The Count

By A. Haines

Originally published in EUG #49

Finishing The Count by Adventure International is a laborious process and you must keep an eye on the screen for key events such as parcel delivery and the time of day. This solution is divided up into four days and each day has a depiction and a brief summary of what to do. If you follow it, you will be bitten twice by Dracula but will survive.

Day 1

GET UP and go N then WAIT until the doorbell rings. When it does, go E and GET the CARD which has been delivered. Go back W then READ the CARD if you wish. On it, there is a paper clip so GET CLIP to remove it. Go W again and then GO DUMBWAITER to climb into it, and LOWER DUMB to move yourself to the floor below. GO ROOM to leave the dumbwaiter and PICK the LOCK with the paper clip. Now type OPEN DOOR and GO DOOR and you will gain access to the closet. This is the only place in the game where you can safely stash your inventory without being robbed by Dracula as soon as you fall asleep - and you must always make sure to lock the door behind you when you leave. You will spend most of the game making bizarre voyages to and from this location but for the time being, simply DROP STAKE, DROP CARD and DROP NOTE. Go W, CLOSE the DOOR and LOCK the DOOR. Now GO DUMB again and RAISE DUMB to get back to the earlier level. Go E then S and you will be back to the bedroom. It will probably be getting dark by now, but as long as you don't fall asleep before the dumbwaiter is back on the 'bedroom' level, you will be okay. If not, you will have to start again as you will be marooned. GO BED and SLEEP.

[Day 1. GET UP N, WAIT (until doorbell rings), E, GET CARD, W, READ CARD, W, GO DUMB(WAITER), LOWER DUMB, GET CLIP, GO ROOM, PICK LOCK, OPEN DOOR, GO DOOR, DROP STAKE, DROP CARD, DROP NOTE, W, CLOSE DOOR, LOCK DOOR, ENTER DUMB, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, E, S, GO BED, SLEEP.]

Day 2

This day is probably the hardest to get through as some kind of randomization ends the day much earlier on some games than others. Hence it is vital not to make mistakes and not to waste even one move. Make sure to GET SHEETS before you GET UP today then go N and W and GO DUMB. This time RAISE DUMB and then GO ROOM. You should now be able to GET a box of MATCHES and GET some GARLIC. GO DUMB again and LOWER DUMB then LOWER DUMB again. GO ROOM then go D. Tie the sheets TO RING and you can then ENTER PIT. It will be in darkness so LIGHT MATCH for a brief glimpse of a torch. GET TORCH then CLIMB SHEETS. Go U and GO DUMB and RAISE DUMB once before you GO ROOM. Go E and now keep WAITing again until the doorbell rings. If it starts getting dark, you might be in trouble so LIGHT TORCH.

When you hear the "Ding Dong", go E and GET the PACKAGE. Do not open it! Go W and W again then GO DUMB and LOWER DUMB to the next floor and GO ROOM. Go through the tedious PICK LOCK, OPEN DOOR, GO DOOR routine then OPEN PACKAGE. DROP GARLIC and GET BLOOD. (If you didn't need to light the torch earlier, and it still isn't getting dark, you can also DROP the TORCH.) DROP MATCHES then go W and CLOSE DOOR, LOCK DOOR, GO DUMB and RAISE DUMB. By now, you will probably be only a few moves away from passing out, so you may not make it back to the bedroom when you try GO ROOM, E, S, GO BED, SLEEP. Once again, as long as the dumbwaiter is on the right floor, it won't matter.

[Day 2. GET SHEETS, GET UP, N, W, GO DUMB, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, GET MATCHES, GET GARLIC, GO DUMB, LOWER DUMB, LOWER DUMB, GO ROOM, D, TO RING, ENTER PIT, LIGHT MATCH, GET TORCH, CLIMB SHEETS, U, GO DUMB, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, E, WAIT (until doorbell rings), E, GET PACKAGE, W, W, GO DUMB, LOWER DUMB, GO ROOM, PICK LOCK, OPEN DOOR, GO DOOR, OPEN PACKAGE, DROP GARLIC, GET BLOOD, DROP TORCH, DROP MATCHES, W, CLOSE DOOR, LOCK DOOR, GO DUMB, RAISE DUMB. (If you can continue GO ROOM, E, S, GO BED, SLEEP else go to Day 3.)]

Day 3

Ho, hum! If you went or were put to bed with the lit torch, check your Inventory to make sure Dracula hasn't robbed you of it. If he has, start again. Else you should have the clip and an empty bottle. This is the longest day in the game and you have to keep popping pep-pills to stay away as you go exploring. However, start the day by GETting the SHEETS and GETting UP as normal. Tie the sheets TO BED then OPEN WINDOW and TAKE one end of the SHEET before you GO through the WINDOW where you should DROP the SHEET end.

