This walkthrough takes the long path through the game that includes the Land of the Dead. It does not yet provide information on the short path where you disguise Alexander with Beauty's slave clothes to enter the Castle of the Crown.
The Isle of the Crown
Move the long wooden beam that's stuck in the sand. Open the box underneath. Get the glinting coin from the box. Pick up the insignia ring that's sparkling in the sand to the left of the shoreline, near the grey rock. Go north, then northeast to the Castle of the Crown. Talk to the guard dogs. Show them your ring. Watch the cut-scene, and notice the glinting eye of the gentleman in the background.
Return south, then take the northwest fork into the village. Go into Ali's Books. Look at the table by the door and take the book you see there. Talk to the shopkeeper. When done, click the hand on the far right section of shelves. Pick up the piece of paper that falls. Look at the book on the counter, and click the hand on it. Exit the shop.
Go north. Hold still a moment and you will witness a girl being abused by her stepmother. Continue west. Ignore the boy and step onto the ship. Knock on the cabin door. Talk to the ferryman. Once inside, talk again until he repeats himself. Take the rabbit's foot on the table. Leave the ferry and return to the village.
Stop in at the bookshop again. You're looking to meet the clown Jollo, who will be sitting in the center of the room when he appears. Talk to him and show him your ring. (Note that he wants to find Sing Sing, Cassima's nightingale.) Leave the bookshop.
Go next door to the Pawn Shoppe. Take a mint from the jar on the counter. Talk to the shopkeeper to ask about the magic map that the ferryman mentioned. Offer your ring in trade for the map. Watch the cut scene. (Notice that this Shamir is the same person you saw in the background when you met with Alhazred before.) Give the shopkeeper the copper coin and take the windup nightingale. Leave the shop.
Go south to the fork in the road. Click the nightingale on Sing Sing to make Alexander wind it and attract the bird from the upper branch. Return northwest to the village. Search the pot of trash to find a bottle of invisible ink. Go either northwest and west, or south twice to the beach. Click the map on Alexander to look at it, and click on the Isle of the Sacred Mountain. Whoa!
For Your Amusement:
Look at, touch, and talk to everything in the pawn shop. The shelves to the right of the bear and the shelves of bottles behind the counter have plenty of references to other King's Quests.
Touch the cookbooks in the far left section of the bookstore.
Talk to and touch the fire in the bookstore.
Touch the ferryman.
Of Wondrous Things and Dangling Participles
Get the feather and flower that are on the beach. Get out the map again and click on the Isle of Wonder. Talk to the oyster. Click the boring book on him to read him to sleep. When he yawns, quickly snatch the pearl. Try to exit the screen and 5 gnomes will appear. Use the flower of stench on the smell gnome, the nightingale on the hearing gnome, the mint on the taste gnome, the rabbit's foot on the touch gnome, and use the ink on yourself for the sight gnome. Pick up the pink thing that's floating in the water. Go east. Touch a book to find out what the Bookworm would trade for a rare book. Go back to the beach, get out the map, and go to the Isle of the Beast.
Look at the funny little creature hanging from the tree. It's the Dangling Participle that the Bookworm said he wanted. Talk to it three times, then click the pink "Where?" on it.
Go back to the Isle of Wonder. Go east. Talk to the books to call up Bookworm. Give the beastie to the Bookworm and you'll get a rare book. Read it by clicking the hand on it in inventory. Look at the spiderweb at the bottom left. Pull on the loose thread at the bottom of the web, then get the paper while Black Widow is fixing the web. (Look familiar?) Go back west to the beach, then north and west. Pick a head of iceberg lettuce from the patch in the curve of the path. Return south and southeast to the beach. Go back to the Isle of the Beast.
Go north. Throw the lettuce in the pool. Get the lamp that's hanging from the tree. Go north one more screen. Get the brick from near the right side of the gate. (Ignore the gardener.) Go back south twice and go to the Isle of the Crown.
Go north and northwest to the village. Read the poster that has appeared on the wall near the gate to the next screen. Enter the pawn shop. Trade the pearl for your ring and the nightingale for the flute. Go to the bookshop. (If you see Jollo, you will automatically talk to him. It isn't required to finish the game, but if he's not there, you may want to leave and return until you see him.) Trade the rare book for the book of spells. Read through the spellbook. Go south to the fork in the road and give the ring to Sing Sing. You will receive a hair ribbon. Search the ribbon to find a strand of hair. Give the bird the love poetry. Pick up the note the bird brings back. Go south to the beach and to the Isle of Wonder.
