Game-test by Grace

Game-test

Played 236 times
View game source (spoilers!)
Download the .z8 file
Source Code

"Clowns in the Dark" 

The Entrance is a room. "You are at the entrance of the annual circus showcase, standing in all its magnificence in the middle of a flat, vacant park field. You can see the extravagant royal red and white stripes of the gigantic circus canopy basking in the warm, welcoming glow of the summer twilight. A gleam of cozy illumination peaks out playfully through the tent’s curtains. 

The Ticketmaster’s booth stands on the left, metres in front of the temporary feeble turnstiles leading into the big top.

Despite the excitement bubbling up internally for the evening’s show, you have not yet purchased a ticket. Before entering the Showroom which is north of you, you should talk to the gentleman at the booth, and ask for a ticket."

The booth is scenery in the Entrance. The Ticketmaster is a person. The Ticketmaster is scenery in the Entrance. The ticket is scenery in the entrance. The ticket is an object. There is a booth here.

The description of the Ticketmaster is “A short, sturdy man who seems to be standing on many stacks of books to reach the window of the ticket booth. His face kindly welcomes you in, yet there’s something that seems off…” 

The description of the booth is “An old fashioned ticket booth engulfed in shiny red paint and gold sparkles. It makes everything look grand, even the shabby field around it.”

The description of the ticket is “A small, red ticket fading in colour. There are stars around the number 1000 printed boldly in the middle. On the other side, it says: admit one.”

Talking to is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand “talk to [someone]” or “converse with [someone]” as talking to. 
Check talking to: say “[The noun] doesn’t reply.”

Instead of talking to Ticketmaster: say "Well hello there, how can I help you?"

Instead of asking Ticketmaster about “ticket”: 
say "Oh you're just in luck! You're the 1000th customer today, which means you get a free ticket to tonight's show! Take this ticket!"

Instead of taking ticket: 
say "Congratulations on being the 1000th victim today! Head north to enter the circus."

The Showroom is north of the Entrance. 
The Showroom is a room. “You enter the inviting tent into a grand arena encircled by enough seats to fit hundreds of people.  You can see the performance pit underneath, where the show’s spectacles are set up. A long ladder leading up to a classic tightrope stands  strangely within spectators’ reach on the far side of the arena. Only a few spectators are currently inside right now. Perhaps more people will trickle in nearer to the show’s start. For now, it is probably okay for you to explore the rest of the circus.”  

The Ringmaster is in the Showroom. The Ringmaster is a person. 
The description of the Ringmaster is "A tall, mysterious man who seems to have been in the industry for quite some time. He is decked head to toe in red, white, and gold, and leaves a fluttering trail of glitter everywhere he goes. He seems like a great entertainer."

Instead of talking to the Ringmaster: 
say "[one of]'Welcome to our show!'[or]'We hope you are having a magnificent stay tonight.'[or]'What can I do for you today, my dear?'[or]'The show will be starting shortly. Why don't you look around first?'[or]'Have you taken a look around yet? This circus has so much to discover.'[or]'I heard they have clown cupcakes backstage!'[stopping]"

A chair is a kind of supporter. It is always enterable.

Report entering a chair (this is the report sitting in a chair rule):
say “You sit.”;
rule succeeds.
The report sitting in a chair rule is listed first in the report entering rulebook.
Report getting off a chair (this is the report standing up from a chair rule):
say “You stand up.”;
rule succeeds.
The report standing up from a chair rule is listed first in the report getting off rulebook.

The seat is in the Showroom.  The seat is a chair. The description of the seat is “Rickety, old bleachers haphazardly surround the ring, with signs indicating the different rows taped on. Is this even safe?”

[this has a bug but oh well]
Every turn when the player can see the soda: 
Say “[one of]Seeing the soda makes you thirsty. You may want to drink it later.[or]You're getting thirsty... your eyes fall onto the soda bottle on the bleachers.[or]You're craving some soda right now... [or]Those snacks are looking awfully tasty...[or]You wonder what kind of soda it is. Maybe Coca-cola? Fanta? Or your favourite, Sprite? Anything would be okay at this point.[or]You're craving a refreshing drink right about now... your eyes fall on the soda bottle.[stopping]” 
 
“A box of popcorn and a soda can is lying on one of the bleachers. Who left their snacks behind, you wonder, or was it put out for you? Either way, you're starving and incredibly thirsty…”   

The popcorn is in the Showroom. The popcorn is edible. The description of the popcorn is “There is a paper box containing popcorn left unattended on a seat. You pessimistically assume that the owner disposed of it owing to its diarrhea-inducing properties.” 
After eating the popcorn: say “The popcorn tasted underseasoned, and there wasn't even a coat of butter. Yet, you feel slightly more energized.”

