Mad Father is a free-ware horror-puzzle game created by Miscreant's Room made with Wolf RPG Editor, their second game after Misao. A young German girl named Aya Drevis is living at home with her titular Mad Father, Doctor Alfred Drevis, and his assistant Maria. Download Mad Father 2.08 (Chrome may falsely flag the download as malicious, but it's safe to ignore.) A revamped version of Mad Father is now available on Steam and Playism for $5. The game will remain free here, but you can show Sen your support by purchasing it.

Northeastern Germany
Drevis Residence

*knock* *knock* *knock*

'…Father…' A small voice echoed. A girl about the age of 10 stood alone outside of a wooden door at the end of a dimly lit hallway. Her straight black hair flowed like water over her back. The large, pink bow that adorned her hair almost seemed to glow in the light emitted from the row of light fixtures stretching down the hallway.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

'Father, are you in there?' She asked, her voice slightly wavering in fear. After a moment, the door swung open to reveal a man in a lab coat and surgeon mask, both having new blood splattered on them. He looked serious before his eyes rested on the girl, to which is took off his mask and gave a weak smile. 'Father!' She cried as she quickly wrapped her arms around him. He gently pried her arms away and knelt down on one knee. 'Aya! How many times have I told you to not come down here?' He scolded softly, his smile slowly disappearing. Aya looked down. 'I'm sorry, father. But…I'm too scared to sleep on my own…' She explained, her eyes tracing the pattern of the stone floor. She heard him pause. 'Aya, don't worry. You're never alone…' He reassured her, his glasses reflecting the light as he brought his smile back. Aya looked up at her father as he went on. 'Your late mother is always there at your side. She's always looking out for you, Aya.' Aya smiled and slowly nodded. 'Okay? Now please…get to bed.' He said, scooting her in the direction of the hallway entrance. She looked at him and then starting walking. 'Good girl.'

She suddenly stopped in her tracks before turning back around. 'Father…tomorrow's-' 'Yes…the anniversary of her death…' Her father finished as he rose to his feet. 'We'll visit her grave together.' Aya smiled again. 'Okay.' He put back on his mask and said, 'Now…back to bed, please. I, too, will be resting shortly.' His daughter nodded and walked away. She stopped when she heard a small creak behind her and looked over her shoulder to see the wooden door closing shut. She watched until the door shut all the way and then continued.

A loud plea erupted abruptly from inside of the lab, which made her stop. 'S-stop!' The person shouted, fear filling their voice. The rumbling of a chainsaw sounded from behind the door. 'No! Somebody help me! Please, help!' The chainsaw roared and cut off the screams. Aya continued, walking slowly up the stairs and out of the basement. She closed the door behind her at the top, the disturbing sounds now completely shut away. She was silent as she walked through her family's mansion towards her own room just above the basement, thinking.

I know father's secret. My father is a scientist. He loves research and is always locked up in the lab in the basement. And I've always heard things from that lab…animal and human screams…horrifying screams…even at a young age, I always knew what my father was doing…so I pretended not to notice; that I didn't know or hear anything…I feigned ignorance the whole time because…I love my father. But…that's not the only secret I know. When mom and I weren't around, he and his helper…well.

~~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aya's father and his assistant, Maria, stood in the middle of a bloody room; blood-soaked bags containing unknown things were sitting in every corner and three wooden tables sat in the center riddled with blood, old and new. Stained cloths were scattered about the floor and draped other tables and a small cabinet filled with mysterious bottles, jars, and other containers stood in a lone corner. This room was very well used. The doctor walked over to an examining table and laid a dripping red chainsaw gently on it. 'A fine sample.' He concluded satisfyingly, turning to look at Maria. 'I shall dispose of the remaining materials myself…' Maria offered, walking over to him. '.That can wait…' He insisted. 'Come here, Maria…' He said, opening his arms. 'Doctor…' She blushed, walking into his arms. They stayed that way for but a moment before Maria whispered, 'Doctor…she's aware of our…relationship…' '…Hm? What does it matter?' He replied, looking down at her through his thin glasses. 'I…I don't believe she's very…fond of me…that is a problem…' She spoke meekly, trying not to meet the doctor's eyes. He sighed before saying, 'The girl will be 11 soon. It's a troublesome age. To be sure…be kind to her, please. Make sure she is never harmed. She is my most precious-' The grandfather clock struck 12, cutting him off, the sound echoing throughout the house.

*dong*….*dong*….*dong*

Aya opened her eyes slowly as she lay on top of her bed covers. Must've dozed off… She shifted onto her side to look over at the clock in her room. 'It's midnight…' She said. 'Today's the day that mom went to heaven…' She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. 'Mom…' Aya sighed, rubbing her eyes. 'I can never sleep when I think about you…' She slid off her bed and looked around. Her room was pretty basic compared to the rest of the mansion; she had a bed, two small bookcases filled with books, a large teddy bear, a small doll, two drawers of clothes and other things, a chest, a small basket with her pet bunny resting in it, and a small nightstand table with a picture of her mother resting on it. She walked over to the nightstand and picked up the photo of her mother gingerly. 'Mom…' she sighed again, caressing the picture frame. The picture was of a woman with wavy, strawberry blond hair that went down a little past her shoulders, who wore a blue and white dress, with eyes the color of emeralds, and a warm smile planted on her face.

