Nick Bounty in: The Goat in the Grey Fedora
Hint Guide by Mark Darin
Original Coding by Kevin Lynn

Introduction

This page contains hints for playing the game The Goat in the Grey Fedora . Also, SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE SPOILERS! Don't read ahead unless you really want to finish the game without solving all of the puzzles for yourself.

How to use this hint page

These hints are divided into sections, each of which gives questions and solutions appropriate to one portion of the game. Each question is followed by one or more hints, "hidden" within a colored box. When you are certain you wish to see a hint, "select" the colored area with the mouse by dragging over it. Here's a sample to practice on:

What's black and white and red all over?

Hint 1: A very old riddle.
Hint 2: A newspaper.

You should be able to see the "invisible" text next to each hint by selecting the area with a mouse. If not, the hints are probably already visible. In an emergency, "view source".

General hints for playing The Goat in the Grey Fedora

Look at everything.

Talk to everyone.

Get everything that's not nailed down. --Who knows when you might need it?

--------------------------------------

A Dame and a Goat...

I've been hired to find a ceramic goat! What should I do?

Hint 1: You can't be stuck already, can you?
Hint 2: Seriously, you're just looking at these hints for amusement, right? You couldn't possibly be stuck already.
Hint 3: Ok, ok. I see you really need help. You've got a job to do so look around the office and gather your supplies.
Hint 4: To start your investigation, just pick up the spykit on the bookshelf and the ruler on the desk. Thats's it for this room, so go ahead an leave!

Where do I get the shotgun power up?

Hint 1: Oh dear...
Hint 2: Ok, let's get this out of the way. There is no shot gun. There are no health packs. There is no jumping, no drive by shooting, no hookers, and no bad language.
Hint 3: Well, ok... we do say "Ass" one time... but that's it!

Legal Briefs

I'm at Mr.Ledbetter's law offices. What do I do now?

Hint 1: When in doubt, talk to everyone, examine everything, and take everything.
Hint 2: Talk to the Secretary.

I told her that I'm a laywer and now she wants me to prove it!. What do I do?

Hint 1: Well... prove it!
Hint 2: You have studied up on Latin legal phrases, right?
Hint 3: You don't remember anything from all those years of watching Law & Order?
Hint 4: Select the following responses when prompted: Habeas Corpus, Ex post facto, Modus operandi

Im inside the office!

Hint 1: Good for you! Maybe you should have a look around.
Hint 2: Hmmm, no goat statue here. Maybe you can find some clues!
Hint 3: No clues either, huh? I guess this room has been cleaned out!
Hint 4: Nothing in this room is of imediate use. Just gather what you can and hit the road!

The only places I can go from here are Nick's Office, Kitty's house and the Law Office. What gives?

Hint 1: Well, there is nowhere new to go because you haven't obtained any new leads yet.
Hint 2: Usually, to get a good lead you have to talk to someone.
Hint 3: If the secretary isn't being helpful, maybe you should try letting her know what you are looking for.
Hint 4: Show the GOAT PHOTO to the secretary and she'll suggest a new place for you to look.

Big Trouble in Little Chinatown

This is it? I expected Chinatown to be bigger.

Hint 1: Shut up! Haven't you heard that size doesn't matter?

In the pawnshop, how do I get a copy of Mr.Trosser's mailing list card?

Hint 1: Did you try taking a picture of it with the SPY CAMERA you picked up in Bounty's (Part on the Spy Kit.)
Hint 2: Yeah, that camera didn't work too well.
Hint 3: Perhaps you can make an imprint of it!
Hint 4: Have anything in your inventory that can lift ink imprints?
Hint 5: If you don't already have the GENERIC BLOB in your intentory, go back and buy it from the old chinaman's shop. Looking at the blob in your inventory reveals that it really isn't a bust of Nick, it's just Silly-Putty!

I can't use the putty on the rolodex and I still don't have a copy of Mr.Trosser's mailing list card!

Hint 1: Using the putty directly on the rolodex would be too obvious.
Hint 2: Maybe you could try attaching the putty to something else first.
Hint 3: Something like a mialing list card of your own .
Hint 4: Talk to the Stuffy Englishman and ask "Can I get on your mailing list". He will then give give you a blank card to fill out.
Use the PUTTY with the BLANK CARD.

When the Englishman asks what my name is, I can lie! Is that some kind of clue?

Hint 1: Well, it certainly isn't a lesson in morals!
Hint 2: But why would you want to lie about your name?
Hint 3: Lying about your name will cause the Englishman to file your card in a different sopt in the rolodex.
Hint 4: Did you notice that after you have given the Englishman the card with the putty, when you ask for the card back, it now has the information of the card that was behind it imprinted on the putty?
Hint 5: Give the Englishman the CARD WITH PUTTY to file. When he asks for your name, reply "Nick Tronty".
Now talk to the man again and Nick will ask for the card back. This time the address for Mr.Trosser has been imprinted in the Silly-Putty on the back. A new location has been unlocked on the map!

A stick puppet girl wont let me take the magazine, what should I do?

Hint 1: She won't let you buy anything until she puts on her puppet show.
Hint 2: You could help her put on a show.
Hint 3: If you dont have a puppet,maybe you could make one!
Hint 4: Use RULER from your office with the PHOTOCOPY you made of your face in Ledbetters old office
Hint 5: The puppet you made is pretty flimsy and isnt quite good enough for the girl. Try using some tape on it to make a good, sturdy puppet.

Mr. Trosser's Fakes Room: Finding the Goat

Trying to find the right goat in this room is like is like trying to pick out the cleanest underwear in the heap! How do I know which goat to take?