The soda is in the Showroom. The description of the soda is “There is a can of soda in a cardboard drink holder. The bottle seems to be branded with a circus logo and some strange writing you can't make out. It completely covers the drink, making you wonder what could be inside. It looks very appetizing. The product designer has done a great job...” 

[this doesn't work but oh well]
Understand "drink [something]" as eating. The soda is edible. 
Understand "drinkable" as edible.

After eating the soda: say  "You instantly feel rejuvenated. The sweetness of the soda fills you up with energy.”

Instead of drinking the soda: 
say "Try eating the soda instead. This is a circus after all, and things may never be as they seem."

Every turn when the player carries the soda:
say "You're getting dreadfully thirsty in this circus with no windows or air ventilation. Might as well drink the soda you found..." 

The ladder is in the Showroom. The ladder is a door. The ladder is up from the Showroom. The ladder is down from the Tightrope. 
The description of the ladder is “You spy a long, rickety ladder leading up to the tightrope suspended in the air. Surely it violates some workplace safety guidelines, even in a circus.”   

The Tightrope is a room. “After a nerve-wracking climb up the ladder, you make out what seems to be a warning sign. Looking ahead, you realize that that sign refers to the circus floor far underneath the tightly-wound wire. You squint and look around for anything noteworthy, catching a pile of blurry colours on the other side of the rope. You wonder if you can cross over and investigate.

The ladder will lead you back to the Showroom.”

The sign is in the Tightrope. The description of the sign is “You are really curious, aren’t you? A mere, worn-down wooden board with a handle skewered into the floor; it seems to have gone through a lot. Wooden splinters are protruding out, and the paint is peeling off. Upon closer inspection you read: CAUTION: Beware of the ledge...”

The Rings of Fire is southeast of the Showroom.
The Rings of Fire is a room. There is a matchbox in the Rings of Fire.  The matchbox is an openable closed container. The match is an object. The match is inside the matchbox.
“You descend the stairs towards the deserted pit. Many rings are sitting in the performance pit, none of which are on fire. The air is thick with the ashy aftermath of a recent practice session, causing you to cough and sputter. 

There is a matchbox on the cheap plastic flooring of the stage. It seems to be half-used. You can't help but think about pocketing it.  

The showroom is Northwest.” 

The description of the matchbox is “It is a small, weathered box that seems to have been there for ages. You hope that the matches inside still work.”
The description of the match is “A dozen or so unused matches. They may come in handy later on.” 

The Backstage is north of the Showroom. 
The Backstage is a room. Ballerina is here. Ballerina is a person. “The musty, sweaty stenches of the Back Yard engulf you. It is unpleasantly reminiscent of a changing room occupied by a team of adolescent hockey players after a match. Cheap, matted turf covers the grassy field. Enclosed areas acting as dressing rooms litter various portions of the open-concept quarters. A heavy chest of costumes and circus props sits in the corner of the tent.

You see a ballerina practicing diligently in the background in front of a make-up mirror. She holds such dignified poise, and each move she makes is as graceful as a swan. You don’t want to disturb her practices as the show must be starting soon.”

The description of Ballerina is "A gorgeous young lady in a frilly red and white costume. Her hair is tightly bound in a bun and her lean body can seemingly hold any pose. Beneath her layers of makeup and elegant clothing, you spy a sinister looking tattoo on her neck: a black, bleeding circus tent."

Instead of talking to Ballerina: say “She is too immersed in her dance to notice you. You admire her beauty from afar instead.” 

The cupcake is in the Backstage. 
The description of the cupcake is “A surprisingly well-decorated cupcake. Whoever piped the frosted clown face clearly has a passion for baking. There’s a ton of powdered sugar on the cupcakes however, though it won’t be a problem for your problematic sweet tooth. ” 

The cupcake is edible. After eating the cupcake: say “You instantly feel rejuvenated. The popcorn tasted under seasoned, and there wasn't even a coat of butter.”; award 10 points. 

The Puppet Room is east of the Backstage. 
The Puppet Room is a room. "You peer into a spacious, enclosed area by wall partitions and see an uncanny amount of clown eggs lining the walls. A worryingly massive pile of haunting puppets and dolls hauntingly occupy a corner. How fun."

The scary puppet is an object. The scary puppet is in the puppet room.
Understand "puppet" as scary puppet. 
The clown egg is an object. The clown egg is in the puppet room. 

The description of the clown egg is "A large chicken egg with a clown face on it. These clown eggs are a tradition in clown culture where in order to officially be recognized uniquely, one must paint their own, personalized clown makeup onto an egg, to be stored safely in a clown egg room like this one. 

