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Key & Compass presents:
The Coast House
by Stephen Newton and Dan Newton

The Coast House is a TADS 2 interactive fiction game and is © 2001 by Stephen Newton and Dan Newton. It was entered in IF Comp 2001 where it took 15th place.

You play as a nondescript person. Ten years ago, your grandmother died. Two years ago, your grandfather told you secretively that your grandmother left something for you in their old house in Dalton, Texas. Now is your chance to find out what he meant.

This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Version 1.0 of the game.


Map

jump InsideBoatshed OutsideBoatshed Swampypath OutsideDaltonMansion Beach Rd,north sideof town Really swampyside of house TheSmallRoom Kindaswampyside ofhouse BackPorch Hallway Kitchen Den FrontPorch Front ofHouse Beach Rd,in frontof house Entranceto FishingPier End ofFishingPier Grand-parent'sRoom Beach Rd,near theharbor Harbor Not so swampyside of house Beach Rd,near theboatramp BoatRamp Under theLost Pier Beach Rd,out yonder DeepInsideCemetery InsideCemetery CemeteryGates Beach Rd,south sideof town

Walkthrough

Front of House

> credits.

> i. x key.

> x house. x stairs. x weeds. x street. x pier.

> nw. n.

Swampy path

> x shed. x puddle. w.

As you can see, you can't get to the shed until you have some way of dealing with the mosquitoes.

> s. sw.

Kinda swampy side of house

> x mud. x porch. e.

Back porch

There is a back door here, but it's locked and your key doesn't unlock it.

> x box. open box. x panel. turn on panel. (You've restored power to the house.)

> w. se. ne. w.

Front Porch

> x chair. x door. unlock door with key. open door. w.

Den

It's quite hot in here. If the air conditioner isn't running, you're forced out onto the front porch because of the heat after three turns inside the house.

> turn on air conditioner. x it.

> x tv. turn on tv. (It's broken.)

> x chair. x cushion.

> x closet. open it.

> x bag. take it. look in bag. x small key.

> x keyrack.

> w.

Kitchen

> x calendar. read it. ("Don't forget McHugh's hat.")

> x fridge. open fridge. x meat. close fridge.

> w.

Hallway

There's four photographs here.

> x first. (Grandfather at 17 in WWII army uniform.)

> x second. (Grandparents when they were still young.)

> x third. (Grandmother at beach with other girls.)

> x fourth. (Grandparents with their first child, your mother.)

> n.

The Small Room

> x commode. x sink. s. s.

Grandparent's Room

> x bed. look under bed. g.

> x carpet.

> x dresser. open it. x wings. take wings. (+10)

> read tag.

> x jacket.

> x nightstand. x photo. (Last photo of your grandmother; she's wearing a silver locket.)

Time to explore the rest of the town. Don't bother with closing or locking the front door as you go.

> n. e. e. e. e. e. n. w.

Outside Dalton Mansion

> x placard. read it.

> x memorial. read it. (You learn about Col. Clyde Dalton and his brother Claude.)

> e. s. e.

Entrance to Fishing Pier

> read sign.

We're not really ready yet to ignore the warning sign.

> w. s. e.

Harbor

The fisherman's mumble "The sea buries her secrets" is probably meant as a clue.

If you like, go get the five photos in the house and show each of them to the fisherman for even more commentary.

> x man. x sign. read sign. x shrimp.

> ask man about grandma. ask man about grandpa.

> ask man about war. ask man about mom.

> ask man about shrimp. ask man about town.

> ask man about tour. ask man about pier.

> ask man about Clyde. ask man about Claude.

> ask man about mansion.

> w. s. e.

Boat Ramp

> x tires. x boots. take boots.

> w. s. s.

Beach Road.. south side of town

> x mirage. w.

Cemetery Gates

> x gates. x marker. read it. w.

> open gates. w.

Inside Cemetery

> x mausoleum. read it.

> x flags. w.

Deep Inside Cemetery

> x grandma's headstone. read it.

> x grandpa's headstone. read it.

> x cover. x crevice. look in crevice.

> x skeleton. x locket. take locket. (Somewhat out of reach.)

Head all the way back to the swampy path north of the house:

> e. e. e. n. n. n. n. w. nw. n.

Swampy path

> wear boots. w. (+10)

Outside Boatshed

> unlock shed with small key. open shed. w.

Inside Boatshed

> x tacklebox. take it. open it.

> x hook. x kit. read it. x cap. read cap. ("McHugh")

> repair wings with kit.

> e. e. s. se. e. s. e.

Harbor

> ask man about boots. ask man about cap.

> give cap to man. (+10. The fisherman is McHugh; he leaves, promising to give you something later.)

Don't wait around for him; head to the pier.

> w. n. e.

Entrance to Fishing Pier

> drop all but wings. inflate wings. wear wings. e.

End of Fishing Pier

Note that you can't wear the boots here; it's too slippery. Also, if you jump here without wearing the repaired wings, you're swept directly to the boat ramp.

> jump. (The wings help you reach...)

Under the Lost Pier

> x poles. x boat. look in boat. take hook. (+10)

> w.

Boat Ramp

> remove wings.

Don't worry about going back to the pier for your stuff. Just head to your grandmother's grave with the boat hook.

> w. s. s. w. w. w.

Deep Inside Cemetery

Note that if you try this with the fish hook, it snags on a rib and falls into the grave.

> take locket with boat hook. (+10)

You find pictures of George Sorich and Col. Clyde Dalton in the locket. McHugh appears and confirms you're actually Dalton's grandchild and he gives you a copy of Dalton's will.

*** You have won.. if you can consider defiling your grandmother's eternal rest really winning ***


Extras

Characters

There's only one full non-player character in this game:

Several other people are mentioned who are relevant to the story:


Inventory

Some items you need:

And some items you can take, but it's simpler to just leave them where you find them:


Score

In a total of several turns, you have achieved a score of this-many points out of a possible 50.


Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with