In this treasure hunt game, you play as someone invited to a strange and inexplicable party at Sinister Mansion. "Find the treasures - Solve the mystery - Lift the curse," the invite said. Well, it's not like you were doing anything else tonight.
This solution is by David Welbourn.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of a work of interactive fiction. Please make an honest effort to play the work before reading this walkthrough.
This game uses a point-and-click interface. So this walkthrough is telling you what to click instead of what to type.
> instructions
> party invitation
party invitation > read
front door > knock
An elderly doorman ushers you inside and re-locks the door.
Foyer
Note that the cat wanders and might not be here. The doorman's chat is randomly about rooms you can currently visit. You need at least one point before he'll let you go upstairs.
friendly cat > pet
elderly doorman > talk
You have an inventory limit of six items, so I suggest using the foyer as a cache location. Don't worry; no thieves move your stuff around in this game.
party invitation > drop
Exits: > west
Conservatory
packet of seeds > take
Exits: > east
Foyer
packet of seeds > drop
Exits: > east
Cloakroom
cardboard sign > read("Drop treasures here!")
walking cane > take
Exits: > west
Foyer
walking cane > drop
Exits: > north
Ballroom
While in this room, random people jostle against you. Balloons are here, but leave them alone for now.
banner (above stage) > read("♪ The Ludonarrative Dissidents ♪")
stage > climb
On stage
Note that the stage is wooden.
Exits: > north
Backstage
clapped-out roadie > talk
band T-shirt > take
platinum disc > take(The roadie won't let you.)
Exits: > downeast
Dining hall
Ignore the food here for now.
Exits: > north
Kitchen.
refrigerator > open(eggs fall out)
cold hardboiled eggs > take
Michelin star > take(head chef stops you)
head chef > talk(Head chef won't talk to you.)
sous-chef > talk(Can't talk; boss will be furious.)
Exits: > east
Scullery
washing machine > open(jeans fall out)
pair of jeans > take
cupboards > open(wrench and can of wood polish fall out)
wrench > take
can of wood polish > take
Head back to the foyer and drop all this stuff off.
Exits: > westsouthwestsouth
Foyer
can of wood polish > drop
> wrenchdrop
> pair of jeansdrop
> cold hardboiled eggsdrop
> band T-shirtdrop
Head back to the dining hall. You're gonna get that Michelin star next.
Exits: > northeast
Dining hall
cheese (on table) > eat(The head chef yells they've eaten all the cheese.)
> wait(The sous chef drops off more cheese.)
cheese (on table) > eat(The head chef yells they've eaten all the cheese.)
> wait(The head chef yells "OUT OF CHEESE!" and storms out.)
Exits: > north
Kitchen
chef's hat > takewear
sous chef > talktalktalktalktalk
The sous chef quits, and drops some gloves.
washing-up gloves > take
Michelin star > take
Exits: > southwestsoutheast
Cloakroom
Michelin star > drop(+1)
Exits: > west
Foyer
washing-up gloves > drop
chef's hat > removedrop
Next goal: the platinum disc. You need the wood polish for this one.
can of wood polish > take
Exits: > north
Ballroom
stage > climb
On stage
can of wood polish > polish stage
The musicians (John, Ringo, George, and Paul) all drop their instruments (accordion, guitar, trumpet, and xylophone) and the roadie rushes out to help.
Over the next few turns, the roadie is here and the musicians slowly regain their instruments. Go grab the disc while they'll all busy with that.
can of wood polish > north
Backstage
platinum disc > take
Exits: > southdownsouth
Ballroom
Uh-oh. While the band isn't playing, the crowd is immobile and you can't leave the ballroom.
You're going to have to make sure everyone gets their instruments back.
stage > climb
On stage
And it's worse than you thought. They're not necessarily taking the correct instruments back.
The first thing to do is watch and see who is doing what to the instruments. Whoever is squeezing needs the accordion. Whoever is blowing needs the trumpet. Whoever is strumming needs the guitar. Whoever is hitting with mallets needs the xylophone. And I can't tell you the names because they're randomized.
Make a note. Don't try to memorize it.
> waitwait
The second thing to do is re-polish the stage again, and grab the instruments before anyone else can. If someone does grab one, polish the stage a third and fourth time until you have them all!
> can of wood polishpolish stage
accordion > take
guitar > take
trumpet > take
xylophone > take
You have them all? Good.
Now pay attention to the "Name fumbles around the stage." line, because that's who's currently in line to pick up an instrument. If you make a mistake, polish the stage and grab instruments again.
when the squeezer fumbles: accordiondrop
when the strummer fumbles: guitardrop
when the blower fumbles: trumpetdrop
when the mallets user fumbles: xylophonedrop
if no one fumbles: wait
If the crowd starts cheering and dancing, you're good to go.
