h2g2/docs/walkthrough.md

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — Complete Walkthrough

Earth

You start in bed, in the dark, with a splitting headache.

turn on light
get out of bed
get gown
wear gown
open gown
eat tablet
get screwdriver
get toothbrush
south
south
south
south
drink beer
drink beer
drink beer

What happened: You turned on the light, got dressed, cured your headache with the buffered analgesic, collected tools, and made your way to the pub. Ford Prefect arrived, bought you three pints, and shoved a babel fish in your ear.

Score so far: 25 (tablet 10 + beers 15)

Timing: The bulldozer demolishes your house at turn 20 if you're still inside. The Vogon fleet arrives at turn 50 and beams you aboard regardless.

After turn 50, the Vogon Constructor Fleet demolishes the Earth and you wake up in the Vogon Hold.

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Vogon Ship — Hold

You arrive groggy. Ford gives you peanuts (+8 points). You have about 3 turns before the grogginess gets you.

Babel Fish Puzzle

Ford gives you the Guide and a towel around turn 6. You need to get the babel fish from the dispenser into your ear. This requires setting up a Rube Goldberg chain:

hang gown on hook
put towel on drain
put satchel in front of panel
put mail on satchel
push button

The fish bounces off the gown, lands on the towel, a cleaning robot grabs it, crashes into the satchel, and the fish lands in your ear. (+12 points)

Score so far: 45

Poetry Appreciation

Around turn 36, guards drag you to the Captain's Quarters. The Vogon Captain reads his poetry. With the babel fish you can understand it.

enjoy poetry

(+15 points)

After enjoying the poem, you can open the glass case in the Hold:

type on keyboard
take plotter

(+25 points for opening the case)

Score so far: 85

Airlock

Whether you enjoyed the poetry or not, you eventually end up in the airlock. Ford rambles about the odds of rescue. After 4 turns, the airlock opens and you're blown into space.

You black out and enter the Dark room.

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The Dark

You float in sensory deprivation. Wait a few turns, then use your senses to find the exit:

listen
look
walk

After the airlock, you're dispatched to the Heart of Gold (Entry Bay).

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Heart of Gold — Entry Bay & Corridors

You wake aboard the stolen starship Heart of Gold. (+10 points on first entry)

Engine Room — Reveal Hidden Objects

Go to the Engine Room (south from Aft Corridor). You'll need to argue your way in:

south
south
south
yes
yes
yes
look
look
look

On the third look, the spare Improbability Drive, pliers, and rasp appear. (+25 points)

take spare drive
take pliers
take rasp
north

Score so far: 120

Marvin's Tool Quest

Go to the Pantry (west from Aft Corridor):

west
talk to marvin
talk to marvin

Marvin agrees to fix the jammed hatch mechanism. Wait 12 turns (or explore elsewhere), then go to the Access Space (east from Hatchway):

east
east
down
east

Marvin is here and asks for a specific tool (randomly chosen — could be screwdriver, toothbrush, wrench, pliers, rasp, or tweezers). Give him whatever he asks for:

give [tool] to marvin

(+25 points, hatch now opens)

west

Score so far: 145

Nutrimatic — Get Tea

Go to the Galley (west from Fore Corridor):

up
north
west
push pad

This starts the Nutrimatic processing tea. Wait through the countdown (it takes several turns). The Nutrimatic produces tea. Be careful: a missile countdown starts around turn 7-8. Take the tea before things go wrong:

take tea
drink tea

(+100 points for drinking real tea!)

Score so far: 245

Tea/No-Tea Paradox — Open Pantry Door

You need both tea and the concept of "no tea" to impress the screening door. After drinking tea, you're back to holding "no tea" conceptually. Get another cup:

push pad

Wait for tea, take it:

take tea

Now go to the screening door (west exit from Aft Corridor):

east
south
south
show tea to door
show no-tea to door

The door, overwhelmed by the paradox, opens. (+25 points)

Score so far: 270

Infinite Improbability Drive

You need the plotter (from the Vogon glass case) and the spare drive (from the Engine Room). Connect everything:

plug large plug into console
plug small plug into plotter
dip dangly bit in tea
push switch

The Improbability Drive activates! The ship jumps to Magrathea orbit. (+50 points)

A 24-turn countdown to landing begins.

Score so far: 320

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Landing on Magrathea

After 24 turns, the ship lands. Go to the Hatchway and down the ramp:

south
down
down

You step out onto the legendary lost planet of Magrathea. (+50 points)

Final score: 370

The game congratulates you and displays your final score.

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Optional: Beast of Traal (Dream Sequence)

If you die in a dream and get dispatched to the Lair, you face the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal.

wear towel
tell beast my name
east
take stone
carve name on memorial
west
southwest
take interface

Puzzle: The Beast is so stupid it thinks if you can't see it, it can't see you. Wearing the towel over your head protects you. Telling it your name, then carving it on the memorial, makes the Beast think it's already eaten you — it falls asleep. (+25 points for carving, +25 points for the interface)

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Score Summary

Action	Points
Eat tablet	10
Drink 3 beers	15
Enter Vogon Hold	8
Babel fish in ear	12
Enjoy poetry	15
Open glass case	25
Enter Heart of Gold	10
Engine Room reveal (3rd look)	25
Give Marvin correct tool	25
Drink real tea	100
Open screening door (paradox)	25
Activate Improbability Drive	50
Land on Magrathea	50
Total (critical path)	370

Optional points

Action	Points
Defeat Beast (carve memorial)	25
Take Nutrimatic interface	25
Maximum possible	420

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Tips

• Don't panic. The game has time pressure in several places but gives you enough turns if you know what to do.
• Consult the Guide about anything: consult guide about towel, consult guide about vogons, etc.
• Save often if save/restore is implemented.
• The babel fish puzzle is the trickiest sequence — all 4 items (gown on hook, towel on drain, satchel at panel, mail on satchel) must be placed before pushing the button.
• Keep the towel. You'll need it for the Beast of Traal.
• Keep tools. Marvin will ask for a random one.