Tableaux Vivants is a Glulx interactive fiction game written with Inform 7 and is © 2026 by Neil Shaw Cohen. It was an entry in IF Comp 2026, placement to be determined.
In this fantasy game set in the late-Victorian era, you are a woman who has forgotten herself, looking at the words "To myself". The words are freshly inked on the page, but what did you intend to write? It must have been important. You're in a study. You don't recognize it, but it seems oddly familiar. There are hundreds of books on the bookshelves, many about literature. And near the unwritten letter is a brown leather bookmark. It bears an ouroboros encircling the monogram "T.V." How curious.
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.
You were about to write a note to yourself, but about what?
>> SPACE
The Study
> help.
> x me. x tea gown.
> x letter. x desk.
> x bookmark. x pen. x inkwell.
> open drawer. (locked)
> x shelves. x book. ("The Mysterious Key and What It Opened"; has the same symbol and monogram as the bookmark.)
> take book. put bookmark in book. (+3. The book vanishes, leaving a silver key in your inventory.)
You also get a suggestion to FIND BOOKS here in the future.
> x key.
> unlock drawer with key. open drawer.
> take all from drawer. (no: hands are full, and you don't have any carry-all yet)
> put key and bookmark on desk.
> take all from drawer.
The photograph is of 3 kids in front of a mountain, taken about 40 years ago.
The locket holds a lock of golden hair.
> x my hair. (It's silver-gray, unlike the golden hair in the locket.)
> put all on desk.
> x window. x wall. (has hooks for four pictures)
> w.
No, you're missing something for your neck.
> wear locket. (+3; much better)
> w. (no: look for more books)
> find books. (No, you cannot be that vague. Either find a book about a topic or research a topic.)
> research ouroboros.
> research bag. (You find The Purse.)
> x Purse.
> put bookmark in Purse. (You now wear a purse.)
> put key in purse. (+2; the purse now automatically moves things in and out as necessary)
The purse is bottomless. If you try to take the letter, pen, or inkwell, you instead decide to leave them all here for later.
> take photo.
> w.
The Drawing Room
> x book. ("On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases")
> put mark in book. (It's now a Wardian case.)
> x case. x plant. (It's clockweed.)
> put pot in case. (+5. Clockweed becomes a clock.)
> take clock. x it. (broken)
> x windows.
> w. s.
The Dining Room
> x man. (Repeatedly, he tries to make a toast, but his glass is empty of wine.)
> talk to man. (He speaks Dutch, which you don't understand.)
> x woman. x dog. x cat. x mouse. x glass.
> take mouse. (no: cat is too agile to permit that)
> x wallpaper.
> pet dog. pet cat.
> w.
The Kitchen
> x book. ("The Banquet")
> put mark in it. (whoa.)
> x roast. x salad. x carrots. x grapes. x trifle.
> take all.
> d. (locked)
> unlock door with key. (fail: The silver key doesn't unlock this door.)
> e. n. n.
The Garden (Entrance)
A man (Napoleon) and his horse are wandering in the three garden locations, so I can't be sure which of them are here.
When you find the horse, do this:
> x horse. (missing a saddle)
> pet horse. (Achievement Unlocked: Animal Lover)
When you find the man, do this:
> x man. (It's Napoleon.)
> talk to him. (He wants his sadddle.)
And for here:
> x footpath. x vines. x road. x house.
> e.
The Garden (East)
> x fountain. (of a chimera)
> drink water. (no: not sanitary enough)
> x flowers.
> x woolflower. take it.
> x torch lily. take it.
> x greenhouse.
> n.
The Greenhouse
> x potted plant. (a skeleton key pothos)
> take it.
> x floor. (You see marks for eight plants.)
> w.
The Garden (North)
Nothing new here, unless Napoleon or his horse are here and new to you.
> s. s. e.
The Drawing Room
> put pothos in case. take skeleton key.
> put lily in case. take torch.
> put woolflower in case. take yarn.
> e.
The Study
> x wall. ("Fruit" by William Morris)
> research Morris.
> research wine. (Other books mention "Wine, the vine and the cellar", but that book isn't here.)
> research Dutch. (sorry, but no)
> research cat.
> research mouse.
> research Napoleon.
> research horse.
> research saddle.
> research chimera.
