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The Witness |OT|
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SmiteOfHand
Member
Anyone who solved those puzzles *without* doing that is a fucking genius
I remember hearing some reviewers were using photoshop to help solve puzzles so I had a notebook nearby when I played to jot down notes and make sketches to help solve them. Didn't end up ever using it, and I am most definitely not a genius, at all. I do think how well you can visualize space helps a ton, and everyone will be able to do that to various degrees. Also the tetrimino puzzles have the worst tutorial in the game so it is easy to make wrong assumptions about their rule set. Which can make it all the worse as the complexity piles on.
Edit: wait, that is a small lie. I did jot down a few notes for the town puzzle:
the RGB light stuff in the upstairs/container. I was way over thinking what the puzzle was. I think I thought it was an RGB bit system so like if R=1, G=0, B=1, then you would be able to see the purple colors? I don't recall the specifics off-hand, just that it was one of those situations of dramatically overthinking it.
I thought I had great spacial reasoning! My wife's a psychologist and when she did some standardised tests on me apparently I was "off the scale" for that. (not humble at all brag). I do that kind of thing all day in my job (architecture) but The Witness still broke me.
It really is a superb game
I'm not so sure.
I've ranked other sandbox-puzzle games like The Talos Principle and Stephen's Sausage Roll high on my GOTY lists, yet The Witness did absolutely nothing for me.
Are you in the town? The town is a hybrid area that sums up everything you learned in the other areas. It's slightly badly paced because the town is one of the first areas you can go to after the tutorial area, and some of the puzzles seem solvable, and have some rows of puzzles that seems like a new tutorial, but are not. Just move past the town and go on to the next areas.
Got to a set of Tetris pieces that seemed like I knew what was up but as it turns out I have no clue what the solution actually is because the last of the group doesn't seem to obey what I did for the previous :/
sackboy2197
Member
Have you been to the swamp yet? If not, you haven't learned how they work yet, so it's not surprising you are having trouble. The game makes it quite clear when it's teaching you some kind of puzzle.
This set is like 10,12 of them starting with just a single dot working up in complexity.
sackboy2197
Member
It sound like the right place then. Why don't you take a pic and tell us what you did? We can give you some hints to help you understand why a certain thing is wrong.
Will do!
Double post bonus!
Was walking past a puzzle I figured was impossible to solve hours ago and had an epiphany and it worked!
Game is growing on me, and thanks for the notion of just using phone to snap photos and doodle.
This is the only game I've ever bothered with notes or scribbling and it's paying off.
Game went from inconceivable babble to I bet I can crack this! Quickly.
Was walking past a puzzle I figured was impossible to solve hours ago and had an epiphany and it worked!
Game is growing on me, and thanks for the notion of just using phone to snap photos and doodle.
This is the only game I've ever bothered with notes or scribbling and it's paying off.
Game went from inconceivable babble to I bet I can crack this! Quickly.
The main appeal of the game is these moments of discovery. The feeling of solving a puzzle that has stumped you for days is pretty special. The moment when I figured out the Tetris puzzles was the most rewarding. Then a later Tetris puzzle made me realize that I hadn't figured it out at all, but even that was enjoyable as I got to relive that feeling of discovery again.
Yep, one of the first games since Myst that made me feel like taking notes and drawing things. Also because it was so difficult for me to picture some of the shapes
sackboy2197
Member
I'm really glad to hear you're starting to enjoy it more. It's a really good puzzle game. And like I said, if you ever feel like you need some hints, or maybe some suggestions over where to go first, feel free to ask
Remembrance
Member
A lot of people get stumped here because this one teaches you something new. It's a very important rule.
sackboy2197
Member
If it's the one I'm thinking about, (small hint)
pay attention to you surroundings, and the shape of the puzzle.
