InvisiClues™
The Hint Booklet for WISHBRINGER™
the original txt file is avaiable here:
ifarchive.org/indexes/if-archive/infocom/hints/invisiclues
Copyright by Infocom, Inc. Provided for non-commercial use only, with the sole intent of making information available that would otherwise be lost.
To whoever presently holds the copyright to the information contained in this file: if you think the existence of this file violates your copyright, please complain and the file will be removed.
Typed in from the original hintbook by Graeme Cree. Corrected by Paul David Doherty.
Sample Question
What is the plural of “platypus”?
A. Platypuses.
B. Platypi.
C. Both platypuses and platypi are correct.
Table of Contents
1. Festeron
2. Ye Olde Magick Shoppe
3. Witchville
4. The Tower
5. The Library
6. The Seven Wishes
7. How Points Are Scored
8. How Points Are Lost
9. For Your Amusement
1. Festeron
Somebody inside the Post Office is calling me. What should I do?
A. The Post Office door may give you a clue. EXAMINE it.
B. Since the door is open, why not GO INSIDE and see who’s calling?
Where is the Magick Stone?
That’s for us to know, and for you to find out.
Who is Mr. Crisp?
A. He’s your mean old boss.
B. And he isn’t very happy about your idle daydreaming.
C. So you’d better do what he says.
When should I open the envelope that came in my WISHBRINGER package?
The story will tell you. Patience!
How do I get into the cemetery?
A. WALK INTO THE CEMETERY.
B. You’re not going to let the computer scare you away, are you?
C. Go on, chicken! WALK INTO THE CEMETERY and answer YES to the question.
Who is the gravedigger?
LOOK AT THE GRAVEDIGGER and find out.
How do I get the flowers out of the hearse?
A. Did you find the vase?
B. It may be hidden amongst the flowers in the hearse.
C. There aren’t any flowers in the hearse.
D. There’s no hearse or vase, either.
E. Remember the warning in the introduction: Don’t let the presence or absence of questions, or the length of the answers, influence the way you play.
What should I do with the umbrella?
A. It might come in handy if it rains.
B. You can’t WISH FOR RAIN unless you have an umbrella.
C. So maybe you should hold onto it for later.
How do I get through the locked gate in the Twilight Glen?
A. The gravedigger has the only key to the gate.
B. But the gravedigger is nowhere to be seen.
C. You can’t unlock the gate. To leave the cemetery, you must go out through the open gate at Creepy Corner.
Why won’t the poodle let me near the cottage?
It wouldn’t be much of a watchdog if it did, would it?
Why won’t the poodle let me go north, into the village?
A. It doesn’t like people walking past the cottage.
B. It doesn’t like mail clerks.
C. It doesn’t like you.
How do I get past the poodle?
A. I wouldn’t PICK UP THE POODLE THEN KICK IT if I were you.
B. Since violence doesn’t work, maybe bribery will.
C. You’ll have to find something to bribe it with.
D. Have you been to every location you can visit without getting past the poodle?
E. Have you looked all around the cemetery?
F. Have you investigated the open grave in the Spooky Copse?
G. The gravedigger won’t let you into the grave while he’s watching.
H. Wait until the gravedigger goes away. Then GO INTO THE OPEN GRAVE. PICK UP THE OLD BONE. Bring it to the poodle and FEED THE BONE TO THE POODLE. Now you can GO NORTH into the village.
I left the envelope behind, and the poodle won’t let me go back for it! What can I do?
A. You’re not a very good mail clerk, are you?
B. There’s no way to walk past the poodle once it has finished eating the bone.
C. So you’ll have to start all over again.
D. RESTART. Next time, hold on to that envelope!
Who is Miss Voss?
A. She’s in charge of the Festeron Town Library, curator of the Festeron Historical Museum, and author of the best-selling “Local History Series” of booklets, including The Legend of Wishbringer.
B. Aren’t you glad you asked?
Why won’t Miss Voss give me back my library card?
A. She doesn’t like mail clerks.
B. She doesn’t like you.
C. What library card?
What should I do with the violet note?
