Counterfeit Island is the 10th mission in the well-liked web-based adventure, Poptropica. It was launched to Early Access players on December 21, 2009 and became readily available to everybody in early January, 2010. The island's story is that a notorious art thief has hatched a plot to steal some very important art from the island's museum, but no one knows who the thief is or when the heist will happen. It's up to you to save the day. Along the way, you'll meet lots of interesting characters and encounter many twists and turns in the mystery of the stolen art. This is a step-by-step walkthrough of the entire quest with all the cheats for Counterfeit Island.
Your Arrival On Counterfeit Island
Follow the map to Counterfeit Island. You'll arrive by balloon next to the museum. Your first stop is going to be Downtown. Start walking right and observe the signs. When you arrive, the first store you'll see is called Bobo's Clown Store. Go inside. You'll see plenty of balloons, all in different colors, around the store. Select a green balloon and then walk outside the store.
Now we're off to the country side. Proceed to the right and run to the end of the zone to go there. Walk a bit further right and you will find crying boy as well as a young lady holding a red balloon. You are able to perk him up by giving him your green balloon. Click on him to give it over. When he tales it fom you, he'll lift up into the sky. Poor little dude! Don't worry about balloon boy for now. Head back to the left to go Downtown and then run all the way to the left of that zone and go into Main Street. When you arrive at Main Street, go inside the Web Browser Internet Cafe. There's a guy who looks like a tourist and has a hat and camera. Go up to him and talk to him. He explains that he lost his tickets for the underground tunnel tour and that if you can help him find them he will give one to you. While you're here be sure to look at the TV behind you. You'll see balloon boy flying way up high in the sky. He's on the news! Next, walk outside the Internet cafe and then run to the Downtown zone to the right.
Now that you're here, look around and find the grabage can that is just to the right of the tunnel tour entrance. Click on the garbage can and a screen will appear showing all garbage inside. You can rearrange the garbage pieces by clicking on them and dragging them. Try to move them all away from the center of the can. Soon, you'll reveal the lost tickets that are buried inside. Click on the tickets to pick them up and put them in your backpack.
Now run back to Main Street and the Internet Cafe. Head inside the cafe and go to the tourist who lost the tickets. Find the tickets in your backpack and click on Use to give them to him. The man who lost the tickets will be really happy that you found them and will give one to you as a reward.
EXTRA: Before you go on the underground tunnel tour, stop at Bobo's clown shop to pick up a second balloon. This can make part of the tunnel tour easier but it is not required.
Return to the Downtown area and walk up to the entrance of the tunnel tour. You will see a woman with a green hat standing right in front of the entrance. While you are standing near her, open your backpack and find the ticket. Click on the “Use” button on the ticket You're ready to begin the tour. Click on the gate to the entrance behind you to start it.
Just keep moving along the single pathway in the tunnel tour. When you get to the bottom, you'll see a lightbulb hanging down from a cable in the middle of the tunnel. Jump up and grab the cable and then climb to the ceiling. Over to the right, you'll see a torn piece of the picture lying on another cable. Of course this is another piece of the torn picture that you are collecting all over the island. Once you're at the top of the cable, jump off to the right. When you pass over the torn picture, you'll pick it up. Keep following the main tunnel until you see a stone staircase heading up out of a door. Walk up the staircase to go outside and end the underground tunnel tour.
The Secret Guy
When you wrap up the tour and head out the exit, there's a guy with sunglasses and an overcoat waiting just outside. Click on him and you'll hear his tale. He'll then ask you to get a job over at the island museum and he wants you to meet back with him at this location later tonight. Now head up the sand to the right and you'll see another torn piece of the picture. Grab this picture piece. The third torn picture piece is over to the left on top of the mast of the fishing boat. Go over there and pick it up. Now that you've got both the torn picture pieces from here, go back to the right and go to Main Street and then walk into the museum.
Inside the Museum
Talk to the security guard inside the museum and he will tell you to go speak with the assistant curator. The assistant curator is up the stairs right above the entrance. Go up to the top of the stair case and talk to him. He'll tell you that he needs some help with some paintings. They have been placed in the incorrect spots and he needs you to help put them all in the right places. In each of the four wings, you'll be able to remove one painting from the wall and carry it to a different wing. This guide tells you where to put all the paintings so that they are in the correct places.
