Good evening. My name is Robert Silk.
Personally I don't think that my story really requires a "walkthrough" or "OFFICIAL PLAYER'S GUIDE," because you aren't required to solve any puzzles or test any skills to finish it. The story will go by, and you'll reach the end, whether you "do a good job" or not. But I don't wish to be rude to Ryan or his guest, and it's in the interest of neighborliness that I offer some hopefully useful information on how the story works.
Singing for Me is an epistolary story, presented as the viewpoint character's diary. You have returned to your hometown after finishing college, and inherited your parents' cabin. Although you're free to set your own goals, the initial assumption is that you're trying to make as much money as you can before the end of the summer.
The conceit of the story is that you only get one "action" per day. This action might be exploring the town or surrounding area; it might be buying something at the store; it might be taking your produce (or forage) to the market. After pursuing an action like this, the day ends, and it's time to tackle the next one.
Many things you can do in the story don't cause time to pass, though. The INVENTORY command will give you a list of your assets, but that doesn't take all day. The LOOK command will give you a rundown of places and people you know. You can also CHECK people or places to get some background information. Many other commands work, too. But they're not all equally useful.
There are several places to explore in and around the town of Eleison. Not all of them are accessible at first. You'll have to spend several days exploring the forest before you discover the creek. You'll have to explore the town a little before you find the library.
Sometimes you'll find items while exploring. These can be useful for selling, or giving as gifts. A given location will only yield an item every once in a while, though. It's best to cycle between explorable locations, instead of going to the same place many times in a row.
You can go fishing at the creek or lake if you have a fishing pole. If you visit those locations without a pole, you might be missing out on valuable fishing opportunities! So if you want to catch a lot of fish, make sure you buy a fishing pole before you do too much exploring near the water.
You can find mushrooms in some locations, especially the forest. But if you don't have the appropriate reference book, you won't be able to collect them. If you're looking to make money with mushrooms, it's wise to buy a guide as soon as you can.
You'll discover the market very soon after visiting the town. When you spend a day going to the market, you'll decide which things you want to try to sell, and then you'll try to sell them.
Generally speaking, things like fruits you grew at the cabin, mushrooms you found in the woods, or fish you caught will sell for more money if you go to the market while they're freshest. But going to the market takes a whole day, so you can't sell everything immediately!
You can also sell nonperishable things. Cool rocks you found, and suchlike. These don't decline in value over time.
But even so, there seems to be some fluctuation in how much money you make at the market. Some days seem to be luckier than others. If you marry the right person, she may be able to offer some insight into this...
As you explore Eleison, you'll meet its various citizens. Each character has a weekly schedule of what locations they visit. Some of them are more predictable than others. If you manage to run into a character multiple times, your relationship will develop. (CHECKING a person you've gotten to know better may yield more interesting information than when you CHECK right after you first meet.)
If you try to give someone a gift, the narrator may say that you don't know the person well enough to find them. This may happen even if you, the player, have learned the character's schedule well enough to know exactly where they'll be! But if you continue visiting the character, eventually you'll forge a strong enough connection that the GIVE command will work. Trust me.
There are three eligible bachelorettes in Eleison: Lucia, Reagan, and Vanessa. You'll marry one of them at the Unity Festival on August 27th.
Being assigned a wife may seem arbitrary, but you can influence this outcome. The town elders will take into account how much of a relationship you've developed with each young lady, and with her family members.
The owner of the art gallery will buy paintings and gems, and the owner of the bakery will buy fruits and herbs and mushrooms, for higher prices than you'll get at the market. But you have to establish a relationship with these people before you can get these deals.
The more practice you get painting, the more valuable your paintings will be.
Reading a book typically takes a whole day, but it might be worth it.
This might seem like a story that's all about farming and foraging, but there are still some keys to find, and some locked things to unlock.
The end of this story may seem very discouraging. It might be less discouraging if you manage to make enough money.
It's possible for the story to have what you might call a happy ending, but you'll have to take some very specific steps to make this happen. Most people in Eleison aren't aren't very optimistic about being able to change things. You have to make friends with the right people.