Key & Compass presents:
Gun Mute
by C.E.J. Pacian

• Map
• Walkthrough
• Extras
  • Amusing, Characters, Credits, Endings, Inventory, Score
• Thank You to my Patreon supporters
• External links:
  • This game at IFDB, IFWiki, and ifwizz.
  • Tweet about this walkthrough on Twitter.

Map

Note that this game doesn't use compass directions for moving the protagonist. It's always either FORWARD (F) or BACK (B).

Walkthrough

Radiation Plains

Note that until you drink, you won't know where you need to be going.

> about. credits. instructions.

> x plainswoman. x spear. x sticks. x pot.

> drink liquid. (+1)

For most of this game, you are topless and barefoot.

> x me. x jeans. x belt. x shooter. x bullets.

> f.

Rocky Hill

One of the few peaceful locations in the game.

> x town. x reactor.

> f.

Corral

Sue and Hank aren't going to shoot you right away. Not until you draw your own gun.

> x Sue. x Hank. x shacks. x robot. x trough.

> draw. shoot Sue. (+1) shoot Hank (+1)

> reload. x Sue. x Hank.

> f.

Saloon Front

Deputy Gene gives you a chance to duck behind something before he shoots. Note he has a shotgun; he'll have to reload after shooting twice.

> hide behind tractor. x Gene. (Now's your chance!)

> stand. shoot Gene. (+1)

> reload. x Gene. x shotgun. x tractor.

> f.

Saloon

Rowdy Juanita is a friend and a terrible shot. You just need to disable her.

> x Juanita. x tables. x bar. x beams. x chandelier.

> shoot chandelier. (+1)

> x Juanita. x crystal. take it. (+1)

> kiss Juanita. (+1)

After taking the crystal, Juanita will soon escape from under the chandelier and start cleaning up the place.

> reload. f.

Train Station

Gatling Gun Fiona has some serious firepower, but her device has one weakness.

> x Fiona. hide.

> x turret. x hoses. x tank.

Her turret is overheating. This is your chance to do something.

> stand. shoot hoses. hide.

> x signs. x tower. x bolts.

> stand. (+1; she runs away)

> reload. f.

Church of Wrathzor

> holster gun. (Say it ain't so, Joe!)

> hide. draw. stand. shoot window. (+1)

> x Joe. x pews. x pulpit. x windows.

> reload. f.

Graveyard

> hide. x Mickey. x eye. x headstones.

> stand. shoot eye. (+1)

> x Mickey. reload. f.

Derelict Reactor

This is a tricky one. Earl is a good leaper, so you have to give him literally nothing to stand on.

> x Earl. hide. x panel.

> x catwalk. x bolts.

Wait until he's just shot an arrow:

> z. z. z. stand. shoot bolts. (Earl jumps to the roots.)

> hide. x roots. x canister.

> stand. shoot canister. (Earl jumps to the girder.)

> hide. x girder. x pipeline.

> stand. shoot pipeline.

> hide. stand. shoot pipeline.

> hide. stand. shoot pipeline. (+1. Earl falls into the slime.)

> reload. x slime. f.

Polluted Slums

> x shacks. x garbage. listen. f.

Atomic April appears when you try to go forward. And there's nowhere to hide here.

Note that you must shoot at April herself first, to ruin her balance, before making your sustained assault on her brain.

> x April. shoot April.

> shoot brain. shoot brain. shoot brain. shoot brain. (+1)

> x April. x river.

> reload. f.

Undertaker's

Solemn Gertrude is a bit creepy, but she's a friend. Let her measure you.

> x Gertrude. x window. x coffins. (+1)

> x garbs. x floor. x suit. z. z. z.

Gertrude finally asks if Fiona is okay.

> nod. (+1)

> f.

Back Street

Gun-Run Raoul is the fastest draw around. Exhaust his arsenal by hiding behind everything in sight.

> x Raoul. x guns. hide behind stall. hide behind cart.

> hide behind table. hide behind fence. hide behind tree.

> z. (+1; he runs away)

Make sure your gun is fully loaded.

> x shooter. f.

Town Centre

Sheriff Clayton, as the final boss, would like to monologue first, and he will as long as you don't start shooting things.

> x sheriff. x Elias. x bot.

Sheriff asks if he's the bad guy.

> nod. x noose. x lever.

Sheriff asks whose side you're on. Yours?

> shake head. x gallows. x buildings. x trapdoor.

Sheriff says it's your move.

> shoot noose. shoot lever. (+2)

> shoot sheriff. g. g. g. (+1)

> reload. (The bot decides it's time to leave.)

> x sheriff. f.

Under the Gallows

> x Elias. kiss him. (+1)

Lifeless Park

We're now in epilogue territory. Time has past. We even have more clothes on.

> x me. x stetson. x suit. x overcoat.

> x Elias. kiss Elias.

> point to me. (Elias kisses you.)

> x Raoul. x Fiona. x Gertrude. x corpses. x people.

Elias can provide some comments if you point at anything else.

> point at Raoul. point at Fiona.

> point at Gertrude. point at corpses.

> point at town. point at people. point at shooter.

> point at hat. point at suit. point at coat. point at belt.

Eventually, go forwards one last time:

> f.

Rowdy Juanita's Saloon

> x bot. x your glass. take it.

Juanita wants to make a toast to love. Elias asks if you agree.

> shake head. (+1. You drink to the dead, instead.)

