The Little Match Girl 3: The Escalus Manifold is a Glulx interactive fiction game written with Inform 7 and is © 2023 by Ryan Veeder (as "Hans Christian Andersen").
In this RPG fantasy tale, you again play as Ebenezabeth Scrooge, the little match girl who is now a time-traveling assassin-for-hire. Your target is the Snow Queen, a powerful sorceress who uses Shards from the evil Mirror of Belial to control her servants. You dare not face her alone. Find four fellow warriors to join you in your quest. Trounce your foes, level up, and prevail!
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 (Serial number 230401) of the game.
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.
Please DO NOT USE THIS WALKTHROUGH except as a last resort, or as a treasured memento of your compeleted traversal of the game. In the game's HELP text, the author asks you to instead email him for a hint or ask a friend for help, rather than use a fabricated walkthrough like this one. The author loves this game very much and will be GRATIFIED to get feedback and hint requests from you.
> start.
HengeFinland, 1848
> x stones. x castle. x aurora. x wind.
> x snowdrifts. x tundra.
> x me. (RPG stats!)
> i. x your phylactery. x revolver.
Let's do a clockwise sweep around the henge, starting at the northwest. Avoid getting into any battles.
> nw.
Woods
CAUTION: If you try to interact with the troll or try to go northwest, he attacks.
> x troll. ne.
Palace
Don't enter the palace yet. You don't want to break your promise to Papa right away, do you?
> x palace. se.
Lake's Edge
CAUTION: If you try to interact with the polar bear or try to go northeast, he attacks.
> x bear. s.
Church
> x church. x steeple. in.
Chamber
CAUTION: Avoid looking at these flames for now.
> x skulls.
> x jade skull. (Use on a fainted ally to restore 15 HP.)
> take it.
> d.
Crypt
> x sarcophagus. open it. (lid doesn't budge)
> u. out. sw.
Wasteland
CAUTION: If you try to interact with the foxes or try to go south, they attack.
> x fox. x female fox.
> nw.
Hut
> x hut. x chimney.
> in.
Inside the Hut
> talk. (She's a witch but doesn't brew potions.)
> x Lyyli. x ring.
Lyyli offers you a chance to win the magic ring from her, and asks "What is a frog's favorite flower?" If you answer incorrectly, you can't try again until many turns later.
I confess that when I played, I guessed "lily" as in "lily pad", but that was wrong. Then, somewhat later, when I realized there was unlikely to be any frog in the game to talk to, I googled the answer.
> crocus —or— croakus. (You get the ring.)
> wear ring. (Gain Koynnokset ability!)
> x me. (Koynnokset lets you spend 8 HP to summon vines to entangle all enemies. "Köynnökset" is Finnish for creepers, vines, and ropes.)
> x books. x kettles. x pillows. (for resting)
> x bottles. x hearth. (You travel to...)
(By the way, "PL 2" means Paradise Lost, Book 2 by John Milton.)
JungleThe Jungle, 1933
Note that this location will swiftly be renamed to "Sidewalk", and once you enter the hotel to the east, the region name will change to "Honolulu".
> x vines. x lobelias. x heliconias.
> x lawn. x trees. x building. x arms.
> e.
Lobby
> x chandelier. smell. x plumeria. x signage.
> x couch. x poster.
> n.
Front Desk
> x desk. x manager.
> talk. g. (He says the Hunley Syndicate have taken over the hotel. Their leader, Joel, is in the manager's office to the north.)
> n.
Back Hallway
> x ceiling. x bunnies. x unmarked door.
> w.
Supply Closet.
> x towels. search towels. (er what?)
CorridorNonolulu, 2933
> x curtain. x bassline. x floor. x hole.
> open curtain. enter curtain.
Lounge
CAUTION: Do not talk to or interact with either character yet or they will attack you.
> x cybermancer. x familiar. (sharkoid)
> x couch. x waves. x sunset. x beach.
> out. enter hole. e. s. s. e.
Coconut LanaiHonolulu, 1933
CAUTION: Do not talk to any of these people or try to go east or they will attack you.
> x woman. x man. (Scooch Hunley or Algernon Hunley?)
> x Scooch. x Algernon.
> w. s. e.
Bakery
> x teen. (Mililiani invites you to take a pastry for free.)
> talk. x counter.
> x bun. (restores 3 HP)
> x croissant. (restores 5 HP)
> x beignet. (restores 7 HP)
> x bread. (restores 9 HP)
> x pink. x doilies. x lace.
> take all from counter.
> w. s.
Lawn
> x grass. x fence. x gate.
> w.
Monarch Room
Trix Febrero sings briefly, then goes backstage.
CAUTION: If you talk to or try to interact with anyone here or try to go north, the group attacks you.
> x stage. (backstage is north from here)
> look. x group. (Richter is the leader.)
> e. s.
Beach (at gate)
Avoid looking at the torches just yet.
> x ocean. x sand.
> w.
Beach (west end)
> x breakwater. x mermaid.
It's Eunoia! You and she became sisters in the first Little Match Girl game. She wants to help you, but you need to find some way to give her legs.
> e. e.
Bar
> x hut.
The bartender introduces himself as Denny and asks what your elemental affinity is. You say it's Fire. If you want to change it for half an hour, he makes drinks for that. No charge for you since he's also Fire-aligned.
