BRAINSCAPE!
Purdue Research Foundation, 1985
================================
Solution by Exemptus - September 2026
Overview and general hints:
---------------------------
This is an educational adventure for students of neurophysiology. You play the
part of yourself, miniaturized by Descartes and sent to the interior of your own
brain. Your goal is to find treasures, visit as many parts of the brain as
possible, and escape alive. The mind boggles, in more than one sense. As far as
adventure scenarios go, what can I say; at least it is original.
The task is not too difficult, but it proves somewhat tricky. The lay of the
land is as follows:
There are 50 locations to explore, each one a part of the brain and with proper,
educational descriptions. Each one contributes to the score, but connections are
quite tangled. In a few locations we are moved automatically after a period of
inactivity.
Directions are not standard. In fact, they are after a fashion, but the verbs
the game uses reflect the usual indicators of direction relative to the body
used in anatomy, which are:
Direction Short Meaning Taken as
--------------------------------------------------------
ROSTRAL ROS (R) Towards the head north
MEDIAL MED (M) Towards the spine east
CAUDAL CAU (C) Towards the feet south
LATERAL LAT (L) Towards the sides west
VENTRAL VEN (V) Towards the front up
DORSAL DOR (D) Towards the back down
Fortunately, these are the only ones. You don't have to worry about going
laterally, ventrally and caudally at the same time. That might be messy.
There are 10 treasures to gather, but we can only carry 5 objects at a time. It
is possible to temporarily bypass this restriction. In addition, there are three
additional actions which contribute to the score.
We begin with a pill that boosts our immune system. In order to exit the brain
in good condition, we need to take the pill shortly before exiting, and we also
need to find a bottle of growth hormone so we can be returned to our usual size.
The instructions tell us that there are two creatures around: one is harmless
and the other is a nuisance, but can be counteracted. The harmless one is a
homunculus that we find when we first visit the Sensory Strip. The creature can
follow us for a while, go away at random then come back, but it has no effect on
what we do or carry. The other creature is a Golgi Ghost, who acts like the
Colossal Cave Pirate: it randomly shows up, takes any treasures we carry, and
stores them in a certain location that we later need to visit to retrieve them.
We need a key to open the chest in which the treasures are held.
The Ghost is pesky and will appear again after we have raided its lair, unlike
the Pirate. But there is relief: in the hideout's chest there is a vial that has
a Golgi stain liquid (this is a tincture that allows to mark certain tissues for
better contrast under a microscope). If we STAIN GHOST with this vial then at
any time it might appear after that we will be told one turn in advance that we
can see a silvery aura. This is a sign that the Ghost is about to show, so we
can hoof it out of the location at once and avoid it.
With all this in mind, after we exit the brain alive, the score tally goes as
follows:
Visiting all 50 locations at 10 points each = 500 points
Carrying the acetylcholine = 50 points
Carrying the GABA = 50 points
Carrying the dopamine = 50 points
Carrying the oligodendrocyte = 50 points
Carrying the norepinephrine = 50 points
Carrying the serotonin = 50 points
Carrying the pyramidal cell = 50 points
Carrying the Purkinje cell = 50 points
Getting the growth hormone = 50 points
Getting the Golgi Stain = 50 points
Having eaten immunity pill = 50 points
Having eaten growth hormone = 50 points
Staining the ghost = 50 points
Total = 1150 points
Five of these treasures are substances (acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, dopamine
and norepinephrine) and we can't just take them: we first need a recipient for
them. Each one has a vesicle that can only carry a specific substance, so we
need to get each vesicle prior to getting the substance. The other objects
behave normally in this regard.
It is possible to reach the maximum score, but it takes a bit of fiddling.
Dropping a treasure subtracts the 50 points until we get it again, so for
optimal score we need to be carrying all the treasures. But as we have only 5
inventory slots, we need to eat the growth hormone first, which allows us to
carry everything. But the timing is key, because after taking the hormone we
have exactly six moves to exit the brain. If we have not exited before that, we
die. And one of those moves is needed for taking the pill, because its effect
lasts only for six moves too.
More things: five of the locations force us to answer a physiology question
correctly to exit. Each has its own pool of questions related to the nature of
the brain area it is located in. Answering the questions correctly in four of
them takes us to a random location; failing to do so twice will kill us (well,
the location we are transported to after successfully answering a question is
not totally random, because some are excluded: we will never be transported to
another question location or to the maze, for instance). The Amygdala is an
exception, as the questions there will only be asked once and open new
connections; if we visit the Amygdala again, no further questions will be asked.
