The layout of the automap for Out by Midnight resembles that of DiBianca’s The Temple of Shorgil, and in that game the entire 5x5 grid of rooms can be reached. As a result, I’ve been looking for secrets that make it possible to reach the “empty” zones on both the first and second floors.
Beyond the Laboratory and Shrine, which seem relatively easy to get to, I haven’t found anything. Are there more secret rooms beyond those?
I got a ten treasure run and the speed achievement, but none of the others, and haven’t seen anything indicating I’d unlocked anything extra. I can post my notes tomorrow if folks are interested - I used RECALL to get pretty comprehensive on what does what where, though I didn’t take copious notes on stuff like the exact time differentials from using tools vs not (though those are definitely relevant, there were one or two areas in my run where the brute force method wound up being fastest).
I never actually used RECALL—inadvertent handicap! My notes are all in the vein of “key in music room bench opens clock in floor 2 hall”, which maybe I wouldn’t have needed if I remembered RECALL existed.
I did end up going back to this; gah. I’m bad at resisting the temptation to see if I can solve puzzles. Even if I know I’m going to regret the time.
But I got all four achievements and it didn’t seem to unlock anything, and a quick scroll through glulxe-strings looks like there’s only the text there to support the rooms that we’ve seen…
item locations
9-ball - 17m in coat closet, 20m in billiard room unassisted (2 w/lubricant)
gold coin - only in cellar. corkscrew in observatory
silverware - chest in attic needs key (reaching tool), drawer in kitchen needs lubricant
toy animal - 18m in playroom w/o reaching, 18m in 1st bath is 18 w/o scissors
parchment - 20m in observatory w/o paint remover, 20m in music room.
timepiece - 22m to pick office door, 15m to pick desk drawer (w/o keys), or 25m in car?
jewelry - 25m to crack safe (3m with combo/screwdriver), 10m in shrine
neckwear - 15m scarf in laundry, 24m in bedroom 1 (2 w/paint remover)
My first stab at solving it came out at 11:26 exactly, haha. I was wondering if that achievement tracked your best time before I looked at Mike’s run.
out by 11:26
upstairs to LIN (+workroom key)
down to FAM (+paint remover)
to GAR (+wrench)
to WOR (+screwdriver, +cellar key)
to MUS (+clock key)
to PAR (+safe combination)
up to HA8 (+library note)
down to LIB (+desk key)
to LAB (+office key, +lubricant)
up to AT2 (+scissors)
to OBS (+corkscrew, +PARCHMENT)
down to BE3 (+JEWELRY)
to BAL (+conservatory key)
to BIL (+BILLIARD)
to BE2 (+studio key)
to OFF (+TIMEPIECE)
to STU (+PLAQUE)
to BE1 (+NECKWEAR)
down to DIN (+PORCELAIN)
to KIT (+SILVERWARE)
to BA1 (+ANIMAL)
to CEL (+COIN)
leave
I was going to stop there, but it looked like Bookless and Rumpled could be achieved with the obvious minor variations on that pathing, and sure enough:
Bookless
up to LIN (+workroom key)
down to FAM (+paint remover)
to GAR (+wrench)
to WOR (+screwdriver, +cellar key)
to MUS (+clock key)
to PAR (+safe combination)
up to AT2 (+scissors)
to OBS (+corkscrew, +PARCHMENT)
down to BE3 (+JEWELRY)
to BAL (+conservatory key)
to BE2 (+studio key)
to OFF (+TIMEPIECE)
to STU (+PLAQUE)
to BE1 (+NECKWEAR)
down to DIN (+PORCELAIN)
to KIT (+SILVERWARE)
to BA1 (+ANIAL)
to CEL (+COIN)
to COA (+BILLIARD)
leave
Rumpled
to FAM (+paint remover)
to MUS (+clock key)
up to HA8 (+library note)
down to LIB (+desk key)
to LAB (+office key, +lubricant)
to SHR (+JEWELRY)
up to H10
up to AT2 (+scissors)
to OBS (+corkscrew, +PARCHMENT)
down to BAL (+conservatory key)
to BIL (+BILLIARD)
to BE2 (+studio key)
to OFF (+TIMEPIECE)
to STU (+PLAQUE)
to BE1 (+NECKWEAR)
down to DIN (+PORCELAIN)
to KIT (+SILVERWARE)
to BA1 (+ANIMAL)
to CEL (+COIN)
leave
And then I was invested, but Acrophobic came out at 12:01 three times before I got serious about modifying my route a little more extensively.