'What should I do, mom?' Aya asked the photograph. 'I do love father, but…' Aya tried to find the right words to say. 'She scares me…she's always…looking at me with those eyes…I hate her. But I know father likes her. If father and her got married…I guess she would be my new mom.' She looked into her mother's eyes. 'I don't want her to be my new mom, though. There's only one mom in the world for me.. Mom…why did you have to go?' She placed the picture gently back on the nightstand and decided to walk around her room, the only thing that she could think of to do right now. She shuffled over to her favorite teddy bear, Mr. Snuggles. She hugged him before putting him back in his spot with his other stuffed animal friends. She then spotted one of her favorite dolls. '…a doll that I got from father…it's so old and worn…' A memory came flooding back to her.

A younger Aya was standing with her father in middle of her room.He knelt down in front of her, holding something in his arms. 'I brought you a present, Aya!' He said gleefully, handing it to her.'Yay! It's a doll!' She shouted, grabbing it and cuddling it. 'Thank you, father!'Her father smiled at her and stood back, looking on at his daughter with joy.'What a pretty doll!' Aya wondered with awe. 'It's almost as if it's real…'

Aya stood still as she remembered. She looked down at the doll with love and knelt down. She caressed its face and put the doll's hair back into place. She stood back up and walked over to her bookcases, wondering that maybe if she read something, it would take her mind off things and help her get to sleep. She browsed the book names and came upon her favorite story that her mother used to read to her, 'The Red-Eyed Stranger.' She reached up and began to slide the book out of its perch, but something shimmery fell out of it. Aya pushed the book back in and walked over to see what had fallen. She got down on her knees and looked at it closely. 'What is this?' She asked aloud, picking it up. It was something very small and shiny. 'A…gemstone?' She shrugged and put it in her pocket. 'It's pretty, so I'll keep it…' She got to her feet and browsed the rest of the books. She found another familiar title, 'Horus the Trader.' She reached for it, but suddenly had second thoughts and pulled her hand back down to her side. She sat down beside Snowball, her pet bunny, and slowly pet his soft fur, trying to sooth herself. He looked up at her for a second, then lied his head back down on the soft blanket he was resting on.

Chills crept up Aya's back as her nightlight suddenly flickered. 'I…it's seems cold all of a sudden…that light kind of startled me…maybe I should get back to bed…' Aya quickly bounded to her bed and practically jumps inside the covers. She feels better this way and begins to feel her eyelids growing heavy. She yawns and mumbles, 'Good-night…' As she falls asleep, her mind takes her into a memory.

She's sitting in a large field in a patch of flowers with her father, sitting with her back turned towards him while singing one of the lullabies her mother used to sing to her called Greensleeves. As she sang; her father's shuffling his hands on the ground, looking as if he's making something.'You sing so well, Aya.' He interjected, turning around to face her. Aya stopped her singing and smiled. 'Aya. I made something for you.' Her father told her. 'Now, turn around and I'll put it on you.' Aya's curiosity grew as she turned around. She felt something touch the top of her head gently. She looked up and touched the top of her head, feeling something soft. 'A…a flower crown?' She asked, delighted with her father. 'Does it look good on me?' She asked, turning to father. 'Yes. It suites you well.' He replied, smiling at her and his work. 'Yay!' She sang, dancing around the patch. 'Thank you so much, father.' She said, hugging him 'I'm sorry I can't always play with you…' He apologizes as he returned the hug. 'Father…it's alright! I'm glad I could play with you today, father!' When she finished saying that, her mother appeared behind them, a small chuckle shaking her sides.

'Oh! So you two were playing?' She asked, smiling at both of them.'Mom!' Aya shouted cheerfully. She ran over to her mother and jumped up and down in front of her. 'Look! Father made me a flower crown!''That's wonderful, Aya! It looks great on you! So, you played with him all day?' She asked.'Yeah!' Aya said. 'We should do this again, father!' She insisted, turning back to father.'Yes we should.' He agreed. 'And your mother should join in, too.'He smiled. 'Well, I look forward to it!' She said, smiling back.Aya's mother then began to have a violent coughing fit.'Mom?' Aya asked, worry edging her voice.'I'm sorry…just another fit…' The doctor stood up and touched one of Aya's mom's arms lightly. 'Don't push yourself if you're not feeling well! Come on. I'll get some medicine from Maria! It should help you get better-''N-no! I can get that myself.' She interrupted, a frown starting to appear on her face.'Mom? Are you hurt? Are you okay?' Aya asked, stepping between the couple.Her mom smiled. 'Sorry to worry you. I'm perfectly fine…' She said, looking at Aya's anxious little face. 'Don't look so anxious, please! Aya, your smile keeps me going best of all! If I can't see you smiling, it'll only make me worry…''Mom…' Aya began. '…okay!' Her mother made a small sigh.'Now, let's get back for dinner. I made hamburger steak tonight! Your favorite, Aya!' Father and Aya cheered in unison.' 'Hooray! I love mom's hamburger's!'

The memory faded.

We were so happy then. There was Maria, but…even so, the three of us were a happy family. But then mom passed away from illness…and the happiness we had then, well…

*tick*…*tock*…*tick*…*tock*

The sound of the grandfather clock was fading slowly into Aya's ears when suddenly; a loud cry rang out through the house. Aya awoke to the sound. 'Huh?! That scream…father?' She said. She quickly climbed out of her bed. 'Something must have happened! I'll go check on father!' She swiftly ran towards the door that led out of her bedroom. She hesitated. I have a bad feeling… Aya quickly shook the feeling off and opened the door. When she walked outside the room, a strange, whispery sound reached her ears. What's that sound…? Is it a voice? She asked to herself. But before she could move another step, foot-shaped blood spots appeared quickly on the wall, ceiling, and floor, all coming towards Aya. Fully startled, she fell backwards onto the marble floors. The lights flickered and when she could see again, two human figures were hunched over her. They looked horrid; cuts, bruises, and they had body parts missing.

