Japanese title:combi mansion.
English translation from Japanese.
Overview.
mergemansionis a for smartphones first distributed in 2020 by a company called Metacore in a place called Helsinki, Finland. merge puzzle game for smartphones.
The game has generated $54 million in revenues in just over six months of distribution. The game has now become one of the leading games in the merging genre, breaking into the two strongest merging games, Merge Dragon and EverMerge Kingdom.
Along with Homescape (Gardenscape) and Hero_Wars, the game is famous for its elaborate and impactful advertising. A live-action version of the commercial also exists. (currently private on the official account).
At first glance, it looks like an advertising scam, but it is not. The advertisement starts with a 3D animation like a mystery riddle, but after the animation is over, a temporary play screen of a merging puzzle game is shown as a bonus (slightly different from the actual play screen). (This is slightly different from the actual play screen.)
An essential part of the ad for this combination apartment is the scene where grandmother (Ursula) is arrested, with "He is alive" written on her palm.
However, the game has already been foreshadowing from the beginning, and as the game progresses, an animation of the arrest scene is inserted, and from this scene, the story begins to move significantly and the atmosphere changes drastically. The story moves dramatically from this scene and the atmosphere changes drastically.
In addition, the game introduction on the official application page states
About this game...
About this game...
Join Maddie as she unravels her family's secrets while combining items and restoring the mansion!
Maddie says I hold the secret, but it's too early for that girl to know...
The mystery takes place in our family mansion, which has been abandoned for over 40 years. Your mission is to uncover the hidden past of the Boulton family. Will you be able to unravel the mystery while restoring the mansion with Maddie?
Don't get too carried away with the fun.
Here, why don't you grab a cup of coffee, a piece of pie, and play Combination Mansion?
You're asking if I'm really hiding something? Well, that's for you to decide...
The grounds have been unkempt for decades and are in complete disrepair. Still, Maddie is desperate to revitalize the mansion and restore the family's glory. It's a healthy thing...
But the puzzle itself is fun and easy. You can combine items to complete a garden cleanup, grow flowers, and spruce up the mansion. And maybe you'll get to the outrageous secrets of the Boulton clan...
As you renovate each area, the history of the family is revealed little by little. But the more you know, the deeper the mystery will become. Why did I keep this place a secret? What happened to the family's mansion and property? Who is that magnificent statue in the shape of? Will Maddie be able to rebuild the mansion? Or will he lose everything? And do I still hold the secret? The answer to the last question is, of course, no. I'm not hiding anything...
- Restore Maddie's new home, expand the area, decorate your home with beautiful plants, flowers and furniture!
- Combine tools, flowers, and other items to complete the puzzles!
- Experience the extraordinary tale of a family full of secrets and grudges!
- Explore the mansion grounds and unlock hidden areas!
- A heartwarming puzzle game set in a mysterious mansion that anyone can enjoy!
------ so far.
The official game description is already disturbing, even though the game touts itself as a "heartwarming puzzle game".
What is a heartwarming story in which everything can be lost...
The official site says that love, legacy, betrayal, and Maddie's grandmother's secret... are all in the puzzle.
"Love, heritage, and betrayal are put together in one messy puzzle, and shh... Maddie’s grandmother has a secret to tell!"
Synopsis.
Maddie lives alone with her grandmother Ursula until three months ago when she receives a letter.
Maddie knows that the letter is an important document for Ursula, but her curiosity gets the better of her and she takes advantage of the fact that Ursula is not home to take a quick peek.
When she opens the letter, she finds a notice of foreclosure on Ursula's house due to non-payment of taxes.
When Ursula returns home afterwards, she panics.
Grandma! Is it true that you have a house in Hopewell Bay?
She asks. Ursula turned away with a troubled look on her face, but Maddie continued to beg her to take her to the place just once.
After we get there, she apologizes for pushing me, but thanks me for coming with her.
Ursula gives me a quizzical look of dismay.
"I didn't have to dip into my savings to pay the taxes," she said. It's a big house, but it's in such bad shape.
Maddie was surprised. Maddie is surprised, but declares that the house is important to her family and that as a descendant of the Boulton family, she is obligated to protect it.
He continues that he has received a notice from the town council that the house will be foreclosed on and demolished if it is not repaired soon.
