This game involves some waiting around until people show up at specific times. Each turn is one minute. To speed things up, you can use numbers, like wait 30 minutes, or just wait for [name]. If anything happens or anyone in the room with you does anything while you are waiting, you will be asked whether you wish to continue waiting.

The Shanty and Lighthouse

Wind your watch. (Ya, srsly.) Stand up out of bed. Get the note, read it, and drop it. Note the current time in the status line. Better get down to the Shanty quick if you're going to make an 8:30 appointment! Open the dresser and get the key. Open the door and leave the room to the Upstairs Hallway. Close the door and lock it.

Go down, north, east four times along Wharf Road, and south into the Shanty. Sit down, as Johnny asks. Order some food and water. Eat the meal and drink the water. Wait three turns while the Weasel turns up. When Johnny asks if you're interested in the deal, say yes. Note that you should meet at the lighthouse at 9:30. Stand up and leave the Shanty.

From Wharf Road outside the Shanty, go west four times, southwest twice, and northwest to a Winding Road location near the lighthouse ("the road ends at the lighthouse to the north"). Wait here for Pete the Rat, who will arrive last after Johnny and the Weasel (9 turns, or if you wait for Pete, answer yes when prompted if you want to keep waiting). Save a game here if you want to choose which of the two storylines you play; the game doesn't decide until Johnny actually shows you the object from the shipwreck. Wait one more turn. Examine the coin or plate that Johnny pulls out. Note that you need to get money, meet Johnny at Point Lookout at 10:45, and then meet in the Shanty at 11:45.

For Your Amusement:
Get drunk at the Shanty by ordering grog and drinking it four times. (save first)

Mariners' Trust

Go southeast, northeast twice, south, up to the Upstairs Hallway at the Red Boar. Unlock your door, open it, and go in to Your Room. Get the passbook. The shipwreck book is a game-package item that you use to determine which of two possible shipwrecks you will salvage; you can ignore the in-game item. If Johnny showed you a gold coin, it's the Sao Vera, at lat/long 40/45 and deeper than 200 feet; if he showed you a dinner plate, it's the Leviathan, at lat/long 25/25 and shallower than 200 feet.

Leave the room and close and lock the door. Go down, north, east four times, southeast, south twice, southwest, and north into Mariners' Trust. Withdraw $500. Go south, northeast, north, north, northwest, west four times, south, up back to your room at the inn. Unlock the door, open it, go in, and put your passbook back in the dresser. Leave, close the door, and lock it again. (You don't want to carry your passbook into Outfitters, because if McGinty sees it in your possession, he will become suspicious and will prevent you from renting the necessary boat. That means you lose the game, but, annoyingly, you won't find that out until the game allows you to sleep at 11:30 PM.)

Lookout Point and Outfitters International

Go down, north, east four times, southeast, south twice, and southeast to Point Lookout. Wait here for Johnny to show up at about 10:45 AM. Show him the money. When he asks whether the treasure is more than 200 feet deep, tell him yes if he showed you the gold coin (Sao Vera) or no if he showed you the dinner plate (Leviathan). Johnny will leave. Follow him back to Outfitters International (northwest, north, north, northwest, west, south).

Wait 2-3 turns for McGinty to leave. Wait 1 more turn and Johnny will rent the appropriate boat. Give money to salesman to pay for your part of the boat rental. Buy shark repellent and a flashlight. If you have rented the Mary Margaret (coin, Sao Vera), buy a dry cell. If you have the Night Wind (plate, Leviathan), buy putty, the electromagnet, and the C battery, and rent the air compressor.

High tide on September 19 (the date is in your passbook) is at 2:30 AM, so you need to be on the boat at 2:00 AM.

For Your Amusement:
Rob the bank, yourself, or someone else.
Put your passbook on the bank table.
Ask the teller about money.
Take McGinty's cigar.

The Secret Meeting

Go north and east. By now you have seen a notice you are thirsty, so nip south into the Shanty for a drink. When done, go out to Wharf Road and go southeast, south, south, southwest, west, and west to the Ferry Landing. Wait here for McGinty and the Weasel to have a secret meeting at 12:00 noon. You don't need to hear what they say, just note that the Weasel hands something to McGinty. Keep waiting.

After McGinty heads off to the east a few minutes after noon, go east, east, northeast, north, northwest, west three times to the Back Alley location just south of the back door of McGinty Salvage. Look through the window into McGinty's office. Wait, then look again. You should see McGinty sitting at his desk. Wait twice and look again; McGinty should be gone. Open the window and climb through it. Get the envelope and go back south through the window. Close the window. Examine the envelope. (Hmmm! Wonder what "deal" they made that required the Weasel to give "collateral" to McGinty?)