There is also a maze. It is mappable (six different locations), but it's no use
doing so because there is no conventional exit. The instructions say that in
order to leave the maze we need to move randomly, but this is not really the
whole truth: what it requires is for us to move ROSTRAL then LATERAL from any
location in the maze. Although if we move at random, sooner or later we are
bound to hit the right sequence, of course, but this bit is deterministic.
As I mentioned before, a few locations (Lateral Ventricle, Third Ventricle,
Cerebral Aqueduct, and Fourth Ventricle) have a cerebrospinal fluid current,
which will force a move after a minute to the next one in the sequence if we
haven't typed anything. The Fourth Ventricle is the last location in the game
where we can go back; if we move CAUDAL from there, we enter the Foramen, from
where there is no way back. From the Foramen we can only go CAUDAL to the
Subarachnoid, which will exit the game.
There is a trick to this, though: leaving objects in any of the four locations
mentioned above will make the current sweep them away, and they will appear in
the Foramen. This location can be used to our advantage to store the objects we
will need before exiting. In fact the instructions hint at this, although I have
checked that it is not strictly necessary: it is possible to use either the
Cerebellum or the Lateral Lemniscus as a storage location as well. Both are
exactly one place away from the Fourth Ventricle. It is more difficult this way,
because timing is tighter, but it can be done. Of course, the current effect
means that we shouldn't DROP anything at those locations that we may need
elsewhere in the game.
Vocabulary, apart from the unusual directions, is pretty limited and standard:
GET, DROP, OPEN, UNLOCK, EAT, EXAMINE, READ, SAVE, RESTORE, QUIT, I, SCORE and
the special verb STAIN mentioned earlier are all, plus some synonyms.
There is also HELP, only it doesn't.
The walkthrough below is neither optimal nor deterministic, due to the
randomness of the places where we end up after questions and the appearance of
the Golgi Ghost. Even so, you should be able to follow it with the necessary
adjustments for random events.
Most of the questions that we can be asked are as follows (this list may not be
exhaustive):
*** Amygdala Questions:
Q1: Who proposed that several limbic structures form a loop that plays a
critical role in the expression of emotion?
A1: Papez
Q2: In general, do lesions of the amygdala facilitate or inhibit aggressive
behavior?
A2: Inhibit
Q3: What syndrome is produced by lesioning the septal area in a rat?
A3: Aggression
Q4: What sensory system seems to be closely linked to the limbic system?
A4: Smell
Q5: Name one of the two people credited with the theory of emotion that states
that emotions arise as a result of our perception of bodily responses.
A5: William James (or Carl Lange; either is right)
*** Visual Cortex Questions:
Q1: What hypothalamic nucleus plays a role in circadian rhythms?
A1: Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Q2: Where do optic nerve fibers decussate?
A2: Optic Chiasma
Q3: In the periphery, bundles of axons are called nerves. What are bundles of
axons in the central nervous system called?
A3: Tracts
Q4: In what lobe of the cortex is the primary visual area located?
A4: Occipital
Q5: What part of the brain contains the superior colliculus?
A5: Tectum Midbrain Mesencephalon
Q6: What is the name of the thalamic relay nucleus for visual information?
A6: Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
Q7: Name one of the three people who received the Nobel prize in medicine for
their work on visual system physiology.
A7: Hubel (or Weisel, or Sperry)
Q8: What kind of cells in the retina provide the axons that make up the optic
nerve?
A8: Ganglion Cells
*** Pituitary Questions:
Q1: What is the name of the stalk that attaches the pituitary to the
hypothalamus?
A1: Infundibulum
Q2: What hormone promotes the masculinization of the brain?
A2: Testosterone
Q3: What diencephalic structure controls the release of hormones from the
pituitary?
A3: Hypothalamus
Q4: What hormone, released from the pituitary at the onset of puberty, promotes
increased function of the testes or ovaries?
A5: Gonadotropic Hormone
*** Trapezoid Body Questions:
Q1: What is the name for the language impairment that results from damage to
Broca's or Wernicke's area?
A1: Aphasia
Q2: What major fissure lies just superior to the auditory cortex?
