In this game inspired by Doctor Who, you play as the Seventh Doctor. Old foes have captured your previous six incarnations. Rescue the Doctors by giving each a time-ring; they will return to when and where they belong.
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.
RETURN returns you to your Tardis's Control Room, but this short-cut only works after you've rescued the incarnation of the Doctor in the current scenario.
Map 2: Gallifrey
Map 3: The Celestial Toymaker's playrooms
Map 4: Skaro, home of the Daleks
Map 5: Two islands
Map 6: In a Pyramid on Mars
Logically, the corridors should encircle the cell, but it's not coded that way.
Map 7: Escherworld
Map 8: Telos, home of the Cybermen
Walkthrough
Control Room
> about.(Learn that RETURN will return you to your Tardis after you rescue a Doctor.)
> i. x bag. open bag. x ring.
> x coat-stand. x hat. take it.
> x scanner.(off)
> x console. x lever. x switch. x meter. x door.
> s. w. n.
Junk Room
> x junk. x helmet. take it. x cutters. take it.
> s. e. s.
Tardis Bedroom
There's no actual bed implemented here.
> x table. open drawer.
> x vial. x liquid. take vial.
> x book. take book.
> look up Skaro in book.(home planet of Daleks and Thals)
> look up Daleks in book.(depend on sight)
> look up Thals in book.(gave you anti-radiation drugs)
> look up Tardis in book.
> n. n.
Control Room
> push switch. x scanner.(You're on Gallifrey.)
> open door.(It's locked.)
> push lever.(doors open)
> n.
Gallifrey
> x Lord.(Flavia)
> ask Lord about me.("Leave Gallifrey now.")
> s.
Control Room
> push lever.(The doors close.)
> push button.(The Tardis travels somewhere.)
> x screen.(White room with triangle-patterned floor.)
> x meter.(safe)
For the first two Doctors, drop things here that you don't need yet or that you're done with.
> drop hat, vial, helmet, cutters.
> push lever. n.
Toy Room
The voice of the Celestial Toymaker welcomes you.
> look up toymaker in book.
> x trunk. open it. x block. take it.
> open door.(too high up)
> x floor.
> close trunk. push trunk under door.
> put block on trunk. stand on block.
> stand on block. open door. up.
Attic
> x hammer. take it.
> d. n.
Well-lit Passage
> x paintings.(parodies of toys)
> e.
Chess Room
> x king. take it.(something's inside)
> break king with hammer.
> look. x key. take it.
> e.
Snakes and Ladders Room
> x snakes. x ladders.
> n.
Big Top
> x sawdust. x clown. x clowns hat.
> x jacket. x breeches. x gloves.
> take gloves. wear gloves.
> s. w. w. w.
Yellow Room
The door is actually south, not west.
> x door. x window.(see chair and ten unlit lights)
> x buttons.(from 1 to 100)
One randomly-chosen button unlocks the door, but if you push ten buttons, the First Doctor will be electrocuted and you'll cease to exist.
When you push a button whose value is too low, the next light in the cell will be violet. When you push a button whose value is too high, the next light in the cell will be red. You can only learn that this is the setup after much experimenting and dying.
Start with button 50.
> push 50. x window.
If the light is violet, try 75 next; otherwise, try 25 next.
> push 25 —or— push 75.(as appropriate)
> x window.
Always examine the window to see what the newest light's color is. Continue going by halves with the remaining buttons that could be correct until the door opens.
Let's assume the door is open now.
> s.
Cell
> x Doctor. x cuffs. unlock cuffs with key.
> give ring to Doctor.(+10; he's gone)
> x chair.(electric)
> return.
Control Room
> push lever.(doors close)
> push button. x screen.(edge of forest)
> x meter.(in danger area)
Because of the radiation danger, don't waste too much time examining the scenery after drinking the liquid, an anti-radiation drug. It wears off eventually, and it's best if you're back in the Tardis before that happens.
> drop hammer, key.
> take vial, hat, helmet. wear helmet.
> open vial. drop stopper.
> push lever. drink liquid. n.
Edge of Forest (middle)
> n. n. e.
