In this one-room slice-of-life game, you play as Sam, roused by your partner Alex with a gentle push. You've slept half the weekend away on the living room sofa, and you still have a bit of a hangover. Alex suggests you take a walk around the neighborhood. It'll do you good. You just need to find your clothes, your cell phone, your keys, your wallet, and of course, a mask. Alex has work to do and leaves you to it.
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.
Next, grab everything everywhere that isn't nailed down. You have no inventory limits.
Let's not forget that floorboard.
> x floorboard. move it. x toy.
Check out the side table.
> x side table. take water.
> look under side. x charger.(Remember the outlet)
> open drawer. take all from it.
> x pad. x telephone. x card.
Check out the coffee table.
> x coffee table. x magazine. take it.
> look under coffee table. x gusher.
Check out the sofa.
> x sofa. look under sofa.
> x tape. x license. x bill.
> x credit. x vaccination.
> look behind sofa. x wine.
> search sofa.(ugh)
> talk to Alex.
> A.(re cell phone: buzzing in sofa)
> search sofa. x cell phone.
Check out the rug.
> x rug. look under rug. x bike key.
Check out the door.
> x door. x doorknob. x lock.
> look under door. x house key.
> x toolbox. open it. take all from it.
> x pencil. x mask. x grease.
> x clip. x screwdriver. x AAA.
> x work key.
Check out the TV. When you get the TV on, watch it several times to see at least the three DIY programs that teach you how to make a duct tape wallet, how to make ink, and how to grease a stuck window.
> x TV. turn it on.(need remote)
> look behind TV. x remote.
> turn on TV.(remote doesn't work)
> open remote.(how?)
> straighten clip.
> open remote with wire. look in remote.
> take old batteries. put AAA in remote.
> close remote.
> turn on TV.
> watch TV. g. g. g. g. g. g.
> change channel. g. g. g.
> turn off TV.
Check out the window.
> x window. open window.
> grease window. open window.
> x kid. talk to kid.
> show toy to kid. x car key.
> close window.
Check out the rest of the room.
> x lamp. turn it off. turn it on.
> x fan. touch fan.
> x staircase.
Re-assemble your wallet.
> make wallet.
> put license in wallet.
> put bill in wallet.
> put credit in wallet.
> put vaccination in wallet.
> x wallet.(complete!)
Re-assemble your key ring.
> put bike key on ring.
> put work key on ring.
> put car key on ring.
> put house key on ring.
> x ring.(complete!)
Charge up your cell phone. You need not call anyone.
> charge cell.(with charger and outlet)
> call mom.(nope!)
> plug in red telephone.
Investigate the legal pad.
> write on pad.(with pencil; it breaks)
> x pencil. write on pad.(ink suggested)
> make ink.(from water, wine, gusher, pad page)
> write on pad.(Alex needs a break too.)
> talk to Alex.
> D.(re pad: You invite Alex to join you.)
Put on your mask and go!
> wear mask.
> open door.
*** You Succeed in Spending Some Precious Quality Time With Your Partner, And Together, Go For a Very Pleasant Walk Around the Neighborhood! ***
This is the best possible ending of 20 endings
Extras
Characters
Sam is the player-character. You've been sleeping since Friday!
Alex is your non-gendered partner. They work for a law firm.
The neighbor's kid is outside playing with your car key. He's about four or five years old.
The neighbor and the police are in an unpleasant ending.
Auntie Em, Uncle Henry, Zeke, and Hank are in another ending.
A grue is unlikely to eat you if you turn off the floor lamp, but it can still happen.
Mentioned via phones:
Saul Badman is Alex's boss.
Gordon is, in context, Commissioner Gordon. You mention the Riddler.
Joe is, in context, President Joe Biden.
Mallory is M; Q brings your Aston Martin. Your new target is in Bermuda.
Seen on TV:
They are demonstrating DIY skills.
A celebrity chef prepares the bloodiest steak.
A loveable emu is hitting a cute little squid on the cartoon channel.
A celebrity's cleavage is discussed in depth.
Mentioned:
Dave and Susan had both of you over for drinks on Friday.
Credits
This is the response to ABOUT:
A Walk Around the Neighborhood is a text-based adventure game, also known as a work of interactive fiction, or IF. It was created in 2021-2022 by Leo Weinreb and submitted to the 2022 IF Comp, where it came in 14th place. You can read more about IF at https://intfiction.org/. If you're brand new to playing IF, I'd recommend the beginner's guides listed at https://intfiction.org/t/beginner-links/, or you could just type NEW in the parser.
