The Wonder Shop
In the new game, we stand behind the counter at the ‘Mysterious Antiques’ shop, where the shelves are filled with all kinds of figurines and amulets. These are not just simple decorations, but mysterious artefacts.
A seemingly ordinary deer figurine sits next to a pendant with an eye in the centre that follows the cursor’s movements.
There are vessels with runes depicted on them, eerie hands with rings on their fingers, boxes studded with precious stones that cannot be opened — the collection is impressive from the start, and with each new chapter, more and more items appear on the shelves.
The structure here is exactly the same as in Strange Horticulture. First, we call customers one by one using the bell on the counter and listen to their monologues. Some have poor eyesight, some are very anxious and want to calm down, some are going on a long journey and are looking for something like a blessing, and some are tired of their neighbour stealing things and want to teach her a lesson.
In most cases, the protagonist immediately understands what item he needs to give the visitor, and we look for the corresponding name in the ‘Book of Artefacts,’ which contains information about each unusual item — either a description or an illustration.
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After that, the most interesting part begins, because the game does not give direct clues that allow you to immediately find the artefact you need.
For example, the book says that a certain item is decorated with a crescent moon — you look at everything on the shelves and find three or four items that fit the description. Or it says that the artefact is made of cheap materials — it could be either wood or bronze.
You have to dig deeper, including examining each object more carefully. You can find out what material it is made of, touch it, smell it, and also find out how the protagonist feels when interacting with the artefact. If one element of the artefact is very smooth compared to the rest, it has probably been touched frequently, and if it causes anxiety at the mere sight of it, then such an item is unlikely to help get rid of insomnia or anxiety.
Sometimes even these actions are not enough, especially if the character does not understand what kind of product the buyer is looking for. You have to refer not only to the book of artefacts, but also to other literature. A brochure about symbols will help you understand the meaning of the signs engraved on amulets, mugs and other items. A book about precious stones not only allows you to learn the names of the stones, but also explains what they are used for and what power they carry.
New reference books are unlocked gradually, and you don’t always have to flip through each one in search of answers.
There are some tricky puzzles, but there is a fairly generous hint system that doesn’t point you to the right artefact with an arrow, but gives you hints. Although one of the achievements requires you to complete the game without this mechanic, some episodes seem impossible without hints (I don’t rule out that I was just inattentive).
Another Shop, Same Activities
When you reread the customer’s monologue, check all the books, move the right item to the appropriate field, and the game tells you that you’ve figured everything out correctly, you fall in love with Strange Antiquities just as much as you did with Strange Horticulture.
At the same time, the new game feels derivative: the visual style is familiar, the design is almost identical, and you’re doing the same thing. For this reason, I don’t want to rate the second game as highly as the first, but that doesn’t mean it’s much worse or that there’s anything wrong with it. It’s just that the idea is no longer new, and what seemed controversial in Strange Horticulture has carried over into the new instalment unchanged.
For example, the character is again given a map of the city and allowed to go anywhere at any time — explore an old prison, visit a monastery, walk in the park, and so on. At the same time, you continue to see the shop on the screen, and the visitor is still standing at the counter waiting to be served.
Not only that, but even if you are on the other side of town, you can take any artefact from the shop shelf and use it on a lock or pedestal you find.
Yes, it’s a convention, but it would have been better if they had come up with something new in the second part that didn’t look so ridiculous. Plus, it seems strange that all the artefacts here are unique, but you don’t give anything to the buyers — the goods remain on the shelves, and satisfied visitors leave as if empty-handed. And yet, some goods are ‘sold’ again in subsequent chapters.