A clearing
> x body. x rope. x paper.("158")
> take rope and paper.
> w. s. s. e.
Edge of Forest (east)
> tie rope to spike. d. n.
Darkness / Cave
> turn on helmet. search rubble.
> x case.(has three digit-dials)
> set lock to 158. open case.
The case is great for carrying everything.
> put scrap paper in case. take case.
> x screwdriver. x map.
> turn off helmet. s. u.
Edge of Forest (east)
> untie rope. take rope. put rope in case.
> w. w. s.
Metal Bridge
> x Dalek.(Its top appendage is for sight.)
> put hat on Dalek.
There's no message telling you that the Dalek fell off the bridge, but it has, so you can now continue south.
> s.
Entrance to the Dalek City
> push pad. s.
Small Room
> push circular.(door closes)
> push down. push circular.(door opens)
> n.
Corridor (outside the elevator)
Oddly, there's no pad here to push to open the elevator on this floor.
To the east of here is a monitor room with a silver Dalek looking at monitors. When the screen is showing the cell with the Second Doctor in it, a letter "A" is illuminated.
I think that means that the cell is the "A" on the map you found. Unfortunately, the corridor to get there wasn't coded correctly because you're not meant to go that way, so visiting the monitor room or consulting the map is kinda pointless.
Here, let me guide you how to actually get to the cell:
> w. s.
Room
Yes, it's the crawl-through-the-ventilation gag. The grille goes west.
> x grille.(held by screws)
> unscrew screws with screwdriver.
> w. n.
Crawlway (at second grille)
> x grille.(see cell with 2nd doctor)
Make sure the camera's active light is off.
> push grille. n.
Cell
> give ring to doctor.(+10; he gives you a sonic screwdriver.)
> return.
Control Room
> push lever.(The door closes.)
> drop vial and hat.
> take cutters.
> put cutters in case.
> x sonic.(settings for intensity and range)
> x intensity. x range.(both set to low)
> push button.
> x scanner.(You're at a beach.)
> x meter.(safe)
> push lever. n.
A strip of beach
> x fence. x sign.("DANGER MINEFIELD")
> x seaweed. x plastic. x sand.
Don't forget you have a sonic screwdriver now.
> look up sonic in book.
> set range to high. set intensity to high.
> turn on sonic.(The mines explode, but the sonic screwdriver is now broken. Darn.)
Repeat waiting until a reptilian humanoid walks past eastward. Now wait until the footsteps are close but receding towards the east.
The humanoid will soon turn around and head back west, so you must leave the alcove as soon as you can do so safely and race ahead of them, then head down the staircase on the north side of the seafort.
> n. w. n. n. e. d. d.
Ground Floor of Fort
> x door.(has wooden bar)
> x tube.(requires a petroleum-based solvent)
> take tube. put tube in case.
> open door.(You move the bar to the floor.)
> s.
Cell
> give ring to doctor.(+10)
> return.
Control Room
> pull lever.(The doors close.)
> put can in case.
> push button.
> x screen.(You see a gloomy passageway.)
> x meter.(safe)
> pull lever. n.
Low Passageway
> x sheet. x pad. push pad.
> e.
Room with Large Window
CAUTION: Don't push the glass pad when it's glowing green. It opens the window and you'll die of asphixiation.
> x glass pad.(glowing red)
> x cartouche.(owl, vulture, mouth, cloth)
> look up cartouche in book.
The cartouche here is the key to other cartouches you'll soon see. You must push these four symbols, in order, in the other corridors.
> w. w.
Junction
> x cartouche.(ankh, owl, leg, cobra)
> push owl.
> n. w.
Corridor (with hawk jar)
> x shape.(ankh, beetle, vulture, arm)
> push vulture.
> x jar. open it. look in it.
> take gold dust. put it in case. put lid on jar.
> w. n.
Corridor (cartouche on east wall)
> x cartouche.(ankh, basket, quail, mouth)
> push mouth.
> n. e.
Corridor (cartouche on south wall)
> x cartouche.(ankh, flax, cloth, hand)
> push cloth.(You hear a scraping sound.)
> e.
Corner (south of junction)
> take pamphlet. read it.
> put pamphlet in case.