> research lion. (Achievement Unlocked: Avid Reader)
> research goat.
> research serpent.
> research greenhouse. (+5, "Choice Stove and Greenhouse Ornamental-Leaved Plants")
> take greenhouse.
> w.
The Drawing Room
> put mark in greenhouse. (Exotic plants are here.)
> x plants.
> x candle. x pearls. x saddle. x button.
> take all.
> put candle in case. x candle. take it.
> put pearls in case. x pearls. take it.
> put saddle in case. x saddle. take it.
> put button in case. (Achievement Unlocked: Green Thumb)
> x button. take it.
> w. s. w.
The Kitchen
> unlock door with skeleton key.
> d.
The Cellar (in Darkness)
> turn on torch. (Drat. The valve is broken; you need a fire source to light it.)
> u. e. n. u. n.
The Lily and Pomegranate Room
> x chimera. (serpent-goat-lion hybrid)
> x serpent. (spews flames)
> light torch. (with serpent; Achievement Unlocked: Fire Breather)
> listen to serpent.
> x goat. listen to goat.
> x lion. listen to lion. (stomach growl)
> give roast to lion. (+1)
> give carrots to goat. (+1)
> give grapes to serpent. (no, none of the banquet items suit the serpent.)
> x wallpaper.
> s. s.
The Pink and Rose Room
> x woman. talk to her. (She replies in verse.)
> x vanity. (Its frame shows a forest?)
> x wallpaper. x bed. x bushes.
> n. e.
The Violet and Columbine Room
> x bed. (Achievement Unlocked: Arts & Crafts)
> x table. ("To Teddy — Love, Charlie. 1872")
> x hearth. (has fire)
> w. d. s. w. d.
The Cellar
With the lit torch, you find a book here easily.
> x book. (It's the wine book.)
> take it.
> put mark in it. (+5. It's now a bottle of wine.)
> x wine.
> u. e.
The Dining Room
> pour wine into glass. (+15. The man makes his toast, then he, the woman, and dog are replaced with a painting.)
You remember the people in your life. And you remember loneliness.
With the first painting, you also remember your name: Theodora Violet Drake. This is your home. And the cat is your cat, Beatrix.
> x painting. ("Young Man and Woman in an Inn")
> take it.
> give yarn to cat. (+2; Beatrix drops the mouse.)
> take mouse.
> n. u. n.
The Lily and Pomegranate Room
> give mouse to serpent. (+16, the chimera becomes a drawing.)
A maelstrom of emotions assaults you. Your remember love, tenderness, divinity. But you also remember frustration and fear.
> x drawing. ("A chimera" by Jacopo Ligozzi)
> take it.
> s. d. e. e.
The Study
> hang inn.
> hang chimera.
> research poetry. (+3)
> take poems.
> research mirror. (+2; found "Looking-Glass")
> take Alice.
> research roses.
> research side table.
> w. w. u. s.
The Pink and Rose Room
> put mark in Alice. (It becomes a mirror.)
> give mirror to woman. (+15. The woman, vanity, rose bushes and mirror vanish; a painting is in its place.)
You remember your age and accomplishments. But you also remember shame and self-dissatisfaction. You see your own flaws too clearly.
> x painting. take it.
> n. e.
The Violet and Columbine Room
+1. A memory is awakened entering here. Charlie moved to Punjab to teach, and sent this table to you. It's been 25 years.
> w. d.
The Entrance Hall
+1. A memory is awakened entering here. You remember saying goodbye to Eudocia, before moving to Paris with her new husband.
> x locket. (+1. A memory is awakened of you asking Eudocia for a lock of her hair.)
> x photograph. (+1. A memory is awakened of you, Regina, and Thomas at his family's cottage. You followed a kestrel and got lost on the moor.)
> eat salad. (Achievement Unlocked: Dinner for One)
> n.
Garden (Entrance)
I'm assuming Napoleon is here. If not, wait for him to wander here.
> give saddle to Napoleon. (+15. He saddles his horse, then mounts his horse. They turn to leave, then they turn into a painting.)
You remember your ambitions and your desires for acclaim. But you also remember disappointments and rejection.
> x painting. take it.
> s. e.
The Drawing Room
+1. A memory is awakened when you enter here. You remember a joyful childhood playing with Regina and your brother Charlie.
