In this introductory game, you start adrift in the Coral Sea near a deserted island. You were the first mate of a cargo ship until it sank, but now you're a castaway. You have two goals: get rescued and find as much treasure as you can before you go.
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on the former shareware release of the game. I used DOSBox to play this game in 2021.
SPOILERS AHEAD. Reading a walkthrough prematurely can sometimes diminish one's enjoyment of a text adventure game. Please make an honest effort to play the game before reading this walkthrough.
Note: Specific location names are not used in the game. The names of locations on these maps are my own invention, based on the room descriptions.
Map 2: Island Interior
Map 3: Caves
General Notes on ButtonWare Games
For all ButtonWare text adventure games, you should know the following:
Games are played in a 40-character width screen.
Commands are almost entirely just one or two words. Use lowercase.
Words used in your commands are truncated to just their first three letters, so feel free to abbreviate examine to exa.
Use get instead of take. Some ButtonWare games understand take, but others do not.
ButtonWare games don't define many synonyms. For example, if you find some medical supplies and get supplies doesn't work, try get medical instead.
Unlight is the verb used to turn off flashlights and other lightsources.
There are no diagonal directions (NW, NE, SW, or SE), nor IN, nor OUT. However, you can often go things (go door, go hole, go ladder, go pool, etc.) to get to a new location.
The SAVE command is save game. You can only save to the root directory of a hard drive, and usually only to drives A through D. Instead of asking for a filename, it'll ask for your first and middle names. It will then create a filename using the first three characters of both names, followed by an extension representing the game itself. For example, if I'm playing Sanctuary and answer "david" and "stewart", then the save file is called DAVSTE.SAN.
ButtonWare games don't hesitate to kill the player character if they wander somewhere dangerous. Save often.
There is no RESTORE command. To restore a previous session, restart the game and answer y or yes when asked if you want to resume playing from a previously saved session.
DO NOT be lulled into thinking that every item in scope is listed explicitly. Some items are invisible but implied by the room description or one of the more obvious items in the room. You'll get stuck if you only examine and go the obvious things.
If you can't open or read something, get it first, then try again.
There is no true container modeling. Examining an open container often moves its contained item into the room proper, where you can easily get it.
There is no true clothes modeling. You never have to explicitly wear anything. Carrying clothes in your inventory counts as wearing them.
There is no true darkness, either. You can see fine in a dark room without light, but you may get killed if you walk into a dark room without a light-source.
NPCs are usually very passive; they usually won't hurt you until you try to hurt them.
When you want an NPC to follow you, just get the NPC and put them into your inventory.
Most games have a twelve item inventory limit, more or less.
Treasures are sometimes marked with asterisks, e.g.: *Diamonds*, just like in Scott Adams's games.
In some awkward circumentances (pouring liquids and combination locks), a command might need to be split apart across several prompts. For example, instead of pour water on begonia, try pour water. If it complains "where?", type on begonia as your second command. If the game lists targets, eg: "Where do you want to pour the water? ground, begonia, iris, or bed?" then just type begonia as your second command.
Combination locks are solved by doing the basic unlocking first, then answering a series of questions. For example, in Castaway, when presented with four differently coloured levers, just pull levers. You are then asked which color lever you're pulling first, which is the second color, etc. Likewise, to unlock the safe in Sanctuary, type unlock safe. You are then asked which is the first number, which is the second number, and which is the third.
Some sound effects are played via your computer's internal speaker. One tune plays when your character dies; another tune plays whwn you win. Some games also play a tune when you travel a great distance (e.g. by teleporter or spaceship). Some games also play a tune when a telephone or similar communication device is ringing. None of these sound effects need to be heard in order to play the games.
ButtonWare games are fond of real world geography and will happily drop the names of real cities, mountains, etc. whenever they can.
Expect to find at least one not-so-hidden "easter egg" per game in the form of a sign or monument bearing a message from Conrad Button, saying that he hopes you're enjoying the game, urges you to persevere, and expresses confidence you'll succeed and gain the next skill level of his text adventures.
Walkthrough
After several introductory screens explaining how to play and about other ButtonWare games:
Coral Sea
> exa boat.(empty)
> i.(You are carrying nothing.)
> e. e.
Fog Bank
> exa fog. e. e.
Your life boat is destroyed when you reach the beach.
West Beach
> n.
