Strange Antiquities: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Welcome to the mysterious world of Strange Antiquities, where you'll run an occult antique shop filled with dangerous magical artifacts. This comprehensive guide will transform you from a confused intern into a master antiquarian, capable of identifying any cursed object and solving every cryptic puzzle the game throws at you.

Running an occult shop isn't just about selling creepy trinkets, as you're dealing with powerful Thaumic Objects that can reshape reality itself. Every customer interaction, every artifact identification, and every puzzle solution affects the fate of Undermere and its citizens. Let's dive into mastering this supernatural business.

How to Identify Thaumic Objects Like a Pro

Your primary responsibility involves identifying mysterious artifacts using a systematic approach that combines sensory observation with scholarly research.

The Five-Sense Method

Start every identification by examining objects through your available senses. Check the color, texture (smooth, rough, slimy), scent, and any sounds it produces. Don't overlook your "inner sense" - this mystical perception reveals the object's emotional or spiritual aura.

Strange Antiquities: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide 

After gathering sensory data, consult your reference materials. The main encyclopedia contains detailed entries for every artifact, while specialized books cover gemstones, symbols, and curse properties. Use the index feature to search keywords from your sensory observations.

Essential Reference Books

Managing Your Fear Level

Making mistakes raises your Fear meter, and maxing it out triggers a frustrating dice mini-game. Here's how to avoid mental breakdowns while handling cursed artifacts.

Risk-Free Practice Areas

Any puzzle-solving within your shop carries zero penalty. You can experiment with placing items on plinths (pedestals), rearranging objects, and testing combinations without fear of consequences. Use this to your advantage when uncertain about customer requests.

Strange Antiquities Bloodstone 

The Dice Game Survival Guide

If your Fear maxes out, you'll face a symbol-matching challenge. You have five containers requiring specific dice combinations. Star dice act as wildcards, matching any symbol. Lock dice you want to keep by clicking them, then roll again for missing symbols.

Solving the Major Shop Puzzles

The Plinth Alcove Mystery

On Day 6, you'll receive a cryptic note about three specific items needed to unlock a secret area. Here's the complete solution:

1. Place the Horned Shackle on the left plinth
2. Position the Evocant on the middle plinth
3. Find the Selenic Totem (the "Moon something" referenced in the note) for the right plinth

Strange Antiquities Selenic Totem

The Selenic Totem appears as a carved owl statue. Don't confuse it with the Moonstone Guardian - check your encyclopedia's index under "Moon" for confirmation.

The Thaumic Lens Puzzle

Later in the game, you'll acquire a thaumic lens that reveals magical patterns on objects. When given a sketch showing three specific patterns, place these items on the examination plinth:

• Shadow Hold (clay bottle with intricate design)
• Sithean Charm (gold and silver leaf charm)
• Shield Charm (pendant with two etched squares)

Strange Antiquities Thaumic Lens  

Daily Clue Card Solutions

Starting Day 2, mysterious clue cards appear on your desk, leading to hidden artifacts. Here are the solutions for every single puzzle:

Days 2-6 Solutions

Day 2: "Behind Locke and Key" - Click the field behind Locke House (#7) and Keystone Manor (#13) on the Undermere map.

Day 3: "Escaped prisoner ran northwest" - Select the first building northwest of The Old Jail (#10).

Day 4: Building pattern card - Match the shapes to buildings near Prince's Street on the map's bottom section.

Day 5: Castle cutout card - Overlay on Gleaston Castle's first floor, aligning with the bottom room.

Day 6: "Maiden in tower points east" - Galfreys Tower (#22) statue points to Mossy Wood (#21).

Strange Antiquities Undermere  

Advanced Clue Solutions (Days 7-18)

The later puzzles become increasingly complex, involving multiple maps and specialized tools like the Bishop Square. This device helps solve directional riddles by aligning symbols with seasonal segments.

Crucial Items and Their Locations

Frequently Requested Objects

Hunter's Boon - Animal tooth-shaped artifact, often requested early Shadow Hold - Clay bottle with intricate front design Selenic Totem - Carved owl statue (the "Moon Heart" customers mention) Horned Shackle - Wooden goat carving for banishing inner demons

Strange Antiquities Hunter's Boon  

Unlocking Special Areas

Ethereal Key - Circular gold statue with three gems. Drag in circular motion to transform into key shape, then use on locked cabinet.

Spirit Vault - Green jar with feathers. Requires a Wandering Shroud (obtained from The Barrows, location #3) before exploring dangerous catacomb areas.

Strange Antiquities  

Advanced Puzzle Mechanics

The Moon Phase System

Some puzzles require matching moon phases using your desk clock. Press the small button to switch to moon mode, pull the chime to cycle phases, then match the displayed phase to unlock stained glass puzzles.

The Bishop Square Tool

This seasonal alignment device solves directional riddles. Place the referenced symbol (like "Blessing" or "Mars") in the appropriate seasonal segment, then click the location indicated by the opposite season.

Strange Antiquities Bishop Sqaure  

Pro Tip: The symbols book contains every marking you'll encounter. Bookmark frequently used pages for quick reference.

Customer Service Strategies

Reading Between the Lines

Customers rarely ask for items by their exact names. "Moon Heart" means Selenic Totem, while requests for "something to banish inner demons" point to the Horned Shackle. Pay attention to functional descriptions rather than literal names.

Multiple Choice Situations

Some customers accept different items for the same problem. For example, Daisy Winters accepts either Binding Seed (amplifies guilt) or Zeah (instills fear) to teach a thief a lesson. Your choice affects the story's direction. You can head over to our specific Guide on Customer Requests for better details. 

Strange Antiquities 

Organizing Your Supernatural Inventory

Efficient Storage Systems

Create logical grouping systems since the game lacks search functionality:

• Material-based: Wood, metal, stone, fabric
• Function-based: Protective charms, curse items, communication tools
• Identification status: Known vs. unknown items

At the end of the day, Strange Antiquities is all about embracing the thrill of the unknown while keeping your cool in the face of cursed objects and cryptic puzzles. You’ll make mistakes, second-guess your choices, and maybe panic a little when the dice mini-game shows up, but that’s part of the fun. The more you learn to read between the lines of customer requests and trust your instincts with artifact identification, the more rewarding the experience becomes. If you’re ready to balance shopkeeping with supernatural detective work, then this is the kind of eerie adventure you’ll want to sink hours into.