The Day the World Broke
(Houghton Mifflin Interactive, 1997)
By Alexander Tait
November 2000
This is a delightful children's game that easily appeals to adults with its conversation- based interaction and logical inventory-based puzzles. This walkthrough explains the essential tasks that must be completed to successfully complete the game. There are other amusing conversations to have, documents to read, and items to click on that will further your enjoyment. By no means is this the only order to complete this adventure.Â
Unfortunately, due to random freezes and crashes, there were some points where I had to do something rather than what I wanted to do. If you find you are having problems running the game, ignore what you are trying to do until a later time.
There are several potential crash points in this game, and it also has the unfortunate tendency of locking up at other points. Save often!
Watch the news video to learn there are unusual events occurring on Earth but localized to Old Country Lane.
You start on the lane. Turn around to face a gate leading to a property. Proceed straight until you enter an elevator in a tree(!). Click down once to go to the World Works level. (The border level is below this but is not involved in play at this time.) Click the elevator door to exit. Go straight ahead to enter World Works.
Turn left after entering World Works. Proceed up the stairs to the Control Room.
Click on Bud and Julius, the engineers of World Works. They tell you they are currently conducting the great "Tune Up," hence explaining the unusual events on the surface. Click on them until they tell you to go downstairs and learn about what they do. Go back downstairs to the foyer.
Click on the four panels around the archway. Then proceed to Bud and Julius's living areas.
Bud and Julius's Living Areas
Go straight to the blackboard. Click both buttons at the blackboard to read about the Anti-Magnetic Medallion and learn more history. Turn left to Julius's area. Go to his computer. Look at all the pictures and documents and watch the video. Turn around and examine the items in Bud's area. When you have looked at everything, go back upstairs to the Control Room.
When you return, they will begin the "power down" and reboot the computer. The world ends up worse than before! Natural disasters show up on every screen. They choose you to help rectify the situation and tell you to go to the Border Room, go down the Pole to the Four Elements Room. They give you an Emergency Kit containing the Anti-Magnetic Medallion and the code to use on the videophone in the Four Elements Room. Return to the elevator. This time, go down to the Border Room.
Go straight ahead until you reach a large magnetic door. Click on it to receive an out of order message. Turn around, return to the elevator. Click on the panel at the right of the elevator to open it. Go straight ahead until you reach another panel (marked "236"). Click on the button to open it to reveal the Pole. Click on the Pole when the hand cursor is pointing down. Travel down the Pole until you hear a buzzer. Click on the panel to exit into the Four Elements Room.
There are four energy valves in this room. Each one has a Mechanimal sitting on it. The source of the destruction on the surface.
The four characters refer to this room as the Oracle, which has some religious significance for them. They believe you are the "Grand Mechanic" come to grant them their wishes. Each of the four needs something--hence quests for you. The four are:
Carbine--a journalist for the New Torque Times with a cracked photo lens. He needs a new one to work again. This is only available from the Glass Works.
Phlange--a musical performer and curator of the Mechanimal Historical Society. She has lost her inspiration and wants to know about the surface. (Note: Complete talking to Phlange before using the videophone. The game crashes consistently otherwise.)
Diode--a mad scientist desperate to see the legendary surface for himself. He wants an Anti-Magnetic Medallion. If you give him yours, he (and Julius and Bud by videophone) realize that because he is part metal, the glass parts and the metal parts must be transposed.
A spaced-out derelict that cannot tell you who he is. He mentions a "glowing orb" and says "tell Sprocket."Â
Use the videophone. Press "1" (written on the paper in the emergency kit) to speak with Julius and Bud. Your goal is to get each of the four off the energy valves to restore the Earth above. When conversations are complete, head up the stairs to New Torque. Go to the Glass Factory.
After entering the Glass Factory, turn left and head up the stairs. Immediately turn left to talk to Prism, a glass worker. He tells you most of his work is for Lugnut. Turn right. From the pile of uncut glass, pick up a piece of glass. Continue up the stairs. Meet Sprocket, a Master Glass Worker. She (?) mentions a prodigy she once had called Ohm, who disappeared after tragic events involving mind copying and living glass. Exit and go to Lugnut's.
Lugnut is the resident entrepreneur and runs a bar serving crude oil. In conversation with him, he mentions Diode has been mysteriously rusty and required many replacement parts from Manny, at the Spare Parts Store. He knows the derelict and notes he was fascinated by glass sculptures. In an overheard conversation, you may hear that Lugnut is out of glasses. Note Ratchet on the left as you exit Lugnut's. She is a musical performer. When complete, go to the Hall of Records foyer.
At left is the New Torque Times offices (inaccessible). At right is Manifold's Spare Parts Store. Straight ahead leads to the Hall of Records proper. Head right to Manny's.
Talk to Manifold behind the counter. He tells you some tidbits of information. Some years ago, he made an archeological find in the Iron Factory, which is now kept at the Mechanimal Historical Society. He remembers that Diode was different years ago and thinks his mind is affected by magnetism. Approach the "head machine." Choose a new head. Manny will secure it and suggest you take it for a test drive. Go to the Hall of Records.
When the attendant sees you "are" a Mechanimal, he lets you into the records. There are three important records that mention the following.
Carbine: his lens is a special one made only in the Glass Factory.
Ratchet: she is always asking Manny for new musical instrument designs.
Ohm: his brain pattern is shown:
Exit to the Mechanimal Historical Society.