Northwest Corner of the Island
> push boulder. look.(A small patch of white sand has been revealed.)
> exa sand. dig sand.(You need a spade.)
> e. u.
High Ridge
> exa ship. d. s.
Sheltered Cove
Leave the drift wood here for later.
> exa wood. s.
Southeast Corner of the Island
> exa box. open box. exa box. get matches.
> w. u.
Jungle (with parrot)
> exa parrot. n.
Small Clearing
> exa pool. go pool.
Pool
> get necklace. u. s. e.
Jungle (with panther)
> n.(Panther blocks you.)
> e. n.
Inside Hut
> exa basket. open basket. exa basket. get torch.
> s. u. n.
Weapons Stall
> exa stall.(You find a spear.)
> get spear.
> e.
Tool Maker's Shop
> get axe. n.
Seed Store
> get seed.
> s. s. e. n.
Worship Room
> exa idol. get ruby. n.
Priest Chambers
> exa levers.(red, white, blue, black)
> u.
Temple Roof
> exa altar. go altar.
Altar
> get dagger.
> n. d. s. s. w. w. d. w.
Jungle (with panther)
> throw spear.(Panther dies.)
Leave the spear. You won't need it again.
> n.
Burial Grounds
> get spade. exa graves.
> dig graves.(wait a bit in real time)
> look. exa skeleton. get bracelet.
> s. w.
Jungle (with parrot)
Note: GIVE SEED doesn't work. That acts like dropping it.
> feed parrot.(using the seed. The parrot says "blue white black red".)
> drop seed.
> e. e. u. e. e. n. n.
Priest Chambers
> pull levers
tell me the first color? blue
now which color? white
the color of the third? black
the final color? red
Something falls from a hidden ceiling compartment.
> look. get robe.
> s. s. w. w. d. w. w. d. n. e.
Large Dark Cave
> light torch.(It's now a burning torch.)
> drop matches.
> e. n. e.
Purple Grotto
> get scrolls. read scrolls.(Tells you what to do at the boulder.)
> s.
Salt Cavern
> get key. n. e.
Site of Cave-In
The timber is blocking the way south.
> chop timber.(with axe)
> drop axe.
> s.
Glittering Cavern
> get diamonds.
Return to the boulder:
> n. w. w. s. w. w. n.
Northwest Corner of the Island
> dig sand.(wait a bit in real time)
> drop spade. look.
> unlock chest.(with key)
> drop key. open chest. exa chest. get gold.
> e. u. w. w. w.
Green Grotto
> get jade. e. n.
Crystal Grotto
> get emeralds.
Return to the cove:
> s. e. e. d. s.
Sheletered Cove
> light wood.(with torch)
After a few moments of real time, you now see a roaring fire and a passenger ship at anchor.
> go ship.
There is some very loud and annoying music to celebrate your win.
Congratulations, Adventurer, you have been rescued from Pango Tonga and are sailing for home!
Of the 10 treasures on the island, you have found 10 of them.
You have a perfect score. You are hereby awarded the rank of LEVEL 2 ADVENTURER!
Extras
Characters
A red and green parrot is in the jungle. It has something interesting to say.
A black panther, in another part of the jungle, blocks your way to the burial grounds.
Implied:
There must have been fellow crewmen on the "Katie Sue" that sank.
There must be passengers and crew on the ship that rescues you.
Someone was digging recently at the burial site.
The skeleton (and its bracelet) surely belonged to someone.
The temple priest and everyone else in the lost village is missing.
Credits
In lieu of a credits section, I'm including this copyright notice which is a small part of the README.TXT file that comes with the game:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
(c) Copyright 1986 ButtonWare, Inc.
(c) Copyright 1986 Conrad Button
- All rights reserved -
You are granted a limited license to use Castaway and South America Trek. It may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of this license outlined in the section "Restricted Permission to Copy".
Information on this disk is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of ButtonWare, Inc. ButtonWare may make improvements and/or changes to this disk or to the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this disk at any time.
This product could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein. Such changes may be incorporated in new editions of the publication.
Castaway and South America Trek are trademarks of ButtonWare, Inc.
Endings
You should'nt explore dark caves without a torch. You have stumbled over a rock. The fall broke your neck! I hope you enjoy rigor mortis.
if you go from one dark cave to another dark cave without carrying a burning torch for light.
