Key & Compass presents:
One way out
by Steffen Görzig

One way out is an Inform 7 interactive fiction story and is © 2017 by Steffen Görzig. One way out is meant to be played within Inform 7's IDE program, so the source code and the interactive story can viewed side-by-side. It was an entry in IF Comp 2017 where it took 56th place.

In this short story, you play as a woman trapped in a virtual landscape of her fears, looking for a way out. But you also play as a man in love with the woman, reading the woman's blog where she describes her phobias in an oddly structured style under the username Myfearlady.

This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on competition release of the story.

Map
Walkthrough
Extras
- Characters, Inventory
Thank You to my Patreon supporters
External links:
- This story at IFDB, IFWiki, and ifwizz.
- Tweet about this walkthrough on Twitter.

Map

Note that the map of phobias is shaped like a human brain viewed from one side.

Walkthrough

Note that this walkthrough can only cover the woman's side of the story, since she's the only protagonist in the interactive part. The man's story is told in the comments of the story's source code, which he is reading as if the source code was her blog entries.

decidophobia

It's not obvious within the game where the exits are or that certain objects are actually doors, but since you're actually expected to be reading the source code as you play, this isn't as awkward as it might've been.

> x lapse. x torch.

Worst nightmare arrives.

> x worst. look. x device. take all.

> e.

algophobia

> x recorder. turn on recorder. (Too high up.)

> e.

claustrophobia

> x window. x bed. push bed west.

algophobia

Note that you can't listen to the recorder or just wait for it to make noise.

> stand on bed. turn on recorder. x recorder. ("1337")

> stand. w.

decidophobia

> unlock lapse with device. sw.

amnesiphobia

If the source code wasn't available, this "spin safe to [number]" syntax would be far too difficult to guess, in my humble opinion.

> x safe. open it. spin safe to 1337.

> x clef. take it.

> ne. e. e. se. s.

scopophobia

> x curtain. unlock curtain with clef. w. w.

phonophobia

You must wait six turns until the voice finishes speaking before you can act again.

> z. z. z. z. z. z.

> x bridge. se. drop all. se.

kinesiophobia

> u.

acrophobia

> jump.

*** The End ***

Extras

Characters

A woman is the protagonist of the interactive part of this story. In the source code, her blog username is Myfearlady.
A man is the protagonist of the non-interactive part of this story. He only appears in the source code. The exact relationship between the man and the woman isn't made explicit, but it's clear that he loves her.
Worst nightmare is a creature that seeks out the woman in her narrative until she looks at him.
A voice lectures you about parts of the brain when you enter phonophobia.
Mutual friends told the man about the woman's blog.

Inventory

a torch. It's in decidophobia and it's a light source. You'll need it to see inside amnesiphobia, which is dark.
a mnemonic device. It's left behind when you look at the nightmare. Take the device to decidophobia and unlock the memory lapse with the device.
a clef. It's inside the safe at amnesiphobia. Spin the safe to 1337 to unlock it. In scopophobia, unlock the sound curtain with the clef.

Note also that you cannot carry anything across the rope bridge in phonophobia. Drop everything before crossing the bridge.

Thank You to my Patreon supporters

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.