Home > How to Play
Tableaux Vivants: How to Play
The following is also provided in-game under the HELP command.
- Tableaux Vivants is a work of parser-based interactive fiction. Progress through the story and solve its puzzles by typing simple commands, which are listed below. (Commands are capitalized here for reference, but are not case-sensitive.) The game cannot be lost: it will never reach an unwinnable state, and there are no 'game over' scenarios. You are free to explore and experiment.
- The bar at the top of the screen lists your location, available exits, and current score. Scoring is provided primarily to help you track your progress.
- Bold words highlight objects, concepts, and characters that are unexamined (and are most worth examining), or otherwise have unexplored potential; as well as exits to rooms that have not yet been visited. (Objects are automatically examined when first taken.) You may toggle bold text with HIGHLIGHTS OFF.
- Objects with long names (like "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again") can almost always be referred to with generic terms ("book") or abbreviations ("hobbit").
- Type VERBS for a complete list of commands you'll need to use inside the game's world. FULL VERBS shows a more detailed explanation of these commands.
- THINK to track active goals, or THINK ABOUT (something) to request a context-sensitive hint. (Available hint topics are listed under THINK.)
- SAVE your game; RESTORE a saved game; or UNDO an action.
- Type CW for content warnings (which include very minor spoilers).
- List your ACHIEVEMENTS. (It is possible to unlock all achievements in a single game. They will not persist between saves.)
Actions
The following is also provided in-game under the FULL VERBS command.
Command
Result
NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST, UP, DOWN
(or N, S, E, W, U, D) Travel between rooms. LOOK (or L) Repeat the description of your location. EXAMINE or X (something/someone) Learn more about an object or character. INVENTORY (or I) Review the list of items you carry or wear. TAKE (something)
DROP (something) Add or remove items from your inventory.
(You can also TAKE ALL or DROP ALL.) PUT (something) ON (a surface)
PUT (something) IN (a container) Move objects around the environment. UNLOCK (something)
OPEN (something) Gain access to doors or containers that are locked or closed. WEAR (something) Put on clothing or accessories. LIGHT or BURN (something) Illuminate something with flame. TALK TO (someone) Start a conversation with a character. GIVE (something) TO (someone) Offer an item to a character. LISTEN TO (something/someone)
or LISTEN Learn about sounds made by characters or things in the environment. Type LISTEN (without a focus) to hear ambient sound. SMELL (something/someone)
PET (something)
EAT (something)
WRITE (something) A few more ways to interact with characters, objects, and gain information about the environment. FIND BOOK ABOUT or RESEARCH (a topic) Look for books or information in the study. Try simple nouns and phrases for topics: for example, "research ouroboros".
(or N, S, E, W, U, D) Travel between rooms. LOOK (or L) Repeat the description of your location. EXAMINE or X (something/someone) Learn more about an object or character. INVENTORY (or I) Review the list of items you carry or wear. TAKE (something)
DROP (something) Add or remove items from your inventory.
(You can also TAKE ALL or DROP ALL.) PUT (something) ON (a surface)
PUT (something) IN (a container) Move objects around the environment. UNLOCK (something)
OPEN (something) Gain access to doors or containers that are locked or closed. WEAR (something) Put on clothing or accessories. LIGHT or BURN (something) Illuminate something with flame. TALK TO (someone) Start a conversation with a character. GIVE (something) TO (someone) Offer an item to a character. LISTEN TO (something/someone)
or LISTEN Learn about sounds made by characters or things in the environment. Type LISTEN (without a focus) to hear ambient sound. SMELL (something/someone)
PET (something)
EAT (something)
WRITE (something) A few more ways to interact with characters, objects, and gain information about the environment. FIND BOOK ABOUT or RESEARCH (a topic) Look for books or information in the study. Try simple nouns and phrases for topics: for example, "research ouroboros".
These are all of the actions you may need to take inside the game's world, although synonyms for the above will often be accepted and other actions may be possible.
