GDC Quest Quiz II: Steve Purcell
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Feb 25th 2008 at 5:45PM }
We did a terrible thing at last week's Game Developer's Conference. Aside from our usual barrage of photographs and "reporting," a select group of attendees had to endure a particularly inane and utterly pointless line of questioning -- just for laughs. This is what happens when you hunt down several adventure game connoisseurs and challenge them to solve a typically obnoxious adventure game puzzle.The Player
Steve Purcell, illustrator and writer best known as the creator of Sam & Max. We're surprised he even talked to us after last year's drunken debacle.
The Puzzle
You're standing in front of a cave. The goal is to get inside the cave, taking care to foil the ferocious robot bear guarding the entrance first.
The Inventory
- (1) perforated parasol
- (1) rubber chicken with a pulley in the middle
- (1) sealed manila envelope
- (1) miniature macaroni Tim Schafer statue
The Solution
Steve: I'd probably just eat the Tim Schafer macaroni and uh ...
Joystiq: What did that accomplish exactly? You were hungry?
Well, the only thing that could be more delicious than macaroni is macaroni shaped like Tim. So, after that, I would probably turn the computer off and go outside.
So, you solved the puzzle by solving the larger meta-puzzle around it.
Did you say "meta-puzzle?" Did you say "meta-puzzle" out loud and mean it?
Yes, yes I did.
Shame on you!
Burned.
Here's a guy that says "meta-puzzle" in conversation with conviction.
So, puzzle solved!
For me it is!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Feb 25th 2008 5:58PM
Lamesauce.
Yes, I said "sauce".
Ghen @ Feb 25th 2008 6:04PM
meta is in, didn't he get the memo?
Ryan Strand @ Feb 25th 2008 6:06PM
My Solution.
Start by opening the sealed manila envelope and then remove Mac Air. Then use said Mac Air and hack into the robot-bear's mainframe(this is how they always do it in movies) to shut it down. The other items are merely red herrings.
Easy.
OhJustSomeRandomGuy @ Feb 25th 2008 6:11PM
Sorry, but the robot bear is not running OSX, as it was not made by the space aliens from Independence Day.
The robot bear, unfortunately for you, hears the Apple startup sound. Seeing the manila envelope correctly deduces that you have paid far too much for an underpowered computer, and thus lack both the funds to bribe it and the computing power to pose a threat.
It kills you.
Your score: 0 out of 150
Restart Reload Quit?
robert @ Feb 25th 2008 7:08PM
Sorry, but the robot bear is not running OSX...
which is ok, just boot up in windows or linux on the mac.
ApolloIV @ Feb 25th 2008 6:39PM
Blue portal behind it, orange portal at my feet. Get behind it, push it over. Okay i'm done.
Deez @ Feb 25th 2008 7:10PM
You push it over, it falls through the orange portal on floor, and appears out of blue portal behind you.
It kills you.
Your score: 0 out of 150
Restart Reload Quit?
flYY @ Feb 25th 2008 7:32PM
Easy. There's cake mix in the manila folder. Use the parasol and rubber chicken as a makeshift oven to bake a cake and put the macaroni on top.
Then feed the cake to the bear. You'll be inside the cave by the time it realizes the cake is a lie.
ApolloIV @ Feb 25th 2008 11:18PM
You try feeding the cake to the bear but the bear already knew the cake was a lie two god damn months ago. So in anger...
It kills you.
Your Score: 5 out of 150
Restart Reload Quit?
xAnarChisTx @ Feb 25th 2008 10:01PM
Hmm. He's kinda going for the TF2 Sniper motif, is he not?
Ariel @ Feb 25th 2008 10:55PM
Wow. Purcell really does look like Tim Gunn.
Maximilian Lockwood @ Feb 25th 2008 11:25PM
never liked the inane puzzles on adventures.
Leonidas @ Feb 26th 2008 1:06AM
Falcon Knee to face.
Game.
Hakobus @ Feb 26th 2008 5:25AM
So, uh, did you guys actually interview any of these adventure game makers, or did you just present the same stupid puzzle to all of them?
Donald @ Feb 26th 2008 9:33AM
Hurl rubber chicken at visual input unit of the robot.
Shagittarius @ Feb 26th 2008 12:12PM
I open the manilla envelope and inside is a cell phone that rings immediately.
It's morpheus, I tell him about the robot bear and he downloads a rocket launcher to me.
I blow the bear to bits.