Key & Compass presents:
Nowheresville
by Morpheus Kitami and Cody Gaisser

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

Map

• There's only one Park. Both Main Street and Second Avenue make continuous loops.

Walkthrough

Diner

The first part of this walkthrough will be mostly exploration. Pick up anything that's not locked down. Ask the characters about each other, the town, yourself, and things near them. Feel free to take your time with this and map out the town as much as you can.

> x me. i. x pants. x shirt. x cardigan.

> x waitress. x apron. x counter.

> x tables. x chairs. x taps.

> ask waitress about diner.

> ask waitress about me.

> ask waitress about herself.

> ask waitress about candy man.

> ask waitress about town.

> ask waitress about menu.

> e.

Main Street South

> x road. x windows. x diner. x shop.

> e.

Toy Store

> x man. x counter. x toys. x gun.

> ask man about shop. ask man about toys.

> ask man about diner. ask man about waitress.

> ask man about gun. ask man about me.

> ask man about candy man. ask man about children.

> ask man about town.

> take gun. shoot gun at case.

> w. s. s.

Park

> x hills. x paths.

> s. s.

Main Street North

> x balloon. (It contains oil.)

> take it. (It's out of reach.)

> s. s. s. w. n.

Grocery

> x cans. x boxed goods. x fruits.

> x grocer. x apron.

If you ask the grocer about anything, he alternates between suggesting aisle 4 or claiming that's beyond his expertise.

> s. s.

School

> x lockers. x classrooms.

> n. w. s.

Doctor's Office

> x chairs. x posters. x counter.

> x nurse. x hat. x overcoat.

> ask nurse about doctor.

> ask nurse about herself.

> ask nurse about me.

> n. w.

Clean Apartment

> x elevator.

> e. n.

Union Street South

> x junkyard. x dressmaker.

> w.

Junkyard

> x dog. x ladder.

> x boiler. x fridge. x toilet.

> e. e.

Dressmaker

> x dresses. x mannequins.

> x lady. x green dress.

> x pin. ask lady about pin. take pin.

> ask lady about dresses.

> ask lady about junkyard.

> ask lady about waitress. ask lady about nurse.

> ask lady about old man. ask lady about children.

> ask lady about grocer. ask lady about candy man.

> w. n. w. w. w. n.

Bank

> x teller. x desk. x chairs. x window.

> ask teller about bank. ask her about me.

> ask her about town. ask her about waitress.

> ask her about grocer. ask her about lady.

> s. w. w. n.

Library

> x books. x shelf. x librarian. x bun.

> ask librarian about herself.

> ask her about high shelf. ask her about books.

> ask her about waitress. ask her about teller.

> ask her about candy man. ask her about children.

> ask her about nurse. ask her about lady.

> s. s.

Apartment Building

> x mailboxes. open 101. (need a tool)

> n. w. n. w.

Sheriff's Office

> x divider. x desks. x cabinets. x deputy.

> ask deputy about town. ask deputy about waitress.

> ask deputy about donuts.

> e. e.

Restaurant

> x chandelier. x tables. x chairs.

> x waiter. x moustache.

> ask waiter about menu. ask him about waiter.

> ask him about waitress. ask him about fancy lady.

> ask him about nurse. ask him about old man.

> ask him about me.

> w. n. e. n.

Clothing Store

> x suits. x clerk. x shoes.

> x hanger. take hanger.

> ask clerk about himself. ask him about lady.

> ask him about waiter. ask him about old man.

> ask him about grocer. ask him about nurse.

> s. s.

Bar

> x wallpaper. x tiles. x booths.

> x bar. x bartender. x stools.

> sit on stool.

While on the stool, the bartender maintains eye contact. It's unnerving.

> ask him about beer. ask him about waiter.

> ask him about nurse. ask him about children.

> stand. n. e. e. n.

Garage

> x tools. x rag. take rag.

> s. e. s. w.

Office Block

> x tables. x desk. x typewriter.