> n. w.
Cell
> give ring to doctor.(+10; get a jelly baby)
> x jelly baby. eat it.
> return.
Control Room
> pull lever.(Doors close.)
> push button. x screen.(marble steps up and down)
> x meter.(safe)
> pull lever. n.
Black Landing
> x mural.(White angels and black demons.)
> u. u.
Green Landing
> x engraving.(A city hangs above water.)
> u. u.
Another Black Landing
> x picture.(A pond, trees, and fish.)
> u. u.
Red Landing
> x door.(has keyhole and gap at bottom)
> x keyhole.(key on other side)
> x gap.(empty)
> take pamphlet. put it in gap.
> take sonic. put it in keyhole.
> take sonic.
> take pamphlet.(You get a black key.)
> put sonic and pamphlet in case.
> unlock door with key. put key in case.
> open door. s.
Short Passage (first of two)
The geography here is confusing. See my Escherworld map to understand better how the locations connect.
> s.
Sea Room
> x fish.(carved from ivory)
> e.
Sky Room
This is the exact same room as the Sea Room, but upside down. But somehow the fish is still on the ceiling, out of reach.
> e.
Sea Room
> take tube. open tube. squeeze tube.(A glue puddle is now on the floor.)
> put cap on tube. e.
Sky Room
The pool of glue is now on the ceiling with the fish.
> look. e.
Sea Room
The fish, stuck to the glue, is now on the floor and within reach.
> take fish.(no, it's stuck)
> take can. pour fuel on glue.(Glue is gone.)
> take fish.
> put can, tube in case.
> s. s.
Short Passage (second of two)
This short passage looks identical to the first one. If you go south from here, you end up in Sea Room again, but if you go north...
> n.
Fish and Bird Room
> x mosaic.(An ivory fish is missing.)
> put fish in hole.(East exit now open.)
> e.
Cell
> give ring to doctor.(+10)
> return.
Control Room
> push lever.(doors close)
> push button.
> x screen.(corridor with icicles)
> x meter.(safe)
> push lever. n. n.
Corridor (corner with Cyberman)
> look up Cyberman in book.(gold dust in their chest unit destroys them)
> look up Telos in book.(a cold planet)
> take gold.
> e.(The Cyberman turns to face you.)
> throw gold at Cyberman.(He collapses.)
> x Cyberman. e.
Control Room (the Cybermen one)
> x panel. pull lever.(The trap door is unlocked.)
The door handle is cold. You must be wearing the gloves to open the door.
Flavia is the Lord High President of Gallifrey. She curtly tells you to leave.
The First Doctor was captured by the Celestial Toymaker. He's cuffed to an electric chair in a cell.
The Second Doctor was captured by the Daleks. He's in a cell in their city on Skaro.
The Third Doctor is in a cell in a fort on a small island.
The Fourth Doctor is in a cell on Mars.
The Fifth Doctor is in a cell in a strange world highly inspired by MC Escher.
The Sixth Doctor was captured by Cybermen. He's in a cold cell on Telos.
Mentioned: The Thals gave you an anti-radiation drug.
Foes:
The Celestial Toymaker is a madman obsessed with toys and deadly games.
A black Dalek blocks your way on a metal bridge that leads to the Daleks' city.
A silver Dalek is busy in a monitor room. One of the monitors shows the cell where the Second Doctor is.
A reptilian humanoid patrols the upper level of the island fort.
A Cyberman is just standing in a corridor on Telos.
Found dead:
Somebody died in a forest clearing on Skaro.
Credits
The credits are accessed via the ABOUT command:
About the author
David Burke has been a Doctor Who fan for over twenty-five years, since seeing the first episode of Mind of Evil at the age of six. He has been a fan of interactive fiction for over fifteen years, since playing a Scott Adams game.
He started work on this game in GFA Basic on the Amiga back in 1993. It was restarted in Inform in mid-1997.
Comments and bug reports are welcomed at
email redacted.
Credits
Doctor Who is the copyright of the BBC.
This game written in Inform, a system for designing adventure games written by Graham Nelson.
The coding was performed on UltraEdit-32 by Ian Mead.
