Wanted: Escape from the Haunted House

Hi
Since many years I'm looking for a boxed edition of this old Russian game released in 2000, more or less.
I made many attempts to contact the distributors but I never had a reply... all traces of this beautiful game seem to have vanished in the air. I couldn't even find it searching E-bay.
I know that boxed packaging was only released in Russia, France and in English speaking countries. In Italy it was a simple CD attached in bundle with a computer magazine.

I would love to purchase a new or used copy with its box in very good state and containing anything that was inside other than the CD. I don't care about the language, even if Russian!
Thanks a lot to anyone who'd reply

Hi struzzo

I've been looking for Escape From the Haunted House also for several years. I've never seen this very rare game for sale on ebay or anywhere. I have very rarely seen it mentioned on any forums. It really does seem to be one of those games that has vanished from sight.

If you ever find Escape From the Haunted House be sure to let us know. I would love to see it.

hatshepsut

LOL!

You sound like searching for a missing person. Call the red cross!

PS: I will try find this rare game too. If that's the case I will let you now.

lol it does sound a little like searching for a missing person. Let us know if you find it I think if a copy is found it will probably be a little pricey

hatshepsut

Hi Struzzo. I regret to say that I have this game. It's only in jewel case though. I say "I regret .... " because I have had 4 of them over the last 7 or 8 years. I found them all on eBay and I either sold them or traded them. Therefore, I don't have a spare one. Sorry.

All I can say is keep hunting on eBay and remember that on the manual and the CD-ROM it says DIFFERENT things. On one it says 'Escape From The Haunted house' and on the other simply 'Escape From Haunted House'. So, you should search BOTH terms on eBay.

Gelert.

Thanks for your replies!
Wow! Hatshepsut and AngDMC, I'd never believe that other people would be on my same quest for years... I'm astonished!
But I'm even crazier than I seem, because I have already played this game, actually I own it, but it is not even in a jewel case as Gelert has, but a plain paper envelope!
A friend that had bought the magazine that gave it in bundle (it was up to 2000) had lent it to me, and since she got aware of how much I liked it, in the end she left it to me as a present. But I'm not satisfied... Escape from the Haunted House is one of my favorite games ever and I'm longing for that big old box
I'm not a collector at all, I kept for myself only a few games among all the AG released ever since, but I have a real cult for the ones that I loved with all my hearth.

It was very similar to the search for a missing person Tsampikos! I wrote to five different addresses found in the new website of New Media Generation, but I never had a reply from anybody, not even a polite reply as "we don't sell that article any more"...
I went as far as writing down the names of the developer's team seen in the credits at the end of the game and asking a friend with a Facebook account to search for them on FB, and eventually write to them asking if they had something to share with the game (lol!), and I ended up in Russian old games forums, where I found someone who was selling it, but I couldn't be sure it was original because of... er... language difficulties
I will follow Gelert's advice and will go on keeping an eye on E-bay for both titles (thanks Gelert :-).

In the meantime I'd like to share my luck, so, if someone has the strong desire to play this strange and absolutely genial little adventure just send me your postal address and I will eagerly lend mine until needed. Of course I'd like to have it in return
I dare propose it because I think that it's NMG's fault not having re-printed and continued selling the game or taken a position in regard. I know that even GOG tried to purchase the copyright, but it isn't clear why they couldn't... this game is a real mystery!
Anyway, if this last sentence may sound offensive or illegal I apologize and kindly ask the mods to delete it. Thanks

Hi struzzo

No need to apologize your remarks were not offensive. And as far as I know it's not illegal to loan a game that you own as long as it is a legally owned copy.

Ang and I are both avid collectors of big box games so I understand your wanting to obtain the boxed version of Escape from the Haunted House. There are some games that I have ( but only the cd) that I still search for the boxed version. I recently obtained the big box version of The Twilight Zone. I searched a very long time for that one.

Gelert you are the luckiest guy I know at finding those hard to find games

hatshepsut

Thanks for reassuring me! I'm part of a generation when sharing good things was not illegal and was somehow able to warm your life and your sense of friendship. I lent a lot of books and music in the past, and now I'd like to share the games I loved, when there' s no other way to find them.
I don't think that there can possibly be anything wrong in it.

Have a nice evening everybody!

P.S: I have a boxed version of a game called "The time machine". I bought it a lot of time ago but it's not the sort of game I like. If anybody is looking for it I will send it for free, expences included.

struzzo that is very kind of you to make such a nice offer of The Time Machine. It would make a nice addition to someone's collection. I have had the big box in my collection for some time now.

hatshepsut

Talking about the Haunted House I remembered that poor neglected game, forgotten on a dusty shelf for ages, and I thought that maybe someone could be looking for it or would appreciate it!
But... (and here comes the icy shower) I had forgotten another important detail: it's, er.... it's in Italian... sorry

I wanted to open a new topic to offer it, but i see I already have a candidate
Ang, I haven't red your PM yet; let me know if you want it despite the language....

Gelert, did you ever find a boxed copy of this game to buy?

Struzzo, good luck in your search. I believe there are a few die hard collectors looking for a boxed copy in good shape. NMG is/was strangely silent every time somebody contacted them about this game.

