The Crystal Skull
Game Details: Adventure, 1996
Links: Moby Games
Walkthrough Updated: 3/30/2026
Suggested Listening: Wild Hearts Meet (Ash 25)
City
Emperor's Zoo
Head outside and pick up the flower from the left of the path. Continue left along the path, then try to go left again and you will meet the Shaman. Go left again and talk to the young man twice for some advice. Now walk up and talk to the 3-headed man. Choose each option, and you will be able to work out that the middle one tells the truth, so you should leave through the coyote's den. Next talk to the woman on the left and give her the flower - she will tell you about a secret compartment in the guard station.
Return down, then go left and up between the buildings. Search the large pot to get a piece of fresco. Return right, then head left. Go up into the wolf's den, then crawl through the hole
Ruined Temple
Enter the old temple here and talk to the chief about everything. Back outside, head left 3 times, right and left twice to head inside.
Priest's Room
Go left twice and look at the fresco on the wall. Use your piece to complete it, then watch the sequence of green flashes carefully. Back out and talk to the guard - you will end up in prison.
Prison
Talk to the prisoner, then wait for the Shaman to arrive and give you a magic map. Use this now to travel.
Priest's Room
Go left and talk to the guard again to return to prison.
Prison
The Shaman will now give you a shape-shifting ability. After he leaves, use this ability to change into the General. Go right and you will end up outside.
Priest's Room
Head right, then go up to the door in the background. Open the door to find a storage closet and take the stick, obsidian, pot, earplugs, 2 jars of powder, mantle, cup and reed. Climb all the way up to the top shelf, then turn around and you will automatically take out the guard. Grab his costume, then head down and left. Try to continue left, and the high priest will arrive. Use the red powder on him. Talk to Xochi.
From here, go right twice to head outside, then continue down, right, left, right and up.
Market
Go through the archways on the right. Talk to the man in the background about everything. Click on the rope, then trade it for your pot and mantle. Click on the statue, then offer to trade it for your costume - click on the costume again and you will end up trading the medallion from the costume for his feathers and flagon. Back out and talk to the woman on the right. Give her the feathers and flagon to receive 5 beans. Now return out to the left.
Go up on the right and talk to the man in the boat. Offer him the costume, but he won't accept it without the medallion. Return right to the market.
Walk towards the man playing a shell game. Play his game and hand over a bean to play - win a bunch of times to build up a collection of beans. Now return through the archways on the right again and approach the man in the background. Click on the sword, then hand over some beans for it. Click on the medallion, but he needs his feathers, flagon and 3 beans. Back out and talk to the woman on the left. Click on the fruit and maize, and buy each of them for 1 bean. Go to leave, then buy her ointment for 3 beans. Now talk to the woman on the right - she has already sold the feathers. Click on the flagon and buy it for 5 beans. Use your magic map to travel.
Ruined Temple
Go left and enter the building here.
Featherworker's
Click on the red banner on the wall, then offer the earplug, obsidian and cup as a trade. Use the banner on yourself, then offer it to her, and ask for help in pulling it apart.
Market
Go inside to the right and talk to the man in the background. Give him the feathers, flagon and 3 beans in exchange for the medallion. Leave here and go back to the man in the boat. Offer him the costume again, and he will now give you a ride.
Palace
While you are in the boat, jump up to the beam above and you will climb right. Push the nearby stone pillar into the water, then while the guard is distracted, enter the passage on the right. Turn right and pick up the knife from the table. Rotate the shield on the right so it turns clockwise 2 complete cycles, then anticlockwise 1 complete cycle - a secret compartment will open. Look at the picture that is revealed. Turn right and go forward to return to the guard. Talk to him and select the right option (forest creature).
Once you are face to face with the Emperor, select the right option. Continue a long conversation, then leave by going left. Continue down, left twice and up through the archway - you will be followed.
Calmecac
Go left through the arch, then go right. Examine the light cloth on the wall here. Return right. Use your stick on the burner to light it, then burn the light cloth. Take the black robe in the far recess and you will automatically wear it. Use the burner to further disguise yourself. Now go left and talk to the men, selecting the middle and then right options. Remove your disguise and wash your face using the water here. Leave by heading left.
After the cutscene, head up twice.