A. Miss Voss asked you to give it to your boss, Mr. Crisp.
B. But delivering the mysterious envelope is more important right now.
C. So give the note to Mr. Crisp after you deliver the envelope.
Who is “Corky”?
A. It might be the name of Miss Voss’s poodle.
B. But why would Miss Voss write a note to her dog?
C. Since Miss Voss asked you to give the note to Mr. Crisp, and the note is addressed to “Corky,” it’s probably Mr. Crisp’s nickname.
How do I get inside the Library?
A. Miss Voss probably has the key.
B. Unfortunately, Miss Voss isn’t around any more.
C. You don’t have time to fool around in the Library right now. The Magick Shoppe closes at five o’clock!
D. Be patient; maybe you can get inside after you deliver the envelope.
Who is Sgt. MacGuffin?
He’s in charge of Festeron’s Police Department.
How do I get the chcolate?
A. Simply TAKE THE CHOCOLATE OFF THE DESK.
B. Of course, Sgt. MacGuffin might have other ideas.
C. Have you tried examining Sgt. MacGuffin?
D. Wait until Sgt. MacGuffin falls asleep before taking the chocolate.
What should I do in the Park?
A. The statue in the middle of the fountain is interesting.
B. But not as interesting as the other objects in the fountain.
C. LOOK INSIDE THE FOUNTAIN.
D. The rest is up to you.
How do I catch the goldfish?
A. Unfortunately, you won’t find a net or pole anywhere.
B. What makes you think you have to catch the goldfish?
The movie theater is closed! How do I get inside?
A. The schedule might give you a hint.
B. The theater opens at seven o’clock. Come back later.
Why can’t I take things out of the big mailbox?
Public mailboxes are built to discourage prying fingers like yours.
How do I play the video game?
A. By scoring as many points as you can.
B. Naturally, you’ll have to put a token in the video machine before you can play.
C. Isn’t it getting awfully close to five o’clock?
What do I do with the seahorse?
A. If you don’t do something quickly, it will probably die.
B. A seahorse can’t live long out of water.
C. PICK UP THE SEAHORSE THEN THROW IT INTO THE BAY.
What happened to the church mouse?
It ran away when it saw you. Surprised?
How do I get the candle?
A. Try to TAKE THE CANDLE.
B. Try to STEAL THE CANDLE.
C. Taking things that don’t belong to you is stealing, especially in a church.
D. At the moment, you can’t steal the candle.
What should I do with the pile of leaves?
A. Did you notice the message in the sand near the leaves?
B. Are you going to do what the message says?
C. You might be sorry if you don’t.
Who wrote the message in the sand?
The person who wrote the message was obviously very concerned that somebody like you might come along and disturb the pile of leaves. Aside from this acute observation, the author of the message is not important.
How do I get to Misty Island?
A. If you had a bathing suit you could put it on and swim over.
B. No bathing suit, eh? Oh, well. You’ll just have to wait for the Misty Island ferry.
C. Charter a private seaplane, preferably one equipped with a wet bar and jacuzzi.
D. If all else fails, give up.
E. But watch for new opportunities after you deliver the envelope.
What do I do with the horseshoe?
A. Keep it. It might bring you good luck.
B. Especially if you use it to WISH FOR LUCK after you find the Magick Stone.
How do I get into the lighthouse?
A. It’s a phoney lighthouse. You can’t go into it.
B. Ever.
C. So stop trying.
What should I feed to the pelican?
A. A flapping, juicy fish would be nice if you can find one.
B. The only fish you’ll find is in the fountain.
C. Unfortunately, you can’t get the fish in the fountain.
D. What makes you think the pelican is hungry?
What’s the easiest way into the impenetrable forest?
Look up the word “impenetrable” in a dictionary.
What can I do with the gnarled, rotten tree?
A. You can always CLIMB THE GNARLED TREE.
B. Maybe you should have examined the tree first.
What can I do with the dead branch?
A. It probably won’t help you deliver the envelope any faster.
B. But it’s a good idea to remember where it is. You might find a use for it later.
Mr. Crisp just fired me! What did I do wrong?