- The painting in the cubism wing goes into the impressionism wing.
- The painting in the impressionism wing goes into the expressionism wing.
- The painting in the expressionism wing goes into the realism wing.
- The painting in the realism wing goes into the cubism wing.
Now that you've got all the paintings placed correctly, walk back to the stairs and talk with the assistant curator. He'll hire you on the spot and tell you to start the training. Follow him into the Lab to begin. Speak to him and then he'll tell you to select a station to begin your training. Choose the first desk and click on it. Use the X-Ray device and drag it over each of the paintings until you find the painting with the sketching underneath it. You can use the arrows at the top of the screen to move between the different paintings. Then you click on the one you think is the real deal.
In the next test, you'll use a magnifying glass to try and figure out which painting is a fake. Take a peek at the corners of each painting and locate the signatures. One of the signatures is slightly different than all of the others. The one with the different signature is the forgery. Good job!
The third test is a photograph and you need to click on the area that shows it is a fake. Look up on the top left where the moon is. Click on the dark side of the moon. If this was really a picture of the moon, there would be no stars on the dark side of it.
The next step to to go to the desk on the right, which is where the staff performs chemical analyses of paint samples. In this training exercise, you select a paint sample and then it will be placed inside the beaker. You'll see a red bar go across the screen. When it reaches a square, it will light up with a color. Click on that color beaker above while the square is lit to add it into the test solution. If you're fast enough, you'll see a green check appear over the square. Repeat this exercise until all four of the squares are done right. Now repeat the whole process for the remaining two paint samples. Once you conclude this experiment, your training is finished and the assistant curator will give you a key to the supply room.
Leave this room and then walk right following the signs that direct you to the statue room and then into the security office. Walk left past all of the statues and follow the sign that directs you to the security office and supply closet. Walk all the way to the left and you'll find the door to the supply closet. Use the key from your backpack to unlock it and get inside. In here you'll see that sixth piece of the torn photo. Now that it's put together you'll see it forms a picture of the head of a gargoyle.
Now walk back to the right and go back through the statue room. Follow the sign to the main hall and then exit the museum. You'll see that night has fallen. Head left and go to the city docks. The mysterious guy in the hat and sunglasses will still be standing where you left him. Go back inside the tour through the gate. Walk through the tunnel until you get to the wooden ladder. Climb the ladder and then click on the hatch at the top. The hatch cover will appear on screen and it has a gargoyle face on it. Use the mouse to move all the pieces on the hatch to match the version from the torn picture pieces you collected. All of the features have to match the picture exactly. When you're done, the hatch will open and you can proceed up through it.
You will appear back inside the museum supply closet. Use the key again to unlock the door and then walk out into the hallway. Be careful because the security guard can be seen pacing back and forth inside the security office. Wait for her to go by and then run past the window all the way to the statue room door. Go inside and then move across the room carefully, avoiding the laser beams. To avoid being spotted by a laser beam, hide behind either the plants or statues. Once you arrive at the far end of the room, exit to go to the main museum hall.
Next walk up and left until you get to the spot where the painting of the Scream is hanging. Click on the top of it and you will jump up onto the light hanging above it. All of the sudden the museum alarms will go off and the police will arrive. You've been caught red-handed! You'll be placed in jail and then questioned by the police. The first thing you have to do is undergo a lie detector test. It's very easy to pass. Next you'll be invited to speak with the chief inspector back inside the museum office.
While you are walking back to the museum office, go into the clown shop. Here you will see the security guard from the museum. Click on him to ask him why he left his post and you'll get his time card. After you get it, head to the museum and go up to the security office. When you're inside the office, head over to the right of the room and click on the large computer. Because you have the time card that the security guard gave you, you'll know where to look when reviewing the footage. You will see the mysterious guy appear and walk up to the painting. You can get a print out of the security camera footage by pressing the print screen button on the computer. Then go over and talk to the investigator. Her advice will be to show the picture around to the citizens of the island. Walk out of the museum and head back to the outside of the clown shop.