> x Juana. (change to Fire)
> x Deep. (change to Water)
> x Kuniksuk. (change to Ice)
> x Coulombini. (change to Lightning)
> x Julep. (change to Metal)
> x Lisa. (change to Stone)
> x Daiquiri. (change to Rainbow)
> x Kapala. (change to Death)
> x Spore. (change to Wood)
> talk. (While Fire-aligned, you deal extra damage with Fire spells, and take less damage from Fire attacks. If you fight someone who uses Stone spells, you could give yourself an edge by changing to Stone affinity.)
Apologies to the author, but this walkthrough will now ignore the mocktails. You don't need them. But dear player, feel free to grab them all and use them when you feel fit. If you need another, Denny will make a replacement drink soon after any of his drinks are drunk.
> w.
Beach (at gate)
> x torches. (You travel to...)
RiversideWessex, 877
> x river. x insects. se.
Ominous Building
> x building. x man. talk. g.
> in.
Infirmary
> x doctor. talk to doctor. (A heathen army chased King Alfred here. Their camp is at the end of the trail; head for the birch trees.)
> x wounded. x stool. sit on stool. (HP restored)
> out. ne.
Long House
> x house. in.
Chief's Hall
> x low table. x high table. x spike.
> x crow.
The crow, Hrieman, asks if you have any tools. His owner, chief Wulfbald, got beheaded.
> out. se.
Henge
> x stones. nw. ne.
Ruined Tower
CAUTION: The wolf will attack if you try to go east or southeast.
> x wolf. talk to wolf. (If you come any closer, he will attack.)
> x tower. x stones.
> w.
Burned Ruin
> x cottage. x bed.
> x corner. (You travel to...)
ObservatoryDeimos, 2049
You may see a cow flying from east to west. It's involuntarily orbiting this moon of Mars.
> x cow. x stars. x telescope. x crater.
Let's explore, starting by walking westward around the equator.
> w.
Wasteland
> w.
Crater
> x crater. w.
Monument
> x statue. (It points to Mars, directly overhead. It also has a fluxtorc.)
> x fluxtorc. take it. wear it. (Gain Cnoidal Wave ability! See Cnoidal wave at Wikipedia; it's a periodic wave with sharp crests and flat troughs.)
> x me. (The Cnoidal Wave: Spend 6 HP to summon a wall of water.)
> x Mars. x Tharsis. (Ebenezabeth visited Tharsis in "How the Little Match Girl Got Her Colt Paterson Revolver, and Taught a Virtue to a Goblin".)
> w.
Henge (on Deimos)
> x stones. talk to stones. g. (They want to apologize, but they can't remember why.)
> w.
Cavern
CAUTION: Going down starts a fight with the Moon-Beast.
> w.
Observatory
Let's now explore the south half of the moon.
> se.
Overgrown Field
CAUTION: If you search the grass, you get attacked by a herd of feral cattle.
> w.
Wrecked Barn
> x barn. x roof. in.
In the Wrecked Barn
> x antenna. take it. x hole.
> out. w.
Abandoned House
> x house. x truck. in.
Empty Room
> x marks. x saw. take it.
> x cabinet. open it.
> x strawberries. x tofu. x egg. x burrito.
> take all from cabinet.
> out. w.
Overgrown Field
Now explore the north half of Deimos.
> n. ne.
Barn
> x barn. in.
Inside the Barn
CAUTION: If you try to interact with the unit, it attacks!
> x DHC9X.
> out. w.
Pasture
> x cattle. x grass. x fence.
> w.
Ranch House
> x house. x chimney. x garden.
> in.
Inside the Ranch House
> x support unit. x filter. x stove. (has fire inside)
> x couch. (for resting)
> x table. x notes.
> x man. x photon pistol. x electrolariat.
> talk to man. g.
Colt tells you that Miranda, a cow, launched herself into orbit because she got spooked by the Moon-Beast. You don't think math is the way to rescue her.
> show antenna to Cole. (show someone else)
> x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> se. in.
Chamber
> x flame. (You travel to...)
RiversideWessex, 877
> se. ne. in.
Chief's Hall
> cut chain with saw. (You free Hrieman and give him a phylactery. He's now part of your party.)
> x crow. (You now see his RPG stats.)
> out. ne.
Ruined Tower
It's now time for your first battle: the wolf.
> se. (The wolf attacks!)
Enemy: Gray Wolf.
Battles involve quite a lot of randomness, so I can only give general strategy suggestions and hope they go in your favour.
When a combatant's HP reaches 0, they faint instead of dying. If all your enemies faint or flee, you win the battle. If you and your allies all faint or flee, your team respawns at the current region's entry point; in Wessex, that would be the Riverside. You can then return to the Ruined Tower and fight the wolf again until you win.
I believe the wolf's HP is 17 or 18. Sometimes, he growls himself an Attack bonus.
Tell Hrieman to PECK WOLF every round. His vexing ability won't help much.
For Ebenezabeth, try BOLSTER CROW in the first round, then SHOOT WOLF every subsequent round. Good luck. The crow's help should give you just enough of an edge to win this battle. Make sure you reload your revolver after the battle is over.
