What is the “I’m Stuck” button in Coral Island?

As you peruse the menus in Coral Island, you’ll uncover a wealth of options, from accessibility to language. But, you’ll also notice a big button near the bottom of the menu that simply reads “I’m Stuck.” If you click it, the game will explain its purpose, but let’s discuss this button’s impacts on your campaign.

What is the “I’m Stuck” button in Coral Island?

It’d seem the “I’m Stuck” button acts as an officially sanctioned “get out of jail free card” in case your character gets trapped in a bug. If this happens to you and the only option left is to use this button, you’ll be instantly returned to your home, and the day will be ended. Also, in what might be the most strange impact of this option, when you wake up the next day, you’ll be impacted by a stamina penalty.

To be frank, the “I’m Stuck” button is clearly meant as the nuclear option should you be met with the business end of one of the overlooked bugs in Coral Island. To some, it might be strange the developers would punish players for getting trapped by bugs that they haven’t resolved yet. 

But, looking at it another way, it’s not necessarily a punishment for the dev’s mistakes and more a means to prevent players from having a free portal back to their house. At its core, the button is supposed to be a means to free players from bugs, but what’s stopping them from using it irresponsibly? 

If, for example, a player foolishly went into the cavern and was ill-prepared to defend themselves, they could simply use the “I’m Stuck” button to return home. But, because there’s a penalty for using the button, players might think twice about using it unless they absolutely need to, i.e. if they’re trapped in a bug. It’s an example of deterrence, and a rather ingenious one, at that.