Special thanks go to my Beta Testers.
Endings
You have died
if you push ten buttons in the Yellow Room. The First Doctor is electrocuted and you cease to exist.
if you succumb to radiation poisoning on Skaro.
if you spend too many turns near the Black Dalek when it can see you.
if you try to attack the Silver Dalek, throw something at the Silver Dalek, or try to go east past the Silver Dalek.
if you walk onto the minefield without detonating the mines remotely first.
if the reptilian humanoid sees you; it shoots you with its gun.
if you open the window on Mars; there's not enough air to breathe.
if you spend too many turns near the Cyberman when it is facing you.
You have won
if rescue all six Doctors then return to your Tardis.
Inventory
You have inventory limits, so I suggest dropping unneeded things in your control room until you obtain the black case which can hold everything else.
Whenever you find a Doctor in a cell, give a ring to him to rescue him. There's six rings, one for each Doctor.
Before you can give a ring to the First Doctor, you must first unlock his cuffs with the small key.
When you give a ring to the Second Doctor, he gives you a sonic screwdriver.
When you give a ring to the Fourth Doctor, he gives you a jelly baby.
a hat. It's on the coat-rack in your control room.
On the metal bridge, put the hat on the black Dalek. There's no message that says what happens, but I assume the hat covers his eyestalk and the Dalek falls off the bridge because it isn't there any more. Oddly, you still have the hat afterwards.
Note that you can't wear the hat and the helmet at the same time.
a Miner's Helmet. It's in your junk room; examine the junk to find it.
Wear it as soon as you find it. When in the Cave, turn the helmet on so you can see. Turn it off afterwards.
Note that you can't wear the hat and the helmet at the same time.
a pair of Wirecutters. It's in your junk room; examine the junk to find it.
On a strip of beach, cut the wire fence with the cutters.
a glass vial containing some Green Liquid. The vial is in the drawer of the bed side table in the Tardis bedroom.
The liquid, when drunk, protects you from radiation poisoning for several turns. Don't drink it until you're on Skaro, where the radiation meter in your control room shows danger. Don't waste turns on unnecessary actions; the protection doesn't last forever and will wear off.
When you open the vial, you obtain a cork stopper. Drop the stopper before you drink so it's not taking a spot in your inventory.
See black key on how you may use the vial to help you get it.
a cork stopper. You get it when you open the vial.
You don't need the stopper for anything. To avoid wasting time with inventory limits while on Skaro, you should drop the stopper in the control room just before drinking the green liquid in the vial.
a Black Book. This diary is on the bed side table in the Tardis bedroom.
Look up topics in the book for hints and Doctor Who lore. Known topics are: Cartouche, Celestial Toymaker, Cybermen, Daleks, Skaro, Sonic screwdriver, Tardis, Telos, and Thals.
The book has a blank page at the end. You can take the page out of the book.
See black key on how you may use the page to help you get it.
Items found in the Toyland
an Alphabet Block. It's in the trunk in the Toy Room.
In the toy room, push the trunk under the trap door, put the alphabet block onto the trunk, then stand on the block. You can now reach the trap door, open it, and go up into the attic.
a Black King. It's in the Chess Room.
Break the king with the hammer. The king is destroyed and you find a small key that was inside the king.
a pair of Gloves. The clown manequin at the Big Top is wearing them.
Put the gloves on and keep them on for the rest of the game. But you only need them on when you try to open the trap door in the Cybermen's control room. The door handle is too cold to touch with bare hands.
a Hammer. It's in the attic.
Break the black king with the hammer. The king is destroyed and you find a small key that was inside the king.
a Small key. It's inside the black king. Break the king with the hammer to find it.
In the cell of the First Doctor, unlock his cuffs with the small key.
Items found on Skaro
a Length of Rope. Find it by examining the dead body in a clearing.
At Edge of Forest (east end), tie the rope to the spike. Now you can climb down the rope to the ledge below.
If you wish, you can untie the rope and take it back after you're done with the cave, but you don't need to use the rope again.
a Scrap of Paper. Find it by examining the dead body in a clearing.
Read it. The number on it is the code for unlocking the black case.
a Black Case. Find it by searching the rubble in the Cave.
