In this sprawling old-school puzzle game, you play as a resident of the Arboretum, which is a decaying city district cut off from the rest of world, fit only for hippies, zombies, and other disgusting creatures like yourself. Your goal is "to contact an outside force and escape the evil mind-numbing powers of the Arboretum."
You will get hungry every 200 turns. The only food (for you) is the packet of biscuits in the hippies' kitchen. Eat one biscuit every time you're hungry, but not before. The penalty for not eating is death by starvation.
You will get sleepy every 400 turns. Get on one of the beds in the game, then sleep. There are four beds to choose from: one in the back bedroom (where the hippy is), one in the bedroom of number 44 (where the pants are), one in number 13 Chestnutville (where the stamp is), and one in the cabin of the barge. The penalty for not sleeping is passing out and sleeping involuntarily wherever you are, and then waking up with all your held items now on the ground or floor.
There are some British-isms in the game including:
"biro", meaning a pen.
"cooker", meaning a stove or oven.
"leccy", meaning electricity.
"pants", meaning underwear.
"torch", meaning a flashlight.
However, I think the game is actually set in Australia. Hard to be certain, though.
living room
You begin empty-handed, waking up in a drab living room.
> x sofa. search it.(+5)
> take coin. x it.
> x fireplace. x board. take board.(Need tool.)
> x door. open door.(Stairwell revealed.)
> w.
a small stairwell.
We'll need a lightsource before going down.
> smell. e. s.
kitchen
All the cookers in the game are the same; if you've seen one, you've seen them all.
> x mould. x cooker. x cupboard.
> open cupboard. look in it. x biro. take it.
> x door. x window. open door.(locked)
> n. n.
hallway
By the way, this hallway is a good central location for dropping unwanted items. I won't be doing that in this walkthrough, though, because I already know what I need when.
Missed opportunity: you can't write on the wallpaper with the biro.
> x wallpaper. x table. u.
landing
> x trapdoor. u.(Out of reach.)
> n.
front bedroom
Caution: Wearing the cardigan doesn't automatically take it first.
> x cardigan. touch it. take it. wear it. s. s.
bathroom
> x cabinet. x mirror. open cabinet. look in it.
> x can. read it. take it.("FLEA-GONE")
> x battery. take it.
> x suite. x grime.
> n. e.
short hallway
> x curtain. x door. open door. n.
in an airing cupboard
> x shelf. take torch. x it. read it.
> put battery in torch.
> turn on torch.(Nothing. Must be broken.)
> take battery. drop torch.
> s. s.
back bedroom
You won't find anything under any of the beds in this game, but I wanted you to see the message.
> x hippy. x bed. look under bed.
> x window. open window. s.
on the kitchen roof
> x dish.
> n. n. w. d. n.
outside number 21
> x sign. x doorbell. push doorbell.
> w.
outside no. 13 Chestnutville
> x sign. x objects. take object.(fleas)
> spray fleas(with spraycan).(+10)
> drop can. n. n.
in the hippies kitchen
These biscuits are the only food you can eat in this game, so keep them with you so you never starve!
> x biscuits. take it.
> x debris. search debris. x socket.(switched off)
> n.
on the patio
We'll skip the garden to the north during this first visit.
> x patio. s. w.
in the meditation room
> x lump. smell lump. take it.
> e. e.
the pool room
> x table. n.
under the stairs
> x box.(Can insert a leccy card.)
> x ladder. take it.
> s. u. n.
in a bedroom
> x bed. take stamp. x it.
> s. d. w. s. s. w.
outside a pub
> x post-box. s.
inside public bar
> x tables. x stools. s.
in the back room of the boozer
You don't need the toilet paper or the dart-board, but take the roll anyway.
> x roll. take it. x board. n. w.
in the lounge of your local boozer
You can read the magazine without taking it.
> x tables. x stools. x magazine. read it.
> s.
in the lavatorium
> x toilet. use toilet.
> take leaflet. x it. read it.
> write on leaflet(with biro). drop biro.
> lick stamp. put stamp on leaflet.