You failed to deliver the envelope on time, or didn’t read it to the old woman. Next time, make sure you’re in the Magick Shoppe before five o’clock, and do what the old woman asks you to do!
2. Ye Olde Magick Shoppe
Why is “Magick” spelled with a “k”?
A. Because.
B. Oh, all right. “Magick” is an archaic spelling popularized by Aleister Crowley (a 20th century occultist) and occasionally seen in pulp fantasies and tales of horror. It’s supposed to imply an especially old
and potent variety of supernatural force.
How do I get into the Magick Shoppe?
Just OPEN THE DOOR THEN GO INSIDE.
A gust of wind blew the door shut! How do I open it again?
A. You can’t open it by yourself.
B. Relax. Maybe somebody will come along and open it for you.
How do I take the naughty birthday cards?
A. By removing them from the glass case.
B. Unfortunately, you can’t reach into the glass case.
C. So you can’t take the naughty birthday cards.
D. You rascal.
Why can’t I approach the curtain?
A. Maybe it doesn’t like mail clerks.
B. It’s enchanted in such a way as to discourage nosey visitors.
Who is the old woman?
A. She’s the proprietor of the Magick Shoppe.
B. The mysterious envelope is addressed to her.
C. So maybe you ought to give her the mysterious envelope.
Why did the Shoppe become strangely quiet all of a sudden?
A. A noise stopped.
B. A nearby mechanism stopped working.
C. EXAMINE THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK.
D. The clock stopped when the old woman appeared. Creepy, isn’t it?
I found a bug! The clock on my status line stopped. Should I call Infocom?
A. It’s not a bug. See the previous question for details.
B. If it was a bug, you could blame it on one of the Infopeople who tested the game. In alphabetical order, they are: “Hollywood” Dave Anderson (Manager), Joanne Avtges, Gary Brennan, Amy Briggs, Mark “Max” Buxton, Liz Cyr-Jones, Suzanne Frank, Jeff O’Neill, plus dozens of beta- and gamma-testers too numerous to list.
Who is “The Evil One”?
A. She’s the person who mailed the mysterious envelope.
B. She kidnapped the old woman’s pet cat and is demanding a Magick Stone for ransom.
C. If she doesn’t get the Stone before the moon sets, she’ll probably do something awful to the cat.
D. Doesn’t sound like a very nice person, does she?
What should I do with the metal can?
A. Like all objects in the story, you should EXAMINE it.
B. The rest is up to you.
Why does the metal can rattle?
A. Maybe there are some yummy mixed nuts inside.
B. Then again, maybe not.
C. There’s something built into the can that makes it rattle. It’s designed to lure innocent victims to their doom by making them believe there may be nuts inside.
Why can’t I move when the old woman touches my forehead?
A. She’s casting a subtle hypnotic spell on you.
B. So shut up and pay attention.
Who is “Chaos”?
A. It’s the name of the old woman’s pet cat.
B. It’s also the name of Dan Horn’s pet skunk.
Who is Dan Horn?
A. He’s the owner of a pet skunk named Chaos.
B. He works at Infocom.
C. He paid $10.00 to see his name in print.
D. (This space for sale.)
3. Witchville
What happened to Festeron? Everything’s changed!
A. Exactly.
B. The village seems to have come under an evil, supernatural influence.
C. The influence’s initials are T.E.O.
D. The “T” stands for “The”, and the “O” stands for “One”.
E. Sorry. You have to figure out the “E” yourself.
Where is Wishbringer, the Magick Stone?
A. It may be a lot closer than you think.
B. It seems odd that the old woman didn’t simply give it to you, doesn’t it?
C. Maybe the old woman gave it to you without telling you.
D. Have you noticed a persistent rattling sound?
E. Have you investigated the metal can since you left the Magick Shoppe?
F. Have you looked inside the metal can?
G. OPEN THE METAL CAN. SQUEEZE IT.
Where is the Evil One?
Don’t worry. She’ll find you.
Who is Thermofax?