Mechanimal Historical Society
Take some time to examine all the information in the MHS. One item has been stolen--a hot plate that is suspiciously the same shape as a design on Diode's torso ... Before leaving, ensure you pick up the postcard of the Master Glass Worker apprentices. Further on in the MHS is the Glasshouse and an Elevator. Proceed further into the Glasshouse. With a warning, walk beyond the Glasshouse to a flooded cavern into an area with a waterfall. Note a rock at left with an imprint of a hot plate. Back in the MHS, take the elevator upstairs hot the chamber on the other side of the door seen in the border room. It requires a code word. To the right of the door, you find Diode's secret area. In addition to some photos and articles, listen to the tape-recorded journal: Diode broke Carbine's lens! Go to the Iron Works.
After entering the Iron Works, turn right at the end of the entrance hallway. Take the stovetop cover from the display. Go in to the foundry area. At the intersection, turn left and enter a room to talk to Cathode. He tells you he stamps ingots into shapes. He mentions Carborium X, a metal he discovered with properties of crystallization with extreme cold. Turn around and head back to the intersection. This time go right. Go into the ingot making room. There are five Mechanimals working here:
The top left Mechanimal is the mixer. The bottom left adds the oil. The middle is the heat source. The top right handles the voltage. The bottom right produces the ingot. By talking to the first four, you can alter their behavior (binary choice) to make Carborium X. Note the recipe at bottom right:
When the Mechanimals are correct, push the button to start the process. The ingot will end up with Cathode. When you approach Cathode, make sure you give him the stovetop cover. He will talk about Diode's deceptive ways and then give you the reversed Anti-Magnetic Medallion. Return to the Four Elements Room.
Give Diode the reversed Anti-Magnetic Medallion. He flees up the Pole, leaving much of his mechanical covering, including the hot plate. Take the hot plate. Return to the chamber beyond the Glasshouse in the Mechanimal Historical Society.
Mechanimal Historical Society II
Go back to the chamber and place the hot plate in the rock with the imprint. The waterfall stops, and a chamber is revealed. This is Ozzie's chamber.
In this chamber is the legacy of Ozzie. There are a number of newspaper articles and a video that tells the story. In addition, there is a note that reads "I M SAR EE". This is the code to the magnetic door at the border. As you leave the chamber, note the discarded and rusted limbs at left. Diode was here! Return to Sprocket.
Show Sprocket the photo. She mentions that Ohm is in the picture. This is similar to the picture of Ohm in the Hall of Records. The derelict is Ohm! Return to the Four Elements Room.
Show Ohm the picture of himself. He slowly recognizes himself and remembers who he is. He gives you a circuit board. Return to Sprocket with the circuit board.
Give the circuit board to Sprocket. He tells you find Ohm's brain pattern and meet him at the Sculpture Garden. Having collected the brain pattern earlier from the Hall of Records, go to the Sculpture Garden.
Click on the machine that Sprocket is hooked up to. Program Ohm's brain pattern into the board. The process begins and Sprocket is transmutated into the living glass. Pick up the circuit board and return to the Four Elements Room.
Give Ohm the circuit board. He leaves. Go to the Glass Factory.
Ask Prism to make you a lens for Carbine. He refuses but then concedes if you get permission from Lugnut. Go to Lugnut's.
Mention lens to Lugnut. He agrees if you can get him some prime sludge, the "Chateau Toxique," from Decanter in the Oil Shop. Go to the Oil Shop next door.
Decanter initially refuses to give you anything for Lugnut, but changes his mind if you can get a recording of an old song from Phlange. Return (again!) to the Four Elements Room.
When you ask for the song from Phlange, she says she requires an XJ6 (musical instrument) from Ratchet. Return to Lugnut's.
Ratchet agrees to give you the XJ6 in exchange for the XJ7, which she believes Manny at the Spare Parts Store has. Go and see Manny.
Manny, unfortunately, tells you there is no such thing as the XJ7. However, he agrees to make a fake XJ7 for Ratchet if you can have a hat made at the Iron Works for his wife for their anniversary.
Cathode offers to make a hat but needs a picture. He tells you to get one from Carbine.
Ask Carbine for a photograph of a hat. He gives you one. Return to the Iron Works.
Return to the Iron Works. This time, make a normal ingot. Take it to Cathode and ask him to make a hat. He ships it to Manny.
Manny received the hat and ships the XJ7 to Ratchet.
True to her word, Ratchet gives you the XJ6. Take it to Phlange.
Phlange makes a recording of the song you want in exchange for the XJ6. Take the tape to Decanter.
Give the tape to Decanter. He is so happy that he gives you the Chateau Toxique, even though it is for Lugnut. Return to Lugnut.
When you give Lugnut the sludge, he phones through to the Glass Factory and gives you a card for the lens. Return to the Glass Factory.
Give Prism the card from Lugnut. He makes the lens. Return to the Four Elements Room.
Give Carbine his lens. He gets off the energy valve. Talk to Phlange. She mentions she needs inspiration in the form of tales about the surface. Julius and Bud contact her through the monitor and show her the human world, thereby reaffirming her purpose in life. She leaves her energy valve. Now it is time to leave. As you no longer have the Anti-Magnetic Medallion, you must leave through the door to the border. Return to the Mechanimal Historical Society.
Mechanimal Historical Society III
Go back up the elevator. Go down to the door. Use the code word found earlier:
You return to your own world. The world is saved. And then we see poor Diode, frozen and crystallized at the North Pole!
