AardVarK Versus the Hype is a Glulx interactive fiction game written with Inform 7 and is © 2021 by Truthcraze. It was an entry in IF Comp 2021 where it took 32nd place.
In this plot-driven sci-fi comedy, you are playing as Jenni, Lewis, Amanda, and Paul: the four teen members of the garage band AardVark! A new soda called HYPE is turning everyone into zombies! Or mind-controlled puppets. Or are they possessed by aliens? Does it matter? Stop them! You have no choice.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1, Serial number 211104 of the game.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of an interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
The Driveway of Lewis's House
> x me. (Jennifer Westbrooke)
> x hat. in. (garage door is down)
> open door. (can't)
> knock on door. (They let you in.)
Inside Lewis's Garage
> x Lewis. x Amanda. x Paul.
> talk to Lewis. 2. 1.
>> SPACE
In the Bleachers of the Audinasium
> x stage. i. x walkman.
> wear it. (no: can't visibly wear it)
At this point, a rep says they'll throw a free hat to a student who "whooted" the loudest. You need that hat to hide your walkman's headphones.
> whoot. (not loud enough)
> whoot loudly. (The rep didn't see you.)
> stand.
> whoot loudly. (The rep tosses the hat.)
> wear hat. sit on bleachers.
> wear headphones.
You block the corp-rock with your own music.
>> SPACE
Inside Lewis's Garage
> 1
>> SPACE
In the Bleachers of the Audinasium
The presentation seems to be wrapping up.
> x reps. look under seat.
> x can. open can. x students.
> z. z. z. z. (first girl coughs blood)
> z. (You ran.)
>> SPACE
Inside Lewis's Garage
Amanda asks how do they know?
> 1. 1. 1. (You stop talking.)
Your next three commands will be replaced with the following commands instead:
> cough
> kill lewis
> cough
>> SPACE
Jenni escapes through a window.
>> SPACE
Inside the AardVarK Den
You are now playing as Amanda.
> talk to Lewis.
> 2. 2. 3.
You need three things.
> 1. 1. (Paul will get the car, for transport.)
> 1. 3. (You'll get the latex, for defense.)
> 1. 1. 5. 3. 1. (Lewis will get the tape, for weapon.)
> 3.
It's now time to go your separate ways. Might as well do them in order.
> 1. (Get the latex.)
>> SPACE
Note that you can SWITCH TO Lewis, Paul, or Amanda during this chapter. Start with Amanda's fetch quest for latex.
Inside the Gas'n'Stuff
The game wants you to beeline for the condoms behind the counter, but look around first.
> x man. x store items.
> x candy. x oil. x moon pies.
> x coolers. x milk. x cream. x cokes.
> x beer. x eggs.
> x machine. x cups. x lever.
> x grill. x weiners. x crevice.
> x counter. x illicit items. x boxes.
> i. x wallet. (only have $1.87)
Okay, let's do this.
> talk to man. 2. 2. (He puts a box on the counter.)
You don't have $6.99, so you need to smuggle the box out.
> take box. take cup.
> put box in cup. pull lever.
Alas, you need a distraction.
> take weiner.
> put weiner in crevice.
> z. z. z. (The clerk notices the fire.)
> pull lever. (The box is hidden within the Freezee.)
> z. z. z. z. (The fire is out.)
> buy cup. out.
>> SPACE
> switch to Lewis.
Outside That One Girl's House
> x me. x cars. x house. x window.
> x tree. x paper. x jock. listen.
> talk to jock.
> 1. 1. (He won't let you in.)
> i. (You're carrying nothing.)
> climb tree. (You need a ladder or rope.)
> look. go to gas.
Inside the Gas'n'Stuff
> x pallet. x grill. x cord.
> x man. x coffee.
> talk to man. 1. 1. 1. 1.
> x store items. x counter.
> take cord. (man stops you)
> talk to man. 1. 2. (He's not convinced.)
> take Hype. open can.
> pour Hype in coffee. (You switch the two and he's now a Hyper.)
> talk to man. 2. (He starts coughing.)
> take cord. out.
Outside That One Girl's House
> climb tree. (using the cord)
In a Tree
> enter window.
That One Girl's Bedroom
> x guys. x potato.
> x bed. look under bed.
> x bookcase.
> x Teddy. open Teddy. take batteries.
> x doodads. x books. x knickknacks.
> d.
That One Girl's House, Living Room (Party Central)
> x possessed. x speakers.
> x tarps. (sofa, bookcase, end table)
> search table. take boombox. x it. x mixtape.
> put batteries in boombox.
