In this work, you are an Earthling tourist visiting a zoo on Živa which features animals from three worlds. Explore the place at your leisure. There is no goal you must accomplish, and although the work has its secrets, the only puzzle you must solve is the mundane exercise of buying a wristband at the entrance.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Release 1 of the work.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of a work of interactive fiction. Please make an honest effort to play the work before reading this walkthrough.
> touch black globe.("The final planet. Crnobog. Named for the Slavic god of death.")
> x orbits.
> u. s. e. e.
Gift Shop
Money isn't too much of a concern in this game, so you might as well buy everything the player-character is willing to take.
> x booth.("Visitor Services")
> x shelves. x tables. x counter. x scanners.
> x mugs. take mug. x mug.
> x animals. take animal. x dinosaur.("Havoc")
> x toys. take owl.(uh, no.)
> x shirts. take shirt. x shirt.
> x tables. x figurines. take figurine. x figurine.
> x display.("Uncle Veeder's Critter Cards - Collect 'em all")
> scan wristband.(You've bought everything you picked up.)
> n.
Visitor Services
If you didn't scan your wristband in the gift shop, you can scan your wristband here to make your purchases, but then you'd have to scan your wristband a second time to access the visitor services menu.
> touch screen. scan wristband.
> push orange.(random lost items will be offered)
> push claim button. push black button.
> s.
Gift Shop
> z.(Repeat waiting until the drone drops your claimed items.)
> take all.
Since I don't know what you got, I'll wait until late in the game to examine them with you, but feel free to examine them before then. New unclaimed items are available over time.
> w. n.
Mesozoic Exhibit
This area was always crowded for me. If there's a way to disperse the crowd or if there's a better time to visit this location, I didn't discover it.
> x beasts. x panels. x pterosaurs. x mosasaur.
> n.
West-Eberhard Plaza
> x birds. x archway. x treats. x mosaic.
> x dispenser. take sack. turn dial.(You fill the sack with black pods.)
> throw pod.(Some birds descend to eat them.)
> x pod.(water caltrops)
> close sack. x map.
> w.
Invertebrate Conservatory
> x walkway.("Coming Soon: Adventures in Myrmecology!")
> x forest. x leaves. touch red gold panel.
> e. nw.
Latreille Research Facility
> x sign. x building.
> w.(Holo-nymph says only students and lab personel allowed in.)
> se. n.
Aquarium and Marine Reptiloid Enclosure
> x waterfalls.
> x anglerfish. touch white gold panel.
> x plesiosaur. touch orichalcum panel.
> x stairs.(they go both up and down)
> d.
Secret Balcony
> take card.(soggy critter card taken)
> x it.(re: anglerfish)
> x crocodiles. x gharials.
> u. s. ne.
Linnaeus Research Facility
> x sign. x building. e.(Can't get in.)
> sw. e.
Aviary
> x walkway. x roof.
You shriek at the sight of a dragon landing on the gazebo. A local explains it's a xenopterosaurid.
> x dragon.(Has four wings.)
> x jellyfish. touch iron panel.(Jarilo medusans generate electricity.)
Note: There's a possible ambiguation problem here if you try to examine the brown owl while carrying the owl toy, which you might have received from the drone earlier. Fortunately, "encloure" is a synonym for the brown owl.
> x enclosure. touch tin tag.(Owl's name is Nutmeg.)
> x trees. x distant movement.
Let's try to claim more lost items:
> w. s. s. e. n.
Visitor Services (in shop)
> scan wristband.
> push orange. push claim button. push black button.
> s.
Gift Shop
The service drone is here.
> z.(Repeat waiting until the drone dumps its bounty at your feet.)
> take all.
> e.
Food Pavilion
> x kiosks. x crowd. x seat.
> scan wristband.
> push green button.(It'd be too expensive.)
> push orange button. take basket. x basket.
> sit on seat.(It's really loud here. Maybe a quieter place?)
> x map. e.
Grazing Beasts
> x enclosures. x savannah.
> x zebras. x iguanodons. touch titanium panel.
> x grove. x cassowary. touch lead panel.
> x map. n.
Patio View
> x benches. sit on bench. eat sac.(salty, sweet, bioluminescent)
> eat sac.(The basket is gone.)
> x creatures. x hill. touch tin panel.(re: megalovaranus)
> x map.(This is a dead end.)
> s. e.
Predator Complex
> x shadow. x ferns.(You find a steel panel with a keyhole.)
> touch panel.(re Dracogallus damnatus, named Pistachio)
> unlock panel with key.
An alien nudibranch (slug) is launched into the enclosure. The predator tries to attack you, but the force field stops it. Then the predator takes the slug and leaves.
> x map.(You're lost. There was a path west?)
