Ever stuck in a real life situation that called for an adventure game solution?

[Panda]

As part of a freshman hazing ritual, i was locked in a cabinet at school and left there. I made my clever escape by wiggling until i could get to my wallet. Then, i swiped my debit card in a crack in the cabniet, utill i knocked off the bar that blocked my escape. presto! plus 10 points for me

[Mr_Frisby]

A friend of mine blew the fuses on a holiday house we were staying at by jamming the cord from the kettle in the electric sandwich maker - this happened at the exact same time as a complete blackout of Melbourne (co-oincidence?) - It was also in the middle of Melrose Place so . .disaster. It was our last day so we dropped the keys off and were all set to go home when myfriend had a crisis of conscience and wanted to return to the house to get the exploded kettle so no one would know what had happened. The door was locked but I succeded in getting the kettle by doing the following.

Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Turn back door handle
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "It's locked"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Shake handle
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Nothing happens"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Swear
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Goddamn it!"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Look through keyhole
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Hey the key's in there!"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  -Ã,  Look in trash
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Theres an old cereal box in here"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  -Ã,  Get cereal box {Addinv (4);}
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - return to car
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Look in console
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "It's empty"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Look in Glove box
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "It's empty"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Swear
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Goddamn it I though there was a pen in here"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Look all over car
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Car is empty
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Yell at friend doing crossword
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Goddamn it give me that pen"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Ask politely
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Please can I have the pen"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Beg for pen
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Please Please can I have the pen"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Barter soul for pen
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "okay" {loseinv (11);}{Addinv(12);}
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Return to door
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - tear box
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "okay now I have box pieces"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Slide box piece under door.
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Push pen through keyhole
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Something landed on the box
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - get box piece
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - "Hey theÃ,  key was with it!"
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Unlock door, enter house, get exploded kettle ect.
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  - Drive four hours home
Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã,  Ã, The End.
Ã, 

[BerserkerTails]

You know... I have once to see a front door that has had a space under the door big enough to pull a key through. But that's a classic adventure game puzzle right there.

[Ishmael]

Today, on physics lesson, I needed to observe the temprature of some hot water in three diffrent containers. The problem was that the thermometers were so long that they tipped the containers overof just fell out of them. So I used a small box to build a support for each one, and positioned the boxes to support each other so the thermometers wouldn't tip them over. And the structure held until teh task was done. No water spillt on the table, and, suprise, nothing broken...

[TerranRich]

I once had to live out an adventure game puzzle, breaking into my own house afrer forgetting my key that morning when I left. I have four windows: mine and my sister's, which are very high off the ground, a center four-paned picture window with the front porch underneath to let me get into it, and my TV room window, which was accessible. Needless to say, the picture window wasn't large enough for me to fit through, so I tried the TV room window. That window wasn't large enough for me to fit through, so I of course went to my own window (or my sister's, it wouldn't have mattered), since it was big enough for me to fit through, but too high to reach.

So I searched my backyard and found a bucket. It was too small to reach the window, so I combined it with some bricks in the front yard for landscaping stuff. I stacked the bricks one by one under the window, then put the bucket on it. I reached the window...and it was locked. But it was a latch that could only be unlocked from the inside, no questions asked. Red herring puzzle!

I then realized that the TV room window...was right next to one of my front doors. There were two windows near my door, side by side, but the one closest to the door had a screen covering it...the farther one didn't. So I pried open the farther window using a tire iron from my car. I then reached inside, over to the next window and opened it. Still reaching over, I knocked out the screen and let it fall. I then reached into the closer window and unlocked the door from the inside, and presto! I was in!

That was the only puzzle I never needed a walkthrough for. :p

[Grundislav]

Back in high school, I was volunteering at Habitat for Humanity with my friends.  That day we had been assigned to set up sheet rock walls for the house interior.  Right before lunch, my friend and I were kind of goofing around, and somehow I ended up making a rather large hole in the sheet rock with a hammer. 

Naturally, we freaked out.  I mean what are the people going to say when they see the volunteers are destroying houses rather than building them?  So, I picked up a board that was on the ground and placed it inconspicuously in front of the hole as a temporary solution.

At that point, we took a break for lunch.  I was scrambling for ideas on how to fix the hole.  We went to a supermarket nearby to get some sandwiches, and I noticed that they were having a promotion from a local radio station, involving a wheel to spin for prizes.  I decided to test my luck and gave the wheel a spin.  I won a free bumper sticker from the radio station.

Suddenly, in true adventure game fashion, I got a brilliant idea.  "We can use the bumper sticker to patch up the hole!"  So we raced back to the construction site, I USED bumper sticker ON hole, and covered it up nicely.  I'm sure someone found out about it later, but it was pretty funny at the time.

[joelphilippage]

The other day I was playing Simon the sorcerer when I realized I needed to go feed our chickens. So I went out there and after finishing the job I realized the pole which I use to hold the door shut after I left had fallen over onto the door and I couldn't get out. I yelled for help and tried breaking down the door but this didn't work. So I did what any adventure gamer would do and used my brain. Finding a hook attached to the wall, I used pushed it through the crack in the door and knocked the pole out of the way. I thought this was very amusing because I never thought that could help me in real life.
Has anything like this ever happened to you?

[Hammerite]

there was this door but it was locked so i PICKED UP the key and then I USED IT on the door and then I gave a sort of narrative about random items that I found when LOOKING AT them. I also PICKED UP everything that wasn't nailed down, but I got arrested and instead of pleading innocence, I outsmarted the guard using a paperclip and the small bowl that was used as a toilet. On my way out there was a guard dog that I distracted by USING the ham that I had found on the table in the prison and I left the area and went home.

