Return to Archipelago

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If you managed to escape the Archipelago, you may have felt a sense of relief watching the volcanic islands dwindle as you floated away. Well, you may not want to breathe easy just yet, as creator Jonathan May has recently made the sequel, Return to the Archipelago, available to the general public.

Walkthrough Guide

(Please allow page to fully load for spoiler tags to be functional.)

Hey guys - thanks for playing & thanks Karmen for your lovely review!

I realize this is the kind of game you'll either love or hate, as some of the puzzles are quite challenging because they involve rhythm & pitch, and colour (apologies to those who are tone-deaf or colour blind).

The 'philosophy' behind my games is that everything should be solvable by observation and by taking your own notes (with a pencil and paper!) and possibly a LITTLE bit of trial-and-error, but not too much. I LOVE games like Crimson/White Room etc. but I find them to be more about randomly clicking until you can get something new to happen.

So, if you want the challenge of de-coding morse code, or creating music, it's there, but I also realize that it could be completely boring/frustrating if you just want to proceed, so...

The hints section on the woolythinkng page has complete spoilers for the Bell Towers & the Morse Code puzzles.

Regarding the Standing Stones & the singing head...

Karmen - it seems as though you have the correct solution. Maybe you tripped up in the execution. You have to leave the head in the centre of the circle the whole time you move around it, and also be careful moving from "7" to "1"... It's tempting to go to "2" instead - you have to move the camera far-right to actually see #1 from #7.

Anyway - thanks again for playing!

Jon :-)

Posted by: Jonathan | January 5, 2006 7:41 PM

Archipelago Walkthrough

This walkthrough will lead you to accessing all three doors and then to conquering each puzzle beyond those doors until you are able to free yourself from this place. I suggest using the "find on this page" command from the Edit tab in order to find specific information on the puzzles.
ANCHOR Door

Check all the islands for notebook pages (you can store them on the pink hand on the bottom right corner of the screen)
head to the island with a blue control panel by the tall yellow bell towers
lay out the pages with the musical notes in front of you (there should be only 3)
each note has dashes below it. The number of dashes indicates the timed spacing to follow each note when played.
See those bell towers ahead? From left to right, number them 1 to 4.
See the notes on the control panel? Those are the corresponding notes to be played at each bell.
Now, go to bell number 1 and hit the button.
Then head to bell number 2. Wait for bell number 1 to ring, count to 2 (short quick counting), then hit the button. Now both bells should sound well spaced apart. *Only count to 2 because by the time you hit the button, another count will be taken...thus there will be a total of 3 pauses. The same goes for the following amounts that you need to count to.*
Next head to bell number 3. Wait for bell number 1 to ring, then as soon as you see bell number 2 move to ring, hit the button. This will give you a quick ding-dong effect when bells number 2 and 3 sound.
Finally head to bell number 4. Wait for that ding-dong sound, count to 1 (that was quick), then hit the button. If you pulled this off correctly, you should hear bell number 1, a bit of a pause, a ding-dong, a short pause, bell number 4, another short pause, and then bell number 1 again.
To truly check if you are close enough to the correct melody, go back to the blue control panel and hit the big triangle button. If the tall door island (by the red anchors) in the distance lowers to sea level, then you have done it! If not, then go back to the bells and readjust your timing of them.

CRYSTAL Door

Click on the island with the blue control panel by the red anchors.
Check the symbols on the base of the control panel. A pattern? Positive and negative.
Look up. See the Buoys in the distance...lined up...with lights on the tops?
Okay, now click on the big green mound on the other side of the buoys. There is another control panel here. It has triangle symbols that you can press.
Go ahead, try pressing one. What does that do?
That figured out, make a note (yes, on paper, you know..that flat form of trees?) of which button controls which buoy. This is slightly tricky due to the fact that it is difficult to see all of the buoys in front of you and distance is slightly warped as well. But, you can always check yourself by going back to the previous control panel island to check the pattern.
So, having discovered which button controls which buoy, do your best to match the pattern carved into the first control panel. With the lights. On or off. I hope you are following me here.
Once you can see the matching pattern in the buoys from the first control panel island....HIT THE BUTTON!!
If done correctly, the tall door island (by the crystals) should lower to sea level, hooray! If not, then re-check your buoys. Make sure you can see all of them by turning the camera view.

TREE door

Click on the island with the blue control panel by the big group of palm tree islands with the little wooden levers on them.
Check the number on the base of the control panel. Hmmm.
Look up. See all those crazy palm trees? (Sure, but what do trees have to do with that number?) Good question. Head to the first tree island and pull a lever. Take note of what that lever does.
Alright, so knowing what can be done to the trees, the only question you must ask yourself is: "How would the Romans write that number if all they had were some slanty trees?"
Here's a good way to keep yourself from getting too confused with the lever controls. Draw a basic map of these 7 islands (4 in the back, 3 in the front). Go to each island in this group, make note of how many trees are on each island. Pull each lever and make note of which tree it controls on which island. (I corresponded lever symbols to tree symbols by using the alphabet - Lever A controls Tree A, Lever B controls Tree B, etc.) After doing this mapping, you will easily be able to get the visual effect you want for completing this puzzle.
Return to the blue control panel island. Look ahead at the trees. Starting from the left, and with the first Roman numeral, how should the first tree be slanted? How about the second tree? And so on. P.S. M=1000 L=500 X=10 V=5 IV=4 III=3 II=2 I=1. Once you know how the trees should be slanted, check your map to see which lever you need to pull in order to slant each tree the way you want it...either slanted or left straight.
When you are done, you should be able to see the Roman numerals clearly in the tree arrangement. To truly check if you have done this correctly, push the big BUTTON!!! If you have done it, the tall door island (by the group of leafless trees) in the distance should lower to sea level. If not, then recheck your slanty palms and your Roman translation of the number. Make sure the slanting is clear as well.

Paper World (Door by the leafless trees)

*Before entering, check the trees surrounding the door. Each has a weird colored fruit. Take note of the fruits. Also check all over each tree for a tiny dark brown marking that will resemble a small pattern of lines, or squiggles. On your paper, match the symbols with the colored fruit from the same trees.*

Okay, now you can go in!
Sensory overload. Ahead of you is a weird origami thing. Green thing. Anyways, look around for trees with orange/gold coloring of the leaves. (They're pretty obvious and there are only 5 of them.)
Go to each one of these trees and look up in the branches. See a weird colored fruit? Okay, now open the tiny door in the tree trunk. See a colored origami thing that matches the color of the fruit? Good.
This is kind of tricky, (drawing it might help) memorize the types of SHAPES that make up that origami character. Do this for each Tree (fruit - tiny door - origami shapes).
Knowing the shapes of the origami should give you some specific results. Two pairs of origamis should be made up of the same kinds of shapes. One origami does not match the others.
Now, go to the tree stump area surrounding the big green mound in the middle of the forest. Choose the tree stump that has 5 symbols on it. 2 pairs of symbols should be linked and the 5th will be in the middle. Sound familiar?
Okay so...Pick a pair of origamis that matched each other. What color fruit do each of those correspond to? Which symbol do those color fruits correspond to? Make sense now? I sure hope so. When you have this all figured out, input the symbols into the tree trunk to show the pair relationships with the non-paired symbol (non-paired origami thing) in the middle.
TA DA! And no sound is made? Correct! But you can check if you've done it right by turning to the left slightly. See a pink goatish origami? See the green hill to the right of it? Go TO THE GREEN HILL!! There is a lever here (wooden). Go on, pull it. It will make an initial bendy noise and then..Did you hear a soft "click"? That's it! That means you got ONE minor puzzle accomplished! (You can make sure you are hearing the right click by undoing your symbols and then listening to the lever again to see what it sounds like before the puzzle is completed)
The Puzzle piece tree stump seems like it should be easy with all those puzzle pieces lying around right? Wrong! (okay its kind of easy)
There are three puzzle pieces in this world (one on the blue origami, one on the paper plane hill, one BELOW the pink/red lantern near the kite with the egyptian eye symbol). Still, none of these fits into the tree stump!!
Instead, take these pieces to the easel in the forest. Place them on the easel so that they can fit together. Hmm. One is missing. Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until METAL WORLD to complete this puzzle. Oh well. We'll come back to it.
Now for the colored petals tree stump. Take a look at these symbols. You can see three set of buttons. Now look up and to the left slightly, see the pinwheels? Yeah, that's right. But those are not stationary. How do you find out which color to input where?
For starters you could Click on the Blue and Yellow pinwheel on the left. Then look down and to the right slightly. See a lever? Yeah, click on that.
Click on the lever to activate it and see which pinwheel it controls. If you look slightly to the left you can see another lever, and yes there is also a third one that is hidden from view by the little hill in front of you. Hmm. But this doesn't really tell you how to arrange the colors.
Okay, since you are still at that first lever, turn your camera view all the way around, keeping an eye out for a small patch of colored flowery things a short distance from you. Go to them!
Now you have a guide for how the pinwheels should be arranged, or at least half a guide. Take note of this guide's arrangement of colors for each pinwheel. Now, go to each of the three levers to make the pinwheels match this guide.
Once you have a match, then click on the left-most pink and blue pinwheel. From here, look down and to the left. You will see a lever and a patch of colored flowery things a short distance from you. Go to them!
Here is the other half of the color arrangement guide. Now you must make the pinwheels match this guide from this angle. Fun!!
The only tricky part is that you must finish with the following results: When looking from each guide, the pinwheels from those respective views must match the guide you are standing at.
Once this is accomplished, head back to the tree stump!
Now, look up towards the pinwheels. This shows the pattern that must be put in the tree stump! To see if you've done it correctly, head to the smaller green hill with the wooden switch. When you press the switch, you should hear the initial sound of bending, then 2 small soft "clicks" - one for each puzzle you have solved!!!
Now head to the kite with the Egyptian eye symbol. There is a lever here that controls the direction of the kite. To the Left is a RED Lantern and to the Right is a GREEN Lantern. Go pull on both lanterns so they are both lit.
Needless to say, the direction of the kite determines which color SOMETHING is. For now, it does not matter which direction the kite is facing, but those lanterns MUST BE LIT before heading to STONE WORLD or else you will have to make 2 trips later on...
Alrighty, this is all you can do in here without having gone to the other worlds...so lets move on!!

METAL WORLD (Door by the red anchors)

*Before entering, check out the skeleton island (poor guy) just beyond the door. Past this island, there is another island with a bottle on it. Check out the bottle!! There is a treasure map inside showing three islands. two of them have arrow shapes pointing in specific directions. Hmm.. Islands with "arrow" shapes. Well, we don't have anything to dig with yet, so just store that map on your hand for later.*

Okay, go into the door!
The first things you see are: (To the left)3 Antennae with small plaques on them showing different items (scissors, a wheel, and a wrench) also there is a small green vent in the center. (To the right)3 tall buildings each with three layers (2 buildings start by only showing 2 of their layers). Also there is a small green vent in the center and a rock off to the right of it.
Head towards the buildings. Look at the very tops of each of them. See anything useful?? But how to get it...hmmm.
Start by drawing the three buildings on your paper (nothing too fancy...and I suggest numbering them as well, left to right, 1 to 3). Go up to the 1st building and click on the big metal square. ON your paper write down which section of which building this button controls. (EX:So on drawing of building number 3: bottom layer is labeled =2T or Number 2, Top Layer).
Having figured out the controls, you should be able to get the PRIZE at the top of the 1st building. Yay for that!
Now head to the Antennae. I think you know what to do with that new item.
Next, turn around. Aim for the middle pine tree in between the other two antennae and click! (did you see a small green thing go by on the left??!!!) You should be in the vicinity of a small mechanical looking thing. A lever that seems to do nothing. Turn to the right to find another machine. HMM..that wheel sure looks familiar. But for the time being, it is securely attached to the machine. For now, just click on it to turn on the machine. (Is that steam in the distance??)
Check around for that Green thing amidst the pine trees. Hey, whaddya know? It's a puzzle piece. Keep that handy.
Now head back towards the collapsible buildings. Pick up that rock while you're there. (That's heavy!! Feels like it could stop the flow of anything that tried to get by it.....umm...yeah...).
If you look around from where you are, you should see a green safe in the distance. go there.
Hey! A Shovel!!! And some combination lock that we don't have the numbers for yet...dang. Alright, well, for now we can at least do some treasure hunting!!

