Line #137 VideoGame/TheCabinetsOfDoctorArcana


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/doctor_arcana.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Prepare to be confounded.]]
3
4	''[[https://doctorarcana.com/ The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana]]'' is a [[PointAndClickGame point-and-click]] PuzzleGame produced by [[Music/NoxArcana Joseph Vargo]]. It is an [[RoomEscapeGame escape room]]-esque game about a nameless protagonist who approaches a sinister, abandoned mansion on Halloween night, and is challenged to solve an entire house's worth of puzzles by the enigmatic Doctor Arcana.
5
6	More than twenty years ago, Doctor Arcana was a renowned magician, illusionist, and mystic. One day, he vanished, and no one knows what happened to him. His home at Arcana Manor has been locked since, and though there have been reports of strange things happening inside, no one has ever investigated. On Halloween night, you suddenly find yourself at the gates of the impressive manor, with no memory of how you got there. The only clue is a heavy metal amulet, passed down through your family. Within the house are many rooms full of puzzles, clues, and mysteries, and you must navigate the house to find the thirteen keys which will allow you to leave. Otherwise, [[ClosedCircle you will be trapped there forever]].
7
8	Released in October 2018, this is the first video game that Vargo has published. He intended to create a SpiritualSuccessor to classic puzzle games like ''VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest''. The game's title is a ShoutOut to ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari''. The game's concept was based on a puzzle segment from Vargo's ''Dark Realms'' magazine, and the puzzles that appear hidden in every Music/NoxArcana album. The story of the game ties into Nox Arcana's album ''Theater of Illusion,'' about a secret society of wizards. It features a spooky atmosphere, a beautiful Gothic setting, Nox Arcana's music, and much of Vargo's artwork.
9
10	A sequel, ''[[https://doctorarcana.com/shadowspire.html Doctor Arcana and the Secret of Shadowspire]]'', is currently in production and will pick up where ''Cabinets'' ends. Doctor Arcana and the player are whisked away to an unfamiliar island, where the player will enter the eponymous castle, Shadowspire, and attempt to pass a series of trials left by the Elders of the Arcanum. New artwork for the game was made public in July 2021, and again in January 2022 and September 2022; Vargo is excited by the progress being made. As of late 2023, the Nox Arcana social media suggests that the game will be completed sometime in 2024.
11
12	In October 2020, it was announced on the game's [[https://www.facebook.com/DoctorArcana/posts/3685143588203422 Facebook page]] that a special installment, ''The Mystery of Grimstone Manor'', would be released for Halloween. In a similar plot to ''Arcana'', the player is locked inside their late Uncle Victor's mysterious mansion on Halloween night and must solve the puzzles inside in order to claim their inheritance. The game was released as a [[https://youtu.be/8m1Kg4Xj-UQ YouTube video]], which the player must watch carefully to gather the clues needed, then solve the puzzles and input the correct answers on the Nox Arcana website.
13
14	[[foldercontrol]]
15
16	!!The entire series provides examples of:
17	[[folder:A-Z]]
18	* CosmeticAward:
19	** Finishing the first game results in the player receiving a diploma of sorts - a scroll bearing their name and a list of how many hints they used, skips they employed, and clues and pieces of art they uncovered. It also grants them a ranking based on this final score; a perfect or near-perfect score puts them in the "Elite Order of Arcana." On the official website is the [[https://doctorarcana.com/hall-of-infamy.html Hall of Infamy]], which shows these awards won by players who beat the game on Halloween 2018.
20	** Those who send in the correct answers for the final puzzle of ''Grimstone Manor'' get their names added to the "[[https://noxarcana.com/grimstone-halloween.html account of the few brave souls]]" who earned the bragging rights.
21	* FeaturelessProtagonist: We know nothing about the player character of the main games except that the Arcanum Amulet is a family heirloom. They're never seen, are not voiced, and have no distinguishing characteristics of any kind.
