Rivals

Overview

There are a total of 30 chapters, which in the game are grouped into 5 sections. You start with a small amount of evidence, and each time you correctly assign titles to 5 chapters, you gain access to more evidence. In the start of the game you can logically work through the chapters in order, but this changes by the time you reach Group 4.

Group 1

Chapter 1

• Date: March 1995
• Information: Listen to the audio tape of Karen Olson's autobiography. About half way through she talks about forming the bandy Pony Parade.
• Title: Meet Cute
• Description: Luke, Josh and Karen form Pony Parade

Chapter 2

• Date: June 1996
• Information: Look at the flyer for the senior prom, which advertises that Pony Parade is playing on Saturday July 22.
• Title: The Halls of Power (Chords)
• Description:Big gig at the prom

Chapter 3

• Date: January 1997
• Information: Read the interview with Jeff Schulz, '09. He says the record was put out on his label at the start of the new year. The email from Ethan Rice, '09, mentions the song Utah Honey, which subsequently got reviewed by Rolling Stone a few months later.
• Title: Kids in the Studio
• Description: Release of "Utah Honey"

Chapter 4

• Date: May 1997
• Information: Based on the same information as the previous chapter, the Rolling Stone review happened a few months after the release of the first single by Pony Parade.
• Title: Unstoppable
• Description: Write up in Rolling Stone

Chapter 5

• Date: June 1997
• Information: Read the email from Ethan Rice, '09. This mentions that the band needed to start touring right away.
• Title: Doomed Youth
• Description: First and only tour

Group 2

Chapter 6

• Date: August 1997
• Information: From the audio tape of Karen Olson's autobiography, you know that the band broke up in 1997.
• Title: You Take the High Road
• Description: Luke breaks up the band

Chapter 7

• Date: January 1998
• Information: Listen to the audio tape of Radio London Glastonbury '98. This mentions that Luke Jackson had a hit at the start of the year called 'Losing Sleep'.
• Title: Losing Sleep
• Description: Luke hits the ground running with his single "Losing Sleep"

Chapter 8

• Date: March 1998
• Information: Read Josh's diary entry. This mentions that it's been two months since Luke put out his record (which was in January 1998), and that Ben is joining the band.
• Title: A Willing Accomplice
• Description: Josh recruits Ben into his new band "Powderhorn"

Chapter 9

• Date: June 1998
• Information: Listen to the audio tape of Radio London Glastonbury '98. The presenter mentions the date is 28 June. The man interviewed says that Luke Jackson was just all right.
• Title: I Hope Nick Doesn't Find Out
• Description: Luke wows the UK festival crowd, but fails to impress a UK rocker

Chapter 10

• Date: Feb 1999
• Information: From the audio interview with Laurie, Josh's wife '08. She mentions that she moved in 1998, and later that Chauncey was released in February.
• Title: Right on Track
• Description: Release of Chauncey, to some acclaim and some angry words

Group 3

Chapter 11

• Date: December 1999
• Information: On the audio tape of the interview with Laurie, Josh's wife '08, she says she first met Josh a month before Christmas, then says that Josh had released Chauncey in February.
• Title: I'm Your Man
• Description: Josh meets Laurie and things pick up quickly

Chapter 12

• Date: March 2000
• Information: The postcard says that Luke is going to Nashville, and the farewell is on March 2nd. The audio statement from Nashville Chief of Police '01. This means that he must have moved in March 2000.
• Title: Country Roads
• Description: Luke moves to Nashville with his band

Chapter 13

• Date: February 2001
• Information: The Nashville Chief of Police mentions Luke's arrest and mentions that the Nashville Predators lost 2:3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets, then mentions a search engine. If you search online for this result in 2001, you will find it happened on February 10, 2001.
• Title: Move Over Little Doggies
• Description: Luke plays the Grand Ole Opry and is arrested in the parking lot

Chapter 14

• Date: April 2001
• Information: From the interview with Laurie, Josh's wife '08, she mentions their happiest time was April 2001, and that the album title was based on her mum's Alfa Romeo.
• Title: Life is Pie with Belgian Fries
• Description: Powderhorn tour and fall in love with their car, but Ben leaves afterwards