Let's try to claim more lost items:
> w. w. w. n.
Visitor Services (in shop)
> scan wristband.
> push orange. push claim button. push black button.
> s.
Gift Shop
The service drone is here.
> z.(Repeat waiting until the drone dumps its bounty at your feet.)
> sit on bench.(An alien lizard sniffs your food and sneezes.)
> x lizard.(It has six legs and is pretty. Also begging for food.)
> pet lizard.
> give fritter to lizard.(It takes it and runs through bushes to southeast.)
> eat fritter.(Like curried carrots.)
> stand. se.
Lizard Village
> x cycads. x mud. x lizards. x burrow.
> look in burrow.(You see a card.)
> take card.(It's the muddy critter card.)
> x it.(Dracogallus damnatus; "The password is vindaloo")
Unhappily, I don't know where to use this password. Sorry!
> x map.
> nw.
Corner Path
> sit on bench. i.
It's time to examine and play with all the claimed items that the drones gave you. In no particular order:
If you have the monster figurine:
> x monster.(like a grue. Some kid carved "Frotz" on it.)
If you have the teacup:
> x teacup.(it has feet)
If you have the plush troll:
> x troll.(has battleaxe)
If you have the tortoiseshell button:
> x button.
If you have the stiletto:
> x stiletto.
If you have the model sailboat:
> x sailboat.
If you have the action figure:
> x action figure.(of adventurer with lantern and sword)
If you have the turtle purse:
> x purse. open it.
> read receipt. x beans. eat beans. x bracelet. wear it.
If you have the quail egg:
> x egg.
If you have the purple mitten:
> x mitten.(Unraveling.)
If you have the owl toy:
> x owl toy. squeeze it. g.(Continue squeezing until you get an owl pellet.)
> x pellet. take pellet. open pellet. x die.
> roll die. g.(Continue rolling until you roll a 21.)
> x taco. take taco.(It vanishes.)
Ready to continue the tour?
> stand. w.
Carnivory Garden
> smell. x stones. x greenhouse. touch tantalum panel.
> x copse. touch copse. touch platinum panel.
> x holes. touch chrome panel.
> search holes.(See a pale rectangle floating on fluid deep down.)
> take rectangle.(It's the digested critter card.)
> read digested card.(Can't tell what it was.)
> x map.(doesn't mention the greenhouse)
> s.
Cramped Greenhouse
> touch panel.(Some Earth plants are carnivores.)
> x benches. x plants.(cups are green, red, and blue)
> x green cups. touch brass tag.(Sundew plant, Drosera)
> x red cups. touch zinc tag.(Venus flytrap, Dionaea muscipula)
> x blue cups. touch aluminum tag.(trumpet pitcher, Sarracenia)
> x pots. touch silver tag.(tropical pitcher plant)
> x sprinklers. x door. x ceiling.
> n. w.
Fountain Courtyard
Assuming you have the model sailboat:
> put sailboat in pool.
That was fun. The walkthrough is ending here, but feel free to continue playing. You didn't try all the food from the food court and if you don't want your food, you can always give it to the lizards in their village. You can also give more pods to the birds in the plaza; they're hungry too. And if you can find a way to the back of the aquarium, please let me know how you did it.
Extras
Characters
The animals:
The de-clawed velociraptors(S. velox), the terrestrial ammonite(xenomolluscan), the flock of chickens, and the goats are in the petting zoo.
A chipmunk lizard thingy appears at the corner path when you sit on the bench with food from the food pavilion.
Some zebras and alien iguanodons can be seen in the savannah at Grazing Beasts. A lone cassowary can be seen in the trees at Grazing Beasts.
An alien nudibranch and a predator(Dracogallus damnatus) named Pistachio can be briefly seen at Predator Complex.
Some reptilian creatures(megalovaranus) bask on the hillside seen from Patio View.
Leathery birds are numerous at the West-Eberhard Plaza.
Some gelatinous creatures(Jarilo medusans) and an owl named Nutmeg are on display in the Aviary. Also, a dragon(xenopterosaurid) may startle you when it lands on top of the gazebo.
A colony of leafcutter ants are on the march in the Invertebrate Conservatory.
Some anglerfish(ceratioidei) and an alien plesiosaur swim in the Aquarium and Marine Reptiloid Enclosure.
Crocodiles, enormous turtles, and gharials can be dimly seen from a secret balcony below the aquarium.
Many lizards have built a mountain of hardened mud burrows in the Lizard Village.
A rat briefly appears if you roll a 21 on the die.
The people:
Visitors are almost everywhere in the zoo. Children are mostly at the Fountain Courtyard, the Petting Zoo, and the Food Pavilion. One boisterous man chides you when you shriek at the dragon in the Aviary.
An employee briefly appears when you lift the loose flagstone in the courtyard.
