Barrow Hill The Dark Path 13: Hmmmmm.

OK, now I know I've missed something.

I have done everything. Read all the books again, checked every node (clearly I've missed one somewhere). Tried to combine inventory items. Checked under the car and all around it after I did something unexpected to it. 

Played the hidden object game again and this time it said I had won, but still, it won't budge beyond this screen:

But what is the prize?

Even after clearing all the objects and getting this screen, you can't get that screen off and something continues to bash on the door from the inside but never comes out.

So what was that for?

I did manage to get some more images from the magic hole. I thought that perhaps the word "Bygones" might have something to do with the runes, as one of them looks like a "B" and one a "y," but it's a bit difficult to assign the other runes to letters.

However, by just playing with them fairly systematically I managed to get a bunch of images. I have an old man, a hunter, an eye, a bird, a child, what might be a woman:

She has breasts and might be giving birth—yes? No?

But other than putting them in some kind of order perhaps from birth to old age—I don't yet know what these mean.

I tried to watch the video feed in the garage and got what I think is another glitch, but I doubt too many people have found this one:

Should we be able to see through the screen?

No, I doubt we should be able to see through the screen. But at least the video feed worked. Perhaps I should try the video in other places, such as the quoit?

So, I have not yet solved my stuckness. This means I've missed something. Nothing to do but go back over every single node in the game.  I refuse to look at the PDF. 

Hmmmmmmm.

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Barrow Hill The Dark Path 12: What Happens Next?

I wish I could answer that question. I am well and truly stuck.

I have visited every node in the game that I can find, and I have found nothing new (except one thing—more of which later). I have gone through the garage and the kitchen and the dining room and the waiting room and even the phone booth and found nothing new whatever. I have searched every single place I can find in the woods.

Where I stand: I have found Ollie, and he is in a strange and immobile state. Nothing more to do with him for the time being.

I did see Baibin again a couple of times, and managed to get a screenshot of one of those sightings:

Baibin?

I have got Ben's video feed going, but it only shows pre-recorded stuff that I've seen many times before. It is supposed to show you what Mia is doing live, but it's all repeats that appear to be random.

I listened to the recordings on the phone, including The Dark Path recording, but that told me nothing. I'm thinking that ought to tell me something, because the recording is mentioned on one of the computer websites, but I can't figure what it might be.

I have the computer password and have done everything on that except win the hidden object game. Will try that again tomorrow.

I have re-read all the books there are to read (except the Dark Path), and thought I found a clue in Aggie's diary, to go fishing in the Druid pool. I happen to have an object that would fit that description but it doesn't work in the pool.

I will say that the crystal key at the Druid Pool still works where it's supposed to work, but I found the item that yields long ago. It doesn't yield any more stuff no matter where and how I use it.

However, I now know the item that the pool wants, because I found a clue for it. I do not yet have that item, however.

I have tried to make a pentagram the way I made the other effigies, but you can't make one of those in that place.

I decided that I had to disrupt Mia somehow so that I could get into the farm and thought of a way I might do that, but you cannot access your inventory items when you enter that room, nor can you carry one with you and then go in.

What I DID find, although I have no idea what any of it means:

I went back to the magic hole in the quoit. Now, I already solved the sound puzzle that gets you into the farm, so I don't need those clues again. However, the other day I managed to get a different image in the hole of what looked like a sitting child:

Who is this and what is he doing?

By messing around with the runes I finally managed to get another image I hadn't seen before. Then I got this one again. And I got a third one. 

Now, this is coming from me placing the runes randomly. I shouldn't be able to do this: there ought to be a clue somewhere for it that I haven't found yet. And of course I have no idea what it all might mean. There's no doubt that it does mean something. Matt would not have put these images in the game for nothing. Can I find more of them with the runes? If so, will they begin to make any sense?

I also haven't found any fruit drink packets. Or anything made of tin or gold that I know of. Or that item for the Druid Pool.

I know there's going to be a site somewhere that will require me to place metal objects. Probably there will be something that needs fruit juices—or perhaps just the colors of the packets (earth, fire, water, spirit air—I do know the order they're supposed to go in, and that isn't it, btw). But there's been nothing even resembling any kind of puzzle for that yet.

So tomorrow I will re-read The Dark Path again to see if that gives me any ideas. I will continue to mess with the runes and see if I can get any more new images. I will try once again to solve the hidden object game on the computer. I think I'll also see if I can combine any inventory items. I don't think you can, but I'll try. I also managed to do something to the car in the garage that I haven't done before, so I'd better go back and investigate that.