The savage beast attacks! You are no match for her fangs and claws. I'll bury your remains in the ancient burial grounds. Rest in peace, old friend.
if you throw anything other than the spear when near the panther.
Congratulations, Adventurer, you have been rescued from Pango Tonga and are sailing for home!
Of the 10 treasures on the island, you have found 0 to 9 of them.
You failed to find all the treasures. I suggest you play CASTAWAY again before trying a Level 2 Adventure.
if you go to the ship with less than ten treasures.
Congratulations, Adventurer, you have been rescued from Pango Tonga and are sailing for home!
Of the 10 treasures on the island, you have found 10 of them.
You have a perfect score. You are hereby awarded the rank of LEVEL 2 ADVENTURER!
if you go to the ship with all ten treasures.
Inventory
You have an carrying capacity limit of 13 items.
Containers
You never need to pick up containers, just get any items inside them. You can't close any container; CLOSE isn't a valid command-verb.
small metal box. It's on the southeast corner of the island.
Open the box; it's now an open metal box.
Examine the open box; the matches are inside it. Get the matches.
reed basket. It's inside the hut.
Open the basket; it's now an open basket.
Examine the open basket; a torch is inside it. Get the torch.
locked treasure chest. Find it at the northwest corner of the island by first pushing the boulder then digging the sand with the spade.
Unlock the locked chest with the key; it's now an unlocked treasure chest.
Open the unlocked chest; it's now an open treasure chest.
Examine the open chest; some gold is inside it. Get the gold.
Tools
drift wood. It's in the sheltered cove.
Leave it in the cove. When you have all ten treasures, light the wood with either the matches or the burning torch to summon a nearby ship. Now you can go ship to win the game.
wooden matches. They're inside the metal box.
Light the torch with the matches.
Also, in the cove, light either the drift wood or the timber chunks with either the matches or the burning torch.
torch. It's inside the basket.
Light the torch with the matches; now it's a burning torch. You must carry the torch to safely enter dark cave locations.
Also, in the cove, light either the drift wood or the timber chunks with either the burning torch or the matches to summon a nearby ship.
spear. Find it in the weapons stall by examining the stall.
In the jungle near the panther, throw the spear in order to kill the panther.
stone axe. It's in the tool maker's shop.
At the site of the cave-in, chop the massive timber with the axe. Now you can enter the glittering cavern and also take what remains of the timber.
bird seed. It's in the seed shop.
In the jungle, feed the parrot with the seed. The parrot will helpfully tell you this color-sequence: blue white black red.
wooden spade. It's in the burial grounds.
In the burial grounds, dig the graves; you find a skeleton.
On the northwest corner of the island, push the boulder to reveal a patch of sand. Dig the sand to find a locked treasure chest.
small chunks of timber. At the site of the cave-in, create these chunks by chopping the massive timber with the axe.
You can take the timber chunks to the sheltered cove, drop them, and light them with either the matches or the burning torch. This signals the ship seen from the high ridge to approach the cove and drop anchor. But it's easier to light the drift wood that's aready there.
key. It's in the salt cavern.
The key unlocks the locked treasure chest.
Treasures
Make sure you're carrying all ten treasures when you go ship to leave the island and win the game.
Jeweled Dagger. It's on the altar.
Pearl Necklace. It's in the pool.
Ruby. It's part of the idol in the temple's main worship room. Examine the idol to find it.
Silken Robe. It falls into the priest's chambers after you pull the levers in this order: blue, white, black, red. The parrot tells you this color-sequence when you feed the parrot some bird seed.
Silver Bracelet. It's worn by a buried skeleton in burial grounds. Dig the graves with the spade, then examine the skeleton to find the bracelet.
Emeralds. They're in the crystal grotto.
Jade Stones. They're in the green grotto.
Diamonds. They're in the glittering cavern.
Ancient Scrolls. They're in the purple grotto.
Reading the scrolls tells you how to find the buried treasure chest in the northwest corner of the island.
Gold Ingots. They're inside a buried treasure chest.
At the northwest corner of the island, push the boulder to reveal a patch of sand. Next, dig the sand with the spade; you'll find a locked treasure chest. Unlock the chest with the key, open the chest, and then examine the open chest to find the gold ingots inside.
Score
There is no score during the game. At game's end, when you board the ship, your score is just how many treasures you have out of 10 possible treasures.