*Before you leave this world, you can put that rock to use some where nearby if you know what I mean, or else just hang on to it for now*

Head for the red anchors in the main world.
On Skull island, look at your map. If you were to determine which islands in the Main world match up with the islands on the map, from where you are standing, then which island has the treasure on it??????!!!! The point is imagine a skyview of the three islands, so that when looking down, your view of the "arrows" directions would match the ones on the map.
Now go get the treasure!!! Just dig wherever on the treasure island and eventually you will hit the treasure box. Open it up and claim your prize!!
It may not be the best thing you'll ever hope to find in a treasure box, but hey, now you can SEE things that are REALLY FAR AWAY, possibly even FLYING AROUND. Upon further inspection, you might even be able to identify some sort of blinking light.
I'm afraid this is where morse code comes in. You've probably noticed all those notebook pages with letters and morse code on them. Well. You can either watch that moving blinking light until you've decoded the mystery words
....OR you can look right here:

nineteen seventy
Sounds like a safe combo if ever I heard one.
Okay, head back to METAL WORLD!
You know where to go...to the safe! Input the numbers and viola...Just what you've always wanted. Take this item to the appropriate Antenna..and leave Metal World once again.

STONE WORLD (by the crystals)

*Before entering this door, stop on the island with the small white crystal. Break it off. You heard me. Now you have a crystal stick. Tap it on the adjacent crystals. Hear those tones? If you do, then good. Now comes the fun. You must go to each set of crystals and determine the order for all 7 from highest note to lowest note. Bwahahaha. Once you have that written down (according to color), then head through the door*

Scariest place EVER.
Okay, to start with, lets get the dang tone thing out of the way. Head to the center of this world where there is a pillar with down-pointing triangles being lit up with familiar colors...7 of them. Hmm. The colors seem to be appearing in a particular order from top to bottom. Take note of that. See that imprint below? It kind of looks like a miniature version of......that creepy thing at the far end of this world.
check out the archways around that creepy statue. In each frame it shows a musical note placement....from high to low. Go around and match a color with each arch according to the sounds the colored crystals made outside. To help, let's number the archways like this: highest note on the left is number 1....going around the arches to the lowest note which will be number 7. Got it?
Okay. To activate the sounds, go to the creepy statue. If you run into it, it will replace itself onto the center podium. GOOD. Now using the order in which the colors appear from top to bottom on the pillar, Go to the corresponding archways in the same order. DONT FREAK OUT...the statue can't hurt you. :) I swear. Be careful though. If you screw up by going to the wrong arch....you have to start over (Use the many trees as stopover points). Also, It helps if you reset the statue again by moving it off of the main podium and then back onto it. (This may not be truly necessary, but whatever helps right?). Anyways, good luck. I hated this part. In the end if you just are tone deaf like most of us and can't figure out the right color-sound thing....then use this number pattern: 2365174.
Done correctly, something amazing will happen. And you will now have the perfect item to complete that colored pillar!! Go ahead and do that. To check your progress, head to the tiny pyramid in front of the large pyramid. Press it. You should hear one soft "click" for one completed puzzle.
Now around for the pillar with the two dogs heads on it. Each head is facing a different direction and has a different eye color. Look to your right. See those pillars with dogs heads on them? Connection? I THINK SO!!
Grab the torch on the ground and go to each dog pillar and check out the eye. See anything? Maybe we could adjust something.
Go to the pillar with fire in it. (What's with that Egyptian Eye symbol? Wasn't that on a kite somewhere??) If you activated the colored lanterns in PAPER WORLD already, the fire here should be either PINK-ish or GREEN. If the fire looks ORANGE-ish, then you have to go to PAPER WORLD and make sure both the RED(PINK-ish) and GREEN lantern are open and lit up.
Light your torch and put the fire into the bowl shaped pillars. Then check the dog eyes again. HMMMM. Seems interesting. But only one dogs head should use that color... So, make one more trip to PAPER WORLD to adjust the fire color.
In PAPER WORLD, head to the kite and simply pull the lever so that the kite is in the opposite direction, facing the other colored lantern.
First of all, since you're here, go to the easel and place the last puzzle piece into position.
Hey!! It's another puzzle piece!! Grab that and fit it into the puzzle piece stump.
Let's see what happens when you pull that lever now. 3 clicks and .....wow. YOu've just moved mountains. Grab the object that has been revealed and keep it in your hand.
Head back to the Stone World.
Okay,to fix your fire situation, go to the Egyptian eye fire pillar. Different color right? Good. Light your torch and use that to light one of the bowl-shape pillars. Done correctly, (according to the main dogs head pillar that shows an ankh symbol on the bottom) an amazing thing will happen. What have you just summoned??
If nothing happens when you have 2 different color fires in the bowl pillars: Make sure you are not using ORANGE-ish fire for either, make sure when you look through each dog head pillar that the image matches the main dogs head pillar. (correct color for correct dog head direction).
Now, take your summoned item and place it appropriately on the main dogs head pillar. Hooray! You can double check your progress by pressing the small pyramid button. 2 clicks for 2 puzzles done!
Lastly, you must figure out the puzzle for the main pillar that has something like an "A" on the top and a grid of stars that you can light up.
Start by checking out the grave markers that line the front path into this world. Each has some sort of symbol on the top that consists of a round border with a line design inside. Hmmm. How does that rounded "A" type symbol fit with these?
Oh look! One grave marker is broken. But what symbol did it have? Click on the rubble to recieve...A ROCK. Oh boy. That doesn't really help, but keep it in your hand anyways. We might be able to use that somewhere. (So we should have 2 rocks total by now, one from the METAL WORLD also.)
Alright, back to the grave markers. Using skillfull deduction, it is safe to say that the broken grave marker had a symbol like the symbol we've already seen. Now what do they do?
Go ahead and press the button on one of the grave markers. Hmm. Where is that light headed? How does that relate to a STAR grid. Where could you possibly LOOK that would answer both of those questions?
With that grave marker still activated, look at the STARS. CAREFULLY. What stands out to you here? Are some stars doing something differently than the rest? Good.
To help with this puzzle, make a crude map of the STARS. Mark the stars which are activated by that particular grave marker. (I simply played connect the dots for each set). Then go to each grave marker and do the same. In the end, you should have a set of stars for each one.
And lo and behold, there is a set of stars remaining that one can assume was meant for the broken grave marker. What pattern would this set of stars make if you played connect the dots???
Head to the main "A" pillar and check out the star grid there. Can you input that same pattern here? Of COURSE you can. If there is no way your pattern would fit into this grid, then you must go back to each grave marker and double-check that you correctly marked which stars fit into each set.
Getting the right pattern can only be truly known when you hit the small pyramid button. It should give you 3 clicks for 3 puzzles!.......AND SOMETHING MORE.
Wow. That was ominous. Grab your prize and kiss STONE WORLD goodbye!
Now for one more task and you will be home free...or something.
Head back to METAL WORLD for the last time.
Okay. So you have 2 Rocks. What could you possibly do with 2 Rocks in a world that has collapsible buildings, antennae, 2 Vents with steam coming out, a Wheel firmly attached to the machine that's making the steam...
To solve this one, just think like a teenage boy...EXPLOSION. Take those rocks and FORCE the steam to blow up the machine.
KABOOM. Now to get that wheel. But the wheel is not around the explosion site. No worries! Just look in the area to the right, by those weird lumps of snow. By one of them, there should be a small metal round thing.
Grab the wheel and head to the antennae to complete the last part of this puzzle. And I'm sure you're thinking "hey, we never checked our progress with that lever thing". Well, you're right, because it's unnecessary in this world. You know for sure that you've correctly completed a puzzle when you fit the appropriate object into the corresponding antenna. BUT now that all three antennae have been activated, it is time to use that Lever for its true purpose.
Head to the lever next to the blown-up machine. PULL IT!
If you look ahead of you, you will see that big satellite dish re-direct and shoot some crazy ice-melting ray at the large see-through ball of ice. Once that is done, go over to the melted ice area and claim the final PRIZE.
Now you are ready to escape the islands.
Leave METAL WORLD for good and go to any one of the rainbow islands (one has a triangle on top, one has a square on top, and one has a circle on top). All you have left are your three prizes now: a pyramid, a box, and a sphere.
For this puzzle, I'll leave it to you. Just remember that you've survived worse right?

(its quite long)!!!

Posted by: jess | December 29, 2006 3:51 PM

188 Comments

BoB is asian • January 5, 2006 12:06 AM

Muahahaha!!! I'm waiting for it to load though..... =D

DarkVenom • January 5, 2006 12:18 AM

OK, i dont know about you guys but i found this point n' click very frustrating and annoying. I can admire the creator for the 3D effects, in flash, that would be very hard, but unfortunatly, it just gets in the way of the functionality of the game. Also, the ability to only hold so much on the sticky blog thing is really frusterating as well. Not a very positive comment because im just not pleased by the game.

jay

• January 5, 2006 12:18 AM

Very nice job with the review, Karmen! And cheers for your excellent contribution.

Thanks also for letting me put your picture up with it, as I am hoping it will lead to less confusion as to who is writing the reviews. =D

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 12:32 AM

Thanks, Jay!

I really feel I couldn't do justice to such an intensive and beautiful game... I'm still discovering new worlds and puzzles inside (or is that outside?)

I suppose having my picture posted is a small price to pay for the chance to help share a game like this. :)

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 1:00 AM

DarkVenom,

I just stacked all of the notes I found on the tallest island, with the six triangle buttons... It left them in a prominent place that I could easily reference back to, with enough room to give them all a good look. That left my "hand" free for other things.

I'll admit, too, the 3-D gets to me, but only when I let the mouse stray off the screen and it spins... then I do tend to get a little nauseous.

kt belle

• January 5, 2006 5:53 AM

I loved the first one, gonna love this one. Right now, it's taking me too much time. If I remember correctly, you could only hold one thing in the first game. Or was that just me being stupid and nothing seeing the inventory?

mirkku • January 5, 2006 5:56 AM

ah, i'm can't do it, like i couldn't do the first one..without little help..
i have collected everything what i have seen - well all of those didn't fit to my hand so now all the papers are on beach.
can someone give some tip to carry on?

mirkku • January 5, 2006 6:11 AM

for example, what do i need to do with the notes and the bells? i have tried to do so many ways..blah

Sassy • January 5, 2006 10:34 AM

I need help with the bells....I don't know what the music notes are...I am not musicly inclined.

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 12:02 PM

The bells had me trying a bunch of combinations as well. I was trying the wrong way, however...

The key, I realized, has nothing to do with the order they play in... that goes, as you see from the island with the triangle/notes button, in order from left to right. You have to sort of time the buttons right to get them playing in that order.
If you look closely at the notes (music) on the notes (paper) or the notes on the pedestal, you should be able to guess the rest.
If not,

the notes all indicate the length between each note.
If that still doesn't help, try this:

the first pause is longest, the second shortest, then the last two are normal.
Click the first tower, then go to the second, and wait until you hear the first bell. After it rings, click the button. Go to the third tower, wait for the two tones, and click just as or just before the second note rings. That should give you a short pause after the second note. The last two notes, I found, need to be clicked just as the previous note ends.

It might take a few tries, but click the button to check when you think it sounds right. You'll know.