Aya gasped and backed away quickly. The corpses started to inch forward towards her. 'N-No…' She whispered as she kept backing away. 'No…don't…' she pleaded, still backing away. 'Come this way…' A faint voice behind her urged. 'Huh? Who's there?' She asked. 'Come this way…' The voice repeated. She took no hesitation in following the voice's instructions, so she got up and swiftly ran into the next hallway. When she raced around the corner, she saw a lone boy. He had short blond hair and brown eyes. Half of him was facing her, so she couldn't see the other side. 'This way…' He said. 'Who-?' 'Stay with me…' The boy interrupted. He turned to her and the whole right side of his face was damaged, one of his eyes missing as well. 'I said, this way…' He urged her softly. 'No!' Aya screamed, turning back and going the way she had come from. She ran back into her bedroom and quickly shut the door.

She sighed in relief as she turned around. A tall man wearing a suit and hat stood browsing the books in her bookcase. Aya gasped, frozen in fear. Is he going to try and hurt me too…? 'Many interesting books in this room here…do you like books, my dear?' He asked, turning towards Aya. '.W-Who are you?' She asked, gathering up the courage to say something. 'Now, don't be so frightened…I'm merely a salesman…' He said, slight amusement flickering over his features. 'Salesman…?' She asked, hesitantly. He took off his hat and bowed to her. 'You can call me Ogre. I hope to get to know you, young lady…' Aya didn't know what to say to a salesman, so she waited to see if he would continue. 'It's quite troublesome, isn't it…to think that the corpses loiter around the house the way they do…'

Aya was dumbfounded. 'C-Corpses? Those monsters back there?' Aya asked. 'They're like monsters from a story…why would monsters like that-' 'Well, it's a curse…'Ogre interuppted bluntly. Aya tilted her head as he went on. 'What you saw back there were the corpses of your father's test subjects. Overcome with anger, those deceased have been brought back by the power of the curse…to take revenge on your father, of course…' He explained. 'What?!' She cried. 'So father is in danger?! I have to save him!' She stated. 'And why is that?' Ogre asked calmly. 'To achieve his desires, he has killed so many people as part of his experiments…this is his retribution. You must have realized by now…the true nature of your father… Yet…you wish to save him?' Aya was silent as she processed what he'd said. She then turned around without another word and walked out her door. 'My, my…perhaps she cannot yet understand our sorrow…' He sighed.

Aya walked quickly down the hallway in the opposite direction than the boy had been. She stopped in the middle of it in deep thought. Father was always kind to me…he's the only father I have…and I promised mom, too! She continued her way down the hall, only to stop again when a memory hit her.

Aya and her mother were in Aya's room. Aya was lying in her bed while mom sat on a chair and was reading her a story.'The red-eyed stranger gave Jack the power to curse others.' Her mother read aloud. 'And Jack said, 'Thank you red-eyed stranger. Now I can get my revenge…''Hey, mom…' Aya interrupted gently.'Yes, Aya?' Her mother replied, looking up from the pages of the book.'What's father always up to down below?' Her mother hesitated, searching for the right words to describe it to her little girl.'…I-It's a very difficult job. You'll understand when you're older.' Her mother said.'…I wanna be older soon, then.' Aya replied. Her mother looked back down at the book, and then back up at Aya.'Aya…' She began. 'Whatever happens, you shouldn't hate your father…' Her mom looked down.'Mom…what's the matter?' Aya asked. 'Of course I wouldn't hate father!' She said, sitting up quickly. '…I see…' Her mother muttered doubtfully.'Mom…do you not like father?'She shook her head.'Hm? No…nothing like that…' She insisted. 'I'm just like you, Aya. I love your father just as much…'Aya sighed happily. 'He can be a bit…unpredictable. So let's support each other no matter what, promise?' She asked.'Promise!' Aya agreed.'Now, back to the story!' Her mother said.

The memory faded as Aya came back to reality. 'Mom…whatever happens, I love father…' She said smiling. 'So don't worry…' Suddenly realizing what she had to do, she yelled, 'I have to go save father!' When she took a step forward, though, a black crow came out of nowhere and landed on the hall table, cawing loudly at her. 'A…crow?' She said. She walked towards it, but it didn't fly away and just stared her down with beady eyes. She shrugged and cautiously walked into the hallway the strange boy had been in, afraid he might come and get her again. I know exactly what I need in case I come by those monsters again! It's up in the loft. Hopefully I can find it… She walked to the only door on the end, which led to a storage room with barrels and bags. But a section of the ladder was missing. She jumped a few times, but couldn't reach it. Well, there goes that plan…I wonder if father hid it somewhere else? She wondered as she ran back out. As she came upon her closed bedroom door, she peeked in to see if the man was still there. Aya sighed with relief when she didn't see him and walked inside. She spotted Snowball and decided to take him along with her. I wouldn't want to be alone in a house like this either…. She put on her 'bunny backpack' on her back and packed a few blankets in there for his comfort. As she gently put him in the carrier, another memory flooded back.

Aya was wandering around the upstairs garden house.'Snowball!' She called loudly. When she got no response, she called again. 'Snowball! Where are you?' She looked down at the bandages she was holding. 'What do I do? Your leg's hurt…' She asked herself worriedly.Suddenly a white bunny head poked through the doorway. 'Snowball! I'm so happy you're safe!' She rushed over and picked him up gingerly. ' Now, let me wrap that leg wound.'She put him down and grabbed his injured leg lightly, but as she lifted the leg, but couldn't spot any injury whatsoever. 'Wait, what? Your leg healed?'Her father walked through the doorway and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. 'Whew! What a troublesome rabbit!'

