Compiled by Jeffrey Risberg and Brandon Risberg (age 5), Palo Alto, California
These hints are divided into three sections. The first section provides general background and hints to help you better understand the game and improve play. The second section contains additional help and guides you through the different time periods of the game. As a last resort, the third section contains detailed steps and answers to the various Buried in Time puzzles.
Background
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Objective of the Game
BIT continues the story of Temporal Protectorate Agent 5, Gage Blackwood, who became a hero in The Journeyman Project game by preventing the disruption of time and history by an evil scientist. In BIT, it is ten years later, and Gage Blackwood is being framed for altering the past after a number of objects from time periods he is assigned to research are found to have been altered or be in his locker. He has been placed on house arrest, and then realizes that he could send his past self (you, the player) back in time to track down the source of the alteration and the perpetrator.
As with TJP, the setting is during a key point in the development of mankind, as Earth works to determine its role and the role of time travel in the Symbiotry of Peaceful Beings, which Earth joined after Agent 5 prevented the time disruption in TJP.
You don't need to have played TJP to enjoy Buried in Time, as most of this background is presented in news broadcasts which you can watch during the early part of the game.
System Requirements (Mac)
A 68040 or a PowerMac is specified as the minimum system, with at least 5.4MB in available memory. This means that you need an 8MB system with very few extensions running. The extensions which must be used are: QuickTime 2.0 (or later), QuickTime PowerPlug (for PowerMacs), Apple Multimedia Tuner 2.01 (or later), and Sound Manager. The video card must be set to "thousands of colors".
You may want to run your computer at 640x480 resolution, even if it supports higher resolutions, since that way the gameplay window will be larger.
Several people (including ourselves) have reported that they could run the game on a 68030 as long as the free memory requirement was met. Under such conditions, the sound was choppy, but the game was playable.
Operation of the Interface
To move, click on one of the lighted arrows in the Navigator area at the lower right. This allows you to move forward or to turn left right, up, or down. In most cases, you must be level (i.e., not looking up or down) in order to move forward, but many of the objects and clues that you must find are located by looking up, down, or in other directions. In most cases, the arrow directions work as you would expect, but when there are curving paths ahead of you, forward will often follow the curve. In addition, some rooms are zero-gravity, which means that the standard senses of up, down, left, and right don't really apply. In this case, take a good look at the objects and features around you in order to keep a sense of direction.
You can't click ahead of the game, but must wait until the watch cursor goes away. A way to move faster is to hold down the Option key which clicking, as that will zip from scene to scene.
When there is an object which does something when clicked on, the cursor will change to a finger pointing while over that object. When you can zoom in an object, the cursor will change to a magnifying glass. This is often provided when there is a detailed area near you such as a control panel, and you zoom in on the panel, at which point you can click on the buttons of it. To back out, the cursor will change to a turn-around arrow.
When there is an object which you can pick up, the cursor will change to a grasping hand, and when holding the object, will change to a closed hand. After picking up an object, you can place it into your inventory by dragging it to the Inventory area at the bottom of the screen. You can only have one instance of each game item in your inventory, so you cannot collect more copper medallions by going back to the same place, for example. An item in your inventory can be described by scrolling it to the center of the list and clicking on the magnifying glass icon.
To use an item from your inventory, select it in the list and drag it to the correct place on the screen. When an item can be used at a particular location, it will "flip" (show itself in a different direction or angle) at that location.
Your Biochips are special items in your inventory. Select a biochip by scrolling to it in your inventory list, then click on the picture. There are also keyboard short-cuts, which are described in the manual (for the Mac they are Command-J for Jump, for instance). Biochips have a specialized interface which will appear in the upper right part of your screen. The following biochips are used the most: the Jump Biochip, to jump to different time periods; the Interface Biochip, to save and restore games; and the Evidence Biochip, to collect evidence of temporal anachronisms. You will be warned when there is an anachronism in the area, and then must use the Evidence Biochip in the "Locate" mode to isolate it.