Of the three puzzles involving the triangle buttons, this one is definitely the trickiest. I'm pretty sure we're going to need to use sound in a puzzle involving the colored crystals, too, but I haven't quite gotten to it yet. ;)

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 12:31 PM

Accessing the doors was "easy" part :)

Well, not too easy, but not impossible...

Jonathan, if you are reading this... I just love Return to Archipelago! Thank you for releasing it. The sound effects are great, the puzzles are challenging but not too difficult, I don't have any troubles with 3D effects, and no download problems with 500KB connection.

Sassy

• January 5, 2006 2:32 PM

Ok, I think I'm doing pretty good. I have two doors down....but

I can't find the scissors in the snow world

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 2:49 PM

Remember Archipelago, you need to do some digging first:

First you need something to dig with, then

you need to find out where to dig, and after that

you have to figure out what to do with the thing that you find after digging. Finally

you find out one of the dog's years ;)

Sassy

• January 5, 2006 2:58 PM

Thanks Amor Lassie,
good spoiler....

I found the shovel, found the spot, and found the bionoculears, but where do I use them and what is the "dog's years"?

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 3:00 PM

Darnit! I just accidentaly solved one of the puzzles. Now I don't know the logic behind it :(

I mean...

the five symbols on the tree trunk in the forest.

Sassy

• January 5, 2006 3:03 PM

What?

forest

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 3:04 PM

Sassy, like I said, remember Archipelago:

There you used telescope to see some symbol on the ship. Look around and find what is in the distance this time.

Sassy

• January 5, 2006 3:07 PM

I am not trying to be thick but I tried that and I must have missed it. help I'm frustrated.

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 3:10 PM

I really love this game :)

Notice the papers with letters and codes. Finally there's a clever way to use

morse codes.

Sassy

• January 5, 2006 3:21 PM

Help, I'm stuck...

can't find scissors, or what I am supposed to be looking at? do I have to go through the door by the dead trees?

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 3:30 PM

I made some mistakes with Dark Complex; giving too easy spoilers. This time I try to make them more difficult in purpose. But here is one to you Sassy:

There's one place in the winter world that you have not "opened". For that you need to solve the

morse coded message.

And do email me if that don't help. Use my Typekey profile.

LovingRudy

• January 5, 2006 3:30 PM

I played the MP3 of the bells from the woolythinking.com hint page & believe I have it right (sounds pretty close to me). Is something supposed to happen that I'm not noticing?

LovingRudy

• January 5, 2006 3:33 PM

I played the

MP3 of the bells from the woolythinking.com hint page

& believe I have it right (sounds pretty close to me). Is something supposed to happen that I'm not noticing?

madtown • January 5, 2006 3:38 PM

Are we supposed to use the blinking light on the blimp to decode a morse code message? Thats just insane if we do

....this game is starting to make me dizzy

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 3:48 PM

For some reason I managed to ring the bells correctly without any problems. However, make sure

that you ring them in the right order, which is

from left to right.

And for those who think that I have lost all my marbles when writing about "dog's years" in one of my spoilers, well, remember

the Chinese horoscope. I think that I know how old someone is ;)

Glomer

• January 5, 2006 4:06 PM

I am having trouble locating the last of the puzzle pieces. Anyone know where to find the bottom left corner piece?

Sassy

• January 5, 2006 4:08 PM

I am this close >

Sassy

• January 5, 2006 4:10 PM

to pulling my hair out. I can't find the code.

Mason • January 5, 2006 4:15 PM

ok, so far i have completed the musical bells riddle and the bouyie (spelling... pronounded "boo-ee"), but i cannot figure out this dang tree puzzle for the life of me!!!

oh, as for the binoculars, i think it has something to do with...

the blinking light on the bottom of the good year blimp, maybe its in morse code? im trying to figure it out right now =D

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 4:19 PM

Sassy, I sent email to you. Sorry for the delay.

Glomer, the bottom left corner piece is

in the forest as well, and I think that it's hidden in the same way like one of the other piece was.

Glomer

• January 5, 2006 4:33 PM

I am so sorry... I meant bottom right.

I finally solved the bells, but it took some time even with the audible clue.

Glomer

• January 5, 2006 4:35 PM

Oh my! I cant believe I just found it and now where I thought it would be!

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 4:36 PM

The bottom right it is then, well

I think that you will find the missing piece since you have solved the bells.

Trillster • January 5, 2006 5:02 PM

Got most of the way through it (though had to check out the hints... I dumb)

The bell tower puzzle is all about timing, think 8.

Also, I need help. I know for a fact (really spoily spoiler)

there's a switch somewhere in snow world that activates the fan thing.

But I can't find it!! Any help most welcome

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 5:17 PM

Trillster, have you found all the objects that you need to but on their places in

the snow world? You need

the set wrench, the wheel and the scissors.

Glomer

• January 5, 2006 5:38 PM

I am so lost in snow world. I cannot find anything with the exception of one obstruction. Do I need more than one of these? Should something happen when I use it?

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 5:40 PM

Wow, I go out to lunch, and everyone comes out to play!

Perhaps I can help, and then you guys can help me!

The binoculars:

I've got to be honest on this one... after an hour of trying to follow that blimp, and 2 pages filled with dots and dashes which translated to nonsense, the best I came up with was "I think one of the numbers might be 'nine'." So, I decided I'd make a lousy telegraph operator, and looked in the hints for the answer. It was there. ;)

Amor Lassie:

But it wasn't this dog's year ;) ...or is that this year's dog? (Think Snuppy was last year's dog?)

Trillster:

Did you try to click on it yet?

It changes something else... if you find the right way, that "something else" will "activate" what appears to be a fan. Heh heh heh.

Mason, you were close, it's "buoy"
That missing piece:

I found it outside of the forest. I think it was in the snow land, but I'm not 100% sure.

Finally, I haven't figured out the corresponding symbols for the tree stump, yet, but that isn't where I'm frustrated:
In the dark land,

I don't get the stars, outside of the broken pedestal. On the other hand, I think I've solved the stonehenge puzzle, but when I get the big guy to sing the tones, nothing happens.

Has anyone gotten anything there to work right, yet?

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 6:06 PM

Karmen, the next dog's year or year of the dog is this year and starts in February or March. If you want to find

the needed year for the morse code by less trial and error, then

just count down the years and try the all dog's years. And the Stonehenge makes me just crazy...

Glomer, you have to bring something with you into

the snow world in order to

get the wheel. And for scissors you have to

find the code for the safe.

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 6:12 PM

Aha!

Amor Lassie, about that puzzle you solved by accident:

Go back and check out the fruit trees on the islands closely, and then back in paper land. You should see what you had to guess before. :)

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 6:16 PM

And Karmen, you are absolutely right about the sounds. I think that I am really tone-deaf! And there'e so many sounds around that finally I just don't trust any of them. And those miserable clues on papers spreaded everywhere...

Why on earth some of the tones are marked with morse codes?

But still I love this game...

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 6:17 PM

Ah, I forgot that the Chinese New Years is not the same time as ours. I'm not the only one, though, see? http://www.inkycircus.com/jargon/2006/01/year_of_the_dog.html

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 6:22 PM

Wow, thank you very much Karmen. Now I can rest in peace... But not in

Stonehenge. But the stars, well

look up in the sky.

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 6:28 PM

If you got past the bell towers, you used the notebook pages with notes on them.

the music note pages aren't morse code, they are the length of the pauses after the notes (1, 2 or 3)

With the other sound puzzle:

I've gotten the crystal and figured out the order the crystals play in (which color is highest, lowest, etc.) ..Then I associated them with the moving colors, to get the order. I believe I'm clicking the stone circle towers in the right order, but it doesn't seem to work. I'm stumped.
The order I have, from high to low is:

purple, pink, green, blue, orange, yellow, red

And since the towers go from the lowest on the left to the highest on the right, if you count them left to right, 1-9, I'm trying:

6,5,2,3,7,1,4

but as I said, it doesn't work. Do my notes compare with yours?

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 6:41 PM

Okay, now I am really confused with the other sound puzzle:

I dont't have any solution for the Stonehenge. I have just tried to listen the tones that you hear when you go close to the crystals outside the dark place.

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 7:03 PM

Karmen, now I understood what you mean with your other tone puzzle. Sometimes just one small tip is all you need:

All you had to mention was the crystals and immediatly I knew what to do. Or actually I haven't tried this yet but my guess is 5,3,4,6,7,1,2 if 1 is the lowest tone.

Ruka K.

• January 5, 2006 7:23 PM

I've finished!!!!! Yay, finnaly! I had alot of help from the people in the live chat tho...

i may post spoliers i see a lot of people stuck

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 7:26 PM

Karmen, you were right! Your combination for the second sound puzzle worked for me :)

I think that you just need to solve all the other puzzles first in that place:

The stars and Anubis.

superdave • January 5, 2006 7:35 PM

Got it!! wow, great game! took me long enough, but it was worth it. I'll check back tomorrow, and post some hints if people are stuck.

Jonathan • January 5, 2006 7:41 PM

Hey guys - thanks for playing & thanks Karmen for your lovely review!

So, if you want the challenge of de-coding morse code, or creating music, it's there, but I also realize that it could be completely boring/frustrating if you just want to proceed, so...

The hints section on the woolythinkng page has complete spoilers for the Bell Towers & the Morse Code puzzles.

Regarding the Standing Stones & the singing head...

Anyway - thanks again for playing!

Jon :-)

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 7:52 PM

Jonathan, this is absolutely my kind of Web game. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this experience.

Karmen, the star puzzle can be solved by

excluding the other possibilities.

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 8:28 PM

Jon,

Thanks for your help! Also, I wanted to note in paticular how grateful I am that you included a "continue" option on this one. My son closed the game the last time I left the room, and I was so relieved to not have to start from the beginning.

Thanks, Amor, as well, for catching up quickly to help me through.

Now, off to the finish :)

Amor Lassie

• January 5, 2006 9:13 PM

I did it, I did it, I finally did it! 4 AM in here, but I did it :D

I am a bit thick-witted, I admit, but I almost managed to solve this without any hints and spoilers. Only one spoiler was needed, thank you Karmen for crystals, and one hint at Wooly Thinking, thank you Jonathan for Anubis head hint.

Karmen

• January 5, 2006 10:49 PM

WTG, Amor Lassie :) Although, I'm definitely the slow one today.

I've gotten everything except this enigmatic singing head. No matter what I try, I still seem to get it wrong. Could someone tell me,

After I play the combination correctly, does something happen instantly to let me know? Or do I need to click on the head next, or the obelisk? (Not that I haven't tried every variation so far.)
I've double checked to make sure I'm landing on the right stones; I assume where Jon says "far-right" to go from 7 to 1, he means "far-left" instead... I'm always mixing them up, myself. Still, even if I try to do it wrong, I still don't get it. :)

Ruka K.

• January 6, 2006 1:12 AM

when you do it right the head will change

Trillster • January 6, 2006 1:13 AM

I totally share your pain, Karmen. I knew I was doing it right yet nothing happened.

In the end I did precisely what Jon said (avoid the centre, leave the moai staring at you in its creepy fashion and try to work your way around), eventually the animation occured. Don't give up!

I'm still struggling to activate the vents. I've got them both covered, I've got the other two items, but there's nothing else in the snow world that I can think of to do... Its driving me potty! Otherwise, I'm sorted.

Also mass props to Jonathan. A mind that can devise these stylish yet inventive mindbogglers is worthy of praise indeed. :)

If you appear again, Jon, one small question. Is that little knot on the thumb of the inventory hand supposed to be a game saver? If so, I dig it - if not, what is it?

AndrewTheWyrm

• January 6, 2006 2:04 AM

I'm having an extremely hard time with the star puzzle. I can see the stars winking, but it appears to be a random pattern, so I don't know how to relate it to the 3x3 on the obelisk.

Also, I'm still completely baffled by the whole fruit tree/animal/symbol thing.

todd • January 6, 2006 2:05 AM

I've got every puzzle except the star puzzle done. How do you do that one? I have tried every combination and so far nothing has happened.

