Alright, so today I finally sat down and decided to wrestle with Escape Time Level 51. It’s been taunting me for a couple of days, you know how it is. Figured I’d share how I muddled through it, in case anyone else is banging their head against the same virtual wall.
First Impressions and Poking Around
So, the level loads up, and I’m in this sort of study room, looked kinda dusty. First thing I always do is just tap everywhere. You never know what’s loose or interactive. There was a desk with a locked drawer, a bookshelf with some oddly arranged books, and a painting on the wall that looked a bit crooked. Standard stuff, really.
I started with the painting. Gave it a tap, tried to straighten it, and sure enough, a small brass key fell out from behind it. Nice! Easy win to get started. Tried it on the desk drawer, but no luck. Wrong key. Of course, it’s never that simple, is it?
The Bookshelf Puzzle
Next, I turned my attention to that bookshelf. Some books were upright, some were lying down, some were different colors. I’ve seen these kinds of puzzles before. I looked around the room for a clue, and on the desk, under a notepad, there was a little diagram. It showed a sequence of shapes: circle, square, circle, triangle, square.
I looked back at the bookshelf. The books didn’t have shapes, but they did have different colored spines. I noticed the spine colors were:
- Red
- Blue
- Red
- Green
- Blue
I figured, maybe the shapes corresponded to an action or a position. I tried pushing them in based on the diagram, thinking circle meant “push in” and square meant “pull out” or something. After a few frustrating attempts, I realized the diagram wasn’t about pushing. On the side of the desk, almost hidden, were tiny etchings of the shapes, and next to each was a number: Circle=1, Square=2, Triangle=3. So the sequence was 1, 2, 1, 3, 2. I looked at the books again. There were five specific books that seemed distinct. I tried tapping them in that order of presses – first book once, second book twice, first book once again, a third book (which I now assigned as ‘triangle’) three times, and the second book twice. It was a bit of a guess, associating the shapes with specific books and then tap counts. But then, a section of the bookshelf clicked and slid open! Behind it was a small compartment.
Putting it Together
Inside the compartment, I found a weirdly shaped metal piece and another note. This note had a series of arrows: UP, RIGHT, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, UP. Where could this go? I looked around. That locked desk drawer still bothered me. It didn’t have a keyhole, but a small panel with five buttons, no markings.
I thought, maybe the arrows aren’t for movement, but for positions on a 3×3 grid or something? That seemed too complex. Then I saw the desk lamp. It had a directional switch. I tried flicking the switch in the sequence of the arrows. After the last “UP”, the desk drawer popped open! Finally! Inside was a screwdriver head, but no handle. And that brass key I found earlier? It fit a small box that was also in the drawer. Inside the box, another metal piece, different from the first.
Now I had:
- The first weird metal piece
- The screwdriver head
- The second weird metal piece
I noticed the two metal pieces looked like they could fit together. I dragged one onto the other in my inventory, and they combined to form some kind of crank. The screwdriver head… I looked around for something to attach it to. On the floor, near the wall, was a loose vent cover, but it had weird screws. Ah, but the base of the desk lamp, it had a little slot. I used the screwdriver head there, just poking it in and twisting, and a small panel on the lamp base opened, revealing another slot, this one perfectly shaped for that crank I just made!
The Final Steps to Freedom
So, I stuck the crank in the lamp base slot. Turned it. Nothing happened immediately. I was a bit stumped. Then I heard a faint whirring sound. I looked back at the bookshelf. One of the larger, unmovable books now had a tiny keyhole visible on its spine that wasn’t there before! But I didn’t have another key.
I was stuck for a good five minutes here. I re-checked everything. Tapped everything again. Then I remembered the first brass key I found. I’d tried it on the desk and a box, but what if its purpose was simpler? I looked closely at the key and the new keyhole on the book. It didn’t look like it would fit. Frustrating! I almost gave up. Then I went back to the vent. I hadn’t actually managed to open it. I looked at the weird screws again. They weren’t standard. I took another look at my inventory. Just the key and the screwdriver head. What if the key itself was the tool? The end of it was flat and thin. I tried using the end of the brass key on those weird screws on the vent. And what do you know, it worked like a makeshift screwdriver! The vent cover came off.
Inside the vent, there it was – the final door key! Looked like a proper exit key. Rushed over to the main door of the study, used the key, and bam! Level 51 complete. That was a tricky one, especially that bookshelf and the final use of the first key. Glad to have it done!