And I'm going to go over all my notes again. 

But other than that I am well and truly stuck.

What happens next??

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Barrow Hill The Dark Path 11: Some Relief!

OK! I have at least uncovered more clues and finally solved the magic hole puzzle. 

I went back to the computer in the quoit, and found whole areas that I had not explored. In one of them there was an ad for some packets of flavored drinks—and there's also a commercial for that product on BHR radio. If you click on everything you will find a page that reveals the different flavors of the packets—each seems to have two.  Now, I know enough about clues to know that this is an important clue for later, rather like the cans of fruit juice were in the original game.

I also learned what is probably the identy of "WW." I was pretty sure I already knew, but the computer pretty much confirmed it. Also, there was a mention of Bracken Tor, the next game in the series.

And there was some footage and a few pics from the original game. Nicely placed.

However, except for the fruit drink clue, I didn't learn anything that I didn't already know.

I still couldn't finish the hidden object game. Could never find a doll.

I also finally solved the magic hole puzzle! Yes, the paper I found does have the clue. I just had to figure out how to follow the clue. Oddly, I think I had solved this puzzle much earlier just by pure chance—it's the order of items that gets us through to the Farm. I did find one other animal, however: 

Is this a turtle? Or just a shape?

Upon perusal, I think this isn't a turtle after all. It's just the shape of the puzzle parts so you'll recognize it. Well, it was nice to relieve the frustration from my last two nights, but I've already used this information.

I'm not sure if I have anything in my inventory made of tin, unless it's the trowel. I doubt that though. So I need to find something made of tin.

I also delved more deeply into the mobile phone. I read all the message threads. The only thing new was the map with some location points that I was able to zoom in on. These were the farm and the quoit, but also Emma Harry's trailer. I tried to see if a path might have opened up to that, but so far, nope.

OK. So. I have good clues for later on. I have relieved my puzzle frustration. I have the video feed going. 

I don't have anything made of tin or of gold. I don't have the eighth sim card. I don't have a possession of Mia's (why can't I use her shoe anyway??). I haven't yet found (or perhaps made) the object that is supposed to go into the pool.

Well, all of this will converge at the end if it's anything like the original game. My task now is just to keep on stumbling around, go visit all the game areas again and keep looking for stuff.

I will find something.

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Barrow Hill The Dark Path 10: Progress, but Now What?

Well I have made serious progress but am now completely stuck.

I figured out how to get Ben's video feed working. Found the correct transmitter (really easy to find, actually) and his directions were all we need to figure it out, plus a bit of twiddling. That gives me a video of, supposedly, Mia, live. I had hoped it would mean she wouldn't approach me when I entered the farmhouse, but nope, not yet.

But that was a real achievement, I thought. These nice achievements make me feel good temporarily, but they're not doing anything for me.

Also, I have read more about what's going on through the Barrow Hill Radio site on the computer. However, that didn't tell me anything I didn't already know. One thing was a bit frustrating: the radio site has a hidden object game. Easy to solve, except that you don't get the reward when you solve it. Emma (or somebody) is trying to get out of the trailer door, but there's nothing to be done about that. Foo.

The BHR Radio Website

I have determined that I'm still missing one sim card, but haven't stumbled onto it yet. I did manage to navigate my way through the woods better tonight. There's an object that the Druid Pool wants, but I don't have it yet. I suspect that will be some type of jewelry.

I have items of iron, copper, and lead. I still need tin (do I have anything made of tin? Must check) and gold. One of the recordings says we can find gold easily—just take it from Mum's dresser. Sadly, her dresser is not available to me. If I can ever get fully into the farmhouse I might find something there.

But the major frustration is that rune puzzle at the magic hole. Why did I not continue the other night when I accidentally got a second image?? I can't get it back again after multiple attempts. I went back to the original paper with the clue for that an copied it down more precisely, but it's absolutely no help at all.

Runes Puzzle Clue Sheet. Not a spoiler. It won't help you either.

Update: Ahem. Yes, that paper above is a perfectly good clue. It's just that I had already solved that puzzle on my own.

So I got into the computer and got the video feed going, but those achievements have not kicked me forward at all. I even found Ollie, but that yielded no progress either. I found the farmhouse, but can't do anything there.

And what is this bag for? We got a comb with hair in it from this area (which I suspect might not be Mia's) but we can't pick up her shoe (size 5) and what is this bag for? We also get to look at a receipt from this store:

Is this a clue? To what?