> n. w. s.
in the back garden
> x dog. throw roll at dog.
> s.(Dog blocks you.)
> n. e. e. n.
outside a pub
After you post the stamped and addressed leaflet, a parcel will appear in the hallway of number 21.
> post leaflet —or— put leaflet in post-box.(+10)
> w.
outside a small corner shop
> x sign. read sign.("Vlads Mini-Market" etc.)
> n.
inside shop
CAUTION: Don't give the coin to the zombie. He'll take it and you'll get nothing for it.
However, if you give the cardigan to the cold zombie, he'll look the other way when you take the loaf.
> x zombie. x chain. x collar.
> give cardigan to zombie.(+5)
> x shelves. x loaf. take loaf.
> x door.(locked)
> s. w.
by a canal
CAUTION: If you just go west or jump from here, you'll drown and die.
> x water. x canal.
> e. e. e. e. s.
hallway
> x parcel. take it. open it.(It's too tightly sealed.)
> u.
landing
The attic is too dark to see in just yet, but we'll leave the ladder set up for us later.
> lean ladder —or— use ladder.
> e. s.
back bedroom
> give lump to hippy.(+5)
> x necklace. wear it.
> ask hippy about necklace. ask hippy about aliens.
> kick hippy.(+5)
> n. w. d. n. e.
outside an electricity shop
> x shop. n.
inside an electricity shop
> x notice. x bell. push bell. read slip.
> x machine. put coin in slot.(+5)
> eat biscuit.
> take card. x card.("A.E.E. a fivers worth of leccy")
> s. s.
outside a private residence
You'll never open this door.
> x door. knock door.(No one answers.)
> n. e.
at a junction in the road
Ignore the church for now.
> s.
on a road
> x lamppost. x sign. read sign.("NO LITTERING")
> x bin.
> s.
outside a private residence
> x brick. x bin. open it.
> look. x scissors. take it.
> open parcel(with scissors).
> x boots. wear boots. jump. drop scissors.
> x rubbish. search it.(No.)
> n. e.
inside number 44
> x slug. x junk. search junk.(+5)
> take machete. x it. read it.
> s.(Slug blocks you.)
> x slime. drop it.
> u.
in the bedroom of number 44
You don't need this underwear, but feel free to take and wear the pants if you really want to.
> x bed. x pants. smell pants.
> d. w. n. n.
in a grey fog
The fog and mist locations are a mini-maze that you can ignore. It exists to block the only normal exit from the Arboretum, so of course, you'll never be able to get past it.
> n.
in a swirling grey mist
Yeah, let's get out of this mist and head back to the canal now that we have sweet Acme Spring Boots.
> s. s. w. w. w. w. w. w.
by a canal (east bank)
Your boots make jumping safe here:
> jump.(You leap across to...)
by canal (west bank)
> n.
by canal (northwest bank)
> x barge. read barge.("THE ARBORETUM QUEEN")
> e.
on the front deck of a barge
You don't need the plant pot if you get the dog bowl later.
> x pot. look under pot. take key. x it.
> n. n.
in the cabin of a barge (sleeping bit)
CAUTION: If you take the cork, the cabin starts to fill with water! Don't do it unless you've got everything else off the barge first. Sinking is not a timed event, however; the barge only disappears the instant you disembark.
> x bed. x cable. read cable. take cable.
> x cork. n.
on the rear deck of a barge
> x bowl. take it.
> s. s. s. w. s. s.
by a canal (southwest)
> x ducks. give loaf to ducks.(+10)
> s. s.
in an allotment shed
> x carpet. unroll carpet. look.
> take bottle. x it. read it.(napalm)
> n. n. n. jump. e. e. e. e. s. s. s.
kitchen
> unlock door(with chrome key).
> open door. drop key. s.
garden (entrance)
> x plants. cut plants(with machete).(The plants are too tough.)
> throw bottle.(+10. That works.)
> look. e. n.
outside toilet
There doesn't seem to be any purpose for this location apart from being amusing.
> x spider. x toilet. sit on toilet. fart.
> s. e.
in a garden shed
> x shovel. take it.
