The House at the End of Rosewood Street is a Glulx interactive fiction game written with Inform 7 and is © 2013 by Michael Thomét. It was an entry at IF Comp 2013 where it took 16th place.
TODO
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.
Note: The White House and its adjacent right side of the street aren't part of the original geography, but they get squeezed in between Abigail's and Editha's houses on Thursday.
Your House
> take letter. read it.
> take key. x it.
> x desk. x bin.
> out —or— left.
Your Yard
> close door. lock it with key.
> w. s.
The Dropoff
> take all. read note. (The new owner of Rosewood asks you to put his newspaper behind the gate.)
> x newspaper.
Let's deliver the papers by going clockwise up the left side of the street then down the right side.
> w. w. n. w.
Maurice's House
> knock. x Maurice.
> give newspaper to Maurice.
> ask Maurice about Rosewood.
> say goodbye. e. n. w.
Lottie's House
> knock. x Lottie. x toaster.
> give newspaper to Lottie. (She gives you her toaster.)
> say toaster.
> ask Lottie about Rosewood.
> say goodbye. e. n. w.
Theodore's House
> knock. x Theo.
Theo wears a different pin each today. Monday's pin is "Global Warming is on the Rise!"
> give newspaper to Theo.
> ask Theo about global warming.
> ask Theo about Rosewood.
> say goodbye. e. n. w.
Janice's House
> knock. x Janice.
> give newspaper to Janice.
> ask her about Janice. ("Lost...")
> ask her about Rosewood. ("Cage...")
> ask her about me. ("Asleep...")
> ask her about Lottie. ("Muddled...")
> ask her about Theo. ("Gullible...")
> ask her about Maurice. ("Unsure...")
> ask her about Editha. ("Confused...")
> ask her about Abigail. ("Distracted...")
> ask her about Glenn. ("Resentful...")
> say goodbye. e. n. n.
In Front of Rosewood
> x gate. (styled with blutterflies)
> put newspaper behind gate.
> s. e. e.
Glenn's Yard
> x door. knock. x Glenn.
> give newspaper to Glenn.
> ask Glenn about Rockwood.
> say goodbye. w. s. e.
Abigail's House
> knock. x Abigail.
> give newspaper to her.
> ask her about lipstick.
> say goodbye. w. s. e.
Editha's House
> knock. x Editha.
> give newspaper to her.
> say goodbye. w. s. e.
Your Yard
> unlock door with key. e.
Your House
> close door. lock it with key.
> fix toaster.
Monday ends and you dream about a cat.
Your House
Monday's newspaper is in the bin.
> x toaster.
> unlock door with key. w.
Your Yard
> close door. lock it with key.
> w. s.
The Dropoff
> take all. x newspaper.
> w. w. n. w.
Maurice's House
> knock. give newspaper to Maurice.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Lottie's House
> knock. give toaster to Lottie.
> give newspaper to Lottie.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Theodore's House
> knock. x Theo.
> give newspaper to him.
> ask him about fuels.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Janice's House
> knock. give newspaper to Janice.
Janice asks you to go into town and buy a new kettle for her.
> say bye. e. n. n.
In Front of Rosewood
> x stranger. (He's Caius Smythe, the new owner of Rosewood. His eyes are mesmorizing and he takes a newspaper from you.)
> say bye. s. e. e.
Glenn's Yard
> knock. give newspaper to Glenn.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Abigail's House
> knock. x Abigail. (missing earring)
> give newspaper to her.
> ask her about earring.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Editha's House
> knock. x Editha.
> give newspaper to her.
> say bye. s. s. w. w.
The Bus Stop
> z. (You buy Janice's new kettle, then go home to bed.)
You dream of green, a child soldier, and spilled milk.
Your House
Tuesday's newspaper has joined Monday's in the bin.
> x kettle.
> unlock door with key. w.
Your Yard
> close door.
> lock door with key. w. s.
The Dropoff
> take all. x paper.
> w. w. n. w.
Maurice's House
> knock. give paper to Maurice.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Lottie's House
> knock. x Lottie. (She's muttering about a moustache?)