22	** This is also true of the ''Grimstone Manor'' protagonist, who is implied to be a completely different character. We know nothing about them except that they had a weird uncle who dabbled in dark magic and Grimstone Manor is their ancestral home.
23	* FunctionalMagic: Magic definitely exists in this universe, even if the games don't make it entirely clear how it works.
24	* MinimalistCast: The only characters in ''Cabinets'' and ''Shadowspire'' are the player and Doctor Arcana. ''Grimstone Manor'' is even more minimalist, as the player is the only character (Uncle Victor is DeadToBeginWith).
25	* OldDarkHouse: Arcana Manor and Grimstone Manor are both pattern examples, complete with DramaticThunder. Grimstone even has an appropriate name for such a place. Shadowspire, meanwhile, is an old dark ''castle''.
26	* TheXOfY: All of the Nox Arcana game titles fall into this.
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	!!The cabinets contain the following tropes:
30	[[folder:A-M]]
31	* AllThereInTheManual: The game ties into ''Theater of Illusion,'' and both the game and the album contain additional information about the world.
32	* AncestralWeapon: Not a weapon, but the Arcanum Amulet the protagonist carries was passed down through their family. It's instrumental to solving a number of puzzles, including the very first and very last.
33	* AncientEgypt: Egyptian imagery appears all over the place, especially in the Attic and [[spoiler: on Arcana's tomb.]]
34	* AncientEvil: The Arcanum was wiped out by some ancient evil, but it's never explained exactly what this is. Possibly to be addressed in the sequel.
35	* {{Antepiece}}: The first two puzzles, which allow you to get past first the locked gate and then the locked front door, serve as this for the rest of the game. They're designed to give the player a taste of the headscratchers which await them inside the manor.
36	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Several.
37	** The hint button reveals the location of the puzzle in the room. It changes to a "skip" button once the player engages with the puzzle, allowing them to skip the puzzle entirely. However, using the buttons may subtract from the final score.
38	** The protagonist's journal contains clues, images, and backstory that the player finds throughout the game world, keeping it easily accessible to minimize the effects of GuideDangIt.
39	** The map feature in the Library allows the player to teleport to any room they have already unlocked, although the map is fixed in place and can only be used from the Library. The map also clarifies which rooms have had their keys located.
40	** If all else fails, the game actually contains a {{walkthrough}} accessible from the Options button on the main menu. It's called, humorously, the ''Cheater's Compendium'', and it's brimming with snark.
41	* TheApprentice: [[spoiler: The protagonist,]] albeit unwittingly.
42	* ArcSymbol: The amulet that the protagonist carries appears everywhere in Arcana's mansion.
43	* TheArchmage: Doctor Arcana was the most powerful wizard in the Arcanum before it disappeared.
44	* AnAstralProjectionNotAGhost: Doctor Arcana seems to be a ghost haunting his abandoned manor, [[spoiler: but he's actually alive and hibernating in a tomb underneath it]].
45	* BadPowersGoodPeople: The magic that Arcana and the other wizards practice seems to be BlackMagic (the poster advertising their Mysterium show even describes them as masters of "The Dark Arts"). However, the Arcanum is not evil, and they are threatened by [[AncientEvil something that is]].
46	* BeingWatched: If it feels like that's what's happening as you begin the game, that's because you ''are''. Doctor Arcana watches every move the protagonist makes throughout the entire game, and doesn't try to hide it as he comments on many of them.
47	-->'''Doctor Arcana:''' ''(after the player skips a puzzle)'' I saw that.
48	* BigFancyHouse: Arcana Manor. The protagonist remarks that it "looks like a castle."
49	* BoobyTrap: In one of the final puzzles, if the player selects the wrong letters, [[SpikesOfDoom spikes]] shoot out from the walls to impale the protagonist.