Question for those that have completed the game, my wife is having trouble accessing the final challenge... I haven't played and have no idea how it works so I can't help her
What she said happened is
I have a cloud save to roll back in case we need to redo stuff, but I'm confused and this is practically her first game so she's lost obviously
What she said happened is
she was in a Wonka glass elevator and she flew around and saw all the lasers deactivate and all the doors closed. She said the game told her to start a new game and she tried the first door and it was locked again
Remembrance
Member
Thanks! She didn't know there was a pause button where the load menu was LMAO
sackboy2197
Member
The only thing that comes close is playing it with someone who hasn't played it yet.I reinstalled this and started a new game... just can't do it.
Really wish I could just erase my mind and come at the game fresh again
I was able to experience this when my roommate and brother were playing, but that feeling in my veins again :<
Ok, a thousand apologies if all this has been covered before, but while I don't usually consult guides even when stuck on a game, I REALLY didn't want to spoil anything about The Witness, so I've been playing through it without reading this thread or anything else related to it.
So, with that in mind, I've got a few questions that have probably been asked a thousand times before.
1. It feels like I've done all the primary "main game" stuff at this point. I've
2. And speaking of the black pillars,
3. As far as the other optional content goes,
4. On the subject of videos and secrets
5. There's a puzzle panel on top of the mountain,
So, with that in mind, I've got a few questions that have probably been asked a thousand times before.
1. It feels like I've done all the primary "main game" stuff at this point. I've
Turned on all 11 lasers, got the Willy Wonka-esque ending with the elevator by the sea, got into the post-11-laser cave area, completed everything there but the one weird color puzzle, and did the speed run thing with the record player to get the last video recording, and used the diagram in the caves to turn the force field from the beginning back on, giving me access to the weird resort room, and eventually the "guy wakes up, walks through house, takes nap in back yard" ending.
So, is that everything? My puzzle count sits at 517 +99 +1, and I know I've still got quite a few of the sparkly particle puzzles left to go, but other than that, have I covered all the main content?
So, is that everything? My puzzle count sits at 517 +99 +1, and I know I've still got quite a few of the sparkly particle puzzles left to go, but other than that, have I covered all the main content?
2. And speaking of the black pillars,
what's the rules for how things are grouped on each side? I thought I had a handle on it when I was writing down a list of which puzzle covered what area, but I think I was a bit off. For example, on the pillar in the desert, there's a side that has the puzzles from the front of the temple, and the other side has some of the puzzles from underneath the temple. So, I figured one side was "above ground temple puzzles" and the other was "below ground temple puzzles", but the side I thought was the "above" side ended up having the puzzle from the room where you raise and lower the water level, and the "below" side has the puzzle from the coastline where you use the sand and the stone ridge above it, so while everything was in the same general area, it wasn't quite categorized as I thought it was, making for a lot of wandering around in the wrong area looking for stuff.
3. As far as the other optional content goes,
I'd be surprised if I've got all of it. I did all the triangle panels I could find, and found quite a few of the audio logs. However, there doesn't seem to be any in-game tracking for the audio logs, which is kind of unfortunate.
4. On the subject of videos and secrets
One of the best "ah-ha!" moments in a game full of them was realizing that you had to use the videos for some of the puzzles. That said, I've got an idea for how to do one of them with that eclipse video, but I do wonder if Blow could be THAT much of a jerk. Am I really expected to start the puzzle for that video, and wait for the eclipse to move over to the dangling wires at the end of the (rather long) clip to finish it?
5. There's a puzzle panel on top of the mountain,
the one that's just the outline of the river. Does that one actually do anything, or is it just there as a clue to point out the existence of the sparkly particle puzzles?
Remembrance
Member
1. Yes.
The final totals are 523 +135 +6.
2. You've got it right.
It's more "look in that general direction."
3.
The lake is a map of the island that tracks everything you've found. Flowers represent audio logs, and open up when you play them. The small orange leaves represent triangle panels, and they turn brown and sink to the bottom when you solve them. You can probably figure out the rest of the items in the lake.
4. It's exactly what you think.
Yes, there are 100% speedruns for this game featuring that whole unskippable hour.
5. That's all it does.
Hold on.
I haven't tried it, but I thought I heard there was a way to scrub through the video using the code input panel.