> give paper to Lottie.
> ask Lottie about moustache. (Maurice things that slicking his down is novel.)
> say bye. e. n. w.
Theodore's House
> knock. x Theo.
> give paper to him.
> ask him about animals.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Janice's House
> knock. give kettle to Janice.
> give paper to her.
> say bye. e. n. n.
In Front of Rosewood
> give paper to Caius.
> say bye. s. e. e.
Glenn's Yard
> knock. give paper to Glenn.
He tells you his spray nozzle is missing and wants it back.
> ask him about Rosewood.
> ask him about Abigail.
> ask him about Editha.
> ask him about Maurice.
> ask him about Lottie.
> ask him about Theo.
> ask him about Janice.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Abigail's House
Today's trim color is cobalt blue.
> knock. x Abigail. (Eyeshadow only on one eye.)
> give paper to Abigail. (She gives you a radio to fix.)
> x radio.
> ask her about eyeshadow.
> ask her about nozzle. (She saw Theo at Glenn's.)
> say bye. w. s. e.
Editha's House
> knock. x Editha.
> give paper to her.
> ask her about nozzle. (She says Maurice said you took it.)
> say bye. w. w. w. n. w.
Theodore's House
> ask Theo about nozzle. (He hands it over. His motive was to protect squirrels.)
> x nozzle.
> say bye. e. e. e. n. e.
Glenn's Yard
> knock. give nozzle to Glenn.
> say bye. w. s. s. s. e.
Your Yard
> unlock door with key. e.
Your House
> close door. lock it with key.
> fix radio.
It takes the rest of the day to fix. You dream of Caius, his shadow choking you, and of a girl in pink giving you a box of shattered glass.
Your House
Wednesday's newspaper joins the papers in the bin.
> x me. (colder today)
> unlock door with key. w.
Your Yard
> close door. lock it with key.
> w. s.
The Dropoff
Huh. There's ten newspapers today.
> take papers. x paper.
> w. w. n. w.
Maurice's House
> knock. give paper to Maurice. (He gives you a watch to fix.)
> x watch.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Lottie's House
> knock. x Lottie. (muttering about lipstick.)
> give paper to Lottie.
> ask Lottie about lipstick.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Theodore's House
> knock. x Theo. ("Save the Piping Plover!" pin)
> give paper to Theo.
> ask Theo about plover.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Janice's House
> knock. give paper to Janice.
> say bye. e. n. n.
In Front of Rosewood
> give paper to Caius.
> say bye. s. e. e.
Glenn's Yard
> knock. give paper to Glenn.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Abigail's House
Thursday's paint color is maroon.
> knock. x Abigail. (She forgot to paint her thumbnails.)
> give radio to Abigail.
> say bye. w. s. e.
The White House
This is new. This house wasn't here yesterday.
> knock. x stranger. (It's Elisabeth.)
> x letter. (The letter doesn't have Elisabeth's name on it.)
> give paper to Elisabeth.
Elisabeth already knows everyone.
> ask about Caius. (She shudders.)
> ask about Janice. ask about Glenn.
> ask about Theo. ask about Abigail.
> ask about Lottie. ask about Editha.
> ask about Maurice. ask about me.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Editha's House
> knock. x Editha.
> give paper to Editha.
> ask Editha about Elisabeth. (nice but quiet)
> say bye. w. s. e.
Your Yard
> unlock door with key. e.
Your House
> close door. lock it with key.
> fix watch. (You dream of the cat, flower petals, and ants.)
Your House
Thursday's newspaper is now in the bin.
> x watch.
> x letter. (Elisabeth's signature has now somehow joined the others.)
> unlock door with key. w.
Your Yard
> close door. lock it with key.
> w. s.
The Dropoff
Ten again today.
> take papers. x paper.
> turn to page 3. (Perhaps later.)
> w. w. n. w.
Maurice's House
> knock. give watch to Maurice.
> give paper to Maurice.
> ask Maurice about Elisabeth. ("too erratic")
> say bye. e. n. w.