You will probably want to save your game often, and under different names. Avoid saving your game while you are cloaked, as there are reports that it can lead to a bug during a later part of the gameplay.
During play, you will be able to locate an artificial intelligence computer named Arthur, who will occupy one biochip, and provide comments, hints, humor, and help throughout the game.
As a final note, you can bypass the long game introduction and go directly to the main menu screen by using the spacebar.
Scoring of the Game
First of all, you must survive by solving puzzles in the places you visit. There are 20 puzzles altogether, and you get points for each one solved. You also get points for collecting evidence proving that another time traveler made the changes that Agent 5 is accused of. Then there are points for conducting research, which means simply traveling to different periods and looking at various historical details. Points are subtracted for getting help from Arthur.
There is no specific point value associated with winning, but collection of the key piece of evidence of each time period you visit is worth more than the supporting evidence pieces in that period. There is also no penalty for going back to a time period, or any scoring related to how long you take in any period, so be sure to explore all you want.
Summary of Play
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You can start the game in either the "Adventure" mode or the "Walkthrough" mode. We recommend skipping the walkthrough mode, though, as it doesn't give enough challenge.
You can explore the various time periods in any order, and in fact you will have to visit certain periods more than once during the game, to collect items from one period which are to be used in another. This summary is the minimal number of jumps that we know of. If you want to explore in a different order, you will still probably want to go to the Farnstein Lab first, and will finish at Chichen Itza, as the solution there needs items from all other time periods.
At Gage Blackwood's house
You are in the house of TSA Agent 5, Gage Blackwood. Take some time to practice moving around in the house. Since the layout resembles three connected circles containing a replicator kitchen, a living room, and an Environmental projection TV room, you will find that the motion arrows often take you on curving paths when there is no straight path. This pattern is typical of the entire game. Also note how the cursor changes to a pointing finger when there is something to be touched, and a magnifying glass when there is something to be examined.
There are a few key pieces of information located in this house, but there are large number of "red herrings" which don't do anything useful but help you practice how to move and click in the game.
You should follow the instructions listed in the manual to go into the Environmental TV chamber inside the circular stairway at one end. Pick up the remote control. Turn on set. Watch the ALL-SAT channel, which carries the Interplanetary News Network. There is a good bit of background information available. You may wish to return to the house later to review the INN information as you become more familiar with the world of 2328.
Go over to the figures from TJP which are on a shelf on the wall, and click on head of TSA Agent 5. A message from your future self will appear, with information about the current organization of TSA and clues about the framing.
Find replicator, and replicate some of the items you heard about on the TV program commercials by using their ShopNet codes.
First time at Farnstein Lab
Activate Jump Biochip, and review mission profile for Farnstein Lab. Click on Jump. You will appear in a zero-gravity environment with nothing to push against, and you will be using up your oxygen until you get into a pressurized environment. You should have an item in your inventory which you can use as a propulsion source to reach the station.
You arrive in the Habitat Wing. Go along the tube and try to open access doors. Only one will open, due to pressure differences. Once inside a chamber, you will need to find a pressurization control panel. Review map of station shown on the panel, and pressurize the Capacitance Array (you will have to remove an obstruction before pressurization occurs).
Go into Docking Bay, and now you must get through a "gravity field", which is a kind of hexagonal maze. This is one of the most challenging parts of the whole game, as the gravity field often moves you in directions that you don't expect as you try to get through the maze. Trying to move a direct path toward the goal will generally put you into a dead end or loop which forms a dead end.
Go into Scanner Room. Arthur will talk to you. Be agreeable.
Open door to AI Nexus using manual control. In AI Nexus, you must solve a puzzle about interchanging colored lights, then hear a message from Dr. Farnstein.