Once you get to the front of Bobo's clown store, show the printout from the security camera to the mime on the left. The mime will pretend to play music, which is a clue that the mysterious guy you're looking for is hiding in the jazz cafe. Go right and then enter the cafe. When you arrive inside the cafe, walk to the right and the mysterious man will be there. As soon as he sees you enter, he'll make a run for it. Follow him out the door to chase after him.
The chase scene begins here and you'll be riding a motorized scooter in your attempt to catch the bad guy. You don't really need to catch him during this part. All you need to do is avoid the different obstacles that appear in the road as you go by. After about a minute of chasing, you'll both end up at the docks. The thief will escape in a waiting motor boat but will drop a key card which you will pick up.
SPECIAL: keep an eye out in the beginning of the chase for Balloon Boy. He will appear up in the sky between the buildings in the background.
Now you want to head over to the museum. Once you enter, you'll see the assistant curator standing there. He's waiting with a package that was addressed to you. When you open up the package, it reveals a painting of “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh. And there is also an X-ray device inside. Open your backpack and find the painting. Click on the examine button to inspect it. Pull the device over the painting and it will reveal a hidden message from the curator telling you to come to the Pop Art Museum on Early Poptropica island. This is a fun part where you now have to leave Counterfeit Island and go to Early Poptropica. Go outside the museum and get back into your balloon. Click the balloon to travel and then when the map appears, choose Early Poptropica as your destination.
Walk left to the Pop Art Museum and then go inside. Walk a little bit to the left and you'll find an older woman wearing purple clothes. Click on her to hear her story and then she will give you a key. Go back outside the museum and get on your balloon again. Now return to Counterfeit Island.
You'll return to Main Street in Counterfeit Island. When you get there, jump down out of the balloon and walk to the right. Keep going until you get to the Countryside. The inspector's house is located here and the key to the door that the Curator gave you will let you get in. Head upstairs and you'll see a painting hanging on the wall. Click on it to remove the canvas and you'll see that it's hiding the stolen painting from the museum! But then the lights will go out and you'll be knocked unconscious.
Once you come to, you discover that you're deep underground in some sort of secret hideout. Both you and the mysterious thief will be tied to chairs and you are captives of the Black Widow, the world's greatest art thief. The Black Widow leaves the room and then you learn about how you were set up because the mysterious guy tells you his story. He'll tell you to move your chair close to him so that he can untie you. To move your chair, click and drag your mouse to the left. Inch by inch, you'll get a little closer each time. When you get close enough, you both are free from your bonds. The mysterious guy has an idea that you should both go after the Black Widow. Head out of the room to the right.
You'll show up in the next room of the hideout. Run all the way to the left and then jump up on the boxes while avoiding the guards. One of the most difficult guards to get past is the one walking on one of the platforms above. You need to wait until he gets all the way to the left and then turns and starts walking right. Jump up immediately and follow him a few steps until you see a couch. Jump onto the couch and the springs will propel you to the platform above and to the left. Here you'll see a special access panel. Use the key card you found when you were chasing the mysterious guy before to open the door. Now step through the door to enter the last room. Then walk to the left to begin the final confrontation with Black Widow.
The guy will move to the left and climb up onto a giant platform that is operated by a handle. Your task is to raise him up to the top by turning the handle. But once he does that, the Black Widow will start dropping art onto the ground, destroying it. You need to catch the artwork so it's not destroyed but also keep turning the handle on the platform. This is certainly one of the hardest boss fights in Poptropica. You'll see a counter on the screen when the Black Widow starts breaking the art. If more than million worth of art is destroyed, you'll have to start over the battle. But after every four pieces you save, she'll get really mad and then you have a few seconds to run over to the platform to turn the handle. However you need to move very quickly because after just a couple of seconds, she tosses a bomb at you. You need to avoid getting hit by the exploding bomb and then return to the middle to try and catch four more pieces of art. Keep repeating the cycle until you raise the platform all the way to the top.
Once you're done, the Black Widow will be captured! In the next scene, you'll climb up out of the hideout into the Interrnet Cafe and the museum curator will be standing here. She'll tell you to meet her at the museum. When you arrive, the curator will show you a secret about the museum. It has been quietly hiding many famous works of art from around the globe. You'll receive the medallion for finishing Counterfeit Island. Well done and congratulations.