*** THE END ***

Extras

Amusing

Have you tried:

• Kissing everyone?
• Pointing at things around different people?
• Spending some time with Gertrude?
• Trying to deprogram Juanita?
• Looking at the sky as you progress?
• Talking, shouting, tasting or singing?
• Indulging the 'xyzzy' meme?

Characters

• A plainswoman with a spear is attending to a bubbling pot of strange green liquid in the Radiation Plains.
• Vicious Sue and Claw-Hand Hank block your path at the Corral.
• Deputy Gene blocks your path at Saloon Front.
• Rowdy Juanita is a four-armed sexbot who runs the saloon. Normally, she's a friend, but today the Sheriff has programmed her to shoot you on sight. Fortunately, she's the worst shot in town.
• Gatling Gun Fiona threatens to turn you into Swiss Cheese at the Train Station.
• Reverend Gun-Arm Joe wants to show you the path to happiness in the Church.
• Metal-Skin Mickey seeks you out with his laser eye in the Graveyard.
• Glow-in-the-Dark Earl guards his Derelict Reactor with a bow and arrows. He's also an excellent leaper.
• Atomic April threatens to pummel you with her great metal fists when you try to pass through the Polluted Slums.
• Solemn Gertrude is the town's undertaker. She's even more quiet than you are. She's a friend.
• Gun-Run Raoul is the fastest draw in the wastelands. You run into him on a Back Street.
• Sheriff Clayton awaits you in the Town Centre.
• Elias is your boyfriend. He's about to be hanged from the gallows in the Town Centre.
• An execution bot is holding the lever for the gallows' trapdoor. It will find new employment in the saloon.

Credits

Gun Mute by C.E.J. Pacian
Released: 2008

Developed using the TADS 3 language and library by Michael J. Roberts. Eric Eve also deserves a mention for his excellent TADS 3 tutorials.

Extra special thanks to my lovely beta-testers: George Oliver, Terry Cavanagh and Konstantinos “Gnome” Dimopoulos.

Additional thanks for bug and typo reports courtesy of ColorfulNumbers, Inane and Nillo, plus some issues I spotted on the ClubFloyd transcript.

Endings

• GAME OVER
• if Vicious Sue shoots you,
• if Claw-Hand Hank shoots you,
• if Deputy Gene shoots you,
• if Gatling Gun Fiona shoots you,
• if Reverend Gun-Arm Joe shoots you,
• if Metal-Skin Mickey shoots you,
• if Glow-in-the-Dark Earl shoots you,
• if Atomic April smashes you with her metal fist,
• if Gun-Run Raoul shoots you,
• if Sheriff Clayton shoots Elias, or
• if Sheriff Clayton shoots you.
• YOU WERE EATEN BY A GRUE
• if you XYZZY and spend too many turns in the dark afterwards.
• THE END
• if you save Elias and then play out the epilogue scenes.

Inventory

• a pair of dusty black jeans. You're wearing them. Leave them on.
• a gun belt. You're wearing it. It's holds your six shooter and bullets.
• a six shooter. It's in your gun belt. You can DRAW it, RELOAD it, HOLSTER it, and SHOOT people and things with it.
• Note that walking around with an unholstered gun may be seen as a threat to others.
• On the other hand, you can't shoot the gun unless you've drawn it.
• Your gun only holds six bullets at a time. It's better to reload it between gunfights rather than during one.
• numerous bullets. They're in your gun belt and they're all the bullets you need.
• a black stetson, a black suit, and an overcoat. These new clothes replace the jeans you were wearing when you reach Lifeless Park.
• your glass of wasteland wine. Juanita sets it on the bar in the final scene. Take it.

Score

In several moves, you have scored your-score of a possible 20 points. This makes you ranking.

Your score consists of:

• 1 point for drinking the plainswoman's potion.
• 7 points for killing members of the sheriff's posse.
• That's one point each for Vicious Sue, Claw-Hand Hank, Deputy Gene, Reverend Gun-Arm Joe, Metal-Skin Mickey, Glow-in-the-Dark Earl, and Atomic April.
• 1 point for trapping Juanita beneath the chandelier.
• 1 point for de-programming Juanita.
• 1 point for kissing Juanita.
• 1 point for scaring off Gatling Gun Fiona.
• 1 point for getting measured for your coffin.
• 1 point for easing Solemn Gertrude's mind.
• or −1 points for lying to Solemn Gertrude - you meanie!
• 1 point for surviving Gun-Run Raoul's onslaught.
• 2 points for saving Elias.
• 1 point for killing the sheriff.
• 1 point for kissing Elias.
• 1 point for forgiveness.

Rankings:

• a radiation plains drifter. (0 to 3 points)
• a threat to the peace. (4 to 7 points)
• a quick-draw gunslinger. (8 to 11 points)
• a renegade lawman. (12 to 14 points)
• a renegade lawman with a fistful of bullets. (15 points)
• a renegade lawman with a fistful of bullets and a vague sense of right and wrong. (16 points)
• a renegade lawman with a fistful of bullets and a wry smile. (17 points)
• a renegade lawman with a fistful of bullets and a friendly demeanour. (18 points)
• a renegade lawman with a fistful of bullets and a gentle soul. (19 points)
• a renegade lawman with a fistful of bullets and a heart of gold. (20 points)

Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with

• the support of 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 Matthew Foxley;
• the very generous support of Karl Ove Hufthammer;
• the extremely generous support of Emily Short, Allen Garvin, Jesse McGrew, Jacqueline Ashwell, Marius Müller, and Jennifer Rexrode;
• and the invisible support of several anonymous patrons.