First Time at Chichen Itza
Jump to Chichen Itza. Although you won't be going all the way through this time period just yet, start by exploring the pyramid temple. There is an object that you should have in your inventory which will help with understanding the writing outside and inside, and for using the wheels inside the temple.
Pick up ceramic bowl, and place on stomach of stone idol outside the door. An opening will appear under you, and you will drop down to the Underworld, which is a cavern used for a set of trials for religious ordainment. If you have not set the wheels correctly, you will fall onto spikes and be killed.
Take the copper medallion from the skeleton ahead of you in the Underworld. You can explore the Underworld, finding that there are four entrance gates, each of which has a different name, and three of them want an offering, one wants something else.
Use your evidence biochip to collect your first evidence. It will be at one of the entrances. You now know that an enemy time traveler has been here.
Since you don't yet have any of the items needed for the offerings, you are done here for now.
At Chateau Galliard
Note: if you want to get even more into the experience of being at a castle, check out the "Castle" book by David Macaulay or the 1983 PBS TV program based on it. There is a reference to him in the BIT credits, and sure enough, many of the castle scenes in BIT are based on those in the book or TV program.
Jump to Chateau Galliard. Pick up bloody arrow from guard. Go down circular stairway. Find your way to the parapet walk level atop the castle wall. In one of the toilets along the walk you will find a grappling hook.
Explore the parapet walk until you find a way down to the castle grounds.
On the grounds inside the castle, you will see knights engaged in battle. Although they will trigger your "human proximity alarm", they will be too busy to see you.
Turn right and go into blacksmith's shop. Think about what a blacksmith does and what a forge is used for. There is something that you need to make in this room.
There is an object on the floor of the shop which you must take for a later scene.
Go out and locate the moat. There is evidence to be collected.
Get across the moat, and use an item in your inventory to get up the King's tower. Explore King's bedroom.
Go down to drawing room. Read journal of the King. You can almost read it without the Translator biochip. The journal describes that all valuables have been hidden before the castle falls.
Somewhere else in the room you will find a remnant of a journal page, with more details.
Down one more level, get evidence of other time traveler. After you have unlatched the secret chamber (using clues from the journal), you can use something that you made in the smithy to open one of the chests.
Look for more evidence. After finding it, computer will indicate that ripples have been resolved and you can leave. However, don't leave without taking something from the secret chamber which you will need for a later scene.
At Leonardo da Vinci's Studio
Jump to Leonardo's studio, which is during the time when Leonardo was working for his king to design new military weapons. While walking past paintings and paint cans you will find some evidence. Go outside to balcony, get evidence of someone in other tower.
Back in this tower, unlock rotating elevator in circular shaft, bring up to top. Walk out onto it, and push handles to lower. Go out the door into the courtyard.
The door to the other tower is locked, so you will need to find another way to get there. There is something along the circular walkway that you must pick up for a later scene.
Explore cathedral area. Look for a drawing of something Leonardo is designing for getting into towers and castles. Keep looking for pieces of the thing he is designing, then figure out how to assemble it and place it into your inventory.
Explore outside. Stand back from cannons when firing them or you will be shot.
Locate the catapult.
Climb onto it and aim for other tower. Once rope is in place, put the object that you made onto rope and use it to go up.
Use key that you got from balcony in the first tower to open this one. This takes you to Leonardo's private study. The enemy time traveler will be just disappearing. Pick up lens cap. Look around room. Find book with modern writing. After finding it, computer will indicate that ripples have been resolved and you can leave. However, don't leave without finding something from a cabinet, which you will need for another scene.
Second time at Farnstein Lab
Jump back to Gage Blackwood's house (press Recall Button), and replicate another of the items that you need for propulsion. Now jump to the Farnstein Lab.
Don't go to Capacitance Array, but go the other way to reach the Biomass Processing area, as Arthur has indicated that the enemy time traveler went there. Go through the iceteroid using maintenance transport.