Finally, feel free to ignore my strategy suggestions for any reason. I'm no combat expert and you may prefer your own approach.
An example battle:
>> peck wolf. bolster crow.
Wolf deals 6 damage to Hrieman.
Hrieman deals 2 damage to wolf.
Ebenezabeth increases Hrieman's Attack.
>> peck wolf. shoot wolf.
Wolf deals 7 damage to Ebenezabeth.
Hrieman deals 4 damage to wolf.
Ebenezabeth deals 4 damage to wolf.
Hrieman's Attack returns to normal.
>> peck wolf. shoot wolf.
Wolf deals 7 damage to Ebenezabeth.
Hrieman deals 2 damage to wolf.
Ebenezabeth misses.
>> peck wolf. shoot wolf.
The wolf increases his Attack.
Hrieman deals 4 damage to wolf.
The wolf falls. A Shard falls out of his paw. You take it.
*** You win! ***
Assuming you win the battle, you acquire a Mirror Shard, and the wolf thanks you and leaves you.
> reload. x shard.
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 2!)
You gain 1 to 6 stat boosts, plus learn Flare. If you don't like your boosts, feel free to UNDO and re-insert the shard until you like the result.
> x me. (Flare is a fire spell that costs 2 HP to cast at a single enemy.)
After a battle, you almost always want to find the nearest resting spot and sit to regain all your HP before resuming your quest. The nearest spot is in the Infirmary.
> sw. sw. in.
Infirmary
> sit. (all HP restored for both of you)
> save. (I recommend saving after each battle so you won't need to do it again.)
> out. ne. ne. se.
Stilt House
> x pit. x tree. x house. x ladder.
> u.
Apothecary
> x shelves.
> x haelthig drync. (Permanently increases Max HP by 5.)
> x mihtig drync. (Permanently increases Attack by 3.)
> x scieldende drync. (Permanently increases Defense by 3.)
> x drylic drync. (Permanently increases Magic by 3.)
> x wislic drync. (Permanently increases Resistance by 3.)
> x craeftig drync. (Permanently increases Skill by 3.)
> x ofost drync. (Permenently increases Speed by 3.)
By the way, if you try to take a drink from the shelves, you're told the cost is one Mirror Shard.
> x witch.
> talk to witch. (You get a scancena drync for getting legs at no charge.)
As near as I can tell, "sceanca" was the old Anglo-Saxon word for "leg", but spelling wasn't consistent in 877.
> out. nw. e.
Woods
The doctor told you to look for the birches, remember?
> x trees. x birches. (to northeast)
> ne.
Viking Camp
CAUTION: Don't talk to the Vikings and don't search the tents; the Vikings will attack.
> x birches. x tents. x Vikings. (which?)
> x Erik. x Embla. x Orvar. x Vagn.
> x fire. (You travel to...)
FlowerbedJardinver, 1467
> x flowers. x leaf.
> sit. look under leaf. (You find a tunnel.)
CAUTION: Don't enter the tunnel yet. You'll be attacked by four insect warriors if you do.
> w.
Stump
> u. (You're on the top now.)
> x net. take it.
> e. e.
Great Tree
CAUTION: Don't go east yet; a butterfly knight will attack you.
> x great tree. x beehive. x gate. x statues.
> in.
Inside the Tree
> x graffito. (something rude re Queen Majali)
> u.
Stairway
> x sap. (Use on a fainted ally to revive them with full HP.)
> take sap.
> u.
Hive Gate
> x hive. x guards. (which?)
> x bee enforcer. x bee sentinel. x flowers.
> talk to enforcer. (The queen is not accepting visitors because of a recent insurrection.)
> talk to sentinel. (She also denies your request to enter.)
> d.
Stairway
> x brazier. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> sw. in.
Inside the Hut
> x fire. (You travel to...)
SidewalkHonolulu, 1933
> e. s. s. s. w.
Beach (west end)
> give scancena to Eunoia. (She gains legs. You give her a phylactery, and she joins your party.)
> x Eunoia. (check out her stats)
Since her Affinity is Water, you should give her the torc. When her stats are better, she'll cast Cnoidal Wave much better than you can.
> give torc to Eunoia.
> e.
Beach (at torches)
> x torch. (You travel to...)
RiversideWessex, 877
> ne. x fire. (You travel to...)
ObservatoryDeimos, 2049
Head eastward until you see the flying cow. If you see it go over the western horizon, head back west.
> e —or— w. (Repeat as applicable.)
(cow's location)
Wait, if necessary, for the cow to be directly overhead, then:
> take cow. (using the net)
You're lifted into orbit with the cow, but fortunately, it's now a decaying orbit. You circle around most of Deimos until you both land. The cow joins your party.
(where you landed)
> x cow. (to see her stats)
> w. (Repeat until you're at Crater.)
Crater
> n. in.
Inside the Ranch House
As you enter, Cole sees the cow with you, and he takes her to the Pasture. You automatically follow them.
Pasture
Cole joins your party, and you give him a phylactery.
> x Cole. (to see his stats)
> w. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1948
> se. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
RiversideWessex, 877
> ne. e. e. ne. x fire. (You travel to...)
FlowerbedJardinver, 1467
> e. e.
Fence
A butterfly knight attacks you on sight.