He is determined to clean up the place to the point of astonishment and make it look good again.
I was amazed at the vast site when I looked at it again.
I was amazed at the vastness of the property, and thought to myself, "This must have been a well-known family in the past.
In response, Ursula said thoughtfully
But my impression was that it was much bigger than that before. And it's pretty dirty.
I think they were much bigger than I remember.
Maddie's challenge to rehabilitate the Boulton mansion began with the thought that the town would seize the property if it were not so well cared for. The mystery behind the mansion is also revealed.
What about the problem of unpaid taxes? Incidentally, the book does not mention taxes at all after this. Maddie seems to have converted the story into one of demolition because the mansion is in disrepair and not cared for.
Characters appearing
※Performers are cast in the live-action version.
- Maddie Boulton (played by Grace Rex)
The main character and player-like figure in the game. She is basically the only person on the grounds of the game's mansion.
Supposedly, she and Ursula were in a different location until three months ago, when the Boulton family mansion was foreclosed upon and she moved with Ursula to Hopewell Bay, where the mansion is located, out of the goodness of her heart to redevelop it. She is a friendly and affable person who is able to open up to people she meets for the first time, and is very curious.
On the other hand, she is also a natural, and is completely unaware of Roddy's approach. She also has a strong core, and this can cause trouble later on. He is good with his hands and likes to make things. Perhaps it is the Boulton family lineage that will be revealed later.
She doesn't know much about her family. Even why she lives alone with her grandmother is a mystery.
She does not appear in the game, but in the advertisement, there is a scene where she is sitting in a wedding dress in the middle of a church crying because her fiancé seems to have run away from her, and then she takes a cab back to her house, which burns down.
- Ursula Boulton (played by Kathy Bates)
Maddie's grandmother. If you've seen the commercials for this game, you have a very strong impression of this grandmother. She is basically kind, but there is something suspicious about her behavior and actions, and she dodges and evades Maddie's questions.
She bakes delicious pies and they smell very good. She seems to have been born and raised in this house, but for some reason, until three months ago, she was living with her grandson Maddie away from the house and thought that there was no need to pay high taxes to keep the dilapidated and tattered house of the Boulton family. She has come back because Maddie asked her to, but Ursula herself does not seem to be too keen on the idea.
Maddie did not listen to Ursula's advice, and as a result, she was arrested. Since then, Ursula has been out on bail.
However, she seems to have been arrested before, as she mentions the word "fugitive" in her conversation.
In the advertisement, it seems that she is the main player in the game, but it is Maddie who is in charge of the game. And although she doesn't appear in the game to be involved in any backstage maneuvering, it may just be that she isn't depicted in the ads.
She seems to be bad at cleaning, and there are irregular cleaning events.
He and Julius have known each other for a long time.
- Roddy Took.
A man in a yellow safety helmet and suit who approached Maddie as soon as she started working.
When he sees Maddie working on the repair work, he is impressed and at the same time starts gossiping about her. But when he learns of Maddie's situation, he tells her that he is an architect and offers to help.
He has loved walking past this large and mysterious mansion ever since he moved in. I told him that I would help prevent the demolition, and that he should be careful with the town council. He comes by from time to time to report on the town council and cooperate with all their goals. He also fell in love with Maddie at first sight, and he always approaches her, but she always dodges his advances because she is a natural. She is now Maddie's best friend.
She is also a big fan of Ursula's pies and cakes.
But sometimes his cooperation backfires...
- Julius.
An old man who suddenly drives his car backwards into the gate of the mansion. He is actually a former lawyer. Maddie doesn't remember him, but he had met her when he was little and recognized her at first sight. He was so taken by the beauty of the new mansion that he bumped into her. He leaves Maddie to clean up the mess, etc., and goes to visit Ursula to look for her.
Later, he hears of Maddie's decision, and with Roddy's encouragement, he has high hopes for the mansion's rebirth.
He seems to know about Ursula's past and what happened here, and still had some thoughts about Maddie who brought her back. Later in the event, Rafus breaks into the house and ravages it.
He has a taste for art, antiques, and mosaic art.
- Rafs.