'Father!' Aya squealed.'Aya, be sure to keep that rabbit in your sight! It made a mess of the kitchen.''Sorry.' She apologized. 'Snowball was probably trying to get another bite of Maria's cooking again, huh?' She shook her head and looked at her father. 'Didyou find him, father?' He nodded as he said,'Yes. And healed his leg wound while I was at it.'Aya smiled and looked a Snowball. 'It's a good thing father's around. Right, Snowball?' She giggled.

Aya returned from daydreaming as packed up Snowball. 'Why don't we go save him together, then? Alright, Snowball?' She asked with a giggle as she zipped up the backpack carrier and put it on her back. She walked out and began to walk towards the lobby, but stopped when she spotted her mother's bedroom door. She shrugged inwardly and thought, It's worth a shot if I want to save father. Could be something useful in there…. She opened the door and immediately saw a strange woman standing by the window. Aya got a little closer and was about to speak when the floorboards creaked under her foot and the woman spun around. The woman had blue skin, blood dripping from her scalp, and tears streaming. Give her back! Give me my Daughter back! She screamed. Aya covered her ears and ran back out the door. She shut it quickly and waited a few minutes. When she didn't hear any commotion from inside, she cracked open the door. The woman had simply vanished, but she'd left something behind. Aya stood up on her shaking legs and went to go pick it up. 'The Archives Key?' She asked aloud as she studied it before pocketing it in her dress pockets.

She closed the door behind her and ran toward the lobby. As she neared it, she heard a squishing sound. She stopped mid-stride and listened. When she didn't hear it again, she kept on walking. She heard the sound again as she got further down the hallway, getting louder. The sound was suddenly violently faster and then stopped. Aya remained silent, but goose bumps were crawling up her arms. When the sound didn't come back, she unlocked the archives. Inside, were many bookshelves almost filled to the brim with reading materials. Aya heard a flapping sound next to her and found yet another crow sitting on a stool. What's with all the birds in the house? She didn't know what she was supposed to be looking for, so she began rummaging through the bookcases. The first one she went through, she found an old favorite story of hers. 'The Flame Egg! I remember this story!' She said as she took the story out and hugged it. 'There's a girl who has the mysterious power to control fire, and she goes on a journey to find her family that she's been separated from. Proclaiming 'Burn all those in my way!' she did exactly that to all her foes.' Aya recited. 'But in the end, I think her power got out of control and she destroyed the world…so she never met her family in the end and she was all alone…' Aya finished, looking upset.

She placed the book back and continued searching. She scanned the books on the bookshelves, but most of them she couldn't read. When she looked through the ones next to a door in the back of the room, she found a card stuck in between the pages of one. 'Code Memo', it said. Aya took it without even thinking twice and stuck it in her pocket. She closed the book and returned it to its place on the shelf. She turned her head to continue searching but saw a young, naked girl standing beside her. She had blue skin and blonde hair, and tears flowing freely from her rolled-back eyes. Mama….Mama..She cried softly. It hurts….Help me…. Aya stood, frozen in place as she wobbled closer.

Help….

Suddenly, Aya couldn't see anything but white light. It dimmed down, and she could soon see where she had been taken. She found herself in the basement lab. Her father had never allowed her to see it before, and she gazed at it with horror. Movement caught her eye and she focused on the woman standing next to a child restrained on a table.Maria?!Aya noticed a man appear by her side.Father, too?!'I wanna go hooooome!' The little girl on the table shouted, struggling against her restraints. 'I wanna see mamaaa!' She wailed.'Don't worry, I shall take you to see her when this is all over.' Maria cooed.'No! I wanna go now! I wanna see mama!' She wailed again. 'Mamaaaaa!' She screamed.Father walked over, a syringe and needle in his hand. 'Don't fret. Everything will be fine. We just wish to test this medicine…' He said softly. 'It may hurt a bit, but not much…' He said as he poked the needle through her skin and began injecting the mystery liquid.'Nooo! Mamaaa!' She wailed even louder than before.Aya stood by the edge of the room, watching with horror stricken eyes. '…s-stop…'She said.The little girl turned her head her eyes trained on Aya, almost pleading for her to do something as she continued wailing and screaming.'Stop! I don't want this!' Aya said loudly, covering her ears from all the noise and overwhelming events.The girl's eyes began to roll back into her head and she began to spasm about the table until she finally stopped.'Nooooooooo!' Aya wailed.

She opened her eyes to find that she was back in the archives, the little girl clinging to her leg.Aya jumped and pushed her away roughly, the corpse falling to the floor and staying still. Aya stood still for a moment, watching the girl, before finally coming back from her own head. She gingerly stepped over the girl and headed for the exit. When she got out, she heard the squishing noise again. She saw movement in her peripheral vision and followed it. It was another corpse, crawling towards the wall. When it approached a door, it suddenly disappeared into it. She waited a moment before heading toward it. She twisted the knob and went inside. A…closet?Aya wondered. Nothing seemed to be stored inside, but it was nonetheless a closet-like room. Aya walked a little further in and found another gem lying on the stone floor. She picked it up and smiled as she placed it with the other one in her dress pocket. I'm going to have quite a collection, aren't I?

She closed the door behind her and headed straight for the last door at the end of the hallway. When the door creaked open, she saw dozens of dolls neatly placed on tables parallel with one another. Aya entered slowly, for she didn't like the feeling of this room. She concluded she should get whatever was useful in here and then leave. She walked down the red carpeted aisle towards the throne, which sat empty except for another gem. Her pace increased as she went and picked it up. She was about to turn around when she noticed two bulges in the curtains. She cringed on the inside as she went over and opened the curtains, praying it wasn't a bad thing. All that was there were two red dolls, on sitting while the other one lied on her side. Aya let out the breath she was holding until she heard faint giggles and whispers echoing softly throughout the room. Her eyes widened and she immediately ran from the room and slammed the door shut.

