Spoiler Alert: The Back to the Future: Episode 1 Walkthrough

TelltaleGames

Thank you for checking out the Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 1: It's About Time! Walkthrough! If you do not want to read any spoilers for the game, proceed no further, as this walkthrough has plot details throughout.

Our game has has a very robust hint system that can be accessed by selecting the question mark icon on the game screen. If the given hint isn't enough for you to figure out the puzzle, select the next level of hint as well.

Now, without further ado, the Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 1: It's About Time! Walkthrough! [readmore]

Parking Lot

The game begins in a scene where Marty relives a classic scene from the Back to the Future films. Choose any dialogue choices before being instructed by Doc to grab his notebook.

Select the toolbox near Doc's van and you'll find the notebook inside. After some differences from the original scene happen, frightening Marty, he wakes up bed and talks to his mom.

Doc's Lab

Mess around in the lab, selecting items at will. Speak to Biff and George to get more information.

When you're ready to move on head over to the model of Hill Valley Town Square that Doc Brown built in 1955. Examining it will reveal Doc's notebook inside the model of the courthouse which Biff promptly steals.

Asking for the model back from Biff does you no good so you're going to have to figure out a creative way to get your hands on it.

Head back out to the entry room in Doc's lab where George brings out Marty's guitar in a box.

Speak to George and choose the dialogue option: 'I can fight my own fights, Dad.' This keeps him from intervening whenever Biff tries to use the same piece of equipment in Doc's lab that you want to use.

Next, grab Marty's guitar from the box on the table near George.

Walk over to the amplifier and turn up the dials. Next select Marty's guitar from your inventory and use it on the amplifier. Biff runs over, puts the model down, and uses the guitar, blowing himself away in the process. Marty takes advantage of this opportunity to take the notebook from model as he hears a sound outside.

Doc's Driveway

As Marty reaches the driveway he finds the DeLorean time machine. Select the DeLorean to open it up to find Einstein inside. Marty sits down inside.

Grab the tape recorder from the passenger seat and listen to Doc's message.

Pick up the shoe from the under the passenger seat and exit the car. Use the shoe you just found and show it to Einstein who will lead you to your next destination: downtown Hill Valley.

Downtown Hill Valley

After skitching a ride downtown Marty finds himself in front of the Starbase Zero arcade and some other older looking buildings. You have to somehow find out when in time Doc needs rescuing from.

Go ahead and explore the area but when you're ready to move on, go see Einstein - he's standing in front of a gated entryway. Select the buzzer to get the upstairs resident's attention. It's Edna Strickland, the older sister of Marty's high school principal. She calls you a hooligan so it's up to you to come up with an explanation for why you're there.

Choose 'I've got something for you.' Go into your inventory and select the shoe you found in the DeLorean - show it to her. She'll direct you to go upstairs and meet her in her apartment.

Choose 'When did you lose your shoe?' when speaking to Edna to get your first piece of information from her.

Choose 'What's with all these newspapers?'. Choose 'Where was that speakeasy'? to find out that the speakeasy stood where the video store is now. Use those binoculars of hers (they're on the table in front of her chair) to spy on the video store across the way.

Once you're done talking to her go to the radiator and turn the dial. Edna will think the tea she 'put on the fire' is boiling and leave the room. Now's Marty's chance to take a look at the newspapers and get the date that you need to go back in time to.

Once Marty gets the date and knocks the stacks of newspapers over in the process Edna comes in, furious, and kicks him out. It's fine though, you have all the information you need.

Back in Time

As Marty prepares to go back to 1931, dressed to the nines for the part, and is filling the Mr. Fusion with junk, George McFly approaches to ask what's going on. Choose any of the dialogue options to continue.

Once you step into the DeLorean you have to boot up the time circuits and get it ready to go. Next, select the time circuit keypad to enter the date you need to go back in time to.

As the DeLorean hits 88 MPH and arrives in 1931, Marty finds himself in the middle of a car chase between Hill Valley's finest and some gangsters. The gangsters get away and Marty has a run in with the police before they find themselves out of the chase. Marty hides the car behind the sign and begins his trek into town.