50	* BookcasePassage: A secret passage in the Museum opens with a talisman inserted into the wall. [[spoiler: A secret ''elevator'' is opened in the Library after two specific puzzles are solved.]]
51	* ButThouMust: Averted, sort of. After you enter the house, the golden mask of Doctor Arcana appears before you as an apparition and explains the situation. He concludes his monologue by offering you a choice; if you decline the challenge, he will relieve you of your amulet and send you on your way, never to return. Selecting this option returns you to the main menu. Since this obviously ends the game after only two puzzles, it doesn't truly avert the trope, but it does give the player a sense of having some agency in the situation. On the other hand, Arcana is pretty convinced that fate is what brought you to the manor, and the protagonist's in-universe rationale for accepting Arcana's challenge is that [[YouCantFightFate they can't deny their destiny]].
52	* Myth/ClassicalMythology: Not as much as the AncientEgypt motif, but references to Greek mythological figures are found throughout the manor, such as Thanatos and Pandora. The Gallery also has a Classical aesthetic.
53	* ClosedCircle: If you decide to accept Arcana's challenge, the doors of the mansion will lock behind you, and you will be trapped inside until you solve all the puzzles.
54	* CoolMask: Arcana's golden mask, which is as close as the player ever gets to seeing [[TheFaceless his face]].
55	* CrypticConversation: Arcana's disembodied voice rarely provides any useful information. He doesn't say much, and when he does, it's usually to deride the player or express disbelief at their success; he seems to think that they're extremely lucky.
56	* DarkIsNotEvil: Arcana's whole mansion is dark and spooky, covered in creepy artwork, and steeped in the occult; but Arcana himself is not evil, nor is anything in the mansion (except for the fact that you can't leave it) a danger to you. [[spoiler:Only one puzzle is life-threatening, near the end of the game, and it's explicitly clarified that you avoid the danger if you get it wrong.]]
57	* DeadpanSnarker: The protagonist and Arcana both.
58	** Arcana ''constantly'' sneers at the player's abilities, even going as far as to remark, "What took you so long?" after one specific puzzle.
59	---> '''Doctor Arcana''': You have an uncanny knack for blindly stumbling upon the right moves.
60	** The protagonist occasionally snarks about the puzzles, and also makes witty comments about Vargo's paintings (which may count as meta-SelfDeprecation).
61	* DeathTrap: One of the final puzzles in the Crypt, a booby-trapped floor puzzle with SpikesOfDoom.
62	* DoomyDoomsOfDoom:
63	** Doctor Arcana renamed the Sarcophagus of Dreams the "Sarcophagus of Doom" for his escape trick.
64	** The solution to the BoobyTrap puzzle. [[spoiler: "Tread wisely as you cross this room. One wrong step spells certain doom."]]
65	* DramaticThunder: A quiet thunderstorm surrounds the manor house as the protagonist enters it. Rooms with windows, such as the Library, occasionally display lightning flashes.
66	* EnclosedSpace: If the player chooses to accept Arcana's challenge, the protagonist is locked inside the manor house until they complete it. As Arcana himself notes, you will either succeed or die trying.
67	* EnterSolutionHere:
68	** The door leading to the DeathTrap puzzle works this way. The final Cabinet gives you the solution to open it, but two other sets of four symbols found elsewhere in the mansion will open [[spoiler: the solutions to several Cabinets]] and [[spoiler: another map function]]. These count as "Secrets" on your final score. It's difficult to find these two clues, since the protagonist does not remark on them or write them in the journal; their obscurity eventually led the devs to make reference to them on Twitter. [[spoiler: They are located in the Gallery to the left of the Cabinet (where you find the red jewel), and on the ''Carnival of Lost Souls'' poster in the secret passageway.]]
69	** The final step of opening all the main doors is to input the name that goes with the sigil. In the second half of the game, you have to translate it into magic symbols.