Enemy: Butterfly Knight.
The four of you together should be able to defeat her easily with just basic mundane attacks.
Assuming you won the battle:
> save. reload. x knight. (She sleeps, holding the sword.)
CAUTION: You can't disarm her, and if you go back to the leaf and rest and return, she wakes up again and you'll need to fight her all over again. Go down before she wakes up.
> d.
Alley
> x merchant. x rusty bangle.
> talk to merchant. (offer him something)
> offer antenna. (The trade is made.)
> wear bangle. (Gain Iarannfuar!)
> x me. (Iarannfuar is a 3 HP metal-spell which deals damage and lowers Magic and Resistance. "Iarannfuar" means "iron cold" in Irish.)
> talk to merchant. w.
Camp
BUG: Don't search the tents, or the Vikings will try to attack even though this is a a different camp.
> x cots. sit. (all HP restored)
> x tents. x insects.
> x knight. talk to knight. g. (They're at war with Queen Majali's army over unfair nectar taxes. His name is Caryo. Nuci, who guards the eastern tunnels, needs hibiscus nectar.)
I assume you still have the hibiscus beignet from the Honolulu bakery?
> e. u.
Fence
The butterfly knight is awake and attacks again!
Well, that calmed her down. Nuci joins your party and wears the last of your spare phylacteries.
> x Nuci. (to see her stats)
> save.
> x fence. x entrance.
As a courtesy, re-visit Caryo so he knows what Nuci is doing now.
> d. w.
Camp
Caryo is okay with Nuci helping you. Let's head back to Finland.
> e. u. w. in. u. x fire.
HengeFinland, 1848
> s.
Wasteland
> s. (The foxes attack!)
Enemies: Arctic Fox, Arctic Vixen.
It's tempting to use Koynnoset or Cnodial Wave here since you're facing multiple enemies, but they're still a bit costly in HP this early in the game. I suggest using individual attacks instead. But it's up to you.
Eunoia isn't that good with her trident, so have her DEFEND at first so she can HEAL in a later round.
Just for fun, have the males on your team take on the fox, while you and Nuci handle the vixen. Of course, if one of them falls, refocus everyone's attacks to whoever is still fighting.
Assuming you won, the foxes thank you and leave. My initial strategy with the shards is to get everyone to Level 2, then 3, then 4, then 5. Remember to UNDO whenever you get less than two stat boosts from a shard. Also, make sure one of the boosts is for Max HP.
> take shards.
> give shard to crow. (Level 2! He learns Chill.)
> give shard to Eunoia. (Level 2! She learns Vortex.)
> x crow. (Chill is a 2 HP ice spell.)
> x Eunoia. (Vortex is a 2 HP water spell.)
> nw. in.
Inside the Hut
> reload. sit. (all HP restored)
> save.
> out. n.
Woods
> nw. (The troll attacks!)
Enemy: Troll.
No need to change tactics. If you're feeling frisky, let Nuci try VORTEX TROLL.
Assuming you won:
> take shard.
> give shard to Cole. (Level 2! He learns Meteorite.)
> x Cole. (Meteorite is a 2 HP stone spell.)
> s. in.
Inside the Hut
> reload. sit. (all HP restored)
> save.
> out. ne. ne.
Lake's Edge
> talk to bear. (The bear attacks!)
Enemy: Polar Bear.
Assuming you won:
> take shard.
> give shard to Nuci. (Level 2! She learns Glaive.)
> x Nuci. (Glaive is a 2 HP metal spell.)
> sw. sw. in.
Inside the Hut
> reload. sit. (all HP restored)
> save.
Head to the Nonolulu lounge:
> x fire. e. n. n. w. search towels. in.
LoungeNonolulu, 2933
> talk to cybermancer. (They attack!)
Try out some of your new skills for the first round, then use mundane attacks on whoever's still standing.
First round:
Subsequent rounds:
Assuming you win, the cheerleader gives you the pizza then leaves.
> x pizza. (If you eat it, all of your party regains 15 HP.)
> sit on couch. (can't relax here)
> out. go hole. e. s. s.
Lobby
> reload. sit. (HP restored!)
> save.
> e.
Coconut Lanai
> e. (The trio of thugs attack!)
Enemies: Catherine Hunley, Scooch Hunley, Algernon Hunley.
First round: You and Eunoia can do group attacks now, so do that. The other three of your party can each take on a different thug.
There's a good chance you'll win in one round, but if not, beat down on whoever's remaining however you like.
Assuming you won:
> take all. x slip. ("TUNGAD")
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 3! You learn Revive!)
> give shard to crow. (Level 3! He learns Shriek!)
> give shard to Eunoia. (Level 3! She learns Sing!)
> w.
Lobby
> reload. sit. save
> x me. (Revive is a 5HP spell to restore 10HP to a fallen ally.)
> x crow. (Shriek is a 6HP spell to disorient enemies.)
> x Eunoia. (Sing is a 3HP spell to put enemies to sleep.)
> e. e.
Coconut Grove
> x young man. (Jeff)
> talk to Jeff. g.
> x pig. talk to pig.
> x fire. (You travel to...)
ObservatoryDeimos, 2049
> se.
Overgrown Field
> search grass. (A feral herd attacks!)
