"The House" (English version1)

+++ Full Walkthrough by Andreas Eibach +++

1 Note: The English version is an unofficial translation of the German original game.
Please consider therefore that the translation is full of mistakes ('feather' instead of 'spring' etc.) and could estop the player from forthcoming in the game, cause inconsistencies etc.

INTRODUCTION

You'll get a certain feeling that you've already seen a lot of puzzles and other items you are going to encounter during the adventure, even if it was in some slightly other way. Yes, of course - it's MANIAC MANSION (MM). And in fact, some of the items are obvious allusions to Maniac Mansion, e. g. the ladder reveals a little note containing the words 'Out Of Order'. Perhaps some other things, too - well, you'll find them out!
But DO NOT think you've once completed Maniac Mansion, so you can complete The House in a twinkling of an eye!
This would be kinda too easy, eh?
Anyway - now let's begin our quest!

BEFORE "THE HOUSE"

You begin before a door having your passport and your socks with you which you'll find out smell like coffee. Very exciting...
Surprise - you're able to open the gate and it's NOT locked! But wait! Under the doormat ... ah, if you move it a little there's a key! But it won't open the gate, so it must be for some other purpose later in the game. Anyway, let's go inside!

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: KITCHEN (1)

The door to the living room to the right is closed and cannot be opened with the key you just found, so let's move on to the left, in the kitchen. Ah, the first MM reminiscence - the knives are like stuck on the wall! So let's take a look inside the fridge - Eeowww! What an awful smell in here! Anyway, get the foul meat, the zinc-cup and the tin foil. Next, we take a look in the cupboard: you find a bottle of Dröno there (a sort of chemical drainage cleaner), some rubbers and an iron-key. Notice the stove ('hearth'), and the mixer - you will need to make use of them a little later.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: SLEEPING ROOM

Leave the kitchen and go north. Better DO NOT try to get up the stairs - you'll break your neck and the game will be over. So open the door to the left. Go left into the sleeping-room. This is pretty boring here: you can neither open the cupboard nor get information about it! And the tigerhide doesn't reveal anything spectacular either. So does the bed: you find nothing but a deadly boring book. Anyway, you're able to move the bed which will turn out to be of GREAT importance later. Moving the bed reveals a coin, but you cannot take it. So let's get the hell outta here...

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: BEFORE THE ELEVATOR

Go east twice, now you are before the elevator. Theoretically, you should now be able to press the button by saying 'On Button' to make use of the elevator, but this doesn't work (yet). It's about time to visit the cellar.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE": CELLAR (1)

Head north, downstairs into the cellar. If you go south, you'll find some shelves. Inspect them closely and you'll find a bottle of acid and also a coalstick. Take both. Now you can go either west or east. First, take the door to the east. It's locked, but the key you found under the doormat will unlock it. Enter and you find a toolkit and a bench. The toolkit won't open yet (the iron key doesn't fit!) but taking a closer look at the bench reveals a pair of rubber gloves. Leave the room to the west and go west again.
Inspect the wood and you get a branch. Take it. Examining the oven gives you access to an ovenflap but DO NOT try to open it - if you do it, you will die and the game will end. The backroom is full of rats, so keep out of there! Next to the oven you find a feed dish - any ideas yet? SADISTIC ideas, I mean? Well, I'll tell you soon. Go upstairs, back to the kitchen...

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: KITCHEN (2)

Put the Dröno in the mixer and do the same with the foul meat. Switch on the mixer by saying 'On mixer' and after a little while, switch it off again ('Off mixer'). Take the 'Specialmix', go back downstairs and put it on the feeding dish. The rats will LOVE it! ;-).

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - CELLAR (2): THE BACKROOM

Congratulations, you've managed to get rid of these rodent monsters! Now enter the backroom that was previously blocked. Inspect the fuse-box and the fuses in it. You'll find one of them blown. CAREFUL now. When operating with electrical components, always remember to wear GLOVES, otherwise you're likely to burn your hands. Gladly you found those rubber gloves on the bench before, so wear them ('On gloves'). Now use the tin foil to provisorically repair the fuse. It's done - hopefully, the elevator will work again now! But do not leave yet - wait! Close the flap of the fuse box and you'll find a key-bit! This key-bit will be very useful a little bit later.
Go upstairs again and now press the button of the elevator again ('On Button') - IT WORKS! But you will only be able to go ONE direction with it - it won't work downstairs! You'll find yourself on the second floor.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - SECOND FLOOR (1)

First, go west and you find a rusty key while closely inspecting those stairs. Please note you will NOT be able to do much around here, because you need the rusty key downstairs. But how can you go downstairs if the elevator does only work upstairs?
Go south (you find out that the door to the east is locked), then west. See the hole next to the telescope? Go north there, then north again! LUCKILY you did remember to pull the bed into the middle of the room much before! This is going to be the one and only way down for you!