Somewhere along the path of the maintenance transport, you will find a control panel with an oxygen dispenser and a water purge value. Locate something to hold water in somewhere around the iceteroid area. Collect water, as you will need it for a later scene.
Outside entrance to Biomass Processing area, there is a pressurization control panel. You will need to do something here or you will be out of oxygen by the time you get into the Biomass Processing area.
Go forward into Biomass Processing area. Arthur will indicate that there is something special about Programming Station C. Find station C. Look down and click on control panel. There is a specific stimuli which will make the sphere do something.
After finding this evidence, computer will indicate that ripples have been resolved and you can leave.
Second time at Chichen Itza
Now you have the items to get through the underground entrances, so jump to Chichen Itza, and set the calendar wheels, pick up ceramic bowl, and place onto offering statue to get back into Underworld.
The God of Wealth needs something in your inventory that is valuable. This will take you to the rope bridge. Cross the bridge and look down from the far side. Use something that you got near Leonardo's studio to climb down to hidden passage. Bring something back from the hidden passage.
The God of Rain needs something that is associated with rain. This will take you to the swinging bridge. Go across it, then come back, and at that point the bridge will start swinging. Hop carefully from section to section! Bring something back.
The God of War needs something that is associated with war or battles. This will take you to the spear room, one of the trickiest parts of the game. Good luck! Bring something back.
At this point you have all the items to get past the entrance to the Dead Land. At the sacrificial altar, you must offer something human. Offer an item that you got in Leonardo's study by putting it into the blood on the left.
The Mayan puzzle box will appear. Decode it based on your analysis of the writing inside the pyramid, and you will find some critical evidence inside the box.
After finding this evidence, computer will indicate that ripples have been resolved and you can leave.
Back at Agent 5's house
At this point you have to start proving your innocence. Jump back to Gage Blackwood's house by pressing the Recall Button. Check the phone messages, all three (INN guy, Michelle from TSA, technician from TSA).
Put the item you got from the puzzle box into the Projection TV unit. The message you see will begin to explain many of the temporal anachronisms and other events of the game so far, at which point the enemy time traveler will appear and take you to a hide-out in a missile silo.
In Missile Silo
You are trapped with your suit deactivated. Listen to the enemy time traveler explain what is happening. You will be threatened with a mind-wipe. Arthur will need a password to defeat the enemy. Review any notes you have made from the TSA biographical files to determine the password.
Arthur will create a virus which sends the enemy time traveler away, and burns out most of the equipment in the missile silo. This also means that Arthur will be gone for the rest of the game.
Locate another power source and power up the equipment. Look around the silo.
There is a clue on the bulletin board above the workbench which you can use to determine the identity of the alien race that the enemy time traveler sent the information to about building a time machine.
Watch the news again, using the TV monitor above the workbench. More of the news material may fall into place now. Note characteristics and info about the alien race.
Use the Plasma Generator to try to replicate some objects. Since the unit is partially burned out, objects will not replicate correctly, but you still can get some useful information this way.
Now you must try to get the items and information back from the aliens before they depart with it, by transporting to their ship.
Locate the transporter somewhere in the silo (tricky - there are several items that look like transporters), enter the requested codes, and transport to the alien ship.
On the Alien Ship
Note: there are reports posted about a bug which happens during this part of the game, though we have not experienced it. We suggest that you save often, and if you get stuck in what seems like a bug, just look up the answers and follow them carefully.
The alien ship is filled with liquid, but you can swim around in it. Explore, and use the transport nerves in the corridors to move around.
Get past the guards. Find the storage pods in which the aliens have hidden the objects from the past which contain the valuable information. Use something that you got on the space station to get the objects out of the pods. You have only one such item, so you must determine how to use it wisely.
Once you get all items back, you must get past more guards. Now you face the alien leader. He will try to get your jumpsuit off you by putting you into a transporter that is set for only inorganic matter. You must defeat him, and transport back to earth.
