THE CODE
Soft Concern, 1984
==================
Solution by Exemptus - August 2020
Overview and general hints:
---------------------------
The Code puts us in the boots of a secret agent infiltrated in a KGB complex,
where we have to navigate around the rooms, find a series of coded messages, get
some passwords, then reach the Code Room in Level 4 of the base with the right
objects in hand. This is made quite difficult by random events, such as enemy
agents that we have to shoot (รก la Crowther & Woods Adventure axe-throwing
dwarf), bombs to defuse, and tightly timed events. The complex has four levels,
of which we begin in Level 1. Gateways between levels require keys and there are
security checkpoints requiring passwords as well.
This game was the subject of a contest when it came out. The goal was to decode
a number of encrypted messages, which had to be found anyway in order to
complete the game, then send a result extracted from the messages to the
publisher. Despite the general difficulty of these contests (compare with
Eureka! or Pimania for typical examples) this one is not as difficult by far, as
there are enough clues in the game to crack the thing fairly, or at least, to
get the general gist of it. However, the game is certainly difficult to finish
because a number of replays are necessary in order to overcome the different
obstacles, map the four levels, of which 1 and 3 are deliberately made difficult
to, test the right objects to bring to the final room, and do all this within
the time limit.
The game is deterministic except for the following items:
* Some objects (the dress, wig, shoe, saw and drill) appear in random locations.
Others do not, and always show up in the same places.
* Enemy agents show up at random and shoot us. They may miss; we can shoot back
if we have the gun.
* Security guards show up at random and check that we have a security pass, of
which there are two: a low security one for levels 1 and 2, and a high
security one that allows access to all levels. If we do not, the guard sends
us to the Security Room on Level 1, where we started the game.
* The light goes off and comes back again at random intervals on levels 1 and 2,
preventing us from seeing room descriptions or objects. However, darkness is
not lethal and we can move about safely. Enemy agents and other random dangers
still appear.
* Our attention is diverted to a bomb that we need to defuse by choosing one of
four coloured cables. Choosing the wrong cable may or may not set off the
bomb, killing us.
* On entering Level 3, the game informs us that we carry a bomb with us and we
have a time limit (in turns) to finish the game before it explodes. This time
limit is random, but we are not told what it is, and actually can change if we
save and reload the game. Of course, it may change for the worse or better, we
just don't know.
Add to this that the game is not in real time, but turn-based, except for a
single timed sequence on Level 4, where we need to escape a room within ten
seconds or so, regardless of the number of turns. We are not told about this
quirk, which can be bemusing for the player. Random messages also tell us
on occasion things like "Hurry up, your time is running out", but that is for
show only and has no bearing on the current situation.
The goal room is the Code Room on Level 4. In order to be able to enter it we
need to have six objects with us. All of these objects, fortunately, are among
the ones that appear in fixed locations. The map shows where they are, but
obviously it does not show any of the other objects, as they can appear
anywhere. The envelopes are the pieces of the encrypted messages we need to find
and read. They do not count as objects except when taking them, as we cannot if
our inventory is full. Once they are taken and read with OPEN ENVELOPE, they
disappear from the game completely.
The map does not show all possible connections between rooms. This is on purpose
as that would make for a really tangled and less usable map. The connections
shown allow for enough shortcuts and the game can be completed with them.
Entering levels 2, 3 and 4 require the respective keys: once we enter the
levels, the keys disappear from our inventory and reappear on a fixed location
in the original level they were found. This is not needed, as we do not need the
keys again - once we enter a certain level we can always enter it afterwards.
We cannot go back to a lower level the way we came. However, there is an exit
from Level 2 to Level 1, and a button on Level 4 that also takes us back to
Level 1.
There is a torch on Level 1 which overcomes the random darkness problem, but the
author had a really wily and devious idea here: taking it with us largely
prevents us from completing the game. It turns out that we can only drop the
torch in certain places once taken, and then we cannot have the six right
objects to enter the Code Room at the same time, as the torch is not one of them
and it takes away an inventory slot permanently. Since light sources are a
classic staple of adventuring tropes, subverting this expectation for the sake
of blind-siding the player is nothing short of mean and sends the cruelty rating
up through the roof. But fair enough: this is a prize game, so it is expected to
be challenging after all.
The walkthrough below ignores the random events. If the enemy agent appears, you
need to FIRE GUN until he dies. Escaping does not work, as he will follow you
and keep on shooting. If the bomb defusing appears, just choose one of the
colours and pray that it is the right one. Saving the game frequently and
reloading may prevent some of these events, as the randomness timers are
calculated on the spot from system timing variables on every load. Of course,
emulator snapshots make things far easier. However, the saving + reloading combo
will be an effective defence against the Level 3 carrying case bomb time limit.