Remembrance
Member
Yes, but
for the puzzle you have to stand behind the theater screen. Plus you have to have your cursor in mid-puzzle and so can't click on anything for an hour.
3.
Holy crap! I'll have to check that out next time around! I remember seeing the various things
4. It's exactly what you think.
Wow, that's some crazy fuckery in the best way. I got bored by the video when the guy kept going on about Bach, and just wanted to confirm my suspicions before I actually attempted it.
The lake is a map of the island that tracks everything you've found. Flowers represent audio logs, and open up when you play them. The small orange leaves represent triangle panels, and they turn brown and sink to the bottom when you solve them. You can probably figure out the rest of the items in the lake.
Holy crap! I'll have to check that out next time around! I remember seeing the various things
floating in the lake, but I never gave them a second thought
4. It's exactly what you think.
Yes, there are 100% speedruns for this game featuring that whole unskippable hour.
Wow, that's some crazy fuckery in the best way. I got bored by the video when the guy kept going on about Bach, and just wanted to confirm my suspicions before I actually attempted it.
Eh uhh, I think the game fucked me off right on my face. Is that even possible? Meaning I think I possibly lost access to some zone or collectable.
I was at the big tree area under the bamboo area (which I haven't even entered yet). I solved those red puzzles and followed the last cable up the hill, across the waterfall and then back again, just to the side of the bamboo. There was a clear area I could access but I just did the simple puzzle screen that only has a straight line and I got real fucked because I did it before proceeding and now there's a barrier and I don't even know if there was really ANYTHING inside or just nothing. Even thinking I left some audio collectables inside makes me want to a) start all over again or b) quit the fuck out of the game FOREVER.
Maybe it's a bug? Ps4 version. Tried undoing the straight line puzzle that triggers the barrier and/or the last red puzzle near the big tree down there but the straight one does nothing when undone and the other leaves its cable yellow and all.
Please tell me if I'm missing something for not having accessed the zone before or how to get the barrier down again (if that's even possible).
Right now I'm playing further in that same save.
Shit. I WAS loving the game although I know I'm bad at puzzles and will probably leave it unfinished eventually.
I was at the big tree area under the bamboo area (which I haven't even entered yet). I solved those red puzzles and followed the last cable up the hill, across the waterfall and then back again, just to the side of the bamboo. There was a clear area I could access but I just did the simple puzzle screen that only has a straight line and I got real fucked because I did it before proceeding and now there's a barrier and I don't even know if there was really ANYTHING inside or just nothing. Even thinking I left some audio collectables inside makes me want to a) start all over again or b) quit the fuck out of the game FOREVER.
Maybe it's a bug? Ps4 version. Tried undoing the straight line puzzle that triggers the barrier and/or the last red puzzle near the big tree down there but the straight one does nothing when undone and the other leaves its cable yellow and all.
Please tell me if I'm missing something for not having accessed the zone before or how to get the barrier down again (if that's even possible).
Right now I'm playing further in that same save.
Shit. I WAS loving the game although I know I'm bad at puzzles and will probably leave it unfinished eventually.
Aarglefarg
Member
I don't know exactly where you are but I assume you will be fine. I'm getting into the game to figure it out but if you can upload a screenshot of the area/straight line puzzle it could help clarify it.
Is this the barrier? (Same barrier, different side, it is unclear which side you are on)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DF-mU6RVwAAqDjQ.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DF-ndMQUwAAsmLx.jpg
Since there are puzzles elsewhere you can solve to get around it. I forget if there are multiple ways but there is at least one.
That's the place, yeah. Now I see it's actually a panel with more screens at the other side, so it was needed to reveal them. I suppose I'll have to access the other side from the house or some other place then. I feel relieved, it would have been very weird to have that kind of trap there, lol.
Thank you very much! Very kind of you launching the game and doing those screens just because of my rant, heh.
I've been doing the bunker and got my first trophy in the meantime. And just discovered how to solve some other puzzles in the wetlands further.
I'm surprised the game is so addictive even when it kinda boils down to lines in screens puzzles. Amazing.
