Dinner Bell is a Z-code interactive fiction game written with Inform 7 and is © 2012 by Jenni Polodna. This game was created as track 09 of the "Apollo 18+20: The IF Tribute Album" event. It was also a finalist for Best Writing and Best Puzzles at the 2012 XYZZY Awards.
You play as a test subject in a test chamber currently remodeled to look like your grandmother's kitchen. Through a two-way glass window, Dr. Beagle is waiting for you to fill a grocery bag with food items without eating any. You're starving, but you can't eat until the bell goes ding.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the game.
Test Chamber
Note: * marks where commentary is possible if you type the secret commentary command first! You can learn the command by winning and typing AMUSING.
> x me. i. x collar. x jacket.
> x glass. smell glass.
> x beagle.* x labcoat. x trigger. x bell.
> x counter. x bag.* x pears.* search pears.*
Pat the head-patting robot enters soon after examining your first food item.
> x pat. pat pat.
> x ship.* x waters. x gulls. take gulls.
> x poster. x arm. eat arm.
> x wallpaper.*
> x photograph. smell it.* x bacon. take bacon. (+1 pt.)
> x bacon. take it. (ZAP!)
> x sink. take sink. x bubbles.
Drawers:
> x drawers.
> x cutlery drawer. open it.*
> open junk drawer.
> x flashlight. take it. turn it on. open it.
> x egg. take egg. (+1 pt.)
> open meat drawer.
> x beef.* open beef. (ZAP!) take beef. (+1 pt.)
> open doll drawer.*
> x bagel. x little labcoat. take it. take bagel. (+1 pt.)
> open reptile drawer.*
> x can.* open it. x brittle. take brittle. (+1 pt.)
> open mitten drawer.
> x glove. take it.
> open bird drawer.
> x record.* take record.* (It's worthless.)
Around now, Dr. Beagle receives some correspondence.
> x correspondence. x flyer.*
> xyzzy.
Oven:
> x oven. open it. x pie. x pizza. x tumbleweed.
> take pie. wear glove. take pie. (+1 pt.)
> take pizza. (+1 pt.; Soupbot enters when you have 7 pts.)
> take pears. put pears in oven.
> x pear. take pear. (+1 pt.)
Fridge:
> x fridge. x ice cream. open fridge.
> turn flashlight on. x fridge.
> x ravings.*
> x bean.* g. g. g. g. take bean. (+1 pt.)
> x beer. take beer. (+1 pt.)
> x bread.* eat bread. take bread. (+1 pt.)
Soupbot:
> x soupbot. x cup button.
> x chowder button. x cauliflower button.
> push cup.* x cup.
> push chowder. (+1 pt.)
> push cup. push cauliflower. (+1 pt.)
> x chowder cup. x cauliflower cup.
> pat soupbot.
Cabinet:
> x cabinet.* open it.
> x pipes.* x corn.* take corn. (+1 pt.)
> x shiptogar. take it. read label.*
> spray bubbles. x bubbles. (friendvinegar?)
> spray ship.* x vinegar.* take vinegar. (+1 pt.)
When you have 15 points, your next command is ignored so another event can happen.
> xyzzy.* (Cakebot has entered with a platter and birthday cake!)
Cake:
> x cake. x candles. x cakebot. x platter. x hats.*
> blow candles. again. lick candles. (They can't be extinquished.)
> take cake.
You're still carrying the cake! Some foolery first:
> put cake on me. put cake on cakebot. take cake.
> put cake in oven. put cake on oven. take cake.
> smell cake.
Anyway, you have a real choice with the cake: eat it or put it in the bag?
> eat cake. (ZAP!)
*** Still waiting for the dinner bell to do the bell thing... ***
> report *
> undo
> put cake in bag. (+1 pt; "Who's a good test subject? You are.")
*** Ding! Ding! Ding! ***
> report
> amusing (You learn the commentary command! Restart and use it!)
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.