Ballymun Adventure is a TADS 2 interactive fiction game and is © 2006 by Brendan Cribbin. It was an entry in IF Comp 2006 where it took 33rd place. Note that the game takes place at a real school in Ireland. According to the school's website: "In September 2005, the three Comprehensive Schools amalgamated to form a single co-ed secondary school, under the new name of Trinity Comprehensive School."
In this game, you play as a new male student at the school. As an orientation exercise, Mr Byrne, the principal, has organized a small competition. The winner will be the first student to bring four specific items from all over the building back to his office. You begin in the assembly hall.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on the first version of the game.
In this "short walkthrough", we just want to get all the points and win as quickly as we can manage, ignoring everything else. Well, almost. I try to avoid unmotivated actions. Our traversal of the building will be roughly counterclockwise.
Please enter your first name? YOUR-FIRST-NAME
Now press any key (other than "I") to start.
School assembly hall
> sw. n.
School kitchen
> x sink. search wastebin. (+50; brass key)
> s.
Boys school corridor
> unlock staffroom with brass key. enter staffroom.
The Staffroom
> x noticeboard. x paper. (+50; map)
> n. w. u. s. enter room 1.
Room 1
> x desk. open drawer. take small key. (+50)
> x blackboard. take chalk.
> open partition. x runner. (Needs lubrication.)
> rub chalk on runner. open partition. (+50)
> squeeze through gap.
Room 4
> move pot. (+50; silver key)
> unlock cabinet with silver key.
> open cabinet. look in it. (Clue for where Room 19's key is.)
> squeeze through gap. out. enter Kelly's.
Mr Kelly's Room
> x registers. (The register you need is missing.)
> look behind cabinet. (+100; register)
> out. nw. enter 12.
Room 12
> pull screen. take key. (+50; large key)
> out.
House 2 corridor
> enter room 13. (locked)
> unlock 13 with small key. enter room 13.
Room 13
> x teacher's desk. open drawer.
> take lead. (+50)
> x case. take case. push ring. take red key. (+50)
> out. se. enter 6.
Room 6
> x recorder.
> put connector in port. put plug in socket.
> push eject. (+100; tape)
> out. nw. n. e.
House 3 corridor
> enter room 19. (locked)
> unlock 19 with large key. enter room 19.
Room 19
> take compass. (+100)
> out. e.
Back corridor
> unlock computer with red key. enter computer.
Computer Room
The message is a simple code for "THE DISK YOU NEED IS UNDER THE MOUSEPAD".
> x computers. x message.
> look under mousepad. (+100; disk)
> out. s. se.
Staff corridor
> enter Byrne's.
Congratulations, YOUR-FIRST-NAME, I hope you enjoyed playing this adventure.
In this "long walkthrough", we want to see everything, get all the points, and do all the interesting stuff. Assuming you find exploring a school "interesting".
Navigate to: Girls' School * Workshops * Admin * Enclosed Area * House 1 * House 2 * House 3 * Athletics * Back Corridor
Please enter your first name? YOUR-FIRST-NAME
Now press any key (other than "I") to start.
School assembly hall
Your only opportunity to visit the girls' half of the school is here and now, from the assembly hall. Once you leave this hall for the boys' half, the assembly hall doors will be locked.
> s. (That's the stage. Ha ha.)
> x stage.
> se.
Girls school corridor
An unimplemented teacher tells you to go back.
> nw. e.
Girls yard
Nothing here either. Drat.
> w. n. n. enter art.
Art Room
> x portraits. x Kelly. take it.
> x landscapes. x perspective.
> x tables. x wheel.
> x container. open it. take clay. x clay.
> put lump on wheel. push button. make pot.
> x pot. take pot. (Leave it to dry first.)
> push button.
> x models. x frog. x clown. x ballerina.
> out. enter lab.
Science Lab
> x beakers. x retorts. x pippettes. x chemicals.
> x model. x brain. x heart. x lungs. x intestines.
> x rat. x microscope. x slide.
> look through microscope. (Dust mite.)
> x dome. touch dome.
> out. w. enter metalwork.
Metalwork Room
> x workbenches. x vices. x lathe. turn on lathe. (No.)
> x drill. x brazier.
> out. enter woodwork.
Woodwork Room
> x bench saw. x guard. x bandsaw. x drill.