Chapter 15

• Date: March 2002
• Information: Read the Memo from Intruder Records, which says that Luke released his album in April. We can assume Josh released his Alfa Romeo album in 2002 based on the previous chapter. Read the Rivals in Arms article by Lucy Bramley '05, to see that Luke and Josh had been releasing albums very close to each other.
• Title: Pitchfork and Torches
• Description: Release of Alfa Romeo to critical acclaim and commercial difficulty

Group 4

Chapter 16

• Date: April 2002
• Information: Read the Memo from Intruder Records, which mentions the song Susannah, released by Luke in April. Play through the available songs to see that "Susannah" is on the album "Better Days".
• Title: No Free Lunch
• Description: Release of "Better Days" record

Chapter 19

• Date: May 2004
• Information: Examine the flyer for the Bad Mole label launch party, which mentions Saturday 15 May. If you look at a calendar, the only Saturday 15 May throughout the remaining available years in the game was in 2004.
• Title: Coming Up Milhouse
• Description: Band set up their own record label

Chapter 20

• Date: December 2004
• Information: Listen to the voicemail from the recording studio, where we hear that Luke has turned up drunk and broken a Sitar, a few days before Christmas. He has recorded songs for his new album, which has a funny title and is due for a February launch.
• Title: Our Fucking Sitar!
• Description: Luke engages in shenanigans in the studio, while recording his new record

Chapter 21

• Date: January 2005
• Information: We already know that Luke is releasing his new album in February 2005. Read the Rivals in Arms article by Lucy Bramley '05, where she mentions that Powderhorn have just released their song "Kid in the Middle". Play through the available songs to see that "Kid in the Middle" is on the album "Nothing is Forever".
• Title: Time to Live
• Description: Release of "Nothing is Forever", to widespread chin stroking

Chapter 22

• Date: February 2005
• Information: Again based on the voicemail from the recording studio, we know that Luke is releasing his new album in February, just after the recording studio incident.
• Title: Time To Die
• Description: Luke releases his "Epic" new album, to widespread eyebrow raising

Group 5

Chapter 17

• Date: August 2003
• Information: Listen to the interview with Josh, February '06. He mentions having Gracie in the month before Luke's mum died. The Star Tribune obituary for Julia Jackson was in '03.
• Title: My Darling
• Description: Josh and Laurie have their first child

Chapter 18

• Date: September 2003
• Information: Listen to the interview with Josh, February '06. He mentions having Gracie in the month before Luke's mum died. The Star Tribune obituary for Julia Jackson was in '03.
• Title: Julia
• Description: Luke's mother dies

Chapter 23

• Date: August 2005
• Information: Read the radio interview with Luke '05.
• Title: Some Velvet Boring!
• Description: Luke erupts on the radio, after Powderhorn are praised by Lee Hazlewood

Chapter 24

• Date: February 2006
• Information: Listen to the interview with Josh, February '06. Near the end he says he is preparing for a gig.
• Title: Rocking the Free World
• Description: Powderhorn go on first US headline tour

Chapter 25

• Date: May 2006
• Information: Listen to the voicemail from Luke '08. He mentions that he got his jaw broken a couple of years ago.
• Title: Not a Fair Fight
• Description: Luke gets his jaw broken in a bar fight and is put on extensive pain medication

Group 6

Chapter 26

• Date: January 2008
• Information: The only Powderhorn album that hasn't been released up until this point is Isle Royale.
• Title: Royale With Cheese
• Description: Release of Isle Royale and the raking in of some hard-earned cash

Chapter 27

• Date: May 2008
• Information: Read the obituary of Ben Kotzen to see that he passed away on May 12th. Listen to the voicemail from Luke '08 and he mentions that he heard about Ben's death last week.
• Title: Ben
• Description: Ben passes away

Chapter 28

• Date: August 2008
• Information: Read the email from Josh to writer. This mentions that Luke showed up as his daughter's 5th birthday. We know from Chapter 17 that she was born in August 2003.
• Title: He Just Stared Ahead
• Description: Luke shows up at Josh's house unannounced

Chapter 29

• Date: December 2008
• Information: Listen to the voicemail from Luke '08.
• Title: Little Bro
• Description: Luke leaves a message on Josh's answer machine

Chapter 30

• Date: August 2009
• Information: Read the running club newsletter, which mention's Josh's second child was born in August.
• Title: Love Conquers All
• Description: Josh and Laurie celebrate the birth of their second child