Dial C for Cupcakes is a Glulx interactive fiction game written with Inform 7 and is © 2014 by Ryan Veeder. The game is a sequel of sorts to Taco Fiction, giving the cops from that game their own story.
You play as Rae, a former ex-cop now working retail at a gift store. Another ex-cop, your former partner on the force, Bob, now works security at a place that sells fancy cupcakes. Bob feels that his boss owes him a dozen cupcakes, so he wants you to go to his boss's Hallowe'en party and, uh, acquire them.
This solution is by David Welbourn.
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.
Squiggles 'N Dots
You can take a quick route to Bob's House, ignoring the scenery:
> e. s. s. w. (Jump to Bob's.)
Or you can wander around and take your time:
> about. x me. x car. x paper.
> x store. x bike rack. x sock monkeys.
> out. e.
Alternative Medicine
> x medicine. out. e.
Police Station
> x station. out. w. w. s.
Silas Elementary
> x school. x decorations. x bars. out. e.
Sugar,
> x store. x sign. x people. x cupcakes.
> smell. out. e.
Saint Gertrude's Hospital
> x hospital. out. w. s.
Abandoned Building
> x building. out. e.
Get Your Licks
> x licks. out. w. w.
Bob's
> out. x bob. x house. in.
There's a cutscene where Bob spins out his bathetic tale which leads to the next section of the game set at Sugar Comma.
Security Office
We're playing as Bob now, a few days ago.
> x me. x desk. x display.
> x camera one. x camera two.
> x camera three. x camera four.
> x hard drive. x ti-85.
> x door. e. n.
Alley
Talking to the teenagers in the alley is one of the few things in the game that feels like you're acting like a responsible adult. Relish the moment.
> x kids. talk to kids.
> x dumpster. x graffiti. look in dumpster.
> x garbage.
> s. s. e.
Counter
> x cupcakes. buy cupcake. (It's beneath him to buy any.)
> take cupcake. (Can't.)
> x kate. x mole. talk to kate.
> x deb. x glasses. talk to deb.
> x registers.
> w. s.
Sidewalk
> x gail. x table. x sign.
> talk to gail.
> x jar. (You count a radius of 8 jelly beans and a height of 14. You automaticaly take a card.)
> x card. x cards. x pen.
This is an awkward part: filling out the card. All obvious syntaxes fail including "take pen", "fill out card", "write on card", "guess 1000", etc. Seriously, none of these perfectly reasonable actions work.
Instead, we're supposed to heed that easy-to-overlook comment about needing to use a calculator and actually use the calculator in the security office. (And although the TI-85 is portable, you don't want to be seen using it in case that looks like cheating.)
> n. n. w.
Security Office
> use calculator.
You can Google "volume of cylinder" and learn not only that the equation is V = πr2h, but also that Google offers a mini-form where you can plug the numbers in. For a radius of 8 and height of 14, the volume is approximately 2814.87. Round that up to 2815 as your guess.
Or, you can just blindly guess numbers until you're close enough, eg: 2000 or 3000. Then Bob will just tell you his answer.
You wanna make a guess? > 2815
> x card. e. s. s.
Sidewalk
> put card in box. n. n. w.
Security Office
Time passes. You're summoned to the boss's office.
> e. s. w.
Leo's Office
> x leo. sit in smaller chair.
Leo tells you that your answer was closest, but you've embarassed the company. You do not win a dozen cupcakes, not even secretly. Employees of Sugar Comma are disqualified from their own contests and you should know that and assume you're not eligible to win in any future contests either.
Bob's (although the status line is actually blank for this bit)
Back in the present day, Bob feels cheated and thinks his boss owes him a dozen cupcakes. You, Rae, agree to help him get them.
Then he tells you his plan. You're to go to the Hallowe'en costume party that you were invited to and steal the required cupcakes for him. You reluctantly agree to do this.
These people were cops?
Front Yard
You're playing as Rae again, and your mission is to find 12 cupcakes and give them to Bob. Easy-peasy.
> x me. i. x invitation. x car.
> x tree. x windows. x fence. x driveway.
> e.
Foyer
The crane is Claire, your boss. You don't have to talk to her.
> x crane. x chandelier. x banister. x portrait.
> talk to crane. 2. 1. 2.