> x paper. take paper.

> x secretary. x gray sweater. x skirt.

> ask her about herself. ask her about work.

> ask her about old man. ask her about paper.

> ask her about town. ask her about children.

> ask her about lady. ask her about waitress.

> e. e.

Candy Shop

> x candies. x man.

> ask man about me. ask man about candies.

> ask man about himself. ask man about children.

> ask man about old man. ask man about waiter.

> ask man about secretary. ask man about nurse.

> ask man about town. ask man about bartender.

> w. s. s. w.

Pharmacy

> x bottle. take bottle.

> x plants. x shelves. x counter.

> x pharmacist. x coat.

> ask him about himself.

> ask him about me. ask him about nurse.

> ask him about town. ask him about bartender.

> e. e.

Butcher

> x beef. take beef.

> x counter. x man. x scar. x apron.

> ask man about himself. ask man about me.

> ask man about town. ask man about pharmacist.

> ask man about gun.

> w. s. e.

Farm

> x horse. x house. x fields. x barn. x hay.

> w. w.

First Avenue East

> x nice house. x mysterious house.

> open blue door. (locked)

> open weathered door. (also locked)

> w. n. w.

Diner

> sit on chair. (Now the waitress is glaring at you.)

> stand. (The waitress rolls her eyes.)

> ask her about nurse. ask her about old man.

> ask her about grocer. ask her about pharmacist.

> ask her about meat man. ask her about clerk.

> ask her about lady. ask her about teller.

> ask her about hell. ("Tell me when you find the church")

> ask her about church. (There isn't one.)

It's time to solve puzzles. Return to the Junkyard:

> e. s. w. w. n. w.

Junkyard

> put medicine on beef. give beef to dog. (+1)

> open fridge. (can't: rusted shut)

> take ladder.

> e. n. e. n.

Library

> drop ladder. climb ladder. x shelf.

> take tome. (+1)

> stand. take ladder.

> x tome. open tome. read tome.

> take pamphlet. read it.

> ask librarian about tome. ask her about pamphlet.

> s. e. n.

Main Street North

> drop ladder. get on ladder.

> throw pin at balloon. (+1; oil is now here.)

> stand.

> put oil on rag. (+1; rag is now oily.)

You can leave the ladder here.

> s. w. w. s. w.

Junkyard

> rub rag on fridge. (+1; rag is gone.)

> open fridge. take clawhammer. x it.

> e. n. e. s.

Apartment Building

> open 101 with hammer.

> open 102 with hammer.

> open 103 with hammer.

> open 104 with hammer. (+1)

> take envelope. x it. open it.

> take card. x card. ("5151: 666")

> n. e. s. s. w. s.

School

> x locker 5151. turn dial to 666. (+1)

> take bullet. x it. put it in gun.

> n. e. e.

First Avenue East

> x blue door. x keyhole. x gap.

> put paper in gap.

> bend hanger. (It's now a straightened hanger.)

> put hanger in keyhole.

> take hanger. take paper. x brass key.

> unlock blue door with key. n.

Nice House

> x wallpaper. x tables. x tablecloths.

> x vases. x flowers.

> x cases. x cabinet. x figurines.

> x figurine of me. take it. (can't: cabinet closed)

> open cabinet. (locked)

> x sofa. x cloth.

> x armchairs. x coffee table.

> break cabinet with hammer. (+1)

> take figurine of me. x it. (heavy?)

> break figurine. (+1; ornate key found)

> x ornate key.

> s.

First Avenue East

> unlock weathered door with ornate key.

> s.

Mysterious House

> x dust. x cobwebs. x stairs.

> d.

Eerie Basement

> x hole. shoot hole with gun. (+1; blue void revealed)

Your natural inclination is probably to head into the void right away, but it's best to return to the Diner:

> u. n. w. n. w.

Diner

It's unclear to me why only the waitress is interested in the void, or how the player is supposed to guess that she can become more active than anyone else.