Exits: > downsoutheast
Cloakroom
> platinum discdrop(+1)
Exits: > west
Foyer
Note that you're taking the invitation last so that's the item you're holding.
> can of wood polishdrop
walking cane > take
cold hardboiled eggs > take
party invitation > take
party invitation > up
First floor landing.
teenage boy (crying on stairs) > talk(He lost his oWidget Femto.)
photographs (on wall) > look
Exits: > east
Long hallway
bathroom door (locked) > knock("Paper!")
You are holding the invitation, yes?
bathroom door (locked) > knock
If you're holding the invitation, the person inside grabs it and uses it. Over the next several turns, the people in the queue enter the bathroom, do their business, and leave.
Each person only takes two turns, but there might be at least twenty people here, so let's go and come back later when the queue is shorter or gone.
Exits: > westnorth
Billiard room
billiards trophy > take(pool sharp stops you)
billard table > play
The cane is used as a cue, and the eggs as balls, but you lose. Leave the cane and eggs here.
Exits: > east
Library
bookcase > browse(A book falls off.)
geometry textbook > takereaddrop
You learn about lines and angles. Time for a rematch.
Exits: > west
Billard room
billard table > play
This time you win. The pool sharp leaves to sulk.
billiards trophy > take
Exits: > southwest
Home cinema
brochure > takereaddrop
Oscar > take(A robotic arm from the popcorn machine puts it back.)
popcorn machine > push button
bucket of popcorn > takeeat(Now a popcorn bucket.)
Head back to the bathroom door with the bucket.
Exits: > easteast
Long hallway
There's still a queue, but it's no longer long.
> wait(repeat until you can enter the bathroom)
bathroom door > enter
Bathroom
main in underwear (in bath) > talktalktalk(He wants clothes.)
gold toilet seat > take(no: bolted)
popcorn bucket > fill(It's now full of water.)
Exits: > westwestwest
Home cinema
popcorn machine > push button(It short-circuits.)
Oscar > take
Head back to the cloakroom:
Exits: > eastdowneast
Cloakroom
Oscar > drop(+1)
> billiards trophydrop(+1)
Exits: > west
Foyer
band T-shirt > take
pair of jeans > take
wrench > take
Exits: > upeast
Long hallway
bathroom door > enter
Bathroom
gold toilet seat > unbolt(Man won't let you.)
man in underwear (in bath) talk(He grabs the T-shirt and wears it.)
man in underwear and T-shirt (in bath) talk(He grabs the jeans but throws them out: "They're not even torn!")
pair of jeans > takewear
Head to the ballroom:
Exits: > westwestdownnorth
Ballroom
balloons > take
Now you need to go find the cat on your own. It can wander to anywhere on the ground floor, so I can't tell you exactly where it is.
(cat's location)
balloon > burst
The cat is now angry for around ten turns. It also probably leaves. Follow it until you're in the same room with it again.
angry cat > pet(It tears your jeans!)
Head back to bathroom from your current location.
Bathroom
pair of torn jeans > removedrop
The man wears the jeans and leaves.
> wrench
gold toilet seat > unbolt(You also find a widget.)
gold toilet seat > take
electronic widget (floating in toilet) > take(not with your bare hand!)
Head back to the cloakroom.
Exits: > westwestdowneast
Cloakroom
gold toilet seat > drop(+1; that's all five points)
Exits: > westnorth
Ballroom
balloons > take(yes, a second one)
Exits: > south
Foyer
> wrenchdrop
packet of seeds > take
packet of seeds > takewear
packet of seeds > upeast
Long hallway
bathroom door > enter
Bathroom
While wearing the gloves:
electronic widget (floating in toilet) > take(You now have an oWidget.)
Exits: > westwest
First floor landing
oWidget > drop(The boy thanks you and leaves.)
washing-up gloves > removedrop
Exits: > up
Second floor landing
> balloonburst(The drunk wakes and leaves.)
Exits: > north
Master bedroom
old man (in bed) > talk(The man begs you to end the curse and gives you an access pass for the roof garden.)
access pass > wear
Exits: > southup
Roof landing
Exits: > north(Your pass bleeps happily.)
Roof garden
> packet of seedsplant(A beanstalk grows up into the clouds!)
beanstalk > climb
Cloud
Note that you can only enter the palace when you have five points.
sky palace > enter
Cloud palace
Celebria > talk(She summons a Pandora's boombox for you and warns you to use it wisely.)
Pandora's' boombox > take
Exits: > outdownsouth
Exits: > downdowndownnorth
Ballroom
Pandora's boombox > play(The crowd and band turn to dust.)
