Return to Monkey Island: Talk to pirate leaders - walkthrough Return to Monkey Island walkthrough
Meeting the pirate leaders is the beginning of Part 1 of the Return to Monkey Island game. Our walkthrough explains where to meet the leaders, how to travel around Melee Island and where to find a ship for Guybrush.
Last update: 22 September 2022
The first chapter of Return to Monkey Island starts on Melee Island. The walkthrough from our guide explains, among others, where to meet the Pirate Leaders, how to travel around Melee Island, and where is the ship Guybrush can use to find the treasure of the Monkey Island.
The Lookout
After the prologue, you will play as Guybrush Threepwood who is returning to Melee Island. You start at a well-known viewpoint and can talk to the Lookout. Talk about every topic.
Talk to pirate leaders to get money
Take the only path towards the docks. Follow it to the entrance to the SCUMM Bar.
Inside the bar you will find a Collectable Card Trivia Book - taking it is optional. It lets you to obtain collectibles - cards with question markers. They will test your knowledge of Monkey Island. Secrets are well hidden, but the option of highlighting interactive items (TAB key) will be helpful in locating them. You can open the book in your inventory and answer questions from cards (the first one is already in it at the start), but you only have 1 chance to answer correctly and even reloading the game will not "recover" the card.
Go right to talk to the young Pirate Leaders.
You can choose any reason why they would finance your trip - you will always be refused.
Map of Melee Island
The earliest when you can start exploring Melee Island is after meeting the pirate leaders. The passages to the map screen are in the Lookout Point and behind the Governor's Mansion. Here are the main locations:
1) Lookout Point - you start exploring the island here; the Lookout is here.
2) The Docks - you will find here, above all, the SCUMM Bar (as you advance in the chapter, new people will appear in it).
3) Le Chuck's Ship - getting to the ship is the main objective of this chapter; the ship is guarded by the Quartermaster.
4) Low Street - there is a voodoo shop here and Wally's cartographer shop. Each of them has a few mandatory steps you need to perform.
5) High Street - there is a prison here (Stan and Otis) and the Locke Smith. You also need to visit these locations several times.
6) Governor's Mansion - the current governor is Carla. You must solve the puzzle of apologizing to her.
7) Shipyard - there are remains of Stan's shop here (Stan himself is in prison).
8) Forest and Museum - there is a tree in the forest you can use to build a mop, and the museum is run by the curator Conrad.
Get or find a ship
To the left of SCUMM Bar is the path to the docks and LeChuck's ship. Go there and talk to the Quartermaster about joining the crew. There will be 2 obstacles:
- The only free position is a swabbie and you will need a mop. We described obtaining it on the Getting a mop page in our walkthrough.
- Guybrush will be recognized as a person from the so-called blacklist (whether you introduce yourself as Guybrush or use a fake identity). You will have to cheat the Quartermaster, which is described on the Obtaining a disguise page.