> tell waitress about void. (She runs out to see it.)

> e. s. e. s. d.

Eerie Basement

> ask waitress about void.

> n.

Blue Desert

Waitress heads north. Follow her.

> n.

You see a black column in the distance. There is hope.

*** The End ***

Extras

Characters

• A waitress is in the Diner. She's the only non-player character who seems to have any idea what's going on.
• An old man is in the Toy Store.
• A grocer is in the Grocery.
• A nurse is in the Doctor's Office.
• A guard dog is in the Junkyard.
• A fancy lady is in the Dressmaker shop.
• A waiter is in the Restaurant.
• A candy man is in the Candy Shop.
• A clothing clerk is in the Clothing Store.
• A bartender is in the Bar.
• A deputy is in the Sheriff's Office.
• A secretary is in the Office Block.
• A pharmacist is in the Pharmacy.
• A meat man is in the Butcher shop.
• A horse is in the Farm.
• A librarian is in the Library.
• A teller is in the Bank.

Mentioned:

• Children are mentioned by several characters, especially the old man and the candy man, but no children are ever seen in the town.
• The chef is missing from the diner.
• The sheriff is missing from the sheriff's office.
• The doctor is missing from the doctor's office.
• Also, the waitress points out that there's no church in town, and refers to God when she does so.

Credits

The credits are in this menu-item, accessed via the ABOUT command:

Introduction to Nowheresville

Nowheresville is a weird fiction text adventure.

You are stuck in an oddly perfect town that might be Hell. Are you going to try to escape again?

Implemented by Morpheus Kitami & Cody Gaisser.
Tested by Robinson Nox.
Thanks to everyone at INTFICTION.ORG for the invaluable advice.

Endings

There are at least five endings, all with the same epitaph:

• The End
• if you attack someone who can defend themselves or can summon help. Exactly what happens depends on who your intended victim is. (In all honesty, I didn't care to research who you can safely hit and who you can't.)
• if you shoot yourself with the loaded gun. You fall and can't move.
• if you eat the candies. You vomit forever.
• if you go any cardinal direction in the blue desert without the waitress. You never find anything in the desert.
• if you follow the waitress in the blue desert. Together, you find a black column which represents hope.

Inventory

Items are listed in the order acquired in this walkthrough. Items that are possible to acquire but aren't acquired are listed at the end.