> e.
Guest Room
> x coats. x bed. look under bed. x corpse.
> x catalog. x album.
You will need to talk to the catalog guy and try to convince him to leave the guest room and either rejoin the party or leave altogether. Either works for your purposes as long as he leaves this room.
> talk to catalog.
> 2 (Compliment catalog on his costume.)
> 2 (Ask catalog about the album.)
> 1 (Ask catalog why he's in this room.)
> 2 (Ask catalog what he's waiting for.)
> 2 (Tell catalog about nerve.)
> 1 (Tell catalog about faking it.)
> 2 (Tell catalog that being weird is acceptable.)
He leaves the room. You can leave too.
> w. n.
Hall
> x skeleton. n. (Kitchen door is locked, as Claire said.)
> e.
Bathroom
> x candle. x mirror. x sink.
> x cupcakes. take cupcake.
> e. s. u.
Upstairs
The only thing we need from upstairs is a sleeping pill from the master bedroom, but I'm gonna explore everything else just the same.
> n.
Child's Bedroom
> x girl. x witch costume. x candy.
> x bed. x constellations.
> talk to girl.
> 1 (Ask girl about cupcakes.)
> 1 (Tell girl to sleep.)
> 2 (end converation)
> s.
Upstairs
> close pink door. e.
Upstairs Bathroom
> x mirror. x sink. w. s.
Master Bedroom
> x lady. x bed. x table. x pills.
> take pills. (You just take one, not the bottle.)
> n.
Upstairs
> close white door. d. s.
Parlor
> x bouquet. x arm. x piano.
You don't have to talk to the astronaut; he can't or won't speak.
> x astronaut. x visor. x fireplace. x table.
> talk to astronaut.
> 1 (Ask astronaut about the cupcake.)
> 1 (Ask astronaut about the party.)
> 1 (Compliment astronaut on his costume.)
> 1 (Ask astronaut about his costume's origin.)
> 1 (Ask astronaut about his costume's lack of comfort.)
> x backpack.
> 2 (Ask astronaut about his inability to protect his cupcake.)
> 3 (end conversation)
Well. Take his cupcake.
> take cupcake. x it.
Next: Medusa and the Solar System. CAUTION: Don't say their argument is pointless; you won't get their cupcake.
> x medusa. x snakes. x toga. x silver belt.
> x solar. x planets. x asteroid belt.
> x mercury. x venus. x earth. x mars.
> x jupiter. x saturn. x uranus. x neptune.
> x dwarf planets. x pluto. x ceres.
> talk to medusa. (You're actually talking to both of them.)
> 4 (Compliment Medusa on her costume.)
> 2 (Compliment the Solar System on her costume.)
> 1 (Ask them about their conversation.)
> 1 (Ask them about Ophiuchus.)
> 1 (Ask them why Ophiuchus shouldn't be in the Zodiac; the Solar System explains.)
> 1 (Ask them why Ophiuchus should be in the Zodiac; Medusa explains.)
> 1 —or— 2 (If you say that Ophiuchus shouldn't be in the Zodiac, then the Solar System gives you a cupcake for taking her side. Otherwise, you agree with Medusa, and she gives you a cupcake. It's the same cupcake either way.)
> 2 (end conversation)
You're carrying too many cupcakes and need to give them to Bob.
> e. e.
Deck
> x gazebo. x bob. talk to bob.
> 1 (Ask Bob about being cold.)
> 1 (Ask Bob about the gazebo.)
> 1 (Give the Curse of the S'Mummy's S'Mores cupcake to Bob.)
> 2 (Give the Cake-o-Lantern Spicy Pumpkin cupcake to Bob.)
> 2 (Give the Really Very Red Velvet Vampire cupcake to Bob.)
> 2 (end conversation)
> w.
Conservatory
You can skip the shrub, but he's fun.
> x shrub. x plants. x shears. take shears.
> cut shrub with shears. talk to shrub.
> 2 (Ask shrub about his deportment.)
> 3 (Ask shrub about his characterization.)
> 4 (Ask shrub about the luchador's and Cleopatra's characterizations.)
> 3 (Ask shrub about my characterization.)
> 3 (Ask shrub about characterization tips.)
> 2 (Ask shrub about his costume.)
