I have played this game several times trying to get a perfect score and have about convinced myself that the game is buggy and you can't get a perfect score. I have yet to see any high scores posted for this game and they aren't even mentioned in walkthroughs.

The best score I've gotten is:
Documentation - 35/37
Clues - 27/31
Hidden clues - 12/40
Story - 1/5
Easter eggs - 2/5
Stars 6/10

As scores go this seems pretty bad. Now, I have gone as far as you can in the game and still be able to return to all locations. I have underlined every word in all documents where permitted. Icons in the brain have been combined even in silly patterns. There just aren't any more triggers and still the score does not improve.

Has anyone done better and if so, how?

U should look at walkthroughs, they usual contain the best way of beating the game.

Not for this game.

Robert -- have you been to the developer's forum here?

Some scores are posted on one of the threads, and you can post asking for hints for the Easter Eggs, etc.

All of the hidden clues have now been posted.
Warning: spoilers

Lighthouse Interactive forum

Thank's for the URL. At least I now know you can get higher scores.

It looks to me that if you don't match things in Howard's mind at the right time, you lose the chance to do it. This falls into a major complaint I have with many adventure games. If you think faster or slower than the authors, the game does not function correctly. There are many times things seem obvious to me before the game permits action. Then I don't always retry things that did not work previously.
To simulate life, things should work more or less at any time. If a game can't handle that, it should at least say "try later".

Is Darkness Within so good? I hesitate between this game and the "Nostradamus last prophecy": which to buy. What is your opinion, fellow boomers?

Thanks Pollo -- they appear to have just posted that. Lots of information, but many spoilers, as you noted. Going back now to see if my theories were correct.

EDIT: Oranger - both are very good games. I'd say that if you enjoy more character interaction, go for Nostradamus. If you like more exploration and digging out the plot threads for yourself, go with Darkness Within.

just finished darkness within. not to hard but you have to watch what your doing so you don't have to go back -good game if you like that sort of game.i liked it very much.
deleterman.

I'm about halfway through this game. I'm enjoying it and am really impressed with the graphics and the atmosphere. I used the 'blushing' icon because until I saw this post I had no idea I was scoring points. I have been simply wandering around to all the places and opening all the doors while waiting for something bad to appear. Points huh? I'll be darned.

You won't even know the game is scored if you don't watch all the credits at the end because your points are listed after the credits. Since I like reading Lovecraft's stories, I enjoyed the game and actually was more irritated by the point system than anything else.

After reading the data on the scoring system in the url given several messages up, I'm even more annoyed at the scoring. The instructions do not indicate that the highest score can only be obtained when playing at Senior Detective level. You lose points if you read a hint or have clue counters active (Standard or Detective modes). I also take issue on the timing of word activation in the documents.

The Haze -- I hope you score higher than I did! (Shouldn't be difficult.)

Actually, I'm a bit sorry I found this thread. I was having a thoroughly pleasant time wandering through the scenery and dealing with the puzzles while enjoying the ambiance. Now I found myself worrying about the score I'm earning, (Which will no doubt be low. since I tend to take lots of time as I drift through a game like this.) At any rate, it's been fun thus far and I have no complaints. My only concern is that I assume that eventually I'll have to go back down to the cellar. I have hated all cellers since Scratches.

It is the same with any good quest. Once you got messed up, you have to go one or more saves back. Sometimes it's irritating! )))
Thank you for information! The thing is that I love both exploring and talking to the characters. But the way Nostradamus looks in the trailer, there are a lot of puzzles there. And I prefer more detective-like way of gaming: searching for clues and comparing them rather than puzzling them out.

It sounds as though you would enjoy either game. Both games have some puzzles and both are in many ways detective games -- Nostradamus is perhaps a bit more puzzle-oriented, though it is also fascinating to see a detective working with Renaissance-era tools. Darkness Within has a new feature -- Howard's Mind -- where you compare and contrast the detective's thoughts. Nostradamus has more traditional inventory-based challenges than Darkness Within does.

(Buy them both.)

Have you been down in the well yet? You'll like the well.

Yep, I've been there once and really wasn't comfortable. Since then I've been waiting for something or someone to make me go there again. I'm sure I won't love my return to the well, but I do indeed like the creepiness in this game.