If you have collected enough evidence, your future self will be freed and become a hero again.
Puzzle Solutions
============
At Gage Blackwood's house
Write down code 625-94-978 for Cheese Girl, code 538-48-257 for Geno Album, and code 689-22-378 for Translator biochip. Replicate a Cheese Girl and a Translator biochip.
As far as we can tell, the Geno Album is not useful for anything except to be played in the Environ TV unit, and the Remote Control for the TV is not actually used in the game although the instructions tell you to pick it up (there is also a picture of the Credit Biochip in the manual and in a resource file which may be ignored, because according a note from the publisher, the role of this object was deleted late in the testing process but the object was never removed).
First time at Farnstein Lab
For propulsion, use the Cheese Girl, placed in right center of window, to move to the station. Once onboard station, only the Capacitance Array access door will open. Since the Cap Array is a sphere, your usual sense of direction may not apply. You must search all over to find the Pressurization Control Panel. Before pressurizing, you must also remove a Metal Bar which is located in the airlock that you came through.
To get through gravity field, the sequence is R, F, R, F, L, F, L, L, L, F, R, R, F, L, F, R, F.
In Scanner Room, agree with Arthur about scanning you and downloading a copy of himself into your biochips.
To open airlock to AI Nexus, the manual control code is 32770.
To enter AI Nexus, puzzle is a variation on the "sliding nickels and dimes game". If you were to number the locations as 1 through 7 from the top, the solution is 5, 3, 2, 4, 6, 7, 5, 3, 1, 2, 4, 6, 5, 3, 4. Arthur will download into your jumpsuit and add biochip controls. You may now get help from him (but it will cost you points).
First Time at Chichen Itza
Text reads: Libations must be made to the Lords of the Night to gain passage into the realms of the Underworld. A supplicant must prove his worth by passing the trials of the Underworld. Only after passing trials may a supplicant gain counsel with the gods to pay homage. The Chac Mool grants entrance to the Underworld on any of the Sacred Days. Homage must be paid to four Lords of the Night before the layman is allowed to touch the Holy Vessel of Ordainment. The Holy Vessel contains the breath of Itzamna. To touch the Vessel is to become a vessel of the word of Itzamna.
Entrance days are: 1-Flint, 3-Tree, 4-Rabbit, 7-Mountain, 7-Obsidian, 8-Water, 9-Dog, 11-Jaguar, and 12-Lightning.
Entrances are the God of Rain, the God of Wealth, the God of War, and the Dead Land (complete the pyramid to pass).
There is evidence at the entrance to the Dead Land. Look down.
At Chateau Galliard
In first spiral stairway, go out at the first landing. You cannot get past the knight at the bottom, even with your cloak. At the landing, go toward torch, and then use right hand door.
To get down from parapet walk level, go along the long wing of the walk, then left, and wait until stone smashes rock ahead of you. Then go forward, then look down and right. Go down to castle grounds.
Take the copper medallion and put it into the pan on the forge in the blacksmith's shop. Pump bellows. Forge key in hidden mold on right side of fire.
Take the hammer on the way out of the shop. It's located behind the door.
Swim across moat. Look up on the far side and throw your grappling hook up the tower.
Once you start climbing the tower, do not delay. When you get to the top, use your cloaking biochip to avoid being seen by the guards.
In the drawing room, don't go through other door, as there is a knight waiting there. There is a burnt page in the fireplace.
In order to get into the secret hiding place for the valuables, you need to first touch the tapestry up in the King's room (just turn left when facing the exit door and you'll see it). Touch the spot that makes a "click". Then you can go down and use your key to enter the chest.
The key piece of evidence is a crystal in a sword. Also take some gold coins.
At Leonardo da Vinci's Studio
One piece of evidence is a footprint in some paint spilled on the floor of the studio.
To unlock rotating level in circular shaft, move left lever down, right one up, then look down and turn wheel to bring rotating level up to the top.