A stray dog who wandered into the garden and fell into an old well, but Maddie rescued him and the Boulton family decided to keep him. He is a schnauzer type dog. He is fond of Maddie and Ursula, but not so much of the others. He especially growls at Roddy as soon as he meets him, as if he knows that Roddy likes Maddie.
- Jackie Martin.
A female reporter for the Hopewell Bay Times. After Ursula's arrest, she came to visit Maddie to cover the case. She told me that she was involved in a cold case of all things, and also told me what she had heard from a police officer she knew, but Maddie had her own ideas and refused to answer my questions and sent Jackie home immediately.
Jackie agreed and left with her business card.
He continues to come to ask about progress, but Maddie refuses. But when Maddie asked for help on another matter, he cooperated, and they finally became friends.
- Holden.
A self-proclaimed number one photographer in town, hired by the town council. He had come to document the renovation of the mansion.
He runs into Jackie, who happens to be at the Boulton house, and is informed that he has probably been fired from the Hopewell Times. However, he is undeterred and brings up the fact that he dated Jackie once.
He then tells Maddie that he took her picture, but that he will be back, and in a roundabout way tells her that it will be difficult to withdraw the demolition under the current circumstances, and then leaves.
Jackie advises him to ignore the guy, and when he later meets Roddy and talks to him about Holden, he describes him as arrogant and not much of a photographer.
- Winston.
Ursula's brother's butler who was committing theft in the workroom.
At first he refuses to admit to stealing, insisting that this is the master's house, not yours, and an argument ensues. However, Ursula appears and reveals that she actually has a brother.
He has been in the service of the Boulton family since his father's time, as father and son. However, he reveals that he has been forced to cooperate with Leonardo ever since he lost his job as butler and Leonardo saw him stealing.
When Ursula tells him that she will let him off the hook this time, he thanks her, tells her he is improving, and disappears when she takes her eyes off him for a moment.
Unreleased characters
※Persons whose names, etc. appear in the game, but who have not appeared in the game.
- Penny Golightly.
Probably a woman who is a member of the town council. Roddy tells her the name. She oversees infrastructure relations and is told to be extra careful with this woman as she is quite determined. Holden believes that she is the one who sent him to the Boulton family.
- Charlie Boulton.
Ursula's husband and Maddie's grandfather.
- Michael & Becky
Maddie's parents. Michael is Maddie's father and Becky is her mother. They have known each other since childhood. When Becky moved to Hopewell Bay with her parents, Ursula invited her to the house. That is where they met. What are they doing now, and why don't they stay with Maddie, even though they both seem to love her?
- Leonardo Boulton.
Ursula's brother. Winston's best friend and employer. He blackmails Winston into committing theft at the Boulton mansion. According to Ursula, he is an avid gambler and has been spending all the money he inherited from his parents.
- Maddie's fiancée?
In the game, there is no name or even a hint of her existence, but her presence can be seen only in the animation of the advertisement. He is a handsome man with a beard. He was fixing his bow tie in the waiting room on the day of the wedding when Ursula asked him and gave him a mysterious file, and then he ran away. In other ads, there is a scene where Maddie gets angry and throws things at him. Chronologically, the wedding is depicted as happening before the Boulton family's arrival at the mansion.
Past Characters.
- Ignatius Boulton.
The event occurs in the entrance area. The first person to sell canned goods as a commodity in the United States. An ancestor of the Boulton family and Charlie's admirer. His statue is erected just inside the entrance.
- Lindsay Boulton.
An event occurs in the garage area. The original owner of the classic car in the garage invented the spray can. Her appearance looks a little like Maddie. Her father's family was on the verge of a crisis when the stock market crashed, but they recovered after she invented the spray can. Ursula spills the beans that you (Maddie) are not the only one who tried to revitalize the mansion. Does that mean Lindsay or...
Sketty Katie & Casey.
Events occur at the beach house. Skeity is a female cousin of my grandfather Charlie, a roller skater. Her husband, Casey, is a surfer. One day they create a skateboard, a surfboard with wheels attached to it. But Ursula, tragically, seems to have no talent for skateboarding.
- Clara Boulton.
Second daughter of Ignatius. Apparently a bit of a celebrity around here.
Game System
Merge Puzzle" is a game in which two items of the same level are merged to create a new item, which is necessary for the game to progress.