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - CELLAR (3): THE WORKSHOP

Go east twice, then north, back down into the cellar and right into the workshop. Unlock the toolkit with the rusty key you found on the stairs and open it. Take the superglue, the iron saw and the tool set. But look at your list of actions! Something has changed here: you're now able to REPAIR things. But first use the iron saw to saw the iron key - you get a key part. Now COMBINE the key part with the key bit and the superglue. First, spread a little bit of glue on the key bit, then USE the key bit with the key part - wow, you've just created a new key!
Examining the wooden door reveals a ghost behind it who won't let anybody enter the room(s) behind that door. This is very important to remember - very much later, you'll find a way to chase him away.
The key you've just built will open the door to the living-room - so let's head there first!

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: THE LIVING-ROOM

First, take the candle and the flowers. On the table is a newspaper, which is of no use for you, though. Opening the cupboard reveals a lighter. Take it and head east into the library.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: THE LIBRARY (1)

On the board of the library, there are six books. (I couldn't get any meaning of those until now, so I just left them here - why on earth should I tire myself out with carrying needless books?)
Looking at the floorlamps, you find out that one of the two floorlamps is broken - but where can you get replacement parts for it?
Lots of unanswered questions - at least on the desk you find something useful: a visiting card, so take it.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: ROOM EAST OF LIBRARY

On the wall is a picture - take it and it reveals a safe behind it. You cannot open it unless you know the combination - nothing new for an experienced adventurer, n'est-ce pas? :)
Nothing to do here for you anymore - so let's head into ... the kitchen. No, I'm not joking. You'll soon know why.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: KITCHEN (3)

Yes, the kitchen. What the hell are you doing here again? Hmmm ... wait. Remember the candle you picked up in the living-room? Close inspection reveals a missing wick. So of what use is a candle that has no wick? Crap! Rubbish! And what do you usually do with rubbish? Right - BURN it. So open the stove and put the candle inside, close (!) the stove again, turn it on and turn it off again.
Now open the stove again. Look at that!! The candle, which has turned to wax meanwhile (which you cannot scrape off, though) had a silver key hidden inside it! Take this precious item, 'cause you will need it soon.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: ENTRANCE / BEFORE THE ELEVATOR

Now leave the kitchen and wait. Did you ever inspect the table right after the entrance? It's quite shaky, so try to REPAIR it. But you fail! Anyway, you're lucky: you find a table leg, which will turn out to be invaluable much later. Go north, then east - you're before the elevator again. Examine the table and you find a tablecloth. Push the button and go upstairs again.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - SECOND FLOOR: PHONE ROOM (1)

From the elevator, go west then south. Inspect the phone and you'll find out that it's broken and it misses a spring. But first, we need to do something else.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - SECOND FLOOR: TELESCOPE

Go west and try to REPAIR the telescope with your toolkit. You will break it and it leaves behind a pair of lenses and a wire.
Take both. Now go east again and use the silver key to open the door to the east.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - SECOND FLOOR: SECOND SLEEPING-ROOM

Examine the window and you find a cactus, but you cannot take it because its thorns are too sharp for your hands, even the gloves aren't sufficient here. Examine the bed and under it you find a bottle of whiskey. Take it. Now use the table cloth with the table leg - wow, you've created a torch, but it won't burn! But don't panic. Just soak the table cloth into the whiskey. Great idea - the alcohol contained in the whiskey will make it burn now! You can light your torch with the lighter anytime - but don't light it unless it's required. The cupboard is empty - but there's something on top of it - a musical clock! But how can you reach as it's so high above? Take off your rubber gloves (in case you didn't do it before) and use them with the branch you picked up in the cellar before. You've created a catapult! (Important note: you CANNOT do this with the rubbers you found before because they are quite porous and will tear apart if you use them with the branch.) Use the catapult and aim at the musical clock. It will fall down and reveal - a spring (wrongly called 'feather' in the game) and a gearwheel. Pick both up and leave the room to the west.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - SECOND FLOOR: PHONE ROOM (2)

Use the spring to repair the phone.
Examine the visiting card and you find a phone number written on it. Use the phone number with the phone you just repaired and you will get this strange message:

"A healthy body and charity will open new ways for you".