> turn on boombox.
>> SPACE
>> SPACE
> switch to Paul.
Sunset Point
> x me. i. x wallet. open it.
> x hotdog. x taco. x hamburger.
> x my car. listen to it.
> x cop car. x officer. x radio. x stick.
> x fountain. x quarters. x tree. x phone.
Your plan: Call the police and file a complaint so the radio will wake up the cop. She'll evict your brother from his car, then you can take it.
> take quarter.
> call police. 3. 3.
CAREFUL. Select whichever option means "Press 0."
> N.
> 4. 3.
>> SPACE
>> SPACE
> 2. (tell most of the truth)
>> SPACE
>> SPACE
>> SPACE
> take keys. (A squirrel grabs them.)
> take keys. (Denied.)
> look. (take the hint)
> go to Gas.
Inside the Gas'n'Stuff
> x pallet. x blood.
> x roller. x latex. take latex.
> x snacks. x bag. take bag.
> go to car.
The clerk, chanting "DRINK HYPE", suddenly blocks you.
> x clerk. wear latex.
> go to car. touch clerk.
>> SPACE
In the Car, On the Way to Save the Freakin' Day
You're Paul, driving. Amanda is yelling something, but the engine roar is too loud to hear her.
> listen. close windows.
Now you're Amanda.
> 2. 4. 1.
> 3. 3. 2. 2.
The only way to get him to switch his answers and prove he's not possessed is if you, the player, switches to him to control what he says!
> switch to Paul.
> 3. ("I forget what we're arguing about...")
> 1. (how?)
Amanda says step 1 is getting the zombies' attention.
> 3.
Step 2 is fending them off.
> 1.
Step 3 is playing music.
> 1. 2.
Amanda asks if we're all on board.
> 4.
Lewis isn't answering.
> 3.
Amanda is claiming we don't have a choice. This is getting seriously meta.
> 3.
> switch to Lewis. (can't just yet)
> 3. (Lewis chokes back a cough.)
> x Lewis.
> switch to Lewis.
All the talking was making it difficult to pay attention.
> x Amanda. (where?)
> x Paul. (delicious?)
> i. (You have the boombox and the coffee.)
Try to turn on the boombox or wait or whatever you like, but the game replaces your next four commands with:
> cough
> cough
> cough
> eat paul
>> SPACE
The car careens and tips.
Somewhere
You're now Amanda.
> look.
pləıɟ llɐqʇooɟ s,looɥɔs əɥʇ (trapped in the backseat of a car)
> i. (empty handed)
> search car. (can't: upside down in seatbelt)
> open seatbelt. (no: jammed)
You can try switching to Paul, but he's just as trapped and he lost all his inventory too.
You can try switching to Lewis, but he's still possessed by the Hype.
The trick here is to sing (to partly break the spell) then switch to Jenni:
> x field. x puppets. x Jenni.
> sing. (Paul and Lewis join in.)
> sing. (You're not singing loud enough.)
> switch to Jenni.
A Waking Nightmare / The Battle of AardVarK vs the Hype
As Jenni:
> take guitar. (Something shakes loose in the car.)
> play guitar. (Your fingers are getting tired.)
> switch to Amanda.
Car Crash
Now that Jenni's playing guitar, the belt buckles are no longer jammed.
> open buckle. (You get out of the car and join Jenni.)
The Battle of AardVarK vs the Hype
> sing. (Paul and Lewis are now here, but looking lost.)
> switch to Paul. play guitar.
> switch to Lewis. play drums.
The crowd vomits alien parasite things, collapse, recover, and join in the singing.
*** You have won... for now. ***
> epilogue
Inside the Gas'n'Stuff
You're now playing as Paul's brother. You want some Pringles.
> x Pringles. take it.
*** Once you pop, you can't... stop? ***
Mentioned:
This is the response to CREDITS:
AardVarK Versus the Hype was originally entered in the 2021 IFComp. It grew out of a seed of an idea first written down after the 2013 IFComp. From that seed, eight years of on-again, off-again writing sprung. It was mostly fun, and a good way to spend the finite chunks of a rapidly passing lifetime.
Special thanks to my beta-testers, Mike Russo, Mike Carletta, Edo, Melendwyr, and Andrew Schultz. There's a bit in the game that you honestly should buy them a coffee for getting past in its original form.
Also, shout out to Wade Clark, who wanted to be a beta-tester, but one thing led to another - and anyway, he convinced me of the need for the extended ending sequence, which is making its debut with only ten days left in the Comp. But he was right. I think the game is better for it.
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