In this game, you're a tourist at Princeton University, NJ, but the guided tour bores you, so you wander off into a dormitory. After hearing some unexpected gunfire outside, you soon learn that an invading army has taken over the campus. Someone brave needs to save Princeton, and that someone is you!
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on the TADS 2 original, Version 2.0 of the game. This solution also works for the Inform 6 port, Release 21.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of a former shareware interactive fiction game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
During an Orange Key Tour, you break away and while on your own, you hear gunfire outside. When it dies down, you sense a tension in the air.
Common Room
In the TADS version, you'll sometimes get a yes/no question if you want to continue reading some of the longer items inside the envelope. Just answer YES to those prompts.
> take envelope. open it.
> read information. read credits.
> read list. read sheet. verbose.
> x disk. take it.
> x messy desk. x pictures. x tidy desk.
> x posters. x Punisher. x Nimrod. x Elle.
> x newspapers.
> s.
Big (relatively) Bedroom
> x Jacob. x desk. x computer.
> x posters. x corpse. x rocket.
> ask Jacob about violin.(got it from Eric)
> ask Jacob about Eric.(a New Yorker)
> ask Jacob about Karine.(a nerd)
> ask Jacob about Otis.(he snores)
> ask Jacob about Chris.(a Republican)
> ask Jacob about computer.
> give disk to Jacob.(+5)
> take violin. play violin.
> n. w.
Small Bedroom (Eric's)
> x Eric. x desk. x window. x homework.
> x poster. x stickum. x laundry.
> give violin to Eric.(+5)
> take stickum.(no: too sticky to take from the poster)
> take poster.(+5)
> e. sw. u. ne.
Girls' Common Room
As you enter, three girls tell you that an army has invaded the campus and holed up in Nassau Hall. Someone brave needs to oust them and restore Harold T. Shapiro, the president, to his rightful place. This is clearly the main goal of the game.
> x Lisa. x puzzle.
> x Whitney. x seat. x window.
> x Melisande. x novel.
> x key. take it. ask Lisa about key.
> w.
Small Bedroom (Lisa and Ashley's)
> take hairdryer. x it.(has square hole in handle)
> x lamp. x socket.
> e. s.
Big Bedroom (Whitney and Melisande's)
Only here for completeness.
> n. sw. d.
Entryway
If you try to go west, you learn there's a door. If you try to examine the door, you learn there's two: wooden and metal. The metal door is open; the wooden door is closed and locked.
> unlock wooden door with key.
> open wooden door. drop key.
> w. n. n. d.
WPRB
If you stay here for several turns, you'll hear some minor hints about the game from the speaker.
> search couch.(+10; you find earplugs)
> u. s. w.
Archway (bicycles)
At turn 80, your stomach grumbles.
> x bikes. n.
Rockefeller College Common Room
> x salesman. x metal box.(has loose cash)
> take cash.(you get a dollar)
> take shirt.(no: $12 each)
> w. n.
Dining room
You don't need to take the food; just smell it.
> x food. smell it.(+5; never hungry again)
> take glass.
> s. e. s. e. e.
Alexander Hall
I'd like you to take the guided tour that starts here.
> x sign.("Orange Key Tours meet here every twenty minutes.")
> z.(Repeat waiting, if necessary, until the tour guide and tour group arrives.)
> x tourists. x guide.("I'm Dave")
> x umbrella.
> w.
Holder Courtyard
> look through window. z.
> s.
Archway (Holder)
> ask Dave about umbrella.("makes me stand out")
> z.
> s.
Between Holder Hall and Campbell Hall
Note that the guide's not watching where he's going at this point.
> x students. z.
> s.
Archway (Campbell Hall)
Note that the jock is strong.
> x jock. z.
> s.
Joline Courtyard
> x cover. move cover.(can't: You need someone stronger than you to do it.)
> se.
Path
When you first arrive here, a drunk student headbutts the lamp post.
The tour ends here. Guide says Nassau Hall would normally be included, but the invaders are there.
> take umbrella.(You can't have it.)
> ask guide about invaders.(Can't talk about that.)
Everyone leaves.
> s.
Blair Arch
> x board. x staples.
> s.
Dinky Station
> x machines. x tray. read USA Today.
