What is Exhibit of Sorrows?
Exhibit of Sorrows is an eerie point-and-click puzzle game created by Maxim Tsai in April 2022. Players step inside a carnival museum where each installation features an unusual doll that must be examined closely. Your goal across every exhibit is to discover a hidden key and unlock the exit, but solving each puzzle requires increasingly grim interactions. The game runs directly in any modern desktop or mobile web browser with no downloads or installation required.
Key features
- Circus museum setting: Wander through an eerie exhibition hall filled with four unsettling mechanical figures.
- Point-and-click investigation: Click or tap directly on items and characters to discover hidden mechanisms.
- Multiple story conclusions: Player choices throughout the walkthrough determine which finale unfolds at the exit.
- Quick standalone experience: The full walkthrough takes roughly 10 minutes to complete in a single sitting.
- Touch and mouse compatibility: Enjoy responsive controls designed for landscape displays on mobile devices and computers.
How to play
- Step into the exhibition room and read the display instructions presented by the clown figure.
- Click or tap on the active doll to experiment with its interactive features and moving parts.
- Complete the required action sequence to reveal the hidden key concealed within the showcase.
- Collect the key and proceed through the unlocked doorway toward the next gallery room.
- Face returning exhibits in darker configurations while choosing how to handle moral dilemmas before reaching an ending.
Controls
| Action | Keyboard / mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Inspect exhibit elements | Left click | Tap screen |
| Manipulate puzzle objects | Click and drag cursor | Touch and slide finger |
Exhibition doll puzzles
Progress through the gallery involves investigating four named exhibits: Mr. Floaty, Mr. Washy, Ms. Stretch, and Mr. Handy. Each doll operates on distinct physical rules, requiring the player to test reactions by pulling limbs, washing surfaces, or popping balloons. As you advance, earlier rooms reappear under altered lighting and distorted conditions, demanding harsher choices to uncover the final keys needed to break free.
Tips and strategy
- Examine every prop: Interactive triggers often blend into background decorations, so test any object that reacts to your cursor.
- Observe subtle visual cues: Changes in facial expressions or moving shadows indicate when an exhibit is ready to yield its key.
- Replay to explore choices: Different decisions alter the climax of the narrative, giving fresh outcomes across multiple runs.
- Listen for audio prompts: Sound effects signal whether a mechanical puzzle step succeeded before you make your next move.
Similar games
- Scary Maze: A suspenseful arcade reaction challenge that builds sudden tension during narrow navigation tests.
- Grow Island: A classic sequence-based puzzle game where selecting interactive upgrades in the right order evolves an entire island.
- Blue: A sleek logic puzzle collection where every stage challenges you to paint the entire screen blue.
Developer and history
Exhibit of Sorrows was developed by Maxim Tsai, an independent creator also known as adayofjoy, in collaboration with American animator Theresa Kao. The project was completed over a four-month production span exploring macabre storytelling within brief interactive vignettes. It launched in April 2022 as a browser game and quickly found a dedicated following among horror puzzle fans.
