The plane rapidly loses altitude as Jarret struggles with the controls, desperately looking for somewhere to land. After breaking through a layer of clouds, he suddenly finds himself dangerously close to the ground. With one last pull on the stick, he braces for impact.

From the wreckage emerge Jarret, the guide and pilot, Clive, a rich, fat genleman, Gloria, his fragile daughter, and Dirk, her new fiancé.

They find themselves on a strange plateau, shut in by the towering peaks of the Himalayas. The only way out is to cross the mountains through a high pass. But as they begin to grasp their situation, they realize things are not what they seem. Sheltered by the mountains from the weather and from the outside world, this place has remained untouched for thousands of years.

When the group is attacked by dinosaurs and hunted by cannibals, it becomes clear that no Westerner who came here ever survived to tell the tale.

It is up to you (starting as Jarret) to guide the group along dangerous mountain paths, across rivers and endless chasms, through swamps and forests, in a desperate search for a way home.

The game is controlled with either the joystick or the keyboard.



WITHOUT PRESSING “FIRE” (numeric keypad key 5 or joystick/mouse fire button)

                 Go North
                       ↑
Go West ← Stop → Go East
                       ↓
                 Go South

WHILE PRESSING “FIRE” (numeric keypad key 5 or joystick/mouse fire button)

                 Run North
                         ↑
Run West  ←  Fire →  Run East
                         ↓
                 Run South

SPACE BAR: brings up the menus

By pressing the space bar you can bring up a series of menus that make it easier to pick up, drop, and use objects. It is important to note that the game action continues while these menus are displayed. If they block your view, you can move them by placing the cursor on an empty area (without icons), holding down the “fire” button, and dragging the menu to the desired position.

The menus and icons are described below.

Through its options, this menu allows you to select Pause, Music or Sound Effects, as well as the New Game option. The four icons shown at the top of the menu are used to open an inventory menu for the corresponding characters. You can only access these icons if the character in question is “within earshot” of the hero; otherwise, their icon will not appear in the menu.

This is the inventory menu. Called up from within Menu 1, it shows what a character is carrying (the four icons at the top) and all the objects near them (the icons at the bottom).






To pick up an item, place the arrow on the icon and press “fire.” The arrow will take the shape of the item. Move the item to the upper half of the menu and press “fire” again. The character is now ordered to collect that object and will move toward it. Each character can carry up to four items. There is also a bag that can hold four additional items. To place an item in the bag, simply move it onto the bag icon. To examine the contents of the bag, proceed as described below.

To drop an item, do the reverse: place the arrow under the chosen item, press “fire,” drag it to the lower half of the menu, and press “fire” again. The item will then be discarded.

To use an item, first place the arrow on the USE ITEM icon. Press “fire” and the icon will light up. Then move it onto the item you want to use and press “fire” to give the order. The USE ITEM icon can be canceled by selecting it again. Only items carried by a character can be used.

This menu replaces Menu 1 after the player’s character dies. Once that character is dead, you can choose another from those still alive. After you make your selection, the menu returns to its original form, and the new player character will be controlled with the same commands previously used for Jarret.

The status screen shows the player character’s levels of strength, nourishment, and ammunition. The score indicates the percentage of game completion. A calendar is also provided, showing the number of days that have passed since the plane crashed.

The other characters communicate their condition through conversation windows that open at the top of the screen. These will let you know when people are tired, thirsty, hungry, or simply frustrated by the lack of progress.

The success of this adventure will depend on the attitude of your companions. If you try to understand each of their different temperaments, you can improve your chances.

Clive is slow, unathletic, and, because of his bad temper, always the first to complain. If you find something valuable during your journey, he will want it. You’ll need to watch him closely, especially when escape seems near.

Gloria, a woman of natural elegance, is not as weak as she may appear. Aware of foolish stereotypes, she refuses to be a burden to the group. She rarely complains and usually encourages Jarret. Although she still loves Dirk, she is strangely drawn to Jarret. This troubles her, so she tries not to think about it too much.

Dirk, athletic and well-mannered, is very devoted to Gloria and never leaves her side. His will to survive would be greatly weakened if Gloria were to fall. His studies at Cambridge in obscure Eastern dialects may prove useful when dealing with the local inhabitants.

When a character tells you they are tired, it is up to Jarret to decide whether to stop and rest. Some complaints do not necessarily mean the group cannot continue a little further.

If your group loses motivation because of a lack of progress, its members may abandon you and go their own way. If you leave companions behind, they will continue the journey as best they can, but without your guidance their chances of survival will be slim.

Scattered across the plateau are certain areas with a mystical significance. These are mostly avoided by the inhabitants and can therefore serve as ideal places to rest and recover.


Pressing the ESC key ends the game.