• pants, a white shirt, and a cardigan. You're wearing them.
• You may remove the cardigan, but not your shirt or pants. Your clothes aren't used in any puzzles.
• a toy gun. It's in the Toy Store.
• Put the bullet in the gun.
• When gun is loaded, you can shoot anyone (or the dog or horse), and they'll disappear in a blue flash. However, you shouldn't shoot anyone.
• In the Eerie Basement, shoot the hole with the gun to reveal the blue void.
• NOTE: The bullet stays in the gun after you shoot anything, so you can shoot as many targets as you like.
• a pin. It's in the Dressmaker shop.
• In Main Street North, drop the ladder and get on it. Throw the pin at the balloon. The balloon bursts, spilling some oil on the ground. Pick up the oil with the rag.
• a coathanger. It's in the Clothing Store.
• Bend the hanger. It's now a straightened hanger.
• In First Avenue East, put the paper in the gap under the blue door, then put the straightened hanger into the keyhole. Take the hanger and paper back; you also get a brass key that fell onto the paper.
• a clean rag. It's in the Garage.
• In Main Street North, throw the pin at the balloon to release some oil, then put the rag in the oil. It's now an oily rag.
• In the Junkyard, rub the fridge with the oily rag to remove its rust. You can now open the fridge and get the clawhammer.
• a paper. It's inside the typewriter in the Office Block.
• In First Avenue East, put the paper in the gap under the blue door, then put the straightened hanger into the keyhole. Take the hanger and paper back; you also get a brass key that fell onto the paper.
• a medicine bottle. It's in the Pharmacy.
• Put the medicine on the raw beef to create drugged beef.
• some raw beef. It's in the Butcher shop.
• Put the medicine on the raw beef. It's now some drugged beef.
• In the Junkyard, give the drugged beef to the guard dog. While the dog sleeps, you can take the step ladder.
• a step ladder. It's in the Junkyard, guarded by the guard dog.
• First give drugged beef to the dog. Now you can take the ladder.
• In the Library, drop the ladder, climb it, then examine the high shelf. You now see the dusty tome, which you should take.
• a dusty tome. It's on the high shelf in the Library. Climb the step ladder there then examine the shelf to find it.
• Open the tome and take the pamphlet that's inside it. Unfortunately, the tome itself is in a language you can't understand.
• a pamphlet. It's inside the dusty tome.
• Read the pamphlet. It confirms you're dead and gives some general advice.
• a clawhammer. It's inside the fridge in the Junkyard.
• Before you can open the fridge, you must first give drugged beef to the dog, then rub the fridge with an oily rag.
• In the Apartment Building, open the mailboxes one-by-one with the clawhammer until you find the envelope.
• In the Nice House, break the glass cabinet with the clawhammer. Now you can take the figurine.
• an envelope. It's inside one of the mailboxes in the Apartment Building. Open the mailboxes one-by-one with the clawhammer until you find the envelope.
• Open the envelope. There's a card inside it.
• a card. It's inside the envelope.
• Read the card; it says "5151: 666". This means that, in the School, the combination to locker 5151 is 666.
• a bullet. It's inside locker 5151 in the School. This is clued by the card. Turn the dial to 666 to open the locker.
• Put the bullet into the toy gun.
• a brass key. At First Avenue East, the key's in the keyhole of the blue door, but on the other side of the door.
• First, put the paper in the gap under the blue door, then put the straightened hanger into the keyhole. Take the hanger and paper back; the brass key is on the paper.
• Unlock the blue door with the brass key.
• a figurine of yourself. It's in the glass cabinet in the Nice House. Break the cabinet with the clawhammer.
• Break the figurine. You find an ornate key that was hidden inside it.
• an ornate key. It's hidden inside the figurine of yourself. Break the figurine to get the key.
• In First Avenue East, unlock the weathered door with the ornate key.
• some police records. They're inside the cabinets in the Sheriff's Office. You can only open the cabinets after shooting the deputy with the loaded gun.
• Reading the records reveals that everyone in town has a criminal record. Some of the listed crimes are sloth and gluttony.
• You don't need the police records.
• a candies. They're in the Candy Shop. You can only take the candies after shooting the candy man with the loaded gun.
• CAUTION: Eating them results in endless vomiting.
• You don't need the candies.

Score

This is the response to SCORE:

You have so far scored your-score out of a possible 10, in several turns.

Points are awarded as follows:

• 1 point for drugging the guard dog.
• 1 point for obtaining the dusty tome.
• 1 point for bursting the balloon.
• 1 point for making the rag oily.
• 1 point for removing rust from the fridge.
• 1 point for finding the envelope.
• 1 point for finding the bullet.
• 1 point for smashing the glass cabinet.
• 1 point for obtaining the ornate key.
• 1 point for finding the blue void.

Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough was funded via Patreon with

• the support of Robin Johnson, Ville Lavonius, Andrew Schultz, Kenneth Hon, Carl Muckenhoupt, Mark Musante, Phil Tatro, Mitch, and Peter Berman;
• the generous support of Janice M Eisen, Matthew Foxley, Thomas Insel, Marius Müller, and Edward Hatfield;
• the very generous support of Karl Ove Hufthammer, Lance Campbell, and DrkStarr;
• the extremely generous support of Emily Short, Allen Garvin, Jesse McGrew, Jacqueline Ashwell, Jennifer Rexrode, and Durafen;
• and the invisible support of several anonymous patrons.

Ko-Fi is a way to send me small one-time donations. Every little bit helps, and thank you!