Thank you very much! Very kind of you launching the game and doing those screens just because of my rant, heh.
I've been doing the bunker and got my first trophy in the meantime. And just discovered how to solve some other puzzles in the wetlands further.
I'm surprised the game is so addictive even when it kinda boils down to lines in screens puzzles. Amazing.
It's 8,40 EUR with psplus right now if you didn't get it on pc. I think it's ok on ps4. I've been basically playing all day. Without it's 13 I think (already seems like a nice price now that I've spent some serious time with it).
I've discovered some shit and now I've got 98 plus 6 panels completed. And I even have no clue yet to some things I thought I could resolve.
2 trophies and I've been mostly wandering some areas and just focused the 2 I've finished (I suppose not really really finished yet). Some other place I got into seriously until some puzzle got me stuck and moved on.
Island is huge and beautiful. And it sure looks pretentious with some... things. But I'll keep my judgment on that for now, still much, much to see.
I agree no one should skip on this game though. And not look anything up either at least until completed or until you feel there's nothing more you can do by yourself after exploring everywhere.
Oh and sorry for double posting if mine is still the last one.
Ahhh I have one question, after discovering some crazy shit:
does altering fov possibly affect any puzzle? I'm thinking of the black monoliths thing... I've done some environmental puzzling with a water pipe and with symbols reflecting the sun and it all has to do with perspective...
It makes no difference
I've got the central town all done except for the very first puzzle, I think, that which opens the ground level door in the tower. I guess I should know how to solve it as it's like the first ones in the tree house but I don't know shit.
Also in that house I've seen neat things but the first tree panel, inside, I have no fucking clue.
Likewise, I've left for later several panels in several zones, and gone roaming solving new zones, but I believe I've finally run out of new zones completely and I'm still stuck in shitty panels like one inside the sun temple, in the lower level where the water rises with a switch. It's the third or fourth panel in that floor and it just doesn't reflect light at any point while rising the water level.
Fact is, I was a bit skeptical of this game at first but I've left aside all other games (well I was playing Andromeda and had just finished Hollow Knight) and I've even dreamt of selecting a fat point and following a line from there, even on my sleeping wife's body next to me as I was half-awakening this morning. Hah.
Well done, Mr Blow. Well done.
More stats: I'm well above 300 panels plus above +20. Nothing more. Oh, two windmill... things, only.
Also in that house I've seen neat things but the first tree panel, inside, I have no fucking clue.
Likewise, I've left for later several panels in several zones, and gone roaming solving new zones, but I believe I've finally run out of new zones completely and I'm still stuck in shitty panels like one inside the sun temple, in the lower level where the water rises with a switch. It's the third or fourth panel in that floor and it just doesn't reflect light at any point while rising the water level.
Fact is, I was a bit skeptical of this game at first but I've left aside all other games (well I was playing Andromeda and had just finished Hollow Knight) and I've even dreamt of selecting a fat point and following a line from there, even on my sleeping wife's body next to me as I was half-awakening this morning. Hah.
Well done, Mr Blow. Well done.
More stats: I'm well above 300 panels plus above +20. Nothing more. Oh, two windmill... things, only.
gingerbeardman
Member
Started this last night after buying it in the PSN sale. My initial reaction was "Slither Link Island" though the slow shift in puzzle mechamics soon put an end to that. Really enjoying it.
Jimnymebob
Member
I'd just like to take a break to say how great the HDR looks on this. It adds so much colour to it, to the point the non HDR looks drab in comparison.
Anyway, back to being inept at these puzzles.
Anyway, back to being inept at these puzzles.
Reached the ending or, at least, got the endgame trophy. The game is not finished yet but I think I'll stop for now, dunno if I'll take it up again. My final panel count:
Still thinking this is a bit too pretentious but in reality I have enjoyed it, a lot. Favourite puzzle game ever but that's not saying much as it's not remotely even in my favorite genres. But now I feel like I should play Myst or Talos Principle or whatever.
I noticed by the end of my playthrough that the panel thing, even if it keeps adding new things in some way until the very end, got a bit old already.