70	* EvilSoundsDeep: Subverted. Arcana speaks with a sinister baritone (courtesy of Vargo), but it turns out that while he is certainly creepy, he isn’t necessarily evil. (Arcana's voice is also a bit more whispery than Vargo’s normal narration in the opening cutscene.)
71	* TheFaceless: Arcana's face is never shown, only his [[CoolMask golden mask]].
72	* HermeticMagic: The magical imagery in this game relies heavily on Hermetic Magic, such as the Alchemy chart in the secret room and the InstantRunes that appear when you use the hint button.
73	* HintSystem: The player can press the hint button at (almost) any time, but all it does is reveal the location of the puzzle in the room (which isn't that hard to find anyway). It doesn't provide hints towards solving the actual puzzles. Using it also subtracts from the final score.
74	* {{Klotski}}: The Cabinet in the Gallery with the [[Myth/ClassicalMythology Classical]] aesthetic is a very simplified version of this.
75	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: The protagonist has no memory of how they ended up at Arcana Manor, but that seems to be the only thing they can't remember.
76	* LastOfHisKind: Doctor Arcana is the last remaining sorcerer of the Arcanum.
77	* LockAndKeyPuzzle: All of the sigil doors have to first be unlocked by inserting the correct colored jewel into the door, and then swapping and rotating tiles to create the correct sigil and inputting the name found somewhere else in the house. Many other gates and passageways open by inserting a certain talisman or the Arcanum Amulet.
78	* MacGuffinTitle: Even without knowing anything else about the game, it's obvious just from hearing its title that there are cabinets which are essential to the plot.
79	* MagiciansAreWizards: Doctor Arcana was a real wizard who performed as a successful stage illusionist until he mysteriously disappeared at the height of his career. The other Arcanum wizards are implied to have been this, too, as they all performed for each other in the Mysterium.
80	* MagicalLibrary: Arcana's library, which the player accesses at the end of the first act.
81	* MagicalSociety: The Arcanum was a secret society of wizards.
82	* MentorArchetype: [[spoiler: Arcana, if incessantly mocking the protagonist can be called "mentoring."]]
83	* MythologyGag:
84	** The album cover artwork for ''Blood of the Dragon'', ''Theater of Illusion'', ''Transylvania,'' ''Grimm Tales'', and ''Darklore Manor'' all appear in-game. The protagonist mentions that Darklore is a "legendary haunted mansion," implying that it (or at least stories of it) exists in-universe.
85	** There's a picture of [[Literature/TalesFromTheDarkTower Rianna]] in the gallery.
86	** An entire poster not-so-subtly advertising ''Carnival of Lost Souls'' appears in the secret passageway. (The protagonist remarks, "I wish I could have seen this show!")
87	** The magic circle in the West Tower is the design on the ''Theater of Illusion'' disc.[[note]]It's an actual magic circle in real-life ceremonial magic, called the Sigillum Dei.[[/note]]
88	[[/folder]]
89
90	[[folder: N-Z]]
91	* {{Necromancy}}: Multiple magical items imply that Arcana is a necromancer, such as the "Skull of Necros" and the ritual setup in the Crypt.
92	* NoodleIncident: Exactly how the Arcanum was destroyed and what threatened it is never explained.
93	* NothingButSkulls: A ritual setup in the Crypt includes a pile of skulls. Additionally, skulls feature in several puzzles.
94	* NothingIsScarier: Players may find the complete emptiness of the manor to be unsettling, and anticipate a JumpScare, but none ever comes.
95	* NumerologicalMotif: Thirteen. There are thirteen primary rooms in the house, not counting the entrance foyer; these are entered by finding thirteen colorful gemstones scattered throughout the manor; and there are thirteen skeleton keys to be found, each locked inside one of thirteen cabinets.
96	* OldMaster: Arcana, an aged sorcerer and master of both magic and puzzles.