Go north to the swamp. Pick a bottle of milk from the base of the tree. Go west into the garden. Give the milk to one of the Baby's Tears. Catch some tears from one of the other Baby's Tears in the lamp. Get the teacup from the chair at the top right of the screen. Try to take the Hole in the Wall. Play the flute and grab the Hole in the Wall while the flowers dance. (This can be quite a hard thing to do in the GOG version, because the flowers stop dancing almost instantly after Alexander's animation is finished. Try this: Slow down the game speed a lot. After clicking the flute on Alex to play it, position the cursor over the Hole in the Wall. As soon as you have control, immediately right-click twice to switch to the hand cursor, and left-click.) Get the rotten tomato from the tomato vine nearest the path.
Go north through the garden gate to Chessboard Land. Talk to the knights, then try to walk between them. Watch the cut scene. After the queens leave, pick up the scarf that the Red Queen left behind. Go back south twice to the swamp. Click the teacup on the swamp near the shore (it may take a few tries to find the right spot). Give Rotten Tomato to Bump-on-the-Log. After the scene, click the teacup on the swamp ooze that's on Bump. Go south, then back to the Isle of the Crown.
Go to the pawn shop and trade the flute for the tinderbox. Make sure you also have the scarf, Hole in the Wall, and brick. Go to the beach and go to the Isle of the Sacred Mountain.
For Your Amusement:
Look at the bees in Bookworm's screen.
Click the hand on the Dangling Participle in your inventory window.
Repeatedly talk to Rotten Tomato in your inventory.
The Cliffs of Logic and Labyrinth
Read the puzzle written in the cliff wall. Press RISE, one letter in each word. Carefully walk up the steps by clicking the walk icon on each one. (In the Steam version makes this a bit tricky. Alexander is supposed to wobble if you stand still for too long, but some kind of timing issue makes him do this "Whoa!" animation almost instantly, and repeatedly. Just keep clicking on the next step until you manage to interrupt it.) A fall from any stone past the sixth will result in death, so you may want to save after solving each puzzle, or just before attempting the next.
For the second puzzle, spell SOAR by pressing the following symbols:
For the third puzzle, press the rightmost, leftmost, and then left center buttons.
For the fourth puzzle, press the following symbols, which stand for the "Sacred Four": tranquility, azure, caterpillar, and air.
The fifth puzzle is like the first; spell ASCEND.
At the top, ignore the genie in the form of an old woman, who will try to give you nightshade. Wait until the genie leaves.
Enter the little cave to your right by clicking the hand on the opening, being careful not to touch the bush. Light the tinderbox by clicking it on Alexander. Walk over to the opening revealed at the far right of the screen and go through it. Get some mint from the green plant. Exit the cave by going back the way you came in (you don't have to light the tinderbox a second time).
Go north. You will be taken to Lord Azure and Lady Aeriel, then to the catacombs. (That is, assuming you have all the necessary items to solve them, which were mentioned at the end of the last section. If not, Alexander will not say "I am ready" and you'll be deposited back at the top of the cliffs.) Save the game. The game manual may be helpful for the map, but it's not necessary, since unlike KQ5, this maze does not rotate with your point of view.
Go N N E E N. Take the skull that's sitting alone on the ground. S W W N W. In this room, walk up to the rose tile, diagonally to the adjacent rose, diagonally to the next rose, up to the scythe, up to the crown, diagonally to the dove, diagonally to the skull and crossbones, down to the blank in front of the door, then out. N. Get the shield from the wall. N N N W W. Get the coins from the eyes of the skeleon on the north wall. E E S E. Throw the brick in the gears. Exit to the east after the trap springs open. E N E.
In the room Alexander falls to, light the tinder box. W W W W W S S E. Notice that the sound of the Minotaur is very loud in here. Put the Hole in the Wall on the eastern wall and look through it. W N N E E E E E. S S S S W W W N N. The tapestry on the east wall is the one you saw through the hole. Move the tapestry to find the secret catch. Ready the scarf as your active object and save the game. Go east. Walk a little further into the room so the Minotaur notices you. After you are backed towards the flames, quickly click the scarf on the Minotaur. Watch the scene. Afterwards, pour the sacred water from the Oracle's pool into the lamp.
For Your Amusement:
Climb a few steps up the Cliffs of Logic, then click on the ground to make Alexander fall. Repeat twice.
Click the hand on the nightshade berry bush to accept the genie's offer. (save first)
Let Alexander get crushed in the ceiling trap room. (save first)
Return north from the top of the Cliffs of Logic, in defiance of your promise to Lord Azure that you would not return.
Beauty and the Beast and Druid Mysteries
Go to the Isle of the Mists. (Soooo... why are there Druids in the King's Quest universe?) Go west to the campground. Get the scythe that's hanging on the big tree to the left and a lump of charcoal from the firepit. Return south to the beach and go to the Isle of the Beast.
Go north, cross the pool, and click the shield on the stone archer in the next screen. Try to walk through the hedge. Use the scythe on the rose bushes. After the scene with Beast, go south. Pick a white rose from the hedge. Go south twice and go back to the Isle of the Crown.