I haven't found every collectable and probably lots of more shit, either. Thoughts on that, plus what is left for me to find, no story spoilers:
Help me decide to keep playing or to move on.
I really recommend this game to just about everyone. I'd even recommend it to my mother if it was on Android tablets.
Oh and btw, I've only used one sheet of grid paper. Never had to cut paper pieces in shapes. Used some phone photos/ps4 screenshots and that's about it. And the jungle puzzles never bothered me too much.
What bothered me the most were the sun temple (second to last room, with water) and the tree temple for some reason. Fuck perspective puzzles.
436 +41 (+0 lol)
Still thinking this is a bit too pretentious but in reality I have enjoyed it, a lot. Favourite puzzle game ever but that's not saying much as it's not remotely even in my favorite genres. But now I feel like I should play Myst or Talos Principle or whatever.
I noticed by the end of my playthrough that the panel thing, even if it keeps adding new things in some way until the very end, got a bit old already.
I haven't found every collectable and probably lots of more shit, either. Thoughts on that, plus what is left for me to find, no story spoilers:
- I've only found three videos under the windmill. Nostalgia, the science guy and the tv woman. No idea where the rest might be.
- the «plus» puzzles can go fuck off, never completed a single monolith and never might. I could score some more but it's a chore just navigating to them and getting them to work or the right perspective, etc. Some even require literally navigating (the boat) which is very slow. If Blow said these are the true game then... well... fuck off!
- I could be bothered to continue playing for the remaining (standard) panels (found one near the very end on a sculpture of a man on the floor just before exiting the cave but it's turned off it seems) and the windmill videos, and I've seen there's some gallery that connects with the windmill and another exit under the mountain (maybe they're the same path) but both open from other side, can't enter, would play for that too. But 'plus' panels and audio collectables can go to hell.
- Noticed I can clear the grey cloud too but no clue what for, and there's a white cloud I noticed very early on that just has to be part of a +puzzle; well, it can fuck off, too. Because I've been looking at it from every part of the island and never found the other half of the puzzle trigger (the starting dot).
- Don't know if the wreckage has panels but I haven't been able to set foot on the more distant platforms.
- I have ten lasers, I think there aren't anymore, right?
- two trophies remain, I guess one's for the audio things and other for the videos?
- the «plus» puzzles can go fuck off, never completed a single monolith and never might. I could score some more but it's a chore just navigating to them and getting them to work or the right perspective, etc. Some even require literally navigating (the boat) which is very slow. If Blow said these are the true game then... well... fuck off!
- I could be bothered to continue playing for the remaining (standard) panels (found one near the very end on a sculpture of a man on the floor just before exiting the cave but it's turned off it seems) and the windmill videos, and I've seen there's some gallery that connects with the windmill and another exit under the mountain (maybe they're the same path) but both open from other side, can't enter, would play for that too. But 'plus' panels and audio collectables can go to hell.
- Noticed I can clear the grey cloud too but no clue what for, and there's a white cloud I noticed very early on that just has to be part of a +puzzle; well, it can fuck off, too. Because I've been looking at it from every part of the island and never found the other half of the puzzle trigger (the starting dot).
- Don't know if the wreckage has panels but I haven't been able to set foot on the more distant platforms.
- I have ten lasers, I think there aren't anymore, right?
- two trophies remain, I guess one's for the audio things and other for the videos?
Help me decide to keep playing or to move on.
I really recommend this game to just about everyone. I'd even recommend it to my mother if it was on Android tablets.
Oh and btw, I've only used one sheet of grid paper. Never had to cut paper pieces in shapes. Used some phone photos/ps4 screenshots and that's about it. And the jungle puzzles never bothered me too much.
What bothered me the most were the sun temple (second to last room, with water) and the tree temple for some reason. Fuck perspective puzzles.
There are
.
I can list them here according to their trophy
.
I would totally look into completing that part of the game and working towards getting all the trophies.
