Shipwrecked 64

About Shipwrecked 64

Shipwrecked 64 was released on Steam on 1 January 2024 by Cogware Games, made by Squeaks D'Corgeh. It presents itself as an authentic product: a game from the late 1990s, commissioned by a children's animation studio and sold only from 13 to 17 August 1997, now dumped from an original cartridge by a fan group. Its store page then states plainly that it is a work of fiction.

On the surface it is a cheerful puzzle-based 3D platformer. Bucky Beaver crashes during a fishing trip on the island of Nulla Terra, where his friends have been taken by a pack of wolves for disturbing the peace, and he collects coconuts, ink jars and boat parts to set things right and get home.

It does not stay cheerful. There are two modes, a fixed, safer 2023 version and the unstable, disturbing 1997 version that was pulled from shelves, and a system its makers call Controlled Decay slowly breaks every level depending on your actions. Skies turn red, the fog grows, and strange figures stand in the dead trees, while the story jumps between our world and the game's. Some scenes are graphic and violent.

It is an ARG at heart: complex at times, meant as a community effort, and answers may need forum posts, notes or playing on a call with others. It suits players who enjoy lost-media horror and puzzles that reach past the screen.

How to play Shipwrecked 64

1. Buy it on Steam and run it on Windows; a controller is recommended.
2. Play as Bucky Beaver, exploring the island and collecting what your friends need.
3. Choose between the safer 2023 mode and the unstable 1997 mode.
4. Watch for changes as the levels decay, and think outside the box.
5. Look outside the game too: notes, forums and other players help crack it.

Tips

• Take notes; clues can matter much later or outside the game.
• Play with friends on a call if you get stuck; it is designed as a community puzzle.

Questions