You don't need the newspaper, but you do need the change.
> put bill in tray.(+5)
> open machine. take copy. x it. drop it.
> look in return. take coins. x coins.
> sw.
WaWa Market
> x battery.(40 cents)
> x oreos.
> x MPHBSD.("Multi-Purpose Historic-Building-Storming Device")
For what it's worth, there's no penny in the game, so even if you still had the dollar bill, you can never afford either the oreos or the MPHBSD. Also, if you try to buy the battery with the dollar, the clerk won't let you because she's out of change.
> take battery. buy battery.(+5; using the coins.)
> x receipt. put it in envelope.
> put battery in dryer.
> ne. n. n. nw. n.
Archway (Campbell)
> show poster to jock.(+1)
> s.(The jock follows you.)
Joline Courtyard
> turn on dryer.(Do this first; you won't have time to do it later.)
> put poster on cover.
> dry stickum with dryer.(+9; the jock takes the manhole cover away)
> turn off dryer.
> z.(Repeat waiting until the tour group arrives.)
When the tour group arrives, the tour guide falls in and leaves his umbrella behind.
> take umbrella.(+5)
> x tour group.
The tour group is following you now, because of the umbrella. Lead them to Nassau Hall.
> se. se. ne. ne.(+5)
Nassau Hall
The tour group gets rid of the guard before they disperse.
> u.
Main Lobby, Nassau Hall
> x names. x panel.(needs 4-digit code)
> drop umbrella.
> n. e.
East Pyne Archway
> x flyers. x graffiti. g. g.
> e.
Firestone Plaza
> x cathedral.
> n.
Lobby, Firestone Library
> x files. u.
Top Floor, Firestone Library
Note: all compass directions (and "up") lead to "Somewhere in the Bowels of Firestone".
> x sign.("Photographic services... moved to B Floor")
> d. d.
B Floor, Firestone Library
Note: all compass directions (and "down") lead to "Somewhere in the Bowels of Firestone".
> x sign.("Photographic services... moved to upper level")
Time to brave the maze, even though you have no idea what the correct route is:
> w.
Somewhere in the Bowels of Firestone
> w. w. w. w. w. e. e. e. e.
After 10 turns of wandering in the "bowels", the author takes pity on you and moves you to...
Photographic Services
> x camera. take it.
> x metal sign. x paper sign.(They're in Rangoon now.)
> x scraps. x shelves.
> n.(You're carried directly to...)
Lobby, Firestone Library
> s. s. d.
Murray-Dodge Cafe
> x candles. x bottles. x wax. x mural.
> listen to music.
> n.
Murray-Dodge Cafe, in the Kitchen
> x bookshelf. x books. x sculpture.
> x bowl. x dough. x tray.
> take dough. put dough on tray.
> turn on oven. open oven.
> take tray. put tray in oven.
> close oven. look in oven. open oven.
> take tray. put tray on table. turn off oven.
> look on tray. take cookies. x cookies.
> s. u. e.
Hideously Deformed Monstrosity
CAUTION: If you headbutt a streetlight without any protection for your head, you crack your skull open and die.
> x window.(It's the school of architecture.)
> x streetlight.
> e. e.
Outside of Tiger Inn
By the way, you can't go inside the inn since it's closed to non-members during initiation night.
> x man. photograph man.(+5)
> x picture.
> x clothes. search clothes.(He stops you.)
> show picture to guy.(+10)
> search clothes. x pocket.
> x wallet. take wallet. open wallet.
> x ID. x U-Store card.
> w. w. w. w. w. w. se. s.
Lobby of Dillon Gym
> x Otis. x book. ask Otis about Otis.
> ask Otis about Jacob. ask Otis about Eric.
> s.(Otis blocks you. He wants to see ID.)
> show ID to Otis.(+5)
> s.
Inside Dillon Gym
If you spend enough turns here, you eventually hear Chris's stomach rumble.
> x Chris. x helmet.
> ask Chris about Jacob. ask Chris about invaders.
> ask Chris about Otis.
> give cookies to Chris.(+10; you get his helmet.)
> wear helmet.
Head back to the Tiger Inn:
> n. n. nw. e. e. e. e. e. e.
