In this slice-of-life game, you play as a ten-year-old boy eager to watch a special hour-long episode of your favorite cartoon show. Unfortunately, the remote control is missing and the show starts in twenty-six minutes!
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 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.
There's a time limit in this game; your show starts at 4:30. A map is included with the game, and you're expected to familiarize yourself with the layout from that; exits from rooms are usually not mentioned in the game itself.
Unfortunately, that means that it's a race to find what you need as quickly as possible without wasting turns, and my walkthrough won't be substantially different than the author's own provided solution.
This also means that the walkthrough won't make much sense unless you've previously explored the house so you know ahead of time where everything is.
> u. w.
Your Parent's Room
> open left drawer. take flashlight.
> e. d. e.
Dining
> take newspaper.(The remote was underneath!)
> take remote.
Unfortunately, neither the flashlight nor the remote have batteries.
> n. e. s.
Garage
> open box. put AA in flashlight.
> n. d.
Darkness / Basement
The light bulb burned out and wasn't replaced.
> turn on flashlight.
> open matchbox. put AAA in remote.
> u. w. w.
TV Room
Normally, the remote is usually on the stand.
> turn on TV.
*** SUCCESS! ***
I assume that the show you're so eager to watch is The Itchy and Scratchy Show.
Extras
Amusing
The game doesn't provide its own amusing section, so these are just my own suggestions. Did you...
pet the dog and cat?
ask your mother about the remote control, batteries, dinner, your father, your sister, or the baby?
ask your sister about the remote control, batteries, your father, your mother, the baby, the saxophone, or math?
open the kitchen cupboards?
drink the beer in the fridge? In front of your mother?
examine the massage wand in the parent's bedroom?
examine the tools in the garage?
examine the carpet in the rumpus room?
try to take the drill from the baby?
try to ride the rocking horse?
try to get on the swinging chair?
try to dial any numbers on the phone?
Characters
It's never explicitly mentioned, but your character must be Bart Simpson and your family must be the Simpsons. For me, the description of your sister (Lisa) is the biggest giveaway.
A cat and your dog are using the living room furniture.
Your mother is in the kitchen, making dinner.
Your sister is in her room, studying.
Your baby sister is playing with a drill in the rumpus room.
Mentioned:
Your father is either still at work or at the pub.
Your next door neighbor's name is labeled on most of the tools in the garage.
Endings
GROUNDED
if you drink beer in front of your mother.
YOU FAILED!
if you miss your show entirely.
The End
if you see 1 to 58 minutes of your show.
SUCCESS!
if you see 59 or all 60 minutes of your show.
Inventory
You have a carrying limit of five items.
Good stuff
a remote control. Find it by taking the newspaper in the dining room; the remote was underneath.
some half empty paint cans. It's on the shelve [sic] in the garage.
You don't need paint cans.
a massage wand. It's in the right drawer in your parent's room.
If the large batteries are still in the wand, you can turn on the wand, and it will vibrate. But you have no use for that.
some large batteries. They're in the massage wand, but you don't need to open the wand to get them.
The large batteries are the wrong size for both the remote control and for the flashlight. BUG: The flashlight accepts them anyway.
a comic book. It's on your desk in your room.
You don't have time to re-read it.
an old spray can. It's in the left drawer of your desk in your room.
This is merely a hint that you are Bart Simpson. You cannot shake the can nor give it to the baby as an ersatz rattle.
some beers. They're in the kitchen fridge.
You can drink them, but be careful, you're underage. If you drink the beer in front of your mother, you're grounded and the game ends immediately.
a used towel. It's on the towel rack in the large bathroom.
You have no use for the towel as far as I know.
a box of soap. It's on the shelves in the basement.
You have no use for soap as far as I know.
Score
This is the response to SCORE:
So far you have scored 0 out of a possible of 60.
Points are only awarded when you successfully turn on the TV. You get one point per minute of your show that you get to watch. For example, if it's 4:55 pm when you turn on the TV, you get to see the last 35 minutes of your show, and you have scored 35 out of 60.
So, for the highest score, you should turn on the TV at 4:29 pm or earlier. Unfortunately, the game's arithmetic isn't very good with the score and can't be trusted.
Thank You to my Patreon supporters
This walkthrough is provided free of charge even though the work it's based on has fifteen or more locations. Please consider it a thank you for your support!
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