97	* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: Or in this case, Magician. Although Arcana seems to be a necromancer, as noted elsewhere on this page, the various rooms also indicate that he's an Egyptologist, astronomer, astrologer, and alchemist, along with being a puzzle master, art collector, and bibliophile.
98	* OnlySmartPeopleMayPass: Arcana's challenge is meant to be so confounding as to thwart all but the most intelligent and worthy. [[spoiler: This is because Arcana is training the protagonist as TheApprentice.]]
99	* TheOnlyWayTheyWillLearn: Arcana's method of teaching the protagonist [[spoiler: how to be a proper wizard]] is to set them to solving puzzle after puzzle, with no hints, and nothing but condescension as a reward.
100	* PassingTheTorch: [[spoiler: Arcana intends to share all of his magical knowledge with the protagonist, once they prove themselves, in order to carry on the Arcanum and combat whatever evil force destroyed them.]]
101	* PointAndClickMap: Found only in the Library, and only usable ''in'' the Library, meaning that you can only travel one way with it. Expect to be doing a lot of backtracking.
102	* PortalDoor: It's implied that the protagonist is teleporting every time they enter a room, since the doorways are all portals. A more obvious example is using the map feature.
103	-->'''Protagonist:''' ''(each time they solve a door puzzle)'' The door turned into a portal. Cool.
104	* PortalNetwork: The entire house is implied to be this, as the doorways to each room are all glowing portals. The protagonist finds a book that mentions portals that bring wizards to other places and times; it's also mentioned that the Theater may exist on a completely different plane of reality.
105	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: It's implied that Arcana is centuries old. The Arcanum was formed "in the twilight mists of the Dark Ages," and it isn't clear if he's a descendant of its founder or if he really has lived since then. [[spoiler: Although his face is never seen, his hands are long, pallid, and almost skeletal-looking. This could just be from being old and hibernating in a sarcophagus, but he might be TheUndead.]]
106	* RitualMagic: Implied to be a form of magic used by the wizards in the Arcanum, since two magical rituals are set up (one in the West Tower and one in the Crypt).
107	* ScarabPower: The Cabinet in the Attic consists of a magical golden scarab beetle pushing golden balls into a hole. It's generally regarded as the most difficult puzzle in the game; after completing it, you may never want to look at another scarab again.
108	* SealedGoodInACan: [[spoiler: Doctor Arcana sealed himself inside his Sarcophagus to protect himself from an AncientEvil. The protagonist's unwitting objective is to release him.]]
109	* SecretCircleOfSecrets: The Arcanum was a secret society of wizards who practiced BlackMagic, though they weren't exactly evil. Their leader, Doctor Arcana, wears a red robe and a very elaborate [[CoolMask mask]].
110	* ShoutOut:
111	** The title of the game is one to ''Film/TheCabinetOfDrCaligari''.
112	** The ''Carnival of Lost Souls'' poster, as well as being the most direct one to Music/NoxArcana itself, reads [[Literature/SomethingWickedThisWayComes "Something Wicked This Way Comes"]].
113	** All of the characters in Vargo's paintings are given names. One of the two in the entrance hall is labeled "[[Series/{{Bewitched}} Endora]]," and the other is labeled "[[Film/{{Nosferatu}} Orlok]]". A painting of an Egyptian sorceress in the Attic is labeled "[[Literature/TheVampireChronicles Akasha]]".
114	** Sometimes, if you solve a puzzle correctly, Doctor Arcana will exclaim, "[[Film/ThePrincessBride Inconceivable!]]"
115	* SigilSpam: The Arcanum Amulet[[spoiler:, which marks one as a member of the Arcanum and grants entry to it,]] is ''everywhere.'' It adorns shelves and tables and the backs of chairs, it appears in paintings, it appears on the walls of the elevator and the hallway leading to the crypt, it is the "occult ritual circle" in the crypt, it is also [[spoiler: the final swapping-tile puzzle on the Sarcophagus]]... It is absolutely everywhere. The protagonist usually remarks "this looks familiar" when it shows up, since it's identical to the amulet they brought with them. Arcana's "A" insignia is everywhere as well.
