This is a game (WOS) with a very limited parser. I have run out of verbs to try. It does not appear to be very long. I got the door open, but then don't know what to do at either the padlocked window, at the rat and the dagger (which I can't get), at the chef, at the telegraph pole, and at the cobweb. Can't get into the boat either.
I had a few hours to spare, so I managed to solve it. It is indeed very short (around 30 locations) and no unnecessary items at all.
A few hints:
- You can't take the items near the rat and chef until these characters are gone.
- Get rid of the rat first, and several of your problems (chef, cobweb, window) will solve themselves.
- The telegraph pole is useless.
- The boat has a hole in it, so you'll need a special item to survive the trip!
Simply by killing it (presumably with your bare hands).
Do bear in mind that the parser is stoopid. When you took the rusty key, you had to type TAKE RUSTY since TAKE KEY wasn't understood. So you need to KILL BLACK rather than KILL RAT.
KILL BLACK (press RETURN)
(the game responds with "WITH WHAT?")
Simply press RETURN again (indicating that you won't use anything), and the rat is dead. As for later characters, you should use a single word (the intended weapon) when asked WITH WHAT.
I have returned to this game, as I couldn't remember if I had finished it. I need to get a pearl corkscrew and meet a drunk, which I haven't done. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where these things are?