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 2:55 AM

About the stone head

I am not sure, but could it be that you have to reset it between trials? And I noticed that actually you can step on the platform with the stone head by pointing only on the platform:

Then the problem with finding thethings in snow world:

One of the things will just blow away but

you can find it again on the snowy hills.

The second thing is on the towers. And the third thing is in the safe.

The stars, well the stars...

You just need to play with the gravestones and look up. Then you have to find what's left out.

With the fruits and trees I can't help. I solved it by accident. And I really do mean by accident and not after half an hour trial and error. I was very lucky.

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 3:02 AM

And one more thing about the stone head. People may have problem to understand what is left and what is right, right? So think it in this way: Number 1 is the low tone and number 7 is the high pitch.

Jon • January 6, 2006 4:40 AM

Hi Kids!

I've just updated the game so that it lets you enter your name on the list of "Clever Castaways" when you finally escape.

If you've already finished BEFORE I added that feature, your cookie should still let you continue from your last save so you can enter your name without having to go through it all again.

Trillster:

Regarding the vents:

You can't turn the generator on while the stones are covering the vents... you have to put the stones there while it's already going.

Regarding the thumb:

Yes - that's the save function. A piece of string around your finger is supposed to do something, but I can't remember what...

Cheers,
Jon :-)

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 5:04 AM

Oh, I started the game again to find out the solution for the stump, which I solved by accident in the first time. So I lost the cookies :(

But nice to know what that thumb was for. And a small correction for my victory message. It was the Ankh hint that helped. The funny thing is that I solved it by accident as well:

I just fooled around. Even carried some stones on the platform where the Ankh cross should appear and then realised that something was changed. Only this morning I realized what made that change possible:

The kite!

Jon • January 6, 2006 5:16 AM

Amor,

Pop a message in the Guest Book on the site and I'll add you to the list manually.

Cheers,
Jon.

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 6:02 AM

Sent, thank you kindly Jon. Then some feedback. Jon, have you noticed that css styles on the hint system look terrible on Firefox? The boxes for hints are overlapping and makes it difficult to read them.

Folks, I recommend to open the source code till Jon has fixed that problem.

Diane • January 6, 2006 8:38 AM

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the hint about the singing head. I do not have any sound on my computer. I could pass through the bells' problem by looking at them, but the arches do not have any marks on them!!

Thank you again for telling me where the low tone and the high pitch are!!

Jonathan, where do you get your great imagination??

Sassy

• January 6, 2006 12:05 PM

I am stuck on the symbols

on the stump I am not sure what order to look through the trees?

I need some guidance please

tim

• January 6, 2006 1:53 PM

The stars are killing me!

I have clicked all the grave markers, made a map of the stars, I know which ones the broken gravestone would light up if it weren't broken, I just can't figure out which pattern they should be on the obelisk

If someone could give me the positions, like if each star was on a phone number pad, I could get back to work, and help America's weak economy!

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 2:58 PM

The "twelfth day" is a holiday, so I got back to Return to the Archipelago because I wanted to figure out that stump with symbols. So now I understand it! It seems that we have something for

"gestalt-blinds" too.

And what comes to the stars, well I have already told to

exclude all the other patterns and find out what is left. It reminds one quite well known symbol.

Glomer

• January 6, 2006 3:20 PM

I put the object on the vents after they were on, but I dont get the clue to search the hills. Any help?

Glomer

• January 6, 2006 3:27 PM

I see I need another rock, eh. Tricky. Do i need to enter another world to find it?

Sassy

• January 6, 2006 3:52 PM

help please..not getting the whole symbol=fruit=oragami thing

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 4:14 PM

Glomer, yes you do.

Sassy, there's this Chinese tangram puzzle. Think about that. And the symbols can be found

on the dead trees. And notice the fruits

in the forest as well. How they are connected with the origami.

garrett

• January 6, 2006 4:26 PM

the stars are inconprehensible as or now...

but, the oragami makes sense to me. it just wont work.

outside the paper realm are five trees. on each tree is both a fruit and a carved symbol. the symbols are identical to the ones on the five circle stump within the paper world. now the fruit is found on five different trees in the paper world, each tree with a door. the door provides a view of each oragami animal. therefore, each symbol can be associated with an animal-the tree indicates the animal, the fruit on the tree indicates the symbol.

now, the stump with the five circles has two sets of two and one outsider.the idea is to find which paper animals are connected somehow, and consequently which symbols are related.

i believe that the animals are related as thus...the yellow animal and the pink animal, due to the fact that in the center of them is a large triangle. the blue animal and the orange animal, due to the fact that the center of each holds a large quadrilateral. that would make the green animal the odd one out, due to the fact that it has neither shape in its center.

however, this association has failed thusfar. any tips as to where the error lies?

garrett

• January 6, 2006 4:35 PM

i now know how may assumption was incorrect!

the animals are tanagrams as amor lassie said...they must be comprised of the same pieces to be related! my association was only half right...i was off by one animal because of the similarity in their pieces!

the groupings are (big spoiler!)-

green animal with pink animal, blue animal with orange animal, and the yellow animal it the oddball. you can figure out their symbols on your own, i outlined it easily enough in an earlier post.

remember, with these puzzles, never feign stupidity when laziness is the culprit.

garrett

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 4:35 PM

Garret, focus on all pieces on oragamis. And for the stars

you have to light fire for the death ones and look up. Notice the patterns and see what is left out.

garrett

• January 6, 2006 4:38 PM

any help with the windmills? it seems simple enough, yet will not work. also aid with the plight of the star obelisk would be appreciated. :/

garrett

• January 6, 2006 4:40 PM

sorry, didnt see your post. im making progress i think...ill keep at it. but, windmills? seems like the easiest puzzle, yet....

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 4:49 PM

I am playing "Tulse Luper Journey" so there will be some delays and cross postings. Moreover I try not to make too easy spoilers.

So the windmills. Have you noticed that you can

stop them? And there's some hints near by that show that on what position they should be stopped.

Then the star obelisk. Did you read my previous posting(s)? And have you noticed the ver good hint pages at WoolyThinking?

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 4:50 PM

And I did it again... Some cross posting I mean...

garrett

• January 6, 2006 4:54 PM

stars completed! easier than i though...

now the windmills are the only thing holding me back! ive completed the stone and metal worlds...

garrett

• January 6, 2006 4:55 PM

i did notice that they can be stopped. and i didnt realize how they should be though...i saw the flowers but didnt yet register it.

garrett

• January 6, 2006 5:02 PM

got the windmills! thanks! im about to watch the ending. yes!

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 5:12 PM

Folks, I just remind you to use the save feature that Jonathan revealed. Click the thumb when you remember (there's string to remind you). So you can have some healthy stretching breaks.

And since I played part of the game for second time, I noticed that there's at least one puzzle that can be different for each player.

Also notice that Jonathan has made very good hint feature at WoolyThinking. Not too easy like spoilers are sometimes...

Now there's only one thing that worries me. Karmen, did you conquer the stonehenge problem?

christal

• January 6, 2006 6:12 PM

still do not understand "year of the dog" under comments for the code for the safe, went to website and used 2006 as code ; nothing happened? please help

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 6:23 PM

Google "yaer dog" and pick one or go to woolythinking hints and read the solution ;)

Karmen

• January 6, 2006 6:23 PM

Amor Lassie, I'm afraid to say, the answer is "no." It's a shame... despite the fact that I can't get through it, the stone world with all of its' ancient religous symbols, is probably my favorite section of the game.

I'm thinking that it's some kind of glitch from my end; chaos from my life spilling over into my PC. However, tonight, I'm going to try to take a few screenshots and see if I can spot my problem.

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 6:26 PM

This is awful this professional disease that you mix the letters. I meant "year dog".

Amor Lassie

• January 6, 2006 6:32 PM

Karmen, or then you just have to start the game all over again :(

I hope you manage to solve it. Remember, you certainly notice when the stonehenge puzzle is solved and make sure that stone head is on the platform. You can step on the platform as well, if you like. Just click on the platform but avoid not to point on the statue.

Karmen

• January 6, 2006 6:44 PM

I've done the entire sequence many times without ever clicking on the head; sometimes not even going through the middle of the circle at all (as you do from 3 to 7.)

But, I just might have to try it from the beginning. I had a few weird things happen while I played, such as my son clicking away unsupervised. Then flash, for some odd reason, chose to update itself about halfway through, closing with a message saying "Would you like to close this window?" yet, lacking a "no" option.

Btw, don't feel bad about "yaer dog" (sounds like a drink.) I not only tend to mix letters at times, but whole sentances... and I write for a living. (Or at least hope to make a living with it, someday.) Sometimes, my editor tells me half of my story was written by Yoda. :)

christal

• January 6, 2006 8:15 PM

Thanks for all the hints from all the players posting comments. Just finished. Such a great game!!!!I would have not been able to finish without ya'll(yes, I'm from Texas)

Ruka K.

• January 6, 2006 8:31 PM

the paper animals have nothing to do with the symbols and trees.....

Just look at the trees just outside the paper world. Look closely at what EACH tree has

Nick • January 6, 2006 9:37 PM

Hi all,

I'm colorblind and I simply cannot complete some of these puzzles. The forest level is especially hard. Can anyone break down the flower-petal puzzle for me? I'm looking to blatantly cheat here...I've been doing trial and error forever.

slgalt

• January 7, 2006 12:01 AM

Please someone correct this for Nick if I am wrong.

For the flowers/windmill I'm not sure how to explain if you are colorblind, but there are 3 combos of colors blue/yellow, pink/yellow, and blue/pink. When the mountains are on your right, the big windmill is the blue/pink, and when you are on the other side the blue/yellow one appears as large.

Flowers: The one petal is pink, the two across are blue/yellow, and the two next to each other are pink/yellow.

Hint:

there are two clumps of flowers each with a different point of view that must be matched.

slgalt

• January 7, 2006 12:03 AM

And I have a suggestion for mapping the stars. Put paper up against your screen and trace, then cross out all but the answer.

Karmen

• January 7, 2006 12:21 AM

Click-by-click flower solution:

All the petals on the stump begin as pink, then yellow, then blue. So, if you look at the layout as:

___\/___

\/_/\_\/

/\____/\

you need to click each petal the following number of times:

___22___

00_11_00

22____11

If you've switched them all about, so they aren't in the original position, you might assume the lightest shade is yellow, and start with each petal 2 clicks past the lightest. It's hard for me to know how it looks for you, though. Good luck!

Game and website designers: 1 in 12 gamers are color blind in some way. There are tools available to see how different color choices are seen by different people, so your site or puzzle can be seen by everyone. Try this tool: http://www.iamcal.com/toys/colors/index.php

PS... I started over; and now not only does the head puzzle not work, but the bell towers won't either. I think there is something wrong with my PC... the poor thing is overdue for a reformat. I'll probably try a different computer to get my name on the list.

Karmen

• January 7, 2006 12:26 AM

Ooops... it didn't like the way I laid out the formatting in the last post. They were supposed to be equally divided on three lines, to emulate the flower puzzle. If it doesn't make sense after cutting and pasting around, e-mail me, and I'll try to send a more accurate picture.

Karmen

• January 7, 2006 12:28 AM

Ack, sorry, that's karmen(at)chaoticutopia.com

(third comment in a row is a charm, right?)

Jon • January 7, 2006 1:08 AM

Hi all,

Nick - I apologize for the difficulty that some of these puzzles present for those with colour-blindness. This issue was raised after I published the first 2 games, and I had tried to keep it in mind with the Dark Room games, but since the whole premise is based on "mixing light", I couldn't see any other to represent the same puzzles without massively changing the nature of the games. I know this is not of much help to you, but I'm not inconsiderate of the issue and will try to avoid that in the next game (same goes for the Music /Sound puzzles)

Karmen - You've got me worried that there is a bug with the Stone Head puzzle, but I've tested it over & over and can not get that puzzle to fail! I should also point out that this game pushed my old PC (the one I developed it on 2 years ago) to its limits (this is why the frame-rate is so low... had I done it today it would be a lot smoother) So perhaps this is a performance issue. Drop me an email with a comment and I'll add you to the list manually if you like.

