If you are a lover of puzzles and riveting stories driven by character interactions, then odds are you’ve heard of the game Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. As the first game in the Zero Escape series, this visual novel mixes horror, science fiction, and mystery into a medium designed to keep you guessing about what will happen next.This title is known for its puzzle-like escape rooms, where you are charged with the tall task of putting your problem-solving and detective skills to use. Whether you’re scouring each scene to collect all available clues or taking your time to piece the narrative together, you’ll be sure to be on the edge of your seat in each of the sixteen rooms.
Escaping the Chart Room
A special quality associated with the Chart Room is that it is a puzzle-heavy escape room, meaning much of it can be skipped if you already know the solutions to its puzzles. However, you won’t be able to skip through the cutscenes and mandatory dialogue.
Another note to keep in mind is that this level is split between two areas – the Map Room, which is where you start, and the Wheelhouse.
Your first step is turning left and finding the desk in the Map room. Interact with the center drawer to find a pocket watch. After collecting the watch, turn back to your starting position and go through the door to enter the Wheelhouse.
At the Wheelhouse, turn left to locate the second steering wheel. Although the two wheels look similar, make sure you’re by the lighter colored wheel to continue with the puzzle.
Examine the metal cylinder that’s on the left column of the screen, this is the device used to change the speed of the ship. You can’t do much with it, and it will seem like nothing has changed, but now you can examine the ship’s wheel and go through the first puzzle.
You are tasked with inputting a series of directions using the ship’s wheel. You’ll want to turn the wheel and stop it when it aligns in the correct direction on the compass. Align it in the following order to complete the puzzle:
- South
- West
- South-West
- North-West
- East
- North
Your next puzzle is the speed puzzle. In order to solve the puzzle, select the speeds in this order:
- Full
- Half
- Slow
- Full
- Half
- Dead Slow
- Stop
With both puzzles done, turn right twice to find two doors with a board mounted on the wall between them. Since you have the pocket watch, you can examine the board and the character known as Ace will set it to the appropriate time.
Go back once and interact with the door that has the metal box in the center. Place the watch in the indentation of the box, and you will unlock it, allowing you to escape the room.