You wonder if it is raw." 

Instead of eating clown egg: 
say "How dare you try and eat a cultural artifact! The egg was hard boiled and was too dull and gray and large to be from a chicken of any kind."

The description of the scary puppet is "A plastic doll that looks eerily familiar. You realize that it's the face you see whenever you look into a mirror. From its hair to its chin to the fading colour in its cheeks, everything on the realistic puppet looked... exactly like you. There seems to be something in its mouth." 

Understand "mouth" as puppet mouth. The puppet mouth is a closed openable container. The puppet mouth is on the scary puppet. Inside the puppet mouth is a paper. 

The description of the puppet mouth is "A mouth just like yours but with a grin ever so slightly above the normal range a human's smile could exhibit. There seems to be something inside."

Understand "read [something]" as examining. 
The description of the paper is "A small piece of white paper that simply reads, 'Enjoy your meal!'[paragraph break]What meal is it talking about? The soda and popcorn?" 

The Pit is a room. The pit is south of the Puppet Room. 
"A pit full of brightly coloured red, blue, yellow, and white plastic balls like a paradise for any child. You can barely move through the large rainbow skittles, and you barely want to. Oh to be a kid again."

The Souvenir Shop is east of the Showroom. 
The Souvenir Shop is a room. “Puzzlingly there aren’t many trinkets displayed in the cramped, offensively bright mobile shop, but you can tell that each souvenir was delicately hand-crafted. What little quantity of circus memorabilia available is strewn around lazily on the counter, with price tags only on certain objects. How strange.”

The counter is in the Souvenir Shop. The nail clippers are on the counter. Understand "clown-themed nail clippers" as nail clippers. There is a keychain on the counter. 

The Tradesman is in the Souvenir Shop. The Tradesman is a person. 
The description of the Tradesman is "A well-groomed yet maximalistic man decked out in jewels and accessories. Like rocks that have been molded by water, his hands were rough around the edges, callused and all, due to the erosion of year-old craftsmanship." 

Instead of talking to Tradesman: 
say "[one of]'Take whatever you want! Anything for a special guest like you!' The Tradesman exclaims with a big grin.[paragraph break]But what's so special about you?'[or]'Would you like these nail clippers?'[or]'Is this keychain to your fancy? I made them myself, you know.'[paragraph break]Should you ask him about it?[stopping]"

Instead of asking Tradesman about "nail clippers":
say "These nail clippers were gifted to me by a very special clown friend of mine. Apparently it was a family heirloom, but I wouldn't know. It's been here for decades! But turns out no one wants a used pair of nail clippers."

Instead of asking Tradesman about "keychain":
say "I made this one myself. Took a long time, like usual. Here, I have other selections as well. Would you like one? Free of charge?"

The description of the counter is “You peer closer at the worn down counter. Among the spare pieces of jewelry and puppets and other small knicknacks, you notice … clown-themed nail clippers? Strange choice of souvenirs, but who are you to judge? ” 

The description of the nail clippers is "A pair of nail clippers. The edge seems to be dull… does it even work? What a silly thing to have as a keepsake of a circus. But then again, this is exactly what a clown might buy."

The description of the keychain is "A cute wooden clown keychain. It looks hand-painted. You wonder how long that took." 

The House of Mirrors is west of the Showroom. 

The House of Mirrors is a room. “Your reflections stare right back at you from all angles in this peculiar establishment. A lone lightbulb hangs limply from the ceiling, barely saving you from the darkness. Clones surround you from mirrors on the north, east and west. They all reflect you subtly and menacingly, and you are too scared to venture further. A mirror shard lies on the ground, though no damaged mirror is in sight.”  

There is a west mirror in the House of Mirrors. There is a east mirror in the House of Mirrors. There is a north mirror in the House of Mirrors. There is a mirror shard in the House of Mirrors. 

The description of the west mirror is "You look to the west and see yourself but squished by the mirror. You look more wide than you are tall. It looks very silly. You are not pleased with this outcome."

The description of the east mirror is "You look to the east and see yourself but all curved. The mirror seems to bend you in a spaghetti shape and you are all wobbly. It looks silly so you dance around. Haha."

The description of the north mirror is "You look straight ahead into the north mirror right in front of you. It shows a stretched version of yourself and you look much taller than you actually are. You are pleased with this outcome."

The description of the mirror shard is "You look into the mirror shard and almost scream. You see your face, but it’s different. It’s mangled. It’s muddied. It’s so different from you that you thought it was a monster- and yet- all its features were…. Recognizable. It was you. Should you hang onto this for now?"