On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, I published new walkthroughs for the games and stories listed below! Some of these were paid for by my wonderful patrons at Patreon. Please consider supporting me to make even more new walkthroughs for works of interactive fiction at Patreon and Ko-fi.
The Meteor, the Stone and a Long Glass of Sherbet (1996) by Graham Nelson (writing as “Angela M. Horns”)
In this fantasy Zork-style game, you’re an Ambassador touring the Northland Empire with the vapid and never-bored Lady Amilia. But you’ve been stuck in this cushioned basket on top of an elephant with her, surrounded by her honour guard for a fortnight. How to get away and see something interesting or important?
This was an entry in IF Comp 1996 where it won 1st place. At the 1996 XYZZY Awards, it was a finalist in four categories: Best Individual Puzzle, Best Puzzles, Best Writing, and Best Game.
LASH — Local Asynchronous Satellite Hookup (2000) by Paul O’Brian
In this historical drama and treasure hunt set in 2062, you have rented a robot called a MULE that you can control remotely to salvage artifacts from an abandoned irradiated plantation near Macon, Georgia. Before the Second American Civil War, the site was the home of notable historian Thomas Percy and his wife, Lisa, a pioneer in the field of mental imaging. The original plantation owner was Nicholas Duke, who aided the Confederate army in the First American Civil War.
Content warning: Graphic violence, very offensive language.
At the 2000 XYZZY Awards, LASH was a finalist in four categories (Best Game, Best Individual PC, Best Setting, and Best Story). On the 2011 edition of the Interactive Fiction Top 50 of all time list, LASH tied for 16th place.
Inform School (1999) by William J. Shlaer
In this educational game, you are a student learning the Inform 6 programming language, using a simplified version called Inf. Complete 27 programming tasks; each task has detailed help and a worked example in its classroom. When you’re ready, take the final exam to win.
The Elements (2020) by Andy Lee
In this game, you play as the grandchild of Stradivarius. Your musical career begins when you find one of his violins. Ten years after retiring, you get a summons from the queen to perform. Now you must find the six elements, magical runic stones, to restore and enhance your talent.
Toby’s Nose (2015) by Chandler Groover
In this murder mystery, you play as Sherlock Holmes’s dog, Toby. The body of Gerald Argente lies dead in the drawing-room, and Sherlock declares to his family and servants that one of them is a murderer. But Sherlock wants you to discover who. Smell everyone and everything. Your talented nose can smell scents within odours and discover clues from everywhere the suspects have visited. When you’re sure who the murderer is, bark at them to solve the case.
This game was the winner in the Main Festival of Spring Thing 2015; it also received the Audience Choice Ribbon and the Alumni’s Choice Ribbon. At the 2015 XYZZY Awards, it was a finalist in three categories (Best Puzzles, Best Individual Puzzle, and Best Individual PC). This game also place 46th on the Interactive Fiction Top 50 of All Time (2019 edition) list.
Jump (2001) by Chris Mudd
In this short disturbing story, you play as a teen named Amanda. You lead a small group of youths who have vowed to suicide, and Michael has gone first, damn it. It was supposed to be you. You were so focused on the result, you never considered how you’d do it.
Content warnings: Murder, suicide, abuse.
This story was an entry in IF Comp 2001 where it took 41th place.
Lunar Base 1 (2012) by Michael Wayne Phipps Jr
It’s 2080. You’re playing as Captain Stan Rogers. You and another astronaut, Dr. John Klose, have traveled to the moon to be its first long-term inhabitants inside Lunar Base 1. But after several unexpected events and discoveries, you both won’t be staying as long as you planned.
This game was an entry in IF Comp 2012 where it took 14th place.
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