> x train. x plane. x rack. x snacks. take snacks.
> x tree. x cupboards. (locked)
> out. s.
Archway
The boys yard probably ought to be southEAST of the archway.
> sw.
Boys yard
Nothing here.
> nw. s. s. e.
Boys school corridor
> x pictures.
> n.
School kitchen
> x hatch. open hatch. (No.)
> x sink. x wastebin. search it. (+50; took brass key)
> x brass key. ("SR")
> x worktop. x cooker. x cupboard. open it. look in it.
> x cups. x saucers. x bowls.
> s.
Boys school corridor
> s. (locked)
> unlock staffroom with brass key. s.
The Staffroom
> x table. x textbooks. x chairs. x chair.
> x noticeboard. x paper. (+50; took map)
> x map.
The map is clickable, and is supposed to let you transport to where you want to go. Unfortunately, the verb "transport" wasn't implemented, so the map doesn't actually work as advertized.
> x lockers. x Anslow's locker.
> x manuals. x duster. take duster.
> x Jenning's. x science. x maths. x car. x teabags.
> x spoon. x elastic. take spoon. (No.)
> take teabags. (Ok.)
> w.
Staff corridor
Note that you can't enter Mr Byrne's Office without all four items.
> enter general.
The General Office
> x cabinets. x desk. x computer. x drive. x printer.
> turn on computer. (Don't know the password.)
> out.
Staff corridor
> enter viceprincipal's. (locked)
> enter photocopying.
Photocopying Room
> x photocopying. x button. push button. (No.)
> x duplicator. x unit. x paper.
> out. nw. u. n.
Enclosed area
> enter chaplain's
The Chaplain's Room
> x bag. look in bag. x football. take it.
> kick football. (Main hall of the gym is a better place for that.)
> out. enter strong. (locked)
> enter counsellor's.
Counsellor's Room
> x table. x chairs. x bookshelves.
> out. enter disabled.
Disabled students' room
> x wheelchair. sit in it. stand.
> out. s. w.
School Library
> x units. x books. enter office.
Home School Liason Office
> x armchairs. x bike. ride bike.
> out. e. s. s.
House 1 Entrance
> enter 3.
Room 3
Message: "BIG JIM RULES HERE OK! OK!"
> x blackboard.
> out —or— west.
House 1 Entrance
> enter 4. (locked)
> enter 5.
Room 5
> x blackboard. x desk. open drawer.
> x biscuits. take biscuits.
> x bookshelves. x books.
> out —or— east.
> n.
House 1 Corridor
> enter 1.
Room 1
> x desk. open drawer. take mars bar. take key. (+50)
> x bar. x small key. ("13")
> x partition. open it. x runner. (Needs lubrication.)
> x blackboard. x chalk. take it.
> rub chalk on runner. open partition. (+50)
> squeeze through gap.
Room 4
The paper in the cabinet isn't an implemented object.
> x cabinet. (locked)
> x pot. x soil. move pot. (+50, took silver key)
> x silver key. unlock cabinet with silver key.
> open cabinet. look in it. ("If you want to enter Room 19 you will have to go to the movies first!")
> squeeze through gap.
Room 1
> out —or— north.
House 1 Corridor
> enter 2.
Room 2
Nothing here.
> out —or— north.
House 1 Corridor
> enter 6.
Room 6
> x posters. x cupboards. x unit.
> x recorder. (Need a power cable.)
> x buttons. x socket.
> out —or— north.
House 1 Corridor
> enter office.
Mr Kelly's Room
> x pictures. x timetables. x cabinet. (locked)
> x registers. (The register you need is missing.)
> look behind cabinet. (+100; take register)
> x table. x chair.
> out —or— north.
House 1 Corridor
> nw.
House 2 corridor
> enter room 7.
Room 7
> x unit. x books. read books.
> x box. x files.
> out —or— east.
House 2 corridor
> enter room 8.
Room 8
The posters aren't implemented.
> x partition. open it. (No.)
> out —or— east.
House 2 corridor
> enter room 12.
Room 12
> x desks. x chairs. x cupboards.
> open cupboards. take all from cupboards.
> x sweets. x coke.
> x screen. pull screen.
> x large key. ("19") take large key. (+50)
> out —or— east.