Go east, north, and north to Wharf Road. If you are on the Mary Margaret, skip to the next section now. If you are on the Night Wind, go west twice, south, up, unlock the door and open it, and into your bedroom. Examine the closet and get the wet suit, air tank, diving mask, and flippers. Leave and go down, north, east twice.

Aboard the Boat

Go north onto the Wharf. For the Mary Margaret, go east and northeast, or for the Night Wind go west and northwest. Go down to the Crew's Quarters. Hide the envelope under your mattress. Wait for Johnny. Tell him the coordinates (Johnny, latitude is ... and Johnny, longitude is ...) - the Sao Vera (coin, Mary Margaret) is at lat. 40, long. 45; the Leviathan (plate, Night Wind) is at lat. 25, long. 25. Wait 4 turns until he returns and tells you to get some sleep. Lie down and wait 1 turn.

When you wake, stand and get the envelope. Go south three times to the Captain's Cabin. Show the envelope to Johnny. Go north and up to the Aft Deck, then return down. Ha-ha, the Weasel's got his! Go north into the Galley and eat and drink. Go north twice more into the Storage Locker.

For Your Amusement:
When Johnny asks you for the coordinates, give him those of Hardscrabble Island itself (latitude 20, longitude 25).

The Sao Vera (Mary Margaret)

Get everything here. Examine the machine. Open the compartment, put the dry cell inside, and close it again. Go south three times, then up to Aft Deck. Wear the deep-sea suit. Examine the compressor. Attach the hose to the suit. Turn on the flashlight. Turn on the compressor. Dive 8 times (when a shark approaches, open the canister) and you will land on the Top Deck of the wreck.

Go down and south to a barnacled area of Middle Deck. Get one of the bars. Go south twice more to a housing area of Middle Deck. Move the bunks with the bar, then wedge the bar under the bunks. Go south, down, and north twice to one of the large holds Below Decks. Notice the oak chest. Turn on the machine. Since it's clicking extremely fast, that means you've found the chest with the treasure. Push the chest west to Ocean Floor. In the room description you may see an orange line swing by. If not, wait; when it does, tie it to the chest.

Return east, then north to the lounge room of Below Decks. Examine the skeletons and get the sword. Go north to one of the cabins of Below Decks, where there is a maple chest. Push the maple chest along as you go south four times. Stand on the chest and go up through the hole to a cabin on Middle Deck. Go north twice to "a galley or a pantry" on Middle Deck. Push the cask north twice. Stand on the cask. Cut the rope with the sword. Drop the sword and machine and climb the rope to the bow of Top Deck. Return to the surface by going up 8 times. Congratulations, treasure hunter!

The Leviathan (Night Wind)

Fill the air tank with the compressor. Examine the drill. Open the panel, get the C battery and put it inside, and close it again. Wear the wet suit, flippers, mask, and air tank. Get all the other items. Go south three times, then up to the Aft Deck. Turn on the flashlight. Dive twice. When a shark approaches, open the canister. Dive a third time and you will land on the Top Deck of the wreck.

Go down twice more to Below Decks, south, open the door, and south to another Below Decks location that was a "mine locker". Put the electromagnet against the mine. Turn on the electromagnet and drop it. Go up to Middle Deck. Remove your air tank and go south twice through the passage to the purser's cabin. Turn on the drill. Drill the safe with the drill. (You must specify using the drill; you can't just say drill safe). Turn off the drill. Get the glass case. Go north twice back to the dining room and wear your air tank again. Go down, north, and up to the passenger compartment in the middle deck. Turn on the drill and drill the case with the drill. Open the tube of putty and put the putty on the crack. Go down, north, and up five times. Congratulations, treasure hunter!

For Your Amusement at various times:
Tell time.
Follow, swing, and touch yourself.
Throw something at someone.
Search the Weasel multiple times.
Smell Pete the Rat, or any other character.
Eat another character.

Extras

For further entertainment, you may be interested in:
Lists of bugs in Cutthroats: Nathan Simpson, Graeme Cree, XyzzyNews
Posts about this game at The Adventure Gamer, The Digital Antiquarian
Source code

Points

Action	Points
Hardscrabble Island
Sit down in the Shanty	20
Secret meeting on the Winding Road	20
Get passbook	10
Show money to Johnny	20
Pay for boat rental	20
Sleep on the boat	20
Sao Vera
Arrive at Top Deck of the wreck	20
Wedge bar under bunks	10
Tie line to chest	15
Enter Middle Deck	10
Cut rope with sword	15
Return to the surface	25
...with the treasure	25
...and don't get killed	20
Leviathan
Arrive at Top Deck of the wreck	20
Enter Middle Deck	25
Get glass case	25
Return to the surface	25
...with the treasure	25
...and don't get killed	20
Total	250

Last updated: 3/09/2021