Chapter 1: New Home, Old Adventures

Our story begins a few weeks before the events of the original 1993 game. Simon and his parents have just moved in. The tension of moving and Simon’s rebellious adolescence are the perfect breeding ground for an interdimensional escape. But before the magic, we must deal with mundane reality.

Simon’s Room and Initial Exploration

As you take control of Simon, take a moment to appreciate the hand-drawn art. You’re in your new room. It’s a chaos of unpacked boxes, a reflection of our protagonist’s mental state.

Explorer’s Tip: In Origins, interacting with «useless» objects often unlocks dialogue lines that enrich the lore or provide subtle hints for future puzzles. Don’t rush.

The Mystery of the Stuck Fridge

Your first objective is to get out of the house or find something to eat. Head downstairs. The house is modern but strangely silent. Go to the kitchen.

• Step 1: Try to open the fridge. It’s stuck, as if a force (or an excess of ice) has sealed it shut. Simon will make a sarcastic comment about the quality of the appliances.
• Step 2: Look at the bottom drawer of the fridge. Interact with it to open it. There’s no food inside, but there’s something useful.
• Step 3: Pick up the magnets. These are not just simple decorations; Simon will need to use them to reach elevated areas.
• Step 4: Use the magnets on the nearby box to create an improvised ladder and reach the top of the shelves if needed, or keep them for later.

The Sink and the Hidden Key

Still in the kitchen, direct your attention to the sink. Something is shining in the drain.

Upon investigating the sink, Simon will notice a metal object stuck. It’s the key your parents hid. Pick it up. With the key in your inventory, head back up to the second floor. There’s a locked door you couldn’t open earlier (probably your father’s study or a storage room). Use the key on the locked door.

Crossing the threshold triggers the cinematic sequence that changes everything: the discovery of the Grimoire and the portal that drags you into the Magical World.

Chapter 2: The Prophecy of Calypso

Simon wakes up in a world saturated with color and magic, but in the same 90s clothing. You are on the outskirts of a fantasy town. Your objective is to find answers and, of course, a way to get back home.

Arrival at Calypso’s Cabin

You wake up somewhat dazed. Walk to the right. The path is linear at first for you to get used to the interface. You can examine the local flora (which will often try to bite or insult you).

When you arrive at Calypso’s cabin, you’ll notice it’s the archetype of the wizard’s home: messy, filled with books, and with a bubbling cauldron.

Magical Forensic Investigation

Calypso is not there, but she has left clues. You must thoroughly search the room:

• The Table: Examine the letter on the table. It’s a missive that mentions a “Prophecy” and the arrival of a “Wizard from another world.” Does that ring a bell?
• The Bed: On top of the bed, or floating near it due to some residual enchantment, you will find a quill (pen). Pick it up. In adventure games, a writing instrument is as powerful as a sword.
• The Chest: On the left side of the room, there is a sturdy chest. Open it. Inside, you will find basic equipment and documents that further the story.

The Table’s Terminus

There’s a peculiar object mentioned as the “terminus of the table” or a piece of a mechanism. When you pick it up, Simon comments that it seems to be missing the other half. This initiates your first “fetch quest” around the town.

Chapter 3: Model Student

To get back home, you need magic. And to legally use magic (or at least, functionally), you need to enroll in the Academy of Magic. This chapter is dense with object combination puzzles.

The Broken Wand Problem

You acquire your first wand, but it’s in terrible condition. A broken wand in this world is as useful as a remote control without batteries.

• The Glue: Explore the inventory or the supplies area of the Academy. You’ll find a stick of glue.
• The Repair: Combine the glue with the wand in your inventory. Simon will do a makeshift job, but it will work. “One less thing,” he’ll say.

The Tavern and the Guard Dog

You need to access a back area of the tavern, but a dog (or a dog-like creature) is blocking the way.

Enter the bar. The atmosphere is thick, filled with smoke and fantastic creatures drinking grog. Notice the man snoring at one of the tables.

The Key Theft:

Use the quill (or a feather if you picked one up earlier in the forest) on the snoring man. The tickles will make him jerk awake, dropping a key on the floor. Quickly pick it up before he wakes up.

The Church and the Donation Box

You need money (gold coins or something similar) to bribe or buy an item in the shop.

Head to the village church. It’s a solemn yet decrepit place.