Leonardo is designing a "siege cycle". You should find wooden pegs, a wheel assembly, and a drive assembly in the work areas the along the left and right sides of the cathedral interior.
Assemble siege cycle on jig to left of where the wooden pegs are found. Use hammer to finish putting it together.
Turn the catapult around by using the lever at its bottom center. Aim directly for the window of the tower. Fire. Dismount the machine. Walk around to its front so you are underneath the ropes. Place the siege cycle on the rope and ride it up to the tower.
The key piece of evidence is writing in a book on the desk that can only be seen if you have put on the lens cap which amplifies Klegmar radiation. Also take the human heart from the cabinet.
Second time at Farnstein Lab
Get water container in the airlock at the end of mining transport vehicle path. Fill it near oxygen dispenser which is at mid-point of the path through the iceteroid processing area (Atmospheric Mining). Connect water container to purge value, then turn white knob on left.
When trying to pressurize Biomass Processing area, if control panel indicates that there is insufficient oxygen, go back into Atmospheric Mining, go to middle of transport path, locate hand-held controller, and request another extraction run and then an oxygen processing run.
In Biomass Processing area, all three paths appear the same around the inside wall of a sphere. But if you look carefully, you will see that one leads to two programming stations where there is a green blob on just the left, one to a pair with a green blob on just the right, and one to a pair with two green blobs.
Go to programming station C and find control panel. After each sound is played, 2 small words will appear above the picture of the sound. It will say either "Negative Reaction" or "Positive Reaction". After getting a positive reaction, look up and touch the sphere.
The key piece of evidence is a circuit diagram programmed into the sphere which appears when touched after a positive reaction.
There are no other sections of the lab which can be explored, as they have all been smashed or sliced off by the asteroid shower.
Second time at Chichen Itza
The God of Wealth wants a gold coin that you got at the castle.
The God of Rain wants water that you got from the space station.
The God of War wants the bloody arrow that you got from the castle.
Objects found beyond entrances to the God of Rain, God of Wealth, and God of War are pieces of a pyramid shape which is needed to get through the entrance to the Dead Land.
Solution to spears room involves getting the skull from the skeleton near where you arrive in Underworld, then getting the second skull which is inside the doorway past the entrance to the God of War. By clever use of these skulls, you can reach the third skull at the end of the second set of spears. At this point you must use all three skulls to skull-hop back to the first room to set the switch for the far door, and then skull-hop back through the spears again to go through the door.
The Mayan Puzzle box must read "The Breath of Itzamna" in the dials. Then click at right end.
The key piece of evidence is a Environ TV cartridge located in the puzzle box. Take it along.
In Missile Silo
The password is the name of a favorite sport of Michelle's, mentioned in her biography files and in the telephone message from her.
The clues about visual and auditory characteristics when looked up against the characteristics of members of the Symbiotry identify the Krynn as the race that Michelle is dealing with.
The transport code is 6572 5519 0235.
The alien access code for the Krynn is 272.
Make sure you have the lens cap on before transporting.
In the Alien Ship
To find the items that Michelle gave to the Krynn, move forward out of the transport pod and continue forward past the control panel. Turn left, go forward, then turn right and go forward.
To get past the first set of guards, use your cloak.
Use explosive charge to get sword out of its pod, then use sword on remaining pods, except leave the Cheese Girl.
To get past the guard a second time, use the sword to cut a transport nerve. This will close off the section where the guard is located.
To get past the Krynn leader/ambassador, throw the burned-out core at him when he puts you into the transporter. This will break the transport confinement field and you can get out.
He will then back into one of the other transporters and you can push its button. This will transport his non-organic prosthetics off of him, and he will swim away since he is defenseless without them.
Find the transporter pod which is set for organic and inorganic matter by using the translator biochip. Do not use the transporters which are set for only inorganic matter. Each pod will state its setting when you climb into it.