When two items of the same level are merged on a 9x7 field, a new item is created, and when a certain level is reached, a new item is created, which can also be merged. The process is repeated to complete the required tasks and to maintain the site on the game site.
Basically, each area has a progress level, and when it reaches 100%, the next area is unlocked and can be advanced, but there are exceptions.
Some areas are unlocked based on your level, and some areas are unlocked when you create items of high difficulty, so you can progress through multiple areas at the same time.
Some areas have tasks that require "special items," and a short three-day event occurs in order to create them. After the event is over, the materials to create the special item are sent back to the main field, and if you fail to create the "special item" to clear the field, you can leave the materials and participate in the event as many times as you wish.
Monthly seasonal events are held, and by collecting and combining items that appear in the main field at a certain rate and collecting points, players can receive supplementary items to advance in the game or decorations to redecorate the grounds. Bingo-type task events are also available.
There are also events in which special fields appear for limited periods of time, and in these events, too, limited tasks are required and points are earned for completing them, and similar prizes are given.
Boulton Mansion and Stage
- Hopewell Bay
The fictional town where the Boulton Mansion is located. Maddie and Ursula moved here three months ago.
Whether it is a town or a city is a mystery.
- Town Council
They are planning to demolish the Boulton house. They send out invitations to Maddie for events, etc., but sometimes it is the city and sometimes it is the town.
- Maddie's house.
Official name unknown. The house where Maddie, Ursula, and the cat live. It is located on the right side of the Boulton mansion with its back to the gate. Rafus is free to roam the grounds. Ursula often bakes pies, and Roddy comes to the house because of the smell.
There is no description of the interior, but it can be redecorated with event prize decorations.
- Main building.
The official name is unknown. The mansion is the symbol of the Combi Mansion, but it has not yet been unlocked. However, it is depicted in the advertisement commercials.
The following facilities are all located on the property behind a walled gate.
- Entrance.
Welcome to Beaumont Hall!" First area. A statue of Ignatius welcomes guests as soon as it is completed. It can be redecorated with event decorations.
- Quiet terrace.
A terrace with a peaceful atmosphere. There is a fountain and a birdhouse for birds. In front of the fountain is a mysterious gate surrounded by a wall.
- Frog pond.
A pond in which a large statue of a frog appears when completed. The frog is above the pond's waterfall.
- Gate.
When we fixed the entrance area, we tidied it up and cleaned it up, but thanks to Julius' poking around, we had to remodel the gate area.
- Garage.
There are a lot of tools here to clean up the mansion and it looks like there are some secrets. When completed, a big classic car will greet you. It needs to be cleaned and organized from time to time.
- Old well.
Rafus had fallen into the well after trespassing on the mansion's property.
- Beach House.
The property was also facing the ocean and this was the beach owned by the Boulton family. However, there are no waves. The beach house seems to be inspired by the tropics.
- Table Entrance.
The passage in front of this entrance leads to the back of the house. Entering the service entrance, you will find a work room.
- workroom.
A small room attached to the mansion. There are some art works in this room.
- Flower Garden.
A flower garden with a pond with a mysterious statue standing in the center. It is more of a flower bed than a field.
- Pool.
There is a beach, but there is also a swimming pool. It looks like this pool has not been used for a long time. There are garden beds and a cafe space, and the pool has floating rings and crocodiles.
- Pool House.
A small detached house attached to the pool. There is a corner sofa in the room for relaxing.
- Patio of the pool house.
A barbecue space located in the back from the pool house.
- Stone garden.
A garden that looks like a mixture of Japanese garden and Chinese style with a torii gate. There is also a lantern and a shrine.
- Fortress
A fortress for some reason. A statue of Buddha under a turret. And the turret faces the mansion.
- Rafs' playground.
A dog park with a dog run, kennels, etc., next to the work room built for Rafus, who has a lot of energy.
- Square.
An outdoor space next to the entrance. It seems that guests can be entertained here as well.
- Boat landing.
The Boulton family invites guests not only from the front entrance but also from the sea.
Sacred Place of Romance.
This is said to be a place where romantic memories and items are laid to rest.
- Cemetery.
This cemetery belongs to the Boulton family. Naturally, the family lineage is laid to rest here.
- Tennis court
Tennis court next to the swimming pool. I don't know why, but it was in a state of disrepair.