He’s a fire-breathing dragon mentioned in _The Legend of Wishbringer and the opening title screen.
Thermofax won’t leave me alone! What should I do?
A. Throw the Magick Stone into his open maw.
B. If that doesn’t work, throw yourself into his open maw.
C. Except for brief mentions in The Legend of Wishbringer and the opening title screen, Thermofax does not appear in the story.
How do I get down the steep trail? It’s too foggy to see!
A. Use the map you drew on your way up the trail.
B. You did take the story’s advice when it told you to draw a map, didn’t you?
C. If you forgot to draw a map, you can still feel your way down the steep trail. But it won’t be easy. And you might die trying.
D. There’s another, safer way to get down the trail without a map.
E. You’ll need the Magick Stone.
F. One of the Seven Wishes can clear the fog away.
G. If you’re holding Wishbringer and an open umbrella, you can WISH FOR RAIN. The resulting downpour will clear the fog and transport you to the bottom of the cliff.
What’s the significance of the vulture?
A. It’s watching you.
B. Doesn’t that make you uneasy?
C. It ought to. The vulture is the Evil One’s spy.
How do I get past the toll gate?
A. Why not just pay the troll?
B. The troll won’t take your gold coin? Gee. Tough luck.
C. Maybe there’s something else you can give the troll.
D. What about the metal can?
E. Troll still bothering you? This just isn’t your lucky day.
F. There are three ways to get past the troll.
G. Two of the ways involve using the Magick Stone.
H. The other way doesn’t.
I. The troll may or may not bother to examine your gold coin.
J. If you’re lucky, he won’t examine it.
K. If you’re holding Wishbringer and the horseshoe, and you WISH FOR LUCK before giving the coin to the troll, the troll won’t bother to examine the coin.
L. Another way past the troll is to WISH FOR DARKNESS. It will scare him away just as thoroughly as the snake.
M. You can’t WISH FOR DARKNESS until you’ve found the grue’s milk.
N. You won’t find the milk until after you get past the troll.
O. Using the Darkness Wish to get past the troll is only useful if you have to go past him twice.
P. If you’ve already released the snake, you’ll have to use Magick.
Q. The non-Magick way it [sic] to give the closed metal can to the troll, or to open it in front of him. The snake will scare him away.
What is the significance of the giant stump?
A. It affords an excellent view of the surrounding area.
B. Have you examined it lately?
C. OPEN THE STUMP. Surprise!
What is a grue?
The grue is a sinister, lurking presence in the dark places of the earth. Its favorite diet is Adventurers, but its insatiable appetite is tempered only by its fear of light. No grue has ever been seen by the light of day, and few have survived its fearsome jaws to tell the tale.
How do I milk a grue?
A. Very carefully.
B. Fortunately, you don’t have to milk a grue to finish the story.
Where do I find the grue’s milk?
A. Grue’s milk must be kept in a cool, well-lighted place to stay spoiled.
B. Grue refrigerators are cool and well-lighted.
C. There’s a grue refrigerator in the Grue’s Nest.
How do I get the grue’s milk without being devoured?
A. Avoid waking up the beast with light or noise.
B. The light source you’re carrying is waking up the beast.
C. Cover up the beast so it can’t see.
D. Blankets make an excellent cover.
E. Get the blanket in the Jail Cell. COVER THE BEAST WITH THE BLANKET before it wakes up.
How do I get around in the dark?
A. You’ll need a source of light.
B. Have you found the small stone yet?
C. Have you examined it?
D. There’s another, more conventional source of light.
E. It’s in the church.
F. Go into the church and STEAL THE CANDLE.
Why can’t I blow out the candle?
A. It’s magic.
B. It’s Magick.
What is the Boot Patrol?
Stay in one place for a while. You’ll find out.
The Boot Patrol threw me in jail! How do I get out?