Prison
Wear the black robe, then go through the doorway. Shape-shift into the woman, then go through the next doorway. Shape-shift back into yourself and go through another doorway. Go back again, heading to the left. Shape-shift to the bug, then go right and you will end up outside Xochi's cell. Shape-shift back into yourself and choose the left option to receive a note. Go right to head outside. Remove the black robe by clicking on yourself.
Palace
Talk to the Emperor and select the right option, then give him the proof. You will receive a city gate pass.
Market
Go down and left. Shape-shift into the General. You will end up being captured.
Great Temple
Once you are just being held by two guards, just click on either of them to escape. After going left, head down, left and right twice. Shape-shift into the General again. On the bridge, use the reed on yourself, then dive into the river.
Countryside
From the crossroads, head up to the left.
Teotihuacan
The Shaman will talk to you briefly. Climb the stairs on the right, then look at the fresco here. Press the green buttons in the same order that you saw them light up in the Priest's room earlier - if they are numbered 1-8 from left to right, press buttons 3, 6, 2 and 8. The pattern will be repeated, then the 4th button will glow gold.
Back out and return left down the stairs, then continue up. Go through the 4th door from the left here. Use the ointment on yourself, then walk to the right and you will be sent to Aztlan.
Aztlan
Talk to the old man, then go through the 5th doorway from the left. Climb the stairs to the hut and talk to the Two-Headed God. Show your pass to the God and take the amulet that is offered. Back outside, head through the opening to the right, then go down.
Back at the crossroads, head down to the right. Continue right to reach a chasm. Try to continue right, then use your rope on the tree and head right. Climb right over the rocks on the next screen, then go right once more.
Tula
Walk forward and talk to the old man. Pick up the serpent tile from the left of the stairs. Climb further up the stairs. Look in the rubble on the left and pick up the jaguar tile. Examine the large stone calendar wheel, which is missing 3 of its symbols. Insert the serpent and jaguar tiles into 2 of the holes.
Use your magic map to return to the chasm, then go left twice to return to the crossroads. Head up to the right.
Popocatepetl
Continue up the slope. Put the maize and fruit on the ground, then pick up the snowball. Use your magic map to travel.
City
Market
Head up on the left, then continue left and stand behind the Sno-Cones booth. Give your friend the snowball in exchange for a gold quill. Head right twice and through the archways on the right. Talk to the man in the background. Click on the statue, then give him the gold quill for it.
Priest's Room
Try to continue left, and the high priest will arrive. Use the red powder on him. Use your statue on the hollow in the wall that appears, then go through the new doorway. Step forward and turn right, then pick up the rabbit tile. Now turn around and pick up the crystal skull - it will break. Use your magic map to leave.
Countryside
Tula
Walk forward, then go up the stairs and approach the calendar wheel again. Insert the rabbit tile in the final remaining hole. Now press any of the buttons around the edge of the wheel 10 times, and you will travel back in time.
The Past
Tula
Go down twice and talk to the old man. Now head right twice and talk to the man - he will give you some paper and ask you to draw a map. Click to select an image to draw, then click and drag to draw that image on the map. There are only 4 positions where you can draw images. From left to right, they should be:
- Dark blue lake
- Chasm with dead tree
- Rocks with tree trunk
- Desert with cactus
Now back out and you will hand over the map. Talk to the King, then you will be taken outside. Go right to the river and talk to the man in the boat. To solve his puzzle, take these steps:
- Take the turkey across to the far side
- Bring the boat back empty
- Take the jaguar across to the far side
- Bring the turkey back
- Take the fruit across to the far side
- Bring the boat back empty
- Take the turkey across to the far side
Now head up along the path, then continue right into a swamp. Stand in the middle of the water and catch some mosquitoes by clicking the air near you. Now continue right.
Olmecs
Touch the large rock, then continue right. Use your sword on the trees so you can continue right again, then take a banana on the next screen. Continue right to reach a crossroads, then go up and enter the hut. Talk to the woman here. Go back outside and head right twice, up and left.
Chichen Itza
Enter the temple here and try to talk to the scribe. Go back outside, then climb up the left side of the building, and continue up at the top. Take note of the symbols here, then back out. Go left to look over the edge, then jump down on the left.
Ballcourt
Talk to the player here, then go right.
Chichen Itza
Head left and up.
El Castillo
Climb up the stairs and head inside - you will end up in jail.