Eleven lasers
I can list them here according to their trophy
Shady Trees, Symmetry, Desert Ruin, Treehouses, Keep, Quarry, Marsh, Jungle, Monastery, Bunker, Town
I would totally look into completing that part of the game and working towards getting all the trophies.
Remembrance
Member
You are missing one laser and the
hidden endgame
sitting man's deactivated panel
You are also missing the other ending. There are a couple of ways to find it, but going through the above is one way.
The missing trophies are for the 11th laser and completing the ultimate challenge in the game, which is in the
hidden endgame
You can forget about the
perspective
The wreckage has only one panel, which unlocks a video, and it's the hardest puzzle in the game. Not everyone is expected to be able to solve this one on their own.
There are actually
two cloud puzzles
Well, shit. Any tips on getting to that one last laser?
Fact is, of those listed, I remember every zone. I think I should have them all, but I'm going to look through the trophies...
Yeah definitely I don't have the first area trophy. Strange.
Yes it is! Damn, I have the door unlocked and for some reason I forgot to activate the laser! Lol. Well, this panel doesn't seem to work like it should, now I remember, I was stuck here and left it for later but never returned, haha.
Thanks, to you both. I'll be back, I guess.
Fact is, of those listed, I remember every zone. I think I should have them all, but I'm going to look through the trophies...
Yeah definitely I don't have the first area trophy. Strange.
isn't that zone the one just beside the keep? Between the keep and the quarry.
Yes it is! Damn, I have the door unlocked and for some reason I forgot to activate the laser! Lol. Well, this panel doesn't seem to work like it should, now I remember, I was stuck here and left it for later but never returned, haha.
Thanks, to you both. I'll be back, I guess.
Crap. Sorry for double posting but, can you please help? I activated the last laser but I'm not noticing any difference in the final area. I triggered the ending again and it's the same, and the hint you gave me about unlocking the other thing... No difference after firing the last laser up. Up the mountain, I'm not seeing anything changed, I thought one cable there would go enlightened down to the inactive panel near the ending, but nope.
I was about to stop playing this and I'm grateful for having some more challenges ahead but I don't want to get stuck looking for the challenges instead of actually doing them.
Especially if I'm in doubt on whether I can actually access them, having triggered the ending once and loading a save just prior to that to activate one more laser (maybe I need to activate every laser before entering the mountain? So I'd need to load a different, earlier save?).
Thanks in advance.
I was about to stop playing this and I'm grateful for having some more challenges ahead but I don't want to get stuck looking for the challenges instead of actually doing them.
Especially if I'm in doubt on whether I can actually access them, having triggered the ending once and loading a save just prior to that to activate one more laser (maybe I need to activate every laser before entering the mountain? So I'd need to load a different, earlier save?).
Thanks in advance.
It's hard to say much without spoiling everything.
Something HAS changed.
hint #1:
hint #2:
edit: And if your save has you in
you can get out, look for a simple single line puzzle on the frame of the door.
Something HAS changed.
hint #1:
Follow the power cables from the inactivated puzzles
hint #2:
What are the lasers shooting at? Are there any physical changes that you noticed from the first time you viewed it to when you visited again after unlocking the path to the ending?
edit: And if your save has you in
the ending elevator
Remembrance
Member
Don't worry, you can't get locked out here. What you're stuck on is the puzzle itself.
You need to do something to activate that cable. Just like you couldn't open the mountaintop until you had 7 lasers, you can only activate the cable now that you have all 11 lasers.
It is a little bit hidden.
Boy I thought I was kinda ok at the game after blowing through a lot of puzzles in the first five or so hours but now my progress has slowed down drastically. Some of these puzzles really fuck with my head, the flower/greenhouse one got more or less unsolvable for me at the very end and those tetris pieces in the swamp are terrible as well.
Also do I need to bother with the
if I already know that I'm not gonna get around to finding all of them? Already being kinda annoyed by
Also do I need to bother with the
environmental puzzles
inching through the environment finding the pixel perfect perspective. Is there something meaningfull attached to solving all these?
1. Tetris pieces are some of the best puzzle mechanics!
2. Don't. It seems they don't offer anything meaningful from what I've been told.