Four Distant Daughters

#advjam2020

Just a few words before this help document: this game’s been done in 14 days and it’s a bit complex as interactions (four-player, with four timelines, able to exchange objects in time) – so even if I hope you won’t you MAY find problems. So please remember, before ending a timeline, to check to have not something useful for others. In doubt, use the save functionality, and try.

To read the hints, select them, so as to reveal the text (now written with the background color).
If you want, feel free to leave me a comment on game page (and to leave your vote for the game, if you play during voting period) – enjoy.

2134 Timeline

You wake up from cryo-chamber to discover that your ship is stuck far from destination, that your mother will be beyond recovery in half an hour and you’ll probably starve to death, with the only company of a Hologram, and an Alien Rock.

How can you extract your mother from her broken cryo-chamber?
It’s not that simple. Something stopped the ship and broke the cryo-chambers so the control panel doesn’t work.
In your locker, there are few things – one is a handbook with some useful info: if you remove the panel, you can force the opening removing a plug. Try it.
Well, with your bare hands is not possible – all right. You need a tool, that’s nowhere around. After checking it, try to express your anger to the alien rock, pulling or pushing it.
That will let you have a strange rock – that makes you lose conscience for a while. And connect to other three girls, in different distant past.
When you’ll be connected with them, you can try to find a screwdriver.
That will do the trick, even if you’ll break the plug doing so.

How can you cure her?
Once out she needs a transfusion and something to help her to recover her breathing regularity.
Even in this case, you’ll need help from the past.
BLOOD
Where can you find a blood sack, if not in a Hospital? Ok, in 1918 they use bottles, but that work in the same way.
How can Susan get that blood?
She needs her mom’s key.
That you may find in her coat – not the one home, but the one she had when she left home.
Then she needs to bypass a policeman.
That’s a father, worried about his sick kid.
And you can have a very nice gift for that child, that’d make him willing to go out of service for a while.
BREATHING CURE
Father Manuel was asked by the tear of the Stone Giant to destroy a thing, before all the others: a plant the monk was breeding, not clear for what reason. You can try an infusion of that.

How can you fix the damaged cryo-chambers controller?
That’s easy. With a brand-new portable welding machine, battery-powered, more or less a century-old.

How can you restart the ship?
You cannot. But your hologram AI could, when it feels ready. That’s, not by coincidence when all the timelines will be ok.

2020 Timeline

You’re “studying” Chemistry with your geek friends when your mom asks you a favor: she needs a rock she improperly took from her laboratory. But once you arrive at her workplace you find out that she went from worry to danger in no time.

How can you reach her?
You cannot move around without a pass, so you need one.
Not a visitor pass, because you still will be escorted around (you won’t be able to get that anyway)
A physical one is not a choice, but if you walk to the guard near the elevator he will inform you that there’s also an app, if you have a Bluetooth enabled mobile.
You can ask your geek friends about that, once you know that exists. They’ll say what you have to do to clone another person’s account and be ready to go.

How can you save her?
That’s a bit tricky. You see that the man who’s keeping her with him has a knife, and he already used against another guy.
You could think about the fire extinguisher but you don’t feel too sure about that.
Maybe you can try to see what’s inside the other (locked) room.
Use the keypad. It won’t work with your hacking app, but you can ask again help from home – and you’ll get it. Use the keypad again, now that you have some codes to try.
Inside the other room, there are two big shelves (a lot of things inside but you’ll decide to take a welding machine and a beautiful quartz stone) and on a table a bunsen burner.
Nothing really useful for your task. So what?
Well, you could think to try to open the box to check the rock. At the end of the day the crazy man wants it, so maybe it’s worth a look.
And this will connect to the other girls.
Once you’re a shared mind, you may find useful to ask for the salt. If Isabel has given Father Manuel the best of the fever infusion she may have heard the sane part of his suggesting that HE can be defeated with salt. It’s a long shot, but you can try it.
Not directly the salt. Maybe the salt, inside the box full of water. And of course, the SARS-CoV2 pills (that Kate will find in her mom’s shelf)
That works. So you’ll be able to save your mother too.
Giving Isabel the beautiful quartz, that, in 1650 may have some kind of value, because at that time it was used for making jewels.

1918 Timeline

You’re carrying groceries at home when you hear an odd voice in a nearby alley. What will a strong 1918 girl do, if not going to check out what’s there?

How can you give a tramp his daily drink?
1918. Young single mom. Mmh… let’s check home if she’s hiding a little stash for cold nights.
Under the wardrobe maybe.
You can find the key in the winter coat.

How can you enter the Hospital and check out your mother?
You should be wearing a face mask, your mother always told you so.
But you don’t have (or find) one.
You can ask your new friends a piece of fabric.
Yes, maybe a handkerchief will be fine.
Isabel has one, under her pillow

How can you save her?
Given it’s clear you’ll need a cure from the future, you’ll need something to exchange with it, helping this way Kate’s mom, that needs a transfusion
There’s a door a bit further than wardroom, you should check that.
You need to remove the policeman to be able to reach it.
Ask about him at the receptionist, and you’ll discover he’s a father worried about his kid.
So maybe a little gift can convince him to take a break.
Once you got the blood and exchanged it with your pills, simply give them to your mother

1650 Timeline

You’ve been left by your mother in a nearby Monastery to save you from the Plague. But there you started to have nightmares, and you need to find out the reason for them

What can you do about your nightmares?
It’s always a good idea to talk with an adult about your problems. One is also asking you to do so. And he’ll share with you some other interesting fact.

What can you do about Father Manuel’s fever?
You live in a herbalist hut. You got a mortar in front of the bed, and you also have a garden full of plants in front of you.
Check the plants, and ask about them.
Two are good for the fever. But one’s better.
Once you’ve taken it, use the mortar, then go to the kitchen and made an infusion.
Cups are already there ready, as hot water.
With the infusion go to the cell, talk to the monk if he blocks you and tells him about the infusion, then go.
Remember, when you’re with Father Manuel, to hear him well. Ask what you want to know. And then give him the infusion.

Where’s his rock?
You said something about Christ – Christ’s the key.
He said “is” or “has”?
Check the crucifix, open the metal box, and here you are. Connected with the other girls

How can you reach your mother?
There’s a monk that won’t let you go out. He has a point – outside there’s the plague. But you may have a cure, and want to reach your mother.
So talk to him. He’s thirsty. So let’s take him a cup of freshwater – with some sleeping pills in it. The pills are courtesy of Susan, in case you wonder.
Don’t worry – you put just a couple of pills, not a full bottle. You did not kill him.

How can you save her and try to live with her for a while, despite the Plague?
Reaching her is easy – in a village without people (dead or gone away). But she’s dying.
So use the cure and be happy BUT not before having given the salt to Lian, otherwise, she and Kate could not end their timeline in a good way.
Consider that if you exchange the salt with the quartz stone, you’ll probably have some money for your future.