Thanks a lot lakerz!
I think I need a lot of luck... the funny thing is that I am not a die hard collector, I just LOVED the game!
The last game I loved a lot was Corrosion - Cold Winter Farm Waiting, and having purchased it through JA as digital download (the only mean), I' m sure that if it will ever be released in a box I will buy it again...
This is the box cover, at least I think, seen the dimension:


And this is my copy (as Gelert wrote it is called Escape from Haunted house):



The CD's label is printed in Italian and specifies that it's a gadget in bundle with "Computer facile" Magazine.
I also found three different covers for the Russian version .
But what do you think of this "censure" of NMG about this game??? The credits at the end show a lot of people involved in the developing team... may be a never ending quarrel about the owning of the copyright?

It is a "puzzle out of the game", and I would like so much to solve it...
(By the way, I'm also looking for someone who tried to draw a map of that Haunted House! It has some very unusual features... )

Sorry Struzzo, didn't mean to imply any dark secret conspiracy regarding NMG and this game. I just think that NMG did a poor job of marketing it and making it available for people outside of the core sales area to buy a copy. I don't know why they were so unresponsive but it is what it is. For some reason, maybe they were unable to make any more copies of the game after the first run so lost all interest in replying to emails about the game anymore?

As for drawing a map of the house, I'd like to see that also! Not sure how it could be done given the morphing of everything. The game really only has one big puzzle, but it got very very confusing to navigate at points. I personally needed a walkthrough to guide the way at the more confusing moments. How about you?

Thanks for your reply!
No, I didn't mean any secret conspiracy... just a problem about copyright; but your explanation is much more likely.

You're perfectly right, that game has an only big puzzle, even if that of the generator was not bad as well, and I like a lot hard puzzles, if they follow a reasonable logic. I always try to solve them without looking up a walkthrough taking all the time needed.
Actually, after having finished the game - and it took quite a long time - I wrote myself a walkthrough... it's in Italian, but there's plenty of drawings. if you were curious it's loaded here.
It doesn't include a full map because I didn't manage in the hard task (grrrr); two cases: or I am stupid and didn't understand some evidence or the project of the house is poorly accurate, who knows...
I'll show you in spoiler.

Spoiler:

If you want let me know your opinion

Thanks for the map struzzo that should be a big help playing the game

I think that there is a box release planned for Corrosion Cold Winter Waiting

hatshepsut

It's a fantastic news Hatshepsut, thanks!
I understand that digital deliveries are correct for the sparing of materials and everything, but I'm sad about not having beautiful boxes any more.
I made myself a box with a nice cover for the beautiful game Slip Space - The Burma -Shave Analogy, but if Corrosion will have a box release too, temptation will be too strong! I wouldn't even know how to burn it, since I was sent just a a key number from Plimus Sales to unlock the free trial version after having installed it.
Luckily, games I fall in love with are not so many, otherwise I would be done for...

For what concerns the map of the Haunted House, maybe that it may come handy for playing, but what a frustration being unable to locate correctly the central tower and Diana's room!
My friends say that the authors disappeared because someone told them that I'm after them to ask the original plan...

That's a nice map. It's been long enough since I last played the game, but that map makes me remeber a few of the rooms. Your walkthrough seems to provide a lot of detail. I can see that you really took your time to document everything when you were playing through. I'm glad you were able to save it!

Is there indeed planned a boxed version of Corrosion Hats? Where did you find that out?

Thanks lakerz!
To be honest, the fist time I played I only took rough notes and when someone asked me for help I wasn't able to reconstruct exactly the sequence of actions at once, so I decided to replay it writing much more detailed notes and I liked the idea of preparing illustrations for a "Home-sick tour" of the house and its tricks.
I think that this walkthrough and attempt of map can show how much I enjoyed the game

I wonder if I'll ever find another game with such an intriguing puzzle...

tsampikos it was announced quite some time ago that Tri Synergy planned a retail release as well as a digital release. The developer has said on another forum that the retail release was still planned.

struzzo I don't think that a backup copy can be made from the games that you only get the key. I haven't looked at the walk through for Escape the Haunted House yet but I'm sure it will be helpful with those puzzles. It isn't easy making a walkthrough so you are to be congratulated.

And speaking of Slip Space..if you are the one who wrote that walkthrough thanks it is very helpful

hatshepsut

hatshepsut wrote:

struzzo I don't think that a backup copy can be made from the games that you only get the key.

I was afraid of that, thanks for your confirm, so i won't uninstall it until the boxed version will be released.

I wrote a Slip Space walkthrough hatshepsut, but it's in Italian... maybe it's not the same that you red.
I did anything I could to promote that fantastic game in my country, so I wrote a review, a walkthrough and a translation of all cut scenes with the cooperation of Dan Markosian that sent me the text files.
Since years I'm devoted to promote indie good games in Italy, but sometimes it's very hard because of language barriers. It was not the case of Slip Space, not needing a translation if not for storyline purposes.
Corrosion was translated by a friend of mine, and even if it's not implemented in the game, I hope it may help the game getting all the luck it deserves even in a foreign country!

struzzo the walkthrough that I have was in Italian, I translated it to English. Dan is the one who told me where to find so it is your's. Dan is such a nice helpful guy I didn't know you wrote a review too. I will have to read it.

It is to bad about the language barrier with the indie games. The indie games are so good, I love them.

hatshepsut