In this old school text adventure, you play as a graduate student in Archaeology. One of your professors offers you an opportunity to earn valuable experience, prestige, and an early degree: bring back a rare blue-quartz diamond hidden deep in the jungle by a hostile tribe. You eagerly accept the dangerous challenge!
This solution is by David Welbourn, and is based on Version 0.33 of the game.
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.
To enter the elevator from the lobby, ENTER ELEVATOR.
Map 2: Jungle
To enter the hut, ENTER HUT.
To navigate the river, first ENTER CANOE from either the clearing or the bank. Then PADDLE direction (using the shovel) until you land.
To enter the cave, ENTER CAVE.
Walkthrough
Some notes about how to interact with this game.
To start a new game from the opening title screen, use the menu-item "Game > New".
There is no X as an abbreviation for EXAMINE in this game. Use EXAM instead.
There are no diagonal directions, such as NORTHEAST or NE.
There is no IN direction either. ENTER something instead; for example: ENTER HOTEL.
There is no UNDO in this game.
Instead of RESTART, use the menu-item "Game > New".
Instead of RESTORE, use the menu-item "Game > Open".
Instead of SAVE, use the menu-items "Game > Save" or "Game > Save As".
Outside the Royal Ritz Hotel
> take note. read it.(The author thanks you for playing and mentions some of his other games.)
> i. exam gun.(not loaded)
> exam hotel. exam doorman.
> e.
Bad part of town
CAUTION: Don't go east from here.
> take newspaper. read it.(muggings nearby)
> unfold it. take stub.
> exam stub. read stub.(It's for item #1165 at the pawn shop.)
> w. w.
Outside a small pawn shop
Interacting with the preacher is entirely optional. His response to anything asked of him is a randomized bit of religious advice.
> exam preacher. talk to preacher. ask preacher about God.
> enter shop.
Elmo's Pawn Shop
> exam Elmo. exam CDs. exam Atari.
> talk to Elmo.
> pawn gun. take bill. exam bill.
> give stub to Elmo. take lighter. exam it.
> s. e.
Outside the Royal Ritz Hotel
> enter hotel.(You enter. The doorman welcomes you back.)
Lobby of the Royal Ritz Hotel
> exam elevator.(Its doors are open.)
> enter elevator.
In an elevator (by lobby)
> exam panel. push button.(You go to...)
In your hotel room
If you try to examine the bed, the game thinks you mean a straw mat elsewhere!
> exam dresser. open dresser.(You find your plane ticket!)
> take ticket. read ticket.(Note that it's for Gate Four.)
> e.
In an elevator (by room)
> push button.(You go down to...)
Lobby of the Royal Ritz Hotel
> n.
Front desk of the Royal Ritz Hotel
CAUTION: Don't ring the bell until you've got the plane ticket, the twenty dollar bill, and the cigarette lighter.
> exam invoice. exam bell. exam desk.
> ring bell.(Mr. Brooks says you're checked out and your taxi is waiting.)
Don't waste time; get into the taxi right away before it leaves:
> s. s.
Outside the Royal Ritz Hotel
A taxi is now here.
> enter taxi.
Inside a taxi
> exam Fred. give bill to Fred.(You get out at...)
Outside the International Airport
> s. w.
In an airport restroom
> exam sink. take key. exam key.("26")
> e. e.
Passenger self-service area
> exam camera. exam lockers.
> unlock locker with key.(A parachute falls out.)
> take parachute. exam it.
> w. s.
Airport mall
> read signs.("We're expanding... etc")
> s. e.
East departure area
It is essential that you have the lighter, the ticket, and the parachute before boarding the plane.
> enter gate four.
In Chad's four-seat plane
Chad will be yelling at you, and complain about limited fuel, but this part isn't actually timed.
> exam Chad. wear parachute. jump.
Alas, you lose all your inventory on landing, and you find yourself...
Trapped in a suspended bamboo cage
> exam cage. break cage.
> exam rope. break rope.
> jump. jump. jump. jump.(The rope finally breaks. You land at...)
Center of a native village
Explore the village quickly, starting with west and going clockwise.
> w.
Amidst a vegetable garden
> take shovel. dig.(You find nothing.)
> e. n.
At the village fire pit
> exam pit. search pit.(Find damp wood.)
> take wood. exam wood.
> s. e. enter hut.
Inside a thatched hut
> exam mat. search mat.(You find nothing that way.)
> take mat. take axe. exam axe.
> w. w. s.
A clearing by a river
CAUTION: Going west or east from this clearing is deadly.
> exam log. exam river.
> cut log.(with axe; you make a canoe; the axe is gone)
> exam canoe. enter canoe.
