Return to Zork Walkthrough

Copyright © 1994 Balmoral Software (http://www.balmoralsoftware.com). Portions copyright © 1993 Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, redistribution or conversion is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Balmoral Software.

Table of Contents

• General Notes
• Walkthrough
• Finances

General Notes

• While comprehensive, this walkthrough does not mention every visual element in the game nor does it explore all possible playing sequences. Some inventory items may be unneeded. With this walkthrough, your score will be at least 212 out of a possible 225 total points.

• Click the left mouse button to skip most of the introduction.

• Use the right mouse button to display your current list of inventory.

• Move the mouse cursor to the upper left corner of the screen to access the

• Note that most inventory items have a two-triangles background; click on the upper light triangle to pick up the item, or click on the lower dark triangle to examine or use the item (submenu).

• The background music sequences in Return to Zork, although short, are quite good and really help to set an otherworldly mood in the gameplay (as long as you don't mind tuba). They may be played through separate audio tracks on the CD-ROM. Unfortunately, Boos' toasting music is not included.

Abbreviations used for movement through mazes:

F: Forward (Fn for n repetitions)
L: Turn left
R: Turn right
B: Back out
T: Turn around

Walkthrough

Move to the hardware store at far right. Enter it and put the crank and box into your inventory. Exit the hardware store, back out to the right, and move to the schoolhouse at near right. Strike the bell with the knife. Talk to Mrs. Peepers and answer her copy-protection pop quiz using Encyclopedia Frobozzica answers found in the Return to Zork manual that came with the game:

Zorkian Days of the Week

Sand Day
Mud Day
Grues Day
Wands Day
Birthday
Frob Day
Star Day

Enter the Town Hall. Zoom in on the file cabinet and open Drawer 1. Note the description of the SURVIVOR game:

A game of strategy involving two players in the guise of Wizard
Trembyle and the Mage Canuk. The Wizard piece plays a
compound move comprised of one straight and one diagonal move
in one turn. The Canuk piece can move to any square on the
board to block the Wizard piece's movement. Whenever the
Wizard piece vacates a square on the playing board, that
square turns into a pit. The object of the game is to occupy the
last remaining square on the board.

The traditional Shanbar Ritual Toast consists of four steps:

1 - Here's to us!
2 - Who's like us?
3 - Damn few...
4 - And they're all dead.

Before each sentence of the Shanbar Toast, the host offers the
guest a glass of some drink (e.g. rye, wine, etc., but not
Illumynade). The guest then suggests a toast. The host recites
the next sentence in the toast and raises his glass. The guest
drinks first while the host waits. Finally, the host drinks his
glass, and begins the next step by offering another drink.

The first two or three steps of this intricate drinking ritual with
our highly potent local rye is enough to make you drunk. Getting
past the third step is the key.

Remember, don't drink and drive!

	Bog down not with your staff,
	  but return to throw,
	   lest the vessel of sight,
	    miss your boxing helmet,
	     and your brilliant defense,
	      to hit you in the orb kicker.

Enter the millhouse and perform these steps in accordance with Zorkian toasting etiquette:

1. Click the full glass on Boos and make a toast
2. Click the full glass on the plant and pour the glass out
3. Click the empty glass on Boos and drink
4. Click the full glass on Boos and make a toast
5. Click the full glass on the plant and pour the glass out
6. Click the empty glass on Boos and drink
7. Click the full glass on Boos and make a toast
8. Click the full glass on the plant and pour the glass out
9. Click the empty glass on Boos and drink
10. Put the glass of rye into your inventory
11. Click on Boos and ask for the keys
12. Put the keys into inventory and pick up the glass of rye from inventory
13. Click the full glass on Boos and make a toast
14. Click the full glass on the plant and pour the glass out
15. Click the empty glass on Boos and drink

Bear right to the Hero's Memorial, then left to the Fool's Memorial. Pick up the jokebook. Go straight ahead twice. Enter Snoot's farmhouse through the window to the right of the front door. Open the door immediately to the left of the open archway. After you wake up, click on Rebecca and answer her question using the Encyclopedia Frobozzica. Open the right-hand door off the living room, zoom in on the chest of drawers and pick up the mirror. Back out to the living room and move forward through the open archway into the kitchen. Pick up the Thermozz from the table. Open the refrigerator and pick up the meat from the freezer compartment. Pick up the soap next to the sink and drop it into the sink. Turn the sink on and wash the Waif's gift in it. Put the disc piece into inventory. Use the flask from inventory to turn the sink on. Quickly click the flask on the sink to fill the flask with water. Return the flask to inventory. Examining it in inventory should indicate a silver flask with water. If desired, turn on the oven. Return to the living room and open the door at far left. Click on Alexis the dog to automatically get a tape recording of her barking. Back out to the living room and then again to exit the farmhouse.