Enemies: Feral Bull, Feral Cow, Feral Steer.
The Feral Cow has a Fire-affinity, so Ebenezabeth's Flare won't be as effective on her.
The Feral Steer has a Water-affinity, so Eunoia's Vortex and Cnoidal Wave won't be as effective on him.
Also, all the cattle like to increase their own Attack or decrease your Defense whenever they can.
I'm rather counting on Eunoia's song putting all the cattle to sleep, but even if they all stay awake, you can still prevail, but it's more difficult. After the second round, beat up on whoever is left. If you start taking too many hits, stop trying to do spells and use mundane attacks.
First round:
Second round:
Third and fourth rounds:
> take all. search grass. (You find nothing more.)
> give shard to Cole. (Level 3! He learns Scan!)
> give shard to Nuci. (Level 3! She learns Inspire!)
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 4! No new ability.)
> nw. w. nw. in.
Inside the Ranch House
> reload. sit. save.
> x Cole. (Scan lets Cole see an enemy's stats).
> x Nuci. (Inspire is a 6HP spell that raises everyone's Attack and Defense temporarily.)
> x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> sw. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
SidewalkHonolulu, 1933
> e. s. s. w.
Monarch Room
> n. (The thugs attack!)
Enemies: Richter Hunley, Barney Hunley, Suzanne Hunley, Mario Hunley.
Richter is the toughest, so give him some extra attention; likewise, Mario is quite weak and will fall quickly.
Round one:
Round two:
Finish them off however you like.
> take all.
> give shard to crow. (Level 4!)
> give shard to Eunoia. (Level 4! She learns Haze!)
> x Eunoia. (Haze is a 2HP spell that nullifies all stat changes on an ally or enemy.)
> give shard to Cole. (Level 4!)
> give shard to Nuci. (Level 4!)
> e. n. n.
Lobby
> reload. sit. save.
> s. s. w. n.
Backstage
> x screen. x Trix. x couch.
> talk to Trix. (She tells you that Catherine writes the password backwards. And she gives you a diamond necklace.)
> x diamond necklace.
> wear it. (You gain Arc Of Iris!)
> x me. (Arc of Iris is a 6HP rainbow spell that both deals damage and puts enemies to sleep.)
> give diamond necklace to Nuci. (She now has Arc Of Iris, which she should wield better since she's Rainbow-aligned.)
> s. e. n. n. n. n.
Back Hallway
> open office door. ("Password!")
> dagnut (The door opens and you enter...)
Office
> x Joel. x desk. x woman. x Melissa.
> x bodyguard. x Zilcho. (can't tell them apart)
> talk to Joel. (They attack!)
Enemies: Joel Hunley, Melissa Thayer-Hunley, Zilcho Hunley, Elvir Hunley.
Joel is the strongest of the thugs as you'd expect, so you want to give him extra attention. Melissa has snacks which she can heal the other thugs with. Elvir has the best Resistance of the four, but the poorest Defense.
Use group attacks in the first round, which should take out at least two of them right away. But don't use both Sing and Arc of Iris at the same time, since an enemy can't see the Arc when they're asleep.
If three of them are still in the fight for round two, even if they're asleep, then you may want to use Cnoidal Wave and Koynnokset a second time. Otherwise, use your best individual attacks.
> take all.
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 5! You learn Rapidfire!)
> x me. (Rapidfire is a 12HP fire spell that lets you shoot all your ammo at one enemy.)
> give shard to crow. (Level 5! He learns Gouge!)
> x crow. (Gouge is a 5HP ability that deals damage and lowers a foe's Speed and Skill.)
> give shard to Cole. (Level 5! He learns Dualshot!)
> x Cole. (Dualshot is a 5HP ability that lets him shoot twice at an enemy.)
> give shard to Nuci. (Level 5! She learns Castigate!)
> x Nuci. (Castigate is a 9HP ability that deals damage and lowers an enemy's Attack, Defense, Magic, and Resistance.)
Sorry, Eunoia. You'll just have to wait for the next shard.
> w. s. s.
Lobby
> reload. sit. save
> n.
Front Desk
> talk to manager. (He thanks you and gives you a pin.)
> x pin. wear it. (You learn Makani! "Makani" means "wind" in Hawaiian.)
> x me. (Makani is a 3HP wind spell that damages one enemy and raises your speed.)
> s. e. e. x fire. (You travel to...)
ObservatoryDeimos, 2049
> w. nw. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> se. in. d.
Crypt
> open lid.
Nuci opens it easily. The vampire Kehvelipakko, who escaped you in 1349, climbs out and claims a later version of YOU sealed him up here!
Enemy: Kehvelipakko.
This vampire likes to suck HP from his enemies, so take him down quickly and deny him any opportunity to do that.
Don't forget that you or your allies can eat some banana bread or other foodstuffs to regain HP in mid-battle. Ebenezabeth also has REVIVE. If an ally doesn't have enough HP to do a recommended action, switch to basic attacks or DEFEND.
> take medallion. give it to crow. (He gains Vampyr!)
> x crow. (Vampyr is a 3HP death spell that sucks HP.)
> u. out. nw. sw. in.
Inside the Hut
> reload. sit. save
> out. ne. se. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
RiversideWessex, 877
> ne. x fire. (You travel to...)