On the bright side—I have been haunted a couple of times by a ghost like figure that I suspect is Baibin herself. I am going to hope that isn't random. I saw something out the round window from the door inside the dining room, and she's appeared briefly twice in the woods. Does that mean that I am making progress?

So I know that I need objects of gold and of tin, another sim card, probably another ID card for Ben, and a personal object from Mia to put on her wishing stone. Also, there is part of a page from the Dark Path book (which is now in my inventory) that tells you how to reverse a wish, but it's torn out. No doubt I'll find that somewhere.

But what to do now? I have no freaking idea. I guess I'll just have to keep stumbling around. Go back to places—sometimes things change as happened in the office with the CCTV feed. 

Either that, so somebody better call me on the phone sometime soon!

I'm finding it frustrating to solve two big puzzles, but make no progress.

Till tomorrow, I guess. Something will happen. (I am NOT going to get any clues for this game. I solved the original game without a clue, and I'm going to do the same with this one!!)

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Barrow Hill The Dark Path 9: FINALLY!!

Oh my! So after stumbling around and making absolutely no progress at all except for finding a horseshoe, in frustration I decided I'd have to give up for the night until—I FOUND THE COMPUTER PASSWORD!!

Finally!! 

So here is the computer, and the screen that faces us until we become clever:

"The event that started it all"

So we're looking for the event that started it all, and we have four digits. Also, the computer itself has some words to the wise about passwords. So I'm pretty sure I'm looking for a four-character combo of letters and numbers.

I will give one cryptic hint: the hint might just have a double meaning.

Anyway, I found it. And the thing is more straightforward than it looks. Don't try to interpret. I tried a buncha stuff until I just finally looked at it and asked, "what are those characters?" 

So. I got in. 

I have read the emails, the stuff on Emma Harry's site, and I have watch all of the SIM cards that I have. I have a feeling that I'm missing one. I've got seven and there appears to be a slot for an eighth. I have a feeling that eighth one will give me a major clue.

However: frustration continues on the runes puzzle. Here is what I'm calling the magic hole:

Ah yes, it tells us things!

Now this thing has already given me a major clue that I used to great and good effect. But apparently it has more to say. I've got the runes. I've put them on the rock circle in front of the magic hole. I've also got clues from a sheet of paper that appears to tell me how to place them. 

OK, so I've placed them. But everything I do yields only one response from the hole:

Comes with a nice sound effect

Somehow last night when I was just messing around with this I got a second image: what looked like a child sitting at a desk, if I remember it correctly. 

Now, I did something to cause that. I don't know what it was. I have tried everything quite systematically, putting each rune into what appears to be every starting spot, and all I can get is the above image. No doubt it has something to do with the order in which you place the runes, but I can't find the starting point. Each time the runes go back to where they started.

I just haven't tricked out this puzzle yet. I know it's going to give me interesting images, but I can't figure out how. The paper I found does not seem to be enough of a clue. 

I also haven't been able to make sense of Gus's video instructions, but now that I have the computer maybe I can figure it out. I went back and got the item I'd placed for him on the wishing stones, because it looks like it's part of his diagram. Somehow that hooks up to something. However, the communications tower doesn't appear to be able to do anything, and the other source of power in the garage won't let me access it.

Well, at least I've made real progress! Still no idea what to do tomorrow night, but something's gotta give pretty soon now!

I wonder where that last sim card might be??

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Barrow Hill The Dark Path 8: Oh MY!!

Well that was a bit of a shock! Stuff has happened! I have met actual people (one of whom is not doing well).

To start: OK. I stumbled around. I went back to the wishing stones and checked to see if I could move the effigies around, and I can. However, I'm really sure I have the right effigies on the right stones. I have found two personal items, but not the right one for Mia, it seems.

Then I really couldn't figure out what to do. So I continued to stumble around, and I stumbled back into the wrecked office. The video feed is now down. I managed to call Goshawk Security and enter the proper error code to get the video working again.

And oh my! That got me in touch with Ollie. I was able to guide Ollie out to what I thought was the the garage, but something happened to him. Oh, he's there, and he isn't dead, and I got his ID card (now I have Mia's and his) and I even got a glimpse of Gus through the fence. He sent me to the phone booth, where I found a cryptic way of getting another video feed going.

Call. They will help!

It seems that red cable that snakes along through the woods and into the farmhouse belongs to Gus. OK. So where is the radio station? (Doesn't seem that we can go there in this game.)

This is all certainly a departure from the original game! Actual characters who talk to you in person and not just on the phone!