> w. w.
garden (by fridge)
CAUTION: Ignore the sparkly something inside the fridge. It's a trap! If you enter the fridge, you die! Stay out of abandoned fridges, kids!
(Of course, you probably shouldn't be throwing bottles of napalm around either. Just sayin'.)
> x fridge. s.
Rain Forest
> cut plants(with machete).(+10)
> drop machete. s.
in a dense rain forest
Note: You can't climb the tree while wearing the Spring Boots.
> x tree. remove boots.
> climb tree —or— up.
up a tree
> x vine. pull vine.(+10)
> in. w.
in a small alcove
> x shelf. x figure. take it.
> e. s. d. wear boots. s. w.
in an Ancient Temple
> x altar. push altar.
We can't explore further without light, so let's get some.
> e. n. n. n. n. n. n. n. n. w. w. w. n.
inside shop
I have no idea how we're supposed to know that the zombie might be interested in the wax figure.
> give figure to zombie.(+10)
The zombie eats the wax figure, breaks his chain, gives you something, then leaves.
> i. x lamp. put battery in lamp.
> wear lamp. turn on lamp.(yay, it works)
Now that you're equipped with both the shovel and the lamp, it's time to run around the map. Go to the patio first:
> s. e. e. n. n. n.
on the patio
> dig patio(with shovel).
> look. x bones. take bones.
> n.
in the magical garden
This is another tiny two-room maze that you can ignore by just going east.
> e.
in a field
> x circle. dig circle(with shovel). d. e.
in a cave under the field (east)
> x machine. x display. x slot. x socket.
> drop cable.(We'll use it here later.)
Now to the dog:
> w. u. w. s. s. s. s. w. s. w. w. s.
in the back garden
CAUTION: Don't give the bowl to the dog; he'll just chew it up.
> give bones to dog.(+10)
> s.
in a dog kennel
> x crowbar. take it.
You're hungry again and also now sleepy. Eat a biscuit and find a bed:
> eat biscuit.
> n. n. e. e. n. e. e. s. u. e. s.
back bedroom
> get on bed. sleep.
Now to the fireplace:
> stand. n. w. d. s.
living room
> take board(with crowbar).(+10)
> e. u.
up a chimney
CAUTION: Going further up the chimney is fatal!
> x ledge. take brass key. x it.
Next: attic.
> d. w. n. u. u.
in the attic
> x trunk. unlock trunk(with brass key).
> open trunk. drop brass key.
> look in trunk.
> x stake. take stake.
> x cloth. read cloth.
You need the stake, but not the cloth. Time to visit the cellar:
> d. d. s. w. d.
cellar
> x cone.
> x wall. break wall(with shovel).(+5)
> look. s.
further cellar
> x door. x yale key. take it.
You'll never get this steel door open, but you don't need to. The other side of the door is in the pub cellar. We might as well go look at it:
> n. u. e. n. n. w. w. s. s. d.
in the pub cellar
> x door.
Okay, so that was pointless, but I'm trying to be thorough. The yale key is for the back door of the corner shop:
> u. n. n. w. n.
inside shop
> unlock door(with yale key). open door. drop key. n.
back room of shop
> x shelves. x lead. take it.
Finally, it's time for the church:
> s. s. e. e. e. e. e. e.
outside a church
> x gravestone. read it.
> dig grave(with shovel).(denied)
> e.
in a church
> x pew. x tapestry. push tapestry.(+10. Stairs down revealed.)
> d.
in a crypt
> x walls. x coffin. x corpse.
> kill corpse(with stake).(+10)
> look in coffin. x dust. taste dust.(salty)
> put dust in bowl.
> x hat. take hat. wear hat.
Now revisit the slug:
> u. w. w. s. e.
inside number 44
> throw dust at slug.(+10)
> x slug.(The slug is dead.)
> drop bowl. s.
kitchen of no. 44
> x table. x screwdriver. take it.
> x bicycles.
You can now get the satellite dish:
> n. w. n. w. w. s. u. e. s. s.
on the kitchen roof
> unscrew dish(with screwdriver).(+10)
> take dish. x dish.
