I just wanted to make a quick post for those who might be new to Pulpergeist or those who have found themselves struggling to grasp how it all works. 

What kind of game is this?

First off, Pulpergeist is best described as a "point-and-click" style game (think Sam & Max, Maniac Mansion, Grim Fandango, etc.). At the risk of sounding too reductive, these games basically involve finding certain items that suit a very specific purpose to advance the plot. The purpose of the item isn't always clear cut. This genre has a reputation for being ...odd, sometimes frustratingly so. All I can say is don't give up. I'm not trying to be weird or abstract. All of the items in the game serve a logical purpose. If it's not immediately obvious to you what that purpose is, put it aside and come back to it later. There's almost always more than one thing you can be working toward at any point in the game. 

How to "use" an item:

When you pick up an item, it is stored in your Inventory. To access your Inventory, press B. Select the item you wish to "equip" with the A button. It will now appear in the bottom left corner of the screen.

The item must be equipped in order to "use" it. For instance, let's say you have a Spider Key and you want to unlock the Spider Door. If you interact with the door and the key is not equipped (in the bottom left corner of your screen), then nothing will happen. If you did have the item equipped, the door would unlock and the item would disappear from your Inventory (since you don't need it anymore). 

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

Walkthrough - Getting in the Mansion (SPOILERS AHEAD):

Please do not read any further if you haven't played the game yet. This section is to help players stuck on the first few mini-puzzles in order to get better acclimated to the game.

Opening the Main Gate:

Interacting (walking into) the gate entrance will trigger the detective to remember that the gate key was left under a rock. There are some rocks just a little further up the path to the North. Perhaps its under one of them?

Once you've found the key. Open your Inventory (Press B) and select the it (with the A button). With the key now "equipped," try the gate again. It should now open.

Explore the grounds:

Once inside the gate, you can now explore the mansion grounds (well most of it). There's another area to the West, NW, and North. To the West you'll find a strange tree (hmmmm.). North of the tree area is a shack. East of the shack and North of the starting area is the Mansion (which you will find locked). Notice there is an open gate on the left side of the Mansion. Go through it and discover the garden. These are all of the available areas at this time. 

Unlock the Mansion:

The Mansion is locked. Looks like we're going to need to find another key. Hmmm. Let's check out that shack again.

When you try the shack door, you hear a voice from inside saying something about a lucky spade. Maybe he'll open the door if we find it. A garden is a likely place to find a spade. Let's check there. 

If you look closely, you may spot a shovel-shaped item in the top left corner of the Garden. The problem is its surrounded by impassible shrubs. Or is it? Try entering the shrubs from the right, in the gap between the two hedges poking out. Once you navigate your way through the hedge maze, you'll have the spade. Now let's head back to the shack.

When you arrive at the shack, equip the spade and try the door again. This time you'll be invited inside. Speak with Greves the groundskeeper. He'll give you the key to the mansion.

One More Thing Before We Go Inside:

If you hadn't noticed already, there's an axe lodged into a tree stump in the area with the strange tree. I won't spoil what it's used for here, but you'll need it later on to access an area where another important item is held.

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

Okay, that's all for now. I hope this was helpful to everyone. There's still a TON more to explore and do in Pulpergeist and even MORE to come with The Epilogue DLC I'm currently working on (see previous post for details). Enjoy!