Courthouse Square, 1931

As Marty arrives at courthouse square he sees things are a lot different than in good old 1986. As he looks for where Einstein got off to he encounters a female news reporter asking for his opinion on 'last night's' speakeasy fire.

Choose any dialogue choices, including any name you like. Marty can explore Courthouse Square in his search for Einstein. Enter the Soup Kitchen to move on.

Head further down the street to find the police station. Approach the barred windows to get Doc's attention. Once you've conveyed the urgency of the situation to Doc, it's time to formulate a plan.

Choose 'I guess I could break you out of jail…' to spur Doc's memory of something his younger self is going to invent.

Choose 'Where can I find your younger self?' to get Doc to tell you how to find Young Emmett Brown.

Once you've gotten that piece of information, it's time to head to the Soup Kitchen you passed on the way to the jail.

Soup Kitchen

As Marty enters the Soup Kitchen he witnesses a conversation between Kid Tannen and Arthur McFly, his grandfather. Go to the telephone in the back of the Soup Kitchen and call the number Doc gave you. Speak to the butler that answers to find out Young Emmett is at the courthouse. Exit the Soup Kitchen and head through the square to the courthouse building to find Emmett.

Young Doc

Approach the courthouse doors and Emmett bursts forth. After introducing yourself to him, follow him through the square and speak to him.

Choose 'I have something important for you to do'.

Continue to ask about his work and tell him he sounds scared. If he enters the Law Office, wait there, he will exit again.

Once Emmett says something about the only people that are scared of Judge Brown having something to hide, ask about his drill. He will now stonewall you so you'll have to resort to some more creative tactics.

Access your inventory and select the recorder that Doc left in the DeLorean earlier and use it on Doc as he walks around the town muttering to himself. Once you've recorded his voice, head back to Old Doc and play the recording back for him. After Old Doc gives you the answer you need, track Young Emmett down again and tell him the answer to his conundrum.

After convincing Emmett you are from the patent office tell him about your need for the rocket drill and that you need it tonight. He tells you he needs one key ingredient, bootleg liquor! The only way to get it though is to take over for Emmett's subpoena delivery to Arthur McFly, and the only way to get Arthur's location is to talk to Kid Tannen who is getting his shoes shined nearby.

Getting Fuel for the Rocket

Approach Kid Tannen at the shoeshine booth and tell him you're there to shine his shoes. Ask him about his 'racket' to find out where Arthur McFly is hiding. Follow the line of questioning about the soup deliveries. When you're done with that, ask about George's hat and then distract him to steal it. He will chase you around Courthouse Square until Emmett steps in to help you keep the hat away from Kid Tannen.

After Marty escapes from Kid Tannen head to the Soup Kitchen where Emmett will follow. The gangsters there act suspiciously about the soup before Cue Ball takes a seat to read the day's newspaper. Speak to Emmett who is standing by the door around the corner and he will start working on a plan to keep the door propped open. Go back to Cue Ball and talk to him about the soup and get him to add some some spice to it. He moves the cupboards to grab the ingredients, so as he stirs the soup head around the back to the door. Do it enough times and Emmett will be say 'Eureka'. Have Cue Ball add an ingredient once more to move the furniture around the corner to tell Emmett that you know which barrels have hooch in them. Go back to Cue Ball and talk to him about soup deliveries.

Try to exit the Soup Kitchen and Edna will burst in to pick up some barrels of soup. Go outside and speak to Edna Strickland in the courtyard and ask her about the scoop she is working on. Ask her about the Stay Sober Society and when she mentions that keep talking to her and get the details on her soup deliveries. Offer to help her with soup deliveries. Follow up by telling her that one of the charitable organizations needs a soup delivery, so she goes into the Soup Kitchen, picks up a barrel to deliver, and rides away.

Go back into the Soup Kitchen and tell Cue Ball the soup needs another ingredient. While he is distracted and the shelf is moved, hit the pipe on the right side of the kitchen to make the elevator go down, knocking the shelf on its side and rolling the hooch barrels onto the charity table. Edna enters to pick up some more soup but is mistakenly given a hooch barrel. Now you have to get your hands on it.

