(Last updated: September 21, 2017)

I recently played through the old Infocom adventure game Stationfall, as part of one of my periodic adventure game binges, and I found I lost a couple times due to running out of time. I think that was basically just due to me triggering some events which could've been delayed, but nevertheless I decided to map out the puzzle tree of the game to find a semi-optimal path. That way I wouldn't be wasting time running from one end of the station to the other all the time.

Once I did beat the game, I figured I'd fix up the tree slightly to include the whole game, rather than just the main safe-breaking bit (though of course that ends up consuming the most of it anyway). So, here it is! I doubt this'll be of much interest to anyone else, but I always enjoy this kind of visualization, so I figured I'd give it a home regardless.

Stationfall Puzzle Tree
(Click through for full-sized version)

The original graphviz .dot file is here: stationfall.dot

And for the record, here's the path that I ended up taking. Works well, is actually far quicker than you have to be, though, and misses various flavor text (doesn't actually "show" many of the clues you'd actually need to puzzle it out - skips the alien ship, diaries, mayor's office, for instance).

Okay, this does seem to do the trick.  Note that it misses out on quite a bit
of flavor - you've theoretically got until Day 4 to solve the game, and this
will get you there during day 2.

    - Head into science area
        Grab fromitz board from astro lab
    - Go to level 7
        Get crumpled form from trash can
        Get drill from recycling plant
        Drop small drill bit
    - Go to level 3
        You'll be hungry - open the thermos and drink soup
        Press crumpled form in laundry room
    - Go to level 5
        Get drill bit from robot shop, put it in drill
        Drop board and drill in commander's quarters
        Get stamp, validate form, drop stamp
    - Unlock Village to the East
        Get headlamp from field office
        Get platinum foil from barbershop
        Grab plastic bag on the way through, just for convenience
        Put the foil in the bag
        Upgrade ID Card in Shady Dan's
    - Head to south village
        Get can from pawn shop
    - Head to east village
        Get ostrich nip
        Lure the balloon creature with can
    - Go to level 5
        (should be extremely tired by this point)
        Leave the balloon creature in East Junction
        Get Jammer and Fromtiz board, combine 'em, set to 710
        (turn off headlamp!)
        Head to commander's quarters to sleep! (should be time)
        Leave bag+jammer in quarters
        Get your kit, nip, and can (and id card, if you were holding it
        directly)
        Resume luring the balloon creature, @ South Junction
    - Go to level 3
        Turn off flame in Chapel
        Lure balloon creature into chapel, get the star and thingy
        drop star and can
    - Go to level 2
        Get the detonator, replace its thingy
    - Go to level 6
        Get the zapgun from the armory
    - Go to level 5
        Drop detonator+idcard in a South Connection
        (could probably just keep detonator, honestly)
    - Go to south village
        Get coin from loan shark (keep your zapgun for endgame!)
        Lure ostrich (from Doc's)
    - Go to level 5
        (you'll need to eat a goo by now)
        Use coin+ostrich to get timer from PX (type 6, put nip in hole)
        (Plato is likely to show up at some point, starting now)
    - Back to east village
        spin wheel in Casino, get the spacesuit
        get the magnetic boots
        (get thermos, close kit, to save goo)
        head out to space, put the explosive in the thermos
        Remember to turn off your headlamp on the way out!
    - Back to level 5
        (collect detonator from south connection)
        Blow the safe
        Drop drill and thermos
        Collect bag + jammer + key
    - Up to level one
        Unlock+Open the bin
        pick up your kit, bag, jammer, and zapgun
        Head down the shaft
    - Level 9
        Activate the Jammer!
        Then Deactivate the Jammer!  omg!
    - Level 8
        Gotta zap floyd
        Then cover the pyramid

Changelog

September 21, 2017
  • Initial Post