Lottie's House
> knock. x Lottie.
> give paper to Lottie.
> ask Lottie about sparrows. (re Editha's dress)
> ask Lottie about Elisabeth. ("always a pleasure")
> say bye. e. n. w.
Theodore's House
> knock. x Theo. ("Release Goronwy Maddox!" pin)
> give paper to Theo. (He asks you to buy a swan statue for his wife.)
> ask Theo about Maddox.
> ask Theo about Elisabeth. ("I should invite [her] to dinner")
> say bye. e. n. w.
Janice's House
> knock. give paper to Janice.
> ask about Elisabeth. ("Free...")
> say bye. e. n. n.
In Front of Rosewood
> say hello. give paper.
> ask about Elisabeth. ("Why would you want to talk about her?")
> say bye. s. e. e.
Glenn's Yard
> knock. give paper.
> ask about Elisabeth. ("She's alright.")
> say bye. w. s. e.
Abigail's House
Today's paint color is olive.
> knock. x Abigail. (glasses on top of her head)
> give paper.
> ask about glasses.
> ask about Elisabeth. ("lived there for years")
> say bye. w. s. e.
The White House
> knock. give paper.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Editha's House
> knock. x Editha. (pigeon skirt)
> give paper. (She asks you to find her lost hat.)
> say bye. w. n. n. n. n. n.
In Front of Rosewood
> ask about hat. (He opens the gate so you can get it from his grounds.)
> n.
Rosewood Grounds
> take hat. x it.
> x doors. knock. (nobody answers)
> s. s. e. s. s. s. e.
Editha's House
> knock. give hat.
> say bye. w. s. s. w. w.
The Bus Stop
> z. (You find and buy the swan statue, then go home to bed. You dream of beetles.)
Your House
Friday's newspaper is in the bin.
> x swan.
> unlock door with key. w.
Your Yard
> close door. lock it with key.
> w. s.
The Dropoff
> take papers. read paper.
> w. w. n. w.
Maurice's House
> knock. give paper.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Lottie's House
> knock. x Lottie. give paper.
> ask about college.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Theodore's House
> knock. x Theo. ("Teach the controversy" pin)
> give swan. give paper.
> ask about controversy.
> say bye. e. n. w.
Janice's House
> knock. give paper.
> say bye. e. n. n.
In Front of Rosewood
> give paper. s. e. e.
Glenn's Yard
> knock. give paper.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Abigail's House
Today's paint color is rust.
> knock. x Abigail. (inside-out blouse)
> give paper. ask about blouse.
> say bye. w. s. e.
The White House
> knock. give paper.
Elisabeth gives you a mirror to fix.
> save
Avoid looking at the mirror or showing it to anyone. Try fixing it and returning it without adding more souls.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Editha's House
> knock. give paper.
> say bye. w. s. e.
Your Yard
> unlock door with key. e.
Your House
> fix mirror. w.
Your Yard
> close door. lock door with key.
> w. n. n. e.
The White House
> knock. give mirror.
She says it still feels broken? Are you sure it's fully fixed?
>> yes
You go home, and dream about a vulture solving a crossword puzzle. Park rangers give you a green collar.
Your House
Saturday's newspaper is now in the bin.
> x letter. (Elisabeth's signature is gone.)
> unlock door with key. w.
Your Yard
> close door. lock door with key.
> w. s.
The Dropoff
Only nine newspapers today.
> take papers. x paper.
> w. w. n. w.
Mentioned in the newspapers:
Mentioned in dreams:
This is the response to CREDITS:
The House at the End of Rosewood Street
Created by Michael Thomét
Extensions
Basic Screen Effects by Emily Short
Exit Lister by Andre Kosmos
Punctuation Removal by Emily Short
Questions by Michael Callaghan
Real-Time Delays by Erik TempleTesting
Alex CybulskiDaniel GilfillanRebecca HoffmanApril SmallGame created in Inform 7
Inform 7 created by Graham Nelson
TODO
Each newspaper is for the St. Nemo Tribune. I've reproduced the text of the newspapers here in a simpler format for screen-readers.