If the light goes out, just ignore it and carry on with the walkthrough. Some
actions might not be possible in the dark, in which case you may have to wait
for the lights to be back again, but generally you will be able to keep going
all right.
Regarding the contest itself, it involves piecing together a travel route which
is codified in the encrypted messages. All the messages are encrypted in the
same way: all @ characters are word separators, and the n-th character in the
text is shifted ahead by n places in the alphabet, regarding it as circular.
Example: if a coded message starts with "XMRN" then:
X -> 1st letter, shifted 1 place -> Y
M -> 2nd letter, shifted 2 places -> O
R -> 3rd letter, shifted 3 places -> U
N -> 4th letter, shifted 4 places -> R
So the decoded message begins with "YOUR". The decoded messages are shown in the
walkthrough, but their meaning is of no interest in the game: they were supposed
to be decoded only for the contest.
Walkthrough:
------------
[We begin at the Security room. There is a sign here saying SHOW ALL PASSES that
is good advice - without a pass we will be randomly sent to this room again.
There is also a gun here, which is the most important object in the game, as
without it we are defenceless before the random enemy agents. Besides, it is one
of the six key objects we need in the end.]
[The general approach is to get some of the key objects with us but not all,
since we need inventory slots for keys and other things, go around opening the
envelopes and proceeding through the levels, and once on Level 4 get back to
Level 1 and get the remaining objects we need, then hurry back to Level 4 and
the end. The most difficult thing will be dealing with the time limit once we
get to Level 3.]
GET GUN
NW [The low security pass is here]
GET PASS [Now guards on levels 1 and 2 won't bother us]
SW
N [The Dark Room - ignore the torch here]
[Also note the reference to Dorian Grey, which will be mentioned later on, as it
is a clue. Note that it is spelt "Grey", not "Gray" as in the novel - this is
probably accidental but it needs to be spelt that way later as well.]
SE [Security Room again]
NW
E [The Ace of Spaces is here - this is another of the key objects we need]
[However, we do not need the Ace of Spaces until the endgame, and it takes an
inventory slot we will need for other things, so we will just take it to a safe
place where we will pick it up later on.]
GET ACE
S
GET ROPE
N
SW
NW [Boiler Room. Note the cryptic reference - a hint to decode the messages]
S [Washroom]
DROP ACE
DROP ROPE [Just for a while - we will need it sooner than the Ace]
[South of here is the entrance to Level 2. Note the message saying "2C ONLY
SEVEN PLANETS?", which is a clue for the password needed in Checkpoint 2C, one
of three found in Level 2. More about this later.]
E
NW
S
N [Enlightenment Office again]
D
[The message here says "Don't forget the picture in the darkroom". This means
the Dorian Grey picture, which marks it for reference.]
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message decodes as "YOUR DAY TRIP TO SEE MAGNIFICENT SUNRISE LEAVES
KORSAKOV HARBOUR AT MIDNIGHT".]
SW
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "LEAVE OUR SLANT EYED FRIENDS BEHIND BOARD JAL SIX SIX SIX
FROM TOKYO TO KRUNG THEP"]
GET BOOK [The code book is another of the six key objects]
NE
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "TROUBLE LJKELY KRUNG THEP STOP ON YOUR BJKE SJX HUNDRED
SOONEST STOP HELP AT HAND LAHORE". The Js should be Is, but that is how it
decodes; suspected to be the author's mistake.]
GET KEY [This is the key to Level 2]
NE
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "ONLY STANDING ROOM AVAILABLE ON AIR INDIA SIX NIL SIX
BEWARE XL MEN". This is the last message on Level 1, so we can now proceed to
Level 2.]
SW
U
NE
S
W
DROP BOOK
GET ROPE
S [On to Level 2 now]
[The rooms in this level are arranged as a grid, and there are three checkpoints
named 2A, 2B and 2C, each requiring a password. The map data has a bug: from
Checkpoint 2A you can (in principle) move W or NW, but doing so crashes the game
completely. There are other two connections that seem to be swapped, but this
may be intentional.]