In a dugout canoe drifting lazily along
> paddle west.(using the shovel as a paddle)
In a dugout canoe floating on the river
An unexaminable cliff and waterfall block any further travel west from here. The river must be flowing eastwards.
> paddle east. paddle east.
In a dugout canoe bobbing in muddy water
You do want to paddle south from here, but let's see what's further downstream first.
> paddle east.
In a dugout canoe near dangerous rapids
Oh. Just rapids. Sorry. Let's go back.
> paddle west. paddle south.
On the bank of the river
> exam puddles. s.
East end of a large meadow
I note that the field has "soft" dirt. That's a hint to try digging.
> dig. exam rock. take rock.
> s.
In a wooded area
CAUTION: Don't go east from here. There's quicksand!
Oh, here's where your lighter fell to.
> take lighter. exam trees. exam totem.(Warns against going east.)
> n. w.
West end of a large meadow
> exam hive.
> burn wood —or— burn mat.(You smoke the bees away from their hive.)
> take hive.(success!)
> e. s.
In a wooded area
> climb tree.
Perched in a large tree
> swing vine.
Perched high in a tall tree
> d.
A stand of trees in the forest
> exam ward.(Warns against traveling west.)
> n.
Outside a forebodding cave
> exam bear.
> give hive to bear.(You can't get close enough. Throw instead.)
> throw hive.(The bear takes it and leaves.)
> exam cave. enter cave.
Inside a dimly lit cave
> exam pedestal.(SACRED STONE on it!)
> exam stone.
> take stone.(A slab descends, blocking the entrance.)
> put rock on pedestal.(The slab goes away.)
> s.
Outside a forebodding cave
You are surrounded by unfriendly natives! You only have a few turns of freedom before they'll attack and kill you.
> exam natives.
> light lighter.(The natives run away from your weird fire power.)
Now it's just a matter of getting home with this Stone. Since you have absolutely no plan or tools for doing that, all you can do is head back the way you came and trust to luck.
> s. climb tree. swing vine. d. n.
East end of a large meadow
You hail a passing helicopter. It's your prof! You get fame and glory, a museum gets the Stone, and the United Nations get a filed complaint from the natives.
*** CONGRATULATIONS!! You have solved Search for the Sacred Stone! ***
Extras
Characters
Your professor orders you to fetch the Stone. He'll also fetch you in a helicopter at game's end.
A doorman opens the door for you whenever you enter the hotel.
A preacher outside the pawn shop has many many religious things to say.
Elmo operates his pawn shop that's west of the hotel.
Mr Brooks is the man that appears at the front desk of the hotel when you ring the bell.
Fred is your taxi driver.
Chad is your pilot.
A swarm of bees guard their hive full of honey.
A mean bear guards the forebodding cave.
Unfriendly natives threaten you when they catch you leaving the cave with their Sacred Stone!
People mentioned:
A team of explorers found out about the Sacred Stone.
Rivals from other universities will also be after the Stone.
Elmo's nephew was manning the pawn shop when the lighter was pawned.
The "Red Blood" gang kill you in one losing ending.
Passengers, ticket agents, and other airport employees are firmly in the background when at the airport.
A flight attendant and a pilot are mentioned if you get on the wrong plane in another losing ending.
The police arrest you if burn anything inside the hotel, shop, or airport.
Animals mentioned:
A jaguar eats your body if you jump from the plane without a parachute.
Crocodiles are probably hiding in the river.
Snakes are probably hiding in the tall grasses. You sometimes dispatch a snake while navigating the river.
Many of the game's losing endings have pseudo-rooms associated with them.
You have failed to complete Search for the Sacred Stone! Please try again!
if you go east from the bad part of town ⇒ In deep trouble.
if you burn the newspaper or note inside the hotel, shop, or airport ⇒ In the county jail.
if the taxi leaves without you, five turns after you ring the bell at the front desk.
if you enter the taxi without any cash.
if you burn the newspaper or note inside the taxi, also killing Fred! ⇒ In a pine wood box.
if you enter gates one, two, or three ⇒ On the wrong plane.
if you enter gate four without the ticket.
if you burn the newspaper or note inside the plane, also killing Chad! ⇒ In a pine wood box.
if you jump from the plane without wearing a parachute ⇒ Inside a jaguar's belly.
if you go west from the clearing by the river ⇒ Cooking in a large pot of boiling water.
if you go east from the clearing by the river ⇒ Someone's trophy head.
if you try to take or attack the hive while it has bees ⇒ Stung to death by Africanized bees.
if you go east from the warning totem or west from the spirit ward ⇒ Stuck in quicksand.
if you try to burn the bear, or try to throw the shovel or rock at the bear ⇒ Killed by an angry bear.
if you spend too many turns with the unfriendly natives ⇒ Pincushion for the native's spears.
