Alone in the Dark - Getting Started

                Sent in by Mark Bradshaw

Main hints

- learn how to fight without weapons. It is tempting to just use
the weapons found around the house, but if ammunition is short,
you can end up in a lot of trouble!
- learn how to run. Can take a bit of getting used to, but is
useful for staying alive at times.
- save your game often, as some of the monsters can prove to be
very persistent.
- none of the books encountered are required to solve the puzzles
as such: they are provided to give a background to the story and
to suggest the origins and uses of items found around the house.
When discovered, books should be read and discarded as you only
have a limited amount of carry-space!

There now follows the start of a step-by-step walkthrough of the
game.  It describes all of the rooms and what will happen in them,
and gives away all the actions needed to complete the game!

Attic

This is where you start the game from. There are 2 monsters that
will attack you here, and they provide an excellent opportunity to
learn how to fight. Alternatively, push the wardrobe across the
window to stop the snappy monster entering and push the chest over
the trapdoor to halt the zombie.

Book - this can be found in the bookcase near the table. It is a
fragment of the myth of the golden fleece.
Lamp - on the table. Take this.
Gun - in the chest. Take it: it is excellent for blowing away
annoying monsters!
Jeremy's suicide note - in the side of the piano. This is
mentioned in the opening text and gives the first clue to what has
been going on in the house.
Indian cover - in the wardrobe. Take it.

Now - the room is done so go through the doorway in the corner of
the room near to the rocking horse (walk into that for a bit of a
laugh).

Store room

Bow - next to the shelves. Take this.
Oil can - search the shelves to find this. Use the oil can
immediately (it will fill the lamp with oil!) and discard the
empty can. Saves you carrying it about.

Now - go through the door into the upper hallway.

Upper hallway

Look at the floor. Halfway along, the floor looks different from
the surrounding stuff. This is a weak area which breaks when you
step on it. Save your game and try to walk on it (dead!). It is
amazing how you can walk on this during the intro!  Go through
door to your immediate left to enter the drawing room.

Drawing room

Door shuts as soon as you enter the room.
The chest is locked, so search the writing table to find the key.
Use the key on the chest and discard the key. There is an old
cavalry sabre in the chest. DO NOT use this in combat as it will
break, and it is needed whole later in the game!

Return to the upper hallway. Be ready to fight as when you open
the door to leave, a zombie waits! Now go through the door
opposite into a dressing room....

@~The full solution will be in the next issue of SynTax.