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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials hidden-object adventure game for iPad

Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials, a hidden-object adventure game, to Apple’s iPad. The highly-praised follow-up hit to the Edgar Allan Poe Conspiracy begins with the untimely death of yet another great American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The player must travel back in time to the Salem Witch Trials to uncover the true cause of the author’s death, while solving brain-teasing puzzles, interviewing the ghosts of Salem’s past, and collecting clues throughout the historic village. The game is available for download through the App Store for $9.99.

“Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials looks really amazing on the iPad, and we’re excited to elevate the quality of hidden-object adventure games available for the device,” said Mark Cottam, CEO of MumboJumbo. “This is a game with really beautiful graphics, an intriguing story and puzzles that will make you think—it’s a natural fit for the iPad audience.”

In Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials, the player is approached by the ghost of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the writer of such American classics as The Scarlet Letter and House of the Seven Gables. Compelled to help the writer rest in peace, the player must explore the 17th century town of Salem, Massachusetts and interview the townspeople to discover the true cause behind the author’s death nearly two centuries later.

“We’ve recreated the 17th century village of Salem, and the player can explore it inside and out in 10 adventure missions,” said Cottam. “There’s a fully-illustrated journal that helps keep you on track, and the Collector’s Edition offers an enhanced strategy guide and two special Easter Egg scenes. This game features a lot of content that will appeal to the adventure gamer and the casual hidden-object player alike.”

Hawthorne was born in Salem around the turn of the 19th century and wrote a number of novels and short stories. The writer added the “w” to his last name (originally Hathorne) in an effort to distance himself from relatives involved in the Salem Witch Trials. He explored a number of moral themes throughout his works and many of his writings take place in Puritan New England. Hawthorne’s link to the infamous trials made his story the perfect fit for continuing the mystery game series.

Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials offers something for players of all levels: you can play the standard version with the journal to recap your progress and goals; use the silhouetting lantern and hints to assist you in areas where you may need a little help; purchase the fully-illustrated strategy guide to help you figure out puzzles and offer you more assistance throughout the game; or even purchase hint packs to increase the number of ravens available to you to use. These varied offerings make Salem Witch Trials a game accessible to players of all skill levels.

Midnight Mysteries: Salem Witch Trials is available through the App Store for the iPad, through all major online download portals for PC, and it made its retail debut in August.