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Heist: The Crime of the Century

Andy Phillips 1997

Language:
English
Authors:
Andy Phillips
Systems:
Inform
Platforms:
PC info, Z-Machine info
Entered by:
iamaran, Strident
Added:
03-11-2020
Edited:
12-04-2022

Synopsis

Standing in an almost empty churchyard in a ghostly nondescript town, all the while being soaked by constant rainfall, would be bad enough at the best of times.

What makes it even worse is the very fact you're here. An all too often forgotten niece at her uncle's funeral. You're starting to wish you hadn't made the long journey up north after all. It's not like Uncle Henry actually cared about anything except his money and his ego, and you just wish the priest would get on with this tiresome ceremony.

After it's finished you could go home, emptying any lingering thoughts of the selfish, arrogant man from your mind.

Notes

?

Resources (Upload file)

Solution
by ?
Map
by Canalboy
Hints
by Canalboy (List of takeable items)
Review
by Canalboy
Further Info:

[+] Users who have solved this game

[+] Users currently playing this game

Images

Image
heist.png

Rating

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User Comments

Canalboy (03-07-2025 20:22)

You can certainly sink your teeth into an Andy Phillips creation. Or occasionally grit them. Attempting to speak to the jeweller (for instance "say yes to jeweller) sometimes elicits a game ending Frotz Fatal Error:

@Attempt to address illegal object-14011. This is normally fatal.

Canalboy (05-07-2025 11:56)

This is one of those games where, despite being programmed in Inform 5, it is necessary to LOOK UNDER, EXAMINE, SEARCH and LOOK ON the many non-takeable objects to thoroughly scrutinise them. Omitting just one option can be the difference between an impasse and progress.

I managed to solve Heroine's Mantle by the same author years ago without recourse to any hints, but I'd forgotten just how tough Andy Philips's games are.

Canalboy (06-07-2025 12:23)

To those who come after me - I have spent several hours playing time trying to solve the cuckoo clock problem in Henry Lambert's flat. I had already summised the input needed, but for some reason "10" on the clock face is equivalent to "0." Maybe it's just me but I would equate "12" on a clock face with "0." 2 o'clock has the minute hand pointing at the "12" on just about every horological face I've ever seen, not ten. If the random date you find doesn't contain a "0" then the problem should be much easier (i.e.numerically deducable). We are not dealing with decimals, it's a clock face.

Though sheer experimentation I finally solved it. This game is hard enough without logic wonks like that.

Canalboy (16-07-2025 16:29)

Resuming hostilities I have made some more progress; the main problem with the game is that, running alongside the extreme difficulty and cleverness of many of the puzzles (which I like) are a number of illogicalities (which I don't like).

You can escape from the bedroom of the Countess only by knocking on the door from the inside. She apparently doesn't notice that you are carrying her evening dress in plain sight! She will however call security if you present a bottle of champagne on a silver tray and not in an urn.

You can open, fill up and close a thermos flask belonging to a guard but you can't pick it up while he is in the room. Apparently he doesn't notice you shovelling ice cream into it even though it is next to him. He can subsequently open the flask, look in it and sigh when there is no minestrone soup left in it. Clearly he is myopic and stupid.

You can open a fire escape in a jeweller's shop while the owner is behind his counter. Not only does he not see you doing it but he doesn't check to see if it is closed before shutting up shop for the night.

As a consequence I have found myself essaying all manner of unlikely things as I have no confidence in logicality being guaranteed as a solution to any of the posers presented.

Canalboy (16-07-2025 18:41)

This game is a real curate's egg. Following the credibility stretching actions required early in the museum section of the game, a problem to dispose of the night watchman is a very clever set piece indeed.

Canalboy (18-07-2025 16:23)

The solution to the four digit combination lock on the leather briefcase is certainly unique in my experience and the ultimate in empirical puzzles. No scrap of paper with numbers written on it in Andy Phillips's world...

Canalboy (19-07-2025 17:49)

It's an odd fact but even after over forty years of text adventures I still sometimes forget to examine things properly; no wonder I was floundering in the undersea episode. It's hard to think of a game where looking under, in, on, examining and searching objects is more essential than this one. Especially as there is often no second visit available to many locations. I had left the boat and neglected to search it properly.