She sat still there for a second, almost looking like a doll herself, until she caught her breath and nerves and stood up. I guess I'm going to have to get used to creepy things like that…if I want to keep moving, that is… She shook her head and went back to the lobby, hearing that squishing noise again, but this time, knowing what it was before she even saw it. Aya slowly moved towards the railing for the stairs, praying the corpses had terrible eyesight and hearing. She kneeled down and peeked through the wood, spotting two zombies at moving across the floor, almost like they were guarding the entrance door. Her hair stood on end when she saw them, but she didn't make a sound. She spotted the entrance, but guessed that it was unable to be opened. Then she saw another door to her left. That leads to the basement, I have to get there if I want save father… Aya waited for the corpses to be turned around and on the other side of the huge room. Then, she made a run for it, hoping that the door was open.This should be the East Hall…I think…

Luckily, the monsters didn't see her, so she made it safely inside the other room. This one had a few barrels and two doors; one to the basement and another to somewhere Aya weren't sure of. She tried the door, but it was locked from the other side. She dismissed it and instead focused on the basement door. Another crow came flapping out of nowhere and rested on a lone barrel. She ignored it and went down to the basement. When she descended down the stairs, she heard a low growl. Something's there! She tiptoed around the bend to come face to face with a blob of human corpses all fused together. She fell backwards and hid behind the corner when on one of the corpses swung an arm at her. What do I do?! She thought. She stood in front of it again and looked for some way around. No luck. She sat down in front of it, out of its reach as she thought. Maybe I could burn it? She asked herself. Ah, but I don't have anything to burn it with… Aya tried to think of another plan, but to no avail. Feeling defeated, she walked back up and out into the lobby. She peeked through the door at the two undead guards and swiftly made her way across the grand room. However, a zombie spotted her and lunged at her before she could reach the other side. Aya yelped as she just barely missed the attack and stumbled into the West Hall. She quickly held the door closed with her body weight, and after a few tugs on the door handle, the zombie lost interest and shambled away.

She took a moment to catch her breath and looked to see where she was. Aya was in the West Hall; another hallway with two doors; one leading to a bathroom and the other leading to a reception room. She picked randomly and headed for the bathroom first. She cracked open the door, and when she thought the cost was clear, she stepped inside. It was a simple bathroom: bath, sink, and toilet. The only thing different about it was the bathtub was filled most of the way with blood. Aya didn't pay attention to it, searching to see if she could see anything useful. The only thing she could notice in the room was a taped up box to her right and a small key on the floor in the far corner of the room. Aya took a few steps forward, only to jump back as a body jumped out of the blood bath and fell to the ground with a grotesque squish, blood splattering over the ground and Aya's dress. Aya tensed, ready to make a dash for the door if need be, but the corpse didn't move. She stayed frozen in place for a couple of minutes, until she slowly tiptoed her way past the bathtub to pick up the key. This is the Cafeteria key…

After picking it up, Aya turned and began to tiptoe her way back. But then the body from the bathtub growled and ran at an inhuman speed at her. Aya gasped as she sprinted towards the door and shut it as quickly as she could, not caring how much noise it made. The monster hit the door a few times before quieting down. She breathed another sigh of relief and turned her attention to the hallway, only to find a doll walking gracefully down the hall and into the lobby. Aya froze as she witnessed the unbelievable sight. That must be part of the curse, too…She shivered as she heard the lobby door click behind it. She shivered before getting up. I'll come back to this bathroom later; something has to be in that box I saw. She trained her eyes on the other door to her left. The Reception Room….I wonder if anything's hiding in there? Aya walked in before freezing at the sound of flapping wings. She turned her head slightly when she saw movement, but relaxed when yet another crow appeared and stood on the table beside her. Another one?!

She shook her head violently before moving towards the back, and then froze. She could have sworn the big painting on the wall just moved, but she wasn't sure whether it was her imagination or not. She walked towards a big dresser in the back corner and rummaged through most of the drawers except the top one. Can't reach it… She then got an idea and picked up a stool next to the table. She put it down in front of the dresser and sifted through the top drawer, finding a knife inside. Oh, I'm sure this'll be useful. She closed the drawer and replaced the stool, and was about to leave before she heard something coming from the fireplace. What is that….?! She stepped closer, but before she could get on her knees, a monster burst from behind the painting and grabbed her leg. Aya screamed and fell, desperately trying to get it off her. She finally succeeded and ran out the door, waiting for it to bang up against it. Aya stayed and rested up against the door, breathing heavily. After a moment, she stood on wobbly knees and wasted no time in getting out of there and back to the bathroom door. Hoping it would be safe by now; she slowly opened the door and stared at the bathtub, waiting for the monster to appear again. She did see something move in the bathtub, but it stayed put. Go on, Aya! Just get in there, cut open the box, and get whatever is inside! She yelled at herself mentally. She nodded, puffed out her chest, and ran into the bathroom.

She took the knife and quickly cut open the box, finding an empty lighter inside. Aya didn't question her finding and pocketed it swiftly before leaving. She sighed when as she retreated back to the reception room, tracing the empty lighter in her pocket with her fingers. Aya then sat on the couch to take a moment to herself. She turned her head at the shredded painting from earlier and remembered from when she was looking for snowball that the inside garden house was connected with the reception room. She stood and walked over to it, studying it as she thought; I wonder why it's covering the garden room? Aya then placed her hands on either side and heaved the heavy painting to the side, completely recovering the room entrance. She walked inside and came to a door rotting on its hinges. She pushed it open and found herself in the inside garden house.