Outside of Tiger Inn
As far as I can tell, it's always this light that contains a small paper, but if I'm wrong, there are also streetlights at the Corner of Prospect Ave. and at the Hideously Deformed Monstrosity. But make sure you're wearing the helmet!
NOTE: In the TADS version, the paper is inside the light, but in the Inform version, the paper falls out.
> headbutt light.(+10)
> look in light.
> take small paper. read it.(It has a four-digit number.)
> put small paper in envelope.
> w. w. w. w. w. w. s.
A force pulls you upwards to...
In Front of 222 Witherspoon
> knock on door.("Hang on. We're trying to solve an adventure game.")
> put glass to door.
> listen to glass.(anagram "efugd dovecer soore")
> say "fudge covered oreos".(+15; the door opens)
> n.
222 Witherspoon
> x Karine. x computer.("burly guard... hypnotized")
> x Mayumi. x book.
> x tape player. x lava lamp. x desk.
> ask Karine about lava lamp.
> turn off lava. unplug lava. take lava.
> s.(Christmas lights force you to stay.)
> x lights. unplug lights.
> s.(Mellow music forces you to stay.)
> wear earplugs. turn off player.
> s.(+10)
In Front of 222 Witherspoon
> remove plugs.
> w. ne. ne. u.
Main Lobby, Nassau Hall
> x small paper.(Remind yourself what number to type.)
> type NUMBER. push enter.(+5; door is unlocked)
> open door. e.
Outside the Office of the King
> x guard.(ape-like)
> x uniform. x vest pocket.(can't: guard would object)
> x tall lamp. x socket. x furniture.
> ask guard about king.(can't: he can't talk)
> drop lava. plug in lava.
> turn on lava.(The burly guard is hypnotized.)
> x vest pocket. take all from it.
> x shades. x metal key.("Clio Hall")
> wear shades. w.
Main Lobby, Nassau Hall
> remove shades.
> n. s. sw.
Clio Hall, Probably
> unlock door with metal key.(fail)
> e.
Whig Hall (You Think)
> knock on door.(Someone's locked in there.)
> unlock door with metal key.
> open door. drop key. s.(+5)
Lobby of Whig Hall
> x Hal.(He's following you now.)
> n. nw. n. u. e.
Outside the Office of the King
> wear shades. open door. s.(+10)
Throne Room
CAUTION: When Hal is about to make a speech, you need to wear the earplugs immediately, but the timing is different in the two versions.
> x Ash.(+5; TADS version)
Only in the Inform version, you get a second turn to do something, eg:
> x old man.(+5; Inform version)
Hal is about to make a speech. You must not hear it!
> wear earplugs.(+25. Ash and wizened man are asleep.)
> remove earplugs.
> take crown. x it. wear crown.
> take trumpet. x it. play trumpet.(+25)
Students storm the room, tie up the invaders, and restore everything back to normal. Time to party!
In a total of several turns, you have achieved a score of 200 points out of a possible 200.
This makes you Savior Of The University. Mazel tov!
Thank you for playing Save Princeton. Come back soon!
Extras
Characters
Most characters are students at the university.
Jacob is in 21 Holder's big bedroom playing a violin, but he'd rather write a computer game. He's one of the co-authors of this game.
Eric is in 21 Holder's small bedroom doing his homework, but he'd rather play his violin.
Lisa is working on a crossword puzzle in the girls' common room.
Whitney is sitting on the window seat in the girls' common room.
Melisande is reading an Orson Scott Card book in the girls' common room.
The voice of Zora O'Neill is heard on WPRB's speaker, broadcasting from an unknown location.
A salesman is selling t-shirts in the Rockefeller College common room.
A jock is hanging out at the Archway of Campbell Hall.
A clerk is selling items in WaWa Market.
A tour guide, named Dave and carrying a large umbrella, is leading a tour group around part of the campus. The tour begins at Alexander Hall.
Some sunbathing students can be seen in Cannon Green.
A naked guy is shivering in the cold outside the Tiger Inn. His nudity and drunkenness is part of Tiger Inn's distinctive initiation rites.
Otis is a bodybuilder manning the ID counter in the Dillon Gym. He's reading "Advanced Thermodynamics with Calculus."