Ruka - Your advice about the fruit & symbols having nothing to do with the animals is wrong!

1. Each fruit is associated with a symbol (found etched in the dead fruit trees on the islands)
2. Each fruit is associated with an animal (its the same colour, plus you can look through the little doors in the fruit trees to spot the animal with which it's associated)
3. From 1 & 2, each animal is now associated with a symbol.
4. These are 2 pairs of animals and 1 odd-one-out. The pairs are comprised of the same set of SHAPES.

Jon :-)

slgalt

• January 7, 2006 3:34 AM

Need some help with paperworld.

I think I hear 3 clicks in Paper World (I push lever and hear two clicks, then a pause and then the third click, then a smaller noise when the lever pulls back). But is there supposed to be a reveal when you solve the puzzles? I assume I'm looking for a square (or paper box), but can't find one I can take with me.

Can you change the puzzles once you've solved them? I can still change the tree stumps except for jigsaw piece. Should there be more than 3 clicks? Stone world had an obvious ending and I have taken the thing I needed.

Also I have never found the binoculars. And I have the stone eyes not sure if they are needed.

Currently at a loss in Metal World.

Amor Lassie

• January 7, 2006 7:35 AM

The only problem with the windmill hints is that the colors may differ for every player (time you play). For me there were violet, blue and green on the first round. Then on the second time they were violet, blue and yellow. Or then I am color blind.

Amor Lassie

• January 7, 2006 7:42 AM

What comes to clicking sounds in the paper world, there were no clicks for me when I solved the stumps. Put you surely notice if they are correct when you pull the main switch. So you just have to try and pull the switch every now and then.

jman • January 7, 2006 11:26 AM

Please be more specific with the stars. I have read everything and I still cannot figure it out. Thank you.

Amor Lassie

• January 7, 2006 12:02 PM

Okay, here comes the ultimate spoiler for star puzzle

Click the buttons on the grave stones,

look up and see the stars that twinkle,

draw a map for the whole starfield and for each constellation,

do some deduction and see what is left,

and here comes the answer:

a cross.

jman • January 7, 2006 12:35 PM

Thanks Lassie. 3 days and finally finished it. Ooh Rah!!!!

Amor Lassie

• January 7, 2006 12:51 PM

Congratulations Jman :D

Ruka K.

• January 7, 2006 1:20 PM

Well, i figured out the fruit/tree/sybol puzzle by asking this:

How many trees are there?
How many symbols are there?
How many fruits are there?
There are 5 trees and 5 symbols, so there SHOULD by 5 fruits. BUT one of the symbols/trees has TWO fruits. This symbol is the odd one out. The rest are just in order around the middle

I'm sorry if i confused anybody by saying the animals has nothing to do with this puzzle, but to me, they don't. When i saw everyone puzzling over how the animals fit into the puzzle, i was thinking: "What are you talking about? You don't need those!" *shrugs*

Glomer

• January 7, 2006 1:48 PM

I'm not sure if I finished Metal World.

I found and used the wrench, scissors, wheel. Activated the machine, and got the ball. I am confused now as to what to do with the ball.

Ruka K.

• January 7, 2006 3:20 PM

The ball fits in one of three slots in the center of your troubles

Diana • January 7, 2006 3:22 PM

Can someone help on the crystals? I tried hitting them in the order of tone and then in the order of the oblisk in Stone world. Any more hints?

Diana • January 7, 2006 5:44 PM

Nevermind the crystals, I got what they were for. Now I am stuck on Paper world. I have entered the windmill (which from the way I see it, it's right), the symbol puzzle (which I also think is right) and the puzzle piece, but nothing happens when I click the big switch. Any hints?

Amor Lassie

• January 7, 2006 6:04 PM

Diana, have noticed Jonathan's hint pages at woolythinking.com ?

Anna • January 8, 2006 3:03 AM

ok...just getting started and have headed to the hints and comments already! My question: Is there an actual shovel to dig with or am I supposed to use something shovel-like? Perhaps a skeletal arm or a broken crystal?
Oh...the humility...help?

Jennifer • January 8, 2006 3:07 AM

I am so lost in Paper world! How many puzzles are there I think I've solved three of them.

Amor Lassie

• January 8, 2006 7:41 AM

Everyone seem to have some small problems. I suggest that do not concentrate only on one problem. Just swim and walk around first, get the access to all doors, and study what is out there. You will find a lot of useful stuff just by wandering.

slgalt

• January 8, 2006 2:41 PM

The problem with the uncertainty in Paper World:
The Lever makes a Kachunk sound when you push it forward - that is NOT a click. Listen for the clicks after that sound. It also makes a smaller sound when the lever comes back. I had to go back and undo each puzzle just to figure out which one I had got right and which one was still wrong. You have to solve the three tree stumps.

About the need for a shovel: Yes you need one.

About the crystals:

They are a clue for stone world

Johanna • January 8, 2006 4:23 PM

Hi!
Can anybody help me with the bell towers. I've been listening to the sound example and yet i cant get it working. I'm I supose to click on the buttons ones or twice? I meen should I just leave the bells to ring or shuld I turn it off before I click on the next one?
...and after clicking on the four towers do I have to click on the trianglebutton to finnish the puzzle? Please help me. I've tried everything.

Jennifer • January 8, 2006 6:25 PM

Ok, after I find the puzzle piece and place it in the stump, is that puzzle complete or is there something else I need to do?

Oh and the Flower/Windmills...I don't get at all!

kt belle

• January 9, 2006 4:53 AM

You've changed some things, haven't you, Jon? The fruits are now all singles, there are notes on the arches and it is clearer how to save the game.

Yet, I still can't figure out the Stonehenge puzzle. My own solution was

5267431

but it could be

3267451

because I have a hard time seeing the difference between pink and purple on the gravestone. I've tried Karmen's

5346712

both ways around but I don't see how that is the answer to the puzzle. Needless to say nothing works.

Also, the symbols puzzle. How am I supposed to know which combination is the top, and which the bottom one? And which is the left, and wich the right symbol? Is it correct that you can disregard the trees in paper world? The origami already had the right color, doesn't it?

kt belle

• January 9, 2006 5:08 AM

Oh, and I've had the windmill puzzle figured out a long time ago, but when I change it, i still hear two clicks. So now I don't know if I've done it correctly. I have

first mill:
blue yellow
blue yellow
second mill:
pink pink
yellow yellow
third mill:
blue pink
blue pink

kt belle

• January 9, 2006 5:14 AM

Hmm, the windmill puzzle puzzles me still. I don't know if i've done it right.

The flowers are in one order, the windmills in another (when i look at them from the stump). What order to pick? (I've tried them both but no change in clicks...

Aha... it seems i've had the symbols puzzle right from the beginning.

it doesn't matter which is top, bottom, right or left, as long as the match is correct

So it's the windmill puzzle that's wrong... weird!

kt belle

• January 9, 2006 5:18 AM

yay! tis done! (the paper world, that is)

It seems there are several solutions with the flowers and the windmills. I just had the wrong one...

Karen • January 9, 2006 7:00 PM

No clue what to do with these flowers...I basically tried EVERYTHING :(

Karen

• January 9, 2006 7:18 PM

got the flowers, guess i didnt try everything... but I cant get the stone to sing right

cieran

• January 9, 2006 11:36 PM

okay, have made the flowers/windmill connection, but nothing i've tried seems to be working. i've solved everything else. help?

Dan • January 10, 2006 4:48 AM

palm trees
1014

anyone have any clues?

I have tried using the trees to make the Roman numerals M X IV, but that did not seem to work. I forget which lever, but I tilted all trees save one, which represents the "I" when you stand next to the 1014 Triangle switch

Thanks,

Dan

Nick • January 10, 2006 10:18 AM

Jon,

Colorblind kid here. Please don't compromise the outstanding quality of your games for the few of us who are imparired in some minor way. Sounds and colors enhance a game to such a degree that to ignore them is a disservice to most gamers. We can manage with the help of others, no problem.

Keep up the great work.

Nick

Karmen

• January 10, 2006 12:19 PM

Dan:
Your solution to the trees should work.

MXIV is the answer, and it looks quite clear when you get it right.

Nick:
I've been reading quite a bit about colorblindness lately. Personally, I think factoring in colorblindness doesn't mean removing the colors, just understanding that perception can vary. When we make a game or a website, we check to see that it works in different browsers (IE, FF, etc.) Why not also in different eyes?

Besides, from what I understand, there are some distinctions in color that you can see, being "colorblind" that I cannot. A sensitivity to yellows could help you find brown seeds of one shade amongst a slightly different shade of grass. On the other hand, in the same field, if the seeds aren't bright red or green, I might starve to death.

I'm just interested in this stuff (click my name, and see, I thrive on it) ...I don't think the issue is something every game designer needs to go and fix in their previous works. Instead, I think it is a direction we might move in the future.

(I still love this game!)

clay • January 11, 2006 7:51 PM

ok there has to be something wrong with me or the game. i have the palm trees reading mxiv and the 1014 button doesnt work. can anyone help?

Amor Lassie

• January 12, 2006 10:47 AM

Dan, Clay, and others having problems with 1014 puzzle. Here's the ultimate spoiler:

http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/913/palmtrees7uo.jpg

And if this does not work, then you may have hardware, software or bandwidth problems.

Micke • January 12, 2006 11:39 AM

In the stone world, I can't figure out how to

Get the flame looking through the eye of the dog head looking left to turn green?

I just can't figure that one out.

Amor Lassie

• January 12, 2006 1:47 PM

Micke, notice where you got the fire in the first place.

Have you seen that symbol somewhere else...

Christine • January 12, 2006 8:50 PM

what is the combination to the squared in metal world, to get the towers down for the wrench...I am sooo lost...I got everything else, and just need to get the circle thingy for "the islands :P

samantha • January 13, 2006 2:20 AM

Man, I am having so much trouble with the stupid flower stump. It is the last thing I can complete at this point. I think I know what I am supposed to look at, but it seems like if I put them together it still does not work. Am I dense? I guess I am going to go to bed and try again tomorrow!

Micke • January 13, 2006 11:32 AM

@ Amor Lassie:
Thank you. That was the only puzzle I didn't solve by my self. I thought it was the other way around, i.e.

that the stone with the fire defined the kite

I've finished the game now :)

smeagol • January 14, 2006 12:57 PM

Hello all
Has anyone solved the dog heads, Obelisk with the dog heads, eye's of dogs. I just can't find an answere. Thanks

tiger • January 14, 2006 7:19 PM

Gahhh! I thought I had done everything right in the stone world. I know that the stonehead was done correctly. I used the suggestions here for the stars, but nothing has happened with it. And

I thought I had the dog heads right, with the colored fire, but nothing has happened with that, either, even after looking through the eyes of the dogs.

What am I doing wrong?

tiger

• January 15, 2006 7:43 PM

Nevermind. I figured it out and finished the game. :)

Great game, Jon. You're brilliant.

...Now I must finish Dark Room Complex.

pyro • January 16, 2006 4:06 AM

hi everyone .i need help in....

stone world:
singing stone heads

paper world:
windmills,symbols on a stump and the last one which i do not know what is it

if you know pls tell me.

pyro • January 17, 2006 2:32 AM

finally im down to the last puzzle!!!! the scary sing stone heads ....if anyone know.. pls tell

Ricky • January 19, 2006 5:48 PM

Strange, the link won't work for me.