Yes, there's something you should remember now: the books in the library!!
Head down into the library...

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: THE LIBRARY (2)

Take the sportsbook (... healthy body ...) and the Bible (charity) and a SECRET DOOR opens!

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: SECRET ROOM BEHIND LIBRARY (1)

Remember I told you to NOT light your torch unless it's needed? And NOW you do need it!
Go north and light your torch. The only item you find is a recorder with a Heino (!) tape inside.
Take it and go outside again.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: THE LIBRARY (3)

You'll find out that the recorder doesn't have a battery anymore, so it's time for you to create one!
Pour the acid into the zinc-cup and then stick the coalstick into it - your battery is ready!
However, there's still one puzzle left for you: your battery is too large for the recorder! That's a task for the wire you picked up when "repairing" the telescope. Connect the wire to the battery and connect the wire (NOT the battery!) to the recorder. Your recorder will work now, however, the only thing you get out of it when you try to switch it on is a 'HELLO HEINO'. Switch it off again, to protect at least your ears. ;-)
Do you still remember that ghost behind the wooden door in the workshop? He'll surely LOVE Heino music!! ;-)

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - CELLAR (4): THE WORKSHOP

Enter the workshop and switch on your recorder. As the ghost hears that terrible Heino music, it immediately blocks its ears and flees panickingly (!)...Finally, the way is free! Open the wooden door and enter to the north.

INSIDE THE "HOUSE" - CELLAR: BEHIND THE WOODEN DOOR

Take the pick that's there and examine the tunnel a bit more thoroughly. You'll find a petrol lamp. Inspect the rifts and you notice a bright room behind. But DO NOT enter it by using your hoe to extend the small hole...you will find yourself in a bank's safe room and you will get arrested and the game is over!
Instead, leave the room to the south, go upstairs and back to the library.

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: SECRET ROOM BEHIND LIBRARY (2)

Enter the secret room again, but this time use lighter with lamp to be able to make out something here. Now, use pick with floor to dig a hole in the floor. There's a number! This number does seem to be the combination needed to open the safe, doesn't it? So let's give it a try...

INSIDE "THE HOUSE" - FIRST FLOOR: SAFE ROOM (2)

Use safe with number - yeah, IT WORKED! The safe is now open. But wait! It's almost EMPTY! You get a note from Aunt Brunhilde that she never thought you would come this far ... but read yourself: (language slightly improved)

With trembling hands, you manage to enter the safe's number, and now you can open the door without a pick. In your head cruises the image of a metal box filled with big banknotes.
You dream of a house on the beach, a Porsche, good-looking women and more....

And moore....

And mooorrreee...

WHAT IS THIS??!! The safe is fucking empty! But in one corner, you find a piece of paper. A last glimmer of hope rises in your eyes. Perhaps some guaranties? Your thoughts come back again...(Ed: we don't want to repeat them one more time...)

You open that envelope and a small note falls out, right into your hands:

DEAR EDDIE! (As you read these first words, you feel a kind of sour upset in your stomach...)

I COULD NEVER IMAGINE THAT YOU WOULD REALLY BE ABLE TO BEAT THE HARD WAY TO THIS PLACE. I THINK I UNDERESTIMATED YOU. YOU SEEM TO BE VERY LUCKY BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL ALIVE. WHAT A PITY! NOW, AS YOU ARE A VERY GREEDY PERSON (I REMEMBER THAT YOU HAD ALWAYS SNATCHED AWAY THE COOKIES FROM THE OTHER KIDS AND EATEN THEM ALONE), YOU CERTAINLY MUST HAVE ASKED YOURSELF WHERE THE MONEY IS. AS YOU KNOW, I STILL HAVE THIS LITTLE HUT NEAR THE FOREST. YOU SHOULD LOOK AROUND THERE AND YOU'LL FIND THE TREASURE THERE FOR SURE...

YOUR AUNT

BRUNHILDE.

----------------------------------------- END OF PART ONE -------------------------------------------

Now there's a question still remaining:

Is there a SECOND part, actually? I don't know it yet, but maybe someone of you knows...?

Andreas Eibach, April 2001
aeibach@yahoo.com


This solution was originally displayed at the C64 Walkthrough Site