Pandora's boombox > south
Foyer
Doorman and cat, if here, turn to dust.
Pandora's boombox (playing awful songs) > stop
front door key > take
Exits: > upupnorth
Master bedroom
old man > talk(He thanks you and asks you to leave.)
Exits: > southdowndown
Foyer
While holding the front door key:
front door > unlockopen
*** What a brilliant night ***
Extras
Characters
An elderly doorman lets you inside the mansion, but refuses to let you leave. If you talk to him, he tells you how to get to various rooms in the house that you can currently reach. He may be your jailer, but he's friendly enough.
A friendly cat wanders the ground floor and loves to be petted.
A dense crowd of dancers are in the ballroom. Their outfits span several decades of fashion.
John, Ringo, Paul, and George are the band members on stage. They play accordion, guitar, trumpet, and xylophone, not necessarily in that order.
A clapped-out roadie hangs out backstage. She's somewhat unhelpful.
A head chef (female) and a sous-chef (male) are very busy in the kitchen.
A teenage boy is crying on the stairs at the first floor landing because he lost a widget.
A long queue of people in the long hallway fidget as they wait for their turn in the bathroom.
Someone in the bathroom won't finish up and come out because they need paper and they don't have any.
A pool sharp in the billiard room is willing to play a game with you if you can supply a cue and some balls.
A man in underwear is standing in the bath. He needs your help getting him some clothes.
An old man is in his bed in the master bedroom, unable to get any sleep because the same party has been going on for over 90 years.
A passed-out drunk is blocking the stairs at the second floor landing.
Celebria, the goddess of partying, grants you a rare audience in her sky palace.
A choir of angels are singing in Latin in the sky palace.
Mentioned:
A hot medical student supposedly stole the underwear-clad man's kidney.
A random assortment of characters are featured on the TV, such as a doctor, a scientist, a professor, a knight, a shark, a nurse, a cowboy, a fishwife, a detective, etc. etc.
You have a carrying capacity limit of six items, including what you're wearing. I suggest dropping inventory in the foyer until you know what to do with it.
Ground level items
party invitation. You're carrying it when the game begins.
Read the invitation to learn that the party is eternal. That's the curse you need to end.
The invitation is one of the "paper" things you can bring to the long hallway. Knock on the bathroom door while holding the paper; the person inside grabs it to use ignobily.
packet of seeds. It's in the conservatory.
In the roof garden, plant the seeds to instantly grow a climbable beanstalk.
walking cane. It's in the cloakroom.
Drop the cane in the billiard room; you'll use it as a pool cue when you play billiards.
balloon. There's a supply in the ballroom.
CAUTION: If you drop the balloon, it floats away. But you can always get another balloon.
Burst the balloon near the cat to make it angry for about ten turns; see jeans.
Burst the balloon on the second floor landing to wake up the drunk guy. He leaves and you can now continue up to the roof.
For your own amusement, burst the balloon near almost anyone else to make them jump a little.
band T-shirt. It's backstage.
In the bathroom, give the T-shirt to the man in the bathtub. He wears it.
cold hardboiled eggs. They fall out of the kitchen's refrigerator when you open it.
Drop them in the billiard room; they'll be the "balls" you'll use when you play billiards.
pair of jeans. It falls out of the scullery's washing machine when you open it.
Wear the jeans. Get a balloon from the ballroom, then find the cat. Burst the balloon near the cat to make it angry for about ten turns. If the cat leaves, follow it. Pet the angry cat, and it scratches your legs; you're now wearing a pair of torn jeans.
In the bathroom, give the torn jeans to the man in the bathtub. He wears them. (Note: He won't wear untorn jeans.) When he has both the T-shirt and jeans on, he leaves, and now you can continue with your plans for the gold toilet seat without his interference.
wrench. It falls out of the scullery's cupboards when you open them.
In the bathroom, after getting the man in the bathtub to leave (see T-shirt and jeans), unbolt the gold toilet seat with the wrench. Unexpectedly, this also reveals an electronic widget floating in the toilet bowl.
can of wood polish. It falls out of the scullery's cupboards when you open them.
When on stage, polish the stage with the polish. This makes the stage slippery: all the musicians drop their instruments, and the roadie arrives to help them. While she's busy there, you can go backstage and grab the platinum disc.
Unfortunately, it's very likely that some of the musicians grab the wrong instruments, and the booing dancers now form an impentrable barrier so you cannot leave the ballroom. Temporarily drop the disc in the ballroom, re-polish the stage, and grab the instruments before anyone else can; see instruments.
chef's hat. The chef drops it in the kitchen when you eat the cheese twice. She yells that they're out of cheese, and storms off.