ObservatoryDeimos, 2049
> e. ne. in.
Inside the Barn
> touch DHC9X. (It attacks!)
Enemy: DHC9X.
This cleaning unit is tougher than it looks, and it can spray a sedative that can put your allies to sleep. Again, take it down quickly.
> take all.
> x generator. give it to Cole. (He gains Stunfield!)
> x Cole. (Stunfield is a 6HP electrical spell that damages and paralyzes a group.)
> give shard to Eunoia. (Level 5! She gains Embrace!)
> x Eunoia. (Embrace is a 4HP spell that restores 12HP to all allies.)
> out. e. in.
Inside the Ranch House
> reload. sit. save
> x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> se. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
RiversideWessex, 877
> ne. e. e. ne.
Viking Camp
> talk to Erik. (They attack!)
Enemies: Erik Ragnarsson, Embla the Crazed, Orvar the Dreary, Vagn the Surly.
I don't recommend using SHRIEK or SING against the Vikings, but do use all the other group attacks. CAUTION: Orvar has high Magic and Resistance stats, so make sure you use plenty of mundane attacks against him.
First round:
Beat down whoever's left (if anyone) as best you can.
Erik gives you the amulet of Scalament.
> take all.
> x amulet. wear it. x me. (Scalamant is a 6HP fire spell that roasts a group and lowers Attacks.)
> sw. w. sw. sw. in.
Infirmary
> reload. sit. save
> talk to doctor. (She doesn't understand your explanation about the Vikings at all.)
> out. ne. ne. se. u.
Apothecary
With everyone at Level 5, you should now consider using some of Ealawynn's potions. Critically appraise yourself and your allies' stats and see where the weakest stats are. I think you should buy four and no more than four potions. Any future shards should be used for levelling up.
Be careful: there's only one of each type of potion.
> x me. x crow. x Eunoia. x Cole. x Nuci.
> buy haelthig. yes
> give it to ALLY-WITH-LOWEST-HP. (probably Eunoia or Cole.)
> buy scieldende. yes
> give it to ALLY-WITH-LOWEST-DAMAGE. (probably Eunoia.)
> buy drylic. yes
> give it to ALLY-WITH-LOWEST-MAGIC. (probably Hrieman.)
> buy wislic. yes
> give it to ALLY-WITH-LOWEST-RESISTANCE. (probably Cole.)
> out. nw. e. ne. x fire. (You travel to...)
FlowerbedJardinver, 1467
> d.
Tunnel
Four insect warriors attack!
Enemies: Dragonfly Assassin, Mosquito Warlock, Dung Beetle Gladiator, Cricket Enchanter.
In this battle, your main worry is the Cricket Enchanter who has high Magic and Resistance stats, so like you did with Orvar, you want to hit her with mundane attacks. Conversely, the Dung Beetle Gladiator has a high HP, but he's extremely vulnerable to magic.
First and second round:
Probably only the cricket is still a threat and hopefully sleeping, so you can finally finish her; for example:
> take all.
> talk to cricket. (Tridi)
> talk to gladiator. (Haguth)
> talk to warlock. (Lina)
> talk to assassin. (Euble)
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 6!)
> give shard to Eunoia. (Level 6!)
> give shard to Cole. (Level 6!)
> give shard to Nuci. (Level 6!)
> u.
Flowerbed
> reload. sit. save
> e. in. u. u.
Hive Gate
> in. (The bees attack!)
Enemies: Bee Enforcer, Bee Sentinel.
Since the enforcer is Fire-aligned and the sentinel has high Resistance, I don't recommend SCALAMANT for this battle.
Overwhelm the sentinel and take her down in the first round. Then refocus and gang up on the possibly-sleeping enforcer in the second round.
First round:
Assuming the sentinel is down:
> take all. talk to enforcer. talk to sentinel.
> give shard to crow. (Level 6!)
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 7!)
> d. d. out. w.
Flowerbed
> reload. sit. save
> e. in. u. u. in.
Golden Hall
> x honey. x statuary. (You spot a bench for resting.)
> w.
Nectar Hoard
> x nectar. x crocus. x stairs.
> x bee. talk to bee. (The Queen is overcome by inexplicable avarice and paranoia and will likely attack you.)
> u.
Throne Room
> x queen. x spear. x tiara. x throne. x fountains.
> talk to queen. (She attacks!)
Enemy: Queen Majali.
Your best strategy is to slam her down as fast as you can. She has massive HP and high Speed, so expect her to get at least one hit in. If you're easy on her, she summons others to help her, and you want to avoid that.
Queen Majali apologizes and vows to abolish her nectar laws, but you caution her to wait, lest the Snow Queen does something more drastic. Majali gives you her tiara.
> take all.
> wear tiara. (You gain Enfrosten!)
> x me. (Enfrosten is a 5HP freezing spell which also lowers Defense.)
> d. e.
Golden Hall
> give shard to Eunoia. (Level 7!)
> reload. sit. save
> out. d. x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> sw. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
SidewalkHonolulu, 1933
> e. e. e. x fire. (You travel to...)
ObservatoryDeimos, 2049
> e.
Cavern
> d. (The Moon-Beast attacks!)
Enemy: Moon-Beast.
The Moon-Beast is tough but is similar in power to Queen Majali, except the Beast has better Magic and better Resistance. If you were able to beat her, you can beat this literal monster.
You win, but the beast just retreats into its cavern. Follow it.
> d.
Core of Deimos
The beast produces three mirror shards.
> take all. x Beast. talk to Beast. (He tells you the history of the Shards. You tell him about your Phylacteries. He doubts they're as safe you presume.)
> x core. (You travel to...)
FlowerbedJardinver, 1467.
> give shard to crow. (Level 7!)
> give shard to Cole. (Level 7!)
> give shard to Nuci. (Level 7!)
> reload. sit. save
> e. in. u. x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> se. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
RiversideWessex, 877
> se. ne. se.
Henge (Wessex)
> talk to stone. (They attack!)
Enemies: Mist-Stone, Axe-Stone, Sun-Stone, Shield-Stone, Feast-Stone.
With so many powerful foes, your first round has to be group attacks.
With any luck, you only have one or two foes left. Trounce them.
The stones are very sorry and tell you to come back and they'll apologize — which means go talk to their future selves.
> take all. nw. sw. in.
Infirmary
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 8!)
> give shard to crow. (Level 8!)
> give shard to Eunoia. (Level 8!)
> give shard to Cole. (Level 8!)
> give shard to Nuci. (Level 8!)
> reload. sit. save
> out. nw. ne. x fire. (You travel to...)
ObservatoryDeimos, 2049
> w. nw. in. x fire. (You travel to...)
HengeFinland, 1848
> talk to stones. (They give you an agate pendant.)
> x pendant. wear it. (You learn Ealdian!)
> x me. (Ealdian is a 2HP stone spell that deals damage, lowers Speed, and changes an enemy's affinity to Stone.)
> n. n.
Antechamber
> x columns. n.
Great Hall
> x lake. (Everyone has a say.)
> n.
Grand Stair
> x stairs. x halo. u.
Stairs
Note that this is a resting place.
> sit. save
> u.
Blizzard Gate
> x Srahilon. x Zahhoden. n. (They attack!)
These golems are both tough foes with high HP, Attack, Magic, Resistance, and Speed. They will minimize the effect of most of your party's spells, but Shriek and Sing can work against them.
Remember that Embrace (and food) will help keep your party fighting longer. Eunoia is your "cleric"; save her HP for healing everyone.
I think most of your attacks should be the physical sort, like Rapidfire and Dualshot. During the first round, have Ebenezabeth and Cole both target Srahilon, while Nuci battles Zahhoden; there's a good chance Srahilon falls right away.
Nuci can't Castigate forever. After two Castigates, Nuci should use Glaive or Slice to conserve her HP.
Best of luck.
When you win, both golems are gone. Only their mirror shards remain.
> take all. d.
Stairs
> reload sit. save
Decide how to use your last two shards; I'm choosing Ebenezabeth and Cole. You also may want to redistribute some of your jewelry.
> put shard in my phylactery. (Level 9!)
> give shard to Cole. (Level 9!)
> save.
> u. in.
Throne Room (of Snow Queen)
> x aurorae. x stars. x spire. x throne.
> x queen. talk to queen. (She won't relent.)
> attack queen.
Enemy: Snow Queen.
Summoned enemies: Frostbit Moll, Bee Mistknight, Runecarven Bull, Rimestalker Wolf.
First round:
Hopefully the queen is now asleep, but she's probably summoned the Bull and the Wolf during the first round, and she can summon the Moll and the Mistknight in the second round even while asleep!
Switch to group attacks, except for Hrieman who should still Gouge the queen! She has a lot of HP that needs to be reduced. Once the queen is defeated, her servants disintegrate, so still focus your might on her. The others are a minor distraction.
Second round:
If you need a third round, do whatever seems best.
The Snow Queen stands, whispers "No", then a bitter wind carries her out of the room.
> save
> s. d.
Stairs
> sit. (no time)
> d. s.
Great Hall
The Snow Queen leaps into the Mirror of Reason. The wind sucks you inside as well.
(the Deep)Tehom
You both are in the Abyss of nothingness that precedes Creation.
> x queen. (A flurry of things swarm over her.)
> talk to queen. (no answer)
> x me. i. (no real meaning here)
> x thing. (The congeries ask, "Back so soon?")
> talk to thing.
The congeries have an interest in the Queen. They will send you back to Finland and keep the Queen here.
Throne RoomFinland, 1848
You collapse on the throne, exhausted.
🔥 🔥 🔥
BedroomLondon
I assume this is at least a day or two later, long enough to collect Phylacteries from your allies, say your thank yous and farewells, decide that Hrieman is coming home with you, and procuring a cage for him.
I also assume that the Phylactaries and their still dangerous Shards were handed over to your papa, Ebenezer, to store safely somewhere.
> i. (Carrying nothing.)
> x cat. x bird.
After three turns in your bedroom, Papa leaves some mail on your desk, even though it's very late.
> x violin. x helmet. x cage. x desk.
> stand. take all mail.
> x postcard. (Nuci + Cole are on their honeymoon.)
> x elegant letter. (Eunoia thanks you, wants you to visit, and tells you she traded her legs to Eirene.)
