The game begins on a boat after the player creates a crew of characters. The crew can consist of up to six Sims. After the crew's creation, a slide-show starts of some mobile phone pictures that are taken showing the trip and also showing the storm that wrecks the ship. The player's starting Sim wakes up on First Beach on Shipwreck Island. The Sim finds books detailing the tasks that have to be followed to survive on the islands and escape. Shortly after exploring Shipwreck Island, the Sim discovers a second island, Airplane Island, and builds a raft to reach the new location.
Upon arrival at Airplane Island, should there be more than one Sim created, the player has the opportunity to reunite the lost crew, culminating in the formation of a tribe of Sims once the relationship is strong enough. While exploring Airplane Island, the player can search for radio parts that are required to complete a goal later in the game and discover a secret passage. Eventually, the player discovers a third island, Volcano Island, and builds a canoe to reach the new location.
On Volcano Island, the player can explore the remains of the llama people or otherwise try to return to civilization. To do the latter, the player can either build a catamaran once on the last beach or travel to the volcano's summit and send an SOS signal using radio parts. Optionally, the player can repair a broken ceremonial forge of the llama people, causing a secret fourth island, Crystal Island, to rise out of the sea.
The game also contains many optional discoverable secrets, including secret areas such as Hidden Lagoon and the Secret Pirate's Cove. These areas can only be accessed once the player has gathered the necessary items via extensive exploration, such as hieroglyphics and treasure map pieces, besides meeting the skill point requirements.