116	* SkeletonKey: The main objective is to collect thirteen Skeleton Keys from the thirteen Cabinets.
117	* SpellBook: There's one in the Library. You have to solve a puzzle to open it, and then use the clue inside to solve three other puzzles.
118	* SpikesOfDoom: Spikes shoot out from the walls if you make a wrong move in the final chamber.
119	* TrainingTheGiftOfMagic: Possibly. The Arcanum Amulet is an AncestralWeapon that had been passed down through the protagonist's family, potentially implying that the protagonist has innate magical abilities that must be trained. [[spoiler:The later reveal about the loss of the Arcanum suggests that the protagonist is probably descended from one of Doctor Arcana's former colleagues, or (less likely) Arcana himself.]]
120	* TricksterMentor: Arcana expresses doubt in the player's abilities throughout the entire game, and often outright insults or mocks them, even occasionally encouraging them to "give up now and save yourself the embarrassment." [[spoiler: He's just testing them; his real intention is to train them to become a wizard.]]
121	* TheVoice: For most of the game, Arcana's disembodied voice comments on the player's progress, sometimes accompanied by a hovering image of his mask.
122	* {{Walkthrough}}: The in-game walkthrough is called ''The Cheater's Compendium'', narrated by Arcana himself. His comments towards the reader are even more scathing (and funny).
123	* WesternZodiac: The symbols of the western zodiac (plus one extra) appear on the thirteen skeleton keys.
124	[[/folder]]
125
126	!!Uncle Victor left the following tropes inside Grimstone Manor:
127	[[folder: A-Z]]
128	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Averted. The entire game, apart from putting in the answers on the Nox Arcana website, is a video. The player has to provide their ''own'' AntiFrustrationFeatures by writing down everything that looks like a clue. Taking screenshots (either with the Print Screen button or by literally taking pictures with a cell phone camera) is also basically required at least once for anyone who doesn't have a photographic memory. [[labelnote:Hint]]The ouija board in the library turns into the key for a code that will be needed twice.[[/labelnote]] Rewinding the video and watching it repeatedly can also help, and is not at all against the rules.
129	* BigFancyHouse: Grimstone Manor.
130	* BlackSheep: Uncle Victor was this to the player's family. According to the game's opening narration:
131	-->"My family rarely uttered his name and when they did, it was in hushed whispers. My parents kept me sheltered from his influence my entire life and I had come to learn that it was because of his dealings with {{black magic}} and the occult."
132	* BookcasePassage: One opens up during the course of the game.
133	* BraggingRightsReward: Submitting the seven correct answers will result in Nox Arcana sending the player a link to a special reward video. It's about a minute long and is just a bit of Halloween fun, but it pretty much constitutes this since you have to be ''very'' clever to get everything right.
134	* Myth/CelticMythology: The player finds references to Druids and their ancient beliefs in books throughout the manor. [[spoiler:Grimstone Manor is said to be built on top of the gate the Druids created between the worlds of the living and the dead.]]
135	* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: Implied, since the player is said to be Uncle Victor's last living relative. This means that their parents can no longer stop them from visiting their ancestral home or following in Uncle Victor's footsteps.
136	* CreepyPainting: The very first room has a portrait of Uncle Victor over the mantel. The eyes don't move, but the face briefly turns into a skull, and the narration notes that the player character feels like Uncle Victor is [[BeingWatched watching them]].
137	* CutAndPasteEnvironments: All of the rooms in Grimstone Manor, as well as the exterior, are recycled from ''Cabinets''. Justified in that this is not a full game, just a Website/YouTube video.
138	* DramaticThunder: Just like in ''Cabinets'', there's an ambient thunderstorm happening throughout the video.