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She breathed in deeply as she thought, the flowers always smelled so nice in here… She noticed another gem sitting precariously on the edge of the well and grabbed it before it fell. Aya didn't find anything else of use to her so she left the West Hall altogether and ran up the stairs in the lobby. One monster did come after her, but kept hitting the wall. It eventually forgot about her and went to join its companion at the front doors. Aya sighed inwardly and looked over the railings at the cafeteria doors. She jumped over and quickly opened the doors with the key she'd found. When she swung open the doors, the first thing she noticed was another crow sitting on the table, looking at her with its beady eyes. Aya rolled her eyes, getting quite fed up with all the birds hanging around all of a sudden.

She walked over to look at it, but a strange noise coming from the kitchen caught her attention. She walked in and looked around the corner, seeing a savage dog with open belly wounds and both ears torn off eating everything in the refrigerator. Plates and cups were shattered all around the dog and food scraps were everywhere. I should stay away from that thing… She decided. The dog was so trained into eating the food that it didn't notice her when she came in. Aya deemed it safe for the moment, so she walked around it carefully and went to the stove: the thing farthest away from it she was comfortable with. She examined it and took some oil from it. I wonder if this'll come in handy, too? As she walked around the dog to get back to where she had come from, she tripped over a part of the carpet that was folded over. She looked back to see that she had uncovered as cellar door. Aya opened it, but was unable to see through the pitch black. She felt chills crawl up her arms, so she closed the door. I'll come back for that later when I find a light. As Aya left the kitchen, the dog growled behind her. She yelped slightly and ran back to the dining room. She huffed as she scanned the rest of the cafeteria and spotted a bulge in the curtains. When she opened it, she saw a corpse lying on the window sill.

She stared at it blankly and was about to turn away when it fell over and revealed another gem. She picked it up and quickly left the room, having had too many jump-scares already. She passed the crow and lobby zombies without a problem and sat down at a wall to think. She sat for a few minutes, processing what has happened for the past hour. 'Mom has a lamp.' Aya said. 'Maybe, I can put the oil in there and go down into the cellar!' She became silent, deep in her own thoughts. Maybe I'll find some lighter fluid down there, too.? 'I just have to get the lamp….which is in her safe….' She face palmed. 'How am I…?' Aya thought of the code memo she'd found in the Archives. 'That might work!' She exclaimed. She took it out of her pocket and shook out the crinkles that had formed. It read: Barrels in the 1st floor East Hall,Chandeliers in Entrance Hall (Lobby), Red dolls in Doll Room, Paintings in Reception Room. She remembered going to every one of those places, but didn't think to count them. She groaned and began to shuffle towards the Lobby, before she remembered Mom had told her once.

7…4 8…2…?She asked herself. She ran into her mother's room and she tried the code. Before she could put in the last digit, she noticed an open book on the floor to her right. She looked over and read the passage. 'My heart is warmed to see my daughter grow up. I caught a rat yesterday and showed it to her and she was so merry. I could have cried from delight, I think she enjoys it so. I look forward to seeing her mature.' Aya smiled and turned her attention back to the safe. The door opened when she pressed in the last digit. 'Thank you, Mom!' Aya began to gently sift through the contents. It smells like you, Mom… Aya made a sound of satisfaction as she pulled out the lamp. 'There it is! Now to fill it will oil and we're going down to the basement, Snowball!' She cheered as she got up to leave. But her movement made something shiny fell out of the safe and made Aya smile. 'You're perfume…' She said dreamily as she got swept into another memory.

Aya walked down the basement hall towards Father's lab. 'I wonder if he's still at work…?' She pondered as she neared the door. She overheard her Father and Maria talking.'-love you, Maria…' Her Father said.'Doctor…' Maria replied dreamily.'…Eh?' Aya said as she backed away.Her Mother appeared by her side. 'Aya! There you are. Doesn't your father tell you not to come down here?'Aya turned her head and pointed to the cracked door. 'M.Mom…?'Her mother grew curious and pushed Aya out of the way gently, only to back away like Aya did.'He…I knew it! He's cheating on me with her!' She said angrily as she stormed away. 'I can't believe this. Some girl he picked up off the street!' Aya heard her mumble before she disappeared. 'I won't forgive him!' She shouted when she slammed the door.Aya followed her mother to her bedroom but stayed back in the hallway as her mother paced back and forth. She finally stopped and picked up her bottle of perfume. She looked at it before throwing it at full force out of her bedroom door.It landed in the hallway before Aya. She picked it up and held it. Things faded to black.

'Mom's usually so nice, but she seemed so different then…' Aya whispered to herself. Of course I put it back on her dresser after that, but…Aya studied the crystal bottle. She took care of it…that's good… Aya smiled. 'After all…Mom did get this from Father as an anniversary present…I'm sure Mom loved Father to the very end…' She thought for a moment. 'I should take it as a charm. Alright, Mom?' She asked as she put it in her breast pocket. She shut the safe and dashed for the Cafeteria. The dog was still at work eating everything in the kitchen as she sat on her knees at the cellar entrance. She slightly opened the door before realizing, 'Oh! Almost forgot to fill it!' She filled it with the oil from her backpack and turned it on. It had a warm glow that was comforting as Aya opened the door the rest of the way and stepped down the dark stairs into the cellar. She didn't find anything but a small hole Snowball could fit through. She brought him out and spoke to him, 'Snowball…please come back safe…find anything that might be useful to me…now go!' She said as she pushed him into the hole.