Tell Edna she needs to make a soup delivery to the Stay Sober Society which is meeting at Emmett's house. Emmett intervenes but convince him to let them meet at his house by promising good behavior from the SSS and then saying to forget the whole thing with a fake threat to head back to Washington D.C. and give the rocket jet patent to another scientist - he'll change his mind immediately. Edna rides off to make preparations.

Finding Arthur McFly

Now that you have the hooch situation figured out it's time to locate Arthur McFly. Just like you did with Edna's shoe earlier, give Einstein (sitting in Courthouse Square) Arthur's hat.

Einstein leads you to the same block where you found Edna's apartment (in 1986 of course). Press the buzzer to summon the upstairs resident, George McFly. Nothing you say will lure him out so head back out to Courthouse Square.

Once you're back in Courthouse Square go back to the barber shop where Kid Tannen went earlier. As you approach Kid Tannen he and his henchman give chase and corner you at the top of the gazebo that's in the middle of the square. Use the recording device in your inventory on Kid Tannen and capture his voice for later (this will lure Arthur down). Once you've recorded his voice, select Einstein and he will distract Kid Tannen and Matches, allowing you to make a getaway. Once you've escaped from Kid Tannen, head through the square (away from the gangster) back to the block where Arthur McFly is hiding.

Back at Arthur McFly's, press the buzzer and use the voice recorder from your inventory to lure him outside. Once he comes down, immediately serve him with the subpoena from your inventory. After he's been served he runs to the courthouse and the focus of your work shifts completely to getting the rocket ready.

Preparing the Rocket

At Emmett's lab, he explains the process that will go into getting the rocket to work before his father calls for him. He can still direct you in what you do as you process the rocket fuel though, so follow his instructions closely.

The instructions are different for every playthrough, but use Emmett's key words as clues for which step to do.

When Emmett emphasizes words having to do with electricity or sparks, turn the electrical crank.

When Emmett emphasizes words having to do with releasing or pressure use the gaseous release valve.

When Emmett emphasizes words relating to fire or heat stoke the fire with the bellows.

When Emmett emphasizes words having to do with feeding, food, or organisms, feed the bacteria.

Once the fuel has been processed fully, it's a few step process, Emmett returns to the lab. When he asks how long it will take to get a response, give him any answer. With the drill in hand, it's time to break Doc out of jail.

Saving Doc

As you arrive at the jail you find that Doc is being moved. In the confusion the drill is destroyed as well, but Edna informs you that he's being transferred. You see the newspaper you had in your pocket and see that the timeline has changed…but Doc still gets killed, just in another manner. Pick up the drill remains and affix them to Edna's bike that is sitting next to the police station as you head off to rescue Doc Brown!

As you reach the paddy-wagon Doc is being transported in you hop onto the back in your effort to save him. You need the keys that are on the dashboard of the wagon so you must climb around the vehicle to reach them. Go right and rip the antenna off of the roof then to the toolbox to grab the tire iron inside and add them to your inventory. Head to the left side of the truck and use the tire iron on the spare tire so you can get to the driver's side window. Kid Tannen is driving so this is going to be even hairier than you thought! Trying to use the antenna to grab the keys is impossible at the moment since Kid Tannen is extremely attentive. Head back to Doc in the rear window and ask him to create a distraction for you. While Kid Tannen is distracted use the antenna to grab the keys.

Head to the rear of the wagon and use the keys on the lock to free Doc. Kid Tannen turns around and starts shooting so use the hubcap you got earlier to knock the gun from his hand. Doc is still shackled in so climb across Doc to reach the gun inside the wagon and use it on the chains. As soon as you shoot the chains it becomes an even deadlier situation.

Tell Doc to hit the throttle, which puts both Marty and Doc in the relative safety of the wagon. As he hits the throttle, it knocks the wagon into a ditch and Doc and Marty soar to safety near the DeLorean behind the sign. Watch as the rest of the episode plays out and Marty and Doc get a glimpse of what is to come!

TO BE CONTINUED in Back to the Future: The Game: Episode 2 - Get Tannen!