HIDDEN TEXT DIV
span0
add stamina item
add boat part
remove 1 stamina item
remove 1 boat part
select all stamina
select all boat parts
remove all stamina
remove all boat parts
set all boat parts as selectable
-----------------------------------------------------------------
add +1 water
add +1 stamina
add +1 vitality
remove -1 water
remove -1 stamina
remove -1 vitality
check stat levels
S1_01
An afternoon spent in a haze of mile markers progresses to the calm of an evening spent bumping along a dirt road. Dust flies up around your jeep's tires, blurring the shadowy desert landscape that speeds by. The 'shortcut' you took down a dirt road rapidly turned into the faintest of tracks grinding through the Utah sand. You're lost, and the thunderstorm looming overhead offers no stars to guide you.
The air smells like ozone. You'd been desperately trying to outrun the worst of the storm and find a safe place to camp for the night, but no matter how fast you drive you just can't seem to get beyond the edge of the thunderhead.
Lightning spits across the sky and the storm breaks, rain beating down on the windshield in a wall of water that the wipers couldn't cut. You crest the hill and curse as your jeep starts to slide in the mud.
You tap on the break and hold the wheel straight.
You slam on the accelerator.
You turn into the skid.
You take off your seatbelt, throw open the door, and bail on the jeep.
S1_01_a
The Jeep tips onto its right wheels, then crashes down on the passenger side.
-1 Stamina
You fumble with your seatbelt, struggling to untangle yourself. At least you didn't have to fight the air bags, too.
The clasp slips from your shaky fingers when the vehicle shudders with some impact – maybe it hit a boulder – and continues sliding down the hill.
You double over the belt, working harder. You get no warning before the airbag deploys, far too late. It knocks you unconscious.
Continue.
S1_01b
The vehicle picks up speed, careening wildly out of control. A boulder looms to the right – you twist the wheel desperately, but can't break the jeep free of the skid. It slams front-first into a boulder.
-2 Stamina
The vehicle creaks and scrapes against the boulder. It started to tip. As you struggle to untangle yourself from the seatbelt, the jeep rolls free of the obstacle and starts sliding down the hill.
Without any warning and far too late, the airbag deploys and knocks you unconscious.
Continue.
S1_01c
The Jeep starts skidding, cutting loops and figure eights into the deepening mud. You twist the wheel left, then right, but can't regain control. There was a ravine, a cut of shadows that you mud-spattered headlights pick out far too late to avoid.
-1 Stamina
The vehicle goes into the ditch, tipping and crashing onto its side.
You bend over the seatbelt, struggling to work the clasp with shaky fingers, as the jeep begins sliding down the hill. You have no warning as the airbag, far too late, deploys. It strikes you in the head and knocks you unconscious.
Continue.
`
S1_01d
You unbuckle your seatbelt, throw open the door – and hesitate. The earth is passing by so fast, and every once in a while you spot a twisted stand of cacti bristling with needles. You take a deep breath, tense to dive out … and the jeep strikes a boulder. The impact knocks you back into the seat and throws the door closed. The jeep continues to roll, ending up on its side and sending you against the steering wheel with bruising force.
-2 Stamina
You groan and struggle to regain your feet as the vehicle slides on its side down the hill. It's picking up speed – you need to leave soon.
You stand on the passenger door and reach up, fumbling with the driver's side handle. Suddenly, without warning and far too late, the airbag deploys. You're knocked unconscious.
Continue.
S1_02
Choose a class.
How did you get into this situation? That doesn't matter. The real measure of a person is not the bad luck that strikes him or the demons he struggles with, but the personal qualities and life experiences that he uses to face the future.
The better question is, who are you?
The Extreme Athlete (click)
You're a young man who has made a career out of facing the ultimate task – overcoming gravity, a sheer cliff face, and the limits of your own body. In your career as a professional rock climber, you have trained your body to excel beyond the limits of normal people. You scaled ice-covered cliffs that crumbled under your hands. You faced down bears armed just with a burning log from your campfire. You've splinted broken bones with twigs and kept going. It doesn't matter if you win or lose a personal challenge – the adrenaline rush is reward enough.
Your strong focus on the destination has caused you to miss some opportunities in life, and you sometimes recklessly uses up reserves that you would have been wiser to save, but no one can say you back down.
Survivalist (click)
Aging isn't pretty, but then again, neither is life. As the years passed, you traded some of your youthful strength and resilience for wisdom. You like to think you came out ahead of that bargain. Instead of blundering through the wilderness like some idjit hotshot on a mountain bike, you listen – and the natural world has a lot to say. You can read the signs of a coming storm in the sky. When you hunt, you track animals and creep up so quietly that they never even awaken as hunting knife comes down. In your colorful history, you've parachuted into remote landscapes and thrived with nothing but a few tools and your years of experience.
You may not be able to run as fast or push yourself as hard as the younger generation, but thanks to your extensive desert survival skills … you doesn't have to.
Choose a class:
Choose athlete class.
Choose the survivalist class.
S1_03
You regain consciousness to the sound of your CB radio popping and hissing. There's a warning about flash floods in the area, something about emergency crews, but it cuts in and out with static. The sound makes your splitting headache even worse and you fumble to turn it off. At your touch, the radio gives one final, loud pop and goes silent.
The remaining headlight illuminates the ground ahead. You're crashed in a wash.
You quickly grab your backpack from the passenger seat. It had fallen open and the only thing left in it is a bottle of sports drink and a granola bar from a package that you'd bought earlier.
Gain Backpack.
Gain Sports Drink.
Leave the car for higher ground.
Search the jeep.
S1_04a
You force the door open and first crawl, then slog your way up out of the wash. You scramble up the sides of the gully just as the ground starts to shake. You turn around and see water come down the gully, a few inches that rapidly rises to several feet deep. Your jeep is swept away.
Good thing you got out in time...
S1_04b
You frantically search through the pile of things that have fallen when your jeep turned over. You discard anything that's not immediately useful but shove a granola bar into your pocket.
Gain Granola Bar.
You had a few other supplies tossed onto the backseat, but you'll have to climb back there to find them.
Better not risk it. You leave the jeep now for higher ground.
Worth the risk. You climb to the back and look for more items.
S1_05
You find another granola bar and want to keep looking but can feel the ground starting to shake under your jeep.
Gain Granola Bar.
Leave the jeep now for higher ground.
Keep searching the jeep for more items.
S1_06a
You shove the door open and crawl out, then slog and scramble up the
sides of the gully. The ground shakes again. You turn around,
gasping for breath, and see water sweep down the gully. It starts as
a trickle that rapidly rise to several feet deep. Your jeep is washed
away.
At least you got out in time...
S1_06b
You grab a length of rope. It must have fallen out of your bag of climbing equipment.
Gain Rope.
In the distance you hear a distant roaring sound.
Leave for higher ground.
Keep searching.
S1_06b
You grab a length of rope. It must have fallen out of your bag of emergency equipment.
Gain Rope.
In the distance you hear a distant roaring sound.
Leave for higher ground.
Keep searching.
S1_07a
You kick open the door and scramble out just as the flash flood water
reaches you. The initial trickle deepens quickly and its almost
impossible to keep on your feet. You get thrown against several
boulders but, mustering all your strength, manage to scramble up the
canyon walls before you drown.
Lose -1 Stamina
Well, at least you survived...
S1_07b
The waters of the flash flood strike, wrapping around the jeep and
sweeping it down the gulch. You fumble for the door but a tremendous
impact – maybe the jeep hitting another boulder – knocks you down.
You hit your head on something and are knocked out for the second time
that night. This time, you don't wake up.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S1_08
You pant for breath, shivering from an adrenaline rush, and look
around. You try to regain your bearings and see where you are.
Unfortunately, no moon or stars shine through the stormy sky. You can
barely see what's in front of you. There are no lights or signs of
civilization so you'll have to find a place to spend the night and
reassess your situation when morning comes.
Continue.
S1_08_p1
Okay, you're spending the night out here. Where should you stay?
Lightning illuminates the gloom and you make out a small cave set in
the walls of a fairly dry canyon. It's just big enough for you to
crawl in and huddle, but you don't know if there are creatures like
snakes or scorpions in it.
Just above the cave is a thick cluster of junipers. They won't be
comfortable to sleep under, but the beds of needles will offer some
degree of warmth and the branches may protect from rain.
On the other hand, if climb on top of a nearby hill, you'll be able to
watch for any headlights or other signs of people. However, it will
be more exposed.
You spend the night huddled in the junipers.
You spend the night wedged in the rock cave.
You spend the night crouched on the hill top.
S1_08a
The junipers offer less shelter than you'd hoped, and the beds of shed
needles are inhabited by stinging insects. You survive a sleepless
night.
A new day dawns...
S1_08b
You're pleasantly surprised to be the only resident in the cave. It
shelters you from the elements and, once your clothes dry from body
heat, you manage to snatch a few hours sleep.
Gain +1 Stamina
A new day dawns...
S1_08c
No signs of civilization appear during your sleepless vigil. Between
the mud, icy wind, and deluges of rain, you have a miserable night -
no doubt one of many.
Lose -1 Stamina.
A new day dawns...
S1_09
You stir and stretch out your stiffened limbs just as the first light
of dawn shines over the horizon. In the slanting, watery dawn light,
you look around. There is not a road, power line, or building in
sight. You are alone in this desert. Help will not come; you must
save yourself.
You explore the area.
S1_10
Blundering off in a random direction is a surefire way to die out here. You need to take the lay of the land, and the best place to do that is from a high vantage point – the top of the nearby mesa.
You scale the mesa. It's an exposed route to the top, but it'll give you a 360 degree view of your surroundings.
S1_11
Soon enough, the mesa looms ahead of you. The sides of it start with gentle, boulder-dotted slopes that steepen sharply toward the top. There are three ways to get up it: follow a gravel wash, trace a well-worn track along an old, torn-down barb-wire fence, or go up directly and push through some junipers and shrubs.
The erratic breeze doesn't cool you much as the heat continues to rise.
Lose -1 Water.
Continue.
Wait… that's not sweat running down your back, it's your sports drink. It's leaking! You look at it – the cap had come partially unscrewed.
You're realize you're parched. Now's as good a time as any for the sports drink.
You open the bottle and drink.
Now that's refreshing. You keep the bottle when you're done. If you can find more water, you might be able to refill it.
(You can use the filled water bottle or a food/stamina item at any point in the game; this might just be able to get you out of a tight spot.)
It's time to choose how you'll get up the mesa. You can follow a gravelly wash leading around it, follow and old, torn-down barb-wire fence, or go directly through some junipers and shrubs.
You go up along the gravel wash.
You follow the collapsed barb-wire fence-line.
You push through the scrub bushes.
S1_11a
Along the way, you stumble across some junk that washed down due to the storm.
There are a lot of items that have been washed down from the storm.
You find a Boat Part.
-1 Water.
Continue.
S1_11b
The fence has to be at least 50 years old. Most of it has rotten and fallen but, in a more protected stretch, you find a lone fence post still standing. There's an old segment of rope, greyed by the sun, wrapped around the post.
Gain Rope.
-1 Water.
Continue.
S1_11c
You push through the dense thicket of spiny vegetation. Branches scratch your legs and thorns prick your forearms. It may not be fun, but this slow, thirsty work is the most direct route to the top.
Lose -1 Water.
Along the way, you pause to catch your breath and your eye falls on a fallen, dead branch of juniper. The upper end has worn smooth and the lower is wide and flat, almost like a shovel.
Find a Digging Tool.
Continue.
S1_11_2
At the top of the mesa you get magnificent look at the Escalante landscape. There are other mesas, some eroding down to pinnacles of rock. In the day's heat, the red earth and golden sandstone ripple. From here, you can see that the gorge where you'd crashed leads into what looks like a deeper canyon. It's running roughly in the direction of Lake Powell, and holds your best chance of finding lifegiving water and other resources. In the opposite direction is an endless expanse of rolling desert rocks and mesas. The tracks you'd been driving along have been washed away without a trace and you see no glimpse of Highway 12 or any signs of water. Only death lies in that direction
The sun is pounding down on you and the exposed top of the mesa offers little shelter. You can hurry back down, now that you've gotten the lay of the land, or take the time to search the area.
You go down the mesa and follow the gorge.
You search the top of the mesa.
S1_11_2a
By the time you reach the bottom of the mesa you're sweaty and starting to feel parched.
-1 Water.
After taking one last look at the way you came, you turn and start walking along the top of the ravine, following its course.
You have the feeling this is going to be a long hike.
S1_11_2c
The wide, flat top of the mesa offers barely enough shade for a scorpion or rattlesnake. There's no signs that anyone else has been up it for a long time, however, you might find something useful if you look in the right place.
You poke around an area of brush and junipers.
You search through a pile of dead branches that have been swept against a boulder by the wind.
S1_11_3a
You find a length of weathered rope that's become tangled in the branches of the juniper.
Gain Rope.
Nearby is an old and dried-up prickly pear cactus. This one is of no use, but the leaves of young, green prickly pears are edible.
Wiping the sweat from your brow, you decide that it's time to head down off the mesa.
Lose -1 Water.
Go down and follow the ravine.
S1_11_3b
You find a dead branch that's broken off of the tree at an angle, creating a wide, flat base that looks like a shovel. It might come in handy to dig in the ground if you're looking for water, or maybe be useful for a fire.
Gain Digging Tool.
Wiping the sweat from your brow, you decide that it's time to head down off the mesa.
Lose -1 Water.
You get down off of the mesa and follow the ravine.
S1_12
After one last look at the way you came, you turn around and start walking along the top of the ravine, following its course downhill.
An arroyo joins the ravine. You take a moment to investigate; a lot of items have been washed down from the storm. Most are junk, but one thing catches your eye.
You take a closer look at it.
You find part of a plastic bottle buried deeply in the mud.
You try to dig it out.
You pull as hard as you can, but it's too deeply wedged in there and your grip slips on the smooth plastic. You might have been able to dig it out with the right item, but not with your bare hands.
Your digging tool creaks from the pressure, but finally you pry out half of an old plastic bottle. It's not able to carry water anymore, but you might find some other use for it later on.
Gain a Boat Part.
Continue.
S1_12_p1
Another half hour passes uneventfully. You finally come to a split in the path. You can either push through a thick area of mesquite and ash bushes, or you can leave the edge of the ravine and investigate a small rockslide along the edge of a cliff that rises near you.
You go through the thicket.
You go to the rockslide.
S1_12a
Your slow, painful progress through the thicket comes to a halt when you run into an impassible cluster of prickly pear cacti. These grow throughout the Southwest and you think they're edible but you're not sure if you can eat them raw.
Unfortunately there's no easy way to get through them. You'll have to backtrack out of the thicket and detour around.
Lose -1 Water.
A painful misstep...
S1_12b
Your slow, painful progress through the thicket comes to a halt when you run into an impassible cluster of prickly pear cacti. These grow throughout the Southwest and you've found them quite tasty when they're properly prepared. Unfortunately, you don't have the time right now to harvest them.
There's no easy way to get through this obstacle. You'll have to backtrack out of the thicket and detour around.
Lose -1 Water.
A painful misstep...
S1_12c
You look up the slope. This rockslide comes from halfway up the cliffside. There's a shallow, jagged cavern; it looks like a half-collapsed cave.
You poke around the loose rocks and scree and find a digging tool.
Gain Digging Tool
Lose -1 Water.
You continue on your way.
S1_12d
You size up the situation. That rockslide comes from a collapsed cave located halfway up the cliff – it must have fallen recently as the fallen stones are brightly colored with no signs of weathering. There used to be a whole network of mines in the area; sometimes you've found useful discarded tools and other supplies in the debris.
You poke around the loose rocks and scree and find a digging tool.
Gain Digging Tool
Lose -1 Water.
You continue on your way.
S1_12_2
The heat it getting truly uncomfortable, and your sweaty clothes stick to your back and airbag-bruised chest. You trudge along, head bowed and feet aching. The brutal Escalante sun is slowly but steady sapping your strength.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue on through the desert.
S2_01
The landscape is getting rougher and the ravine you're following, deeper. You glance down and notice how the sides of that chasm have taken a steeper angle. If you want to continue along via the bottom of the ravine, this might be your last chance to get down. Now, whether that's a good idea or not is up to debate.
You consider the problem.
S2_01a
Time to fix a goal in your mind. It's very hot and the canyon will bring you shade and cooler temperatures … but you could also get trapped in it.
You're a skilled rock climber, however, so you're not too worried about that happening. The ravine might also reward the risk with something useful, or you might just end up wasting your time down there as you slowly cross rockfalls, wade in mud, and scale piles of debris and washed up trees.
The faster path is along the top. It's flat and clear of big obstacles. You can follow the general direction of the ravine and be able to see where you're going, unlike down in the canyon. Unfortunately, you'll also take the full brunt of the sun up here.
Your priority is finding resources. You're going down into the canyon.
Your priority is covering distance. You're following along the top.
S2_01b
You take a minute to work this out and decide on your priorities. Normally you wouldn't walk during the hottest part of the day, but the terrain here is so rugged that walking at night would be too dangerous to risk. If you want to cover more ground you should stay on top of the ravine where it's level and clear of obstacles. You'll just have to tolerate the sun beating down on you with its full strength.
On the other hand, it's going into the ravine protects you from much of the heat. You might even find water down in there – a cool drink sounds like just what you need. On the other hand, you run the risk of getting stuck down there or meeting a logjam you can't scale. Then you'd have to backtrack, wasting time.
Finding resources are your priority. You're going into the canyon.
Traveling far is your priority. You follow the ravine along on top.
S2_02
You decide to go down into the ravine and see what's there. It's a good 30 feet to the bottom. About halfway down, the slope starts becoming much steeper than it had looked from the top. Suddenly your handhold gives out and you start to slide.
You scramble for your feet. (stamina test)
S2_02_a
You twist around and manage to regain your footing and slide down the rest of the scree-covered slope on your butt. You land in a heap of dust and rocks but are uninjured. Luckily, you're still feeling pretty strong. If you'd been weaker, losing your balance like that would have been hard to recover from.
You move on.
S2_02_b
You try to regain your footing but your legs buckle under you. You fall down and slide face-first down the scree-covered slope. You land in an undignified heap at the bottom as dirt and small rocks rain down on you. If you hadn't been so tired you might have been able to catch yourself.
You spit out the mouthful of blood-dampened dust you'd almost swallowed.
Lose -1 Water.
You move on.
S2_02_01
Dusting yourself off, you look around for anything that might be useful.
The canyon walls rise up around you, and a narrow ribbon of blue sky stretches overhead. It's a good thing you aren't claustrophobic, the looming rock walls don't leave you much space.
The ground underfoot is soft sand and gravel. A glint of red catches your eye – it's an old plastic bucket, half-buried in grit. Or part of a bucket, as you discover when you dig it out. It won't hold water anymore but might still be good for something.
Gain Boat Part.
You follow the canyon downhill. It twists and turns a few times before coming to a split. To the left it goes down steeply. That might be hard to climb down, but it looks cool and shady.
To the right is a large pile of boulders and tree limbs that were swept down by the flash flood. You'd have to climb over them to see what's beyond.
On the other hand, you haven't made it far. You can go back where you came from, climb out, and continue along the top.
You go left.
You go right.
You go back and leave the canyon.
S2_03a
You climb down the narrow canyon to the left. Despite being steeper than the last climb down, this section is made of sandstone. That soft material weathers to create plenty of hand and foot holds, which have been swept free of debris and loose gravel. It's relatively easy to climb down.
You get to the bottom and the slot canyon narrows to a crevice you have to crawl through. You see sunlight beyond it; this must open up to another area.
You explore the narrow crevice.
S2_03a_1
You wriggle through the narrow opening to the other side. You find yourself in an open-air cave, carved out of the native stone by water and wind. You can tell at a glance that the sides are much too steep and angled for you to climb out. However, this wasn't a complete waste of time. On the far rock wall small trickle of water oozes out of a crack in the rock. You're not sure if it's safe to drink, but you're getting very thirsty.
You drink the water.
You won't risk it.
S2_03a_1a
You decide that it's probably safe enough and the real danger out here is dehydration. You press your lips against the rock wall and drink as much as you can. It tastes slightly earthy, but the water is clear and relatively clean.
Gain +2 water.
You refill your water bottle before you leave.
You squeeze back the way you came.
S2_03a_1b
That cool flow is tempting, but it's not worth the risk of getting sick out here. The last think you need is to spend the day squatting behind some bushes.
You squeeze back the way you came.
S2_03a_2
You wriggle through the narrow opening to the other side. You find yourself in an open-air cave that centuries of weather has carved into the stone. The sides are steep and angle inward; you don't have a prayer of climbing them.
However, this wasn't a waste of time. There's a small trickle of water on the far rock wall. It's oozing out from cracks in the stone.
There's a good chance the water's safe to drink. It's being naturally filtered by the sandstone.
You press your lips against the rock wall and drink as much as you can. It tastes faintly muddy, but the water is clear and relatively clean.
Gain +2 water..
You refill your water bottle before you leave.
You squeeze back the way you came.
S2_04
A flash of light catches your eye just as you're about to leave. You find a piece of broken glass buried in the ground: it's the bottom end of an old Coke bottle. Even though it's fragile it's also very sharp and you might be able to use it for something.
Gain Broken Glass.
You scrape your way back through the narrow rock crevice and return to the split in the path. You can either return to the surface now from the way you first came down, or try the right split.
You leave the canyon.
You take the right split that is blocked by the debris pile.
S2_04_1
You walk back to the slope where you'd first descended down into the canyon. The memory of how you came down is fresh in your mind, but climbing back up is, although hard work, much less treacherous. It seems that you'd you'd already knocked down all the loose rock and unsafe handholds.
Lose -1 Water.
You continue along the top.
S2_04_2
The siren call of possible resources and definite shade is irresistible. If luck is with you, you'll have a relaxing stroll down that canyon and it will reconnect with the desert later on, after the heat of the afternoon has passed.
First you'll need to scale the debris pile.
S2_05
From a distance, you'd thought the blockade was a modest pile of rocks and branches. Unfortunately, when you get closer you realize it actually a major obstacle, at least 10 feet high, that blocks the right tunnel.
You start to carefully climb over it, keeping to the left edge as much as you can. Just as you're nearly at the end, you feel the log you were on shift under you sharply. The whole thing may be about to collapse.
You rush for the other side. (stamina test)
S2_05_a
The rickety pile creaks and groans as branches snap and things deep within it roll loose. You take a flying leap off of it just as the blockade collapses. You tumble down the steep slope on the other side, hearing the crash of large rocks behind you.
You roll to a halt and uncurl yourself, check for broken bones and missing appendages, and then look back.
Well. The good news is, you're unhurt. The bad news? There's no going back.
You continue on.
S2_05_b
The rickety pile creaks and groans as branches snap and things deep within it roll loose. You take a flying leap off of it just as the blockade collapses, but snag your boot on a piece of driftwood and fall badly. You tumble down the steep slope on the other side as large rocks crash and rumble behind you.
You can't seem to come to a halt on your own; thankfully you stop when you roll into a boulder. You uncurl and check for broken bones or missing appendages. You're mostly unhurt, but unfortunately your backpack was torn off of you during the fall.
You curse and retrace your steps. The way back is sealed off from you, but you do eventually find your backpack and dig it out of the dirt. It's lighter than you'd remembered.
Lose a boat part.
Now you have no choice but to continue down this slot canyon and try to find a way out from here.
You continue on.
S2_06
The canyon narrows more, widens a bit and then narrows even more until you can no longer squeeze through the spaces. You can go no farther. Luckily, the canyon walls here are filled with natural hand holds and it shouldn't be too hard for you to climb back up to the desert floor.
As you're pondering the best route out, you see that a little further back behind you and about halfway up is a steeply angled overhang. A large pile of sticks and other debris has been caught on it.
You walk under it, investigating. The ground underneath crunches underfoot – it's thickly carpeted with sticks and other debris that have fallen from above. If you want to risk climbing up and you fall, this wouldn't cushion you. You could get seriously injured.
Use an item.
Decide not to risk it and return back to the desert floor.
Climb up the steeply angled cliff.
Dig in the hard ground with a digging tool.
Use a rope to climb up.
S2_06_0
You use the end of the tool to break up the trash filled earth. A layer down, you find an empty can. It's rusty and covered in dirty, but could probably hold water in a pinch – which is exactly what you're in. You lever it out with your digging tool, which cracks in half in the process. Shame to lose it, but gaining the can was probably worth it.
Gain Rusty Can.
Lose digging tool.
You continue on.
S2_07
You work your way up and out. It's slow, sweaty work. Finally, you're back in the desert, blinking against the blinding light of the sun.
Lose -1 Water.
Continue on your way.
S2_08
Partway up, you realize this is a tricky climb without a rope. The angle's much steeper than you'd thought, and the handholds are shallow and slippery with grit. You pause for a moment, breathing steadily as you wait for the shakes in your nerves to fade. This won't be easy.
Lose -1 Water.
One more breath and you keep climbing.
S2_08a
Your target is getting closer, but the handholds are getting worse. Your feet skid under you and you reach over, frantically grasping for the ledge – and get a solid grip on it.
Panting with exertion, you lever yourself up and onto solid ground. You've made it. But was it worth it?
There's the usual selection of driftwood up here and one particularly spiny withered cactus that pricks your fingers bloody as you discard it. But underneath that, you see an empty, two-gallon plastic jug. It once held 'Goof-B-Gone Linoleum Glue De-Gunker – Economy Size'. Now it held a small amount of sand, which you poured out before replacing the cap. You don't think it's a good idea to store water in a jug that once held dangerous acids, but it might still come in handy.
Gain a Boat Part.
From here, you're close enough to the top that you feel that scorching desert sun filtering down. You might as well keep climbing.
Climb out of the canyon.
S2_08b
The ledge is getting closer, but the handholds are getting worse and your strength is failing. Your feet skid under you and you lunge up, grasping frantically for the ledge just inches out of reach – and miss. Your hand gives way and you tumble to the ground with a boneshaking thump.
You wake up a few moments later, your head swimming from a second concussion in one day. There's a stabbing pain in your left leg – you look down and curse as you realize you're skewered through the calf with a sharp section of branch.
Lose -2 Stamina.
You pull it out, tear off the shredded left leg of your pants, and bandage your leg as best as you can. The pain is not improving your mood. To hell with that ledge – you're outta here. The scorching desert sun is better than this crap.
You continue on.
S2_death1
You're getting closer to ledge, but your strength is deteriorating as fast as the handholds. Your feet skid out from under you while you're still hopelessly far from the ledge. You try to find those toeholds again, as you feel, to your horror, that your fingers are sliding in the loose grit.
Suddenly, one of your handholds breaks lose from the wall. You drop to the ground with a boneshaking crunch.
You swim back toward consciousness a few moments later, blinking through the blood in your eyes, trying to move. Everything hurts - your leg, your back, your skull. Warmth seems to rush through your body and despite it all, you give in and pass out again. This time, you don't wake up.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S2_09
You tie your rope to a stone, then toss it overhead. The stone wedges in a vee formed by two overhanging rocks. You firmly tug on it; the rope's securely anchored.
You start climbing up. Partway along the journey, you realize this is a much more challenging climb than you'd expected. The angle's steep, the handholds increasingly shallow and unstable. You're grateful for the safety net offered by your climbing rope. You are tiring, thanks to the rope are making slow and steady progress up.
Continue.
S2_10
Looks like you lost track of time down in the slot canyons. It isn't late afternoon as you'd hoped; the sun is still high in the sky and the desert rocks are reflecting the full strength blast of Escalante heat all around you. As much as you'd like to keep moving, you decide it's smarter to rest in the shade under a natural rock arch until it gets cooler.
Lose -1 Water.
Wait until later in the day.
S2_13
The animal trail you've been following splits. To the right, you see the tracks run by an ancient car, abandoned in the gorge for who knows how long. That might have something useful. To the left is a huge slope of scree; it looks like an entire section of that hill peeled away and crumbled to the ground. You squint; it's hard to tell due to the blinding reflection of sunlight on stone, but you think you see something tangled up in the rocks, along with a tantalizing glint of metal.
On the other hand, daylight, like your strength, is wasting. Maybe you should push on and make some distance.
Move on and make distance.
Go to the hot and sunny rockslide slope.
Go down to the old car.
S2_14
You hike another hour, navigating the twists and turns of the uneven slopes and
arroyos. You eventually come to a cooler area of deep shade cast by the shadow of a tall, solitary boulder.
You decide to sit and rest for a while.
Gain +1 Stamina.
Continue.
S2_15
You go to the base of the rockslide. Something clinks underfoot – you've kicked over a bottlecap. Nearby are a couple of cigarette filters. Useless to you, but all are signs that a person was here. Someone who liked to litter. Someone who might have thrown away something useful.
You peer up the slope and, again, see a gleam that doesn't look like the native stone. It looks like metal.
Tempting, but you will have to move slowly to avoid falling and breaking a leg on this unstable slope. In this sun, you're really going to work up a sweat.
You climb up and search the rockslide.
You're abandoning this plan and moving along the original path, away from this area.
The buried car is a better bet; you're going back to the gorge.
S2_15_1
You crack your neck, shake out your shoulders, and, whooping with excitement, charge up the rocky slope without a care in the world. What a rush. Every time you slip and regain your balance, every watermelon-sized rock that gets knocked loose and rolls by within an arms length of you makes your heart beat faster. This is life.
But partway up the slope, where the gravel is smaller and, therefore, you sink deeper, the rush passes. This isn't fun, this is a slog. You were already thirsty enough that your head pounded – and as you gasp, open-mouthed, you lose even more precious moisture.
Lose -1 Water.
Continue.
S2_15_2
You adjust your backpack so it's on securely, retie your bootlaces – can't risk one coming lose and tripping you - and start on the slope. It's hot and even more slippery underfoot than you'd imagine. You walk your own switchbacks, zigzagging up – a slow way to go, but by far the safest path on unstable terrain like this. You're growing thirsty, but ignore the complaints of your body and refuse to rush, moving move at a deliberate pace that conserves your strength.
Just like the tortoise and the hair, it's just a matter of time. You plod along and make it to the top where you'd seen something interesting.
Lose -1 Water.
continue.
S2_15_3
To your disappointment, the 'tangle of something' wasn't knotted rope or a jacket, it was a mat of juniper roots from where the tree had been uprooted during the rockslide. The tree's buried, and half the roots are still growing out of the ground. Even if this was useful, there's no way you could get it out.
On the other hand, you spot an old rusty can wedged under a waist-high boulder. The can doesn't look crushed. You try to pull it out but its stuck firmly in there.
The slope is unstable, and this boulder teeters in a small base. If you pull really hard, it may roll free of your prize. On the other hand, that's a lot of effort that might be better spent climbing down from the area and making some distance before nightfall.
Use an item.
Pry it out by force.
Move on and make distance.
You might be able to pry it out with a digging tool.
S2_15_4
You wrestle with the can, then give up on that tactic when you cut your fingers on the sharp edge. Instead, you brace your shoulder on the waist-high boulder and push. It doesn't move, but you hear the tinkle of gravel coming loose and bouncing down the slope. Encouraged, you push harder. More grave, and then the boulder's leaning, and then you leap out of the way as it topples and rolls downhill, coming to a halt against even bigger boulders with a thunderous crack.
The can is yours. It's rusted but it stillmight be of some use to you later on.
You take the can and head back down.
Gain Rusty Can.
Move on and make distance.
Go back to the gorge and buried car.
S2_15_5
You drive the tip of your digging tool under the boulder near the can and bear down, first gingerly and then with more pressure. You hear the clatter of gravel on the far side of the boulder giving away, and then nothing. You give in and put all your weight on the tool. It shatters and the boulder topples from its unstable perch and rolls down the hill before fetching against another, larger stone.
The can is yours. It's rusted but inside are a few small mouthfulls of rainwater which you gratefully quaff.
You take the can and head back down.
Gain +1 Water.
Lose digging tool.
Gain Rusty Can.
Move on and make distance.
Go back to the gorge and buried car.
S2_16_0
The dirt has crumbled in places thanks to last night's bad weather. You slowly walk over to the side of the ravine, cautious about every footstep as you don't want the ground to give way, sending you down headfirst.
Look over the edge.
S2_16
Getting to the bottom is easy. Getting down in one piece … not so much. The ravine narrows a bit here, meaning flood waters have eroded the walls to a nearly vertical angle … and it looks like a drop of 20 feet or so. You'll need all your wits, and any equipment that might help, to climb safely to the bottom.
Use an item.
This isn't worth the risk. You're moving on, making distance before dark falls. .
You climb down... (stamina test)
Use a rope.
S2_16_1
You check the rope for weak places, then secure one end around the base of a large rock. The other end hangs down the ravine. When you climb back up you should be able to retrieve this valuable material.
You grip the rope tightly and carefully descend down the cliff. You reach the bottom without problem.
Continue.
S2_16_2
You gather all your energy and mental fortitude and swing your leg over the side of the cliff. Going down is hard work; your hands quickly grow slick with sweat and the walls have a nasty habit of crumbling underfoot.
Lose -1 Water.
Go to the car.
S2_16_3
You gather all your energy and mental fortitude and swing your leg over the side of the cliff. It's treacherous going; your hands are slick with sweat and the rock wall has a nasty habit of giving way under you. Unfortunately part way down your strength starts to give out. You're sweating too hard and your foot slips on a loose rock, sending you plummeting.
Lose -2 Stamina
You take a nasty fall.
S2_16_death
You scrabble for a handhold, a place to brace your feet, anything, but the rock face whips by too quickly. The ground is rushing up. You hit legs first and feel something deep in your old bones break, but the flash of blinding pain is cut off when your head cracks into the stone. You don't wake up from this one.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S2_16_continue
You slide down, unable to get a handhold to slow your fall, and smack into the ground with enough force to knock the wind out of you. You lie stunned on the gravel bottom for a minute, breathing deeply and taking stock. After a moment, you slowly get back to your feet. To your relief, you have no serious injuries. Lucky you.
Lose -2 Water
Go to the car.
S2_16_4
You pace around in a quick circle, working off that last burst of adrenaline. This was a little rougher than you'd expected, but you survived. From your vantage point at the bottom, however, you see a narrow crack running the length of the wall. It wasn't visible from the top. That will make getting back up much easier.
The car is half buried in mud and sand. You'd guess it must have been out here for at least a decade, judging by the rusty, weather-beaten appearance. There's not much you can pull off from the shell. You do remove the side mirror and put it in your bag.
Gain mirror.
Use an item.
Look inside the car.
S2_16_5
The interior was once leather, but that has mostly rotted away. With an effort you're able to pull out a large chunk of the foam that was once the seat cushion.
Gain Boat Part.
The glove compartment is open a crack, but it's mostly buried in the sand and mud that flooded this car when the window broke. You yank on the glove compartment's handle, but the silt packed around it doesn’t give way. You simply don't have enough leverage to pry it open.
Use an item.
Continue.
S2_16_6_new
The glove compartment is corroded shut but, with the help of a digging tool, you manage to bash it open. Your digging tool breaks in the process, but inside you find an old space blanket, still in its original packaging. This lifesaving little wonder, found in standard survival kits, was worth coming down here for this alone!
Lose Digging Tool.
Gain Space Blanket.
Pleased that your pain and suffering was effort well spent, you climb back out of the ravine by bracing yourself in the cracked rock and working, slowly and steadily, upwards.
You return up to the desert.
S2_16_7
You scan the area, but there's nothing more to pick up. It's time to leave.
Before going, you shake the rope until it comes loose from its rock anchor. You stuff it back in your pack.
Continue.
S2_16_8
You hike across the desert, grateful to be on level terrain and making up for lost time. After a while, you come across a giant boulder that separated from a none-too-near mesa and rolled to a halt in your path years ago. It's casting a deep, welcoming shadow across the ground. You do a quick sweep of the area to check for rattlesnakes, then sit down and rest for a little while. The air finally begins to cool as the sun creeps toward the distant hills in the West.
You wait until evening.
S3_01
Evening approaches. As the burning sun sinks toward the distant hills, the temperatures start to drop. It's pleasant now. Later on … well. The desert can get 50 degrees cooler at night. You don't dare hike in the darkness.. You might get lost, you'd risk hypothermia, you could step on a snake, and it would be all to easy to fall and break your neck. Or, if you're unlucky, break every bone but your neck.
Unfortunately, as the temperatures cool and your head begins to clear from the sun-induced headache you've had all day, you also begin to feel extremely hungry.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Now might be a good time to use one of your food items before you make camp for the night.
You continue on, watching for a campsite.
S3_01_P1
The first tinge of sunset is coloring the sky when you come across a likely location. There are bushes in the region, overhanging rocks in the nearby cliff, and a small stagnant pool of water. Your heart beats faster when you see it, but when you investigate your spirits fall. The water is contaminated by a rotting animal, possibly a javalina although it's so badly decayed you just aren't sure.
The good news is, this may be a sign of other water sources in the area. First, however, you need to decide where you'll make your shelter.
You search the area.
S3_01_P2
After walking a quick circle around the pool, you settle on two possible sites. There's a juniper nearby. It's grown unusually large for that species thanks to the shelter of two tall boulders. On the other hand, you see the dark mouth of a cave high on a nearby hill.
Go check out the cave first.
Look at the juniper and boulders first.
S3_02a
You climb up the gentle slope of the hill and peek cautiously into the cave. This one goes a moderate way into the rock before being obscured by shadows. You're not sure where it ends … or what animal may be back in there.
A cave of this size will offer you excellent protection from the elements, but you'll have to make a fire to clear it out.
Look at the other area or chose a site.
S3_02b
You go to look at the site with the junipers. The boulders lean against each other at angles, and the juniper grows between them. The tree may be big, but it suffered in the recent drought – the branches are nearly bare and won't offer much shelter from the rain. However, the thick, newly fallen layer of needles at its base may insulate you from the ground.
This isn't an ideal campsite, but it doesn't require a fire and will be quick to set up, freeing your time for other tasks.
Look at the other area or chose a site.
S3_03
You've seen both sites. Now you need to choose one.
Camp in the cave. Camp under the juniper.
Continue.
S3_04
You look around the cave area. The light won't last forever so you'll need to move fast. You have to build a fire and set your priorities:
You'll start a fire and improve your shelter.
You'll start a fire and look for food and water.
S3_05
You look around the juniper area. The light will run out soon enough and you need to set your priorities to make the most of your remaining time.
You'll make a fire and improve the shelter.
You'll make a fire and look for food and water.
You'll improve the shelter and look for food and water.
S3_06a
You decide to build a fire first. You've done this before, under just as desperate circumstances … but, that's a story for another time.
You're confident that you can make this fire through primitive means, but if you've got any appropriate tools in your inventory, that would certainly make things easier.
Use an item.
Make a fire with a bow-drill (requires 1 digging tool and 1 rope).
Make a fire with a Hand Drill fashioned from the sticks in the area.
Go to a nearby hilltop and try to use the sun to make a fire.
S3_07
You'll have to move fast to take advantage of the last of the fading sunlight. You whip out your mirror and run to the top of the nearby hill.
Lose -1 Water.
You grab a handful of dry grass, shred it, and use the mirror to focus the sun's rays onto the tinder. For a few frustrating minutes, nothing happens. You adjust the angle carefully to keep the light focused on one point and then -
Success! The tinder smokes. You gently blow on the newborn coal until you're sure it's caught. Then you pat yourself on your back. Firemaking can be a real pain in the ass, but this was easy. What a relief.
Continue.
S3_08
You'll have to move fast to take advantage of the last of the fading sunlight. You pull out your piece of glass and run to the top of the nearby hill.
Lose -1 Water.
You grab a handful of dry grass, shred it, and use the glass to focus the sun's rays onto the tinder. For a few frustrating minutes, nothing happens. You adjust the focus carefully to keep the light on one point and then -
Success! The tinder smokes. You gently blow on the newborn coal until you're sure it's caught. Then you pat yourself on your back. Firemaking can be a real pain in the ass, but this was easy. What a relief.
Continue.
S3_09
A bow drill is a deceptively simple looking instrument. You start with a loosely strung, forearm-length bow, wrap the slack in the cord around a vertical stick, and spin the stick while pressing it down against a chunk of wood you have braced with your feet.
Fortunately, you have all the supplies you need. You pull out the wood and rope from your backpack and assemble it.
Gain Bow Drill.
Now for the hard part. You press down on the stick and saw back and forth, spinning it at a quick, steady pace. A faint wisp of pale smoke rises from the plank at the bottom. It grows stronger, then dark, and you toss the bow aside and blow gently on the newborn coal until it grows big enough to transfer to your handful of tinder.
You pat yourself on the back for this little victory. You've made fire, and gained a firestarter for future nights.
Lose digging tool.
Lose rope.
Continue.
S3_10
A hand drill is the oldest method and simplest method of firestarting. You take a straight stick and spin it between your palms, rubbing one end onto an old, flat chunk of wood you've braced between your feet. You find the supplies you'll need beneath the juniper.
That was the easy part. Getting the hand drill to work will be a challenge.
Start spinning the drill.
S3_10a
An ache starts in your forearms, and over time spreads to your shoulders and back. Your palms begin to burn from the friction. For frustrating minutes, nothing happens. You wonder if you have the right wood, or the strength to keep this up.
Finally, thankfully, a thin stream of smoke rises from the wood. You huff for breath, exhaling over the newborn coal.
They say that a hand-drill warms you up twice, and it's true. You're drenched in sweat.
Lose -1 Water.
You've made a fire. Now continue on to the next task.
S3_10b
An ache starts in your forearms, and over time spreads to your shoulders and back. Nothing is happening. Your palms begin to burn from the friction and your arms are shaking. Nothing happens. You gasp for breath, your strokes becoming uneven.
They say that a hand-drill warms you up twice, and it's true. You're drenched in sweat.
You stop and drop the drill, gasping for breath. It's no good. You've pushed yourself as far as you can, but you're just too tired to manage this fine movement, and there's no more gas in the tank.
Lose -2 Water.
That was frustrating. Hopefully your next task will go a little better.
You give up and go on to the next priority.
S3_11a
The cave itself has a layer of earth and gravel at the bottom. There's all sorts of animal tracks in the dirt, so it's clearly been used by other creatures. You toss rocks deeper into it and no furious animal rushes out; it's probably clear for now.
This will make an excellent place to weather the night. In case the local wildlife have the same idea, you'll need to maintain the fire by the exit to scare them away and keep warm.
You grab a pile of dead branches from outside and drop the firewood in the cave.
Continue to next activity.
S3_11b
You're going to build the fire against one of the boulders, so the stone will reflect the heat toward your little camp at the base of the juniper.
You quickly grab an armload of dead branches and pile the firewood nearby.
Continue to next activity. .
S3_11c
Without a fire, you won't be able to stay in the rock cave. You reluctantly move your camp down to the juniper and boulders.
Continue to next activity.
S3_11d
The juniper doesn't exactly offer any protection from the wind that picked up at the start of sunset. It's going to be pretty damned cold tonight without the fire. Hopefully you'll make it to dawn in one piece.
You continue to next activity.
S3_06b
You decide to make a fire first. You've done this a hundred times before. Uh, with matches. But you've seen people make fires the old fashioned way on TV … some of them used a hand drill, and others went really old-school by rubbing two sticks together as a fire plough. It depends on what supplies you have on hand.
How hard could it be, right?
Use an item.
Make a fire plough (requires 1 digging tool).
Make a fire with a Hand Drill fashioned from the sticks in the area.
Go to a nearby hilltop and try to use the sun to make a fire.
S3_12
A fire plough is a deceptively simple looking device that works through friction. You rub a smaller stick along a furrow in a bigger piece of wood, and if you're lucky, the heat building up will ignite an ember.
You brace one piece of wood between your boots and get to work. Rubbing, scraping, frictioning.
This is really hard work. You stop feeling the stinging chill of the sunset breeze, and your clothes start to soak with sweat.
Lose -1 Water.
You touch the sticks. They've gotten hot, but that's about it.
Keep trying.
Give up.
S3_12a
You rasp the sticks together. Your forearms are burning. You keep going, fighting through the painful cramps that run up your arms and shoulders. You're huffing for breath and choking out curses. Faster. Faster.
Finally! A wisp of smoke rises. You toss aside one stick and knock the ember from the other into the handful of dry grass you found.
The ember grows dark. You curse again and blow on it … and success! A tiny lick of fire rises up. You'll be warm tonight.
Gain Fire Plough.
Continue.
S3_12b
You rub the sticks together. Your forearms are burning. You keep going, fighting the painful cramps that are stiffening your arms and shoulders. You're flagging, and curse breathlessly as you try to keep the pace. Slower. Slower. You press harder, trying to make up for lost speed with more friction.
The upper stick snaps. You toss it aside, wiping your forehead and trying to catch your breath, touch the bottom branch again. What- it's even cooler than the last time! And the wood isn't even darkened.
What a waste of time. Now that you aren't moving, you can feel the evening's breeze chilling your sweaty skin.
You give up.
S3_13
You spin the upper stick against the base branch. Your forearms are aching and palms burning form the friction. You fight through the pain, continuing to spin. Tremors begin to run through your arms as your muscles knot. Nothing is happening, other than you're drenched in sweat. It's true what they say, that a hand drill warms you up twice.
You fight on a few moments longer and then drop the drill, gasping for breath. It's no use. You've pushed as far as you can, but you're can't manage this fine movement. If only you weren't so tired...
You curse and give up. There will be no fire tonight.
S3_14
You look over the area and try to consider your options. There's a lot of dry vegetation here … you could pull up dry grass and gather some dead leaves to make a bed that would insulate you from the cold. On the other hand, you could also try to dig out a small pit in the ground. You could curl up in the soft dirt for a low-effort bed.
Gather grass.
Dig out the ground.
S3_16a
You pull out of the ground some hillocks of dead prairie grass and break off soft, fragrant sagebrush branches. You layer these into a springy mattress. This will not only be a soft place for your old bones, the smell of the crushed sage will naturally repel insects and this thick bed will insulate you from the cold earth, keeping it from draining your body heat.
Continue.
S3_16b
You rip out of the ground a bunch of clumps of dead grass and shake the dirt off the roots as best as you can. You drop them in a pile. It's not pretty, but it's something to sleep on … and if it gets too cold, you can crawl underneath and use them like a scratchy blanket.
Continue.
S3_17
The ground is pretty hard but it seems possible to dig it out.
Use an item.
Dig in the ground with your hands.
Use a digging tool.
S3_17_1
You scrape carefully at the hard crust of dirt at the top, lever out a couple of fist size rocks, and dig out the slightly dampened earth below. It takes some effort and your digging tool breaks in the process, but eventually you dig out a deep shelter. You feel around in the bed pit; the dirt is reasonably fluffy. You should be about as comfortable as one can expect tonight.
Lose Digging Tool.
Continue.
S3_17_2
You dig your fingers into the dirt, breaking up the top crust and tossing it aside. After that you scrape away at the dirt below, which is slightly damp from rain. That should have made things easier, but you keep running into fist sized rocks that you can't quite pull out. You scratch a shelter a few inches deep before giving up.
The shallow bed pit doesn't look that inviting thanks to all the rocks sticking out. With your luck, they'll jab into your back and hip no matter how you curl up.
Whatever. How bad could one night be?
Continue.
S3_18
You look around in the fading sunset. There are a couple places nearby where you might find food or water. A nearby wash is overgrown with small trees and green grass. Water may have collected at the base of the nearby line of cliffs. The boulder field might have sheltered some edible plants or a pool of rainwater. Finally, there's a widespread, chest-high thicket of prickly pear cacti.
Go to the wash.
Go to the cliff.
Go to the boulders.
Go to the cacti.
S3_19
You skid down into the wash and push through the tangling branches and dense tufts of grass until you come to a wetter area. Your boots are sinking into the dark mud liberally peppered with gravel. This looks like a good site to dig for water.
Use an item.
Dig with your hands.
Use a digging tool.
S3_19_1
You pull out a digging tool and quickly open up a deep pool of muddy water. You wait patiently; soon the stirred-up silt falls to the bottom, leaving behind clean-smelling water. You break off a hollow straw from one of the nearby grasses and use it to suck the water out without disturbing the mud again.
Gain +2 water.
You refill your water bottle before you leave.
Continue.
S3_19_2
You dig with your hands. It's slow going, as you scrape and bruise your fingers on the stones imbedded in the mud. After a while, you've hollowed out a shallow pool of murky looking water. As the silt settles to the bottom, you search the nearby grasses and find a hollow straw. You use it to suck some water out without stirring up the mud again..
Gain +1 water.
You refill your water bottle before you leave.
Continue.
S3_20
The cliffs rise at a steep angle from the ground. They're the typical rippling reds and sandy golds of the local stone … with a few darker trails. You investigate those closer. One is the shade of wet rock; a tiny trickle of water is running down the cliff from a ledge high above your head.
At the base of the water trickle you find a small plant with wide leaves and small, dark purple fruit. You wrack your brain for a second before you remember what it is: a type of wild desert grape. They normally only grow in forested areas, but the little spring in the rocks must give it enough water to live. These grapes are quite sour but perfectly edible.
Gain Wild Grapes.
Stepping back, you look up at the cliff in front of you.
Continue.
S3_20_1
The water is tempting, but this rock face is smoother than any you've seen before on this journey, and it's wet to boot. You doubt you could lever your carcass up it, even with help, and it's not worth the risk of broken bones for a possible mouthful of water.
You limp away, feeling every one of your years and muttering to yourself.
You return to your campsite.
S3_20_2
The cliff face doesn't look very promising; the stone isn't only smooth, it's also wet. However, you look at it carefully and your experienced eye picks out one toe hold, and then above that a narrow crack your fingers could work into, and then another handhold … yes, there just may be a way up. This could be your best chance to get a drink before turning in for the night … but it's a risk. Are you feeling up to the challenge?
Use a rope.
Climb up
Don't risk it.
S3_20_2_1
You fight your adrenaline addiction … and win. This wasn't worth the risk. Walking away is the smart play. Anyone else would have made the same choice. Anyone.
You hang your head and slink away, desperately glad that your pro climber buddies can't see this.
You return to your campsite.
S3_20_2_2
This challenge surprises you a little. The biggest danger isn't the slippery rocks, it's finding the strength to hold these awkward, stretching poses as you search for the next hand- or toe-hold. You're shaking by the time you get up to the rock ledge and, gratefully, fall to your knees and catch your breath.
You'd been a little afraid that you'd find some mud here, with the real source pool of water coming from the top of the cliff, well out of reach. It's a pleasant surprise to see a natural hollow in the ledge that contains a pool of crystal clear water. The water's lukewarm from the day's heat, but as refreshing as any bottle of mineral water you've ever pulled from a cooler.
Gain +3 water.
You refill your water bottle before you leave.
Climb back down.
S3_20_2_3
You work your way up, carefully shifting your weight as you move from one handhold to the next. It's harder than you'd expected, and the wet rock is the least of the problems. You're trying to cling to some handholds that are only an inch shallow, and are forced to hold in uncomfortable positions for minutes at a time as you search for your next step.
You're starting to shake with fatigue and are wondering about the wisdom of this path. You reach up for the next handhold and your other hand suddenly slides free of the crack in the stone where you'd wedged your fingers. There's nothing to grasp, nothing to break your fall as you tumble back to the ground.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Fall.
S3_death1
The world flies by in a blur of sunset color, the gorgeous desert all red and gold and the slash of green growing from the nearby wash. To your surprise, you don't see your life flash before your eyes, hear your deceased grandparent's voices, or hallucinate a pale figure in the sky or red creature in a pit below beckoning you. No, you flash back to your first climbing instructor, the one who turned you from a rebellious teenage punk with a taste for joyriding in 'borrowed' cars into the professional rock climber you are today.
'You gotta respect your limits even as you push them, son,' he'd said, the day before his rig failed and he fell to his death.
Just before you hit the ground headfirst, you think: Coach is going to be so disappointed in you.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S3_21
You look around the boulders, and soon enough hear the telltale sound of buzzing insects. There, in the shadow of an overhanging, misshapen boulder, you find a sizable pool of dark, dirty water. This stuff has moistened the dry, cracked algae in the area and it stinks worse than a public swimming pool. You'll definitely have to purify this before you can drink it.
Examine the water.
S3_21_1
Use scoop up the questionable water into the rusty can you'd found earlier. You take it back to camp to boil this water – boil it long and hard – and it after a few minutes of big bubbles it should become safe to drink.
Gain +3 Water.
You refill your water bottle before you leave.
Return to your camp.
S3_21_2
You're thirsty enough that you have the crazed idea of sticking your face in there and drinking it anyway … Survival protocol says you're more likely to die from dehydration while waiting to be rescued than from Dysentery, but if you're already feeling too fagiued this dirty water may just be too much for you to handle.
Leave the water alone and return to your camp..
Take the risk and drink the water.
S3_21_2_01
You shake your head sharply and back away from the pool of water. There's no way you're going to risk getting the Tijuana 2-step by drinking this crap. Tonight's going to be bad enough without you spending it squatting in the bushes and wiping with cacti pads.
You shuffle back the way you came. You'd managed to ignore your thirst while looking around but now, your mouth feels twice as dry as before.
Return to camp.
S3_21_2_02
You steel your nerves and scoop up a handful of the water. It smells like silt.
Okay, down the hatch. You swallow it and it tastes... ick.
Well, the damage is done now. You drink several more handfulls and your dehydration-fueled headache begins to subside a little. When you stand up, however, you feel an uneasy sensation in your stomach.
Gain +2 Water.
Lose -1 Stamina.
You decide not to fill up your water bottle here.
Return to camp.
S3_22
These prickly pear cacti have done very well here, crowding out the competition by growing into a thick, jungle-like stand. They've apparently taken advantage of the recent rain; you see some cactus blooms budding out and, an arm's reach deep, you see a couple cactus fruit.
Search the area.
S3_22_1
The cactus leaves and fruit are both edible, when properly prepared. The fruit can be simply cut open, but the leaves have to be roasted first. You pick some of both and take them back to camp to cook them.
Gain Cactus Fruit.
Gain Roasted Cactus.
Return to camp.
S3_22_2
These are local delicacies you've had before. The cactus leaves and fruit are both edible, when properly prepared. The fruit can be simply cut open, but the leaves have to be roasted first. Unfortunately, you don't have a fire.
You take the fruit and put in in your backpack. Ah, the secret of survival: get what you need for little effort.
Gain Cactus Fruit
Return to camp.
S3_22_3
You stare at the cacti. Aren't the leaves edible? You've seen them in Wholesome Foods, not that you ever paid much attention. But … these don't look like the ones that were $26.99 a pound. These look tough, and they're covered in spines. Great big needles, tiny spine fuzz that's impossible to get out of skin … no.
You carefully pick a handful of the fruit. It feels soft-ish to the touch. These are probably ok.
Gain Cactus Fruit.
Return to camp.
S3_23
You watch the last of the sunset. The air seems to drop a few degrees every minute as the color leeches from the sky. Those fantastically tinted clouds hanging over distant mesas mute to ugly, grey smears and the sky overhead darkens as the first stars peek out.
You decide to turn in for the night.
You go to bed.
S3_23_1
You stretch out, arms crossed under your head, and stare thoughtfully into the darkness. You've been in some tough situations before, been shot at, been running for your life … but this is different. You're faced with Mother Nature herself, and she's killed millions who were unprepared.
You have a feeling the coming days will test all of the survival knowledge you've accumulated during your many decades on this earth. No rescue squads coming for you. No one manning the safety line, just you versus the desert.
Despite this, you're not too worried. You've always found it easier to trust yourself over anyone else.
You fall asleep.
S3_23_2
You toss and turn, burning with nervous energy. If only you had a flashlight, a torch, something! You could have gathered more resources, built a better shelter, walked farther. You wonder how many miles you made it today. Not far enough … and you know you're capable of so much more.
Patience was never your best quality. Your agility, endurance, and physical power are. You think about the next day, imagining an endless series of cliffs to scale, ravines to climb down into. The thought of future danger makes you smile. In your fantasies the sun beats down on you and you give it the finger and keep moving because you're not about to be defeated by something a simple as the desert.
You may be alone out here, but you're an athlete in peak physical condition. This will be a real life Iron Man. You can't wait to boast to your friends about it.
You fall asleep.
S3_24
You may have turned in for the night, done with the challenges of the day, but the desert is not finished with you. The sky grows darker, the stars blotted out by fastflowing clouds. The breeze picks up into a windstorm that rips down the narrow valley you're in, channeled to unusual speeds by the close-lying rock walls.
Wait out the storm.
S3_24
Night 1 Results:
Chose Cave: no stamina loss.
Chose juniper: -1 stamina.
Made a fire: +1 stamina.
Didn't have a fire: -1 stamina.
Insulated with grass and sticks: no stamina loss.
Dug a shallow pit: no stamina loss.
Dug a deep pit: +1 stamina.
Didn't improve shelter: -1 stamina.
Had the space blanket: +1 stamina.
Continue to the next day.
S3_death2
You try to wait it out, you really do, but the cold gets worse and worse.
After an indeterminable time in that icy hell, you shove yourself to your knees, then your feet. You're shivering so hard your teeth clatter uncontrollably, and you can't feel your hands or feet. This is pointless – all your preparations didn't work – you can't stay here!
You stagger away from your makeshift camp, heading up the valley as the windstorm is blowing from down and you no longer have the strength to fight the force of it. You allow the wind to sweep you along like another piece of stinging grit. Your head is swimming and you can barely see – you stumble into boulders, cacti, and jagged branches and fortunately are too numbed by cold to feel it.
After a time a vast swell of heat washes over you. Yes! You knew getting up and moving around was the right choice. Everything's so wonderfully warm, like a sauna. You pull off your coat and shirt, and later on your pants. You don't need them. It's so hot. You'll be fine.
At some point you collapse facedown in the sand. You can't bring yourself to move another inch.
Unfortunately, tomorrow doesn't come for you.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S4_01
Dawn breaks, the weak light before the sun rises doing little to chase away the intense chill of last night.
Continue.
S4_01_01
You struggle to your feet, groaning, and stretch out your legs and back. That was more uncomfortable than you'd expected. You take a leak and watch the sun rise, thankful for the warmth that's coming.
You pack up your equipment, double-check the camp site to make sure you haven't left anything behind, and head out.
This stretch of desert is becoming hillier, and the gorge is cutting a little deeper. You suspect you're getting closer to the river and lake Powell.
You continue on.
S4_02
You follow the trail along the top of the ravine for half an hour or so. Then you pause. The trail stretches on in front of you, but you spot some interesting things in the desert to the side. One is an absolutely giant barrel cactus nestled under a boulder nearby. A ways beyond that, a section of old, torn down fenceline rises from the sand, stretches on a ways, and collapses again. It's similar to the one you'd seen on the mesa yesterday.
You debate this. It's always tempting to look for more supplies, but the wind is picking up, the path is getting rougher, and you may need to conserve your strength.
You continue on.
You go to the cactus.
You investigate the fenceline.
S4_02_01
You trudge over to the old fence and follow it. This fence is at an angle, blown sideways by the prevailing breeze. The badly corroded barbwire has rusted and broken to pieces coiling about the base of dry-rotting fencepoles. Near the end of this section, you find an old lasso of rope hanging from a nail driven halfway up the wooden pole. The upper sections of that rope are rotten and come off when you tug at it, but the deeper coils are still good. You salvage what you can.
Gain rope.
Nearby, you see an odd looking bush that's half-buried by the windblown sands. You go to investigate.
Continue.
S4_02_01_01
When you get closer, you recognize the yellow and silver colored plant instantly: Rabbit Brush. Thanks to your survival knowledge, you know that Native Americans used this plant as a natural painkiller and to treat respiratory conditions. The whole plant is technically edible, but very bitter and tough.
You take only the bright yellow bunches of flowers and put them in your backpack. They won't do much to help your hunger, but they can help with muscle fatigue and might be useful later on.
Gain Wild Herbs
You look around the area for more resources, but you seen all there is to see right here. The sand being kicked up by the gusting wind is irritating your skin and you're losing patience for these side trips.
Lose -1 Water.
Return to the ravine.
S4_02_01_02
You've seen this plant a few times before but you're not sure if it's edible or not. It has thin, spindly grey branches that burst out of the ground in clumps, and large clusters of bright yellow flowers that almost look like cauliflower.
You pinch off a flower and grind it between your fingers. It has a strong herbal smell. You taste it and it's slightly bitter.
A lot of desert plants are poisonous, but there are also a lot of them that have medicinal properties. You wish that you had a better knowledge of what's edible out here and what isn't.
Pull off some of the flowers and take them with you.
Decide to play it safe and leave the plant alone.
S4_02_01_02a
You grab a large handful of the flowers and put them in your backpack. They won't do much to help your hunger, but you might find them useful later on.
Gain Wild Herbs.
You look around the area for more resources, but you seen all there is to see right here. The sand being kicked up by the gusting wind is irritating your skin and you're losing patience for these side trips.
Lose -1 Water.
Return to the ravine.
S4_02_01_02b
You decide to leave the mystery plant alone. You hate to leave a potential resource behind, but there's no telling what might have happened if you'd eaten it and it turned out to be poisonous.
You look around the area for more resources, but you seen all there is to see right here. The sand being kicked up by the gusting wind is irritating your skin and you're losing patience for these side trips.
Lose -1 Water.
Return to the ravine.
S4_02_02
You find a huge barrel cactus. It must have taken years, even decades to get to this size. Everyone knows these things hold water; you think a plant this big has plenty to spare a thirsty, thirsty traveler.
You try to cut it open and get cactus water.
The skin on this thing is incredibly tough and thick, but you manage to make a vertical slice between rows of spines with that piece of broken glass that you'd found earlier. Your reward? A very small trickle of green-tinged liquid. A few spoons at the most.
You press your fingers below the cut, ignoring the thorns that prick you, and gather a palmful of blood-tinged fluid. You raise it to your mouth. That smell!
This is survival, you remind yourself. You brace your abs so you won't throw up, bunch your shoulders, hold your breath, and toss it back. The juice flows over your tongue like every vegetable you've ever hated pureed into one drink. You want to spit it out, but with enormous willpower you force yourself to swallow.
The wind is picking up, throwing stinging grit into your eyes, and your mouth tastes like ass. Enough of this crap; you're moving on.
Gain +1 Water
You try your fingernails, and end up with bloody, well-pricked fingers. You find a piece of sharp rock and poke at it; you manage to scratch the cactus but it's too tough to open like this.
You scowl and toss the rock at the cactus with all of your angry strength. The stone bounces off harmlessly. The cactus thorns sparkle in the angled morning sunlight, mocking you. The gusting wind sends grit into your eyes. Enough of this crap; you're moving on.
Return to the ravine.
S4_02_03
The morning is pleasantly cool but you remember yesterday; these temperatures won't last. The gusting wind is also annoying and you'd love to get out of this exposed area, and that won't happen while you're wasting time here. You'd better push on.
You continue on, leaving this area.
S4_03
You stop to rest in the shade of creosote bush about an hour later. It's mid-morning, and you've made fairly good progress. You wipe off the sand that's sticking to your lightly sweaty face and squint around.
What? A fire ring?
To hell with your break. You hurry towards that distant circle of stones, which mark where campers spend the night … and then your eager steps slow as you realize this fire pit hasn't been used for a long time. At least several months.
Lose -1 Water.
That's disappointing, but this is one sign that you might be be nearing civilization. People have to come in from somewhere, and whether they came by trail or road, you'll find it.
You continue on.
S4_03_01
You walk a while, and then your footsteps slow as you spot something new breaking the monotony of the desert landscape. There's something in the far distance. It's hard to tell from the shimmer of heat that distorts the shape, but it looks like a man-made structure.
To your right, a pair of old tire tracks cut through the hard, dark-crusted desert earth. That trail stretches into the distance as well.
The question is, is it worthwhile to check either of these out? You can always conserve your strength and keep going along the route you've been following.
You keep going on past this area.
You go towards the distant structure.
You follow the old tire tracks.
S4_04
The hot dry wind is unrelenting as you trudge along for nearly half an hour.
Lose -1 Water.
You arrive at the structure …. and discover it's actually a large wooden cart, the kind that farmers used to use. The wheels are broken and it's been abandoned here long enough to be half-buried in the dirt. You discover that the back panel of the cart had apparently fallen off at some point and been tied back on. You spend several annoying minutes working those knots open.
Gain Rope.
Continue.
S4_04_02
You examine the cart in more detail. The metal is too corroded to be worth prying off, but there's a piece of wood that may be useful.
Gain Digging Tool.
There's nothing more to see here. You start heading back to the main trail, trying to ignore the blasting wind and crippling heat of the sun.
Lose -1 Water.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Return to the ravine.
S4_05
You have a hard time following the tracks. They come and go, washing out in many places. They roughly follow along an open ridge line. You are forced to move slowly under the unrelenting heat and dry wind as you search for the badly-interrupted trail.
Lose -1 Water.
Eventually the tire tracks dead-end at an old junk pile topped by a stained mattress. Someone went to a lot of trouble to illegally dispose of their garbage instead of paying a small fee at a dump.
Since you're here, you take the time to dig through the trash. The pile of broken, rusting junk is riddled with bullets and more than a few rotting condoms, but you do find something that may be useful: an old tire, worn to the wires.
Gain Boat Part.
You also find an old beer can, the outside too beat up to tell the brand but it's got at least a full liter of liquid inside. It's still sealed and you can hear beer sloshing around inside, but there's no telling how many years this has been sitting out here. If you drink it now, you may regain some water but it could come with unpleasant consequences.
You leave the can and return back to the main trail.
Go ahead, drink up.
S4_05a
You pop the top and peer inside it. The can is hot from the sun and the beer has gone flat. You remember a couple tricks you learned a few years ago during keggers thrown by your frat, hold your breath, and chug it.
Man, that takes you back.
The warm, bitter liquid is better than some of the things you drank in college.
Gain +2 Water.
A few minutes later you begin to feel a crumbling sensation in your stomach. Guess that old beer wasn't completely sealed after all...
Lose -1 Stamina.
Return back to the ravine.
S4_05b
You eye the can grimly. What's the worst that could happen, it turn out to be a can of Pabst or Bud Light?
Survival is about making sacrifices. Sometimes big sacrifices. You open it and quickly, before you change your mind, chug it down.
Gain +2 Water.
The warm, totally flat beer isn't enjoyable, but you've put far worse liquids in your mouth over the years.
A few minutes later you begin to feel a crumbling sensation in your stomach. Guess that old beer wasn't completely sealed after all...
Lose -1 Stamina.
Return back to the ravine.
S4_06
You find yourself moving slower and slower as the sun comes to the top of the sky and the heat swells. Around noon, you stop in a patch of shade cast by a mesa outcropping. Those distant hills you've been aiming for? They're close enough that you can make out the individual trees, the ravines, and the boulders that have tumbled down the sides.
You rest during the hottest part of the day.
S4_07
After the worst of the midday heat passes, you get moving. The sight of the nearby hills has energized you and you pick up speed, finding it easier to ignore the heat and wind. You estimate it's early afternoon when your trail leads you to a simultaneously welcome and awful sight:
The river. At the bottom of a fifty foot gorge.
Well. The bad news is, this will be a hell of risky climb. The good news is, there's a gravel bank you can aim for and once you're there - if you survive the descent – you think you can improvise some kind of raft and take the river down.
You look for the best approach to the river.
S4_07_01
You follow along the top and try to find the best place to descend. Something bright catches your eye: it looks like a kayak. Or at least most of one. It, along with streamers of other trash, is caught on a juniper tree growing out partway down the cliff wall. It must have been swept there during a flash flood.
The cliff walls aren't quite as steep through here, but it still looks like a challenge to get down.
Continue.
S4_08
You've got a big decision. This may be your last, best chance to climb down to the river … but who knows what you'll face down there? Do you even have the supplies you'll need to make a raft? You can also continue along this desert trail; you have seen signs that people occasionally use it. However, you now know first-hand how physically challenging it can be to survive in the desert. Do you have the inner reserves for that path?
You'll chance continuing through the desert
You'll risk going down the river.
S4_08a
All things considered, your best opportunity to find people or be rescued is by staying in the desert. You've made it so far like this. You can take a little more, right?
Continue on, heading South and away from the river.
S4_08b
After considering your options, the river is clearly the best, fastest way of finding civilization or being rescued. It may be challenging but hey, at least you'll get out of the heat and wind, right?
You climb down the steep canyon toward the river.
S4_09
You work down the steep, crumbling sandstone. The kayak gleams as it rotates slowly from the ropes that have caught on the tree branches. It's a lure you can't resist. You try to work your way towards it.
Use a rope.
Climb down.
S4_09a
The cool air puffing up from the river gives you extra strength, and the way is not as treacherous as you'd thought at first. You carefully work your way along hand- and foot-holds until you reach the bush.
The visibly damaged kayak dangles from some shredded elastic cords which may have been used to secure a bundle to its body. You tug firmly and the branch snaps. The kayak tumbles down to the slope, hitting the gravel shore hard.
You try to go down carefully and avoid the same fate, but one of your sandstone hand-holds gives out and sends you tumbling the last 10 feet down to the river bank. If you'd had some sort of safety line you could have avoided this.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S4_09b
This is trickier than it had looked from the top, and the chilly air puffing up from the river below makes your muscles stiffen even more. You feel your strength starting to ebb and take the last few hand- and foot-holds to the tree in desperate haste.
The damaged kayak dangles from a branch by a few shredded elastic cords that were probably used to strap a bundle to the boat. You kick at the rotten wood and the branch snaps. The kayak tumbles down and smacks hard into the gravel shore below.
You start to work your way down as well, fighting for control of your exhausted body. There's a crack overhead as another branch you'd damaged with that kick gives way. It falls and bounces off your head. The shock of pain knocks you from your handhold and you fall the remaining 20 feet to the bottom.
Fortunately, the lower part of this cliff comes at a milder angle. You bounce off of every protruding stone as you roll downhill before smacking into the gravel bar.
Well, you made it to the bank of the river.
Lose -2 Stamina.
Continue.
S4_10
You tie the rope to a boulder at the top of the cliff and start slowly, carefully working your way down. You're glad for the support; rappelling is much easier than climbing freestyle. Unfortunately, there's no way you'll be able to retrieve the rope when you reach the bottom. Hopefully this sacrifice will be worth it.
Lose Rope.
Climb down.
S4_10a
The path that you take as you rappel down runs right by the dangling kayak. It's straightforward, and the shade and cool breeze would make this pleasant if you weren't so desperate.
You reach the juniper. The visibly damaged kayak dangles from its shredded elastic cords which may have been used to secure a bundle to its body. You tug firmly and the branch snaps. The kayak tumbles down to the slope, hitting the gravel shore hard.
You'd like to avoid the same fate, so you take your time on the way down. Soon enough, you've safely rappelled to the bottom of the cliff. At long last, you're on the bank of the river.
Continue.
S4_10b
Rappelling down would normally be easier than climbing freestyle, but you're not in the best of shape. You have the sinking feeling that your grip may give out at any moment. You move down to the juniper hastily.
The damaged kayak dangles from a dead branch by a few tattered elastic cords that were probably used to strap a bundle to the boat. You kick at the rotten wood and the branch snaps. The kayak tumbles down and slams hard into the gravel shore below.
You begin the decent. It's tricky; you barely avoid getting beaned by another branch that you damaged while freeing the kayak. You're exhausted and finding it hard to stay in control of your limbs. Your grip is slipping – you pause to adjust your footholds and miss, slide, and the rope whips through your hands as you drop the remaining 20 feet to the bottom.
At least the lower part of this cliff comes at a milder angle. You bounce off of every protruding stone as you roll downhill before smacking into the gravel bar.
Well, you made it to the bank of the river.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Tumble down.
S4_10_death
Whoo, that fall was a doozie. You lie there, gasping for breath as blood fills your mouth. You need to get up, but there's a stabbing pain running up your spine and stars spinning behind your closed eyes.
You just need a minute to catch your breath. Yeah, you'll just lie down here for a couple of minutes. Maybe take a nap. You'll feel better in a minute …
Unfortunately, your injuries were so severe you never managed to rise again. The gravel shore became your grave.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S4_11
Whoo, that fall was a doozie. You lie there, gasping for breath. You force yourself to your elbows, then manage to sit up. You spit out a mouthful of blood and take stock. Headache – but this is a gash to the scalp, not a concussion. It'll bleed, but it's not serious. Your limbs all work, nothing broken … it could have been worse.
Explore the river banks.
S4_12
You look over your new environment. The canyon walls narrow in places, creating a deeper, fast-flowing river. Where you are now, it widens out and the water moves relatively sluggishly. It's muddy thanks to the recent floods washing a lot of soil into the waterway, but it doesn't look too dirty, and you are thirsty.
Drink the water.
Decide not to drink the water.
The water is refreshingly cool but rather gritty. You drink your fill and splash some on the back of your neck.
Gain Maximum Water.
When you stand up, however, you begin to feel a little nauseus. Guess it wasn't completely safe to drink after all...
Lose -1 Stamina.
You ere on the side of caution and don't drink.
Continue.
S4_13
With that settled, it's time to think about getting out of here. You examine the kayak. It has a hole in the side the size of two fists, but otherwise seems in decent condition. This is a decent start, but you'll need more parts to make this into a primitive raft.
You've got nothing that you could use. In desperation, you search around the gravel shore. It's about thirty feet long, and there are some reeds growing along the cliff edges. You burn a little daylight thoroughly searching them, and eventually find a child's swimming float. This one is ring shaped, bright yellow, and has a cartoony duck's head on one end.
You inflate it, push it under the river's surface, and squeeze. Nope, it's busted. You can still roll it up and use it to plug the hole in the kayak. Hopefully this will be enough.
Gain a boat part.
Do you want to use your rope to strengthen the boat more?
Use your current boat parts to improve the raft.
Assemble the boat.
S4_13_2
You lay out the pieces at hand, then strap everything together as best you can. In the distance, you hear the river splashing and you wonder what you'll end up facing. Will your primitive watercraft be up to the challenges that are coming?
Continue.
S4_14a
Level 1 boat:
This “boat” looks like a death trap. Seriously, it looks really unsafe.
Drag your “boat” to the river.
S4_14b
Level 2 boat:
This looks like the sort of raft a little kid would make. And not the brightest kid, either. It's pretty damn sketchy looking.
Drag your “boat” to the river.
S4_14c
Level 3 boat:
What you built … sort of looks like it might work. Fortunately, the river isn't very rough.
Drag your “boat” to the river.
S4_14d
Level 4 boat:
You took a shattered kayak and pile of trash and somehow created a functional work of art. The craft you created is streamlined, floats well, has a good weight balance, and it even looks comfortable to ride in. This is the best craft you could make under these conditions.
Drag your “boat” to the river.
S4_15
You grab a nearby branch to use as a boat pole, push the watercraft into the water, and hop in. The river's current immediately sweeps you away from the tenuous safety of the gravel shore. The 'boat' you made may not be the prettiest, but it's keeping you afloat.
Anchors away!
S5_01
Boy, survival is a lot more pleasant when you're just sitting on your ass drifting downstream. The air here is cool, you can splash your face to rinse off some of the sweat, and you're making good progress for little effort.
The canyon walls rise around you, looking taller and taller as the river cuts a deeper swath in the rock. They ripple with the myriad desert colors in tight layers, a primeval timeline of the Earth. Every once in a while you pass by another narrow shoal of gravel or driftwood.
You continue on.
S5_04
After about an hour, you startle awake from a half-doze and see a large chunk of the cliff has separated and dropped into the river. The massive boulder splits the waterway in two, and river boiling against the upstream side creates an undertow, a virtual whirlpool that easily has the power to destroy your boat and smash you into a pulp.
You shout in alarm – although you'd prefer to call it a 'battle cry' – and use your pole to frantically shove your boat to one side. The current batters at your feeble little craft and you inhale more than a little splashing water as you fight to survive this obstacle.
Try to keep the boat together.
S5_04_01_0
Boat level fail.
You try to keep the boat upright but something snags it from underneath. The boat flips over with such speed and force that you're flung from your seat. Luckily, you go flying to the left, far away from the boulder, instead of smacking into it face-first.
You hit the churning water and tumble around, flailing as you fight to keep ahold of your backpack and kick toward the surface.
Swim.
S5_04_01
After a terrifying few seconds you break air. Your boat is nowhere in sight. You let the current sweep you to a small rock-and-sand shoal and gratefully crawl onto it.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Check your backpack.
You paw through your backpack, hands clumsy from the cold, and nick your fingers on something sharp. Remember that mirror? Yeah. You carefully pull out fragments of the mirror and can only hope the seven years' bad luck starts some other day.
Lose Mirror.
You shake the backpack and your stomach sinks when you hear the unmistakable sound of glass tinkling against glass. That usefully large chunk you've been carrying around? It's now so much junk. You're lucky you didn't get hurt on it.
Lose Broken Glass.
You glance inside your backpack and are greeted by the sight of splintered wood. That handy digging tool you've been relying on? It's not even useful as firewood.
You curse and toss it aside. It's surprisingly hard to come across a decent digging tool.
Lose Digging Tool.
You open up your backpack and feel around. It's all there, right?
Something crunches under your fingers. You pull out the crushed remains of the plastic bottle you've been carrying around this whole time. Part of the bottom is busted and it's now useless. You fling it as far into the river as you can, littering be damned. To hell with Mother Nature, she's the one who got you into this situation to begin with. You follow the bottle with a few pebbles flung to emphasize your point.
Lose Bottle.
Look around the shoal.
S5_04_02
Boat level success.
Somehow, some combination of lightning reflexes, judicious use of the boat pole, and raw, gritty determination allows you to keep the floating object you've called a boat in one piece. You guide it safely past the boulder.
The water on the far side is still choppy, but calmer. You shake your shoulders out, feeling the adrenaline singing in your veins, and hope this wasn't a warning sign of more troubles to come.
You continue on.
river_shore_1_0
While you take a moment to catch your breath, you look around the small gravel shoal you've landed on. The canyon walls here are steep and high, but there's an area where erosion won over the bedrock and opened a crack in the rock. You just might be able to climb up via that. It's your best chance to get out of this jam. In fact, it's your only chance.
You're readying yourself to go when it occurs to you that if you washed up here, something else might have as well.
You look around for anything useful.
river_shore_2
There's not much to see on the beach. The water, however, holds a little surprise. The far end of this shoal cups a deeper pool. You see glints of silver circling down there: a school of fish.
If you have the right items, you may be able to go fishing. You can also try diving in and catching one by hand.
Use an item.
Use rope.
Use a digging tool.
Use your space blanket.
Dive in.
river_shore_rope
You unwind a long, slender string from the rope and thread it around a hook-shaped twig that has drifted onto the shoal. You toss it at the pool and bob the hook in the water hopefully.
At least the fish are as hungry as you are. After a while, you snag a small but tasty-looking bluegill.
Gain Fish.
Move on and climb up the canyon.
river_shore_tool
You've heard about a technique where a fisherman bashes the surface of the water. The shockwaves created stun the fish. You're none too pleased at how the day's gone, so you channel that inner frustration with the situation and flail at the surface of the water with your digging tool.
You give it the old what-for, give it every thing you've got, and just as you get too winded to continue -
a small but tasty-looking Bluegill floats to the surface, unconscious and unaware of its coming fate.
Gain Fish.
Move on and climb up the canyon.
river_shore_blanket
Risking your precious space blanket makes you a little nervous, but you're desperately hungry, and the fish are right there …
You carefully unroll the blanket and slide it under the surface of the water. You carefully sweep it backwards and – yowza! – you've captured two Smallmouth Bass.
Gain Fish.
Gain Fish.
Move on and climb up the canyon.
river_shore_dive
You set aside your boots and backpack, dive into the pool, and spend several minutes trying to grab an elusive fish. The water is too murky to see in, so you're going mostly by feel. Unfortunately, the fish can see just fine under water and they stay far away from you.
This may not have been your best idea...
Annoyed, you climb out, gear up, and turn to the task of leaving the canyon.
Continue.
climb_up_canyon_walls
You rub your hands together to warm them, stretch out your back and legs, and get started. This section of rock wall is relatively newly cracked, so the sandstone is still quite firm and there are plenty of handholds. You're cool, refreshed, and focused. You've got this.
About halfway up, all that changes. You climb to the section of rocks that have been baking in the sun. The breeze from below you seems to melt away and, for the rest of the climb up, you feel like a chicken fillet broiling in the oven.
Lose -2 Water.
Climb to the top.
transition_01
Another half hour passes when you come to a split in the path. You can either continue the way you've been going by by climbing down a series of smooth sandstone formations, or you can separate from the path and head towards a tall lone cottonwood tree you spot in the distance.
Head towards the sandstone formations.
Head towards the cottonwood.
transition_02_01
You work your way down the gulch. Luckily, the day's steadily rising temperature has dried off the surface of the sandstone rocks. If they were still wet from last night they would be very slippery. You stay alert as you climb; sometimes sandstone can break off in loose fragments underfoot, but this area is thankfully solid. Soon you find yourself at the other side.
Lose -1 Water.
You continue on your way.
transition_02_02
You cautiously work your way down the gulch. Sandstone formations like these can be tricky to climb over, especially if they're wet and crumbling. However, you have no difficulty with this one.
Often, these places lead into virtual mazes of narrow slot canyons. These canyons can either be a shortcut or a dead end, but something useful may have washed up inside them.
Lose -1 Water.
You continue on your way.
transition_03_01
You were hoping to find water or at least a cool, shady spot to rest. However, the ground dry as dust and the area around the base of the cottonwood is overgrown with brush.
Nearby you find an old pile of boards from some manmade structure that used to stand here many decades ago. You can't tell what it used to be.
You start to search through the pile on the off chance of finding something useful when you hear a loud clicking sound. You're not sure if it's a rattlesnake or just a cicada, but you don't want to take any chances.
Lose -1 Water.
You move on in a hurry.
transition_03_02
You were hoping to find water or at least a cool shady spot to rest. However, the ground is dusty dry and the area around the base of the cottonwood is overgrown with brush.
There's a pile of old, decayed boards nearby. You recognize it is the ruins of an old-fashioned wooden house. This region of the Southwest used to have a number of Mormon homesteads and sometimes by cottonwoods like this one you may find tools or even an old well.
You search through the boards but don't find anything useful.
Lose -1 Water.
You continue on.
transition_04
The sun has crossed the top of the sky and is starting to slide toward the West. Early afternoon, the hottest part of the day, has hit the desert. The heat is choking and your clothes are soaked with sweat.
Lose -1 Water.
Nothing to do but press on.
S5_05
You drift down the river. The boat rocks from side to side, but you're still buzzing from that last close call and are in no danger of nodding off.
After a few minutes pass by, you turn another corner along this twisting waterway. The river is a little calmer through here, and to one side you see a narrow slot canyon join up. It's two or three feet wide, enough that you might be able to squeeze in and investigate. You'd have to tie your boat off first, but as you drift closer you see a watermelon-sized chunk of rock nearby that would do nicely.
You ignore it and keep going.
You investigate the side canyon.
S5_05a
You've had your fill of Southern Utah's damned slot canyons, thanks but no thanks. You ignore it and continue down the river.
Continue.
S5_05b
The lure of the unknown has broken the resolve of stronger men than you...
You pole over to the side canyon, tie your “boat” up up, and wade into the slot canyon. The water here is refreshingly cool and only thigh-high, and you're able to resist the tug of the current without too much trouble.
You venture into the side canyon.
S5_06
You squeeze forward. The ground underfoot slopes upward, the water you're wading through growing shallower. The slot canyon is beautiful, the sunlight and shadows playing over the striped rock. In other circumstances, you would find this a serene and majestic place.
All too soon, this journey comes to an end in an unstable looking logjam. That thing stretches up about fifteen feet and, as you eye it in alarm, it creaks and shifts slightly.
About halfway up it you see a small birds nest. It looks like it's still in use, though the momma-bird is nowhere to be seen. There's a chance there's eggs in there that you could eat, but first you have to knock it down. This logjam's way to unstable to even think of climbing.
Use an item.
Use a digging tool.
S5_06_01
Using your trusty digging tool, you carefully nudge the nest off the branch it was resting on. It falls right into your waiting hands. Inside are two small birds eggs. You feel slightly bad about taking them, but this is a life-and-death situation you're in and there's no way you're turning down a resource like this.
Gain Bird Eggs.
Go back to your "boat".
S5_06_02
You don't have any items that should be used right now.
You can either try to knock down part of the log pile or give up and move on.
Knock down the pile.
Go back to your "boat".
You grab one of the supporting logs at the bottom of the pile and give it a firm yank. Suddenly, but not unsurprisingly, the whole logjam starts to collapse.
You dive out of the way.
You leap safely out of the path of the collapsing debris pile. Thanks to your quick reflexes, you were able to grab the log with the birds nest and pull it free of the rest of the branches before it got hopelessly buried.
Inside the nest are two small birds eggs. You feel slightly bad about taking them, but this is a life-and-death situation you're in and there's no way you're turning down a resource like this.
Gain Bird Eggs.
Go back to your "boat".
You leap safely out of the path of the collapsing debris pile. Unfortunately, the birds nest you were after is now buried deeply somewhere in the heap of logs. You have no hope of finding it now and have to move on.
Go back to your "boat".
S5_06_link
You hurry back to your boat... and it's not tied up anymore. It's a hundred yards downriver, gaining speed as it floats away!
Swim after your “boat”!
S5_06a
You dive in and cut cleanly through the water. Your aching body, the hollow pit of your stomach, your fear that you'll die out here, it all fades away as you focus on your goal. The current and your body's own strength and will drive you forward and, yard by yard, you close the distance.
You manage to snag the side of the boat, grab the top, and try to hurl yourself in. You're exhausted and it takes a few tries, but you eventually manage to flop back on the floating lifeline.
In the future you'll need to be more careful.
You continue on.
S5_06b
You dive into the river and swim forward, shoving your way through the water that's changed from savior into an enemy. Your exhausted limbs hang like lead and that damned current seems to sweep the boat farther away with every moment.
Damnit, the boat really is getting farther away! You're just too worn out to keep pace, and now you've been in the water long enough that the cold is making your swim strokes clumsy. You start to worry – you can't keep this up forever, and that lovely collection of flotation devices you called a boat is well on the way to disappearing.
You're relieved when a gravel shoal comes into view nearby. To hell with the boat. You give up on it and go to land.
You swim to the shore.
S5_07
You're definitely getting tired, and more and more find yourself simply drifting down the river, relying on the currents instead of your boat pole to propel you downstream. Coming up ahead is a wider, more placid area. A rock arch passes by overhead, a vast stretch of stone worn into a deceptively slender shape. It's cracked along the center and you think that one day soon, it will crumble into the river.
You continue downriver.
S5_08
Several hours pass. It's getting later in the day, and the shadows down here deepen as the sun slips toward a horizon you can't see. This stretch of river is peaceful, you're enjoying some desperately needed rest, and there isn't a threat in sight.
Despite your best intentions, your guard slips.
The boat rocks violently. You startle awake with a snort and wipe at the sleep-drool that's run into your two-day beard shadow. Wha-what's that roaring sound?
While you were getting your beauty sleep, you drifted into another set of rapids! You fumble for the boat pole but it's too late. Your raft rebounds off of a half-submerged rock that's kicking up a tremendous spray of water. The boat flips over, and you're unceremoniously dumped into the river!
Well, that's one way to wake up fast...
S5_08_01
Boat level fail.
You kick to the surface. The boat is nearby – you see that flash of ugly orange! It's being pulled under the water, again and again. You swim towards it, and as you watch, one of the vital structural pieces comes lose and drifts away.
Your little escape craft vanishes. It either sank or was sucked under by an overpowering current.
Swim.
S5_08_02
Boat level success.
You kick for the surface. Something brushes at your arm and you grab on – it's the front of the boat! The current tears it away from you but you chase after it. The boat bobs to the surface and you grab on, clinging for dear life as you and your watercraft are tumbled over and over.
You make it through the rapids and to more placid waters beyond them. Your head's spinning and your hand cramping from the death grip you had on the side of the kayak. You flip it back over and flop yourself facedown onto your trusty raft.
You're so happy you could almost kiss the boat. It's a good thing you built something strong enough to withstand a beating like that!
Catch your breath and continue on.
S6_01
Another hour passes. The narrow strip of sky overhead takes on a colorful tinge as the scattered clouds reflect the sunset down into the river valley.
You need to find a place to stop for the night; the river is too damned unpredictable to risk sleeping in your boat. You keep your eyes peeled and, soon enough, see an area where the narrow, rocky river banks widen. This shoreline is stable enough that a few small cottonwoods are growing there.
This is the best potential campsite you've seen in hours.
Drag your “boat” out of the water and investigate.
S6_01_01
You're grateful for the lightweight boat you assembled out of junk; it's easy to sling it over your head and carry up the sandy shores of the river bank. You poke around and find an ideal location to weather out the night in a little depression against the side of the canyon walls. You prop your boat up and use it as a roof, then look around to see if there's anything you can scavenge to improve your shelter.
What could help you have a better night's sleep?
S6_01_02
You still have that space blanket. That should go a long way …
You remove rocks from under your makeshift roof and scoop a hollow in the sand, then spread out your space blanket on top of the newly open space. That should help trap your body heat; you think you'll be pretty warm tonight.
Continue.
S6_01_03
Some tufts of knee-high desert grasses have grown up along the tallest part of this beach. There aren't that many, but with a little effort you do manage to gather a large armful. You drop them in the shelter and make a nest. It won't be extremely warm, but this looks like the best you can do with the resources available here.
Continue.
S6_02
You remember how cold it was last night. The canyon walls should provide some protection from any chilling winds, but since you're so close to the water, the air is going to be icy. You really need to try to start a fire.
Use an item.
Use the broken glass.
Use the mirror.
Use the bow drill.
Use the fire plough.
Create and use a quick hand-drill firestarter.
Continue.
S6_03
The desert surface, you imagine, must be holding on to lingering traces of the day's warmth. It must be bathed in sunset light. Down here, it's cold and damp and the shadows are thickening fast. You only have time to do one more thing before it's too dark to see. What'll it be?
You decide to repair and improve your boat, preparing for tomorrow.
You look for food and water.
You look for food.
S6_04_01
You repair the boat by securing the boat parts on and adding additional support with pieces of driftwood.
Boat Level Increases by 1.
Continue.
S6_05_0
You walk over to the river and look at the surface of the water. The sluggishly-moving areas have doesn't of tiny insects that swirl through the air and land on the surface … that's not appealing. The fast-flowing segment at the upstream side of this gravel bank doesn't have anything swimming on it. It looks relatively clean, but then again, the bugs you're worried about can't be seen by the naked eye.
Will you risk it?
Drink the water.
Decide not to drink the water.
You don't let yourself think too much, just kneel down and slurp palmfulls of gritty, slightly-muddy tasting water until your thirst is slaked.
Gain Maximum Water.
The water's tempting. The thought of spending the night being sick in the bushes, not so much. You back away from the river.
Continue.
S6_05
You're standing on a long, narrow ribbon of sand and gravel, punctuated by a half dozen bushes and the occasional weedy plant. There aren't that many places to look for food, but searching there won't take much of your strength. Otherwise the river might hold something edible, but can you catch it?
Do you want to check the bushes or look for fish?
Go to the willows.
Go fishing.
S6_05_01
You find nothing except a glow in the dark condom dangling from one branch and an old, abandoned bird's nest. You ignore them both.
On the brighter side, if you had a way to boil the willow bark you could make a medicinal tea to take away some of your aches and pains.
Use an item.
Go fishing instead.
S6_05_01a
You skin several branches, tear off long strips of willow bark. Willow is a natural form of aspirin and you can boil them in your rusty can when you get back to the camp.
Made a medicinal tea.
Return to camp.
_river_shore_2
There's not much to see on the beach. The water, however, holds a little surprise. The far end of this shoal cups a deeper pool. You see glints of silver circling down there: a school of fish.
If you have the right items, you may be able to go fishing. You can also try diving in and catching one by hand.
You find a deep pool filled with fish. If you have the right items, you might be able to try and fish them. Or you could dive in and try to catch them by hand.
Use an item.
Use rope.
Use a digging tool.
Dive in.
river_shore_rope
You unwind a long, slender string from the rope and thread it around a hook-shaped twig that has drifted onto the shoal. You toss it at the pool and bob the hook in the water hopefully.
At least the fish are as hungry as you are. After a while, you snag a small but tasty-looking bluegill.
Gain Fish.
Return to camp.
river_shore_tool
You've heard about a technique where a fisherman bashes the surface of the water. The shockwaves created stun the fish. You're none too pleased at how the day's gone, so you channel that inner frustration with the situation and flail at the surface of the water with your digging tool.
You give it the old what-for, give it every thing you've got, and just as you get too winded to continue -
a small but tasty-looking Bluegill floats to the surface, unconscious and unaware of its coming fate.
Gain Fish.
Return to camp.
river_shore_dive
You dive under the water and spend several minutes trying to scoop of an elusive fish. It takes a few minutes, but you eventually catch a small Bluegill.
Gain Fish.
Return to camp.
river_shore_dive
You set aside your boots and backpack, dive into the pool, and spend several minutes trying to grab an elusive fish. The water is too murky to see in, so you're going mostly by feel. Unfortunately, the fish can see just fine under water and they stay far away from you.
This may not have been your best idea...
Return to camp.
S6_06
You head back to your camp and gratefully turn in for the night. It's starting to get seriously chilly. In the distance you hear a thunderstorm. You're worried about flash floods, but there's nothing you can do down here except sleep as high up on the bank as possible and hope for the best.
You also begin to feel extremely hungry. It's been a physically demanding day and you're getting more and more exhausted.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Now might be a good time to use one of your food items before you make camp for the night.
Continue.
S6_06_01
You cross your arms under your head and think about the challenges ahead. You can almost taste the whitewater that's sure to come. You love the adrenaline rush of hurtling toward rocks at interstate speeds with only a flimsy kayak between you and dismemberment. Of course, you'll be taking those rapids in a dinky raft literally made out of garbage…
You stir uncomfortably. This would have been a lot more fun with some company. You wish you had a bro around to talk to.
Continue.
S6_06_02
You cross your arms under your head and think about the challenges you've overcome. You'd never admit it, but this has been … kind of fun. It's good to know that you still have what it takes to survive in these rugged conditions, even if your body's gone a bit downhill in the last decade.
The best part of all this? The solitude. That makes this feel like a vacation.
Continue.
S6_07
That night, the rain comes and goes. Every time you think the storm has quieted, it kicks up again. It's windy and fairly miserable, but at least using your boat as a roof is keeping you relatively dry. You curl into a ball and
catch snatches of sleep as you wait for dawn to come.
Night 2 Results:
Cold, rainy night: -1 Stamina.
Made a fire: +1 stamina.
Had the space blanket: +1 stamina.
Insulated with grass: no stamina loss.
Brewed medicinal tea: + 1 stamina.
Go to sleep.
S7_01a
You wake up, cold and uncomfortable. It's dawn, more or less – it's still gloomy down here, but the narrow slash of sky visible above the canyon is getting brighter.
Day three, and you're still stranded in Utah. This is an emotional kick in the nuts. You feel your eyes misting a little as you contemplate the situation. The wind must be blowing sand in your eyes, of course.
Continue.
S7_01b
You wake up. Your body is stiff from cold and you ache in places you didn't know you had.
It's the dawn of day 3 – the narrow strip of sky above the canyon is getting brighter – and you're still stranded in Utah. When you make it out of here, and you promise yourself you are getting out, you'll have one hell of a story to tell the other survivalists at the VA.
Continue.
S7_02
You gather up your camp, launch your “boat”, and enjoy the morning when the temperature rises from 'chilly' to 'cool'. The river is getting bigger and you're seeing more trash in the water and caught on driftwood. You must be getting closer to civilization. You have to be by now, right?
Every once in a while, you catch a whiff of woodsmoke. You shout, in case it's hikers cooking over a morning fire, but no one answers.
Nah, it won't be that easy. The smoke must be from somewhere else. Last night, you heard a lot of thunder and lightning so maybe a tree caught on fire. Whatever happened, you're safe down in the canyon.
You continue on.
S7_03
Another half hour passes. You've given up on poling along – it's too deep here anyway, and stare with glazed eyes at the canyon walls drifting by.
An odd, reverberating sound echoes through the cavern. You sit up and look around. What- that's a helicopter!
It comes into sight overhead and pauses. It's the deep green of forest service, and it's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen … but will those wonderful rescuers see you?
You frantically search through your backpack for something to signal for it. The sound drops in volume and you look up, stomach sinking.
Those godforsaken bastards had left you! Damn them! They didn't even see you!
Unfortunately, missing this golden opportunity is the least of your problems. As the thump of the helicopter's blades fades away, you hear something else – the churning, splashing roar of incoming rapids. It's too late to divert around them.
Get ready...
S7_04
The rapids you are hurtling towards are monstrous, the water smashing against the massive boulders scattered through here with enough force to send huge geysers of white spray high into the air.
You use the boat pole to shove your craft away from an incoming boulder, and you barely clear it but the wood shatters at the impact. Now you have no control over your fate. You grip the edges of the kayak desperately, swaying as you're tossed by the churning water. The raft scrapes against another boulder and the cordage you used to fasten the junk into a watercraft frays.
You slam directly into the next rock, a smaller boulder whose head sticks up a few inches above the water. Your boat flips, and you are sent crashing into the turbulent waters.
You try to find the surface, but the current is spinning you like a top and you're struck several times by things drifting by in the water: an uprooted creosote bush, a slimy driftwood log, and something lighter that you fear may have come off of your boat.
You fight for the surface.
S7_05
Boat level fail.
You break out into open air and suck in a single, blessed gasp of air. Then the current pulls you under again, and this time you hit something under water with a lot of force.
Pain radiates throughout your chest and you flail weakly to the surface.
Lose -1 Stamina.
You're past the worst of the rapids and the river, although moving faster than ever, is a little calmer. Unfortunately, you're injured, your blood sugar has bottomed out, and it's a long swim to shore. Do you have the strength to make it?
Continue.
S7_06
Boat level success.
You break out into the surface and suck in gasps of air. The water churns around you and you kick hard, burning through your reserves as you try to keep from being sucked under.
You're struck in the head with debris from the remains of your own 'boat'. Luckily it only stuns you for a second.
Your boat has been torn apart, but part of it is still floating downstream. The water is getting calmer now that you're past the monster rapids but the current is swift and you're exhausted, your blood sugar at an all time low. Do you have the strength to catch up to what's left of your raft?
Continue.
S7_death1
You took a real beating in these rapids and, instead of swimming efficiently, find yourself awkwardly doggie paddling toward your target. You're also getting lightheaded, and wonder how much blood you lost, wonder if you have some kind of internal bleeding.
The world swims in front of you. Which way were you going? You no longer have the strength to push forward so you flip onto your back and float, hoping your strength returns. The sky overhead is so bright, and the sun dazzles your eyes, brighter and brighter as the world around you grows darker...
Your strength goes out and you slip under the surface of the water. If only you'd been able to hold on a little longer...
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S7_07
Your survival instinct kicks in, giving you strength, and in your desperation you tune out the world around you. Nothing matters but getting to the remains of your boat and, incrementally, you close the distance. You reach your craft and heave yourself onto it. What's left of this watercraft barely floats, and water laps at you as you take a much needed breather.
Your hard-earned victory doesn't last long. There it is, that sound that will haunt your nightmares: the crash of water in another rapids. You pull up a broken segment of the kayak, creating an impromptu boat pal, and brace yourself. Here it comes again!
You enter the rapids.
S7_08
Strangely enough, it's a little easier to maneuver your “boat” now that most of the pieces have broken off of it. Of course, it's barely able to float and there's no telling when it will fall apart completely, but at least you're mostly out of the water-
Just as that thought passes through your head, the boat jerks to a halt. You're almost thrown off of it. You look over the side and see one of the pieces of junk you strapped on is submerged in the water. The elastic cordage holding it on is tangled with … something, some pale shape you can't make out.
The river's spilling over the top of your raft and threatening to tear it apart. You look downstream – there's more rapids coming up and going over them without some kind of flotation is a death sentence.
You have to get the watercraft free. Do you want to swim down and untangle it, or just rip off the line from the side of the boat?
Swim down and untie the object that your boat is stuck to.
Tear off the item.
S7_08_01
You dive off the side of the boat and hold on to the cord, anchoring yourself in the turbulent waters. As you work your way down, the shape comes into focus. It's metal, wheels, a car?
It's your old jeep?!
Yessss! You recognize your “I-RULE” custom license plate! Your adventure wagon took the ride of a lifetime!
Oh no. You recognize your “FUBAR '91” custom license plate! Your trusty old jeep has taken its last ride in hostile territory.
Your boat's gotten entangled in the webbing you used to strap down that water tank you'd carried in the back of the jeep. The empty vessel would normally have floated free, but a few lines of cordage hold it to the back of the sunken vehicle. You have no choice now but to try and fight the currents to untie it.
You fight to pull off the water tank.
S7_08_02
You grab the line tying the part to the “boat” in both hands and, with a burst of herculean strength, tear it in half. The raft is free, and you immediately start cascading down the river.
But it's too soon to let your guard down …
Continue.
S7_08_01a
You ignore the ache building in your lungs, grab the lines firmly, and. brace your feet against the back of your jeep. With a burst of hulk-like strength, you tear the tank free. You cling to the side of it, following the tank up as it floats to the surface. You and the debris are being swept toward even more danger...
Gain Water Tank.
Continue.
S7_08_01b
You try to pull the water tank free, but the incredibly fast currents tug at you and you can't get a good grip on it. Your lungs are starting to burn and you don't dare stay dong any longer. You go up higher and untangle what remains of your raft from the top of the buoyant tank. You struggle to the surface and the current sweeps you and your watercraft downstream, toward the next set of crashing rapids.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S7_09
You lever yourself half-onto the boat. There isn't enough left of it to get completely on, but at least your head and chest are propped out of the freezing water.
You're still alive, and still have a chance of getting to the lake. It should feel like a victory, but what you see downstream wipes away all of your relief...
Continue.
S7_death2
Something sweeping by deep in the river snags your bootlaces and drags you deep under. You pluck at the wet knotted laces, trying to remove your boots, and the current swings you around headfirst into an unyielding chunk of stone.
Lights out. At least it was quick...
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S7_10
The rapids coming up aren't just another rockfall stirring up the water.
It looks like a nearby canyon that feeds another branch of this river has just disgorged a logjam. The water ahead of you is a churning mass of submerged trees trapped on rocks, branches swaying and breaking off randomly, the water cloudy with mud and swirling with dead leaves. It's impossible to tell whether the stick up ahead is harmless or attached to a tree, whether the nearest dome of water is just the current sweeping over a boulder deep in the river or something else submerged.
You're heading straight for the heart of this chaos, no where safe to paddle to even if you had time to get out of the middle course of the river.
Get ready...
S7_11
The next moments of your life are an interminable stretch of fear and desperation. You struggle to keep your head above water and paddle against the current, trying to cut toward the shore but your efforts are feeble compared to the might of the flooding river. You're tumbled over, smack into one obstacle after another, snag against a submerged dead tree, are knocked from the tree when you take a sizable log to the back, and finally, despite your best efforts, your boat disintegrates and you begin to sink.
Use an item.
You take one last gulp of air and get ready to swim as hard as you can.
Hold on to the water tank.
S7_11_01
You're nearing the end of the devastating whitewater, but there are a few obstacles left. Fortunately, the tough plastic of your water tank makes it an excellent airbag; you knock into several boulders and bounce off or slide away, unharmed. Soon enough, the crash of the rapids is behind you.
Continue.
S7_11_02
You don't want to die like this, drowning in this dirty, miserable flood, your body swept down to Lake Powell to feed the migratory birds and startle the fishermen. A surge of energy sweeps through your body in a tingling wave and you find the strength to swim forward, cutting through the river and leaving the whitewater zone.
Continue.
S7_death3
You give it all your strength, 110%, but what you have left isn't enough. Your strength is sapped by the cold, malnutrition, and numerous injuries you've suffered in the last few days. Despite your best efforts, you accidentally inhale some river water. You thrash, open your mouth to scream, and breathe in more.
It's all over. Your limp body joins the other debris being swept downriver.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S7_12
The water around you calms, the current is still swift but not as turbulent. It looks like the worst is finally over.
You get a secure grip on the remaining cordage and straps around the water tank. You're glad you took the time to grab it. Now you don't need to waste energy swimming, or make a likely suicidal attempt at climbing up the sheer canyon walls. You can relax and let the current carry you along.
The canyon sides are too steep for you to climb up and out. You have no choice but to keep swimming. You take it slow, sometimes paddling at a steady pace and sometimes drifting along on your back to conserve your energy.
You continue downriver.
S7_13
Before long, the canyon starts to open up and the river gets shallower and wider. It's easier to swim here, with less current to fight. The narrow chasm you've been following through the sandstone suddenly opens up into a vast expanse of blue skies and water shimmering in the sun.
There's only one body of water like that in the area. You've finally made it to Lake Powell.
Swim to freedom.
S7_14
You crawl to the shore, so happy to be on solid land again that you kiss the ground. You shake water out of your ears and suddenly can hear the voices nearby.
Finally...
You wander down the shore and, around a bend, you see several SUVs parked in a semicircle near a rock arch. There's about twenty college-aged men and women dancing, laughing, and hanging around a keg and a couple of coolers.
Continue.
S7_14a
You whoop in excitement and join the party as fast as you can stagger. Sure, these guys are a couple years younger than you, but you still remember the etiquette of the wilderness kedgeree.
You bum a beer off of someone and announce who you are. Then you explain that you're a famous, medal-winning rock climber. After you detail why they should be impressed by your latest awards, you're in.
The rest of the afternoon and evening are a blur of various legal and semi-legal substances. They may not have the best taste in brewskies – you've never heard of these labels – but they know how to party. In the morning, maybe you can get a ride back into town with that pretty blonde who's hanging off of you.
You came out to the desert to avoid thinking about, well, that Thing You Did, and you've found the best kind of oblivion.
THE END
S7_14b
You mutter curses and stumble to a halt. The last thing you need after this ordeal is to deal with some half-nekked idjits dancing around to their hippity-hop. You retreat to the shade cast by the rock arch. When they start dropping – god knows this generation love their liqueur – you'll borrow somebody's phone and call an army buddy for a ride.
Your plan changes when a pretty blonde lures you down to the waterside with a six-pack of beer from a nice local microbrewery.
You spend the afternoon and evening with your new-found friends. They pass around what they're smoking and drinking. You regale them with outrageous tales of your latest survival challenge and some of your life before this. Most of those stories are true, and highly classified, but these kids are too drunk and too high on good old Mary Jane to remember it in the morning.
A few days ago, you set out to escape the shadows in your past by losing yourself in the wild. You ended up somewhere much better.
THE END
S8_0_01
After taking one last look at the canyon you're leaving behind, you start walking deeper into the desert.
Continue.
S8_0_02
The land gets rougher, throwing one curveball after another at you. You divert around a field of boulders and find yourself in another series of canyons, which take you farther and farther from the ravine. With as rough and varied a landscape as this is it would be very easy to get turned around and walk in circles. Luckily you know of several ways to keep on track.
In the distance is an odd, chair-shaped mesa. It looked like the ravine ran near it. As long as you keep walking toward that, you should not to get too off-course.
Additionally, you can use the position of the sun to keep going South. Somewhere in that direction is Lake Powell and the possibility of rescue by the people vacationing there. As it's afternoon, you can keep the sun to your right side and be sure you're heading generally South.
Lose -1 Water.
You trudge on.
S8_0_03
After having to leave the trail to avoid a boulder field you'd been following a series of shallow, narrow ravines that you'd hoped would lead back to the main gorge. Unfortunately, the trail you'd been following suddenly dead ends in a fresh rockfall and you're not sure which way to go.
You can either follow the nearest wall of earth in the hopes of finding the trail again, or climb a nearby hill and see if you have a better view. The sun is beating down from your right, the hill is to the left, and the wall of the ravine stretches out for a distance straight in front of you.
You follow the wall of earth
You climb the hill.
S8_0_03_01
At least with the afternoon sun to your right, you're walking in the shade cast by the ravine. You follow along the rock wall for about half a mile before the terrain starts to angle downward slightly. The ravine opens up to a gentle downhill slope and you can see the gorge you've been following in the distance.
Picking up your pace a little, you get back on the main trail.
You continue on.
S8_0_03_02
The hill is in direct sun and has several boulders that you have to climb over to reach the top.
Lose -1 Water.
However, it gives you a good view of your surroundings. Off in the distance you see the ravine you'd been following and, much further beyond that, a chair-shaped mesa that you can use to orient yourself.
You climb down the hill and follow the wall towards the mesa. The afternoon sun on your right is low enough that you're walking through shade. You're grateful to get out of the hot sun.
You continue on.
S8_0_04
Another half-hour passes and you wonder if you should stop and rest or keep going. You crest a small hill and see a shady low spot at the bottom of the other side. Several bright green trees are growing there.
On the other hand, if you leave the main trail and go to the right to the base of a taller hill, you see what looks like part of the roof of a long-abandoned structure. It's a bit of a walk but it might be worth checking out.
You go to the trees.
You go to the far hill.
S8_0_05
The juniper and cottonwoods here are a sure sign that there must be water below ground. It should be naturally filtered by the earth around it and safe to drink if you can find a way to get to it. You search the area and pick out the most likely looking spot: a darker area of sand and silt at the very bottom of the small basin you're in.
You can try to dig down with your hands, but using a tool would be more effective.
Use an item.
Use a digging tool.
Dig with your hands.
It takes some effort and you break your digging tool in the process, but you're able to dig a hole as deep as your arm. After a few minutes it's half full with muddy water. You wait patiently and the silt settles to the bottom, leaving behind clean and cool drinking water. You find a long piece of hollow dry grass that you use as a straw.
Gain +3 water.
You're only able to dig down a couple of inches before there ground becomes too hard, stones biting into your hands. Nevertheless, a scant few mouthfuls of water slowly fill the shallow pit and you suck them out with a hollow grass reed that you use like a straw.
Gain +1 water.
You rest in the shade for a minute before continuing on.
S8_0_06
Distances in the desert are deceptive and it takes you longer than you'd expected to reach the hill.
Unfortunately, what you'd thought was an old building is actually just a roof built around the opening to a cave. It's most likely an old mine.
The entrance is sealed off after a few feet by an iron grate driven into the wall. Handily, you find a rusted metal key tied to the bars with a length of rope. You try to open the gate with the key but the hinges are completely corroded shut. Nevertheless, you might find some use for the items elsewhere.
Gain Rope.
Gain Rusty Key.
There's nothing else to see here so you return the way you came.
Lose -1 Water.
Back to the ravine.
S8_0_06_01
You get back to the hill where you were earlier. You can either go down and investigate the low valley with the trees, or make up for lost time and push on faster.
You go to the trees..
You move on toward the distant mesa.
S8_01
You continue your trudge along the desert. Your first goal is to reach a line of fairly dry, depressed-looking bushes at the base of the nearby mesa.
Something glints in the distance. You think it's a bird, maybe, or light flashing on a swaying tree, but then you see it again, a flash of something metallic.
You squint, trying to make out the shape. A windmill? It can't be …
You can't resist. You run toward it.
Lose -1 Water.
Continue.
S8_02
When you get closer, you see the windmill is in pretty bad shape. However, a faint but still visible path has been worn in the dirt between it and a tall, dead cottonwood that's streaked with char from lightning strikes. The path leads to a gap in a tall wall of stones stacked loosely one atop another. You see two battered and rotting wooden roofs peeking up behind the wall.
You look around the immediate area.
You go behind the stone fence and look at the buildings.
S8_02_01
You see that the land around the wall is shaded by stands of tall cottonwoods and extremely dense clusters of juniper, creosote, and other small bushes. There must have been water here at some point but right now, the ground is dry and half the trees are dead.
The wind's are starting to pick up again, so you continue on and investigate the buildings you saw.
You go through the stone fence.
S8_02_02
You walk over the fallen gate and through the gap in the fence. The wall blocks off a u-shaped valley formed at the base of the mesa.
This is is an old and long-abandoned homestead. The remains of a small one-story house back up near the steep side of the mesa. An outhouse that leans at a slight angle is to the left. To the right is a bumpy field, maybe an old garden, that ends at a tremendous spill of skree and sizable boulders. It looks like part of the heavily eroded mesa gave way and took out a large wooden structure - a few weathered boards stick out from under the massive stones.
Continue.
S8_03
This place looks like a decent option to camp in. Sunset is coming soon, and there's a lot you'd like to do to prepare for the night and not enough daylight for it all. You need to take a quick look around before deciding what to spend your time on.
Go to the buildings to the left first.
Go to the field and rock slide to the right first.
S8_04
Looking over the buildings, you first notice that the outhouse is in much better shape than the main home. For instance, all four of its walls are still up. You also notice something metal lying in the grass. You take a closer look and realize it's a hatch set in concrete, possibly for a cistern or cellar.
Go to the field.
S8_04b
Looking over the buildings, you first notice that the outhouse is in much better shape than the main home. For instance, all four of its walls are still up. You also notice something metal lying in the grass. You take a closer look and realize it's a hatch set in concrete, possibly for a cistern or cellar.
Continue.
S8_05
This field does look like it used to be a garden; the ground is still lumped in rows and there is the remains of a water bucket – now uselessly broken – nearby.
The building that was wiped out by the rockslide must have been easily as big as the house. What was it, a barn? A silo?
Go to the buildings.
S8_05b
This field does look like it used to be a garden; the ground is still lumped in rows and there is the remains of a water bucket – now uselessly broken – nearby.
The building that was wiped out by the rockslide must have been easily as big as the house. What was it, a barn? A silo?
Continue.
S8_06
The old house may be missing two walls, but the other two are tall and relatively airtight. This looks like a good place to get out of the increasingly fierce winds. You glance around for anything useable, but the fallen timber on the ground is turning to dust from dry rot. You don't immediately spot anything useful.
Continue.
S8_07
Something flashes in the sky. It's lightning, coming from that grey stormcloud that's sweeping out of the Northwest. That looks like a nasty storm coming your way. You need to prepare, fast. What's your priority here?
You explore the little shack next to the house.
You look for resources in the collapsed building by the rockfall.
You look for food in the overgrown garden.
S8_08
You approach the outhouse cautiously. This could get ugly, really fast …
It doesn't smell that bad, though. It may not have been used in years. The door is ajar an inch or so, but the desert sand has blown up against it and it's stuck. You peek inside, but it's too dark to see if there's anything in there … apart from what you'd expect.
But there's only one way to know for sure: get inside somehow. Is it worth the effort to you?
Spare yourself the indignity and move on.
Try to get the door open.
Try to tip the outhouse over.
S8_08_01
On second thought, you aren't desperate enough to dig around a well-used outhouse in search of survival supplies. You're outta here.
Continue.
S8_08_02
You pull on the door hard, trying to force it open, but the mix of sand and mud that has built up against it has hardened like concrete. You could try to pry it open, or you can just move on.
Use an item.
Use a digging tool.
You use your brawny strength.
You leave the outhouse alone.
S8_08_03
People tip cows and cars. This can't be any harder, right?
Use an item.
Use a rope.
Push on it.
S8_08_02_01
You use the digging tool like a crowbar on the gap between door and frame. The door creaks, the tool creaks, you pull harder and the door flies open and your digging tool breaks
Lose a Digging Tool.
Continue.
S8_08_02_02
You try to pull open the door with your hands but it's stuck fast. After an annoying few minutes in which you make no progress and gain a couple of splinters, you give up and move on.
Move on to the next area.
Try to tip the outhouse over.
S8_08_03_01
You use your rope to lasso the support beam that once held up the outhouse's roof. You back away a few paces, brace your feet, and tug hard. The outhouse shakes. Emboldened, you pull even harder. The structure leans farther, tipping, tipping …
Your rope snaps in half. The building falls on its side with a thud and the door pops open.
Lose a Rope.
Continue.
S8_08_03_02
You brace your feet and shove, shove, shove again. The outhouse creaks and rocks, and after a few more moments of exhausting labor, you manage to tip it past the balance point. It crashes on its side and the door pops open.
Continue.
S8_08_03_03
You brace yourself, press your head and shoulder to the wood, and shove as hard as you can The outhouse creaks but doesn't shift. You get a splinter in the cheek for your trouble
It's a tiny, rotten building and you can't flip it. Now that's just embarrassing.
You slink away.
S8_08_04
The wooden floor looks alarmingly unsafe; you're afraid to step on it in case it cracks and sends you and the wooden throne tumbling down the hole.
There's a couple of ancient, fossilized corn cobs dangling from a string nailed to one wall, and beside the seat rests a large metal pipe. You wonder what it was for … maybe defending the seated monarch against snakes while he conducts his business?
That might come in handy. You wipe it off on your jeans leg and try to believe that the brownish stuff on it is rust or dried blood.
Gain Metal Pipe.
There's nothing more to see here. You move on.
You move on.
S8_09
There's not much left of the collapsed building, although you do discover a rotten horse bridle under some of the planks. So it was a barn …
You're about to give up on it when a scrap of faded blue catches your eye. Is that a horse blanket?
You grab the edge and try to pull it out. It's well-pinned by a pile of broken boards.
You freeze when you hear the unmistakable clicking noise of a rattlesnake. You drop the blanket and back off.
If you want this resource, you'll have to deal with one of the desert's most dangerous animals.
Leave it alone.
Use an item.
Use a digging tool.
Scare it away by hand.
S8_09_02
If you get bitten by a rattlesnake out here, it's the end of the line. No blanket is worth that risk. You're going to leave the snake to its cozy nest.
Continue.
S8_09_03
You use a digging tool to bang on the boards above the snake. It rattles louder in warning, then gives up and slithers deeper into the pile of wood. You poke under and around the blanket to make sure it's gone, then yank hard on your prize and tear it free.
Gain Horse Blanket.
Continue.
S8_09_04
Rattlesnakes aren't extremely aggressive. You think if you move fast enough you might be able to grab its tail and hurl it away.
Change your mind and leave it alone.
This idea is so crazy, it just might work. Right?
S8_09_04a
Luckily, your fast reflexes and steady hands do the job. You seize the snake and, before it can retaliate, toss it aside. It sails through the air, hitting the ground a good twenty feet away. You tear the blanket free of the pile and run for it.
Gain Horse Blanket.
Continue.
S8_09_04b
Unluckily enough, your reflexes aren't as fast as you'd thought. The snake whips around and taps you.
You stumble backwards. Okay, that was close but at least you're …
Oh. You're not okay. The split second's shock wears off and a wave of burning pain runs over your arm. Oh boy, there's the venom.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S8_death1
You stagger away from your foe, bent over your injured arm. All the first aid advice you've happened to pick up disappears from your mind. It burns, it burns terribly and you're trying to take deep breaths, trying to work through the pain but you can't quite get enough air. Your arm is swelling, your face, your neck. You fall to your knees, wheezing, and then curl into a ball.
You've found out the hard way that you're highly allergic to rattlesnake venom. If this had happened within twenty feet of an emergency room, you might have survived …
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S8_10
This field is badly overgrown and you move slowly and carefully, keeping an eye out for snakes. It loos like, however many years ago, they raised High Altitude Lettuce around here. A few bunches of those are scattered here and there, the densely growing vegetable competing with the desert's native grasses and weeds.
Use an item.
Use a digging tool to dig.
Dig by hand.
S8_10_01
Your digging tool breaks in the process but manage to gain a large portion of the rare Widstoe Junction Lettuce.
Lose digging tool.
Gain Food Item.
Gain Food Item.
Continue.
S8_10_02
The ground's very hard to dig by hand but you manage to get a small portion of the rare Widstoe Junction Lettuce.
Better than nothing...
Gain Food Item.
Continue.
S8_11
The coming storm has been at the edge of your attention. It looks like a nasty one. You stop for a minute to warily eye the clouds sweeping over the sky, inexorably bearing down on you and your somewhat exposed camp.
Continue.
S8_11_01
You're camped out in a wooden structure, and the wind is blowing hard. That's a recipe for burning yourself to death. Since there's no way you can make a fire safely, you skip that part of preparing for the night. You'll have to hope that the camp you've set up, and your resources on hand, will be enough to for the miserable time to come.
You think you have time to do one more thing before the storm hits and you have to hunker down for the night. What will it be?
Investigate the round metal structure by the house.
Investigate the old windmill at the front of the homestead.
Go back to the main house and explore it more in depth.
S8_12
You pull back the crust of dry grass and fallen leaves around the hatch and see a circular concrete slab. Wait, you've seen these before … This looks like an old water cistern. You wonder if the windmill was connected to this by pipes.
There's no telling whether it still holds drinking water. The hatch is badly rusted shut.
Use an item.
Use the metal pipe.
Use a digging tool.
Open with just your hands.
S8_12_02
You use the metal pipe to knock off some of the rust from the edge of the hatch, then shove the end into the revealed gap and force the cistern open. It's dark inside, and deep down you see a faint reflection of daylight. You drop a stone in and hear something splash. There's at least a small amount of water at the bottom … but it seems fairly deep. Maybe six feet?
If you were surviving out here for a long time, this might make a very secure shelter. Right now it's too much trouble.
You go back to the main house and make camp for the night.
Continue.
S8_12_03
You use the digging tool to knock off some of the rust from the edge of the hatch, then shove the end into the revealed gap and force the cistern open. The tool breaks.
Lose a Digging Tool. .
It's dark inside the cistern, and deep down you see a faint gleam of reflected daylight. You drop a stone inside and hear something splash. There's at least a small amount of water at the bottom … but it seems fairly deep. Maybe six feet?
If you were surviving out here for a long time, this could make a very secure shelter. Right now it's too much trouble.
You go back to the main house and make camp for the night.
Continue.
S8_12_04
You scratch at the rusted edge and finally manage to find a few gaps for your fingers. You yank on the hatch but unfortunately, it's solidly rusted shut. You just don't have the right leverage or equipment to get this open.
You decide to go back to the main house and make camp for the night.
Continue.
S8_13
You hurry through the wind-whipped trees and look up at the windmill. The rusty blades are stuck fast, but if you climb up to the top you might be able to get it going again. It might pump up some drinkable water. From the top, you'd also have a great vantage point to look over the area.
An old metal ladder is bolted to the side of the windmill. You could climb up it, but you're not sure if this unstable structure will hold.
Use an item.
Use your rope as a security line while you climb up.
You don't need a rope for this. You just go up the ladder
You decide that it's not worth the risk.
S8_13_02
You tie a rock to the end of the rope and throw it over the top of the windmill. It catches on a corner of the structure and holds tight. You hold onto your safety rope and start climbing up.
You've just cleared the halfway point on the ladder when there's a squeal of metal and wood. The world sways as the whole windmill starts to topple over. You quickly jump down and roll out of the way as it collapses.
The windmill has come apart. You won't be getting water or a vantage point from that. The metal ladder came loose and is lying on the ground. It's heavy and you don't know what you could use it for, so you leave it behind as you return to your camp for the night.
Continue.
S8_13_03
You start to climb slowly and carefully. The structure is pretty shaky but you reach the top. You yank on the rusty blades.
In a squeal of metal and wood, the windmill sways and begins to tilt sideways. You scramble for the ladder.
Hurry down.
S8_13_04
That thing's a nasty accident waiting to happen and not worth the risk. You decide to go back to camp for the night.
Continue.
S8_13_03a
You get halfway down the ladder and then, as the structure collapses, leap to the ground and roll clear.
The windmill is just a heap of dust, twisted metal, and rotten boards. The metal ladder came loose and is lying on the ground. It's heavy and you don't know what you could use it for, so you leave it behind as you return to your camp for the night.
Continue.
S8_13_03b
You clamber halfway down the ladder and then, as the structure collapses, leap to the ground. Unfortunately your exhausted, bruised body isn't cooperating and landing lightly and rolling away, you hit the ground hard enough to knock the wind out of you.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S8_death2
You don't have the reflexes to roll away, so you throw your hands up, trying to protect your face. The falling blade impales you, slicing open vital arteries in your neck and chest. Darkness rushes in thanks to the sudden drop of blood pressure in your brain, and you bleed out.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S8_14
You poke around the ruins of the main house. There are a few useless odds and ends - broken pottery, a bleached out old family photo that looks like it was taken in the 30s, a handle that may have fallen off a piece of furniture - but nothing that looks useful.
A stone fireplace is set in one of the two standing walls. It's in decent shape, unlike the rest of the structure. And if you set up camp there, the overhang of the chimney will offer a little overhead cover. That's a decent place to spend the night.
You're walking over there when you stub your toes on something buried under the rubble. You scrape your boot over the ground, clearing away the rotten debris, and reveal a rusty metal hatch set in the floor. It probably goes to a cellar. Right now it's shut with a giant, rusted padlock. If you had the right item, you might be able to get it open...
Use an item.
Use the key you found earlier.
Use your hands.
Use a digging tool.
Use the metal pipe.
S8_14_02
You examine the lock. It really is old-timey. And you have this old-timey key …
You push the key in, turn it with a lot of force, and a shower or rust pours out from the lock. It slides open. Maybe it was the right key, maybe you just broke something inside the lock.
Use the key..
You open up the hatch and peer inside. You have no idea what's down in that dank pit – snakes, old food supplies, furniture, piles of dirt because the walls are secretly collapsing – but you're not hopping down in there tonight. You can make a torch tomorrow morning and clear it out then.
You go to your makeshift camp.
Continue.
S8_14_03
You yank on it. The lock ignores your efforts, and you crack a couple fingernails.
You shake out your stinging hand and give up. You go to your makeshift camp.
Continue.
S8_14_04
You make a valiant effort with your digging tool but this time, it lets you down. The hatch stays sealed shut, and you break your tool in the process. Well, that sucks.
Lose Digging Tool.
You scowl at the solidly-designed hatch, give up, and camp in the corner of the main house.
Continue.
S8_14_05
You wedge one end of the metal pipe under the hinge of the hatch and push down. Nothing. You shift your weight and stomp on it.
You batter at the hatch.
S8_14_05a
The hatch seems impenetrable, but your pipe is holding up so you summon your strength and try one more time.
This monumental effort pays off. The hatch's hinges come out from the floor, allowing you to slide it to the side.
You peer into the darkness lurking beneath the house. You have no idea what's down in that dank pit – snakes, old food supplies, furniture, piles of dirt because the walls are secretly collapsing – but you're not hopping down in there tonight. You can make a torch tomorrow morning and clear it out then.
You return to your makeshift camp.
Continue.
S8_14_05b
The hatch seems impenetrable, but your pipe is holding up so you summon your strength and try one more time. You push with all you've got …
Nothing. Wow, they really knew how to build secure metal doors back then...
You return to your makeshift camp.
Continue.
S8_15
Your camp for the night, nestled partway in the stone fireplace, offers you a certain degree of shelter from the coming storm. It could use some improvements, though. You poke through the debris and find an old mattress slung in the corner. You tip it on its side, shaking off several old condoms and a wad of grass and fuzz, which an annoyed mouse runs out of.
The badly stained cloth has worn away in areas, revealing the rusty, jagged springs. You toss it aside in annoyance and look for something else you can use.
Use your boat parts like an air dam.
Continue.
S8_15_01
The sky is dark as pitch, no stars venturing through the stormclouds. The air reeks of ozone and a few droplets of of rain fall, stinging your face. That distant lightning? Not so distant anymore.
A thundercrack breaks over the homestead. You shake your ringing head and curl up in your makeshift camp. You'd hoped for a rejuvenating night's sleep, but you have the feeling that this is going to be terrible.
Now might be a good time to use one of your food items before you make camp for the night.
You try to sleep.
S9_01
You snort and jerk awake. Something woke you – oh, the storm. You yawn and crack your shoulders. The weather hasn't magically gotten any better.
There's high winds but it's not raining just that moment.. Lightning touches down in the nearby forest and another thundercrack jolts you, loud enough that you think the ground under you may be vibrating.
Wow, that was close.
Continue.
S9_02
The wind carries a tinge of woodsmoke. A different sort of chill runs through you and you stand up and look around.
It should be totally dark around here but at the entrance to this valley, beyond the stone wall, you see flickering orange light. Looks like the lightning's set one of those dead trees on fire. And here you are, in a wooden homestead …
Better think fast...
S9_04
The strong winds are blowing right into this valley. It's just a matter of time before the fire spreads here, and guessing from the speed at which those flames spread to a few more trees down there, it won't be much time.
You could make a run for it, but the gap in the fence where the gate once stood is clearly visible, and the forest beyond that flickers like the mouth of Hell. If you catch on fire, there aren't exactly many bodies of water out here to dive into.
The homestead seems like a better place to find shelter. You hastily grab your supplies, one question ringing in your mind. Where can you go?
Hide in the little shack.
Hide in the cistern.
Jump through the hatch and hide in the cellar.
Barricade yourself here in the main house with debris.
Run to the outhouse and try to open it up.
S9_05
You run to the outhouse just as sparks from the burning forest are blown over the stone wall and ignite the grassy, overgrown garden like it was made of tinder.
You break open the floor and hesitate, staring at the outhouse waste pit. Even with a checkered history like yours, it's a new low. But the burning garden – you can actually feel the heat from this distance – is persuasive.
Dive in.
S9_05_01
It's actually not that bad, basically a dirt-walled hole in the ground with soft, dark, loam-y earth at the bottom. You try not to think to closely about what fertilized the desert soil here.
You curl up and wait. The fire spreads and the wind slows enough for smoke to settle in a heavy, choking blanket over the area. It begins to fill the outhouse hole.
The nearby wooden building starts to burn, and the smoke thickens. Your eyes water and you struggle to breathe. You search your backpack for any items you may have to cover yourself with.
Use an item.
Use the horse blanket.
Use the space blanket.
Use both the horse and space blanket.
Continue.
S9_05_01_0
There's nothing to help you. Something nearby collapses, sending a shower of coals pattering down on you. You crush them out under your boot, trying to ignore the fresh burns you've gotten. Your lungs ache with the effort to inhale all of this poison.
Lose -2 Stamina.
All you can do is try to endure.
Continue.
S9_05_02
You pull out the horse blanket and cover up, just in time. You hear something patter on top of it and discover something was burning nearby and scattered coals over you. You crush them out and cover yourself again, trying to filter the air you breathe through the material.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_05_03
You shake out the folded space blanket and cover up. Almost immediately, you hear a hissing noise and pull it off. The space blanket is bubbling in places; something wooden nearby ignited and dumped some coals down into your pit. You crush them out and cover yourself again, trying to filter the smoke-saturated air with your shirtsleeve.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_05_04
You pull out both and layer them on top of yourself, the horse blanket over the space blanket. Something patters against your concealed form; you shake the blankets and some wooden coals tumble to the ground. You crush them out curl up again, trying to filter your air with your shirtsleeve.
Lose 0 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_05_05
The crackle of hungry flames gets louder, and the night gets brighter. You peek out and realize that the main house is ablaze. The walls squeal and sag. It's about to collapse, and it will fall on top of you!
There's no way you'll survive being baked like a banana-leaf-wrapped hunk of meat. You have no choice; you'll have to jump out of the outhouse pit and take your chances somewhere else.
You flee.
S9_05_06
You throw your things over your shoulder, grab the edge of the hole, and vault out. The first burning planks from the homestead wall fall and you jump back from the embers that fly up when they hit the dirt.
This place is going up in smoke, and it'll take you with it unless you can find a way out.
Continue.
S9_death1
You throw your things over your shoulder and grab the edge of the outhouse pit, trying to drag yourself up. The edge crumbles and you tumble down. You spit out a mouthful of dirt and ready yourself to try again.
Unfortunately, the nearby homestead wall chooses this minute to come apart in a shower of heavy, burning lumber that falls, pinning you in place. The heavy smoke suffocates you before the scorching flames that lick at your clothes can set you ablaze.
Here lies one wanderer who survived everything the desert could throw at him, and then died in the can.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_06
You sprint to the open top of the cistern. Sparks from the burning forest are blown over the stone wall and ignite the grassy, overgrown garden like it was made of tinder. There's no time to waste; you grab the edge of the open hatch, lower yourself in until you're dangling in the darkness, and then let go.
You fall, dropping into a crouch. There's about two feet of water at the bottom. It's stagnant and smells like mud and decaying leaves. You look up and curse Lady Luck – the cistern is about ten feet deep. You don't know how you'll get out, but for now, you'll concentrate on surviving the fire.
Continue.
S9_06_01
As the building overhead catches fire and begins to burn to the ground, the cistern lights up and starts filling with smoke. At first it's a faint haze that makes your eyes sting, but soon enough it builds up in intensity. It's getting harder to breathe, and a few coals begin dropping through the hatch. They hit the water below and hiss. The air in here grows uncomfortably warm as the smoke grows denser. You search your backpack for any items you may have to cover yourself with.
Use an item.
Use the horse blanket.
Use the space blanket.
Use both the horse and space blanket.
Continue.
S9_06_01_0
Unfortunately, there's nothing in your inventory that can help you. You splash the foul cistern water over yourself to try to protect your exposed skin from the scorching heat, and breathe through a wet shirtsleeve to try to filter the smoke. It doesn't seem to help much. You're getting lightheaded and wondering what kind of damage your lungs are taking.
Lose -2 Stamina.
All you can do is try to endure.
Continue.
S9_06_02
You pull out the horse blanket, dampen it in the repulsive cistern water, and cover up. It protects your exposed skin from the blistering heat. You breathe through a damp shirtsleeve, trying to filter out some of the smoke.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_06_03
You pull out the space blanket. It won't help with the smoke, but the shiny surface should reflect some of the charring heat. You crouch under it, splashing foul cistern water over your exposed skin and breathing through a wet shirtsleeve to try to filter the smoke.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_06_04
You pull out both, dampen the horse blanket in the sludgy cistern water, and layer them on top of yourself. You place the heat-reflecting space blanket over the horse blanket. You crouch under this cover, breathing through a wet shirtsleeve to filter out the smoke.
This seems to be working out fairly well; you're nicely protected from both smoke and the searing heat.
Lose 0 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_06_05
You curl up tighter in the corner of the cistern as the fire rages above you. Every so often, you hear the tumbling crash of another part of the house falling as it burns. That causes eerie shadows dance on the cistern's walls and the heat spikes before dropping as the wood burns down.
Continue.
S9_06_06
Eventually, after an agonizingly long stretch of heat and misery, you hear the crackling flames subside. The air cools and the smoke slowly begins to clear. You stand up and jump, trying to see what's going on outside.
There's no glimpse of the wooden structures in this homestead. It looks like the fire has taken them all before it moved on; you're glad you didn't try to survive the fire in either of them.
It grows even cooler, and the night outside is silent apart from the wind. You think it's safe to leave the cistern, but climbing out won't be easy.
Use an item.
Use a rope.
Use a digging tool.
Use a digging tool.
Try to climb up the slick, concave walls.
S9_death2
The heat is bad, the smoke is worse. No matter how fast you breathe, you grow dizzier. The oxygen just isn't reaching you. Your lips and fingers tingle, and the world swims before your eyes. You sit with your back braced against the cistern wall. You can hear the fire still going strong, but it's getting darker in here. You slide sideways, falling facedown into the cistern water. You struggle weakly but are too weak to push yourself clear of that murky fluid. You drown.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_06_07
You tie a noose at the end of the rope and toss it over the edge of the opening, then tug. It slides back down; you didn't snag anything. It takes dozen more tries before you happen to toss the loop over something solid enough to hold your weight.
You climb hand over hand up the rope and, one meter at a time, escape the cistern.
Continue.
S9_06_08
You feel around the edges of the cistern. They're relatively smooth concrete and metal, damn it.
Then you find what you were praying for – there's a damaged section of the cistern wall. You swing your digging tool at it, knocking down chunks of ancient concrete and rusted strips of metal, until you've created your own handholds. You use them to climb up high enough to grab the edge of the open hatch, and then you pull yourself out.
You have escaped the cistern.
Continue.
S9_06_09
The sides of the cistern are discouragingly smooth, a sheer space of metal and concrete. You feel around, take a running jump, anything you can think of, but there's just nothing to grip.
What else are you going to do, lie down and die? A lesser human would, but not you.
You keep trying while your strength holds out.
S9_06_09a
You leap with all your strength, and your fingers break through part of the rusted metal walls. Your head throbs with a massive adrenaline rush - somehow, against all odds, you've found a handhold. You knock it larger, lever yourself up until you can get your boot in there, wipe the blood from your cut up fingers, and grab the edge of the open hatch.
You drag yourself up and out, escaping the deathtrap of the cistern.
Continue.
S9_06_10
You wail on the wall with the metal pipe. Rusted, jagged bits of metal and sharp chips of concrete patter against you, but you brush that aside and focus on your desperate task.
Slowly but surely, you knock some handholds into the wall. Your fingers are numb and your arm aches from the repeated impacts by the time you're done. You shake out your limbs and scale the freshly improvised climbing wall. Foot by foot, you make your way free of the cistern.
Continue.
S9_death3
You leap with all your strength, and your fingers break through part of the rusted metal walls. Your head throbs with exhaustion but, despite your weakened state, you've somehow found a handhold. You grip tightly, ignoring the blood dripping from your cut up fingers, and try to bask the handhold a little bigger.
Your bloody grip slips and you tumble back down to the cistern floor. Normally you'd shrug off a six foot drop, but you fall badly. Your neck breaks with a crack of bone giving way against the unyielding cistern floor. This place was your safehouse, and it's become your tomb.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_07
You sprint for the open hatch to the cellar. Sparks from the burning forest are blown over the stone wall and ignite the grassy, overgrown garden like it was made of tinder. There's no time to waste; you grab the opening's edge, lower yourself in until you're dangling in the darkness, and then let go.
You fall, dropping into a crouch. It's pitch black inside, but right this moment the deadly desert creatures that may be lurking inside are the least of your problems at the moment.
Continue.
S9_07_01
As the building overhead catches fire and starts to burn to the ground, the cellar lights up and begins filling with smoke. At first it's a faint haze that makes your eyes sting, but soon enough it builds up in intensity. It's getting harder to breathe, and a few coals begin dropping through the hatch. You stamp them out. The air in here grows uncomfortably warm as the smoke grows denser. You search your backpack for any items you can cover yourself with.
Use an item.
Use the horse blanket.
Use the space blanket.
Use both the horse blanket and space blanket.
Continue.
S9_07_01_0
There's nothing to help you. A wall overhead collapses, sending a shower of coals pattering through the open hatch and down onto you. You crush them out under your boot, trying to ignore the fresh burns you've gotten. Your lungs ache with the effort to inhale all of this poison.
Lose -2 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_07_02
You pull out the horse blanket and cover up, just in time as a wall overhead collapses and the roar of the fire grows louder. You hear something patter on top of of your blanket and discover that coals have dropped on top of you. You crush them out and cover yourself again, trying to filter the air you breathe through the material.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_07_03
You unbunch your space blanket and cover up. You hear a crash and the fire roars louder; it sounds like a wall overhead has collapsed. Your space blanket begins to hiss; you pull it off. It's bubbling in places. Coals have fallen through the open hatch into your pit. You crush them out and try to cover yourself again, breathing through your shirtsleeve to filter the smoke-saturated air.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_07_04
You pull out both and layer them on top of yourself, the horse blanket over the space blanket. There's a crash as a wall overhead collapses and something patters against your concealed form. You shake the blankets and some coals, which must have fallen in from the open hatch, tumble to the ground. You crush them out curl up again, trying to filter your air with your shirtsleeve.
Lose 0 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_07_05
You curl up tighter in as the fire rages above the cellar. Every so often, you hear the tumbling crash of another part of the house falling as it burns. The flames above cast spooky shadows on the cellar's walls and the heat spikes before dropping as the wood burns down.
Continue.
S9_07_06
Eventually, after a miserably long stretch of heat and discomfort, you hear the crackling flames subside. The air cools and the smoke slowly begins to clear. You stand up and peek out.
A fine layer of powdery ash has settled over the area. The wooden homestead has been reduced to smoking rubble, every building, even the outhouse. You're glad you didn't try to survive anywhere else. The fire has moved on and is now devastating a scrub-covered hill nearby.
The coals piled high around the entrance to the cellar are radiating the kind of heat you use to bake chicken breasts. You won't be climbing out immediately.
Wait until it's safe to climb out.
S9_death4
The heat is intense, the smoke is worse. No matter how fast you breathe, you grow dizzier. The oxygen just isn't reaching you. Your lips and fingers tingle, and the world swims before your eyes. You're sitting with your back braced against the cellar wall. The fire overhead is still going strong, but it's getting darker in here. You slump to the side and pass out, every breath poisoning you more. The scorpion family in the cellar lay their next brood of eggs in your navel.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_08
You've already built something like a barricade here, and you're going to make a stand. You frantically pile up all the loose rubble and building materials that you can find, building a shield against the coming flames.
And they are coming. Sparks from the burning forest blow over the stone wall and ignite the grassy, overgrown garden like it was made of tinder.
Hope for the best.
S9_08_02
The fire gets closer and closer, then embers begin to patter against your barricade. Unfortunately, since this was a wooden house, most of the rubble you used to create the barricade is wood. Bone-dry, aged lumber which goes up like gasoline soaked rags.
You're faced with a wall of flame.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_08_02_01
You have to get out of here! You dive through the fire, praying against sense that you can get out of the collapsing, burning deathtrap that you unwisely chose to stay in.
You make it through the fire. There's no time to waste. Go with your gut instincts – where to now?
You run to the outhouse. If you can force it open, you can wait out the fire in the outhouse pit.
The homestead is doomed. You're running away from it.
Run toward the low metal and concrete building by the main house.
S9_08_03
You sprint across the yard, dodging piles of brush. The outhouse is in your sights and you close the distance as fast as you can.
Sprint!
S9_08_04
You sprint through the flames, running away from the main house. The fire picks up momentum and is starting to roar, a low, chilling sound. How can you escape the hungry blaze?
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_death5
A wooden plank nearby pops and then explodes, showering you with sparks. They hit your clothes and you ignite. You throw yourself into the dirt and roll, trying to put it out. The smoke at ground level is thick and you cough uncontrollably, your clothes still smoldering and about to ignite again. Merciful darkness washes over you before that happens.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_08_05
You run to metal hatch that caps the farm's round cistern. The hatch is rusted shut, but you might be able to force open.
Use an item.
Use the metal pipe.
Use a digging tool.
Tear it open with your bare hands.
S9_08_05_01
You use the metal pipe to knock off some of the rust from the edge of the hatch, then shove the end into the revealed gap and force the cistern open. It's dark inside, and deep down you see a faint reflection of daylight. You drop a stone in and hear something splash. There's at least a small amount of water at the bottom … but it seems fairly deep. Maybe six feet?
Continue.
S9_08_05_02
You use the digging tool to knock off some of the rust from the edge of the hatch, then shove the end into the revealed gap and force the cistern open. The tool breaks.
Lose digging tool.
It's dark inside the cistern, and deep down you see a faint gleam of reflected daylight. You drop a stone inside and hear something splash. There's at least a small amount of water at the bottom … but it seems fairly deep. Maybe six feet?
You're starting to wheeze; you've inhaled a lot of smoke.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_08_05_03
You scratch at the rusted edge and finally manage to find a few gaps for your fingers. You yank on the hatch but unfortunately, it's solidly rusted shut.
The flames are drawing closer. You use that surge of adrenaline to try again.
You pull on the hatch with all the force you can muster.
S9_08_05_03a
You give a battle roar that would have impressed your berserker ancestors, and the hatch flies open.
Continue.
S9_08_05_03b
You shout at the sky and pull upwards – and manage to throw out your back.
That deep pain almost drives you to your knees. You gnash your teeth. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to not breathe. The fire behind you is getting closer, growing hotter, and your skin stings.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_death5b
Was the smoke always so thick? You shake your woozy head and turn in a slow, stumbling circle. The world is spinning; you can't tell how close the flames have come. You trip over your own feet and crumple to the ground.
Some instinct drives you to crawl on your belly toward the cistern. Each breath is harder to draw than the last as your protesting lungs begin to succumb to all the smoke you've been inhaling.
Your fingers brush the base of the cistern you were trying to get into, and you stop moving. If only you'd had a little more strength, you might have made it.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_08_06
There's no time to waste; you grab the edge of the open hatch, lower yourself in until you're dangling in the darkness, and then let go.
You fall, dropping into a crouch. It's colder in here and the place is lit by the fire crackling above. There's about two feet of water at the bottom of the cistern. It's stagnant and smells like mud and decaying leaves. You look up and curse Lady Luck – the cistern is about ten feet deep. You don't know how you'll get out, but for now, you'll concentrate on surviving the fire.
Continue.
S9_09
You run to the outhouse shack. The idea of breaking in and crouching in the … pit … isn't appealing, but neither is burning to death.
Continue.
S9_09_01
You pull on the door hard, trying to force it open, but the mix of sand and mud that has built up against it has hardened like concrete. This won't be easy to pry open.
Use an item.
Use a Digging Tool.
You pull with all the strength in your calloused hands.
S9_09_03
You force the door open and push inside. There's no time to waste looking around; you kick hard at the rotting wooden floor and it falls in. You dive into the revealed outhouse pit as the flames close around your little shelter.
Continue.
S9_09_04
You pull, then pull again. It's budging … a few millimeters at a time.
You look over your shoulder. The flames are licking at your heels; you can feel the crackling heat and your cotton shirt is starting to smell like tinder.
Lose -1 Stamina.
You just don't have the time needed to get the outhouse open.
There's one option left, the one you've been trying to avoid. You need to flee the questionable 'shelter' of the homestead and hope you get lucky in the certain danger of the burning desert.
You sprint for the gap in the stone wall.
S9_death6
The heat makes your head swim. You stagger, then fall face-first against the outhouse door. It's open just a crack, not nearly far enough for you to make it in.
The fire spreads to the next source of fuel … the outhouse you're leaning against. You mumble in distress and roll aside You're breathing shallowly in the smoke-saturated air and trying to summon the strength to crawl away. Before you manage that, the outhouse collapses into a heap of burning timber … which falls on top of you.
The homestead has claimed your life.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_10
You change your mind about staying here at the homestead and decide to make a run for it instead.
Continue.
S9_11_01
You squint through the billowing smoke.
There's two paths out: you can try to scale the rockfall and cliff walls at the back of the valley, or you can run out of the homestead and through the line of flames that have engulfed the forest and flee into the open desert beyond.
You run through the flames into the desert.
You run to the cliffs.
S9_12
You run for the gap in the stone wall, leaping over the fallen wooden gate, which is now burning merrily. You land in the dirt beyond that.
So this is what hell looks like, a landscape of blackening trees, falling ashes and orange sparks whipping past you on a wind hotter and drier than the noonday sun.
You press your shirtsleeve to your mouth and pray you have the strength to push through the fires.
Use an item.
Use the space blanket.
Use the horse blanket.
Run.
S9_12_01
You sprint down the path that leads away from the homestead. The ruined windmill is up ahead, its' metal reflecting liquid red firelight. The cottonwood tree near it cracks in half from the heat of the forest fire. You bat aside falling limbs and your shirt catches on fire.
Lose -1 Stamina.
You drop and roll in the dirt, putting it out. You hiss; burns lace up and down your forearm and the pain is blinding.
Continue.
S9_12_02
Wait – your space blanket! You pull it out and wrap it over your head and shoulders. Hopefully, the shiny surface will reflect the heat of any flames you encounter.
You sprint down the path that leads away from the homestead. The ruined windmill is up ahead, its' metal reflecting liquid red firelight. The cottonwood tree near it cracks in half from the heat of the forest fire.
Continue.
S9_12_03
Wait – your horse blanket! You pull it out and wrap it over your head and shoulders. Hopefully, the densely padded blanket will insulate you from the coming flames.
You sprint down the path that leads away from the homestead. The ruined windmill is up ahead, its' metal reflecting liquid red firelight. The cottonwood tree near it cracks in half from the heat of the forest fire.
A few coals whipping by scorch your relatively unprotected legs. You hiss at the sharp pain that spreads through you from burns peppering your calves and shins. You drop and slap at your pants, putting out the coals.
Continue.
S9_12_04
You limp as fast as possible down the path that leads away from the homestead. The ruined windmill is up ahead, its' metal reflecting liquid red firelight. The cottonwood tree near it cracks in half from the heat of the forest fire. You bat aside falling limbs and your shirt catches on fire.
Lose -2 Stamina.
You drop and roll in the dirt, putting the flames out out.
Continue.
S9_12_05
Wait – your space blanket! You pull it out and wrap it over your head and shoulders. Hopefully, the shiny surface will reflect the heat of any flames you encounter.
You limp as fast as possible down the path that leads away from the homestead. The ruined windmill is up ahead, its' metal reflecting liquid red firelight. The cottonwood tree near it cracks in half from the heat of the forest fire. Unfortunately, your Mylar space blanket is not fireproof. It ignites, and as you struggle free of the flaming material, your shirt catches fire.
Lose -1 Stamina.
You drop and roll in the dirt, putting the flames out.
Continue.
S9_12_06
Wait – your horse blanket! You pull it out and wrap it over your head and shoulders. Hopefully, the densely padded blanket will insulate you from the coming flames.
You limp as fast as possible down path that leads away from the homestead. The ruined windmill is up ahead, its' metal reflecting liquid red firelight. The cottonwood tree near it cracks in half from the heat of the forest fire. Unfortunately, your Mylar space blanket is not fireproof. It ignites, and as you struggle free of the flaming material, your shirt catches fire.
A few coals whipping by scorch your relatively unprotected legs.
Lose -1 Stamina.
Continue.
S9_12_07
You force yourself to keep moving. You are an avalanche rolling down the mountain, a bull closing on that red flag, a train hurtling along its track – nothing will stop you!
You charge through the forest, shrugging off the scorched shrubs that snag at your tattered pants, brushing off the embers that blow toward you.
The open desert lies ahead and you run, run into that soothing darkness as the homestead behind you goes down in a roaring inferno of flame.
You're significantly worse for wear but still alive.
Run like the wind.
S9_death7
You're disoriented by pain and dizzy from the smoke you inhaled. You struggle to your feet. Another burning branch falls off of the dead cottonwood and you catch fire again. You shout breathlessly in alarm and stagger backwards, tripping over a support pillar that was once part of the ruined windmill. You fall, striking the back of your head against the metal and the brightly lit world turns cold and dark.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_13
You work your way between the scorched garden, which is now a grey dusted bed of embers, and the still-burning pile of wood from the crushed barn. The boulder field is up ahead. The firelight doesn’t penetrate far into the darkness around the rockfall and the cliff these stones peeled away from. It's going to be unstable, unpredictable, and an extremely challenging climb.
If you have anything that might help, now's the time to get it out.
Use an item.
You're going up, in the dark, by hand.
You climb with a rope.
You run back for the ladder from the windmill.
S9_13_01
You get to the cliff and start climbing up by hand. It's a terrible dilemma; you need to get out of here fast, but since you're feeling your way along and sometimes even guessing where the next handhold is, going fast could get you killed. Adrenaline pumps through you, and you have to blink sweat out of your eyes.
Climb up the cliff.
S9_13_01a
You ascend, picking up speed towards the top where you can hold onto some roots from a juniper tree up there. As you lever yourself up, sparks from the forest fire that's racing up the mesa reach the juniper and its dry needles ignite immediately and drop from the tree.
You can't protect your face and pull yourself up at the same time. You make it up, but you've been showered in a burning rain of embers.
Lose -2 Stamina.
You double over in pain, fighting to breathe.
Continue.
S9_13_01_02
You slap the embers out. The pain cuts through the haze of exhaustion that has settled over your brain and, in a final burst of defiant strength, you take off running. You are an avalanche rolling down the mountain, a bull closing on that red flag, a train hurtling along its track – nothing will stop you!
The desert stretches ahead of you
You charge through the forest, shrugging off the scorched shrubs that snag at your tattered pants and brushing off the embers that blow toward you.
The open desert lies ahead and you run, run into that soothing darkness as the homestead behind you goes down in a roaring inferno of flame.
You're significantly worse for wear but still alive.
Run like the wind.
S9_death8
The pain is overwhelming, it squeezes around you like a vice. You can't breathe, and your chest – your chest is so tight …
At your last physical you got a clean bill of health, but the days of dehydration, nutrient deprivation, and suffering that you've experienced has triggered a heart condition that you didn't know you had.
If this had happened in a major city, you might have gotten to the hospital in time. As it is, your survival journey and your hopes of rescue go up in flames.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_13_02
You pace back and forth, looking for something to anchor the rope too. A gust of wind fans the flames, and they flare brighter and hotter. In that flash of light, you see a juniper tree growing at the top of the cliff. It has miraculously not caught fire. Yet.
You tie a fist sized rock to the rope, whisper a prayer to Lady Luck, and toss it with all your strength.
Somehow, you make the shot. The rope is anchored, and you can go up. lasso the rope around the tall tree at the top of the cliffs, one that miraculously hasn't caught fire. Yet.
You ascend, picking up speed when the trailing bottom of the rope ignites. You race the fire that is running up the rope. Your destination is almost at hand, but the fire below you is closing fast.
Lose Rope.
The race is on. Which will get to the top first, you or the fire burning along your climbing rope?
S9_13_02a
You make it to the top and grab hold of some roots from the juniper tree, tossing the fire-licked rope aside. As you lever yourself up, sparks from the forest fire that's racing up the mesa reach the juniper and its dry needles ignite immediately and drop from the tree.
You can't protect your face and pull yourself up at the same time. You make it up, but you've been showered in a burning rain of embers.
Lose -1 Stamina.
You double over in pain, fighting to breathe.
S9_13_03
That ladder could save your life. You're so sure of this that you turn and head into the heart of the forest fire. You run back through the burning homestead, leap over the flaming, fallen gate in the stone fence, and sprint for the disintegrated windmill down the path. The forest is gouting with flame and you must dodge them as best as you can.
You run for it.
S9_13_03a
You spot the ladder immediately. The metal reflects a liquid red light from the flames of burning brush that are licking up around it.
This won't be fun …
You grit your teeth and grab the heated metal ladder.
You force yourself not to think about the burns forming on your hands or the smoke tainting your lungs. You have other problems.
You need to get back to the cliff.
S9_13_03b
You look around the area of the wrecked windmill. Where's the ladder? You kick aside a charred creosote bush. It rolls to a halt against some branches and bursts into flames.
The ladder's metal reflects the red and gold flare of light from the burning shrub. Flames are are licking up around it from both ends.
That metal looks really hot. This won't be fun …
You grit your teeth and grab the heated metal ladder.
Lose -1 Stamina.
You choke out a curse and try not to think about the burns spreading on your hands or the smoke and roasting-hotdog smell that fills your lungs. No, you have other problems.
You need to get back to the cliff.
S9_13_04
You make it back through the flames and set your hard-won ladder against the cliff. You scramble up. The ladder doesn't quite reach the top, but you reach up high and snag some roots danging from a juniper that grew at the cliff's edge and hasn't yet caught fire.
You scramble to the top and, in a final burst of defiant strength, take off running. You are an avalanche rolling down the mountain, a bull closing on that red flag, a train hurtling along its track – nothing will stop you!
The open desert stretches ahead of you. The forest and the homestead behind you go down in a roaring inferno of flame.
You're worse for wear but still alive.
Run like the wind.
S9_death9
You're disoriented by pain from your blistered hands and numerous other injuries, and you've gotten dizzy from inhaling too much smoke. You stagger, the ladder dropping from your loose fingers. A burning branch falls off of the dead cottonwood nearby and knocks you flat. You fall, striking the back of your head against the a metal pole that used to be part of the windmill. The brightly lit world turns cold and dark.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
S9_homestead_continue
It's too dark, and the fire-devastated area too dangerous, to leave right that moment. Fortunately, by the time you got out of the cistern, anything flammable in the homestead had already burnt down. You wait out the rest of night, warming yourself by the coals of the incinerated outhouse.
Dawn breaks, but that rising sun isn't the most welcome sight. No, that would be the emergency helicopters that appear in the distance. They're darting among the hills, apparently patrolling the area of the burn.
You wave frantically and, miraculously, they see you. The helicopter lands nearby and you share the broad strokes of your story.
It's quite a tale, but you answer all their questions clearly and eventually convince them you had nothing to do with the forest fire.
You're escorted into the nearest town, and someone lends you a phone to call for help.
Well, you lost your car and your weekend, but you gained a hell of a story.
THE END
S9_desert_continue
You wander the desert as the night passes and into the morning. When you fall, you pick yourself up. When you take a leak, you consider drinking it. Well … maybe next time. Vultures are circling overhead and you flip them off – they'll have to wait. You aren't dead yet.
The birds scatter and you realize that pounding sound wasn't the blood throbbing in your head. No, that would be the emergency helicopters that spotted you as they surveyed the extent of the fire.
The helicopter lands and personnel come out to talk to you. You're so happy that your face mysteriously gets wet. It must be a little ash in your eyes. The emergency crew are staring at you, taking in your singed hair and tattered clothes.
It takes them a few moments longer than is probably professional to start moving toward you. Wow, do you really look that bad?
Eh... quite possibly.
Nevertheless, they wrap a blanket around your shoulders and start leading you toward their chopper where a cooler of what you're hoping is beer but probably is Gatorade or something like that awaits.
As the helicopter takes off you're rewarded for the last few days of suffering with spectacular views of the mesas and canyons as they start to glow with the brightness of dawn. The reds and yellows of the sandstone almost look like flames when they catch the sunlight, but rather than bring back unpleasant memories of the night before, they remind you of everything you've just accomplished.
Okay Utah, you think to yourself, we're still on. We're doing this again next year.
But... next time maybe you'll bring a satellite phone. And a map.
THE END
S9_cellar_continue
You seem to be out of danger right now – there's nothing else to catch fire and fall in so you might as well bunk for the night down here.
Dawn comes after a few sleepless but not too miserable hours. You're about to leave when the daylight slanting in glints off of something shiny. There's something wedged in the gap between two stones in the cellar wall. It's a thin length of chain. You tug at it and a silver pocket watch slides out.
It's the old fashioned type that winds by twisting the screw at the top. You give it a turn and, amazingly, it begins to tik-tik-tik away. The watch's back has been initialed, probably with the name of the homesteader who built this place. You slip it into your pocket. You've more than earned it.
You climb out of the cellar and spot an emergency helicopter in the distance. It's bobbing over the hills, tracing the path of the forest fire. You wave frantically and, miraculously, they see you. The helicopter lands nearby and you share with them the broad strokes of your story.
It's quite a tale, but you answer all their questions clearly and eventually convince them you had nothing to do with the forest fire.
You're escorted into the nearest town, and someone lends you a phone to call a buddy for help.
Well, you lost your car and your weekend, but you gained an amazing story and something else, something a little special ...
A month later, you're on the Antiques Across America show. People come from miles around to have the curious and heirlooms in their closets appraised, and maybe earn a few minutes of fame.
The appraiser looks over your watch and his eyebrows shoot up. He asks where you came across this famous retired desperado's engraved pocket watch.
You launch into the story of your amazing adventure, throwing in every colorful detail you can remember.
The appraiser laughs nervously, slides over a card with an estimated number, and hurries away.
Unfortunately, your segment is cut from the aired show. You didn't get your Five Minutes of Fame after all …
THE END
A month later, you're on the Antiques Across America show. People come from miles around to have the curious and heirlooms in their closets appraised, and maybe earn a few minutes of fame.
The appraiser looks over your watch and his eyebrows shoot up. He asks where you came across this famous retired desperado's engraved pocket watch.
You cross your arms, give him your best steely-eyed glare, and suggest he gets on with it.
The appraiser laughs nervously, slides over a card with an estimated number, and hurries away.
Fortunately, your segment is cut from the aired show. Looks like they made the right choice. You can't risk your face being broadcasted around, as you made clear to the hosts.
THE END
water_loss_death
You've grown too thirsty. You black out and there, on that desert sand and under the merciless elements, you join the hosts of other, unwary travelers that underestimated the deadly threat of the desert and overestimated their own reserves.
Perhaps there might have been something in your inventory that could have helped you avoid this fate.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
generic_death
Thirst is the boogeyman of the desert, dehydration the obvious threat.
But you discover that hunger, exhaustion, and injury can all combine
to create a more subtle, but just as lethal, killer. You black out
and there, on that desert sand and under the merciless elements, you
join the hosts of other, unwary travelers that underestimated the
deadly threat of the desert and overestimated their own reserves.
Perhaps there might have been something in your inventory that could have helped you avoid this fate.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)
contaminated_water_death
You double over, groaning and clutching your stomach. It feels like
your intestines are trying to burst out of your body! If you were
feeling stronger, you might have been able to...
What was in that foul liquid? Arsenic? Ebola? Mutated Giardia?
Whatever it was, it's ultimately fatal.
Perhaps there might have been something in your inventory that could have helped you avoid this fate.
Reload your browser to play again.
Additional materials (map, items list, gameplay tips, etc.) are available HERE (contains spoilers)