She waited a few minutes before he came back out with a small bottle of lighter fluid. He dropped it before running off to find his bed again. She smiled but it quickly dropped when she noticed blood coming out of the hole. A small gem was in the growing puddle. Aya picked it up, not caring to wipe it off and ran back towards the door. Before she could reach it, everything turned black. 'Oh no! The light went out?! Why now?!' She gasped. Aya pushed the button several times, but it wouldn't come back on. Why won't it work?! She was getting desperate. A few more pushes and it finally turned on. She tensed as she felt a presence behind her. She spun around, but didn't find anyone. Was I…imagining things?She wondered as she swiftly made her way back to the cafeteria. As Aya climbed out of the cellar, she heard a low groan behind her. She closed the door and walked into the cafeteria to fin d the place was overrun by monsters. She froze, unsure if they would attack her. They didn't seem interested, so Aya got closer. They swiped at her, however, when she did, so she got out and ran away all the way back to her room. When she got there, she found Snowball lying on his blanket like he had been earlier, shivering slightly. Aya found herself automatically sit next to him and start petting him, trying to comfort herself just as much as him.

She stood up when they stopped shivering and decided to look through her stuff again, wondering if anything changed when the curse took effect. She opened a dresser drawer and was greeted with a foul smell. She wrinkled the bridge of her nose and looked inside. A…dead rat?I don't remember putting that there…. Aya looked in the next dresser and found something similar. What's a dead bird doing in there? She wondered as she frowned. She closed up the dressers, but the thought of small animals kept bothering here for some reason. She shook of the feeling and returned to the lobby, suddenly remembering about the blob of corpses in the basement. She grinned and made her way to the East Hall. As she ran into the Hall, blood had been painted to form words on the ground. There're sort of hard to make out… She thought as she read them. '…Dein…something…Mörder…' Aya read aloud. Your…something…Murderer? Aya shook her head and focused on the task at hand. She took out the lighter and filled it with the lighter fluid Snowball had found. She felt strangely excited as she made her way down the basement steps. She then walked around the corner and threw oil on the monster as it groaned. As she flicked the lighter on, the monster's groans became anxious sounding and more frequent. Aya stopped for a moment before throwing the lighter on the monster.

It Burns! It Burns!It screamed out as the flames quickly devoured it. It Hurts so Much! Please…Help me!It screeched again. Aya's expression turned to one of pure terror and she fled the scene back into the East Hall. She waited, staring back at the crow perched on a barrel. When she didn't hear anymore screaming, she went back and found a big burnt spot on the ground. She walked over it and made her way towards the basement door. She grabbed the handle and began to turn it, but stopped. …Maybe I'm not ready to face what's in there yet? She decided to take a look around the Taxidermy Room first; a room behind her. It was dark in there and Aya heard several unknown sounds around her, increasing her apprehension. She cast the light on everything in the room, seeing many disgusting things in glass jars. G-Gross! She turned to leave, until she heard the sound of glass falling to the floor. She looked over her shoulder and saw one of the jars of eyes had fallen out. Aya picked it up and looked over it for a second before shrugging and putting it in her backpack.

Before she walked out the door, she spotted a wooden bucket. Maybe I'll need that, too… She grabbed it and walked back out, another crow settling on the wooden crates outside the lab. She stared at it for a second before heading into the lab to have a shocking scene greet her. 'Maria!' She gasped as she dashed over to the injured woman lying with her back against the wall. 'Mistress…' She grunted. 'What happened?!' Aya asked. 'Why are you wounded?' Maria's eyes were struggling to stay open. 'Ah…I'll be fine….forget about me…' Maria said faintly. 'Escape somewhere safe…it's dangerous here…' 'Where's Father?' Aya urged. Maria's eyes widened in realization. 'I…have to go save the Doctor.' She said, struggling to get up before slumping back down. 'Not to be blunt, but you're not going anywhere with that wound…' Aya said as she held Maria's hands. 'But-' 'Maria. What happened to Father?' Aya interrupted, becoming a little impatient. 'The Doctor…is further in.' She said, pointing at the door on the other side of the lab. 'His wife…she-'

'His wife?..My Mom?!' Aya said, shocked. 'What do you mean, Maria?!' Aya didn't get an answer, for Maria had already passed out. 'My…it's seems she's passed out…' A man's voice said behind her. Aya turned her head and spotted Ogre standing by the door Maria had pointed at, looking amused. 'You again…' She started. 'At any rate, it sounds like your father has gone on ahead…' He mused. '…deeper into the underground maze…' She stood up and fully faced Ogre. 'What did Maria see…?..I mean, Mom passed away…right?..What's going on here?' Her eyes widened after a second. 'Don't tell me the curse-' 'You'll only be able to confirm you're suspicious by pressing on, won't you?' He interrupted. He then smiled and walked through the unknown door, disappearing. Aya looked after him. '…What a weird guy…'She said quietly as she looked back at Maria.

Walkthrough, secrets and character classes. The Bard's Tale IV Barrows Deep Game Guide is a set of guidelines for all players which deal with character classes, skills, and spells available in the game. Our walkthrough describes every quest and puzzle of this role-playing fantasy adventure.

This guide to The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep is a complete solution with many guidelines that will help you pass through the next bard's story. The entire guide is divided into two parts. The first one is a guide to The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep. Here you will find tips about the most important elements of the game, such as character creation and development, skills available for each character class (archetype), exploration and item crafting. In this section of our guide you will also find a FAQ section. In it you will find answers to questions that may arise during the game. Also, we've attached an annex where you will find information about system and control requirements.

In the second part of the guide you will find a walkthrough for all of the main and side quests, divided into locations in which they take place. Thanks to those pages you will easily find all of the hidden chests and defeat all of the enemies you stumble upon. You will quickly acquire basic knowledge about the game, but also get through more difficult moments of the story.