But after all that excitement, I still have not discerned the password. I know that it's "where it all started." I found the drawing in the station lobby of the stone circle that says "it started here." But neither "here," nor "hill" nor any other combination that goes beyond four letters works. 

At least I did guess one thing correctly: Gus says that the sim cards indeed do work in Mia's computer. I figure the password has to be in this game. Matt couldn't expect new players to know things about the old game. Ergo, the password is not going to be "heelstone" or "Sentry Stone" or the names of any of the old standing stones. 

I rather guess, however, that we're not supposed to have found the password yet. Gus keeps saying to look at the sim cards, so the game knows we haven't got the password yet.

Well, Matt did say in our FB Messinger conversation that I would be meeting Ollie. OK, yeppers, I have met Ollie!

OK. I think my next task tomorrow night is going to be to try to follow Gus's directions. Go out to the farmhouse again and hope that I can get actually into it this time. 

Another frustrating thing: I have runestones, I have a diagram of how they're supposed to go in the rock circle that is underneath the magical hole in the quoit. I have managed to get two pictures forming in the magic hole, but I can't access the second one again. So I don't know yet what the trick is to that puzzle. 

So I have two lines of attack: the Farmhouse and the magic circle in the quoit. 

Tomorrow!

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Barrow Hill The Dark Path 7: Ah HA!!

Yes! I was right about several things!!

It's been awhile, but I was super busy with Kirkus books and could not get to the game. It turned out that:

1. I had not missed a book in the garage. I found the book, just didn't peruse it carefully enough. I did get a clue or two from it.

2. I found the plug diagram. No, you can't zoom in on it but you can see what it says. With that I finally wired the plug (whew). There are more than those six possibilities. But with the diagram you can't go wrong. 

3. I figured out by just trying my inventory items what ought to go into the microwave, and I zapped it. That gives a cryptic clue.

4. I was right about how to make the effigies. I also appear to be right about which effigy goes with which kid (although I didn't try them in any other order, so I probably ought to do that just to be sure.) So those are placed where they are supposed to go.

5. Wow! I was right about the sound puzzle at the farm site, and I got through to the house!

But can we get in? And what will we find inside?

Something indeed happened to me there, but I appear to have been released from that experience. It placed me in a site I was looking for anyway. 

OK. I do not know what to do from here, but hey! This is real progress! I solved three major puzzles and have advanced to a new area in the game! Now if only I could get into the gas station/motel area. I bet we can somehow, but I'm not there yet!

I also found a seventh sim card, but I still don't have the computer password. So far I have found no way to view the sim cards, and I'm betting that the computer is the device for that. I got a nice warning on the radio in the kitchen that "she" is coming for them in the service station. So, hopefully I'll get there eventually.

I guess the only thing to do is to stumble around for a bit more. The farm seems to deserve more exploration—and I did (ahem) meet a person there, perhaps in person?? That is a new development for Barrow Hill. Before, we only met other characters (well, Emma Harry) on the phone.

It will be fun to go back when I finish the game and watch that YouTube playthrough, but I don't want to get any more clues from it. I will solve this myself, darn it!

Till next time! Mystified!

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Barrow Hill The Dark Path 6: Hiatus, with Plans

Well things got a bit busy here and I haven't been able to get to the game for a few days, but I have been pondering upon it. I found a YouTube playthrough that had been started, and watched the first few episodes because it was only going over stuff I had already done, however, I did get a few tidbits from it.

I missed using the hand wipes. Gotta go back and do those places. Also, and this is kind of important: that diagram on the garage wall that I couldn't read apparently now is legible after Matt made some updates to the game, and it depicts how to wire a plug!! 

Update: No, I don't think Matt changed the diagram. I did, however, get new glasses!

So clearly, I have to go back there!

Also, I know that I'm going to have to make wooden effigies for all three kids, and I kinda suspect I know how I might be able to do that. Must try that new idea too. I'm pretty sure I figured out which effigy goes with which kid (unless I'm wrong).

Plus, I got an idea from the YouTube videos that ought to work on the wishing stones. I have three personal items from all three kids. 

And, I've got a sneaky hunch that I might be able to figure out that sound puzzle at the farm site. I'd really like to get beyond those trees that are blocking the path. It's pretty obvious that we're going to get through there eventually. I think it's tied into those animals I found in the cairn. I'm pretty sure I found the order they ought to go in.

And one thing I learned from the videos that I have to do first thing: I missed reading a whole book in the garage!! How did I do that?? So, task one when I get the game open again is to toddle on back to the garage and read that book! Clues! Clues!

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