Chris is in his football uniform, resting in the gym after a workout.
Karine, the co-author of this game, is playing a text adventure game on her computer in 222 Witherspoon.
Mayumi is Karine's roommate. She's trying to do her homework and read "Women's Roles in 14th Century Yugoslavian Rice Farming."
Harold T. Shapiro, better known as Hal, is the president of Princeton University and currently locked up inside Whig Hall. He's rather boring.
A guard outside Nassau Hall is looking around nervously.
A burly guard is outside the office of the king. He looks more like an ape than a human being.
A wizened guard locks the door behind you when you finally enter the Throne Room. He looks more like a wizard than a guard.
King Ash is a former Harvard freshman upset with his advisor who called him mad. He also feels that he's been ridiculed simply for being short. Unfortunately, he really is crazy, and even he doesn't know why he invaded Princeton to get his revenge.
Credits
The credits are an object in the game, inside the important-looking envelope found in the first room:
>read credits
The authors of Save Princeton wish to thank the following:
Chris, Dave, Eric, Hal, Mayumi, and Otis, for providing us with inspiration for various characters.
Brian S. Kendig, for designing the icon in the Mac version.
Greg Weiss and Goodloe White for help with the distribution of the IBM version.
Michael J. Roberts, author of TADS, for providing support above and beyond the call of duty of a programmer.
And, of course, our beta testers, for all their help.
Endings
You have died
if you eat the food-like item.
if you persist in trying to eat the raw cookie dough.
if you persist in trying to eat the burnt cookies.
if you headbutt any glowing streetlight while not wearing the helmet.
if you enter the Throne Room without Hal. The wizened guard beheads you a turn later.
if Hal's speech in the Throne Room puts you to sleep. King Ash has you executed when you wake up.
Thank you for playing Save Princeton. Come back soon!—or—You have won
if you return Hal to his office, survive his boring speech, then summon students to help you by blowing the trumpet.
Inventory
Items are listed in the order you acquire (or could acquire) them in this walkthrough.
You have a carrying capacity of 10 items, not counting things inside or on top of other things.
an important-looking envelope. It's in the boys' common room.
Open the envelope. It contains IMPORTANT INFORMATION, credits, a special command list, and a basic instruction sheet. Read all of them, and you might as well leave them in the envelope.
You can fit more stuff into the envelope than you'd expect, but not everything.
a computer disk. It's on the messy desk in the boys' common room.
In Jacob's big bedroom, give the disk to Jacob. Now you can take the violin he was playing.
a violin. In his big bedroom, Jacob is playing the violin.
Give the computer disk to Jacob. He'll drop the violin. Take it.
In Eric's small bedroom, give the violin to him. Now you can take his girly poster.
a girly poster. It's in Eric's small bedroom.
After you give the violin to Eric, you can take the poster.
Note that the poster has still-sticky stickum on it, and that if the stickum airs out, the stickum will permanently bond.
At the Archway to Campbell Hall, show the poster to the jock. Now the jock will follow you.
Lead the jock to Joline Courtyard, turn on the hairdryer, put the poster on the manhole cover, then dry the stickum with the dryer before the jock can take the poster. The jock will take the manhole cover away if the poster is permanently stuck to it.
a wooden key. It's in the girls' common room.
In Holder's entryway, unlock the wooden door with the wooden key.
a hairdryer. It's in Lisa and Ashley's small bedroom.
Put the battery in the hairdryer to give it power.
After leading the jock to Joline Courtyard, turn on the hairdryer, put the poster on the manhole cover, then dry the stickum with the dryer before the jock can take the poster. The jock will take the manhole cover away if the poster is permanently stuck to it.
a pair of rubber earplugs. Acquire them by searching the leather couch in WPRB.
Note that whenever you where the earplugs, you can't hear anyone saying anything.
In 222 Witherspoon, wear the earplugs so you aren't compelled to stay there listening to the mellow music coming from the tape player. (In the Inform version, this doesn't work, and you have to turn off the tape player instead.)
