Here's some old skool nostalgia!
Enchanted Castle is a DOS computer game, and can be downloaded here for free: https://archive.org/details/EnchantedCastleR3SW2000MichaelR.WilkAdventureInteractiveFiction
Some fancy computers may not run old DOS programs anymore, so you may need to download the free DOSBox Program here: https://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1
Helpful instructions can be found here: https://www.howtogeek.com/104725/how-to-use-dosbox-to-run-dos-games-and-old-apps/
...Although, here are some helpful commands/notes I made that work for me (I am still running Windows 8 --yes, I know it sucks, but it's prolly better than Windows 10, so fuck off, LOL):
1) Rename "Enchanted Castle" folder to "EnchantedCastle" (no space) and place EnchantedCastle folder in your system's C:\ folder
2) Type this into DOSBox "mount c c:\EnchantedCastle\" and hit enter
3) Type "C:" and hit enter
4) Type "dir" and hit enter
5) Type "EC" and hit enter, then the game runs!
You start in a medieval castle without any knowledge about it. You are to escape the castle. There are three missions you might also want to do to complete the whole story of this beautiful text adventure game...
Here is a map I made very quickly in Photoshop. It's not complete, as I have not done everything in this game yet, but at least it might help you some (I will update and edit this, as I progress, in this post specifically)! You will be able to see the picture at full size by clicking it, then clicking the magnifying tool, and then you can easily scroll back and forth to see everything.
East: One of the torches are not firmly attached. Get it. This will be your only light source.
West: Great Hall. There is a magic word written here. Some other areas will bring you back to here whenever this magic word is spoken. There are also other magic words. To distinguish it, we would refer to this as the magic return word.
Up, up: There is a painting here. Try to get it. Whoops, it reveals a secret passage to the west.
West: Prison cell. There is nothing much here except for three doors. Only one of them appears to be safe. Remember it, because you will go to this part. You are trapped, but don't worry, you have the magic return word. So... you go back to the Great Hall.
Try to explore the castle. If your torch is blown out, return to the Great Hall, and east where you can light your torch again. If you come to a place where there is a sign saying, "All hope abandon, ye who enter here..." on the west wall, then go north, south, and west (which would allow you to then pass through to the Terrace).
Passing the Bengal tiger:
Go to the Music Room, get the oboe, go to the Wine Cellar room, wash the oboe, then go back to the Menagerie, and play the oboe. You put him to sleep.
Clearing the vines in the Greenhouse:
Go to the Rotunda, go west, west, south-west, and south-east. There is a block with blood dripping on it. It is mentioned that there are doors to the east. So there are actually three doors. Go to the south-east to the Torture Chamber. Get the secateurs. Go to the Greenhouse. Cut the vines.
Passing the dragons:
From the Greenhouse - north, east, enter the Crypt. There is a candle here. If your torch is unlit, light it. Now, the southern wall has three doors. Choose the one which appears to be safe (don't forget to later adjust your directional orientation). Inside, there is armor. Get it. Wear it. There is also a magic word to save your game here (although I have not found out quite how to make it work for future games). Return to the Great Hall. Go to the Rotunda, go southwest, then south. See the candles? Blow them. The fireplace to the west opens. Go west, west, get the sword. Go to the Hall of Dragons. Kill the dragons.
To get to the other part of the castle:
Go to Theater, then go west, north, and north again. Sit on a strange chair. You are transported to another room.
Looking for keys?
Go to the Gazebo, get the ladder. Transport to the other part of the castle. Go to the Tumbled-Down Staircase. Drop the ladder, then climb up the ladder and you will find a statue there. Get the statue, but don't break it yet. Go down, south, and west. You are standing on a balcony above the Terrace. Throw the statue. Smash! Return to the Great Hall, and go to the Terrace. Get a set of keys.
Passing the basilisk:
Go to the Lord's Bedchamber. Open the closet. Now, a basilisk is hiding there. Run. You will be safe if you don't run to the room where you came in or you don't run into a dead end. To get rid of it, from the Lord's Bedchamber go north, north, then east. There is a magic word that whenever is spoken somewhere else, everything there will disappear. So go south, and say the magic word.
Fetching the Star Diamond:
Bring the set of keys with you. Go to the Lord's Bedchamber, go south, then down until you come to the Nursery Room, and go west. Notice the furnace? Unlock it, open it, and you can get the Star Diamond.
Exploring rooms beyond the Hall of Dragons:
Go to the Catacombs east of it. Southeast. Northeast. Keep trying to go to the northeast until you find a bridge. Cross it. You will find a chained troll. If you have the keys with you, unlock him. He will steal the keys from you... Unless you don't have had the Star Diamond, you won't need them anymore. Go east, north, then west to the edge of a pit. Go down. You entered a Zimbu house (this one is just like where the basilisk chases you). So grab the book fast. Then go up, south, south, then cross the bridge and burn it. The Zimbu can't swim.
Rescue the prince/ss from the ugliest witch:
Bring the book, go to the Chapel. Get the cross (which the witch is afraid of). Transport to the other room. Go to the library. Place the book and the bookshelf slides over revealing a downward passage. Go down, down, northwest, get the flask. Go southeast, northeast, and get the wand. Go southwest then down. There is a frog there. From the infamous story, kiss the frog and the frog becomes a prince/ss. Get the prince/ss and they will follow you unless you say the magic return word.
More rooms to explore:
Go to the Theater, then go west to the Den. There is a crack in the floor. If you pour the liquid, you will find that there is a room below. So wave the wand. Go down, down, get the box (which apparently is a triggered timebomb). Save your game here. Go through the basilisk closet, down to the Nursery Room, then go south, throw the box, and go north. Wait until it explodes (it takes a lot of time). Go south, northeast, and west to the Fountain of Champagne. Fill the flask. Go east (to the Tearoom), up, south, and get the bell.
More magic words:
Go to the Rotunda, then west, west, and south to the talking skull. This time, it gives very useful advice. The place it mentions is the Well. Go there (south of the Garden). Pour champagne. You amused something there. Return to the Great Hall, go to the Hall of Dragons, go to the Catacombs east of it, northeast to a river. Fill the flask with mineral water. Go back to the Well and pour the water. Listen to the magic word carefully.
Passing the Bengal tiger again:
With the wand, go to the Kitchen, south, and then wave it. Presto! Delicious food appears. Get it. Go to the Menagerie. Feed the tiger.
Opening your way out:
Get the secateurs. Transport to the other part of the castle. A large mirror is standing there. Break it. It allows you to go south, south where you find a windlass. This one is used to raise and lower the drawbridge below. The windlass is stuck, however, so cut the rope. Snap! The drawbridge falls down. You are not done yet, need to raise the locked portcullis. Go back to the Great Hall, bring the bell with you, go to the Menagerie, then go northeast to the Room of Three. Ring the bell three times. A unicorn will let you take a golden key from it. Go to the entrance, unlock the portcullis and say the magic word from the Well.
Last thing:
You have the Star Diamond and the prince/ss now. You also have opened the gate. The last thing is to demolish the castle. Now, go to the Reception Room where there is a chandelier swaying around. Light the chandelier. Go to the Stable, burn the hay. Oops, you drop your torch. Don't attempt to get it. Instead, run east, east, south, west, south, and south to finish this incredible game!
...Think you can beat me? Wanna play together in voice on Discord? Fire in da hole! :D *clap, clap, claps*
...Think you can beat me? Wanna play together in voice on Discord? Fire in da hole! :D *clap, clap, claps*