> x official letter. (Pius PP IX thanks you for your services re Snow Queen.)
> put all on desk.
> pray. enter bed.
> sleep. (no: practice violin first)
> take violin. play it.
*** The End ***
Everyone in the game has an elemental affinity. For example, Ebenezabeth has an affinity to Fire. That means any Fire-based spells that she casts will be more potent, and also she will take less damage from any Fire-based spells cast against her.
To learn an ally's affinity, just look at them. However, the only way to learn an enemy's affinity is for Cole to SCAN them during combat; but Cole only gains this ability when he's at Level 3. As far as non-combatants go, only Denny tells you he's Fire-aligned.
The descriptions of combat abilities usually say if they have an elemental-type spell, but many abilities have no elemental alignment.
Denny, at the Honolulu bar, offers mocktails that temporarily change the drinker's affinity. Every known affinity except Starlight and Wind is represented. While interesting to experiment with, you don't need any of them.
Note that Ebenezabeth's time-travel ability is unaffected if her affinity changes. She still looks at fires to travel. Nothing unusual happens if she looks at the ocean while Water-aligned.
To sum up, the affinities are:
You and your party:
Enemies in Finland:
Enemies in Honolulu or Nonolulu:
Enemies in Wessex:
Enemies on Deimos:
Enemies in Jardinver:
Non-combatants (friendlies and neutrals):
Background characters:
Mentioned:
Everyone in your party begins with some basic abilities and a Level 1 spell they can cast. (Except the cow; it's at Level 0.) When you insert a Mirror Shard into their Phylactery, they may learn a new ability suitable to that individual. Abilities may also be gained by wearing enchanted jewelry.
Spells are more effective if the caster's Magic stat is high. Spells are also more effective if the caster has the same elemental affinity as the spell.
Spells are less effective if the enemy's Resistance stat is high. Spells are also less effective if the enemy has the same elemental affinity as the spell.
A careful perusal of this walkthrough will reveal that I favoured some abilities far more than others. For example, I would have loved to Bolster Hrieman once in a while, but not at the expense of forgoing Ebenezabeth's attack. Hrieman is far more effective at Gouging than casting a spell like Vampyr, even if he is Death-aligned. And so on.
Basic abilities that everyone gets:
Ebenezabeth's abilities:
Hrieman's abilities:
Eunoia's abilities:
Cole's abilities:
Nuci's abilities:
The Cow's abilities:
Jewelry spells:
This is the response to CREDITS:
(Well, here's the third Little Match Girl game! It was tested by ZACH HODGENS and SARAH WILLSON and JASON LOVE.
And it was supported by my wonderful Patreon supporters presented here in order of seniority: Emily Short, Sammy El-Bahrawy, Janice M. Eisen, Harrison Gerard, Q. Pheevr, Maiko Ziegler, Matt Schneider, Ivan R, Jenni Polodna, Sarah Nerboso, Jenelle Marie, Rus Whang, Doug Orleans, Grant Veeder, Karl Ove Hufthammer, Greg Frost, Rich Cheng, Sarah Willson, Matthew Zimmermann, Carolyn VanEseltine, Jacques Frechet, Nils Fagerburg, Derek Sotak, Jason Love, Yerrik, Carl Muckenhoupt, Cat Manning, Allen Tan, John Leen, Magnus Buchanan, Robin Johnson, Josh Labelle, Kenneth Hon, Robert Paloutzian, Michael Knowles, Jordan Eash, Mark, Jeremy Wright, Benjamin Slade, Jason Farrell, Dominia, Joshua Grams, and Julia Ramsey. Phew!
Those Patreon supporters already have access to The Little Match Girl 4: Crown of Pearls! You could play that game RIGHT NOW, I mean, once you're done with this one, by joining up at patreon.com/rcveeder.
But anyway, thank you for playing this game. I really like it. You can email me at
email redactedif you have something to tell me about it. Like, how much are you loving it???)
If you give a drink to one of your party members, they drink it and gain the normal benefits of that drink.
If you give a food item to one of your party members, they eat it and gain the normal benefits of that food. But don't eat food at all except during combat as an emergency measure. If you're lucky, you'll hardly use any of these, except the beignet, of course.
Note that your allies can wear the jewelry items instead of you and gain their associated combat abilities.
Every combatant in the game has a Level, Affinity, HP and Max HP, Attack, Defense, Magic, Resistance, Speed, and Skill stats. To see your own stats, look at yourself. To see an ally's stats, look at them.
What the numbered stats mean were explained more in a previous game, The Little Match Girl 2: Annus Evertens. To paraphrase:
Stats can be increased permanently by inserting Mirror Shards into allies' Phylacteris, or by drinking Ealawynn's potions. Combat abilites may change someone's stats temporarily during a battle.
To see an enemy's stats, use Cole. Cole gains the Scan ability after he joins your party and receives two Mirror Shards. By that time, it's too late for him to scan the wolf, but it's possible for him to scan every other enemy.
Here are the initial stats of your enemies when I played. CAUTION: I don't know if these stats are randomized on each playthrough, so treat these as approximate rather than absolute values:
In case you were wondering, "Sneedronningen" is "Snow Queen" in Danish.
This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with
Ko-Fi is a way to send me small one-time donations. Every little bit helps, and thank you!