Use the key you stole from the drunk on the donation box. It’s a morally questionable act, very typical of Simon. You’ll obtain the necessary money to continue.

Chapter 4: Magic, Talking Pictures, and Clichés

Now that you are officially a student (or something like that), you have access to real spells. This chapter introduces the mechanics of using active magic on the environment.

The Ice Spell and the Chemical Residue

You will learn the Ice spell (or Cryogenization). You need to try it out.

Return to the exterior of the bar or the back alley. You will see a strange chemical residue dripping from a pipe or gutter.

• Magical Action: Cast the Ice Spell on the chemical residue. The liquid will freeze instantly, creating a solid stalactite or an ice bridge.
• The Stick: Upon freezing the residue, something falls or becomes accessible: a long stick that was stuck above. Pick it up.

The Incense Burner and the Left Door

Re-enter the main building (it could be the church or a room in the Academy) and head through the left door. You will see an incense burner hanging high, out of reach.

Use the stick you just obtained on the incense burner. When you hit it or unhook it, it will fall. Inside you’ll find a key object (incense or a gem) needed for the passage ritual.

The Potion Recipe

Return to Calypso’s house. On the right shelf, look for a book that stands out for being in good condition: “The Well-Made Book.” When you read it, Simon will either tear out or memorize a recipe.

Go back to the Academy, to the Cauldron room.

Use the recipe in the cauldron. You need ingredients.

One of them is Monster Slime. Go down to the basement or cellar. Use an empty bottle on the puddle of radioactive green liquid to obtain the slime.

Chapter 5: Escape from the Dungeon

As is tradition, Simon ends up locked away or trapped in a dangerous area. This chapter is darker and requires light management.

The Dark Room and the Oil Lamp

You find yourself in an underground area after opening a trapdoor with a fork (a classic misuse of cutlery). It’s too dark to advance.

The Lamp: You need to have an oil lamp in your inventory (previously collected from the store or the Academy’s storage). Use it. The light will reveal a path to the right.

The Mimic Chest

To the right, you will see a tempting chest. Beware! If you try to open it directly, it will bite you. It’s a Mimic.

To deal with it, don’t use force. You need to feed it or put it to sleep (depending on the version of the puzzle, sometimes it requires throwing it a bone or using sleep magic). For now, simply identify it and don’t waste time trying to force the lock.

The Improvised Swamp Candle

You need more light or a specific fire for a ritual.

Travel to the Swamp. You’ll find a post of rotting wood and old rags.

Combine the post with the cloth in your inventory. You’ve created an improvised torch or candle.

Return to the dark area or the altar that requires fire and use it.

Chapter 6: The Great Boat Heist

The final objective of this block is to leave the current region by crossing the lake or river. To do this, you need transportation. The boat owner won’t lend it to you, so you’ll have to plan for an “indefinite loan.”

The Bridge Troll

There’s a Troll blocking the way to the dock or the next critical area. If you try to talk to him, he will demand a toll you can’t pay or simply threaten you.

• Failed Attempt: If you go to the tavern, pick up trash and bring it to him (thinking that trolls eat trash), he will reject it. This Troll has standards.
• The Culinary Solution: Remember the recipe from chapter 4. You need to prepare the Friendship Stew (or something that smells strong enough to either knock him out or delight him).
• Execution: Go back to the cauldron room in the Academy. Prepare the stew using the Monster Slime and other collected ingredients (select trash, swamp herbs).
• The Bribe: Take the steaming stew to the Troll. Upon giving it to him, he will be so ecstatic (or incapacitated due to digestion) that he will let you pass.

The Hats and the Whistles

Before reaching the boat, there’s a statue and lever puzzle that requires coordination.

You have two special hats in your inventory (obtained by completing side quests in the village): the White Hat and the Swamp Hat. You also have a whistle.

1. Place the magic crystal on the central pedestal to activate the mechanism.
2. Equip the White Hat. Stand in front of the left lever and blow the whistle. The corresponding statue will react to the specific sound of that hat/frequency.
3. Equip the Swamp Hat. Go to the right lever and blow the whistle again.

This will open the dock gate. Now you have a clear path to “borrow” the boat and sail towards the horizon, thus closing the first major arc of the story.

Visual Analysis: Origins vs. Classic

For veterans of the saga, here’s a comparison of how Origins modernizes the mechanics without losing the essence.