- Labyrinth.
A place where many mysteries are said to be sleeping. The garden is designed like a labyrinth.
- Greenhouse.
A greenhouse attached to the mansion, scheduled to open in early January. According to the advertisement, there is a mysterious entrance in the center of the greenhouse...
Official Video
The videos are varied from mysterious to hard-hitting and heartwarming.
The most well-known arrest scene.
Good luck with the maintenance according to the atmosphere of the game.
Tragic wedding
...and oh my god, my current house is in flames too, but I'm on task and fixing it up!
Comparison with the old version
There have been several changes from earlier versions to now.Some of them are the result of a series of updates rather than a single renewal.
- Characters on the site board.
In the beginning, related characters appeared together with Maddie in conversations, but now only Maddie appears alone even in conversation events.
- Areas.
At first, the task missions were not divided into areas, but now they are divided into areas, and the progress of each area is indicated by a bar.
- Synopsis.
In the current story, they live away from Hopewell Bay and moved in together during the crisis at the mansion, but the original story is that they originally lived in a cute house outside the gate on the property. One day Ursula called Maddie to tell her the secret of the backyard and gave her the key to the gate.
Maddie was surprised, because no matter how much she had asked for 20 years, she had never been able to open it. Maddie gladly accepts the key and opens the gate with a startled look on her face. She opens it and is surprised to see a large, dilapidated house. Ursula wonders what other secrets they are hiding. But the grounds are in such a state of disrepair that it seems impossible to get to the entrance.
Maddie found a garage right next to the house, and she went into the garage with great enthusiasm, thinking that she could get to it by using the tools from inside. From there, Maddie's challenge to maintain the Boulton family mansion began.
This version of the story makes more sense as it takes place after the wedding, but the advertisement of Maddie as a bride is still running. And the official site still has the synopsis of the old version.
- Rodi's Characterization and Reason for Visiting.
Roddy is like the first friend Maddie has made in Hopewell Bay. He is now friendly and good-natured from the first meeting, but his initial reason for coming to the mansion is to inform Maddie that he is a building inspector and that the mansion should be considered for demolition, which is unfortunate. To Maddie's bewilderment, he continues by informing her that the bylaws do not allow for the continued existence of the dilapidated building. This is very realistic, as even today, unkempt buildings are a danger to the public if left unattended. When Maddie asked, he said he thought Maddie would make an effort and that he would enter the building as under improvement if the front of the building was at least maintained by the next time he comes back. This would buy time before the demolition work began in earnest. Maddy thought about it. He wondered if the demolition would be reversed if he did the maintenance. Roddy nodded modestly. Then he would come back often to check on things.
Although he was not cold, he had a calm and collected attitude toward Maddie, as if he were a government official. He will have to be more open to the current antics.
- Ignatius Boulton.
His full name is Ignatius Montague Boulton, born on Christmas Day, 1802. The canning business is the same, but there are a few details to set out, such as the name and the fact that he built up the Boulton family mansion in one generation.
- quiet terrace in front of the fountain.
There is a small area surrounded by walls, which initially seemed to be unlocked at lv.55. But now the key symbol itself has disappeared.
- The origin of the frog statue.
Although it is currently attributed to Maddie's parents, the original setting was a gift from Japan to Ignatius. Ursula used to kiss the frog's chin as a good luck charm when she still lived in the mansion.
- Why Julius got stuck.
Julius misstepped on the wrong gear and crashed into the gate. Maddie is concerned and tells him about Ursula. He says he knows her and that he is from that direction. Maddie and Roddy work together to fix the car and the luggage in the back of the truck, and then they thank her and leave.
- Lindsay Boulton.
Where Lindsay's story takes place is different. She was the one who met the stock market crash herself, and although she was a good investor, she couldn't have predicted it. She moves to New York with the Boulton family fortune to further her fortune. However, she lost all her money in the crash and returned to Beaumont Hall devastated. The family's canned goods sold well, so she invented the spray can and made a comeback.
- Beach House.
Katie has become Ursula's cousin. Katie's full name is Katie "Skeety" Boulton. Casey is Casey "Hang Ten" Schultz. They were madly in love in this place.
- Tennis court, labyrinth, cemetery.
Added with the update. The shape is different from the initial pre-unlock.