Amor Lassie

• January 20, 2006 3:19 PM

I guess that woolythinking has reached it's monthly limit. So no more woolythinking during January I'm afraid :(

Ricky • January 20, 2006 3:57 PM

WHAT!?!?! Return to the Archipelago is one of my favorite games! I can't believe this. Someone (Not me) must do something or... I WANT ARCHIPELAGO!!!

jay

• January 20, 2006 4:21 PM

Be calm, Ricky. =)
I am sure Jon's site will be back online very soon.

Amor Lassie

• January 20, 2006 4:58 PM

Rick, as far as I understand how these sytems work, the harsh reality is that Jonathan's site has been just too popular during January. The worst case scenario might be that the woolythinking is closed till February. The money could help you know. Owning a very popular site is not free ;)

When woolythinking is back online, the first thing that I am going to do is that I send some money to Jonathan. I finally managed to make the PayPal system work :)

Amor Lassie

• January 20, 2006 5:03 PM

Ricky, sorry for the missing y. Damm with this dyslexia of mine :(

Jay, nice 'Support JIG' game ;)

Ricky • January 20, 2006 5:49 PM

Thanks for telling me Jay and Amor Lassie! I don't know about the bandwidth. Is bandwidth like quality? I'm calmer now, but I want Archipelago!!!!

Ricky • January 20, 2006 5:56 PM

I do feel sorry for woolythinking, but I wish that I knew about the site. Even though I want Archipelago back, I don't get it. I did get to paper and stone world, but I don't get the puzzles. Please help!

Sorry for all of the comments jay. I'm too young for Typekey. Yet, I love your site. I hope you find more escape the room games! :)

Amor Lassie

• January 21, 2006 2:08 AM

Ricky, I'm not an specialist on these technical things, but this 'bandwidth' is a bit misleading. It is more like the number of databits downloaded per month that the service provider allows for the site owner. So woolythinking has exceeded the number of requests (databits) per month for January.

What comes to puzzles, read all the comments above to find answers. And when woolythinking.com is back online, go there and notice the Jonathan's hints for the games.

Tine • January 21, 2006 5:41 AM

hi!
I know that you are all trying to solve the return puzzle, but I still have a problem with de first one... :-s When I click on the link to see the walkthrough, I can't open it. So is there anyone who can help me by mailing me the walkthough? Thanks! And good luck everyone on solving mysteries!!

Ricky • January 21, 2006 10:06 AM

Thanks, Amor Lassie! I will listen to what you said!!

Jon • January 22, 2006 6:06 AM

Hi Kids,

Sorry about the site going down - I go away for a week and when I come back, all my bandwidth is gone! I've increased my limit with my ISP (AGAIN), but it won't kick-in until February.

Sorry again for the inconvenience!

Jon.

Ricky • January 23, 2006 9:15 AM

Don't worry, Jon. That happens to me all the time in other ways.

Tine • January 25, 2006 1:26 PM

Thank you for your help and lots of luck!! Tine

feyzul • January 29, 2006 6:47 AM

where is the walkthrough?
please help.

Amor Lassie

• February 1, 2006 3:39 AM

February at last and woolythinking.com is back on the Web :D

Feyzul, ad far as I know, there's no walkthrough for 'Return to Archipelago' yet. My previous posting concerns Jonathan's previous Archipelago game.

I also recommend not to spoil the challenge with walkthroughs when you can use Jonathan's excellent 'Get a hint...' pages at woolythinking.com.

Josh • February 2, 2006 7:01 PM

I've solved the ankh and the stars (I get a ding when I put in the pattern) and now I'm trying the stonehenge. I put in the pattern that was agreed upon earlier, but nothing happens. I've had this game open for 2 days now and I really need to finish the essays I have due tomorrow -_-

Francesco • February 3, 2006 9:44 AM

I think my last puzzle ti resolve it's the stonhenge, i've read your suggestion but i'm still not able to do it, can anyone help me?

Ricky • February 3, 2006 8:34 PM

YAY!!!! Now to start all over! Yes! :D

Shane • February 3, 2006 11:56 PM

I'm about to scream! I've solved /everything/ I could find, but now I'm stuck. I've done everything in the paper world, and I get three clicks. But it doesn't /work/. And all the hints say is 'are you /sure/ you've done everything?'

I can't think of anything else to do!

birdman • February 24, 2006 7:02 PM

I badly need help on the Flower/Windmill tree stump I've seen all the levers and the

2 clumps of flowers on each side of the windmills

but still know idea on what order I need everything to be in.

I also need help in metal world How on earth do you get the wheel

Sonic • February 25, 2006 6:10 PM

Ok, look, I don't know if it's already up there, but I'm not going to search all night for it. All I'm asking for, is actually, a lot. I need a complete walkthrough from start to finish. To make it worse, I need every single detail and easy to understand. And...I'm going to need it ASAP. But, think of it this way, you'll be helping a down gamer! Thank you! Jay, your site is great, but would be better with COMPLETE walkthroughs. Thanks! Oh, and, uh, if you don't want to type it all up and there's a site that has it out there, just five me the link, please! Thanks!

sarah • February 27, 2006 7:12 AM

Heres Big help well i guess you could say im a spoiler but to those who need help here it is
bells-

the pattern you put the bells in will go 1--23-4

the leaning trees must look like MXlV from your point of view from the triangle button thing right by them it might take some time to get it right.
metal world-

the wrench and the wheel thingy you can find on your own real easy but the other thing u need is in that safe

code 1970

paper world-
the symbols on the stump

the 2 on top put the 3lined and the 2 sideway ss

the bottom 2 put the two ss and the rainbow lookin thing and the last one is the one you havent used

the flower stump

will go like this
BB PP PP
YY YY BB
incase you dont know what that all stands for B=blue P=pink Y=yellow

the puzzle thing is so easy you dont need help
Stone world
the star puzzle

they should be lit up in a cross pattern

the dog heads

now remember the kite in paper world well in order to light the bowls with the right colors you have to light the lanterns in paper world and what ever way the kite is going thats what color the fire in the eye at stone world will be ( you have to make 2 trips back and forth)

the singing stone head

well when standing facing the stone head facing as in go from the door straight to him the arches in order from left to right are going to be 1-7 now in this order 2,3,6,5,1,7,4
stand in those arch ways and make him sing

and well thats pretty much it

Fijixandra • March 1, 2006 2:23 AM

I've just completed a crude but complete walkthrough for "Return to the Archipelago"

Hopefully, this will help people who are really stuck. I HOPE.

Jon • March 9, 2006 2:32 AM

Hi Fijixandra,

Nice walkthrough! Do you mind if I put it on the Wooly Thinking site?

Jon.

fijixandra • March 19, 2006 3:03 PM

That's fine with me Jon. The walkthrough is all yours if you'd like it :)

jjjjjjjjjjjjj • May 14, 2006 5:52 PM

I finally beat it...thank you everyone for all of your help.....Jon, u rock as do your games. One Question, who are you people that can figgure this stuff out...are you like Ivy League geniuses or something...this stuff is like, simple for you. Just like the dark complex (which i still didn't beat, i still can't solve the final puzzle), people are drawing diagrams and everything. Anyway thanks for the help.

-J

L • June 2, 2006 4:40 AM

Okay I think I'm close to being done, all I have left to do is the pink/green fire in Stone World. I have the green fire lit, I went back to paper world and changed the kite, and now the fire is pink. Only problem is I seem to have lost the torch. I read earlier that someone lost the crystal and they were able to finish without it- is the torch like this? Is there another way to light the other fire?

master_flea

• June 14, 2006 1:04 PM

Well, from the looks of things, I've finished the snow world, only have a little way to go on the pyramid world, and have opened up the origami world.

Time for some quality sleep.

master_flea

• June 16, 2006 3:08 AM

And done. Took me a while to figure out the link between the animals. Then I realised that

One of the animals is only made up of

Triangles

xixi • June 21, 2006 4:44 PM

pls help me to get the wrench in the snow world!I know it is on the top of the house,but how can I get it?help!

gracie • July 15, 2006 8:38 PM

jon,
i beat the game! i

went through the giant whirlpool

at the end. after sitting around for awhile of course because i was afraid to go there. but i did, and it brought me to the menu where you enter your name and a comment to be posted on the clever castaway page. but when i filled it out and clicked it, it said it couldn't find the woolythinking.com server. so, i reloaded the page a few times and finally it went through but my name wasn't on the list! i know it's gratifying to beat the game, but to have your name on the list is far better, in my opinion. is there anyway i can get it on without having to do the whole game over again?

jon • July 22, 2006 3:33 AM

Gracie,

Send an email with the subject "Archipelago" to:

jon AT woolythinking.com

with your message and I'll add it for you.

Jon.

Kevin Han • November 20, 2006 11:07 PM

All right.. I'm making a walkthrough for each world and how to get into it. I'm doing this by memory, kay?

Stone World

To get in the door go to the strange box with the arangment of lights. Now, look out. See th buoys? You can turn them on with the box with triangles on the big island. Mess around with it. Then go back to the strange box.Your goal is to make the light pattern on the box equal to the actual buoys. Once you've done that, the pillar with the door in the distance should lower. Alright, as soon as you come in, you'll realize stone world is pretty much a descelent land with a weird statue up front.
The Eye, Dog Heads, and the Ankh
Alright, if you turn near the left, you'll see a flaming eye, as well as a torch that can be used on the flaming eye and some strange dog heads. The eye can change to a green, pick, or red color. RED IS NOT IMPORTANT! You can change the color by switching the kite in Paper World towards one of th LIT lanterns. Now, those that there are two pillars with a dog head each. You'll notice the eye is covered, FIX THAT! Poke out the eye and drop the thing. Now look through, You'll see that it sees the torch. Now notice the large pillar with 2 dogs and an ankh imprint. Notice the 2 dogs have a pink and green eye. If you haven't figured it out yet, you are a retard... and just in case you are retarded let me spell it out for you. GO TO PAPER WORLD AND MAKE THE KITE GO TO EITHER THE GREEN OR PINK LANTERN, THERE BY CHANGING THE COLOR. LIGHT THE TORCH WITH THE PINK/GREEN AND PUT IT ON THE CORRECT TORCH! NOW LOOK THROUGH THE DOG HEAD AND YOU'LL SEE THE DOG HAS A NEW COlOR. When it's all said and done, the ankh will appear and you put it into the ankh imprint. Puzzle: DONE
The Statue, The Crytals, The Stone Henge
Alright, this is probally the most confusing one in Stone World. Alright, outside of stone world iin the actual Archipelago itself you will notice very odd crystals. Click on the white one to take it. Then use it on all the others to hear sound. Arrange the crystal sounds from lowest sound to greatest sound. Write it down (using the colors). Now go into Stone World. See the big head? Go to it! You'll probally freak out because it disappears, but it doesn't. Look behind you. It moved! Now try to make it in the middle of the circle. Once you've done that, go to an arch and he will sing (if it is a he, hopefully) Now notice the pillar with colors going down. It's colors match the crystals colors. The order from top to bottom is the order you should play the tones. You have to go to the arches in the right order and the statue will shrink and then you place it into the pillar to finish another puzzle.

That's only 2 puzzles so far. I'm working on the rest.

Shinyo • December 2, 2006 8:49 AM

I think there must be something wrong. Garret said that there are carved symbols on the dead trees outside the paper realm, and that's the key to solving the symbolic stump?

That's great, but I don't see any carved symbols. And I've looked, really really hard. Can someone please provide me with an awnser to this? I've also tried Kevin Han's awnser to put in the stump, but it didn't work.

[Pirate Panic] • December 2, 2006 8:05 PM

I have

put the lights in the right pattern

but

nothing happened. Isn't a pillar supposed to lower so I can get to the door? I know the lights have to be in the correct order from the island where they give you the order, and I did that, but nothing happened. Is there something else I have to do first?

Oh, if you email me, please post here and tell me that you are- I don't check that email address often.