N [Checkpoint 2A]
N [Asks the password]
DORIAN GREY [We move on to the Canteen]
N
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "YOUR SHIP OF THE DESERT AWAITS YOU IN BAGHDAD BUT DONT GET
THE HUMP"]
W
GET KEY [This is the key to Level 3]
SW
W [Rest Room]
[If we go SE from here we will appear at the Typing Pool on Level 1 again. It
does not make a lot of cartographic sense, but may be handy. Also note the
message "2B THE RED PLANET", which is the password to Checkpoint 2B.]
N
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "FOLLOW INDIANA JONES TO ODESSA WATCH FOR JAUNDICED
BEATLES".]
SE
E [This is Checkpoint 2B]
NW [Password?]
MARS [This one was easy]
S [Password?]
HOLST
[The password for Checkpoint 2C is the answer to the clue "only seven planets?"
found before. The seven planets are a reference to the suite "The Planets", by
Gustav Holst.]
S
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "ALI BABA CARPET AIRWAYS FROM CAIRO TO ISTANBUL STOP GATE
SIX".]
SW
SW [On to Level 3]
[We are on Level 3 now. A message appears saying that the case we are carrying
has just started ticking and it must be a bomb - we need to finish the adventure
before it explodes. This sets off a random turns timer. Generally the time gives
enough turns to finish the game, but random events may disrupt this. I advise to
save the game at this point and reload in case the bomb is off before we have
completed the walkthrough. This should be rare, but not unheard of - on reload,
the time allowed will be rerolled, so we may have more leeway. In addition to
this, our low level security pass has just vanished from our inventory, but we
can find an immediate replacement.]
N
GET PASS
E
SW
E
GET KEY [To level 4]
NW
SE
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "QUAY KEY CHI CHI MILAN MILAN WHAT BY PANDA".]
W
NW
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "TRAIN FOR FASHION HQ LEAVES PLATFORM SIXTEEN SIX HUNDRED
HOURS".]
S
S
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "HAD AN EIFFEL OF PARIS STOP BA SHUTTLE TO LONDON STOP
QUICKLY STOP". This is the last one on the level, so we can now go to the
Security Check to Level 4.]
NE
W
[We are given the clue "Ooch A big mutant hound"].
W [Password?]
MONGREL
[We are now in the Wages Office, which allows us to enter Level 4 as long as we
have opened all envelopes. There is an ice axe here, which is another of the
key objects needed, but we will pick it up later when we are back from Level 1.]
W
SW [Detention centre]
[Now that we are on Level 4, we don't need to pick up keys any more. This means
we can go back and pick up the objects we missed.]
PRESS BUTTON [We are dragged back to the Security Room on Level 1]
SW
N
SW
GET ACE
GET BOOK
[We have them now, so we race to Level 4 again]
S
W
SW
W
SW
[Start of Level 3 - the message about the bomb come up again. This also seems
to re-roll the timer, but just in case let's not dawdle.]
W
W [Password?]
MONGREL
GET AXE
W
NW [Questioning Room]
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "DID THEY TAKE MORE CARE OF YOU STOP NOW FLY THE TUBE TO
HAMPSTEAD HEATH STOP".]
[The next room has the timed trap. You need to get out of it quickly, and
although the way to do so is easy to guess, it takes several commands to do so,
which have to be typed quickly. If you can't type quickly, get someone to do
this for you or else resort to keyboard macros or other dastardly tricks. All is
fair in love and adventure gaming.]
[In any case, make sure your inventory at this point consists of the gun, the
code book, the rope, the ace of spaces, the high level security pass and the ice
axe.]
SW [Type the following four commands quickly]
TIE ROPE
TO HOOK
SWING
NW
[If all went well you are in the Ghost Hall now.]
GET ENVELOPE
OPEN ENVELOPE
[This message reads "TAKE TAXI TO BEARS NAME STOP THIS WILL BE THE LAST LEG OF
THE TRIP STOP".]
SW
W
[With luck, you will have entered the Code Room. Now we only need to pick up the
final two messages, which are written on the paper here.]
GET PAPER
READ PAPER
[These two messages read "THIS IS THE MOST HAZARDOUS PART STOP BR BUFFET CAR
OPEN STOP ALIGHT CHELTENHAM" and "WELL DONE AGENT MOLE BACK HOME STOP SEND ROUTE
TO THE CODE TWO NEW STREET WARWICK".]
[This is it - end of game. If you are wondering what the solution to the contest
was, it was probably something like KORSAKOV - TOKYO - BANGKOK - LAHORE -
BAGHDAD - CAIRO - ISTANBUL - ODESSA - MILAN - PARIS - LONDON - HAMPSTEAD HEATH -
PADDINGTON - CHELTENHAM, which is worked out from the decoded messages.]