To unlock the case, set the lock (of the case) to the number written on the scrap of paper.
Read it. I think it's supposed to represent the upper level of the Dalek City, where the "A" is where the Second Doctor's cell is, but the game didn't implement the city to match the map.
See black key on how you may use the map to help you get it.
a Sonic Screwdriver. In his cell, the Second Doctor gives it to you when you give him a time ring.
On "a strip of beach", set both the intensity and range of the sonic screwdriver to high, then turn on the sonic screwdriver to detonate all the mines in the nearby minefield. Unfortunately, the sonic screwdriver overloads and can't be used that way again.
See black key on how you may use the sonic screwdriver to help you get it.
Items found on the Islands
a fuelcan containing some fuel. It's in the Small Cave on the other side of the minefield.
On the beach, enter the boat. Take the cap off the tank. Pour fuel (from the can) into the tank. Put the cap back on the tank. Now you can start the engine of the boat and travel across the sea to the fort.
There's still some fuel in the can. In the Sea Room or Sky Room, when the white fish is stuck to the floor in a puddle of glue, pour fuel on the glue to dissolve the glue. Now take the fish.
a filler cap. It's on the fuel tank in the motorboat.
Take the cap so you can pour fuel from the can into the tank. Put the cap back onto the tank.
a tube of adhesive. It's on an old table on the ground floor of the fort.
In the Sea Room or Sky Room, open the tube and squeeze it to create a pool of glue on the floor. Put the cap back on the tube afterwards.
Go to the other room so the glue puddle and white fish are on the floor. Pour some fuel on the glue to dissolve it, then take the fish.
Put the cap back on the tube after you've squeezed out some glue. You don't need the cap for anything else.
Items found on Mars
a lid. You acquire it when you open the jar that's in one of the Martian corridors.
Put the lid back on the jar after you've taken some gold dust. You don't need the lid for anything else.
a handful of gold dust. It's in the jar that's in one of the Martian corridors.
In the corridor with the Cyberman, first try to go east so the Cyberman notices you and turns to face you. Immediately, throw the gold dust at the Cyberman to destroy him.
a Pamphlet. It's in the Martian corner south of the Junction.
Read it. Surprisingly, it's an ad for Masterpieces of Infocom.
See black key on how you may use the pamphlet to help you get it.
a Jelly Baby. The Fourth Doctor gives it to you when you give him a time ring.
Feel free to eat it if you want to.
Items found on Escherworld
a black key. It's on the other side of the door in the Red Landing. Examine the keyhole to see it.
First put a paper (such as the blank page, pamphlet, or map) in the gap (under the door). Then put a thin item (such as the screwdriver, sonic screwdriver, or vial) in the keyhole to dislodge the black key. When you take the paper, you pull the black key to your side of the door.
The black key unlocks the door on the Red Landing.
a small white fish. It's on the ceiling of both the Sea Room and Sky Room simultaneously.
To get the fish, open the tube of adhesive and squeeze it to create a puddle of glue. Go to the other room, and the fish will be stuck on the puddle on the ceiling. Return to your original room and the fish will be within reach. Pour some fuel on the glue to dissolve it. Finally, take the fish.
In the Fish and Bird Room, put the white fish in the hole (of the mural). The mural slides away, and you can now go east into the cell where the Fifth Doctor is.
Items found on Telos
a Cyberman's Hand. It's in the trunk in the Northern Room.
In the corridor below the Cyberman's control room, touch the pad with the hand to open the door.
a Cyberman's Head. It's in the trunk in the Northern Room.
You don't need the Cyberman's head.
Score
The response to SCORE is:
You have so far scored your-score out of a possible 60, in several turns.
Points are awarded as follows:
10 points for Rescuing your 1st Incarnation from the Celestial Toymaker.
10 points for Freeing the second Doctor from the Daleks.
10 points for Giving the Time Ring to the third Doctor.
10 points for Letting the fourth Doctor escape from the pyramid.
10 points for Rescuing the fifth Doctor from the recursions of Castrovalva.
10 points for Liberating your sixth incarnation from the clutches of the Cybermen.
