Stranded - How-To and Wiki
Overview
Stranded is a web-based game where you command a group of individuals who have been deposited on a lonely island. Their goal: survival until they can escape. There is a single manned station on the island, somewhere along the coast, marked distinctively in a circle of sand marked with in an 'X'. If you reach the station house, you have survived the ordeal.
The only other outcome of the game is that all team members have died or have gone AWOL. Don't let this happen to your team.
Playing the Game
In-game Quick Help is available by pressing the 'q' key.
Stranded requires you to explore the island in search of the station. Use the arrow keys to move around. Since you know the station is somewhere along the coast, it's often best to walk in a direction until you reach the coast...but how you do this is up to you.
Stranded requires monitoring of all team members for their physical and mental needs. Being exposed to the elements requires monitoring four major negative factors (listed below). Managing these below critical levels is essential. When in doubt, use the 'DERP' model: Drink, Eat, Rest, Play.
When you start the game, all members are 'selected' for actions like eating and drinking. This means that when you press 'd' to drink or 'e' to eat, all players will receive portions, if there are enough left. If you only want one member to eat/drink, press the number (1-4) to select only that member, then press 'd' or 'e' accordingly. Press 'a' to select All members again.
Monitors
Each team member has four monitors that you should watch closely. In addition, it helps to understand how they interact and how they may affect the individual or team.
- Dehydration
- Good hydration is essential for survival. Ensure that you take any opportunity to rehydrate ('d') and to refill your water bottles. Bottles are filled automatically at cabins and at fresh water. If an individual reaches a critical level of dehydration, they risk dying.
- Fatigue
- Physical exhaustion affects one's ability to operate. Those who are suffering critical levels of fatigue will slow down all team movement, and create mental stress. Combat fatigue by resting/stopping/relaxing ('RETURN' key).
- Stress
- Mental stress comes about when individuals are physically exhausted, or very hungry. Stress tends to affect decision-making skills and frequently causes team members to go AWOL (Away WithOut Leave). Playing dice ('p') sometimes helps lower stress.
- Hunger
- The body requires sustenance over a long period of time. Although food is less important to short-term survival than water, its effects can be severe. The onset of true hunger results in higher levels of stress. You can eat Food Rations ('e') to fight hunger.
Inventory
The team members have a very small shared inventory between them.
- Food Rations
- Edible food, about two days' worth (press 'e' to eat)
- Water Bottles
- contain several drinks (press 'd' to drink)
- Flashlight
- shines a light in your immediate vicinity (turn on/off with 'l')
- Pocket Knife
- a critical component when constructing tools
- Matches
- these are useful for starting campfires
Constructing Tools
Due to being limited in the tools you start with, you may want to construct tools that aid your survival. You do this by collecting the requisite components, then pressing 'c' to construct the tool. Once you start building a tool, you continue to make that tool by pressing 'c' until it's complete.
- Sling & Stones
- allows you to hunt; easy to build
- Bow & Arrows
- allows you to hunt
- Campfire
- provides light and cooks any raw meat
- Dice
- makes a good stress-reducer
- Whistle
- allows you to make shrill calls to lost members
Cabins
You will (hopefully) find several abandoned cabins around the island. These have been thankfully stocked with lots of supplies, and as long as you occupy a cabin square you will have all your supplies restocked. This means it's a good strategy to linger in a cabin until you have fully fed and hydrated yourselves, since the moment you leave you will be fully stocked.
A cozy cabin, the lifeline for survival.
Terrain
The terrain of the island varies a bit.
Grassland
Grassland is the basic terrain, and easiest to pass. When in doubt, it's usually better to travel via the grasslands as it fatigues you less and takes less time to cover ground. You can find Plant Fibers here.
Fresh Water
There are many fresh water lakes on the island. You can step into the fresh water lakes a little and cross at very narrow points, but you cannot swim as a team for risk of losing or damaging gear.
Trees
Trees are considered rough terrain. You can find Wood here.
Rock
Rocky terrain is impassable.
Sand
Sand, though flat, is considered rough terrain as it is hard to walk evenly on. You can find Rock in this terrain.
Salt Water
The island is surrounded by salt water. The water filter may not be used with salt water, and though scenic there is no value in traversing the sea.
Losing Team Members
Team members will stay together unless either death or stress separate them. If a team member goes AWOL, you can try blowing a whistle for them to return, even after they've long disappeared. They might just decide to join you again. If they do, be prepared to tend to them...they have endured much without the support of their team members.
When only one team member remains, they may also go AWOL. This simply means that they have lost their faculty for reason, and like the others are now reverting to stress responses and can no longer think rationally. When all team members have gone AWOL or have died, the game is over.