> 2 (Ask shrub about his plants.)
> 1 (Ask shrub about him talking.)
> 1 (Tell shrub about the astronaut.)
> 2 (end conversation)
> moan.
Next: Cleopatra and the Mexican wrestler. Exhaust the topics, then tell them the guest room's empty.
> x cleo. x necklace. x bracelets. x green cupcake.
> x wrestler. x mask. x tights. x black licorice cupcake.
> talk to cleo. (You'll be talking to both of them.)
> 1 (Comment that it's chilly.)
> 1 (Ask Cleo about her cupcake.)
> 2 (Ask Cleo about eating it.)
> 1 (Ask luchador about his cupcake.)
> 1 (Ask luchador about eating it.)
> 1 (Tell them the guest room is empty; they leave and give you their cupcakes. They'll lock the guest room door so you can't disturb them.)
> e.
Deck
> talk to bob.
> 2 (Ask Bob about scythe.)
> 2 (Give the Frostingstein's Monster cupcake to Bob.)
> 2 (Give the Cupcake from the Black Lagoon to Bob.)
> 2 (end conversation)
> w. n.
Back Hall
> x cerberus. x fence. x table. x platter.
> take cupcake. (The dog won't let you.)
> give pill to dog. take cupcake.
> n.
Dining Room
> x table. x centerpiece. x meats.
> x swiss. take it. eat it.
> x muenster. take it. eat it.
> x prosciutto. take it. eat it.
> x pepperoni. take it. eat it.
You can ignore the King of Diamonds, but this is Leo, Bob's boss, so you probably don't want to ignore him. He also seems to be into faux-medieval speech tonight. Play along and don't annoy him.
> x king. x crown. x axe. x regal robe.
> talk to king.
> 2 (Compliment king on the party.)
> 1 (Ask king about the queen.)
> 1 (Ask king about the cupcakes.)
> 1 (Ask king about the spooky flavors.)
> 1 (Ask king about later.)
> 1 (Ask king about Sugar Comma ownership.)
> 1 (Ask king about the name "Sugar Comma".)
> 2 (end conversation)
At least there's two more cupcakes here.
> x platters.
> x candy corn. take it.
> x truffle. take it.
> s. s. e.
Deck
> talk to bob.
> 2 (Give the Beelzebubblegum cupcake to Bob.)
> 2 (Give the Creepy Candy Corn Creature cupcake to Bob.)
> 2 (Give the Double, Double, Toil and Truffle cupcake to Bob.)
> 1 (Ask Bob to count his cupcakes; he has eight and wants four more.)
> 2 (end conversation)
Now that Bob has 8 cupcakes, the way to the kitchen should be open.
> w. n. n. w.
Kitchen
Although you can take a knife, you probably shouldn't.
> x knives. x fruit knife. x paring knife.
> x bread knife. x chef's knife. x cleaver.
> x pots. x frying pan. x saucepan. x saucepot.
> x paella. x wok. x sink. x freezer. x pie.
Oh, right, the cupcakes.
> x platter. x empty platter. take it. (It'll help you carry cupcakes.)
> x guts. take it.
> x neapolitomb. take it.
> n.
Freezer
The freezer door slams shut. Hopefully you won't freeze to death.
> x ice cream. x meats.
> x spookies. take it.
> x salted. take it.
> s. s. s. (The door's open now.)
> s.
Kitchen
Uh-oh. King and astronaut see you with the cupcakes. If they grab you, "the jig is up" and the game is lost, but you can then REWIND to a critical moment and try again.
Now, you can just run from them to the east, or threaten them with knives and pots, but these actions seem more comedic:
> push king. (King is now trapped in the freezer.)
> take pie. throw pie at astronaut.
> e. s. s. e.
Deck
You tell Bob you have the cupcakes and we have to leave now.
Bob's Place
Bob shares half the cupcakes with you, and apologizes for making you go through all that. You both start eating the cupcakes.
*** The End ***
NOTE! Finding the thirteenth flavor of cupcake is a club wooby mission worth 20 buttons!
Obviously, I may not say how to find the thirteenth flavor of cupcake without voiding the mission entirely, so please don't ask me where it is, and don't tell me or anyone else (except for Ryan Veeder, of course) where it is if you do find it. Congratulations in advance!
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