Back to the temple for one last thing:
> n. n. w. d. s. s. s. s. s. s. s. w. d.
in a secret room under a temple
You need to be wearing the silly hat in order to understand what the relief says.
> x pedestal. x crystal. take crystal.
> x relief. read relief.
Head back to no. 13 and get the strange machine working:
> u. e. n. n. n. n. n. n. n. n. w. n. n. e. n.
under the stairs
> put leccy card in box.(+5)
> x display.("some leccy")
> s. w.
in the hippies kitchen
> plug lead in socket.
> turn on socket.
> n. n. e. d. e.
in a cave under the field (east)
> plug lead in machine. plug cable in machine.
> drop dish. plug cable in dish.
Wearing the necklace helps you read the display.
> x display. read display.("Insert identification key")
> put crystal in machine.(+10)
> read display.("Transmission in progress")
> w. u.(+20)
Congratulations you have managed to Escape the Arboretum.
Extras
Characters
Many fleas are blocking your way into number 13.
A cold and miserable looking zombie is chained at inside shop.
A large dog is in the back garden of the pub.
A huge slug is inside number 44.
A semi-conscious Hippy draped decoratively on the floor is sleeping in the back bedroom of number 21.
A large flock of ducks are on the south path on the west side of the canal.
A spider with large eyebrows is in the outside toilet.
The evil Vlad the retailer is sleeping in his coffin in a secret crypt below the church.
Mentioned:
Aliens are mentioned several times in the game, and their ship arrives at the end.
Rats infest the canal.
Endings
You have died
if you don't eat when hungry (you eventually perish from lack of nutrition),
if you attack the dog (it bites your arm off, then proceeds to eat the rest of you),
if you try going west from the east bank of the canal (you drown),
if you try going east from the west bank of the canal (you drown),
if you try jumping without wearing the boots on either bank of the canal (you drown),
if you try going south or east from the front deck of the barge (you drown),
if you try going west or east from the back deck of the barge (you drown),
if you try going down from "on the kitchen roof" (you go splat),
if you enter the fridge in the garden (you suffocate), or
if you go up into the narrow part of the chimney (you die of soot poisoning).
Congratulations you have managed to Escape the Arboretum.
if you successfully summon the aliens with the strange machine then leave the cave to meet them.
Notes:
The death-by-drowning messages are not all the same, and in some cases, you'll be told that rats will feast on your bloated corpse.
You cannot die by napalm. The game won't let you throw the bottle anywhere but the garden. Nor can you simply break it. Trying to open the bottle reveals that the bottle is already open (!), but if you close it, you won't be permitted to re-open it.
You cannot die by jumping or walking off the tree.
The injunction against littering is not enforced in any way.
Inventory
You have an inventory limit of ten items, not counting worn items. Items are listed here in the order they were acquired (or able to be acquired, if untaken) in this walkthrough.
a coin. Find it by searching the sofa in the living room.
Put the coin in the vending machine in the electricity shop. Take the leccy card that it spits out in exchange.
CAUTION: Don't give the coin to the zombie in the corner shop. He'll take it and you'll be stuck.
a quality biro. It's a pen that's inside the kitchen cupboard of number 21. Write on the ACME leaflet with it.
a tasteful black fluffy cardigan. It's in the front bedroom of number 21. Give it to the cold zombie in the corner shop. He'll now let you take the loaf.
a spraycan. It's in the bathroom cabinet of number 21. When outside no. 13, spray the fleas with the can. You'll now be able to enter no. 13.
a long-life battery. It's in the bathroom cabinet of number 21.
Although you can put the battery into the torch, the torch simply doesn't work, battery or not.