A. Maybe you’re not the first person who’s tried to escape.
B. Have you investigated everything in the Jail Cell?
C. Have you looked under everything?
D. LOOK UNDER THE BUNK.
E. If this is the first time you’ve been thrown in jail, just MOVE THE BUNK THEN GO INTO THE HOLE.
F. If not, you’ll find that the hole has been cemented over. Now you’ll need Magick to get out of the Jail Cell.
G. One of the Seven Wishes might work.
H. EAT THE CHOCOLATE THEN WISH FOR FREEDOM.
I. If you don’t have the chocolate or Wishbringer handy, relax. The Boot Patrol will be along in just a few moves, and all your troubles will be over.
How do I get rid of the big mailbox?
A. Give it what it wants.
B. Give it mail.
C. Give it stamped mail.
D. There’s another mailbox with some stamped mail in it.
E. Find a shimmering trail.
F. The shimmering trail is at the Rocky Path.
G. OPEN THE SMALL MAILBOX. TAKE THE LEAFLET OUT OF THE BOX. Go to the big mailbox and FEED THE LEAFLET TO THE BIG MAILBOX.
H. Congratulations. You have a new companion.
Why is the small mailbox following me around?
A. It likes mail clerks.
B. It likes you.
How do I get through the Cemetery?
A. Did somebody warn you about going in there after dark?
B. You can’t get through the Cemetery. It’s a trap.
What is an eldritch vapor?
A. Any relation to Eldridge Cleaver?
B. They’re mischievious but generally harmless ghosts that hang around cemeteries at night, annoying passersby with supernatural tricks.
The eldritch vapors stole everything I was carrying! What should I do?
A. Have you looked around the village?
B. Everywhere?
C. The vapors will scatter your possessions randomly around the village, always outdoors. Pesty little critters, aren’t they?
What’s inside the pit?
A. Maybe you should LOOK INSIDE THE PIT.
B. If you found a platypus, congratulations.
C. If not, you must have disturbed the pile of leaves that used to cover the pit. Shame on you!
D. You can’t possibly finish the story if you disturbed that pile of leaves.
E. RESTART. Next time, heed the message in the sand!
What is a platypus?
Look it up in an encyclopedia.
What do I do with the platypus?
A. Maybe you don’t have to do anything with it.
B. Unless you want to finish the story.
C. It’d be really nice if you rescued the platypus.
D. Not as easy as it sounds, eh?
E. There are two ways to rescue the platypus.
F. One of them involves the use of Magick.
G. Platypuses are great swimmers.
H. If you filled the pit with water, the platypus might be smart enough to swim out.
I. One of the Seven Wishes might help you fill the pit with water.
J. While standing at Edge of Lake, OPEN THE UMBRELLA THEN WISH FOR RAIN.
K. If you don’t have the umbrella or Wishbringer, or if you’ve already used the Rain Wish, you’ll have to find another way to rescue the platypus.
L. How deep is the pit?
M. There’s something you can get that might help you reach into the pit.
N. Did you notice the dead branch at Cliff Bottom?
O. PUT THE BRANCH IN THE PIT. The platypus will hold on to the end of the branch. PULL THE BRANCH OUT OF THE PIT.
Why are there so many platypuses in the story and packaging?
A. That’s what our marketing department wanted to know.
B. But we wouldn’t explain it to them.
C. And we won’t explain it to you, either.
D. Marketing department’s note: Actually, Brian Moriarty is a bit strange, and we decided it was best to humor him.
What should I do with the silver whistle?
A. What silver whistle?
B. Oh, that silver whistle! Well, you can always EXAMINE THE WHISTLE.
C. If you’re really adventurous, you could even (dare we suggest it?) try to BLOW THE WHISTLE.
D. If nothing happens the first time you blow the whistle, EXAMINE THE WHISTLE. Then take the whistle to the place where you found it, and EXAMINE THE WHISTLE again.
E. The whistle only twinkles when you’re at Edge of Lake.
F. BLOW THE WHISTLE only when it’s twinkling…unless you just like to hear the music.
How do I get to Misty Island?
Read the above hint. You may discover something unexpected.
What should I say to King Anatinus?
