In this old-school haunted house game, you play as kid. You were on your way home from school when the local bully and his pit bull chased you until you had no choice but to enter the spooky haunted house on Sycamore Lane. People have died in here! The bully blocks up the way you got in, and all the other windows and outer doors are boarded up, so how are you going to get out?
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.
With Spike distracted and you on your bike, you can race past them, but they're now chasing you!
> n. e.
Sycamore Lane
> e.(Spike bars your way east.)
> n.(Gate opens a few inches; bike won't fit.)
> get off bike. lock bike. n.
Outside house
By the way, if you go northwest instead, you can enter the house from that side instead via the cellars.
> ne.
East Grounds
> enter window.
Bobby blocks the window with a boulder. He leaves. You hear a child crying somewhere.
Conservatory
> x vines. x trunk. open trunk.(Vines are too strong.)
> n.
Utility Closet
> x shelving. x bottle. x trowel. take all from shelving.
> s.
Conservatory
> open bottle.(Can't. Lid is too rusty.)
> x lid.
> w.
East Hallway
> x floor. x wainscoting.
> n.
Kitchen
> x counter. x stove. open stove.
> x shears. take shears.(vision!)
> sw.
Butler's Pantry
> x drawer. open it. x twine. take twine.
> x door. open it.(locked)
> n. w. nw. d.
Storage Cellar
> x boxes. x bench. open drawer. x pliers. take pliers.
> u. se. w.
Library
> x fire.(See passage on other side.)
> x books. x desk. open drawer. x mallet. take it.
> n.(Need to douse the flames with something.)
> s.
Drawing Room
> x furniture. x pot.
> dig pot with trowel.(You acquire an eyepiece.)
> x eyepiece.
> look through eyepiece.(It needs to be attached to something.)
> e.
South Grand Foyer
> x door. x statues.
> e.
Grand Dining Room
> x table. look under table. take fork. x it.
> x chandelier. x portraits. push eyes.(Dim passage revealed!)
Before heading inside the passage, there's something I want from the conservatory first.
> e. e.
Conservatory
> cut vines with shears.(Nope.)
> open bottle with pliers. x liquid.
> pour liquid on vines.
The vines are now weak. You still can't cut them, but you don't need to.
> open trunk. look in trunk. x key. take it.
> w. w.
Grand Dining Room
Okay, now let's explore this passage.
> in.
Murky Passageway
> x ladder. u.
Doll Room
> x dolls. x door. unlock door. n.
East Upper Hall
> x opening.(Note the eyebolt.)
> n.
Servants Quarters
> x table. x chair. x bucket. take it.
> n.
Servants Dormitory
> x beds. look under bed. take journal.
> x journal.(A locket falls out.)
> x locket. take locket.(vision!)
> s. s. w. w. n.
Master Bedroom
> x bed. x vanity. x chest. open chest.
> x spectacles. take specs.(vision!)
> w.
Master Bathroom
> x tub. x sink. x toilet.
> turn on sink.(No use.)
> e. s. s.
Nursery
> x crib. x coloring book.(One doll is named Suzie.)
> take book. x horse.
> n. e. e. s.
Doll Room
> take Suzie. x Suzie.
> open Suzie. cut Suzie with shears.(You acquire a hook.)
> tie twine to hook. x hook.
> n.
East Upper Hall
> throw hook at eyebolt.(You pull down the attic stairs.)
> u.
Attic
> x doll house. x toys. x bed. x stain.
> x blocks.(There's five.)
> take blocks.(A girl's whisper says her name will release her.)
> spell Suzie with blocks.(That's not it.)
Return to the pantry:
> d. s. d. out. n.
Butler's Pantry
> unlock door with key. d.
Wine Cellar
> x cask. x cork.
> pull cork.(Wedged too tight.)
> hit cork with mallet.(Wine is flowing.)
> fill bucket with wine. close cask.
Return to the library:
> u. n. w. w.
Library
> pour wine on fire. n.
Bottom of Spiral Staircase
> look. u.
Observatory
> x windows. x telescope. look through telescope.
> put eyepiece on telescope.
> look through telescope.(See "EMILY" on gravestone.)
> d. s.
Library
When you return from the observatory, the flames come back but with a blue hue and twice as strong!
> spell Emily with blocks.
You see the visions again with more context. The girl's voice tells you to burn the totems (blocks, locket, shears, spectacles) to set them free.
> put locket in fire. put shears in fire.
> put specs in fire. put blocks in fire.
You see a shadow float up and away, then the room catches fire, and you see a crowbar! The house will soon be burning everywhere.
> take crowbar. e. s.
South Grand Foyer
> open door with crowbar. s.
You escape the burning and collapsing house, find your bike, and go home.
*** The end. ***
Extras
Characters
Bobby Wheeler is the local bully and wants money. But you don't have any.
Spike is Bobby's rottweiler. He never bites you, but he's good at blocking your way.
In visions or mysterious voices:
The tall man was the cruel master of the house. He murdered Emily with the shears.
The maid is Emily's mother. She tried to stop the murder but only managed to knock the man's spectacles off.
Emily, a young girl, was murdered for seeing something she shouldn't have. Emily's spirit now haunts the house, but you can free her if you burn the things associated with her murder.
Endings
The ceiling collapses, and the world goes black. You freed the spirit of the little girl, only to be replaced by your own.
if you don't escape from the burning house in time.
The end.
if you do escape from the burning house.
Inventory
a crumpled paper. You're carrying it.
Look at it. It has the combination ("382") for your bike lock.