Fijixandra • December 9, 2006 8:41 PM

Sorry to all of you who have been trying to access the walkthrough I put up months ago!! I had not checked it in quite some time and didn't realize that it had been taken down! Anyhow...here it is again ;)

http://www.geocities.com/[email protected]

tripletails227 • December 21, 2006 1:04 PM

Tree issues!!

I formed the trees into the MXIV that the 1014 sugjests but the button doesnt seem to respond what did i do wrong?

Tiralmo

• December 22, 2006 4:08 AM

tripletails-

Are you sure that you have \/ for V and not |/ or \|? I know that the slant caught me up my first time at it as well.

JacobX • December 27, 2006 5:42 PM

I've tried the bells about 20,000,000,000 times! I played the mp3 of the bells, looked over the woolythinking.com hints for 2 hours, and wasted an entire day of my life searching the web for an answer i could comprehend, BUT I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING AT ALL!!!! AND FOR SOME UNEARTHLY REASON, I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING IN THE GAME!!!! I'LL RIP MY HAIR OUT IF THIS GOES ON MUCH LONGER!!!!! So please help me before I go criminally insane.

Sayuri • December 28, 2006 3:17 PM

please... I cannot find the last puzzle piece...the bottom left one. I have the rest, I just need that one darn piece. someone help me!

jess • December 29, 2006 3:51 PM

Archipelago Walkthrough

Check all the islands for notebook pages (you can store them on the pink hand on the bottom right corner of the screen)
head to the island with a blue control panel by the tall yellow bell towers
lay out the pages with the musical notes in front of you (there should be only 3)
each note has dashes below it. The number of dashes indicates the timed spacing to follow each note when played.
See those bell towers ahead? From left to right, number them 1 to 4.
See the notes on the control panel? Those are the corresponding notes to be played at each bell.
Now, go to bell number 1 and hit the button.
Then head to bell number 2. Wait for bell number 1 to ring, count to 2 (short quick counting), then hit the button. Now both bells should sound well spaced apart. *Only count to 2 because by the time you hit the button, another count will be taken...thus there will be a total of 3 pauses. The same goes for the following amounts that you need to count to.*
Next head to bell number 3. Wait for bell number 1 to ring, then as soon as you see bell number 2 move to ring, hit the button. This will give you a quick ding-dong effect when bells number 2 and 3 sound.
Finally head to bell number 4. Wait for that ding-dong sound, count to 1 (that was quick), then hit the button. If you pulled this off correctly, you should hear bell number 1, a bit of a pause, a ding-dong, a short pause, bell number 4, another short pause, and then bell number 1 again.
To truly check if you are close enough to the correct melody, go back to the blue control panel and hit the big triangle button. If the tall door island (by the red anchors) in the distance lowers to sea level, then you have done it! If not, then go back to the bells and readjust your timing of them.

CRYSTAL Door

Click on the island with the blue control panel by the red anchors.
Check the symbols on the base of the control panel. A pattern? Positive and negative.
Look up. See the Buoys in the distance...lined up...with lights on the tops?
Okay, now click on the big green mound on the other side of the buoys. There is another control panel here. It has triangle symbols that you can press.
Go ahead, try pressing one. What does that do?
That figured out, make a note (yes, on paper, you know..that flat form of trees?) of which button controls which buoy. This is slightly tricky due to the fact that it is difficult to see all of the buoys in front of you and distance is slightly warped as well. But, you can always check yourself by going back to the previous control panel island to check the pattern.
So, having discovered which button controls which buoy, do your best to match the pattern carved into the first control panel. With the lights. On or off. I hope you are following me here.
Once you can see the matching pattern in the buoys from the first control panel island....HIT THE BUTTON!!
If done correctly, the tall door island (by the crystals) should lower to sea level, hooray! If not, then re-check your buoys. Make sure you can see all of them by turning the camera view.

TREE door

Click on the island with the blue control panel by the big group of palm tree islands with the little wooden levers on them.
Check the number on the base of the control panel. Hmmm.
Look up. See all those crazy palm trees? (Sure, but what do trees have to do with that number?) Good question. Head to the first tree island and pull a lever. Take note of what that lever does.
Alright, so knowing what can be done to the trees, the only question you must ask yourself is: "How would the Romans write that number if all they had were some slanty trees?"
Here's a good way to keep yourself from getting too confused with the lever controls. Draw a basic map of these 7 islands (4 in the back, 3 in the front). Go to each island in this group, make note of how many trees are on each island. Pull each lever and make note of which tree it controls on which island. (I corresponded lever symbols to tree symbols by using the alphabet - Lever A controls Tree A, Lever B controls Tree B, etc.) After doing this mapping, you will easily be able to get the visual effect you want for completing this puzzle.
Return to the blue control panel island. Look ahead at the trees. Starting from the left, and with the first Roman numeral, how should the first tree be slanted? How about the second tree? And so on. P.S. M=1000 L=500 X=10 V=5 IV=4 III=3 II=2 I=1. Once you know how the trees should be slanted, check your map to see which lever you need to pull in order to slant each tree the way you want it...either slanted or left straight.
When you are done, you should be able to see the Roman numerals clearly in the tree arrangement. To truly check if you have done this correctly, push the big BUTTON!!! If you have done it, the tall door island (by the group of leafless trees) in the distance should lower to sea level. If not, then recheck your slanty palms and your Roman translation of the number. Make sure the slanting is clear as well.

Paper World (Door by the leafless trees)

Okay, now you can go in!
Sensory overload. Ahead of you is a weird origami thing. Green thing. Anyways, look around for trees with orange/gold coloring of the leaves. (They're pretty obvious and there are only 5 of them.)
Go to each one of these trees and look up in the branches. See a weird colored fruit? Okay, now open the tiny door in the tree trunk. See a colored origami thing that matches the color of the fruit? Good.
This is kind of tricky, (drawing it might help) memorize the types of SHAPES that make up that origami character. Do this for each Tree (fruit - tiny door - origami shapes).
Knowing the shapes of the origami should give you some specific results. Two pairs of origamis should be made up of the same kinds of shapes. One origami does not match the others.
Now, go to the tree stump area surrounding the big green mound in the middle of the forest. Choose the tree stump that has 5 symbols on it. 2 pairs of symbols should be linked and the 5th will be in the middle. Sound familiar?
Okay so...Pick a pair of origamis that matched each other. What color fruit do each of those correspond to? Which symbol do those color fruits correspond to? Make sense now? I sure hope so. When you have this all figured out, input the symbols into the tree trunk to show the pair relationships with the non-paired symbol (non-paired origami thing) in the middle.
TA DA! And no sound is made? Correct! But you can check if you've done it right by turning to the left slightly. See a pink goatish origami? See the green hill to the right of it? Go TO THE GREEN HILL!! There is a lever here (wooden). Go on, pull it. It will make an initial bendy noise and then..Did you hear a soft "click"? That's it! That means you got ONE minor puzzle accomplished! (You can make sure you are hearing the right click by undoing your symbols and then listening to the lever again to see what it sounds like before the puzzle is completed)
The Puzzle piece tree stump seems like it should be easy with all those puzzle pieces lying around right? Wrong! (okay its kind of easy)
There are three puzzle pieces in this world (one on the blue origami, one on the paper plane hill, one BELOW the pink/red lantern near the kite with the egyptian eye symbol). Still, none of these fits into the tree stump!!
Instead, take these pieces to the easel in the forest. Place them on the easel so that they can fit together. Hmm. One is missing. Well, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until METAL WORLD to complete this puzzle. Oh well. We'll come back to it.
Now for the colored petals tree stump. Take a look at these symbols. You can see three set of buttons. Now look up and to the left slightly, see the pinwheels? Yeah, that's right. But those are not stationary. How do you find out which color to input where?
For starters you could Click on the Blue and Yellow pinwheel on the left. Then look down and to the right slightly. See a lever? Yeah, click on that.
Click on the lever to activate it and see which pinwheel it controls. If you look slightly to the left you can see another lever, and yes there is also a third one that is hidden from view by the little hill in front of you. Hmm. But this doesn't really tell you how to arrange the colors.
Okay, since you are still at that first lever, turn your camera view all the way around, keeping an eye out for a small patch of colored flowery things a short distance from you. Go to them!
Now you have a guide for how the pinwheels should be arranged, or at least half a guide. Take note of this guide's arrangement of colors for each pinwheel. Now, go to each of the three levers to make the pinwheels match this guide.
Once you have a match, then click on the left-most pink and blue pinwheel. From here, look down and to the left. You will see a lever and a patch of colored flowery things a short distance from you. Go to them!
Here is the other half of the color arrangement guide. Now you must make the pinwheels match this guide from this angle. Fun!!
The only tricky part is that you must finish with the following results: When looking from each guide, the pinwheels from those respective views must match the guide you are standing at.
Once this is accomplished, head back to the tree stump!
Now, look up towards the pinwheels. This shows the pattern that must be put in the tree stump! To see if you've done it correctly, head to the smaller green hill with the wooden switch. When you press the switch, you should hear the initial sound of bending, then 2 small soft "clicks" - one for each puzzle you have solved!!!
Now head to the kite with the Egyptian eye symbol. There is a lever here that controls the direction of the kite. To the Left is a RED Lantern and to the Right is a GREEN Lantern. Go pull on both lanterns so they are both lit.
Needless to say, the direction of the kite determines which color SOMETHING is. For now, it does not matter which direction the kite is facing, but those lanterns MUST BE LIT before heading to STONE WORLD or else you will have to make 2 trips later on...
Alrighty, this is all you can do in here without having gone to the other worlds...so lets move on!!

METAL WORLD (Door by the red anchors)

Okay, go into the door!
The first things you see are: (To the left)3 Antennae with small plaques on them showing different items (scissors, a wheel, and a wrench) also there is a small green vent in the center. (To the right)3 tall buildings each with three layers (2 buildings start by only showing 2 of their layers). Also there is a small green vent in the center and a rock off to the right of it.
Head towards the buildings. Look at the very tops of each of them. See anything useful?? But how to get it...hmmm.
Start by drawing the three buildings on your paper (nothing too fancy...and I suggest numbering them as well, left to right, 1 to 3). Go up to the 1st building and click on the big metal square. ON your paper write down which section of which building this button controls. (EX:So on drawing of building number 3: bottom layer is labeled =2T or Number 2, Top Layer).
Having figured out the controls, you should be able to get the PRIZE at the top of the 1st building. Yay for that!
Now head to the Antennae. I think you know what to do with that new item.
Next, turn around. Aim for the middle pine tree in between the other two antennae and click! (did you see a small green thing go by on the left??!!!) You should be in the vicinity of a small mechanical looking thing. A lever that seems to do nothing. Turn to the right to find another machine. HMM..that wheel sure looks familiar. But for the time being, it is securely attached to the machine. For now, just click on it to turn on the machine. (Is that steam in the distance??)
Check around for that Green thing amidst the pine trees. Hey, whaddya know? It's a puzzle piece. Keep that handy.
Now head back towards the collapsible buildings. Pick up that rock while you're there. (That's heavy!! Feels like it could stop the flow of anything that tried to get by it.....umm...yeah...).
If you look around from where you are, you should see a green safe in the distance. go there.
Hey! A Shovel!!! And some combination lock that we don't have the numbers for yet...dang. Alright, well, for now we can at least do some treasure hunting!!