Turn right to the silo on Snoot's farm. Put the crank into the silo latch and turn clockwise. Pick up the carrots and move to the right to Pugney's ranch. Head for the door in the house on the right. Click on the window and talk to Pugney. While he's talking, threaten, then apologize. Back out and pick up the bra box on the ground. Back out and bear left toward the barn. Enter the barn and use the camera from inventory to take a photograph of the cow. Pick up the hay and drop it on the ground in front of the cow. Light a match from inventory and burn the small clump of hay with it. Warm your hands over the hay fire. Milk the cow with the Thermozz. Return the Thermozz to inventory.

Back out twice from the barn, turn around and move through Pugney's arch to the left. Move forward twice to East Shanbar. Move to the incinerator at far left. Open the large hatch with Lever 1 and throw the bra box into the incinerator. Close the hatch with Lever 1 and open the drawer with Lever 2. Zoom in on the drawer and pour the flask of water on the hot wire. Put the flask and cooled wire into inventory.

Move left, then toward the general store at near left. Use the wire to open the door. Shake the cereal box twice to get the whistle. Carefully pick up the rats and drop them into the box you have in inventory.

Exit the general store, move right and head toward the footbridge straight ahead. At the bridge, turn left to the dock. Click on Ben's knot and learn the cow-hitch. Ask Ben about Mrs. Peeper's photo, and get a love letter from him. Pay Ben 2 Zorkmids worth of coins from inventory. Use the box; remove the rats. Drop the rats into the boat motor.

Move forward to the witch's hut. Drop the now-rotting meat outside the hut. Enter the hut and give the sealed letter to Witch Itah. Pick up the stick and begin navigating the bog.

Use the witch's stick to determine a safe passage through the bog (the maze is randomized for each game). Make a map of the path through the maze as it will be needed later.

Move forward into East Shanbar, then enter Moodock's armory at middle right. Click on the Survivors gameboard and listen to the instructions. You can always win the game by figuring out the two or three possible knight moves for the Wizard piece at each turn and putting your Mage piece on one of them. Since it can never retrace its path, the Wizard piece will eventually be unable to move and you will have won the game. Take the sword and token from Moodock.

Exit the armory, turn right and revisit Ben at the dock south of the footbridge. Pay Ben 2 Zorkmids again and retrace your steps to the witch's hut. Enter the hut and ask Witch Itah about the cow photo. Take the bat cage. Ask the witch about the jokebook in your inventory. Pick up the meat from outside and re-enter the hut.

Re-navigate the bog using the map you made earlier.

Turn around and enter the Whispering Woods. At the first location with a (south) compass heading shown, release the bats from their cage. Pick up the green bat guano. Follow the bats through the Whispering Woods maze, drinking the milk from the Thermozz when your eyesight is almost completely dim:

F L F2 R F L F R F L F R F L F L F

F2 R F2 R F3 R F L F2

At the end of the Whispering Lake dock, ring the bell three times. When the ferryman arrives, only show him the token from Moodock. On arrival at Ferryman's Isle, turn around and go up the path on the left side of the screen.

Move forward and enter Canuk's Shack by using the doorknob. Pick up the scroll and read it to the duck. Ask Canuk about the jokebook in your inventory and about the bottle on the shelf behind him. After you've entered the ship bottle, immediately look up and get the combination:

9 4 2 7

Ring the bell twice and show Moodock's token to the ferryman. After you've crossed the water, use the magnet with the whistle; blow the whistle. You now have a tamed vulture at your disposal for instant transportation to any location you've already visited using the map in your inventory. Use the curled corner of the map to see the other page.

Fly to West Shanbar on the surface. Enter the Mayor's office at near left and ask the Mayor about the jokebook in your inventory.

Fly to East Shanbar in the underground. Enter the blacksmith shop at far right and give him the sword. Ask him about the jokebook in your inventory; pay him your remaining 2 Zorkmids worth of coins to translate it. You can leave your 1 Zorkmid change here for the time being.

Back out to the right, then move forward to the edge of town. Turn left at the fork. Pick up the tiles, turn around and pick up the frame. Drop the tiles into the frame to create a complete puzzle. Look at the puzzle and solve it:

Tiles Puzzle

Press the left-hand reset button to set the puzzle to its original layout. Using the notation

A: Click the tile above the empty space
B: Click the tile below the empty space
L: Click the tile to the left of the empty space
R: Click the tile to the right of the empty space

LARA LBBR AALL BRBL ALBR AALB RRAL BRBR

Turn around and pick up the disc piece and illumynite rocks. Bear left to enter the Forest of the Spirits. Use this move sequence:

F R F2 R F

Give 3 Zorkmids worth of coins to Molly. Back out, then move right forward to the elevator. Drop the illumynite rocks on the nightstand. Zoom in on the monitor next to the door and turn out the lights. After the dream sequence finishes, zoom in on the monitor and turn on the lights. Pick up the illumynite rocks from the nightstand.

