SanitariumSanitarium

Game Details:  Horror, 1998

Links:  Moby Games, Steam, Adventure Gamers

Walkthrough Updated:  4/25/2021

Suggested Listening:  Help Me Out (Ash 25)

Sanitarium is a third person point-and-click psychological horror adventure game, originally released in 1998 and then re-released on Steam. You take the role of Max Laughton, a researcher who is involved in a car accident and ends up in a coma. While unconscious, you must guide Max through a series of strange horrifying dreams/delusions, which gradually reveal more about his research and his past. There are 20 Steam Achievements, all documented in the walkthrough below.

Chapter 1

The Tower Cells

Leave your cell and walk down and to the left to find the siren, and switch it off. Next enter the cell next to your own and pick up the towel. Head up the stairs and around to the left to talk to Don (1/73). Go around this top level and look at the angel statue and the lock at its base. Head down the other stairs and talk to Martin (2/73), the guy hiding in the corner. Also talk to Lenny (3/73) in the side room. While you are here, look at the generator. Go back up the stairs and around to the right, and use your towel on the overhead wire to slide down to the central building.

Press the red button to extend the bridge, then open the door and enter the control tower. Look at the drawers and the safe on the wall - they are both locked. Now look at the television screens and you will get a close-up view. Plug in the yellow, red and black cables into their appropriate slots, then press the power button on the right, and the play button to view a video. At the end of the video there will be a short-circuit that blows up the VCR, but also opens the safe and the filing cabinet. Take the key from the safe, and read the files in the cabinet. Now head back over the bridge and up the stairs to the angel statue. Use the key in the lock at the statue's base Exhaustion.

Chapter 2

The Innocent Abandoned

Walk out to the street, then talk to Billy (4/73) and Jessie (5/73), who are playing near the statue. Talk to Meggan (6/73) skipping by herself on the left, and you will remember your name. Now talk to all three children about everything. Challenge Jessie to a game of tic-tac-toe and beat her. Head to the lower right and ride the three toy animals - the pig will break, so you can pick it up. Talk to Marty (7/73) on the porch here, then try the two doors, but they are both locked.

Go down across the road and find a hidden path amongst the trees - follow this to find some kids singing in a circle Limbo.

Go back towards the road and head down into the cemetery. Talk to Dennis (8/73), Eileen (9/73), Derek (10/73), Larry (11/73) and Marcus (12/73), then go back and talk to Dennis at the entrance to the cemetery, and challenge him to a game of hide-and-seek. After the children hide, open the shed and pick up the crowbar. Look in the crypt as well to see a decaying body. Leave the cemetery and go left. Enter the small building with the fish painted on the roof, but there is nothing useful inside. Continue left and down to the water to see a blue car. Check out its fuel tank to note it is full. Talk to Timmy (13/73), fishing on a rock here, then head back up the slope towards town.

Look in the barrel behind the fishing supplies store to find Larry. Next go to the schoolhouse to the left. Use your crowbar to break open the door and go inside to find Dennis. Look at the corpses, then leave the building. Continue along the street to see the church. Look at the bell on top, then pick up a rock from the left and throw it at the bell. Head inside and read the newsletter on the left. Go towards the front of the church and find Derek. Head outside again and read the sign - Psalm 4:51.

Go between the church and the next building and find Eileen in a tree. Go into this next building (City Hall) and read the files in the filing cabinet. Outside, look at the rubber hose, but you cannot detach it with your bare hands. Go up and over the bridge and note the metallic cross in the water that you can't reach. Go into the small wooden house and find Marcus hiding under the bed. Read the torn page and the diary in the drawer. Go back towards the statue and talk to Dennis - he won't give you the key because you haven't found Carol yet. Take the shovel from next to the statue and use it on the central grave in the cemetery to find Carol Hide and seek.

Talk to Larry, who is now pulling Carol around in a wagon, then talk to Dennis to get the General Store key.

Go right to where Marty was bouncing a ball and use the key to get into the General Store. Read the papers on the counter, then grab the empty gas can. Head outside again and right toward the broken bridge. Look at the water in the gap to note that you need a stepping stone of some kind. Put the "spring pig" in the water to get over the bridge. Talk to Maria (14/73), then look at the lock on the gate - the combination is from the front of the church - 451. Once inside, look at the tractor, then pick up the scythe.

The Scarecrow

Walk along the path through the pumpkin patch, and attack the blackbirds when they get close - each takes only one hit to kill. Once you reach the scarecrow, you cannot injure it until the pulsating pumpkins are destroyed. Swing at the scarecrow to knock it back, then keep away from it and gradually run around and destroy the pumpkins. When they are all gone, you can finally attack and kill the scarecrow. If you get killed during this, you start again from the beginning of the path, but your enemies do not come back to life.

Open the next gate and take a look at the glowing comet. Also look at the generator and try it, but it is out of gas. Open the tractor here and take the jumper cable. Now open the barn to meet Mother. Talk to Mother (15/73), then pick up the wrench from the floor of the barn. Knock over the wooden plank to the right of the tractor, and cross over the water to return to town.

Use the wrench to detach the hose from near City Hall. Go down to the wrecked car and use the hose on the gas tank, then use the empty gas can on the hose to fill it up. While you are down here, pick up the discarded fishing rod. Go to the top bridge and use the fishing rod to reach the metallic cross in the water.

Go back to the barn. Pour the gas into the generator. Attach the cross to the comet, then attach one end of the jumper cable to the generator, and the other to the cross. Now power up the generator to destroy Mother. Walk left to find a new portal Fever.

