."' [6] [7] The game Bonte Room also references MOTAS in the walkthrough.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puzzle video game</span> Video game genre

Puzzle video games make up a broad genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles can test problem-solving skills, including logic, pattern recognition, sequence solving, spatial recognition, and word completion. Many puzzle games involve a real-time element and require quick thinking, such as Tetris (1985) and Lemmings (1991).

Survival horror is a subgenre of horror games. Although combat can be part of the gameplay, the player is made to feel less in control than in typical action games through limited ammunition or weapons, health, speed, and vision, or through various obstructions of the player's interaction with the game mechanics. The player is also challenged to find items that unlock the path to new areas and solve puzzles to proceed in the game. Games make use of strong horror themes, such as dark mazelike environments and unexpected attacks from enemies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action-adventure game</span> Video game genre

An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.

<i>Hugos House of Horrors</i> 1990 video game

Hugo's House of Horrors is a parser-based adventure game designed by independent software developer David P. Gray and published as shareware by Gray Design Associates in 1990. The game follows the character Hugo as he searches for his girlfriend Penelope in a haunted house. The player inputs text commands to solve puzzles and progress through the house. It was inspired by Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, and it was followed by Hugo II, Whodunit? in 1991.

<i>Uninvited</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Uninvited is a black-and-white horror-themed point-and-click adventure game. It was originally developed for the Macintosh by ICOM Simulations released in 1986 by Mindscape as part of the MacVenture series.

<i>Equinox</i> (1993 video game) 1993 video game

Equinox is an action adventure puzzle video game developed by Software Creations and published by Sony Imagesoft for the Super NES. A sequel to Solstice (1990) for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Equinox depicts Glendaal saving his father Shadax, the previous game's playable character, from the imprisonment of Sonia, Shadax's apprentice. The player acts as Glendaal, exploring 458 rooms in eight underground dungeons. The player collects 12 blue orb tokens while solving puzzles, killing enemies, collecting keys, navigating platforms and blocks, and battling bosses. It continues Solstice's isometric puzzle game style, with greater emphasis on action adventure and Mode 7 overworld map.

<i>Back to the Future Part II & III</i> 1990 video game

Back to the Future Part II & III is a 1990 video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System based on the second and third films in the Back to the Future trilogy. The game was produced by Beam Software and published by Acclaim Entertainment under their LJN label.

<i>Escape from the Mindmaster</i> 1982 video game

Escape from the MindMaster was a video game for the Starpath Supercharger addon for the Atari 2600 published in 1982 by Starpath.

An escape room video game, also known as escape the room, room escape, or escape game, is a subgenre of point-and-click adventure game which requires a player to escape from imprisonment by exploiting their surroundings. The room usually consists of a locked door, objects to manipulate, and hidden clues or secret compartments. The player must use the objects to interact with other items in the room to reveal a way to escape. Escape the room games were born out of freeware browser games created in Adobe Flash, but have since become most popular as mobile games for iOS and Android. Some examples include Crimson Room, Viridian Room, MOTAS, and Droom. The popularity of these online games has led to the development of real-life escape rooms all around the world.

<i>Castle of Dr. Brain</i> 1991 video game

Castle of Dr. Brain is an educational video game released in 1991 by Sierra On-Line. It is a puzzle adventure game.

<i>Quarterstaff: The Tomb of Setmoth</i> 1988 video game

Quarterstaff: The Tomb of Setmoth is an interactive fiction role-playing video game developed by Scott Schmitz and Ken Updike and released by Infocom for Macintosh in 1988. The game features a text parser, graphics, a dynamically updated map, and a graphical interface that incorporates Mac OS hierarchical menus.

<i>Casper</i> (video game) Series of video games based on the 1995 film Casper

Casper is a series of action-adventure games based on the 1995 film of the same name. Two different games were released in 1996 and 1997 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, by different publishers, in different regions. A third game was released for the 3DO, Sega Saturn, PlayStation, and Game Boy Color, published by Interplay Productions. There was also a Game Boy game developed by Bonsai. A PC game, Casper: The Interactive Adventure, and a Game Boy Advance game, simply titled Casper, were released in 1997 and 2002 respectively serving as sequels.

<i>Mazera</i> 2004 video game

Mazera is an adventure game created by Cold River Studios and published by Astraware for Palm OS and Pocket PC. The player plays Ix, who as a boy was captured by an alien race called the Mazerians and imprisoned in their zoo, until one day something happens that gives him a chance to escape. As Ix makes his escape, he must solve a large variety of puzzles and challenges so that he can return to his home planet Ixus.

An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story, driven by exploration and/or puzzle-solving. The genre's focus on story allows it to draw heavily from other narrative-based media, such as literature and film, encompassing a wide variety of genres. Most adventure games are designed for a single player, since the emphasis on story and character makes multiplayer design difficult. Colossal Cave Adventure is identified by Rick Adams as the first such adventure game, first released in 1976, while other notable adventure game series include Zork, King's Quest, Monkey Island, Syberia, and Myst.

<i>Total Eclipse</i> (1988 video game) 1988 video game

Total Eclipse is a first person adventure game released for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, MS-DOS and ZX Spectrum computers in 1988. It can also be considered an early example of a first-person shooter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Escape room</span> Physical puzzle game played by a team of players

An escape room, also known as an escape game, puzzle room, exit game, or riddle room is a game in which a team of players discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms in order to accomplish a specific goal in a limited amount of time. The goal is often to escape from the site of the game. Most escape games are cooperative but competitive variants exist. Escape rooms became popular in North America, Europe, and East Asia in the 2010s. Permanent escape rooms in fixed locations were first opened in Asia and followed later in Hungary, Serbia, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and South America.

The Swapper is a puzzle-platform game for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux from Facepalm Games, an independent developer in Helsinki, Finland. Curve Studios later ported the game to PlayStation and Nintendo platforms in 2014. A science fiction-themed title, the player controls a female scavenger stranded aboard an abandoned research station, and discovers a strange device that allows her to create clones of herself and switch her consciousness between these clones. The player uses this ability to solve various puzzles and learn about the fate of the station's researchers. The Swapper was released on May 30, 2013 to critical acclaim, with reviewers praising the game's visual style and atmosphere, the quality of the puzzles, and the game's ability to innovate on already well-established game mechanics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ClueJob</span> Real-life escape the room game

ClueJob is a real-life escape the room game that was started on 1 January 2015 in Limassol, Cyprus by Filios Sazeides and Panayiotis Mavrokefalos. It was the first real-life escape the room game started in Cyprus.

<i>The Room: Old Sins</i> 2018 video game

The Room: Old Sins or The Room 4: Old Sins is a puzzle video game developed by Fireproof Games, and the fourth game in their series, The Room. It was released for mobile platforms in January 2018 and Windows in February 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 For lots of gamers, escapism means starting out in a trap, Toronto Star , January 20, 2008
  2. ↑ JammJamm.de - Flash Games & Entertainment Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Fasco-Cs > Crimson Room". Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  4. ↑ "4Games: Game Review: The Mystery of Time and Space". Archived from the original on 2007-06-11. Retrieved 2007-08-31.
  5. ↑ Herold, Charles (2004-06-10). "GAME THEORY; A Little Getaway: Small, Simple, Fast and Fun". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  6. ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,117100/article.html Archived 2008-02-11 at the Wayback Machine Aug 18, 2004
  7. ↑ http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127563-c,sites/article.html%5B%5D Nov 1, 2006
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.