You should have at least 1 Zorkmid in inventory; if not, return to the coin tree in the Forest of the Spirits for more money. Fly to East Shanbar and enter the blacksmith shop at far right. Click on the dropped coin at lower right; this is enough to have it added to inventory. Pay the blacksmith 2 Zorkmids. Show the sword to the blacksmith; threaten him in order to receive back the true Dwarven sword.

On the map in inventory, scroll down and fly to Snoot's Farm. Back out and turn left. Move forward to the Cliffs of Depression. Pick up the rope and tie it on the tree. Use the tape recorder in your inventory to identify which track names and numbers are jokes. Follow the rope down and enter Chuckles Comedy Club. Use the tape recorder to play back four jokes recorded earlier (track numbers may vary):

Mayor - Track #2
Canuk - Track #2
Witch Itah - Track #3
Blacksmith - Track #1

Move forward through the exit and go back up the rope. Take the rope and fly to the Forest of the Spirits. (If you have no more milk in your Thermozz, you can refill it at Pugney's ranch by giving the cow a carrot.) From the entrance to the forest, move

T F2 L F L F R F

R F2 L

F

Fly to Pugney's Ranch. Head for the blue barn, then turn left toward the Vulture Pits. From outside the cave, throw the meat. Enter the Pits and pick up the red talon. Back out.

Fly to the Lighthouse on the surface. Give the illuminyte rocks to the lighthouse-keeper. Return the remaining rock to inventory and go up the stairs. Pick up the rope from inventory and tie a cow-hitch on the rail. Pick up the talon from inventory and tie it to the rope. Click on the rope and throw it to make a double rope bridge. Cross the river to Bel Naire Temple.

Pick up the shield from the statue outside the temple. Enter the temple. Give the sword to the Holy Woman; she blesses it. Exit the temple, turn around and go through the wall opening on the right.

Move forward to the Dwarven mining camp and listen to the direction clues from the Dwarven general:

Left
Right
Straight
Right
Left
Right
Straight
Right
Left
Left
Right
Straight

Examine the skeleton and note the letters written on the ground:

L U D

Wear the helmet, wield the now-blue sword and enter the caverns. Strike the first guard with a swing to the left (L). Move forward and strike the second guard with a swing up (U). Move forward and strike the third guard with a swing down (D). Move forward and talk to the Troll Leader. Keep threatening him; he gives you the Necklace of Fear.

Fly to the Forest of the Spirits. From the entrance, follow this sequence:

T F2 L F L F R F R F2 L F2 R F3 R F5 R F L F

F L F4

Continue with this sequence:

B L F R F L F4 L F R F2 R F L F2

Fly to the Lighthouse. Ask the lighthouse-keeper about the disc fragments in your inventory. Put his disc piece into your inventory. Click on the lighthouse-keeper, remove the helmet and put it back into inventory. Climb the stairs and pick up the rope + talon. Fly to the Dwarven Mines on the surface. Move toward the mine entrance in the background at left.

Navigate the mines by following the directions you received earlier (changes of direction at each junction must be selected while the mine car is in motion).

Put the disc pieces from your inventory into the green pool (trencher). Using the clues given in the poem from the Town Hall,

• Put Witch Itah's stick on the far-left statue
• Put the talon on the next statue
• Put the Thermozz on the third statue from the left
• Skip the middle statue
• Put both the miner's helmet and the box on the third statue from the right
• Put the shield on the second statue from the right
• Put the Tele-Orb on the far-right statue

Remove the disc from the trencher and store it in your inventory. Remove all items from the statues and the ground and fly to the Cliffs of Depression underground. Turn around, then turn left. Throw the disc at the blocked path to shatter the Wall of Illusion. Move forward to the Citadel of Zork.

Shoot the blue hand over the Citadel entrance with the bow and arrows. Put the bow back into inventory and enter the Citadel. Pick up the flask and drink it to become invisible. Play the segment from Alexis the dog on the tape recorder to scare off the Orc guard. Move forward to the fiery pit.

Throw all inventory items with a two-triangles background onto the Citadel bridges until the left one has fallen and the right one has risen enough to be safe to cross. Be careful not to press the red arrow cursor in error. The chances of that may be lessened by selecting inventory items from the center of the inventory grid.

Move across the bridge. A winning move combination for the Wizard piece in the final Survivors game with Morphius, starting from position A1, is

C2 B4 A2 C1 D3 B2 A4 C3 B1 A3 C4 D2 B3 D4

Watch the endgame sequence in which Evil Magic is vanquished and you are remembered forever in the Great Underground Empire (GUE).

Final score: 212/225

Finances

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Copyright © 1994 Balmoral Software (http://www.balmoralsoftware.com). Portions copyright © 1993 Activision, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, redistribution or conversion is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Balmoral Software.