CONGRATULATIONS!! You have solved Search for the Sacred Stone!
if you can get to the east end of the large meadow with the Sacred Stone.
Note:
You can get stuck in the middle of the river if you enter the canoe while not carrying the shovel. You're just stuck there; you can't jump, dive, swim, etc.
Inventory
There is no inventory limit in this game. Items are listed here in the order that you acquire them in this walkthrough.
a hand gun. You're carrying it.
In the pawn shop, pawn the gun. Elmo will put a twenty dollar bill on the counter in exchange.
a note. It's outside the hotel.
Read it. It's a note from the author thanking you for playing his game and suggesting other games of his that you might want to play.
For what it's worth, the note is burnable. Also, if you give it to Elmo, he'll trash it for you.
a newspaper. It's in the bad part of town, east of the hotel.
Read it, of course. It warns you about recent nearby deadly muggings.
Open or unfold the newspaper to find the receipt stub.
The newspaper is burnable. If you burn it in the hotel, shop, or airport, you'll go to jail. If you burn it in plane, you'll kill both Chad and yourself.
If you give the newspaper to Fred, the taxi driver, he'll thank you and keep it.
When you jump out of the plane, you'll lose all of your inventory. Although you can find the lighter again, the newspaper is lost forever.
a receipt stub. Find it by opening or unfolding the newspaper.
In the pawn shop, give the stub to Elmo. He'll put a cigarette lighter on the counter for you.
a twenty dollar bill. Find it by pawning your hand gun in the pawn shop.
In the taxi, give the bill to Fred to pay for the taxi ride.
a cigarette lighter. Find it by giving the receipt stub to Elmo in the pawn shop.
CAUTION: You will lose the game if you try to burn things in the hotel, pawn shop, taxi, airport, or plane. You will also lose the game if you turn to burn the bear.
You'll lose the lighter when you jump out of the plane. Find it again at "In a wooded area". (As near as I can tell, the lighter's location is not randomized.)
In the west end of the meadow, burn either the damp wood or the straw mat with the lighter. The smoke gets rid of the bees from the hive.
When you exit the cave with the Sacred Stone, you're stopped by unfriendly natives. Scare them away by lighting the lighter.
a plane ticket. Find it by opening the dresser in your hotel room.
Read the ticket to know which gate to go to. (When I played, it was always gate four.)
You need the ticket when you enter gate four in the airport's east departure area; otherwise, you'll miss your plane.
a small key. Find it by examining the sink in the airport restroom.
In the passenger self-service area, unlock the locker with the key to find the parachute. The key will stay with the locker.
a parachute. In the airport's passenger self-service area, find the parachute by unlocking the locker with the small key.
Wear the parachute before jumping from the plane. You can put it on in the airport, before entering gate four, as long as you don't mind the looks that other passengers give you.
You must be wearing the parachute when you jump from the plane or you'll die. The parachute will be gone, as well as the rest of your inventory, when you arrive inside the bamboo cage.
a shovel. It's in the village's vegetable garden.
While you can dig in the garden, you won't find anything buried there.
You'll use the shovel as a paddle when in the canoe. Either PADDLE direction or ROW direction to navigate the canoe.
Dig either on the south bank of the river or in the east end of the meadow to find the round rock.
a piece of damp wood. Find it by searching the village's fire pit.
In the west end of the meadow, burn the damp wood with the lighter. This gets rid of the bees from the hive.
a straw mat. It's inside the thatched hut.
Take the mat to find the hand axe that's underneath.
In the west end of the meadow, burn the straw mat with the lighter. This gets rid of the bees from the hive.
a hand axe. Find it by taking the straw mat; the axe was underneath.
In the clearing by the river, cut the log with the axe to create a dugout canoe. The axe will be damaged and discarded.
a round rock. Find it by either digging at the south bank or in the east end of the meadow by digging with the shovel; note the clue about soft dirt in the room descriptions.
Caution: If you throw the rock, you will lose it.
In the dimly lit cave, after taking the Sacred Stone, put the rock on the pedestal to re-open the cave entrance.
a bee hive. It's in the west end of the meadow, but infested with bees!
In the west end of the meadow, burn the damp wood (or burn the straw mat) with the lighter. This gets rid of the bees from the hive.
You cannot eat the honey. The game doesn't understand any attempt to do that.
Outside the cave, throw the hive. The bear will take it and go. Now you can enter the cave.
the Sacred Stone. Find it by examining the pedestal in the dimly lit cave.
When you take the Stone, a rock slab falls, closing the exit.
Put the round rock on the pedestal. The slab retracts, and you can now leave the cave with the Stone.
When you exit the cave with the Stone, you're stopped by unfriendly natives. Scare them away by lighting the lighter.
Take the Stone to the east end of the meadow to win the game.
