Decay - Part 1
Written by Dalton "horror_spooky" Cooper
Copyright 2010 Dalton Cooper

Decay - Part 1 is a unique point-and-click adventure game from Shining Gate 
Software and is available on the Xbox 360's Indie Game Marketplace. The game is
the first part of a series of four games, and like many games in the genre, 
it's quite easy to get stuck. Now, I HIGHLY recommend anyone using this guide 
tries to play through the game without any walkthrough first as the overall 
experience will be much more enjoyable. However, if you really, really can't
figure out what the hell to do next, and then this guide will help you getting
going in the right direction!

Contact Information
E-mail: [email protected]

Legal Information
- - - - - - - - -
This may not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private
use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly
without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or
as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of
copyright.

If anyone reading this is interested in using my guide on their site, just
shoot me an e-mail first.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction and Controls
2. Walkthrough
3. Conclusion

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1. Introduction and Controls
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Decay - Part 1 is a point-and-click horror/adventure game, a genre which is 
fairly uncommon on consoles. There is a boring tutorial at the beginning of the
game, but it's not necessary as the game is fairly easy to figure out. Still, I
am going to provide a rundown of the controls just in case someone can't figure
out how to do something.

Play this game with all the lights off, the sound as high as it possibly can go
, and prepared to be scared out of your mind!

CONTROLS:
LS - Move cursor
RT + LS - Speed up cursor
LT + LS - Slow down cursor
A - Select
B - Back/deselect
Y - Inventory
X - Combine items
Start - Menu
D-pad - Move character

Things to remember:

A) When the cursor turns into a magnifying glass, that means the area can be
examined for more information.
B) Items can be examined three-dimensionally in the inventory screen for clues.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2. Walkthrough
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
After the opening cut-scene, you'll find yourself staring at a blank wall. The
only directional pad button highlighted is the down arrow. Examine the bathtub.
Upon examining the bathtub, exmaine the faucet. The handle is missing. Hmm...

Back out with the B button twice, and press down on the d-pad. Examine the sink
and then pick up the rusty key. Back out again, and then examine the mirror. 
Pick up the tweezers inside and back out.

Gasp! A backwards G is on the mirror! It's okay, press B and it disappears.
Phew. Press down on the d-pad...OH MY GOD! Gilll?! On the wall?! Examining the
new writing will reveal nothing new.

Click on the door and then click on the keyhole. If you examine the keyhole, it
will reveal that something is stuck in there. Press Y to bring up the inventory
screen and use the tweezers. Then use the rusty key to open the door. Click on
the door again to head through into the next room.

In this room, there are a few important items. You can skip this section if you
are just planning on going through the game as much as possible. But anyway, 
you need to pick up the picture frame sitting on the shelf. Examine the back of
the frame to find a note that tells you about channel 44. Interesting...

Next, examine the coffee table and pick up the television remote. Click on the 
old TV and then use the remote. Turn it to channel 44 to see a couple of
cartoon characters holding numbers up on their fingers. 5-2-2 huh...remember 
that number! Or don't I guess, because I'll just tell it to you when we need
it. Exit the apartment through the door to go into the hallway.

Press left on the d-pad and click on the door. You'll now be in a room that is
upside down. On the ceiling, you'll see an odd cylindrical shape. That's a 
battery, and it is needed later on so remember its location. Grab the bloody 
note off the ground to hear the sound of a door unlocking...

Exit the room. Press right on the d-pad twice to enter the freakiest room in 
the game. Right off the bat, you'll see pictures of a family on the wall, and
a scary face that keeps appearing and making monkey sounds at you. Click on 
any of the pictures to get this puzzle started! Oh yeah!

The trick to this puzzle is to put the pictures of the people in order based on
age, reminiscent of a puzzle in the first Resident Evil game. Regardless, it's 
not just a puzzle where you have to put them in the correct order from left to
right. Notice the positioning of the pictures on the wall. The key to this
puzzle is to place the youngest person on the lowest frame, and the oldest 
person on the highest frame.

The pictures are color coded, and from left to right, it is purple (young boy),
red (baby), green (old man), and blue (woman).

Here's how to solve this puzzle: Move the blue woman all the way to the left. 
Next, move the purple boy all the way to the right. After that, just switch 
around the red baby and green man. Presto!

The spooky shadows under the pictures then zoom across the wall to the left!
Uh-oh. Tap the d-pad to the left to be greeted by a rather grotesque picture
of a spooky man. Click on the picture and move the frame.

I hope that scared you. Anyways, click on the table to reveal a tic-tac-toe 
board. How lovely! Everyone knows the best kind of tic-tac-toe boards are the
ones painted with blood! Anyways, all you need to do is defend yourself three
times. You don't have to win. Just play three cats games in a row.

A guaranteed way to win is by placing your X in any of the corners, and then 
placing your X in the middle. Be sure to block off any rows he may slip in
there, but this strategy has never failed me. By the way, if you lose, you have
to redo the picture puzzle and play the three games of tic-tac-toe all over 
again.

After defending yourself against the demonic tic-tac-toe board, the picture of
the man will flip upside down. Now you can move the frame without anything 
jumping out and screaming at you. Behind the picture there is a note, pick it 
up and if you are feeling up to it, read it. Otherwise, grab the flashlight and
get out of the room.

Remember the upside down room? Head back there by tapping right twice on the 
d-pad. It will now be rightside up! Fantastic. Grab the battery off the floor.
Then press Y to bring up the inventory screen. Use the X button on the battery
and then select the flashlight with the A button to combine the two. You are 
now equipped with a spiffy flashlight!

Leave the now-right-side-up room and position yourself so you are staring 
directly down the dark hallway. To the right, just visible out of the darkness,
there will be a door. Click on the door to see that it is padlocked. Remember
the cartoon from earlier? Well, that's the code. 5-2-2. Input the code into the
padlock to unlock it. Click on the door again to enter a pitch-black room.

Eek! Hear those sounds? Well, bring up the inventory screen and turn on that 
damn flashlight, for the love of God! Ah! The sound ceases and there's a creepy
ass doll sitting on the shelf. Examine the doll to move it and pick up the slip
joint pliers. Back out of the room, and then immediately re-enter. Turn on the
flashlight again...where'd the doll go?

Return to your apartment. Go back to your bathroom. You'll have a new friend 
sitting on the toilet! You can't examine the doll, so click down on the d-pad
to do a 180. The lettering on the wall above the bathtub now reads "GATE". Gate
to what? Well, examine the bathtub again. Examine the faucet, and then use the
pliers. Click on the dark, murky water that is all black. Examine it to step 
right into...

THE CREDITS!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3. Conclusion
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Special thanks to Shining Gate Software for making a terrific game for the 
Indie marketplace! This game gave me genuine chills, and I appreciate a good 
horror game in a day and age where the horror genre in video gaming is slowly
disappearing.

Be sure to check out my other guides and my reviews! Any questions/comments/
concerns can be directed to my e-mail address. Opinions and helpful tips and
advice are welcome! If anyone is aware of any secrets I missed in this game, 
please let me know, and I will add it to the guide immediately and give you
credit. My e-mail address is, once again: [email protected]

Dolls. Why'd it have to be dolls?

All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their
respective trademark and copyright holders.