House 2 corridor
> enter room 13. (Locked)
> unlock room 13 with small key. enter room 13.
Room 13
> x teacher's desk. open drawer.
> x lead. take lead. (+50)
> x case. take case. open case. (How?)
> x eagle. x ring. pull ring. push ring. (The case opens.)
> take red key. (+50) x it. ("CR")
> x noticeboard.
> out —or— east.
> enter office.
Miss Sheeby's room
> x desk. x chair. x cabinet. open it. x unit. x books.
> out —or— east.
House 2 corridor
Need to head back to Room 6 in House 1:
> se. enter room 6.
Room 6
The connections are unnecessarily fiddly:
> put connector in port. put plug in socket. turn on recorder.
> push play. (It's in French.)
> push stop. push rewind. push eject. (+100; have audio tape)
> x audio tape.
> out. nw. n.
House 3 entrance
> enter 15. read notice. enter 17.
Room 17
> x desk. x cupboards. open cupboards.
> take all from cupboards.
> x apple. x orange. x model.
> x partition. open it. (No.)
> out —or— west.
House 3 entrance
> e.
House 3 corridor
> x photographs. x windows. look through windows.
> enter room 19. (locked)
> unlock room 19 with large key. enter room 19.
Room 19
> x compass. take it. (+100)
> x radio. x cabinet. open it.
> x boards. x blackboard. x ruler. slide ruler.
> out —or— south.
House 3 corridor
> enter 18.
Room 18
> x blackboard. x desk. x units. x cupboards.
> open cupboards. x textbooks. x posters.
> x magazine. take it.
> out —or— south.
> w. n.
The School Yard
> n.
The Gym
> enter dressing rooms.
Dressing rooms
> x shower. take shower. out. u.
Balcony
Nothing up here.
> d. enter main.
Main hall
> kick football. (Yes, you can do that here.)
> enter area —or— south.
Storage area
> x box. x mattress. x springboard.
> out. out. s. e. s.
Back corridor
> enter computer. (locked)
> unlock computer room with red key.
> enter computer room.
Computer Room
The message is "UID EJTL ZPV OFFE JT VOEFS UID NPVTFQBE" which is one letter off from "THE DISK YOU NEED IS UNDER THE MOUSEPAD". (The message should've said "UIF" not "UID", though, for "THE".)
> x computers. x monitor. x message.
> look under mousepad. (+100; take disk)
> x keyboard. x mouse. x hard drive. x cd rom. x floppy drive.
> out —or— e.
> enter room 20.
Room 20
Nothing here.
> out —or— east.
Back corridor
> enter room 22.
Room 22
Nothing here.
> out —or— east.
Back corridor
> s.
School foyer
> s. (No, you can't leave this way.)
> se.
Staff corridor
> enter Byrne's.
The game tells you that Mr Byrne awards you a certificate of merit and a twenty pound note as your prize, but they're not in your inventory afterwards, and the game doesn't actually end, since you're expected to continue to explore.
You can eat all your food items, I guess.
> eat cheese. eat apple. eat orange. eat sweets.
> drink coke. eat bar. eat biscuits.
Anything else? Well, yes, you can ride the wheelchair around the school, you can try different swear words, and you can write on some of the blackboards with the chalk, but like, c'mon. This walkthrough is over.
> full score.
> quit.
No other characters other than the player-character are implemented, but two characters at least have cameos to talk to you:
Other characters mentioned by name are:
Also, it's implied in the prologue that there are other new students who are competing against you, searching for the same items, but you never ever see any of them, or any other students either.
First of all a big thank you to all the students of Ballymun Comprehensive School who tested the adventure for me.
Secondly I would like to acknowledge the contribution that Mark Engelberg has made to my efforts at writing. His series of tutorials were excellent.
Thirdly I thank Stephen Granade for this menu system which I adapted from his excellent adventure Common Ground. Finally a big thank you to all those authors who made their source code available in the IF achive. I learned a lot by examining what other people had written.
There's no inventory limit in this game; take anything not nailed down.
Feel free to eat these at any time. Food is just for fun in this game.
Bring these four items together to Mr Byrne's office:
Your score is your-score of a possible 800, in several moves. If this were an end of term report you would rank as follows.
[Use the FULL SCORE command to display a detailed list of the points you've earned.]
You scored:
This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with