Wear the chef's hat then talk to the sous chef repeatedly until he too quits in frustration. Now you can take the Michelin star.
washing up gloves. The sous chef drops them in the kitchen after you, while wearing the chef's hat, talk to him too often. He quits.
In the bathroom, after unbolting the gold toilet seat with the wrench, you find an electronic widget floating in the toilet. You won't put your bare hand in there, so wear the gloves and then take the widget.
accordion, guitar, trumpet, and xylophone. The musicians on stage are playing them. They drop them when you polish the stage with the wood polish; you can take the instruments then.
Unhappily, the musicians will likely foolishly take the wrong instruments. Wait a bit and see who is doing which action with their instrument; it's randomized.
When the band isn't playing, the crowd is an impenetrable barrier. Re-polish the stage as often as necessary until you can take all four instruments.
Note carefully which band member is fumbling around. That person will pick up whichever instrument you next drop.
When the squeezer is fumbling, drop the accordion.
When the strummer is fumbling, drop the guitar.
When the blower is fumbling, drop the trumpet.
When the mallets user is fumbling, drop the xylophone.
front door key. In the foyer, the doorman drops this key when you disintigrate him by playing Pandora's boombox.
Of course, unlock the front door with the front door key.
Upstairs items
brochure. It's in the home cinema.
Read it to learn that the popcorn machine doubles as an anti-theft device; see Oscar.
The brochure is one of the "paper" things you can bring to the long hallway. Knock on the bathroom door while holding the paper; the person inside grabs it to use ignobily.
bucket of popcorn. Find it by pushing the button of the popcorn machine in the home cinema.
Eat the popcorn; you now have a popcorn bucket.
In the bathroom, fill the popcorn bucket; you now have a popcorn bucket (full of water).
Back in the home cinema while holding the water-filled bucket, push the button. The popcorn machine grabs the bucket and shorts itself out. Now you can take the Oscar.
geometry textbook. Find it in the library by browsing the bookcase.
Read the textbook to learn about angles; this improves your ability to play billiards.
The textbook is one of the "paper" things you can bring to the long hallway. Knock on the bathroom door while holding the paper; the person inside grabs it to use ignobily.
oWidget. Find an electronic widget floating in the toilet after you unbolt the gold toilet seat with the wrench. While wearing the washing-up gloves, take the widget; it's an oWidget.
On the first floor landing, give the oWidget to the teenage boy. He thanks you and leaves; you can now continue upward to the second floor.
access pass. Acquire it by talking to the old man in the master bedroom.
While wearing the pass, you can go north from the roof landing to the roof garden.
Pandora's boombox. Find it by talking to Celebria in her sky palace.
In the presence of the band, dancers, and doorman, play the boombox to destroy them with bad music, then stop the boombox before going elsewhere.
Treasures
Drop all treasures in the cloakroom to gain points. You need at least one point before the doorman will let you go upstairs, and you need all five points before you can enter the sky palace.
Michelin star. It's in the kitchen, guarded by both the head chef and the sous chef.
In the dining hall, eat the cheese, then eat the new cheese the sous chef brings a couple turns later. The head chef yells "OUT OF CHEESE" and quits, leaving her hat in the kitchen.
Wear the chef's hat and talk to the sous chef repeatedly until he too quits. Now you can take the star.
platinum disc. It's backstage, guarded by the roadie.
On the stage, polish the stage with the wood polish. The musicians drop their instruments and roadie comes out on stage to help. Take the disc while she's distracted.
Note you can't get past the crowd when they're not dancing. See instruments to fix that problem.
billiards trophy. It's in the billiard room, guarded by the pool sharp.
In the library, read the geometry textbook to learn about angles. Then bring the cane (to use as a pool cue) and the eggs (to use as balls) and play billiards with the pool sharp. Because you read the textbook, you win, and the pool sharp sulks away. Take the trophy.
Oscar. It's in the home cinema, guarded by the popcorn machine.
Short out the popcorn machine by pushing its button while you're holding a popcorn bucket full of water. Take the Oscar.
gold toilet seat. It's bolted to the toilet in the bathroom and guarded by the man in underwear.
To even get into the bathroom, bring a paper (invitation, brochure, or textbook) to the long hallway and knock. Whoever's inside grabs your paper and you hear paper tearing, followed by a flush the turn after. It takes two turns for each person in the queue to use the bathroom, but eventually, the queue is gone and you can enter the bathroom door.
Unbolt the seat with the wrench. Take the seat. (Also, when you unbolt the seat, you also find an electronic widget floating in the toilet bowl.)
Score
When the game begins, "Score 0/5" is displayed in the top right corner, but there is no SCORE button. You get one point for dropping each treasure in the cloakroom:
