The game play of Beached II is based upon three tools: the desalinator, used for making drinking water; the rod, for catching fish; and the saw, for cutting down trees. Each player has only two of these tools, so that they cannot do one of these things.
For instance, if you do not have a saw, you will need another way of getting logs for your raft. Perhaps you could swap what your carrying for another survivor’s log.
Or maybe you do not have a desalinator, and have no fresh supply of water. Do you try to survive on coconut milk, or do you try to swap goods?