Put the battery into the hands free lamp, then turn the lamp on and leave it on. You don't need to worry about conserving battery power.
a cheap tin torch. It's on the shelf in an airing cupboard. It's actually broken and useless to you, even if you put a battery into it.
an opened packet of biscuits. It's in the hippies kitchen of number 13. There's 10 biscuits in the packet. This is the only food in the game that you can eat. Eat one biscuit every time you're hungry (every 200 turns) but not before.
a small brown lump. It's in the mediation room (number 13). Give it to the hippy in the back bedroom of number 21; he'll give you a necklace in exchange.
a step ladder. It's under the stairs, north of the pool room (number 13). Take it to the landing of number 21, then either lean ladder or use ladder to set it up under the trapdoor opening. Now you can go up into the attic.
a first class postage stamp. It's on the bed in a bedroom (upstairs, number 13). Lick it, then put it on the ACME leaflet.
a roll of toilet paper. It's in the back room of the boozer. You may ignore this.
a severely damaged dart-board. It's in the back room of the boozer. You may ignore this.
a crumpled magazine. It's on one of the stools in the lounge of your local boozer. Read it.
an ACME leaflet. It's in the lavatorium of the pub.
Put the addressed-and-stamped leaflet in the post-box outside the pub. There is now a parcel waiting for you in the hallway of number 21.
a small ready-sliced loaf. It's on a shelf inside the shop. First give the cardigan to the zombie, then take the loaf; the zombie will turn its head and pretend to not see you take it. You can't eat the loaf yourself. Give it to the ducks on the west bank of the canal. They will now let you pass.
a brown paper parcel. It appears in the hallway of number 21 after you put the completed leaflet into the post-box outside the pub. Open the parcel with the scissors; inside is a pair of Acme Spring Boots.
a strange necklace type device. The hippy in the back bedroom gives you this in exchange for the small brown lump. This will enable you to read and understand the display of the strange machine in the cave.
a slip of paper. Produced by pushing the bell that's inside an electricity shop. Read it.
a leccy card. Produced by putting a coin into the slot of the vending machine inside an electricity shop. Put the card in the box under the stairs of number 13; you now have power in the hippies' kitchen.
a pair of novelty scissors. Find it by opening the dustbin outside a private residence, the one that's bricked up. Open the parcel with the scissors.
a pair of Acme Spring Boots. They're in the parcel. Wear the boots. Feel free to wear them almost everywhere.
When by the canal while wearing the boots, jump to get across.
Remove the boots when you want to climb the redwood tree in the dense rain forest. The boots interfere with tree-climbing.
Note that the boots will not save you if you walk off the roof where the satellite dish is.
a large South American machete. Find it by searching the junk inside number 44.
The machete can't cut the overgrowth in the garden south of the kitchen of number 21. See glass bottle.
Cut the plants in the Rain Forest with the machete.
a dollop of slime. You can get this from the slug when you try to go south past it. Just drop the slime.
a pair of skimpy black pants. This skimpy underwear can be found in the bedroom of number 44. Feel free to smell it, wear it, or ignore it. You don't need these pants.
a plant pot. It's on the front deck of a barge.
Take it or look under it to reveal the small chrome key underneath.
Put the cork in the plant pot. This plugs up the pot's hole, making it suitable as an alternate container for the dust from the coffin.
a small chrome key. Find it by taking or looking under the plant pot on the front deck of a barge. It unlocks the backdoor in the kitchen of number 21.
a cable. It's in the sleeping bit of the cabin of a barge. Take it to the dark part of the cave where the strange machine is. Put one end of the cable in the machine and other end in the satellite dish once you've brought it there.
a cork. It's in the sleeping bit of the cabin of a barge.
CAUTION: Taking the cork creates a leak, filling the cabin with water. You can still continue to explore the barge as long as you like, but the barge will sink and disappear the instant you disembark. You should make sure you've got everything else you want off the barge first before taking the cork, if you take it at all.
Put the cork in the plant pot. This plugs up the pot's hole, making it suitable as an alternate container for the dust from the coffin.
a plastic dog bowl. It's on the rear deck of a barge. Put the dust from the coffin in it.
a glass bottle. Find it by unrolling the carpet in an allotment shed. Read it; it's napalm. Throw it at the plants in the garden south of the kitchen of number 21. Burnt paths south and east will be now open to you.
Dig the circle with the shovel at "in a field". You discover a cave below.
Use the shovel to break the wall in the cellar. You discover a new "further cellar" to the south.