In the Throne Room, wear the earplugs before Hal begins his four-hour speech. Otherwise, you'll fall asleep out of boredom, and then be executed by King Ash when you wake up. After King Ash is asleep, you can safely remove the earplugs and take Ash's crown and trumpet.
a dollar bill. In the Rockefeller College common room, there's some loose cash in the metal box on the wooden table. Try to take the cash and you'll acquire a dollar bill.
Note that you can't steal any more money from the metal box. The salesman is now watching you too closely.
At Dinky Station, put the dollar on the vending machine's tray. This unlocks the machine so you can open it and take a newspaper, but more importantly, leaves 40 cents in coins in the coin return.
a glass. It's in the dining room.
When outside 222 Witherspoon, put the glass TO the door, then listen to the glass to hear Karine ask about solving a specific anagram. Only in a text adventure can you overhear an anagram precisely enough to know exactly which letters it uses.
Note that the glass is too small to use as a container for anything.
You don't really need the plate itself, although you can use it like a container by putting other things on it.
a food-like item. It's on the plate in the dining room.
Smell the the food-like item to get rid of your hunger forever.
CAUTION: If you give the food to the jock, he eats it and dies a turn later. If you give the food to the burly guard, he turns green briefly but recovers.
your own personal copy of USA Today. It's in the vending machine at Dinky Station. To acquire it, put the dollar bill into the machine's tray, then open the machine and take your copy.
You don't need the newspaper for anything. Whet you need is the change: take the coins from the vending machine's coin return.
some coins. In Dinky Station, the coins are in the coin return after you put the dollar bill in the vending machine's tray.
In the WaWa Market, take the battery then buy it with the coins. You need exact change to buy the battery, and the coins are worth 40 cents, the cost of the battery.
a battery. It's in the WaWa Market. Take it and buy it using the coins.
a box of fudge-covered oreos. It's in the WaWa Market; it costs $1.01.
While you can pick it up, you can't buy it. There's a dollar bill in the game, but no penny. You're also not allowed to open the box, nor can you steal it by putting it into something else.
Oddly enough, the phrase "fudge-covered oreos" is the password for opening the door to 222 Witherspoon, but you don't need the actual oreos for that.
an MPHBSD. It's in the WaWa Market; it costs $1.01.
While you can pick it up, you can't buy it. There's a dollar bill in the game, but no penny.
This is just a red herring. Forget about it.
a receipt. In WaWa Market, the clerk gives it to you when you buy the battery.
Keep it, I guess? But it doesn't help you solve any puzzles.
a umbrella. The tour guide is carrying it. The tour starts at Alexander Hall.
At the Joline Courtyard, if the jock took the manhole cover away (see girly poster), the tour guide falls into the manhole, leaving his umbrella behind.
While you carry the umbrella, the tour group follows you. Lead the group to Nassau Hall. The group will attempt to enter the building, and the guard outside the Hall is trampled into non-existence.
After the tour group disperses, you can discard the umbrella.
a instamatic camera. It's in Photographic Services.
Outside the Tiger Inn, photograph the naked guy with the camera. This produces a compromising photograph.
You can take two more photographs of other people, but you don't need to. You aren't willing to waste film photographing anything but people, and only individuals. You cannot photograph the sunbathing students, for example. You will not photograph the same person twice.
a shiny metal bowl. It's in the Murray-Dodge Cafe's kitchen.
Turn on the oven, open the oven, put the tray of dough into the oven, then close the oven. Wait one turn, open the oven, and take the tray. There are now fresh cookies on the tray.
CAUTION: If the cookies are in the hot oven too long, they will burn.
a batch of fresh chocolate chip cookies. Make them in Murray-Dodge Cafe's kitchen; see dough and metal tray.
Inside Dillon Gym, give the fresh cookies to Chris. He gratefully eats them, then gives his helmet to you.
a batch of burnt cookies. If you try to make fresh cookies but leave them in the oven too long, the cookies will burn and you lose 6 points.
CAUTION: If you persist in trying to eat the burnt cookies, you die.
a compromising photograph. It's in the camera after you photograph the naked guy.
Show this photo to the naked guy. Now that he knows you're blackmailing him, you can take his clothing or wallet.
Jacob's photo, Lisa's photo, etc. It's in the camera after you photograph Jacob, Lisa, etc.
You only need a photo of the naked guy. You don't need anyone else's photo.
some warm clothing. It's outside the Tiger Inn.
