Key & Compass presents:
Dead Like Ants
by C.E.J. Pacian

• Map
• Walkthrough
• Extras
  • Amusing, Characters, Inventory, Score
• Thank You to my Patreon supporters
• External links:
  • This game at Author's blog, IFDB, IFWiki, and ifwizz.
  • Tweet about this walkthrough on Twitter.

Map

• Note that on this map, "S" means SUNWARD (clockwise) and "W" means WIDDERSHINS (counterclockwise). Cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) aren't used in this game.
• The location "Highest Branch" is above all trunk locations; DOWN from there returns you to the location you climbed up from.
• You cannot actually go DOWN from Bejewelled Branch; you're unwilling to climb down the tree into the jungle.

Walkthrough

Tree Hollow Village

You are an ant. Your mother, the queen, has sent for you.

> x me. x eyes. x antennae. i. x overalls.

> x cottages. x wood. x sisters. x herd. x honeydew. taste it.

> in.

Queen's Chamber

> x lamps. x phloem. x cots. x brothers.

> x queen. x dress. x wings. x throne.

> bow. queen, hello.

> ask about task. ask about creatures.

Your task is to negotitate with five creatures in the surrounding branches.

> ask about herself. ask about wings.

> ask about brothers. ask about sisters.

> bow. out. out.

Bejewelled Branch

> x sister. x bark. x sky. x jungle. x whorl.

> out.

Branch Tip, Beneath the Rainbow Net

> x net. x blossom. x figure. u.

Centre of the Rainbow Net

> x widow. x veil. x lips. x net.

> greet woman.

> ask about net. ask about queen. ask about tree.

> ask about her husband. ask about kissing.

> kiss widow. (+1.)

***YOU WERE EATEN***

Queen's Chamber

Again, the Queen gives you your task.

> out. out. out. u.

Centre of the Rainbow Net

The widow is gone, but a bundle is now here.

> x bundle. d. in. s.

Forest of Blossom

> x branch. x blossom. u.

Highest Branch

> x horizon. x shapes. x trees. d.

Forest of Blossom

> out.

Blossom Glade

> x artist. x paintbrush. x palette. x dress. x cloak.

> x easel. x canvas. x knot. x amber.

> greet artist.

> ask about queen. ask about tree. ask about art.

> ask about cloak. ask about wings. ask about painting.

> sit on knot. z. z. stand.

> x painting. (You may gasp, gawp, or praise.)

> praise. (+1.)

***YOU WERE EATEN***

Queen's Chamber

Yet again, the Queen gives you your task.

> out. out. s. s.

Rotten Branch

> x fungi. out.

Fungal Bloom

> x twig. x leaf. x baby. x mushroom.

> x knight. x mail. x helmet. x horns.

> greet baby. take leaf. greet knight. (These actions don't seem to help.)

> climb mushroom. take leaf. (+1.)

***YOU WERE EATEN***

Queen's Chamber

For the fourth time, the Queen gives you your task.

> out. out. s. s. s.

Split Branch

> x branch. x mirror. out.

Mirror Pool

> x pool. x hat.

> x damsel. x wings. x dress. x shoes.

> greet damsel.

> ask about queen. ask about tree. ask about pool.

> ask about hat. ask about wings. ask about swimming.

> swim. (+1.)

***YOU WERE EATEN***

Queen's Chamber

For the fifth time, the Queen gives you your task.

> out. out. w.

Graveyard of Shells

> x shells. out.

Path to the Spiral House

> x shell. x door. x rope. x plaque. (Cornu Aspersa Esq.)

> pull rope. (A gentleman invites you inside.)

Curved Parlour

There's lots of things in here:

> x chairs. x high-backed. x armchair. x rocking. x carpet.

> sit on armchair.

> x table. x jar. x phone. call 911. x sap.

> x bookcases. x photograph. x books.

Links are provided so you can browse the books easily:

> look at Property Investment for Dummies

> look at Protect Yourself: 101 Forms of Home Invasion

> look at Symbiosis: The Coward's Way

> look at Cooking Friends

> look at Life Without Arms

And of course, there's our host, who is not Aspersa.

> x aristocrat. greet him.

> ask about queen. ask about tree. ask about house.

> ask about arms. ask about help.

> open jar. (+1.)

***YOU WERE EATEN***

Queen's Chamber (sitting on the throne)

For the epilogue, the viewpoint character is now the Queen.

> x me. x wings. x throne. x lamps. x walls.

> i. x dress.

> x cots. x sons.

> x painting. (+1.)

> stand. out.

*** THE END ***

> amusing

> afterword

Extras

Amusing

Have you tried:

1. Tasting all of the different characters?
2. Tasting yourself?
3. Singing, dancing, crying, jumping or screaming as the Queen or one of her daughters?
4. Typing 'god save the queen'?
5. Getting up while the artist paints you and/or trying to sneak a peak at the unfinished portrait?
6. Sitting on the damsel's twig... while she's still sitting on it?
7. Asking the aristocrat about Cornu Aspersa?
8. Sitting on the aristocrat's carpet?
9. Rocking in the aristocrat's rocking chair?
10. Rocking elsewhere?
11. Examining your surroundings while in conversation with the more talkative characters?
12. And finally, have you tried typing 'xyzzy'?

Characters

• Your sisters are in the Tree Hollow Village. They wear red overalls, much like yourself.
• Your brothers lie in cots in the Queen's Chamber. You're jealous of them.
• Your mother, the Queen sits elegantly on her throne in the Queen's Chamber. She sets you your task, and in the last scene, she is the player-character.
• A herd is attended to by your sisters in the village. The herd is docile and drips honeydew.
• The widow is at the Centre of the Rainbow Net and wants a kiss. She is also a spider.
• The artist is at Blossom Glade and needs a model to paint. He is also a ladybird.
• The knight is at Fungal Bloom, protecting the baby. He is also a beetle.
• The baby is also at Fungal Bloom, trying to reach a leaf. It is probably also a larva.
• The damsel is at the Mirror Pool and needs help getting her hat. She is also a damselfly.
• The aristocrat is in the Curved Parlour and needs you to open a jar of sauce for him. He is also a parasitic worm.

Also mentioned:

• Cornu Aspersa Esq. is the former late owner of the Spiral House. He was a snail.

Inventory

You can play the game from start to finish without carrying anything, but you are wearing one of two outfits:

• red overalls. You are wearing this from the beginning. All the queen's daughters wear red overalls.
• backless red dress. You wear this as the Queen.

Score

In several moves, you have scored your-score of a possible 6 points. This makes you ranking.

• −20 points for xyzzy. (I'm abbreviating the full report on this one.)
• 1 point for appeasing the spider. (The widow at the Centre of the Rainbow Net.)
• 1 point for appeasing the ladybird. (The artist in the Blossom Glade.)
• 1 point for appeasing the beetle. (The knight and baby at Fungal Bloom.)
• 1 point for appeasing the damselfly. (The damsel by the Mirror Pool.)
• 1 point for appeasing the parasitic worm. (The aristocrat in the Curved Parlour.)
• 1 point for looking, if not understanding. (After examining the painting in the Queen's Chamber.)

The rankings are:

• −20 to −14 points ⇒ a xyzzy.
• 0 points ⇒ a daughter.
• 1 to 4 points ⇒ another daughter.
• 5 points ⇒ the Queen.
• 6 points ⇒ the Queen and a mother.

Thank You to my Patreon supporters

This walkthrough is provided free of charge even though the work it's based on has fifteen or more locations. Please consider it a thank you for your support!

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.