Hint 1: That magazine you picked up in Chinatown said that scuplture apraisers use Florescent pens to date their work.
Hint 2: Floursecent writing might be hard to see in normal light, but it glows quite brightly in a black light!
Hint 3: Use the BLACK LIGHT you bought at the Odd Shop in Chinatown in one of the lamps.
Hint 4: Only one of the lamps will work, and you'll have to turn off the lamp to unscrew the regular bulb first.

I can sorta see some markings now, but they are too faint to read! How come? Cheap pens?

Hint 1: Nope, the pens are fine.
Hint 2: But there is still too much light in the room.
Hint 3: Turn off the other lamp so that the Black Light is the only light source in the room.
Hint 4: Inspect the goats again.

OK, I can see the markings clearly, but it's all just giberish.

Hint 1: Maybe it's French.
Hint 2: Nope it's not French. Maybe if you knew more about sculputre you could translate the markings.
Hint 3: Get the MODERN SCULPTURE magazine from the newsstand in Chinatown and LOOK at it when it's in your inventory.
Hint 4: Now everything should make sense. Inspect the goats again!


Rick's China House

I wanna see the restrooms Sam was talking about.

Hint 1: You are a strange, sick human being.

Sam isnt getting up to help Mr. Trosser.

Hint 1: He said he'll do it after lunch
Hint 2: Seriously, let the man eat.
Hint 3: I wouldn't want to get between that man and his chow mein!
Hint 4: Let it go. You did your part. Just walk away.

All tied up and nowhere to go!

Hey, my inventory bar is gone!

Hint 1: That's because the two thugs took your stuff.
Hint 2: They didn't keep it though, it's all actually in that bag sitting on the fuse box over your head.
Hint 3: Maybe you can find a way of knocking it down.
Hint 4: Kick the CORNDOG into the cannon... then duck!

I have my stuff, but Im still tied up and now I cant see anything!

Hint 1: Hmm, do you have anything that would cut through these industrial strength ropes?
Hint 2: Ooops, the industrial strength rope cutters didn't work. Maybe something else could cut those ropes.
Hint 3: Or burn through them.
Hint 4: Use the MATCH on the ROPES.

Oh man.. I think the monster has eaten all the monkeys and destroyed the ancient civilization! Im scared, confused, trapped, and I think I peed my pants a little.

Hint 1: First CHANGE YOUR PANTS!! PLEASE!!
Hint 2: You need to get rid of that Kraken!
Hint 3: It seems to be eating everything in it's path!
Hint 4: Maybe you can feed it something that would really upset his stomach.
Hint 5: Pick up the BOMB and use it on the KRAKEN

Kitty's House

Kitty isnt home, but the door was open. Should I just come back later?

Hint 1: Nah. Why not snoop around a bit.
Hint 2: Kitty seems to be one smart cookie!
Hint 3: If you keep exploring, Cormac and Sills will show their faces and BREAK YOUR GOAT!
Hint 4: What good is a broken goat?! You may as well give up now.
Hint 5: But wait, INSPECT the goat pieces... is that a key of some sort?
Hint 6: But a key to what?
Hint 7: Well, Kitty did say that her Uncle did keep this goat staturein his OFFICE.
Hint 8: Head back to the Crime Scene Office.
Hint 9: Use the KEY with the SAFE.

Goat Cloning

I need to get a new goat statue to fool Kitty.

Hint 1: Hmm... Those goat statues at Mr. Trosser's mansion all looked alike, maybe you can use one of those.
Hint 2: Uh oh. Looks like his place has been locked up tight! Now what.
Hint 3: Didn't someone say they could make one, just for you?
Hint 4: The old man at the Odd Shop can make a goat for you.
Hint 5: Return to the Odd Shop and talk to the Chinaman.
Hint 6: How did he know exactly what you wanted? Ancient Chinese secret! Don't ask questions.
Hint 7: Take your new statue over to Kitty's house.

Endgame

I'm being shot at! Im going to die! HELP!!

Hint 1: Dr. Phil would say "She just needs a hug" .
Hint 2: But that really isn't a good idea.
Hint 3: Maybe you can get her to use up her bullets by saying something really sexist to set her off!
Hint 4: Of course if you do that and show your face you'll soon have a bullet through your forehead!
Hint 5: Perhaps you can put on a SHOW to get your point across.
Hint 6: Use the PUPPET 3 times.
Hint 7: Well, thats it! Kitty goes to jail for her crimes and you completed your job...
Hint 3: ...except, you ended up arresting your client. I guess that gonna make it real hard to get paid. Oh well, you can always make it up at the poker game!
Hint 4: Congratulations, you have won!

RANDOM STUFF...

Did you know ...

Hint 1: ...The Goat in the Grey Fedora was originally a movie that Mark Darin created while in high school back in 1987? Roman Terenzini played the role of Nick Bounty and Jason Ellis actually appeared as Sills, which was a much smaller and less creepy part than in the game.
Hint 2: ...that you can find poster artwork for the Goat in the Grey Fedora movie in the game A Case of the Crabs? Just look on the wall next to the garbage cans outside of the Boss's office!
Hint 3: ...that the puppet show was a recreation of the ending of the classic Humphrey Bogart movie "Casablanca"... with a twist!
Hint 4: ...that Officer Sam Dooley in the game was named after Sam the piano player at Rick's Cafe in the movie Casablanca? Dooley Wilson, the actor who Played Sam in the movie, was not originally credited.
Hint 5: ...in an early version of the game, instead of the stick puppet girl, the newsstand was run by a young boy with a thick cockney accent. Because of the accent, Bounty couldn't understand him and assumed he was speaking Chinese.
Hint 6: ...the "darkness" scene in the warehouse in an homage to the scene in Monkey Island that takes place off screen behind the bookcase (I believe).