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Return to Mysterious Island Hints
Scoring Points
As you play through the game, you may notice a "score" that is being tallied at the right side of your inventory screen. For each thing that Mina does successfully (e.g., finds and picks up an object, solves a puzzle, etc.), more points are added to the total.
The points have nothing to do with finishing the game successfully. They are purely an incentive for replayability, so that you can play the game over again, with the goal of getting more points.
Many of the puzzles are solvable without finding and collecting all active items in the game. In fact, several of the puzzles are not even required to be solved, to finish the game. They are in place solely for the purpose of running up the "points" total. You may choose to play the game in a "streamlined" manner, performing only the minimal steps necessary to reach a successful completion of the game. Or you can decide to maximize your point total before finishing the game, which will entail collecting items that will never be used, and solving puzzles that do not contribute to the game solution.
It is your choice as to which you want to pursue. Generally, a good suggestion is to continue to collect everything you can, and increase your inventory. Then, when you do encounter a puzzle (particularly an inventory type puzzle), you'll have what you need to complete it. That approach will also contribute to the greatest point total.
You will very likely end the game with items in your inventory that have never been used. However, every item *can* be used (and will contribute to the overall point total), if you take the time -- and forethought -- to do so.
