The Legend of the Golden Tome
Basics
The Legend of the Golden Tome basics involve matching three identical runes by clicking one rune, then clicking an adjacent rune, to swap the two. All runes have two distinguishing marks: symbol and color. Color is easier to distinguish, and should be your primary method of identifying runes.
Hidden Objects Mode
The first mode for Legend of the Golden Tome is a hidden objects game. Look at the objects in the bottom bar, then click them in the garden image above. Look for things that look odd, like a barrel near a door or a rake in a tree. This mode is hard initially, because this is the first time you see the garden image. Memorize this image, because it is used repeatedly.
If you get stuck, wait for the blue hint bubble towards the left to fill up. Click it, and it will show you where the next object is hidden. Besides taking about a minute to fill up, there is no penalty for using the hint bubble. Time is not a factor in this game mode, except for determining your score, so take as long as you need.
Breaking Blocks Mode
The second game mode is all about matching three runes and breaking blocks. In the rune grid, you will see two different colored boxes: brown and black. The brown ones must be smashed. To do this, you have to match runes in that box.
Runes can be moved out of the brown boxes, but the boxes themselves are stationary. Unlike the hidden object mode, you are timed. If the timer is getting low, stop focusing on the brown boxes and start making matches anywhere on the grid. This will help you get extra runes to make matches needed for the brown boxes.
Filling Orbs Mode
The third game mode in Legend of the Golden Tome is filling colored orbs. There are seven orbs to the right of the screen, and each one represents a rune. For example, the blue orb signifies blue runes. Match blue runes, and the orb will fill up. When the rune is full, it will close.
Pay attention to the orbs. If an orb is already full, then stop working on that colored rune because there is no bonus for matching more runes then needed, besides getting extra points for the match. Just like the breaking blocks mode, there is a timer to watch out for.
Special Items
Every two or three rounds you will return to the hidden objects game. Unlike the first time, you will receive a special item for finding the objects. These items appear on the grid, sometimes randomly and sometimes they start there.
To use an item, get it to the bottom of the grid by matching runes underneath it. Click the item from the bottom bar to activate the effect. When you get the item for the first time, a menu will describe its effect. The hammer, for example, can break any block you want. The circle allows you to match any two runes, regardless of position.
Hints and Tips for Golden Tome
Having trouble with the game? Use these hints and tips for Golden Tome to help beat the game.
Always pay attention to the timer. The Legend of the Golden Tome only gives you a few lives, and if you lose them you have to start from the beginning. The timer is your worst enemy, so concentrate both on the grid objective, and making matches to keep the timer high. For an extra 20 seconds, match five of the same rune.
Only use the special items when you need them. If you use the item immediately, chances are you wasted it and won’t have it for a real emergency.
Always pay attention to the hints and tips Golden Tome gives you. These hints come up whenever you encounter a new type of block, or get a new special item. Also, if you can’t find any matching runes, a mystical oval will appear around two runes.
Go after heart tiles to get extra lives. You only get a limited amount of lives, and if you run out you have to start from the beginning. Like special items, you need to get the heart to the bottom of the grid to collect it.
Chained runes are released by making a match involving the chained block. Releasing the chained rune will help, but it is not needed to beat a grid.
Don’t repeatedly click the screen during the hidden object game. After three successive clicks, the mouse pointer turns into a lock. This means you can’t click anything for the next few seconds. If you really can’t find something, it is best to wait for the hint bubble.
All screenshots and references from The Legend of the Golden Tome
