[SPOILERS]

So apparently I did things in the wrong order somehow. I went down the secret staircase to the underground caverns, ran across the collapsing bridge, and eventually found the secret exit to the tunnel. I then did a bunch of stuff in the house, and now I can't get back into the tunnels because one route (the secret staircase) is blocked by the lack of a bridge and the other route (the cellar passage next to barrels) is blocked by the tunnel worm that is always waiting just inside to kill me. Do I have any options to get back on track or do I need to restart?

First, how were you able to get back to the house after crossing the collapsing bridge? I don't see how it would be possible if the worm hasn't moved and the bridge is collapsed? What is this secret tunnel you're referring to?

This should have a better title.

The easiest way to get out of this situation is to abuse some game code: just jump and drop something while in the air. This causes you to hover. Jumping again resets it, so you can continue playing as intended.

Good evening/night folks.

U got to play from the broken bridge again.u will see when u run through the end of the tunnel where the water is the worm already awaits u.so go in direction of the water see how the worm turns into a side tunnel to cheat u and then go back and follow his way.u will see after that he will disappear and u dont ve to fight.easy as it is but no one thinks this way until one tried evrything.

Same situation here. After doing other fave games from my childhood on Android (via Magic Dosbox) I decided I did not give enough attention to probably of my first Adventures that is AitD1 . And this time without 'Dirty little helper' walkthroughs where I just read and follow. The idea was to do it myself and from what I remember. And I remember some tricks and things.

But now I see why I used, this game is not only unforgiving (I do save ammo and health) - I had to read again what creatures are invincible to not waste my time (like I remember using a pin on the jellyfish in the bath tub but seems not, and some ankh on the sitting ghost).

But this is where design has cracks, saying this as I have studied Game Design and WIP my own adventure game where the dialogs are enough to give a hint. In AITD there are barely any hints, I thought books but nah and you can get screwed really easily with only option to restart.

So I am in the same case as OP, I knew bridge collapse could be a prob but I saw the other way, then didn't consider the large worm could stay there. It didn't work? Jump and throw but he still falls

Edit: oh ok with Drop (was using Throw) and use now that worked! Thanks lol much better than restart

There are a fair number of hints actually, including in the readables, including ones that are quite subtle but definitely there if you're paying attention. If you're only used to more recent games, there tends to be quite a generous amount (to say the least) of hand-holding in those by comparison.

Also I think at the time it came out, saving before each confrontation to e.g. retrieve your ammo in case it's ineffective would have been par for the course. And keeping a number of saves handy, of course the game only permitting six being problematic. No doubt the team would have considered making changes to the whole bridge/Cthonian (worm) area had they had more play test time.

Which puzzles did you get stuck on that you didn't think there were any clues for? Let's see if I can point at a clue for each of them, or at least some.

No problem I solved the game, as I said I'm replaying it from the childhood. But how I wrongly thought you could defeat some creatures - if I didn't read waltkhru's about what creatures are invincible I'd waste my time.

Now that when I have more critical thinking than when I played as a child, I find it way not obvious that you had to put the book right of the strange looking wall in the library, like I thought I got the wrong book and he says 'There is no room' for the strange wall, some say there is an indent there on the shelf, I have seen all library parts and the same walls can be seen elsewhere. But as soon as I learn where the 'secret place is' to put the book and with the items inside I immediately recalled which blade can kill the purple ghost.

And I had wrong memory that you could kill the sitting ghost, an why I remember that you quid kill the bath jellyfish by throwing a poker. From walkthrus I learn the poker is completely useless. And I remembered some ankh. Now I see there is no such thing just the talisman, But I remembered I had to throw a lighter or something at the tree. Then I quickly figured out what.

I read the walkthrus to see if I missed something, I think it was not mentioned how on the dark maze the door next to the start can be also opened with the hook and it is shortcut to not have to go through the entire bridges labyrinth

And if I hadn't used the bug to jump in the air, I would have had to restart the game all over as I would be stuck with the worm like the OP and was under 10 life and less all game.(I play it on Android certainly less smooth controls)

These are my remarks about how some things are not very clear to figure out.