Escape Academy Library Guide: How to Beat Where There’s Smoke

Finding yourself trapped inside the escape academy library can turn your relaxing study session into a race against the clock. As the eleventh escape room in Coin Crew Games' hit puzzler, "Where There’s Smoke" turns up the heat—literally—leaving you and the lovable janitor Jeb scrambling for a way out.

Overcoming the Fiery Trial: Level Overview

When you enter the escape academy library, you quickly realize that the standard exit doors are blocked by the mounting flames. Surviving this level requires quick wits, keen observation, and mastery over multiple multi-step puzzles.

Community reports indicate that while the timer is generous, the sheer variety of puzzle mechanics can catch unprepared players off-guard. Below is a breakdown of what you need to prepare for.

Phase 1: Revealing the Secret Exit and Collecting Tablets

You can't just walk out of the front doors. Instead, you need to uncover a hidden exit right in the center of the main area.

Flipping Through the Books

1. Head to the central plinth and read the book that tells you there is no time to read and to simply "flip through."
2. Locate the mini shields in the far aisle that read "WISDOM THROUGH EFFORT."
3. Interact with the shields to flip every letter in the word "THROUGH" upside down.
4. This action lowers the nearby bookcase to reveal a secretive exit slot blocked by four missing items.

Tracking Down the First Tile

To open the secret exit, you need four unique Strange Tiles. Start by heading to the opposite corner of the room to inspect a display case containing directional arrow fragments.

Opening this box rewards you with a Crank Handle and an Hourglass. Next, step into the adjacent room to tackle the Latin text challenge on the wall.

Phase 2: Deciphering Latin Scrolls and Clock Puzzles

The side room contains clues pointing toward "Cogito Ergo Sum" alongside scrolls mapping Latin words to numbers.

Unlocking the Latin Chest

The wall inscription instructs you to "THINK TWICE." Consulting the room's scrolls reveals the values for each word:

• Cogito: 2
• Ergo: 5
• Sum: 7

Because you must "think twice," apply Cogito's value twice. Enter 2257 into the chest's padlock to claim your first Strange Tile adorned with a scale.

Cranking the Broken Clocks

Return to the main library floor and insert your newly acquired Crank Handle into the center of the broken clock display.

According to player experience, adjusting the middle crank first to set the large clock, followed by the right and left cranks respectively, will instantly trigger a hidden button revealing the upside-down ladder room.

Phase 3: Navigating the Upside-Down Room and Skull Puzzles

Once you press the clock button, a strange upside-down chamber opens up, featuring sliding ladders and an inverted chest.

Moving the Ladders

• Drag both the gold and silver ladders across the maze-like floor grooves.
• Ensure both legs of each ladder follow the track markings until they lock into position.
• Climb the silver ladder first to trigger an elevated switch, then ascend the gold ladder to collect your second Strange Tile (featuring a bird).

Cracking the Skull Code

At the far end of the upside-down room sits a chest guarded by four skulls: a bull, a human, a bird, and another human.

Head back to the main room's display cases to reference the numbers assigned to each skull:

• Bull: 6
• Human: 9
• Bird: 8

From a normal perspective, the code is 6989. However, because you are viewing the chest upside down, the code must be inverted. Enter 6869 to unlock the container and retrieve your third Strange Tile (embossed with a lion).

Phase 4: Hourglasses, Shifted Alphabets, and Final Escape

With three tiles secured, your next objective takes you toward the fiery exit's final hurdles.

Aligning the Hourglasses

1. Place your collected Hourglass into the empty slot near the aisle door.
2. Step back and look up at the stained-glass window to view the correct sand configurations.
3. Adjust each hourglass to match the visual pattern. Ensure you leave the top-right hourglass (the one with flowing sand) for last.

Deciphering the Globe Room

The next chamber features global projections where letters have been shifted forward by one in the alphabet (e.g., A becomes B, following the "A → B" hint on the wall).

Matching these translated words on the central globe's colored rings unlocks the device and grants you the final Strange Tile, featuring an anvil.

Placing the Tiles

Return to the secret exit gate and slot your four Strange Tiles into their respective inscriptions based on the following thematic logic:

[ Anvil ] -> "An Escapist forges their own destiny"
[ Lion  ] -> "An Escapist takes pride in their work"
[ Bird  ] -> "An Escapist goes above and beyond"
[ Scales] -> "An Escapist weighs the options"

Once all four tiles are placed correctly, the pathway clears, allowing you and Jeb to safely escape the building. For more details on the game's mechanics, you can check out the official Coin Crew Games website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Strange Tiles are needed to escape the library?

You need to collect four Strange Tiles in total: an anvil, a lion, a bird, and a scale. Each corresponds to a specific inscription on the secret exit gate.

What is the code for the Latin scroll chest?

The code is 2257. You arrive at this number by taking the values for Cogito Ergo Sum (2, 5, 7) and applying the "think twice" rule to use Cogito's value twice.

How do I solve the shifted letter globe puzzle?

Every letter on the globes is shifted forward by one position in the alphabet. By shifting letters backward by one (such as changing TVO to SUN), you can find the correct matching weather symbols on the central globe rings.