Go through the village to the manor house with the rose bushes. Give the girl the white rose. Show her Beast's ring. She will go with you; you will automatically be taken back to the Isle of the Beast.
After the scene is over, get some fountain water with the lamp. Cast the "Make Rain" spell. On the way back to the beach, pick another white rose. Go to the Isle of Wonder. Head north and west to the garden. Get the bottle on the table. Continue north to Chessland. Give the White Queen the lump of charcoal to get her rotten egg.
Go to the Isle of the Mists, and get caught. Relax and watch the scene. After it's over, fill the skull with embers from the fire.
For Your Amusement:
Use the scythe on yourself.
Go east from the Druid encampment. (save first)
After talking to Beast the first time, wait around long enough for Alexander to turn into a beast as well. (save first)
The Land of the Dead
Go to the Isle of the Sacred Mountain. Climb the cliffs. You will see Night Mare. Add the egg and the hair to the skull. Cast the "Charming a Creature of the Night" spell, and you will ride Night Mare to the Land of the Dead. Talk to the ghosts of the King and Queen and receive a ticket. Avoid the touch of the other ghosts and zombies. (In the Steam version, this might take some quick clicking, especially on this first screen.) Go east. Talk to the hovering ghost and receive her handkerchief. Walk north to the gates. (This scene should look familiar if you've ever died in this game.) Play the bone xylophone. Get the skeleton key. Give the ticket to the gatekeeper on the right of the bridge and enter the Land of the Dead.
When walking around in here, click carefully along the path, rather than just jumping to the exit, and be careful not to fall into the Styx. Look at the suit of armor and get the gauntlet. Exit to the north. Get some water with the teacup. Give the coins to the boatman. You will be ferried across the Styx. Walk up near -- but not too near -- to Gate and attempt to open it (him?). Talk to Gate. The answer to the riddle is LOVE (remember the paper from Black Widow's web?). Talk to one of the guardians, or simply approach the Lord of the Dead. Click the gauntlet on him, then the magic mirror. Watch the scene. You will end up on the Isle of the Crown.
For Your Amusement:
Talk to the pathway.
Fall or walk into the Styx. (save first)
Touch Gate a second time. (save first)
While standing before Death, wait and don't do anything. (save first)
Use the boring book on Death. (You have enough time that saving before doing this isn't strictly necessary, but afterwards you should quickly take the proper action!)
Defeating Alhazred
Go over the hill and give the rose to Sing-Sing. Go to the pawn shop. Notice that the genie is there in the shape of the old man in a black cloak. Drink the contents of the "Drink Me" bottle. Note the shape and color of the genie's bottle when watching the cut scene. When you regain control of Alexander, trade the tinderbox for the paintbrush. Exit the shop. Trade the hunter's lamp to the peddler for the one that matches the shape of the genie's.
Go to the castle and walk around the side, to the left. Stir the teacup contents with the horse feather. Click the brush on the wall to paint a doorway. Cast the Magic Paint spell. Save the game. Open the door. Listen for approaching guards in here, and be careful. You can dodge around corners or into dungeon cells to hide from the guard dogs.
Go east down the hallway and into the door at top right. Talk to Jollo and give him the lamp. Go back to where you entered the dungeon. Go into the middle cell. When the boy ghost appears, give him the handkerchief. Go to the north hallway and move the arm on the suit of armor. Look through the chink in the wall. Go up the stairs. Ignore the second chink in the wall for now and go west into the hallway. Follow it around and peer through the next chink in the wall when you pass it. After the scene, continue to follow the passage. At the end of the hallway, open the door whose outline you can see on the west wall. Use the skeleton key on the chest at the foot of the bed. Take the letters. Open the ebony box on the round table and read the paper there ("ZEBU").
Leave the way you came, through the wardrobe. Follow the hallway all the way back. At the top of the staircase, now look through the chink in the wall. (We wait to do this because it sets a timer.) Talk to Cassima. When she's done talking, quickly give her the dagger. (You can also give her Alhazred's letter, if you like.) Wait until she's taken by guards. Save the game again. Go downstairs and out. Go west. In the western hallway, talk to the door on the west wall. Say ALI ZEBU. Lift the cloth on the table and look at each of the four items individually. Save the game. Exit the room. Go to the eastern hallway and quickly go up the stairs and through the door. (In the Steam version, you may be somehow caught by dogs on the stairs without them actually appearing on screen; possibly some kind of timing issue or bug. Restore if this happens.) When Captain Saladin catches you, quickly show him Alhazred's letter.
Walk towards the wedding party and watch the scene. After it's over, follow Alhazred out of the room to the northeast and up the stairs. At the top of the tower, Jollo will appear with the lamp. Quickly access your inventory and use the lamp on Shamir. When Alhazred draws his sword, quickly take the sword from the wall and fight him. When Cassima stabs him, quickly knock him out with the sword. Watch the ending movie.