NOTE: You will not be allowed to dig up the grave that's outside the church.
CAUTION: Digging at "in an allotment" shatters the shovel; the ground is too hard there.
a small wax figure. It's on the shelf in a small alcove inside the redwood tree. Give it to the zombie in the corner shop. I have no idea how you're supposed to know to do that. The zombie will eat the wax figure, free himself, give you the hands free lamp, and leave.
a hands free lamp. The zombie in the corner shop gives this to you when you give him the wax figure. Put the battery in the lamp. Wear the lamp. Turn the lamp on. You can now see in all the dark locations in the game. Although you can turn off the lamp, you never have to conserve battery power.
a collection of large bones. Find them by digging the patio (at number 13) with the shovel. Give the bones to the dog in the back garden of the pub; you can now enter the kennel.
a crowbar. It's in a dog kennel. With it, you can now take the board that's blocking the fireplace in the living room of number 21.
an old wooden board. It's in the living room boarding up the fireplace. Take it with the crowbar to pry it loose. You don't need the board itself.
a small brass key. It's on a tiny ledge in "up a chimney". It unlocks the trunk in the attic.
a wooden stake. It's in the trunk in the attic; unlock the trunk with the small brass key. Kill the sleeping corpse in the crypt's coffin with the stake.
a scrap of cloth. It's in the trunk in the attic; unlock the trunk with the small brass key. Examine and read it.
a traffic cone. It's in the cellar. You can ignore it.
a yale key. It's in further cellar. It unlocks the back door of the corner shop.
an extension lead. It's on the shelves in the back room of shop.
Take the extension lead to the hippies kitchen and plug one end into the socket there.
Take the other end to the cave where the strange machine is and plug the extension into the machine.
When the extension lead is connected to both the kitchen socket and the strange machine, and the leccy card has been inserted in the box under the stairs to provide power to number 13, turn on the socket switch in the hippies kitchen to provide power to the strange machine.
some dust of the undead. It's in the coffin in a crypt after you kill Vlad. To take it, put the dust in either the plastic dog bowl or the plant pot after plugging its hole with the cork. Throw the dust at the slug in number 44 to kill it.
a silly silver hat. It's in the coffin in a crypt after you kill Vlad. Wear the hat; you will now be able to understand the relief in the temple.
a cheap looking screwdriver. It's on the kitchen table in number 44. Unscrew the satellite dish on the kitchen roof with screwdriver to free it.
a satellite dish. It's on the kitchen roof. Unscrew the dish with the screwdriver to free it. Take it to the machine in the cave. Plug one end of the cable into the machine and the other end into the dish.
a green crystal. It's on the pedestal in a secret room under a temple. When the display of the strange machine in the cave tells you to insert an identification key, put the crystal into the machine. Then head out of the cave to meet the aliens, escape the Arboretum, and win the game.
Score
In several turns, you have scored your-score points out of a possible 200. This gives you a rank of ranking.
5 points for finding the coin.
10 points for spraying the fleas.
10 points for posting a stamped and addressed leaflet.
5 points for giving the cardigan to a cold zombie.
5 points for giving the lump to the hippy.
5 points for kicking the hippy.
5 points for buying a leccy card.
5 points for finding the machete.
10 points for feeding the ducks.
10 points for destroying dense vegetation with napalm.
10 points for destroying more vegetation with the machete.
10 points for finding a way into the redwood tree.
10 points for giving the wax figure to the zombie.
10 points for giving bones to the dog.
10 points for taking the board off the fireplace.
5 points for breaking the cellar wall with the shovel.
10 points for finding the secret stairs in the church.
10 points for staking Vlad's corpse.
10 points for killing the slug with salty dust.
10 points for unscrewing the satellite dish.
5 points for providing leccy to number 13.
10 points for putting the crystal in the strange machine.
the support of Thomas Bøvith, Robin Johnson, Ville Lavonius, Andrew Schultz, Kenneth Hon, Jason McIntosh, Carl Muckenhoupt, Mark Musante, and Phil Tatro;
the generous support of Janice M Eisen and Amelia;