The electronic help:
A holographic nymph insists that you scan your wristband before entering the zoo.
More holographic nymphs stop you from touching most of the exhibits.
Two more holographic nymphs block entry into the research facilities.
A flying service drone can deliver lost items to you if you request them via a kiosk.
Also:
Ryan Veeder also known as Uncle Veeder is mentioned in a few places, mostly on the critter cards and on the mug. His games are also indirectly referenced by the gift shop items; for example, the figurine is a tribute to Robin and Orchid.
In Vistor Services, insert your card in the slot to begin using the kiosk's touchscreen. When you've finished using the touchscreen, push the black button and take back your card.
Once you're wearing the wristband, use it instead of your ID card when interacting with vending or info kiosks.
a temporary wristband. Obtain it at Visitor Services. Insert your card in the slot, then push the blue button. The wristband is in the tray.
Wear the wristband.
At the Front Gate, scan the wristband. You may now enter the zoo.
In the Food Pavilion, scan the wristband when you want to buy food.
At either Visitor Services, scan the wristband when you want to use a touchscreen.
Delivery drones will scan your wristband to see if you're the person who ordered what they're carrying.
an earpiece. Obtain it at Visitor Services. Insert your card in the slot, then push the green button. The earpiece (and a map) is in the tray.
Wear it and leave it on. Now when examining or interacting with the zoo's exhibits, you'll sometimes hear a voice in your ear explaining what you're looking at.
a folded map. Obtain it at Visitor Services. Insert your card in the slot, then push the green button. The map (and an earpiece) is in the tray.
Examine the map at any time to learn what's near your current location. However, the map fails at both research facilities and doesn't mention the lizard village at all.
Critter cards
Critter cards are optional things to collect in the game. Collecting them is their own reward. Because they're all hidden, one can easily play the game without ever learning that they even exist to collect.
a soggy critter card. It's on the aquarium's secret balcony.
a muddy critter card. Find it by looking in the lizard village's burrow.
a digested critter card. Find it by searching the holes in the carnivory garden.
Note: It's always too degraded to read.
a creased critter card. Acquire it by looking under the seats in the planetarium.
a dusty critter card. Acquire it by moving the loose flagstone in the fountain courtyard.
Food pavilion items
You can buy food items in the Food Pavilion. Touch the screen, scan your wristband, then push the button for the food item you want. Take your food to a quiet spot, such as the Corner Path bench, and eat it. This is all entirely optional; you don't have to eat anything.
Note: You are unwilling to buy the chicken sandwich. It's too expensive.
a basket of cycad fritters. Push the purple button for this one.
Take the fritters to the Corner Path and sit on the bench. A lizard will appear and sniff your food. Give a fritter to the lizard and it will take it and run southeast through the bushes, alerting you that a hidden pathway exists there.
a basket of ink sacs. Push the orange button for this one.
a bowl of steamed xenomolluscans. Push the blue button for this one.
Gift shop items
These items are all in the Gift Shop. If you want any of them, take them to the Visitor Services in the shop and scan your wristband to purchase them. Note that they're all references to games authored by Ryan Veeder.
a felt dinosaur.
a fishing mug.
a relatively sedate tee shirt.
Oddly, you cannot wear the shirt.
a robin figurine.
Lost-and-found items
These items can be obtained via any Visitor Services touchscreen by pushing the orange button, then the claim button, then going outside the Services and waiting for a delivery drone to scan your wristband. The drone will only drop one or two items at a time, things are only lost over time, so you'll need to keep returning to Visitor Services and claim more items if you want all this stuff.
a black key.
The black key unlocks the panel at Predator Complex.
a monster figurine.
a teacup.
an owl toy.
If you squeeze the owl toy enough times, it will hork out an owl pellet.
If you open the pellet, you find a twenty-sided die.
Roll the die. If you roll a 21, a vortex will open, and a rat will leave a golden taco at your feet. Alas, it's just a hologram.
a plush troll.
a tortoiseshell button.
a jewel-encrusted stiletto.
a model sailboat.
At Fountain Courtyard, you can put the sailboat in the pool to play with it.
an action figure.
a turtle purse containing a grocery receipt, some chocolate-covered espresso beans, and a silver bracelet.
You may eat the beans or wear the bracelet.
a quail egg.
The egg and the stiletto seem to be related to each other somehow, but I'm not sure what the game is implying here. Maybe they're just both references to Zork I, but maybe there is something more to them?
a purple mitten.
You may wear the mitten.
Other items
a plain paper sack and some black pods. These are at West-Eberhard Plaza; examine the dispenser.
Take the sack. It's the last one.
Turn the dial to fill the sack with black pods.
Throw some pods in the plaza and some birds will eat them.