You can't do anything with the clothing until after you show the compromising photograph to the naked guy.
Sadly, this card isn't useful to you. If you show it to the clerk in the WaWa Market, she tells you that it's not accepted there. The salesman in the Rockefeller common room would accept it if he didn't notice that the name on the card is his roommate's!
a football helmet. Inside Dillon Gym, Chris is carrying it. To get it, give the fresh cookies to Chris.
Wear the helmet. Now you can headbutt all the streetlights without breaking your skull open.
a small piece of paper. It's inside the streetlight outside the Tiger Inn.
To expose the small paper, wear the helmet, then headbutt the streetlight that's outside the Inn. You know about headbutting streetlights by witnessing another student do it when at Path.
Read the small paper. It has the security code for the panel in Nassau Hall's lobby. The code is randomized in the Inform version.
a lava lamp. It's inside 222 Witherspoon.
The lava lamp has a hypnotizing effect while it's on.
Turn it off, then unplug it, then take it.
Outside the office of the king, drop the lamp, plug it in, and turn it on. Now the burly guard is hypnotized.
Wear the shades. Now you can leave the room without the lava lamp hypnotizing you!
a pair of shades. Outside the Office of the King, they're in the burly guard's vest pocket.
You can't do anything with the vest pocket until the burly guard is hypnotized; see lava lamp.
Wear the shades to stop the lava lamp from affecting you. While you wear the shades, you can't see much.
a metal key. Outside the Office of the King, it's in the burly guard's vest pocket.
You can't do anything with the vest pocket until the burly guard is hypnotized; see lava lamp.
Although the key is labelled "Clio Hall", it actually unlocks the door to what you think is Whig Hall. You never learn if Clio Hall is really the eastern of the two buildings or if the key label is wrong.
a crown. King Ash is wearing it in his Throne Room.
You can take the crown and wear it once King Ash is sleeping (see earplugs), but you don't need it.
a trumpet. King Ash is carrying it in his Throne Room.
You can take the trumpet and play it once King Ash is sleeping (see earplugs). The trumpet blast summons several students who quickly set everything back to normal, and you win the game.
Score
The response to SCORE is:
You have so far scored your-score out of a possible 200, in several turns. This makes you your-ranking.
Points are awarded as follows:
5 points for indulging Jacob's nerdy tendencies (by giving him the computer disk).
5 points for freeing Eric from his homework (by giving him the violin).
5 points for "borrowing" Chris' poster (actually Eric's).
1 point for baiting the jock.
9 points for removing the manhole [cover].
5 points for buying a paper.
5 points for ending your hunger pains (by smelling the food-like item).
5 points for becoming a tour guide (by taking the umbrella).
10 points for finding the earplugs.
15 points for solving the incredibly difficult riddle (the anagram for the door to 222 Witherspoon).
5 points for unlocking the security door (in Nassau Hall's main lobby).
5 points for buying something (the battery) from the store.
5 points for imperonating a student (by showing the ID to Otis).
10 points for giving Chris some cookies (aren't you sweet).
5 points for causing the untimely demise of the armed guard.
10 points for outsmarting the burly guard (by hypnotising him).
10 points for escaping the mellowness of 222 Witherspoon.
5 points for returning Hal to his office.
25 points for surviving Hal's speech.
25 points for saving Princeton! Woohoo!
10 points for using your head to find the code.
10 points for blackmailing the naked guy.
5 points for taking a dirty picture.
5 points for freeing Hal.
Points are deducted as follows:
−10 points for giving the girly poster to the jock.
−6 points for burning the chocolate chip cookies.
The known rankings are:
a Harvard reject.(0 points)
a Yalie.(5 to 10 points)
a prospective Princetonian.(15 to 25 points)
a Princeton first-year.(35 to 40 points)
on the verge of graduation.(50 to 55 points)
an esteemed alumnus.(60 to 65 points)
a holder of an honorary doctorate.(75 to 90 points)
an alumnus with a building named after you.(100 to 105 points)
smarter than Doogie Howser, class of '83.(120 points)
a close personal friend of Hal Shapiro.(135 to 145 points)
next in line for the Presidency of the University.(150 points)