A very special thank-you to my beta testers: Jenya Weinreb (my mother) and Anton Bures (my father). Without your invaluable guidance, I would never be able to put my best foot forward. Also a hearty thanks to Andrew Schultz, JJ McC, and everyone else (both on https://intfiction.org/ and off) who reviewed, pointed out minor bugs, or provided transcripts during the Comp to help me make the game as polished as possible.
Endings
The game says there's 20 possible endings. These are the ones I found.
You Have Lost the Game!
if you LOSE.
You Have Won the Game!
if you WIN. Except this "win" doesn't count. Undo and try again.
You Fail to Go On A Walk, And Have Been Eaten By A Grue Instead
if you turn off the floor lamp then try to examine anything (or take inventory).
You Have Failed to Go on a Walk, and Have Instead Poisoned Yourself!
if you actually drink the wine.
You Fail to Go For a Walk Around the Neighborhood, But You Go For a Walk Around the Emergency Room Instead
if you persist on touching the moving fan one too many times.
You Fail to Go for a Walk Around the Neighborhood, But You Go for a Walk Around the Police Station Instead.
if you dare hit the neighbor's kid. For shame!
You Fail to Go on a Walk But You Succeed in Passing Out on the Living Room Floor
if you hold your breath (as suggested by the TV).
You Fail to Go on a Walk, but Take A Leisurely Afternoon Off Instead.
if you solve the crossword (using the magazine and pencil).
You Fail to Go on a Walk, but Take A Frustrating Afternoon Off Instead.
if you solve the crossword (using the magazine, broken pencil, and ink).
You Fail to Go on a Walk, But Get Some Much-Needed Sleep Instead.
if you sleep on the sofa.
You Fail to Go on a Walk, But Succeed in Party Rocking All Night Long!
if you whistle (as suggested by the TV) or sing.
You Fail to Go on a Walk, But Return Home to Kansas Safe and Sound Instead.
if you wake up. (The "Wizard of Oz" ending)
You Fail to Go On A Walk, But You Succeed in Saving Gotham City from Criminals Yet Again!
if you dial 1 on the (plugged-in) corded telephone. (The "Batman" ending)
You Fail to Go On A Walk, But You Succeed in Closing the Biggest Arms Deal of Your Life!
if you dial 2 on the (plugged-in) corded telephone.
You Fail to Go On A Walk, But You Succeed in Defeating a Corrupt Billionaire in a Battle of Strength and Wits Yet Again!
if you dial 3 on the (plugged-in) corded telephone. (The "James Bond" ending)
You Fail to Go On a Walk Around the Neighborhood, But You Succeed in Going On An Extraordinary Adventure!
if you say XYZZY or PLUGH then leave the well house for a large spring. (The "Zork" ending)
You Fail to Go on a Walk But You Succeed in Fixing Your Squeaky Front Door!
if you try to fix the front door with either the grease or the screwdriver.
You Go For a Very Pleasant Walk Around the Neighborhood!
if you finally go on your walk. You must be dressed, have your mask on, have all your keys on your key ring, have your wallet and everything in it that's supposed to be there, and a charged cell phone. This is the second-best ending.
You Succeed in Spending Some Precious Quality Time With Your Partner, And Together, Go For a Very Pleasant Walk Around the Neighborhood!
if you first convince Alex to join you on your walk, then you actually do go on your walk. This is the best ending.
Inventory
Clothing
some pajamas. You're wearing them.
Drop the pajamas. Note the loose floorboard when the pajamas hit the floor; see toy airplane.
an old bottle of wine. Acquire it by looking behind the sofa in the living room.
Do NOT drink the wine. Not only is it mostly vinegar, it's also poisonous. If you drink the wine, the game ends a few turns later with you passing out.
an old magazine. It's on the coffee table in the living room.
Examine it to note its crossword. But if you solve the crossword with the pencil or ink, the game ends.
Zorkian
a set of keys, tasty food, shiny brass lamp, and small bottle. They're all at "Inside Building", reached by saying XYZZY or PLUGH.
Note that your regular inventory (including clothing) doesn't come with you to Zork, nor does anything from Zork return with you to your home. If you return home, you will be naked.
You may eat the tasty food.
You may turn the brass lamp on and off.
You may fill the bottle; it now has bottled water which you may drink. You can't pour the water nor empty the bottle.
Thank You to my Patreon supporters
This walkthrough is provided free of charge since the work it's based on has less than fifteen locations. Please consider it a thank you for your support!
I create larger walkthroughs too! Please visit my Patreon account if you're interested in helping me create more interactive fiction walkthroughs. I appreciate all the help I can get! Thanks again.
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