Monday night's dream:
A cat with a green collar butts its head against your hand a few times. You idly pat its head while sitting in the recliner in the living room, until she says, "What am I, some kind of cat to you?" Then he runs a hand through his ashen locks. "Are we doing ok," the cat says, and then tackles your hand, giving it a playful bite. The cat gets up, walks over to the table and picks up a folder, saying "It's only going to get harder, you know." Then she dumps the folder and all the pictures on the floor. He pounces on the ones that get up on their little legs, trying to skitter away. You look away when the cat turns to look in your eyes.
Tuesday night's dream:
You are sitting at your desk, the computer screen shining a green hue, the only light in the small enclosed room. A voice calls out to you. You can't quite hear what the person said, but you get up and open the door. You step out onto the road in front of the gate, the stiffness of your uniform apparent in the humidity of the afternoon. A bit far from the road you can see a child laying in the grass. You rush over and just as you reach the child, he drags you into the dirt next to him. You hear a clunk behind you and it takes a few moments to register that the sound is of the gate opening. Looking back, a line of troops advances into the fortress. You turn back to look at the child, who is a soldier in uniform. He hands you a flower and then joins the others. The flower falls apart in your hands, and the white petals lay strewn out on the counter. You pick up the tipped cup, but too late: milk has seeped onto the carpet, your phone, and into your computer, which no longer blinks green.
Wednesday night's dream:
The dark figure of Caius Smythe sits at the end of an impossibly long table. The walls around you are white and sterile. When you breathe, the air is crisp and cold, but you can smell the remains of something burnt. "Do you know why we have brought you?" he says with a voice that sounds like it comes from everywhere and nowhere. You shake your head and Mr. Smythe rises. It seems to take forever for him to stand and his shadow engulfs you, choking you. "Of course you do," the shadow says, "you know you have only brought this upon yourself." You turn your head and there is a little girl, dressed all in pink. She hands you a box of confetti and then leaves. You pour the confetti into your hand and it is nothing but bits of shattered glass.
Thursday night's dream:
You open the big box, tip it over and bury the cat in a cloud of flower petals. For a second, you think that you have lost her, but you find the green collar amongst the rainbow and drag the cat out. He brushes the petals from his hair and gives you a cross look for a moment, before tossing the petals back at you. They fall all around you and cling to your shirt, and you brush the ants away in a moment of panic. A concerned look falls across the cat's face and she says "Be careful, don't hurt them!" They fall off you in drops into plates and dishes, and the cat covers them with plastic wrap. "Lets go out," he says as he brushes his paws against his ears. You pick the cat up and cradle it in your arms, leading her away into your car.
Friday night's dream:
Fifty beetles march in a square at your feet. Each one looks up at you on the third beat of their march, staring at you with their porceline hollows. You crawl along behind them to get a closer look at their faces. It is like they wear little white masks, and from their eyes dribbles a clear sludge. Pushing the beetles ever onward you see the cliff drop ahead. Row by row they march forward, looking at you with those soulful eye sockets on every third beat. They reach the edge and walk off, and you follow, clinging to the rocky edge. The bettles do not cling like you, nor do they fly away. They drop like stones and shatter on the the tile floor. All fifty lay broken below you, never to be touched again. You release yourself from the wall and plummet towards the river far below.
Saturday night's dream:
A vulture from her perch behind the window tells you that you are pacing too much and that you should sit down. Then she goes back to solving her crossword puzzle that she has been working on for three hours. Your head hurts and you think about saying something, but just sit down like the vulture said to. You turn your head and look around at the trees. They cast long shadows against the path and the park rangers avoid stepping on them, as if to do so would taint them. The vulture flies away and you stand up again, following some of the rangers down the road a bit. You turn around and you walk back up the corridor, where the uncomfortable, black chairs stand and the window sits. For a moment, you wait in front of the window. Then two of the rangers emerge from a nearby door and approach you. They hand you a green collar. They don't say anything. They just leave.
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