Tricky Story: Normal Story Level 13 Walkthroughs & Guide
Help her build a ladder
Help the girl build a ladder to get on the boat safely

Tricky Story: Normal Level 13 â Help Anna find all the flags Guide Overview
Normal Story Level 13 throws you into a dockside puzzle where nothing is quite what it seems. You're helping a stranded girl gather materials to build a ladder and escape onto a boat. The challenge here isn't just finding the itemsâit's understanding that every single object you hand over has a specific place in her construction process. I spent a good chunk of time just wandering the deck, clicking on everything that glittered. The key is realizing that Anna's role is basically a courier service for a very resourceful kid. Let me break down exactly how this chaotic dockyard puzzle unfolds, so you don't waste time on the wrong order.
Pattern Overview
Normal Story Level 13 builds a safety net of trust through unexpected resource gathering.
The Emotional Sequence
- Pearl Necklace Before the Umbrella: Establishes trade logic and trust before providing weather protection
- Umbrella Before the Rope: Simple shelter comes before complex nautical rigging materials
- Rope Before the Anchor: Practical physicsârope enables the pulley system for the heavy anchor
- Anchor Before the Bottle: Boat stabilization must happen before delicate retrieval from the water
- Bottle Before the Tentacle: Securing the message comes before provoking the guardian creature
- Tentacle Before the Wood Plank: Defeating the octopus unlocks access to the far side of the dock
- Wood Plank Before the Fish: Solid ladder component creates momentum before dealing with distractions
- Fish Before the Seaweed: Trade item acquisition enables the underwater harvest sequence
- Seaweed Before the Hook: Natural binding materials precede metal fasteners for the final assembly
- Hook Before the Bread: Tool acquisition logically precedes food acquisition for distraction
- Bread Before the Showerhead: Last trade item clears the captain from the cabin door
Why This Level Feels Tricky + The Key Insight
The confusion points:
- The game never explicitly tells you that Anna is just the delivery person. I spent the first ten minutes trying to combine items in my inventory, convinced I was supposed to assemble the ladder myself.
- Several key itemsâthe octopus, the captain, the poster breadâblend into the background like static decoration. Normal Story Level 13 punishes you for assuming that scenery is just scenery.
The key insight:
I kept trying to force interactions, grabbing the anchor and attempting to use it directly on the boat's hull. Nothing happened. I was stuck in a loop of wrong assumptions. What finally tipped me off was watching the girl animate after I handed her the pearl necklaceâshe actually started building something with it. I realized that Normal Story Level 13 is fundamentally a delivery quest; my only job is to hand her the correct materials in the order she subconsciously expects them.
Step 1. The Barter Begins
Normal Story Level 13 starts with a locked chest near the gangplank. You'll spot a key hanging on a barrel beside the captain's quarters. Use it on the chest, and you'll find a pearl necklace inside. Anna's inner monologue confirms this is the right move. Handing over the necklace establishes trust with the girl. It's your first confirmation that this level runs on barter logic, not construction logic.
Step 2. Shelter from the Storm
Most players skip the umbrella because it's tucked behind a stack of crates and looks like scenery. Normal Story Level 13 expects you to grab it early. The girl uses it as a sail or makeshift shelter on the boat. Without giving her this first, she won't have the protection she needs to start the heavier tasks like hauling the anchor.
Step 3. Tying It All Together
Grab the coil of rope sitting on the dock railing. Normal Story Level 13 uses this rope as a prerequisite for the anchor. Anna's inner monologue confirms she needs to hand this over immediately. If you skip the rope, the anchor interaction stays locked. The girl uses it to rig a pulley system on the boat's edge.
Step 4. Heavy Lifting
Pulling up the anchor is one of the more satisfying interactions. You have to click and drag it out of the muddy water. Giving the anchor to the girl feels like a major milestone in Normal Story Level 13 because it physically weights the boat, stopping it from drifting. It's the foundation of her entire escape vessel.
Step 5. Message in a Bottle
Tap the octopus clinging to the boat's hull to get the bottle it's holding. Normal Story Level 13 hides this interaction in plain sightâthe octopus pulses slightly. Anna's notes confirm this bottle is crucial. Hand it over immediately. If you skip this, the octopus blocks the next step involving its tentacle.
Step 6. Grilled to Perfection
Don't try to grab the tentacle raw. You need to grill it first using the small fire pit on the dock. Normal Story Level 13 requires this precise interaction to calm the octopus down. Once you give the grilled tentacle to the girl, the octopus retreats, clearing your access to the other side of the dock where the chest is.
Step 7. Breaking Point
Now that the octopus is gone, you can reach the wooden chest on the far left. Grab the hammer stuck in the boat mast and break the chest open. The wood piece inside is a direct ladder component. Normal Story Level 13 finally gives you a tangible piece of the ladder. Anna smiles when it's handed overâshe thinks the girl might actually make it.
Step 8. Seagull Showdown
A seagull is pecking at a fish on the dock. You have to tap it multiple times to chase it away. Normal Story Level 13 uses this small persistence test to teach you that not everything is a single-click solve. The fish it leaves behind is slippery and shinyâthe girl needs it as a trade item for the seaweed.
Step 9. Seaweed Harvest
Take the bag of seeds from the barrel near the poster and toss it into the sea. Normal Story Level 13 might make you feel like you're littering, but the fish immediately swarm, bringing up seaweed. Give the seaweed to the girl. Anna's inner monologue explicitly states she needs this for the ladder's rungs or binding.
Step 10. Hook, Line, and Sinker
The captain looks like a static NPC, but tapping him repeatedly reveals he's hiding a hook. Normal Story Level 13 hides critical items inside character interactions. Give the hook to the girl. She needs a metal fastener to attach the showerhead or secure the ladder to the boat mast.
Step 11. Rations Acquired
There's a loaf of bread on the recruitment poster. It looks drawn on, but tapping it knocks it loose. Normal Story Level 13 plays with this 2D/3D boundary. Give the bread to the girl. She uses it as ballast or a trade item to distract the captain, which lets you access the cabin door.
Step 12. The Final Piece
After giving the bread, the captain vacates the cabin door. Open it and grab the showerhead from inside the dark room. Normal Story Level 13 ends with this oddly domestic item. Handing the showerhead to the girl is the final step. She attaches it to the ladder, completing her bizarre but functional escape route. Anna mutters that it's an odd choice, but it works.
The Logic Behind It
Normal Story Level 13 is solved by identifying that you are a supplier, not a builder. The method is simple: observe what the girl lacks next based on her environment, and prioritize items that enable trade or basic survival before complex structural components.
Final Scene Description
When I finished handing over the showerhead, I watched the girl attach it to the top of the crooked ladder she had assembled from planks, rope, and seaweed. Normal Story Level 13 faded into a quiet cutscene. She climbed up, turned back, and gave a small wave before disappearing over the boat's railing. The dock felt suddenly empty.