A. You don’t need to say anything. Just do what he says.
B. If he offers you a gift, take it.
C. TAKE THE HAT.
D. If he asks you to do anything, do it.
E. BLOW THE WHISTLE.
F. Don’t annoy the King. You might be sorry.
What should I do with the wizard’s hat?
A. Do what the King told you to do.
B. Take the hat to the pelican.
C. GIVE THE HAT TO THE PELICAN.
What is the significance of the pelican?
Read the preceding hint.
How do I get into the movie theater?
A. There are two ways into the movie theater.
B. The first way into the theater involves the use of Magick.
C. Go into the theater lobby and WISH FOR DARKNESS. You can sneak inside while the gravedigger is stumbling around in the dark.
D. Or GIVE THE GOLD COIN TO MISS VOSS. GO INSIDE. GIVE THE TICKET TO THE GRAVEDIGGER. GO INTO THE THEATER.
The movie is all fuzzy and indistinct! What’s wrong?
A. Did you read the marquee outside the theater?
B. Did you examine the empty carton in the lobby?
C. This is a 3D movie. You need a pair of 3D glasses to see it.
D. Did you look inside the carton in the lobby?
E. Oh, well. Looks like they’re all gone. But maybe somebody dropped a pair somewhere.
F. Have you searched everywhere in the theater?
G. LOOK UNDER THE SEATS.
Where can I get a token for the video arcade?
A. Ask one of the humanoids. They seem to have plenty of tokens.
B. Oh, well. Maybe somebody dropped one somewhere.
C. Have you been to the Park lately?
D. LOOK IN THE FOUNTAIN.
I found the token! How do I get it?
A. Simply TAKE THE TOKEN OUT OF THE FOUNTAIN.
B. But the piranha might have other ideas.
C. Remember the poodle?
D. Maybe you can distract the piranha the same way you distracted the poodle.
E. It’s not likely that the piranha would be interested in a bone.
F. But it might be interested in something else.
G. If you were a fish, what would you be interested in?
H. Have you found the grue’s milk yet?
I. Have you visited the Grue’s Nest yet?
J. There’s more than one item in the grue refrigerator.
K. TAKE THE WORM OUT OF THE REFRIGERATOR. Then go to the Park and FEED THE WORM TO THE PIRANHA. The piranha will leave you alone long enough to TAKE THE TOKEN OUT OF THE FOUNTAIN.
How do I play the video game?
A. It would help if you turned on the machine.
B. PUT THE TOKEN IN THE SLOT.
C. Have you tried to EXAMINE THE SCREEN?
D. The screen looks just like the map in your Wishbringer package.
E. Did you EXAMINE THE STAR?
F. Did you EXAMINE THE JOYSTICK?
G. To experiment, try to PUSH THE JOYSTICK TO THE WEST. Then EXAMINE THE STAR.
H. Maneuver the star to an interesting square on the grid. When you’re satisfied, PUSH THE BIG RED BUTTON.
I. You’re not afraid of a bunch of stunted humanoids, are you? Go on! PUSH THE BUTTON!
J. Most of the squares in the video game aren’t very interesting.
K. But one of them is VERY interesting.
L. Move the star to square C-5, which is over the Post Office on the map. Then PUSH THE BUTTON. You’ll end up outside the Tower, without having to get past the hellhound.
The hellhound won’t let me past! What can I do?
A. Maybe you can bribe the hellhound the same way you bribed the poodle.
B. Then again, maybe not.
C. There are three ways to get past the hellhound.
D. One of them involves Magick.
E. One of the Seven Wishes might help you.
F. WISH FOR DARKNESS while standing outside the cottage. The hellhound will cower in fear long enough for you to get past.
G. Another way involves the video game in the arcade.
H. Refer to the previous hint for instructions on how to play the video game.
I. The last way to get past the hellhound only works if you’ve already been inside the Tower.
J. Have you read all of the mail in the story?
K. Have you read the violet note?
L. You can’t open the violet note yourself.
M. Wait until Mr. Crisp opens the violet note. After he leaves, read the note.
N. Then go to the hellhound and say ALEXIS, HEEL. The hellhound will become considerably less ferocious.