[Unknown_Terror]

Yea i had to break into my own house after forgetting my keys,
I went around the back garden in search of something to open the door with.
I found a plant which was reasonably strong but bendy stalk.
I used it to  put through the letterbox and pull the latch down and finally i got in

[Mr Flibble]

I generally find that items are more versatiile than games would have me think.

Like if I need to reach something. You don't need a broom with a hook. A bottle will work. So will a rope. So would a whipping action from a jumper or something.

[Tuomas]

I have some experienses too. Like this one. I was lying on my bed trying to fall asleep, but the problem was, the tv was on and loud, and the lights were on. So I had to stand up and turn them off and then walk back to bed and avoid steppin gon stuff int he dark. So next day I managed to aquire a long stick, or one of those wooden panelings you use where the floor meets the wall. So that night I poked my tv off with the stick and then it even reached to the lightswitch, so I was able to happily fall asleep. I then realised that with this stick I was able to do these things even from in front of my computer so I didn't have to move more than from bed to here and back. Awesome. THen my mom took it away and I started using my hockey stick.

The other time was when I was awake very late in my new house, and decided to go to bed. but apparently the toilet door had been shut for ages, and locked. So I tried my key to the small square hole. It was too small, so I went to my room, found my scissors and managed to spin the lock open. Then I found some guy, who I believe was a friend of my roommate, passed out on the floor. So I picked up my apparell, went to the other room to wash up and then to bed.

[Andail]

Like if I need to reach something. You don't need a broom with a hook. A bottle will work.

And what do you do with the bottle? Tie it to said broom and dip the whole thing in glue?

[Mr Flibble]

Haha, careful don't give them ideas.

Nah, I just meant reaching/dragging/hooking with the bottle alone. It's moreso the puzzle faced by the lazy man than an actual puzzle, but still.

[Ban Strife]

Here's when my adventure game skills really worked out for the best:

I left my bag to talk to my classmates about some things (which I couldn't remember). Now, my mum's camera was left in that bag. Seeing that I was in school and all, I didn't expect anyone to steal it. Lo and behold, someone did.

The evening came and I had an idea that it was one of my classmates. No, I don't write down my suspects on a sheet of paper for that would just make me blasphemous; I use a computer. I had a week to plan my next move...

The week came by and my plan was developing. I let my close friends in with the details. And now, I shall share them with you.

MY PLAN:
1. Do not, at any circumstance, talk about anything stolen.
2. Pretend everything is all right.
3. When the suspect shows signs of guilt, proceed with acts.

Here was the result: my suspected classmate left my mum's camera on a rack at the back of our classroom. I called out one of my friends to carry a huge box to cover me while I get the camera. I then slipped the camera in my pocket. We pretended nothing happened.

The suspect, full of guilt, asked me if I got something from the back. I said no. He was starting to sound really nervous.

To cut the rest of the story short, he gave in. He was sanctioned and I got my camera back. Looks like the guy couldn't stand the mystery of the disappearing camera (or his guilt). 

[SSH]

I had to break into my old terraced house once when I locked the keys inside. Here was my walkthrough:

Remember left kitchen window at back of house open. Can't get to back of house, since in middle of terrace. Go to neighbour's house, ask if can climb over back wall in garden. Climb over wall, get into my back garden. Find kitchen window open, but it is a louvre window with glass slats. Remove glass slats from plastic surrounds. Slice back of thumb open with glass as it pops out. climb in through window, let wife in through front door then find bandage for thumb.


I still have the scar...

[SmootH]

I've yelled "look behind you! A three headed monkey!" a bunch of times to attempt to duck out of socially awkward situations.

[DragonRose]

I got out of an arguement with a friend today by telling him he was, appropriately, fighting like a cow.

[R4L]

I once used a old bucket of water to put out a dragon's flames and gain a piece of treasure for some place called Daventry. Long ago though, my memory travels sometimes.

[monkey0506]

I know this thread is rather old and dusty but I can't be bothered to create a new thread for the same topic. That's too much work...what with the naming of the thread...and everything. :

I've recently moved in (temporarily) with my mom's ex-husband (the man I call "dad" despite how much I wish I didn't have to; but that's another story). Tonight I went to visit with some friends for a while and I let him know before I go. He asked if I have to work tomorrow.

I let him know that I do. He advised me not to stay out too late. Of course not. But it was a nice gesture anyway. I came home and the house was locked up, he having gone to bed.

Well that's simple enough! He gave me a copy of the key. Use key on door. Click. Aha--?

So the deadbolt is locked. I don't have a key for that. So then, use key on back door. Click. Please--dangit.

Pull window screen. That doesn't seem to work. Use key on screen. It won't fit between the frame and the screen. Use other key on screen. Yes! Pull screen--dangit. The screen is still hung up and won't come out.

Use key on different screen. Okay so far so good. Pull screen. Nope.

Hold screen. Use key on different portion of screen. Finally! Pull screen out. Done. Climb in through window. Open back door. Replace screen.

Perhaps not the most eventful but it did make me kinda think of adventure games where the most obvious and straightforward solution may not ultimately be the one you need to advance the storyline.

[Eggie]

I hadn't back in 2005 when this thread was started but now...

Well, a couple of years ago I was on holiday with my family in Italy and my dad knocked a wing-mirror off our rental car, it was my idea to tie it back on with a plastic bag off the side of the road.
Not the most complex of puzzles but it felt totally adventure-gamey at the time. I was glowing, man. GLOWING.