Return to Monkey Island is the newest installment in the treasured LucasArts adventure game series. The game is a celebration of the entire series, with references to all the Monkey Island games across the years, and there are tons of easter eggs, references, and hidden details throughout this game.
Return continues from the weird and surreal ending of Monkey Island 2, and the story can be looked at in multiple ways. Return to Monkey Island offers much more hidden aspects to it than your standard adventure game due to the nature of the story.
Spoiler Warning
10 Cogg Island
The trivia cards in Return to Monkey Island are mostly only needed for achievements. However, one card is vital to unlocking an easter egg. If you get a trivia card that states, "Where is Cogg Island located?" pick the coordinates, which is a letter followed by a number. You can only access this easter egg after answering this trivia card correctly, and the coordinates are different for every player.
Then, in the longest section of the game, part four, go to the coordinates on the sea map, drop your anchor and go down. You will then discover Cogg Island, a section of the game that was cut due to time constraints. It's fully explorable, but you can't interact with anything.
9 Return To Reality Ending
There is quite a bit of variation to the endings in this game. Upon arriving in the final room with the mockup of High Street, exit back through the alley. Then use the keys Stan gave you on the door to exit back to the code wheel room.
After that, backtrack all the way to the top of the final area to finish the game. Upon highlighting the final staircase, the description reads, "Deny what I thought I saw downstairs and return to the world I know." You'll also unlock the I Don't Believe achievement.
8 Code Wheel
The final puzzle of Return to Monkey Island is a code wheel, where you must read a stone slab and find other details to complete the puzzle. Newcomers to Monkey Island might not find this out of the ordinary.
However, old fans will know this is a reference to the Dial-A-Pirate code wheel that shipped with the original Monkey Island back in the day. You needed to identify the correct pirate to start the game, which was actually a clever anti-piracy measure. Not too clever, since code wheels could still be photo-copied, but at least it made the process more of a pain.
7 Eating Scorched Alaska
In the latter half of part two, you are required to give Scorched Alaska to Flambe in order for him to agree to Guybrush's plan. Once Putra makes Scorched Alaska, you can just grab it and head off to deliver it to Flambe.
However, if you repeatedly try to eat the spicy food, you'll get an easter egg. Guybrush will finally take a bite of the food, and it doesn't end well for him. You'll also unlock the Hot Headed achievement for this.
6 Writer's Cut
If you have beaten the game, you may think there's no reason to go back and do another playthrough right away. After all, adventure games typically lack a lot of replay value. However, that is not the case here due to the Writer's Cut feature.
The Writer's Cut adds more dialogue, but the pacing is considered worse, which is why it's not advised to play it on a first playthrough. However, it is a great reason to play through the game again with the added dialogue. The Writer's Cut can be enabled by going into settings and then to the text and language options.
5 Free Wally
At the very end of the game, you will witness Wally being chained up. For most people, you will not be able to save and rescue him from his predicament. There is, however, a way to rescue him.
In part two of the game, towards the left on the top deck of the ship, there will be a set of shackles. Use the double monocle on them to read the serial number. Then, in part four, return to the locksmith and have her make the key from the serial number. At the end of the game, you will now be able to free Wally with the keys you made, and you'll also get the Free Wally achievement for doing this.
4 Post-Credits Scene
The ending of Return to Monkey Island will baffle quite a lot of people. However, when the credits roll, don't exit out just yet. Like a lot of games these days, there is a post-credits scene, and you can't skip the credits to see it. The credits are quite long, but there are ten separate post-credits scenes depending on how you finish the game.
There are five that depend on what you say to Guybrush in the final scene. Two that depend on whether you even grabbed the chest key or opened the chest. Then there are three that depend on whether you grabbed the key, opened the chest, or collected the secret when leaving for the return to reality ending. These scenes add another layer to the mystery behind what the ending really means.
3 Piece Of Eight
After you've finished the game, you'll be notified that the scrapbook has been updated. On the second to last page, it details the final section of Return to Monkey Island. On the page are a few pieces of eight that Guybrush collected, but the ones from the right side are missing. Guybrush will state that he wonders when it fell out.
That piece of eight is actually the fake one you collect at the very beginning of the game in the restroom. Similarly, the gold coin near the end of the prologue is likely the last gold coin that Guybrush had in this pocket near the end of the game.
2 Early Three Pirate Leaders' Appearance
The original three pirate leaders from the first Monkey Island are no longer at the SCUMM Bar. Most people will find them later in the game at the bait shop, but there is a chance to talk to them earlier.
If you enable the Writer's Cut feature during part one of the game, they will first appear on Low Street early on. There is a lot of interesting dialogue here that you will not get when first meeting them at the bait shop. For people who have played the original games, it's best to meet them first here.
1 Bad Ending
If you're familiar with the Monkey Island series, you'd know that Guybrush can only hold his breath underwater for ten minutes. His ability to hold his breath comes into play with the bad ending of Return to Monkey Island.
When going underwater, if you wait eight minutes, then six minutes, then four minutes, you will achieve the bad ending. Guybrush dies from drowning, has no children, and the events of the prologue never happen. You'll also get the Dead Dead Dead achievement for viewing the ending.