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Key & Compass presents:
Chez Dark Shade Ark
by Andrew Schultz

Chez Dark Shade Ark is a web browser interactive fiction game written with Adventuron and is © 2025 by Andrew Schultz. It was an entry in Ectocomp 2025's Le Petite Mort (English) division where it took 16th place.

In this surreal wordplay game based on homophonic phrases, you play as someone who cut through a park to avoid trick-or-treaters, only to be pushed through a portal. You black out and wake inside a wee clink.

This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on the First release 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.


Map

Wee Clink Awe FlameBlah, BlandBlob Land Gulf, Lying Our BurdensArbor Dens Self Arm-Sell Farm Wall, Crowned Pond, Icy Maze WhichMay Switch Slime AppsBlah, BlandBlob Land A Cramp-Ache Ramp Gray TanksGreat Anhks "Do Dark,Dude" Ark Tomb End-to-Mend weak link u d d u

Walkthrough

Wee Clink

> about. verbs. history. credits.

> x me. x number. (currently 44)

> weak link. (+1)

Wall, Crowned

> walk round. (+1)

> look. (Exits are north, south, east, and down.)

> n.

Awe Flame / Blah, Bland Blob Land

> off lame. (+1)

The flame is now out, so you need light now.

Also, you gained an item here; I'm not sure why the game failed to mention the acquisition.

> i. x key.

> s. s.

Slime Apps / Blah, Bland Blob Land

> sly maps. (+1; you now have them)

> x maps. (The key and map form a full maze.)

> n.

Wall, Crowned

You acquire a ho-plight-hope light when you enter.

> x light.

> n.

Gulf, Lying

> gull flying. (+1; you find a passage east)

> e.

Our Burdens / Arbor Dens

> arbor dens. (+1; found fir static)

> look. x static.

> first attic. (+1; got a free-speech-freeze peach)

> x peach. (helps with talking)

> w. s. e.

Pond, Icy

> pawn dicey. (+1; you have a new friend)

> w. d.

Maze Which May Switch

You need both the map and the key, but also, you need to examine one of them after you have both.

> s. (Using the map and key to guide you, you acquire some aid art before fleeing something scary.)

> x art. a dart. (+1)

> x dart.

The dart isn't enough for the maze.

> u. s. e.

Gray Tanks / Great Ankhs

You need the pawn's aid and the dart.

> great ankhs. (+1. You acquire a brew-dank-brood ankh.)

> x ankh. (helps against meanies)

> w. n. d. s.

Tomb End-to-Mend

You need the ankh to get here.

> x fit. deem unfit. (+1; you acquire a po' charm-poach arm.)

> x arm. (could be a nuisance)

> n. u. e. d.

"Do Dark, Dude" Ark

You need the arm here.

> thee floored. (+1. The arm distracts the thief and you floor it. The arm finds and gives you a meek "owed, me" code. The thief steals the arm and amscrays.)

> x code. ("Heist! Robbery!")

> hi strawberry. (not here)

> u. w.

Wall, Crowned

You find a new door to the west.

> w.

Self-Arm-Sell Farm

> hi strawberry. (+1)

The strawberry jailed you based on some intel. You deal with the thief's door. The strawberry apologizes. You pick up a globe and glow band and return home.

Then the game restarts from the beginning.


Extras

Artwork

This game includes banner artwork for each location and for some events, like winning the game. Here are two screenshots, reduced in size, of the artwork for the first two locations. Please play the game to view the artwork in their intended sizes and contexts.

Wall, Crowned (with exits)

Characters


Credits

This is the response to CREDITS:

Thanks to the administrators Ruber Eaglenest and Alyshkalia for holding Ectocomp, as well as former administrators like JJ Guest and Duncan Bowsman.

Thanks to Chris Ainsley for creating Adventuron.

I had no time for testers, alas, but if you find a bug, you can get your name here!

Thanks to mazegenerator.net for generating the maze seen in some graphics.

Blanket thanks to Pythons and its developers for scripts that helped me generate similar code (point scoring, etc.) quickly.

ONE-TIME NOTE: you can see generic Adventuron credits with *CREDITS.


Inventory


Score

This is the response to SCORE:

You've currently scored N of 13 total points. There are no bonus points.

ONE-TIME NOTE: This is tracked in the upper left.

Points are awarded as follows:


Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough is provided free of charge since the work it's based on has less than fifteen locations. Please consider it a thank you for your support!

I create larger walkthroughs too! Please visit my Patreon account if you're interested in helping me create more interactive fiction walkthroughs. I appreciate all the help I can get! Thanks again.


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