You will now have a kind of rope from the end of your bed through the window and to the floor below. Now GO back through the WINDOW again and go N. Go W and then GO DUMB. Now LOWER DUMB once and GO ROOM. Do the PICK LOCK, OPEN DOOR and GO DOOR routine again. Now GET VIAL, GET MATCHES and GET CIGS. (If you also left the torch, GET TORCH also.) EMPTY VIAL to see three tablets. DROP the empty BOTTLE as you won't need it any more and DROP VIAL too. Now you can GET the TABLETS and GET the GARLIC as well. From now on, if you see the prompt 'I am getting very tired', type EAT TABLET immediately or else you will fall asleep and lose. GO DUMB and RAISE DUMB then GO into the ROOM with the oven. WAIT till the sun has set then LIGHT the TORCH (if necessary). DROP CLIP so that you have one spare inventory pouch then GO OVEN. This doesn't always work the first time but always does on the second or third. Once inside, GET the FILE then go W to leave it. Now go E then S and GO WINDOW to get to the ledge outside the bedroom. Make sure that you now type UNLIGHT TORCH else it will set the sheet on fire and burn you to death!!

CLIMB the SHEET in total darkness then type GO WINDOW. You can only then safely LIGHT TORCH. Type GO WINDOW again to find a doorless room. DROP MATCHES so that you can GET PORTRAIT then GO PASSAGE and N and DROP PORTRAIT. Go S and S again then GET MATCHES. GO PASSAGE and N again and you will be in the Crypt. Dracula will not be around because it's the middle of the night and he's off biting people. It's strange then that to progress, you must type LIGHT CIG and SMOKE CIG before you can OPEN the COFFIN. You get the distinct impression that there's somebody else in the room as you do this!

Now break the lock inside the coffin WITH FILE and leave the coffin by typing U. Go S and S again then GO WINDOW. Now UNLIGHT the TORCH to avoid being incinerated, CLIMB SHEET, CLIMB SHEET and GO WINDOW. Go N then W and GET CLIP from the kitchen before you GO DUMB and LOWER DUMB to the floor below. GO ROOM and the door should still be unlocked so you can go straight in with GO DOOR. Inside, DROP MATCHES, DROP FILE and DROP GARLIC. Now go W, CLOSE the DOOR, LOCK the DOOR, GO into the DUMBwaiter, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, go E, S, GO BED and SLEEP. You may not have eaten all the tablets if you do not make any mistakes! You won't need the remainder.

[Day 3. GET SHEETS, GET UP, TO BED, OPEN WINDOW, TAKE SHEET, GO WINDOW, DROP SHEET, GO WINDOW, N, W, GO DUMB, LOWER DUMB, GO ROOM, PICK LOCK, OPEN DOOR, GO DOOR, GET VIAL, GET MATCHES, GET TORCH, GET CIGS, EMPTY VIAL, DROP VIAL, GET TABLETS, DROP BOTTLE, GET GARLIC, W, GO DUMB, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, WAIT (until sun sets), LIGHT TORCH, DROP CLIP, GO OVEN (keep typing until you make it), GET FILE, W, E, S, GO WINDOW, UNLIGHT TORCH, CLIMB SHEET, GO WINDOW, LIGHT TORCH, GO WINDOW, DROP MATCHES, GET PORTRAIT, GO PASSAGE, N, DROP PORTRAIT, S, S, GET MATCHES, GO PASSAGE, N, LIGHT CIG, SMOKE CIG, SMOKE CIG, OPEN COFFIN, GO COFFIN, WITH FILE, U, S, S, GO WINDOW, UNLIGHT TORCH, CLIMB SHEET, CLIMB SHEET, GO WINDOW, N, W, GET CLIP, GO DUMB, LOWER DUMB, GO ROOM, GO DOOR, DROP MATCHES, DROP GARLIC, DROP FILE, W, CLOSE DOOR, LOCK DOOR, GO DUMB, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, E, S, GO BED, SLEEP]

Day 4

This is the last day of The Count saga and, knowing Dracula is back in his coffin with the lock smashed by yours truly, it's time to finish him off to appease that mob outside. GET UP and go N and W, then GO DUMB and LOWER DUMB as usual. GO ROOM and GET the MALLET. Then PICK LOCK, OPEN DOOR and GO DOOR. GET MATCHES, GET CIGS and GET STAKE. (If the stake isn't there, you have been careless and left the door open and Dracula has had the initiative to remove the only thing that can kill him so you'll have to start again!) Now go W, GO DUMB, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, E and S to the bedroom again. GO BED, DROP CLIP and GET SHEETS. Construct the rope again by typing GET UP, TO BED, OPEN WINDOW, GET SHEET, GO WINDOW, DROP SHEET. As the torch is out, just type CLIMB SHEET, GO WINDOW and GO WINDOW to get back to the doorless room. Now type GO PASSAGE and LIGHT the TORCH to avoid slipping in the dark. Go N and you will be in the Crypt again. LIGHT CIG and SMOKE CIG and you will hear Dracula coughing in the coffin. OPEN COFFIN and GO COFFIN and you will see Dracula sleeping peacefully. KILL DRACULA will spell a bloody end to his tyranny!

[Day 4. GET UP, N, W, GO DUMB, LOWER DUMB, GO ROOM, GET MALLET, PICK LOCK, OPEN DOOR, GO DOOR, GET MATCHES, GET CIGS, GET STAKE, W, GO DUMB, RAISE DUMB, GO ROOM, E, S, GO BED, DROP CLIP, GET SHEETS, GET UP, TO BED, OPEN WINDOW, GET SHEET, GO WINDOW, DROP SHEET, CLIMB SHEET, GO WINDOW, GO WINDOW, GO PASSAGE, LIGHT TORCH, N, LIGHT CIG, SMOKE CIG, OPEN COFFIN, GO COFFIN, KILL DRACULA]