*Before you leave this world, you can put that rock to use some where nearby if you know what I mean, or else just hang on to it for now*

Head for the red anchors in the main world.
On Skull island, look at your map. If you were to determine which islands in the Main world match up with the islands on the map, from where you are standing, then which island has the treasure on it??????!!!! The point is imagine a skyview of the three islands, so that when looking down, your view of the "arrows" directions would match the ones on the map.
Now go get the treasure!!! Just dig wherever on the treasure island and eventually you will hit the treasure box. Open it up and claim your prize!!
It may not be the best thing you'll ever hope to find in a treasure box, but hey, now you can SEE things that are REALLY FAR AWAY, possibly even FLYING AROUND. Upon further inspection, you might even be able to identify some sort of blinking light.
I'm afraid this is where morse code comes in. You've probably noticed all those notebook pages with letters and morse code on them. Well. You can either watch that moving blinking light until you've decoded the mystery words
....OR you can look right here:

nineteen seventy
Sounds like a safe combo if ever I heard one.
Okay, head back to METAL WORLD!
You know where to go...to the safe! Input the numbers and viola...Just what you've always wanted. Take this item to the appropriate Antenna..and leave Metal World once again.

STONE WORLD (by the crystals)

Scariest place EVER.
Okay, to start with, lets get the dang tone thing out of the way. Head to the center of this world where there is a pillar with down-pointing triangles being lit up with familiar colors...7 of them. Hmm. The colors seem to be appearing in a particular order from top to bottom. Take note of that. See that imprint below? It kind of looks like a miniature version of......that creepy thing at the far end of this world.
check out the archways around that creepy statue. In each frame it shows a musical note placement....from high to low. Go around and match a color with each arch according to the sounds the colored crystals made outside. To help, let's number the archways like this: highest note on the left is number 1....going around the arches to the lowest note which will be number 7. Got it?
Okay. To activate the sounds, go to the creepy statue. If you run into it, it will replace itself onto the center podium. GOOD. Now using the order in which the colors appear from top to bottom on the pillar, Go to the corresponding archways in the same order. DONT FREAK OUT...the statue can't hurt you. :) I swear. Be careful though. If you screw up by going to the wrong arch....you have to start over (Use the many trees as stopover points). Also, It helps if you reset the statue again by moving it off of the main podium and then back onto it. (This may not be truly necessary, but whatever helps right?). Anyways, good luck. I hated this part. In the end if you just are tone deaf like most of us and can't figure out the right color-sound thing....then use this number pattern: 2365174.
Done correctly, something amazing will happen. And you will now have the perfect item to complete that colored pillar!! Go ahead and do that. To check your progress, head to the tiny pyramid in front of the large pyramid. Press it. You should hear one soft "click" for one completed puzzle.
Now around for the pillar with the two dogs heads on it. Each head is facing a different direction and has a different eye color. Look to your right. See those pillars with dogs heads on them? Connection? I THINK SO!!
Grab the torch on the ground and go to each dog pillar and check out the eye. See anything? Maybe we could adjust something.
Go to the pillar with fire in it. (What's with that Egyptian Eye symbol? Wasn't that on a kite somewhere??) If you activated the colored lanterns in PAPER WORLD already, the fire here should be either PINK-ish or GREEN. If the fire looks ORANGE-ish, then you have to go to PAPER WORLD and make sure both the RED(PINK-ish) and GREEN lantern are open and lit up.
Light your torch and put the fire into the bowl shaped pillars. Then check the dog eyes again. HMMMM. Seems interesting. But only one dogs head should use that color... So, make one more trip to PAPER WORLD to adjust the fire color.
In PAPER WORLD, head to the kite and simply pull the lever so that the kite is in the opposite direction, facing the other colored lantern.
First of all, since you're here, go to the easel and place the last puzzle piece into position.
Hey!! It's another puzzle piece!! Grab that and fit it into the puzzle piece stump.
Let's see what happens when you pull that lever now. 3 clicks and .....wow. YOu've just moved mountains. Grab the object that has been revealed and keep it in your hand.
Head back to the Stone World.
Okay,to fix your fire situation, go to the Egyptian eye fire pillar. Different color right? Good. Light your torch and use that to light one of the bowl-shape pillars. Done correctly, (according to the main dogs head pillar that shows an ankh symbol on the bottom) an amazing thing will happen. What have you just summoned??
If nothing happens when you have 2 different color fires in the bowl pillars: Make sure you are not using ORANGE-ish fire for either, make sure when you look through each dog head pillar that the image matches the main dogs head pillar. (correct color for correct dog head direction).
Now, take your summoned item and place it appropriately on the main dogs head pillar. Hooray! You can double check your progress by pressing the small pyramid button. 2 clicks for 2 puzzles done!
Lastly, you must figure out the puzzle for the main pillar that has something like an "A" on the top and a grid of stars that you can light up.
Start by checking out the grave markers that line the front path into this world. Each has some sort of symbol on the top that consists of a round border with a line design inside. Hmmm. How does that rounded "A" type symbol fit with these?
Oh look! One grave marker is broken. But what symbol did it have? Click on the rubble to recieve...A ROCK. Oh boy. That doesn't really help, but keep it in your hand anyways. We might be able to use that somewhere. (So we should have 2 rocks total by now, one from the METAL WORLD also.)
Alright, back to the grave markers. Using skillfull deduction, it is safe to say that the broken grave marker had a symbol like the symbol we've already seen. Now what do they do?
Go ahead and press the button on one of the grave markers. Hmm. Where is that light headed? How does that relate to a STAR grid. Where could you possibly LOOK that would answer both of those questions?
With that grave marker still activated, look at the STARS. CAREFULLY. What stands out to you here? Are some stars doing something differently than the rest? Good.
To help with this puzzle, make a crude map of the STARS. Mark the stars which are activated by that particular grave marker. (I simply played connect the dots for each set). Then go to each grave marker and do the same. In the end, you should have a set of stars for each one.
And lo and behold, there is a set of stars remaining that one can assume was meant for the broken grave marker. What pattern would this set of stars make if you played connect the dots???
Head to the main "A" pillar and check out the star grid there. Can you input that same pattern here? Of COURSE you can. If there is no way your pattern would fit into this grid, then you must go back to each grave marker and double-check that you correctly marked which stars fit into each set.
Getting the right pattern can only be truly known when you hit the small pyramid button. It should give you 3 clicks for 3 puzzles!.......AND SOMETHING MORE.
Wow. That was ominous. Grab your prize and kiss STONE WORLD goodbye!
Now for one more task and you will be home free...or something.
Head back to METAL WORLD for the last time.
Okay. So you have 2 Rocks. What could you possibly do with 2 Rocks in a world that has collapsible buildings, antennae, 2 Vents with steam coming out, a Wheel firmly attached to the machine that's making the steam...
To solve this one, just think like a teenage boy...EXPLOSION. Take those rocks and FORCE the steam to blow up the machine.
KABOOM. Now to get that wheel. But the wheel is not around the explosion site. No worries! Just look in the area to the right, by those weird lumps of snow. By one of them, there should be a small metal round thing.
Grab the wheel and head to the antennae to complete the last part of this puzzle. And I'm sure you're thinking "hey, we never checked our progress with that lever thing". Well, you're right, because it's unnecessary in this world. You know for sure that you've correctly completed a puzzle when you fit the appropriate object into the corresponding antenna. BUT now that all three antennae have been activated, it is time to use that Lever for its true purpose.
Head to the lever next to the blown-up machine. PULL IT!
If you look ahead of you, you will see that big satellite dish re-direct and shoot some crazy ice-melting ray at the large see-through ball of ice. Once that is done, go over to the melted ice area and claim the final PRIZE.
Now you are ready to escape the islands.
Leave METAL WORLD for good and go to any one of the rainbow islands (one has a triangle on top, one has a square on top, and one has a circle on top). All you have left are your three prizes now: a pyramid, a box, and a sphere.
For this puzzle, I'll leave it to you. Just remember that you've survived worse right?

(its quite long)!!!

Karen • January 15, 2007 8:38 PM

I need help with the puzzle pieces in the paper world. I can only find two pieces!

Darren • January 28, 2007 9:09 PM

JacobX, I had the same problem. Following the advice on this link helped: http://forums.techguy.org/multimedia/490867-fixed-adobe-flash-no-sound.html

good luck on the game.

Roderick • May 9, 2007 8:00 AM

Anubis and Horus

Alex • August 3, 2007 11:12 AM

What happened to woolythinking.com? Does it not exist anymore?

andy the gamemaster • December 2, 2007 1:38 PM

wlakthrough:
area 1:
wallace the whirlpool's request

wallace the whirlpool is hungry! wegotta feed him! to do that, we need to power him up by putting the right things into the power-uppy shrines.to get these objects, we must go and solve 3 puzzles in each world. but we gotta unlockify them first!
Puzzel one: the bobbin brothers. for this puzzle, we gotta light up the bobbin brothers and press the first triangle! to do that we gotta go tothe big gizmo hill! now press the buttons from left to right

bottom,top,top

the bobbin brothers are now lit up correctly, so we can press the triangle button and unlock a world!
puzzle 2: the terrible trees of terror.
this ones hard! we gotta make the trees look like MXIV then press the button! just fiddle around with the levers to acomplish this, remember to check your work by going to the triangle button and looking at the trees! when they have the right shape, press the button!
puzzle 3:
the bells toll for meeeee!
go to the bells. press bell tower no. 1 the go to 2, as soon as 1 rings, count to 2 and press the button, head to tower three, as soon as tower 2 rings, press the button. go to tower four, when you hear a ding- dong, count to 1 and press the button, now go press the button! if nothing happens, try try again! if it worked, go to the door by the dead trees. ENTER IF YOU DARE! oh wait, wrong door. go on in.
welcome to....
AREA 2: ORIGAMI MOMMY'S PAPER PLACE.
origami mommy just finished her chiniese food
but the trash thingy is broken! fix it by completeing these puzzles!
puzzle 1: the pinwheels of power!
go to the flower stump. here is the correct combo
B=blue R=red Y=yellow /= FLOWER SEPARATOR

B B/R R/R R
Y Y/Y Y/B B

puzzle 2: the ancient stump of random symbols
the stump of symbols is our next stop. the top 2 are: three lines, and 2 sideways ss
the bottom are:
three wavy lines of growing size and the other is 2 ss
put the last symbol in the middle
puzzle 3 the puzzle pieces
find 3 puzzle pieces here
1 near the pink lantern
2 on airplane mountain
3 on the blue animal
place them on the easle. hmm, were missing one, go to sally the satlite dish's sno-zone and look for it, once you find it, come back and place it on the easle, look! there is another piece in the middle! take it, and put it on the puzle stump.
fin lever mountain and pull the lever. congrats! you got a china box! go put it in the square power-uppy shrine
hmm, did wallace get bigger?

part 2 coming soon!

andy the gamemaster • December 3, 2007 5:29 PM

walkthrough part 2!
sally the satilite's sno zone!
for the first part you must get all 3 machine parts to the antennas. the first is on top of the middle tower. to get it down, you must press the top button on the respective tower, the top 2 on the other towers control the other parts i think. just figure it out on your own.
the next part you have to find the safe and put in

1970

for the last part,(coolest part in game) you must go to rock world and take a stone from the broken grave. find the wheel and turn it, then find the pipes and shove the rocks in, when you block both, the thing will explode(wooooooooo!) and the wheel will land near the snow mounds. get it, pull the lever, and get the sphere after it melts. put it in the sphere power uppy shrine. wallace definetly gets bigger.
go to stone world, put a cross in the a tower, light the torches, from the eye,pink, green.
make the statue sing, 2365174.one is the highest note and seven is the lowest one. try it twice, if it doesnt work the second time, switch the six and five. press the button and take the top of the pyramid and put it in the triangle shrine, wallace eats the islands and then you must let him eat you

J silva • July 17, 2010 4:30 AM

Camera control is awful which ends ruining the game experience for me...

DAM

• February 15, 2011 12:59 AM

So... years later, but I just played (and finished) this game. Finished everything on my own, with the exception of the safe code. I'm assuming I get that from the blimp... what did the morse code light end up saying? I'm all for challenging puzzles, and I for one love that this guy includes light and sound puzzles; it just adds another level of puzzle solving that isn't randomly clicking. That being said, I did not have the patience to figure out that morse code. That's a little much.

BTW, is this guy still alive? Cause it seems his site is not.

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