For Your Amusement:
Try dying in some less obvious ways: Walk into the ocean; perform each of the spells incorrectly (remember magic in KQ3?); don't give the dagger to Cassima (this allows Alhazred to run you through).
Extras
For further entertainment, you may be interested in information on unused game resources, differences between game releases, debugging mode tricks, etc. at The Cutting Room Floor.
Points
| Action | Points | Action | Points | Action | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Isle of the Crown | Wondrous Things cont'd. | The Land of the Dead | |||
| Move beam | 1 | Get bottle of milk | 1 | Put egg in skull of embers | 1 |
| Get coin | 1 | Give milk to Baby's Tears | 2 | Put hair in skull | 1 |
| Get ring | 1 | Get tears in lamp | 1 | Cast Charming a Creature of the Night | 5 |
| Show ring to guard dogs | 5 | Get teacup | 1 | Talk to ghosts of King and Queen | 1 |
| Get boring book | 1 | Get hole-in-the-wall | 3 | Talk to mother ghost | 1 |
| Talk to Ali | 1 | Get rotten tomato | 1 | Get skeleton key | 3 |
| Examine books on far right | 1 | Get scarf | 1 | Give ticket to gatekeeper | 3 |
| Get piece of paper | 1 | Give tomato to Bump-on-the-Log | 3 | Get gauntlet | 1 |
| Examine book on counter | 2 | Get swamp ooze in teacup | 1 | Get Styx water in teacup | 1 |
| Talk to ferryman | 2 | Give coins to boatman | 3 | ||
| Get rabbit's foot | 1 | The Cliffs of Logic and Labyrinth | Answer LOVE | 3 | |
| Talk to Jollo | 4 | Reach the top of the cliffs | 5 | Use gauntlet on Death | 2 |
| Get mint candy | 1 | Enter cave | 1 | Use mirror on Death | 4 |
| Trade ring for map | 5 | Light tinderbox | 2 | ||
| Trade coin for nightingale | 2 | Get mint plant | 1 | Defeating Alhazred | |
| Lure real nightingale | 2 | Get skull | 1 | Give rose to Sing Sing | 1 |
| Get invisible ink | 1 | Pass tile trap | 3 | Drink "poison" in pawn shop | 3 |
| Get shield | 1 | Trade for correct lamp | 1 | ||
| Of Wondrous Things and Dangling Participles | Get coins | 1 | Stir teacup with horse feather | 1 | |
| Get feather | 1 | Disable ceiling trap | 2 | Paint doorway | 1 |
| Get flower of stench | 1 |
Light tinderbox | 2 | Cast Magic Paint | 3 |
| Go to Isle of Wonder | 1 | Use hole-in--the-wall | 1 | Open door | 2 |
| Read oyster to sleep | 2 | Spy on Minotaur | 1 | Give lamp to Jollo | 3 |
| Get pearl | 1 | Enter Minotaur's laur | 1 | Give handkerchief to boy ghost | 3 |
| Fool sense gnomes (2 points each) | 10 | Use scarf on Minotaur | 9 | Open secret door | 2 |
| Get pink phrase | 1 | Put water from Oracle's pool in lamp | 1 | Look through first chink in wall | 2 |
| Give phrase to Dangling Participle | 2 | Look through third chink in wall | 1 | ||
| Trade Participle for rare book | 2 | Beauty and the Beast and Druid Mysteries | Take letters from chest | 2 | |
| Read rare book | 1 | Get scythe | 1 | Open ebony box | 1 |
| Get paper from web | 3 | Get charcoal | 1 | Look through second chink in wall | 1 |
| Get iceberg lettuce | 1 | Use shield on archer | 3 | Talk to Cassima | 5 |
| Throw lettuce in boiling pool | 4 | Use scythe on rose bushes | 4 | Give dagger to Cassima | 3 |
| Get lamp | 1 | Get white rose | 1 | Say ALI ZEBU to open door | 2 |
| Get brick | 1 | Give white rose to Beauty | 2 | Look at all four stolen items | 2 |
| Trade pearl for ring | 2 | Show Beast's ring to Beauty | 4 | Show Alhazred's letter to Saladin | 3 |
| Trade rare book for spell book | 1 | Get fountain water with lamp | 1 | Get lamp from Jollo | 1 |
| Give ring to Sing Sing | 3 | Cast Make Rain | 3 | Use lamp on Shamir | 5 |
| Get hair ribbon | 1 | Get bottle from tea table | 1 | Get sword from wall | 1 |
| Find hair | 1 | Give charcoal to White Queen (get egg) | 1 | Knock out Alhazred | 6 |
| Give love poem to Sing Sing | 1 | Survive being caught by Druids | 2 | ||
| Get note | 1 | Put embers in skull | 1 | Total | 231 |
Last updated: 4/12/2023