Achievement Unlocked: I Remember Everything.
> achievements.
> e.
The Study
Beatrix is here now.
> x cat. (She's sleeping.)
> hang Lady.
> hang Napoleon.
When you hang the fourth painting, you remember a book of fairy tales, a birthday gift from Regina. And you remember its secret.
> take tales. (Instead, you just pull it. A hidden room opens to the east.)
> e.
My Hidden Room
> x shelves. x tomes. x specimens.
> x journal.
You learned how to sculpt a mind and how to imbue paintings with life to hold the displaced psychic energy.
You tested your theories on yourself. You removed undesirable traits from yourself and put them into the tableaux vivants, but lost yourself in the process.
You are now ready to write the letter.
> w.
The Study
> write letter.
You write three letters representing three choices, then take them to your room.
The Violet and Columbine Room
You must make a decision. Burn two letters, the letter remaining will determine your future.
> take all. (You read them all as you take them.)
Which path do you choose?
The Violet and Columbine Room
> burn second letter. burn third letter.
The choice is made.
>> SPACE
One month later.
You have invited Regina to lunch. Should you destroy all records of your experiment? You carry your burdens and hope you can find self-acceptance.
*** The End ***
The Violet and Columbine Room
> burn first letter. burn third letter.
The choice is made.
>> SPACE
Six months later.
Charlie has returned home, and the Society has accepted your paper. Charlie misses the old Teddy and wants you to let the chimera feast. You tell him no. You sleep peacefully, dreaming of how your audience will react.
*** The End ***
The Violet and Columbine Room
> burn first letter. burn second letter.
The choice is made.
>> SPACE
Four days later.
Puzzled, you read your own letter to yourself. It explains that you have cast enchantments on yourself, and to never feed the chimera, to never give a mirror to the woman in the bedroom, etc.
But for good or ill, your curiosity is strong.
*** The End ***
This is the composite response to ACHIEVEMENTS, combining the locked and unlocked achievements in one list. All unlocked achievements are listed before locked ones:
Achievements:
- Animal Lover: Pet all three pets.
- Arts & Crafts: Found all five designs by William Morris.
- Avid Reader: Found 8 or more useful or informative books in the study (out of 20 total).
- Dinner for One: Recovered your appetite, then ate some food.
- Fire Breather: Used the chimera's flame to light the way.
- Green Thumb: Transformed every enchanted plant.
- I Remember Everything: Reawakened every memory.
- Animal Lover: (Locked)
- Arts & Crafts: (Locked)
- Avid Reader: (Locked)
- Dinner for One: (Locked)
- Fire Breather: (Locked)
- Green Thumb: (Locked)
- I Remember Everything: (Locked)
According to HELP, all achievements can be unlocked in a single game, and they do not persist between saves.
Found dead:
Mentioned:
This is the response to CW:
Content warnings: Amnesia/dissociation. Brief appearances of alcohol, a dead mouse, and period-typical sexism & homophobia.
This is the response to CREDITS:
"Tableaux Vivants" is a production of Lamp Post Projects (lamppostprojects.com). Written by Nell.
Tested by John Ayliff, DemonApologist, Allyson Gray, John Resig, Andrew Schultz, and Tabitha.
Coded in Inform 7 (v. 10.1.2) and released with Quixe (v. 2.2.1). Includes the extensions Exit Lister by Eric Eve, Achievements by Juhana Leinonen, and Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short. Extensions are released under a CC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.
This game does not contain any AI-generated content.
Contact
[email redacted]with questions or comments.Copyright © 2026 Nell Shaw Cohen.
Note that you can only carry two items at a time until you're wearing the purse which can magically hold everything you pick up.
With either the torch or candle, if the chimera is still in the Lily and Pomegranate Room, light the item there, using the serpent's flame. Otherwise, light the item in the Violet and Columbine Room, using the hearth. The lit item lets you see in the dark cellar and find the 'Wine' book there.
Hang all the paintings in the study.
Put all the plants into the Wardian case (see 'On the Growth of Plants in Closely Glazed Cases') to transform the plants into other things with similar names.
This is the response to SCORE:
[You have so far scored N out of a possible 100, in T turns.]
[if any paintings are hung, add:]
[X out of 4 paintings have been hung on the study wall.]
Points are awarded as follows:
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