A2: Lateral Fissure
Q3: What is the name of the largest band of fibers interconnecting the two
hemispheres of the brain?
A3: Corpus Callosum
Q4: The thalamus receives afferent projections from every sensory system except
which one?
A4: Olfaction
Q5: In what lobe is the auditory cortex located?
A5: Temporal
Q6: Which of the aphasias is characterized by fluent but meaningless speech?
A6: Wernicke's Aphasia
Q7: What is the name of the membrane within the ear that contains the hair
cells, and vibrates in response to sound?
A7: Basilar Membrane
*** Pyramids Questions:
Q1: Are the pyramids in primarily an afferent or efferent pathway?
A1: Efferent
Q2: If you, at your present size, got a job as a neurotransmitter at a
neuromuscular junction, what neurotransmitter would you become (if you
wanted to keep your job, that is)?
A2: Acetylcholine
Q3: In what lobe is the motor strip located?
A3: Frontal
Q4: What basal ganglion structure, along with the globus pallidus, makes up the
lentiform or lenticular nucleus?
A4: Putamen
Q5: What type of cell gives rise to the axons that pass through the pyramids in
the corticospinal tract?
A5: Betz Cells
Q6: Loss of the dopaminergic cells of the substantia nigra results in what
clinical condition?
A6: Parkinson's Disease
Q7: What structure is presumed to be involved with the execution of skilled,
coordinated movements?
A7: Cerebellum
Walkthrough:
------------
[We begin at the Lateral Ventricle. Since this is in the path of the fluid
current, we will move CAUDAL after a minute unless we get out of the way first.
I [We have an anti-immune system pill]
DROP PILL
[The pill is swept away by the current. This is a counterintuitive move, but it
will help us: we won't need the pill until the endgame and it will be safely
stored in the Foramen. This way we free an inventory slot.]
[We need to eventually visit all locations in order to maximize our score, but
the order is up to us. We will get each vesicle and the corresponding substance
it holds. At some random point the Golgi Ghost will visit us and take whatever
we hold. It is best for this to happen as soon as possible because we'll have a
way to avoid the ghost from then on. If too many objects are taken then we'll
need several trips to the hideout in order to retrieve them all, which is a bit
of a chore. It's useless to go to the hideout before the Ghost appears, so wait
until it does.]
[We'll open the two barred exists to limbic system first, which requires us
going to the Amygdala. But for that we need to be carrying the dopamine, so we
need the dopa vesicle in advance. That is in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, a bit
out of the way.]
M
V
D
L [Hippocampus, with the acetylcholine vesicle]
GET VESICLE
M
V
[At this point or shortly after, we should see a message saying that we feel
less protected. Pay no attention to this, as it just indicates that the Ghost
can appear at any time after this.]
M
D [Thalamus; the serotonergic vesicle is here.]
GET VESICLE
L
R
R
D [We arrive at the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus]
GET VESICLE
[Now we can get the dopa and the serotonin.]
V
C [Optic tract]
V
V
C [Raphe Nuclei, the serotonin is here]
GET SEROTONIN
R
V [Substantia Nigra, where the dopa is]
GET DOPAMINE
R
R [This way requires us to have the dopa]
[We are in the Caudate Head. The acetylcholine is here, which is why we got its
vesicle first.]
GET ACETYLCHOLINE
C
C [Amygdala]
M
[The C and M exits from the Amygdala require us to answer a question. Do so.
After the question is correctly answered, these exits will open. The C exit
leads to the Hippocampus, where we already have been. If you are not in the
Septum, please go M again.]
M [Septum; there is a scrap of paper here, which you may ignore]
C [Mammillary Body]
[I will be optimistic and assume that the Golgi Ghost has appeared already. If
not, just continue with the walkthrough until it does and insert the following
sequence at that point. The Ghost will have left us with no objects. We need to
get the key first, which is in the Pyramids. Make your way to the Thalamus
first, which is a nice, central location to use as a reference.]
M
D [Thalamus]
[Then we go for the key, which will require us to be sent to another random
location.]
C
C
C
M
V
C [Pyramids]
GET KEY
C [Answer another question]
[We will end up in a random place. Now we need to get to the Internal Capsule,
which from the Thalamus is C, C, V, V, V, R. Refer to the map for other
locations. The walkthrough assumes that you are there already.]