139	* EnclosedSpace: Like Arcana Manor in the first game, the player is locked inside Grimstone Manor on Halloween night. A 'welcoming' message from their departed Uncle Victor informs them that they will either succeed in solving the riddles or die trying.
140	* EnterSolutionHere: The player must gather and translate clues scattered throughout the rooms of the manor, then go to the special URL provided at the end of the video to put in six special codes and an incantation.
141	* FirstPersonPerspective: As the video is non-interactive, the player instead watches through the eyes of their avatar, who narrates what they do as they do it. The narration is only written, however, and is interspersed with the clues and location shots.
142	* HalloweenEpisode: ''Grimstone Manor'' is this for players; it's just a special treat from Nox Arcana while they await the release of the full sequel.
143	* LockAndKeyPuzzle: The end goal is to unlock the Spirit Gate.
144	* NothingButSkulls: Skulls feature into several puzzles, and one of the codes needed for the end of the game is represented by a skull.
145	* OnlySmartPeopleMayPass: Pretty much the whole point. Uncle Victor is only willing to leave Grimstone Manor and its mysterious contents to his last remaining relative ''if'' they can correctly solve the puzzles he left.
146	* PassingTheTorch: Uncle Victor wants to hand off his valuables and his magic to his last living relative.
147	* PlotTriggeringDeath: The whole thing kicks off because Uncle Victor has, well, kicked off.
148	* RedHerring: One set of clues turns out to be this. [[spoiler:Solving the "puzzle" presented by the books bearing a crescent moon emblem will tell you to SEEK ALL CROWNS, IGNORE ALL MOONS.]]
149	* RitualMagic: Mentioned in some of the books about the Druids.
150	* SdrawkcabSpeech: Players may get to the end of the video, see that an incantation is needed, and wonder where to find it. [[spoiler:The clue is written on the Spirit Gate itself... backwards.]]
151	* SigilSpam: Throughout the rooms of the manor, the player will see many odd symbols embroidered on chair cushions or framed as wall art. [[spoiler:''They're important'' - but the game doesn't say so. The player must figure out for themselves what they are and what they mean.]]
152	* SolveTheSoupCans: Finding the six codes and the incantation to open the Spirit Gate involves a lot of this.
153	* UnexpectedInheritance: Because the player character has been carefully kept away from Uncle Victor their whole life, they don't know him at all, so it comes as quite a surprise to learn that he's died and left them everything - conditionally, of course.
154	[[/folder]]
155
156	!!The secrets in Shadowspire will include the following:
157	[[folder:A-Z]]
158	* AntiFrustrationFeatures: Replacing the diary from the first game will be something called the Oracle, which will allow the player to keep track of all the secrets they have uncovered.
159	* BeingWatched: As in the first game, Doctor Arcana will be watching (and commenting on) everything the player does.
160	* CreepyCemetery: One of the scenes shown in the original sneak peek on the Nox Arcana website displayed one of these; it's no longer available, having been replaced by the new sneak peeks in July 2021.
161	* HauntedCastle: Shadowspire has the look of one, certainly.
162	* TheMaze: The game's description on the Nox Arcana website suggests that the castle includes (or consists entirely of) one of these.
163	* OnlySmartPeopleMayPass: The entire castle is apparently laid out as a series of tests by the Elders of the Arcanum, and [[spoiler:to formally join the ranks]], the player must solve the puzzles they left. According to the updated sneak peeks in July 2021, surviving the trials of Arcana Mansion was "merely a testing ground to prepare Initiates for what lies in wait" at Shadowspire.
164	* TimeTravel: The images released in January 2022 include an indication that the puzzles within Shadowspire are scattered not only throughout the rooms, but ''throughout time''.
165	* ZipMode: An improved version of the first game's teleportation system is planned to allow the player to visit any location they have already unlocked.
166	[[/folder]]
167
168	''Most mortal minds will be confused, but a clever few will be amused.''

Context VideoGame / TheCabinetsOfDoctorArcana