Jail
Click on the bat above you to make it leave. Now look at the floor on the left, then pick up the beetle that starts running around. Look over to the right, then pull around the stone at the base of the wall and an iguana will enter. After talking to the iguana, shape-shift into a mosquito, then shape-shift into an iguana. You will automatically leave the jail. Head left and up. Use the banana on the trees to attract the monkey. He will lead you back to Chichen Itza.
Chichen Itza
Talk to the monkey and select the middle option. After you leave, head right, up and left.
Cenote
Walk up, then jump into the water. Pick up the disk, then swim to the right to reach a grotto.
Grotto
Continue up and talk to the pots twice. Return right, then swim left to return up to the top of the well. Continue right 6 times to the Observatory.
Observatory
Go right again and you will meet a macaw. Touch the bird, then pick up the fallen feather. Use your knife on the bamboo in the background. Use the bamboo on yourself, then the feather on yourself. Now shoot the bird 5 times, then pick up the gold tooth. Continue right.
Doer
Talk to the man here about everything. Offer your disk in exchange for the lights, then offer your tooth in exchange for a paddle. Now head right again.
Tulum
From the crossroads, go left and pick up the sticks from the ground. Return right and up to the beach. Examine the boat, then use the paddle on it to row to the island. Take a coconut from the palm tree. Look out to the sea on the right to see the Shaman again, then return to the left. Walk down twice.
Doer
Talk to the man again, then offer him the coconut in exchange for some copal. Go right again.
Tulum
Head up towards the temple. Examine the second hole from the left. Use your sticks and copal here, then use your lights on it to start a fire - you will be granted friendship of the creatures of the sea. Return down, then up to the beach again. Head into the ocean, then swim left into the cave. Take the shell and a spine from the stingray, then swim down and left. As you return to the beach, a shark will appear and give you a tooth. Return down twice.
Doer
Continue up and left.
Observatory
Climb up the stairs and head inside. Examine the scroll, taking note of the symbols. Use your magic map to travel.
Grotto
Go up to return to the pots. Give them the spine, shell and tooth. Use your magic map to travel.
Chichen Itza
Climb up the left side of the building, and continue up at the top. Now you need to rearrange the symbols based on the scroll you just saw. The numbering is based on a line being 5 and a dot being 1. Position the symbols as follows:
There are 2 symbols that have a value of 10 - the one at the top right also features 2 people. After automatically heading back outside, go right, left and up.
El Castillo
Go through the door to the right of the stairs. Sit on the red jaguar chair to hear a password to enter the Underworld. Use your magic map to travel.
Grandmother
Talk to the woman here. Pick up the jug from the ground, then use the mosquitoes on yourself to cause a distraction. Head into the house. Look at the mouse hole on the left, then grab the mouse inside (you need to try twice to eventually succeed). Use the mouse on the fire to threaten it. Pick up the ball gear that the mouse knocks down to the ground. Head back outside, then go right and down.
Palenque
Go up twice and look at the symbols on the left wall. Back out, then go right and climb up more stairs. Look at the symbols on the right and remember the layout. Now return left twice and up, and examine the symbols on the left wall again, then arrange them as follows:
Back out again and go right then up. Talk to the man and select the right option, then enter the password VENUS. Go down through the doorway. Look at the writing around the edge of the tomb until you find "He entered the road", which is in the middle of one of the shorter sides. Click on this writing.
Underworld
Talk to the owl. Try to walk down, and you will automatically go left. Take a firefly, then continue left to reach a river of blood. Talk to the owl again, then use your bamboo to cross over the river. Use your mosquitoes to distract the Gods. Talk to them and select the right option.
In the dark house, use your firefly on one of the cigars. Next your will be sent to the razor house. Run and duck, making your way up the four sets of steps - repeat this again with your twin. You will then go to the bat house. Use your bamboo on the bats.
Out in the forest, talk to the God in the tree. Look at the animals and click on the raccoon to get a squash, then back out and you will use it to replace your twin's head. You will now win the ball game. Leave by heading left.
The Past
Palenque
You will see the Shaman once more. Use your magic map to travel.
Tula
Head up 3 times. Press any of the buttons around the edge of the wheel 10 times, and you will return to your normal time.
Countryside
Tula
Use your magic map to travel again.
City
Great Temple
Offer the ball to the General. In the game, just deflect the ball 15 times in a row. The Shaman will give you the crystal skull. After the cutscene, put the crystal skull on the pedestal, then use your necklace with Xochi's necklace.