L
M [The GABA is here, but we can't get it yet]
M [Nucleus Accumbens, where the hideout is]
[Provided we have been assaulted before, the Ghost will be here, as well as our
stolen items and also a locked chest, which the key is for. The chest is fixed
and cannot be taken, but we can open and take what it has.]
UNLOCK CHEST
DROP KEY [We won't need it]
OPEN CHEST [We see a vial]
GET VIAL
READ VIAL [ACME Golgi Stain]
STAIN GHOST [The Ghost shrieks in terror and glows]
DROP VIAL [It shatters]
[From this point on, the Ghost may appear again, but we will be told there is a
silver aura in the location the turn before. If this happens, no matter where
you are or what you are doing, move out of the location at once, then go back.
The ghost will have been averted. Now we can get our treasures back.]
GET DOPAMINE
GET ACETYLCHOLINE
GET SEROTONIN
L
D
C
GET OLIGODENDROCYTE
D
D
M [Cerebral aqueduct]
DROP ALL [It will be carried away]
M [To Periaqueductal Grey Matter again]
[Unencumbered by inventory now, let's resume our search for the other treasures
and visit all remaining locations.]
V
V
R
D [Motor strip; there is a pyramidal cell here]
GET CELL
C [A homunculus is here, who will follow you; just ignore it]
D [Motor strip again]
L
V
C [Wernicke's area, with the GABA vesicle]
GET VESICLE
R
R [Association Cortex]
[The Association Cortex is the entrance to the Cortex Maze. We need to pass
through it at least once to visit all locations.]
L
R
L [And we are out to the Frontal Lobe]
[From here, the only places left are the ones with questions, and the last
vesicle is through one of them. This will allow us to get to the growth hormone
as well. First we'll get the GABA.]
C
V [Internal Capsule]
V
GET GABA
D
C
D
D
D
R
R [Thalamus again]
V
M [Ventromedial Nucleus, the noradrenergic vesicle is here]
GET VESICLE
V [Pituitary]
GET HORMONE
M [You must answer a question now]
[This will transport us to a random location. Make your way back to the Thalamus
and continue the walkthrough from there.]
C
C
V
C [Raphe Nuclei]
L
R
GET NOREPINEPHRINE
D [Ventral Noradrenergic Bundle]
N [We need to be carrying the norepinephrine to move this way]
M
DROP ALL [The current carries all away]
L [Back to Thalamus]
[From here, the only locations left to visit are the Visual Cortex ones (with
questions), Trapezoid body (also questions) and Cerebellum, which has the last
treasure. We'll do these in this order.]
L
C
C [Visual Cortex]
C [Another question]
[Answer the question then go back to the Thalamus, you know the drill. Then
continue the walkthrough.]
C
C
C
C [Trapezoid Body]
C [And another question]
[You will be in a random place, so back to the Thalamus and go on.]
M
C
C
D [Cerebellum, with the Purkinje cell]
GET CELL
[We have everything now. If you have followed the walkthrough, you will have
visited all locations. Check your score.]
SCORE [It should be exactly 630 points]
[If the score is different, either you have more objects with you than the
Purkinje cell, or you have not visited all locations (or both). You have the
opportunity to correct this before you move C from the Fourth Ventricle. After
that, there will be no way back.]
V
C [Down to the Foramen; all your objects and treasures are here]
[Now be quick, because if you wait too long before typing you will be carried
away by the current and the game will end. Follow these instructions to the
letter, as the timing is crucial and there are some quirks to consider.]
GET HORMONE
GET ALL
[This ensures we have the hormone in our inventory. You will also see some "you
cannot carry more" messages; this is normal.]
EAT HORMONE [This increases the number of things we can carry]
[There should be exactly two objects left in the location. In every one of my
playthroughs using this sequence they have been the pill and the oligodendrocyte
so I will assume the same goes for you. Please adjust accordingly.]
[One of the worst possible things that can happen is for the Ghost to appear
here, at this very moment. This will invariably be fatal, because it will take
your objects and you won't be able to win the game. This is very rare but it is
definitely possible. If so, bad luck: you'll have to restore or start again.]
GET PILL [This command might fail at first; ensure you have taken it or repeat]
GET OLIGODENDROCYTE
EAT PILL
C
[You will be carried through to the Subarachnoid space and eventually the
circulatory system, where you meet Descartes and will exit the game with a full
score of 1150 points, provided all went well.]
[End of game.]