The Bard's Tale IV is the fourth installment of the dungeon-crawler series. InXile Entertainment studio is responsible for the game's production. In this part we will once again visit the world known from the previous parts of this fantasy universe. This time the adventure will focus on the city of Skara Brae. It's from there that you'll set off to explore further dungeons. Of course you won't be alone. You will be accompanied by a team of fantasy heroes that you may recruit during the game.

Starting Tips

Starting a new adventure is not always easy. Occasionally, problems can occur even from the very beginning. Here are some tips to help you before you begin your adventure in Bard's Tale IV.

1. Don't save game too often - you can't save the game at any time. You need to use special lanterns. During a one-time stay, you can use each lantern only once. Therefore, save the game only in moments when you are absolutely sure that the nearest combat may cause serious problems.
2. Collect all loot and items - at the beginning, when you suffer from a shortage of raw materials and your weaponry is not impressive, every item found can be worthy of gold. All items that you don't use can always be sold.
3. Check for level ups of your characters - character advancement is shown very poorly. It's actually just a message in the top left corner of the screen, which informs about skill points that you can use. Promotion gives you access to further abilities that you can use in combat, so the sooner you spend your ability points the better.
4. Test and check the strength of your enemies - every potential opponent is marked with the appropriate color. It describes your chances of success in battle. Green means an opponent who is very easy to defeat, while red means almost certain death. Therefore, before each potential fight, check who you are actually planning to attack.
5. Heal your team on a regular basis - the team won't heal automatically. This means that after each fight your HP are not regenerated. You must heal your team by yourself. You can do this by saving the game or eating different kinds of food.
6. Don't wait unit your enemy sees you - a surprise attack is extremely useful, because it allows to avoid additional damage from the enemy. This happens because enemies prepare battle formation in their first turns.

Basics

Here you will find information about the basic game mechanics. You will find out, among other things, how specific in-game systems work like combat or dialogue. The most important pages in this section include:

1. User Interface - in this chapter you will learn what functions are performed by the different elements of the interface.
2. Combat - during the exploration of subsequent locations you will encounter various enemies. This chapter explains how to master the basics of the combat to be able to defeat them.
3. Exploration - the world of the game hides many secrets that can be discovered. Here you will find tips on how to do it efficiently.

Character Development

This chapter is devoted to one of the most important aspects of the game, which is your character. The character you have created is the only member of the team that you cannot exchange. That's why it's worth rethinking your decision. This includes the following pages:

1. Character creation - here you will find a description of all required steps to create your own character. Also, find out about highlighted choices you need to make on your character creation path.
2. Leveling-up characters - your character is constantly developing. This chapter explains how the level-up system works in the game.

FAQ

It is often the case that during a game there are specific questions about a particular issue. In this chapter you will find answers to questions that may arise during the game.

1. How to earn money quickly? - Purchasing new equipment requires subsequent amount of money. This chapter explains how to quickly amass the required funds.
2. Which recipes are the most useful? - In this chapter you will find a list of recipes that are mandatory during the exploration of the world.

Walkthrough

In this walkthrough we have described all quests of the main plot as well as side quests and additional tasks. You will also find information about various secrets hidden in the game world.

Main Quest Missions:

Agnieszka Adamus (www.gamepressure.com)

About The Bard's Tale 4 Game Guide

Author : Agnieszka 'aadamus' Adamus & Maja 'majorka' Nowacka for gamepressure.com

Translator : Mateusz 'Magpull' Pytlik

Use the comments below to submit your updates and corrections to this guide.

The Bard's Tale IV: Barrows Deep Video Game

• genre: RPG
• developer: inXile entertainment
• publisher: inXile entertainment
• platform: PC, PS4, XONE

The Bard's Tale IV Barrows Deep for PC is the fourth major installment of the famous dungeon crawlers series that began with the release of The Bard’s Tale in 1985. The title was developed by inXile entertainment, the creators of Torment: Tides of Numenera, Hunted: The Demon’s Forge, and Wasteland 2. The Bard’s Tale IV goes back to the roots of the series which date back to the mid-80s. The project, which came to existence thanks to the fundraiser at Kickstarter, was overseen by Brian Fargo. The developer started his career at Interplay and worked on such titles as The Bard’s Tale, Neuromancer, Dragon Wars, Fallout, Fallout 2, Stonekeep, Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment.
In The Bard’s Tale IV, the players are taken to the original fantasy world, which is clearly inspired by Scottish and Celtic culture and mythology, known from the previous installments of the series. We start the adventure in the vast city of Skara Brae and thence set out to numerous and dangerous ruins and dungeons. The players create their own party of adventurers, choosing from many available races—such as elves, humans, or half-orcs—and classes. The composition of our company is not meaningless and influences NPC’s attitude as well as the quest and dialogue line availability. The list of plot surprises goes on, though. Many decisions we will make in the course of the game may significantly change the image of the world and Skara Brae.
The Bard’s Tale IV for PC is powered by Unreal Engine 4 which gave the developers significantly bigger technical possibilities than when they worked on their previous games. What’s interesting, the photogrammetry technique, which allows to scan real object and turn them into photorealistic 3D models, was used to design levels and scenography elements.

More About The Bard's Tale IV: Director's Cut

„The Golden Age of RPG is upon us”, said Brian Fargo and got busy working on three separate projects. There are, however, many more RPGs worthy of attention out there, so we’ve cooked up a list of the best titles yet to come.

During the latest edition of Digital Dragons gaming conference that took place in Kraków, Poland, we had an opportunity to chat with Brian Fargo. The legendary developer talked about his current and future endeavors.