Chapter 3

The Courtyard and Chapel

Talk to The King (16/73) on the first bench. Head down the stairs to the right and talk to Skippy (17/73). Continue right and talk to two staff members, Stan (18/73) and Hector (19/73). Continue up the stairs on the right and talk to the Man With a Fish (20/73).

Go up the stairs to the raised area and talk to Vera (21/73). Talk to another two staff members, John (22/73) and Bruce (23/73). Finally talk to the Hooded Woman (24/73) outside the large double doors. After she moves away, open the chapel doors and go inside. Talk to Saint Norm (25/73), then to Preacher Bob (26/73) - someone has stolen the golden cross that belonged to this parish.

Go back outside, and return to where you found the man with a fish. Look at the control box to the left, but you need something to pry it open. Open the door and go inside. Look at the radio and the records, then talk to Doctor Morgan (27/73). Pick up all the records. Use the blue record (Rockabilly Swing Thing) on the phonograph to see The King dancing. Remove this, then use the orange record (The Ballad of Captain Dick) on the phonograph to see the man with a fish dancing. Remove this, then use the red record (Belladonna in A Flat) on the phonograph to see Skippy dancing Dance, dance crazy.

Go back outside and down to Skippy's bench to collect the golden cross from where he was sitting. Return to the chapel and give this to Preacher Bob and you will receive the Staff of Righteousness (an old broom).

Use your old broom to open the control box on the side of the doctor's office, then look at the controls. You need to direct the flow of water through the pipes so that it all flows from the top and left sides and out through the third outlet from the left along the bottom. Once you have managed this, a series of blue lights will turn on down the right side of the panel. Pull the chain on the right to fill the fountain with water. Go and look at the fountain, then talk to it Headache.

Chapter 4

The Circus of Fools

Look at the bodies in the water, then look through the binoculars. Talk to Antonio (28/73) and you will receive a Squid Squash game ticket. Head down the old wooden bridge until you find the four games. Go to the last one and talk to Carl (29/73), then play the Squid Squash game - you will win 3 tickets. Save your game. Now play the other games here until you have amassed at least 15 tickets. If you run out of tickets, load your game and try again. Make sure you play each game once and talk to the Knock Down Man (30/73), Pig Shoot Man (31/73) and Ring Toss Man (32/73). Pick up the pin that is knocked out of the Knock Down booth after playing this game.

Go back along the wooden bridge and up to the grassy level, then around to the front. Enter the main circus tent. Talk to Lefty (33/73) on the right, and you will swap your pin for a rubber ball. Now talk to Inferno (34/73) on the left, and she will agree to teach you her secret if you can locate some fuel. Now talk to Meano Geno (35/73), the muscle man. Talk to Antonio again, then talk to the 3 clowns on the stands behind him, Flipper (36/73), Simon (37/73) and Trixie (38/73). Leave the tent. Go back along the wooden bridge and take the side path to reach the small red wagon. Go inside and talk to Wilbur (39/73) - get some rubbing alcohol from him. Also look at the needles and the tattoo patterns on the wall.

Go back to the main circus tent and walk around the outside. Talk to Like I (40/73), the strange man with the balloons on his head. Go right and talk to Collin (41/73) and Martha (42/73) by their fire, as well as their son Sean (43/73) on the ground to the right. Pick up the oil can between the houses. Head back into the tent and talk to Inferno so you get a baton and learn how to breathe fire. Talk to Meano Geno, and he will leave to get a tattoo. Go back to red wagon and steal a needle.

Now head down the stairs to the beach. Talk to Zippy (44/73). Try to pull the lever at the carousel, but it is stuck. Use your oil can on it, then pull the lever again. Get on the carousel, and it will rotate so you can reach the next amusement. Approach the sign, but it indicates you are too short. Use the rubber ball on the sign, then talk to Oliver (45/73) and give him your tickets. Head through the house, and you will receive a broken piece of a mirror. On the other side, talk to Laughin' Larry (46/73), then climb the wooden bridge and enter the small tent. Talk to Lady Ivanna (47/73), then you will reappear outside the main circus tent. Go back down to the beach and head right. Walk alongside the carriage and look inside so you can talk to Matt and Ashley (48/73). Next talk to Stuart (49/73) and pay another 5 tickets to enter the Freak Show. Talk to Pret-zool (50/73) and Timber (51/73) in the other carriages here. Use your needle to pick the lock on Timber's carriage and he will run away. Go up to where you spoke to the young boy. Look in the hole, then jump down Migraine.

The Cave

Use the broken piece of mirror on the dry twigs to start a fire, then place your baton in the fire to ready your weapon. Walk into the water and head left, taking the top path when it branches. Watch out for falling stalactites (just stop moving when the first little rocks fall). As soon as tentacles appear in front of you, click on them to breathe fire before they can attack. When you reach the squid monster, wait for him to shoot, then run up and attack him in the eye 3 times quickly - he will die and you can climb out of the water Vertigo.

The Mansion

Head up the stairs and you will see some ghosts. Go through the doorway into a kitchen, where two more ghosts are seen. Go out into the hallway and look at the grandfather clock, then try to open it - it is locked. Go upstairs again, then into the television room. You will see some more ghosts in here. Head into the bedroom just up from here and take the brass key from the desk. Go down and use this to unlock the grandfather clock, then set the time to 6:00 by clicking on the 12. Dad will now come out of the study. Go into the study and pick up the video tape and the silver key.

Go upstairs again and watch the video using the VCR in the television room. Now go down out of this room and around to the corridor to the left. The door at the end is locked, but you can unlock it with the silver key and go upstairs to the attic. Look at the big stuffed teddy bear and pick up the gold key next to it. There is a big pile of junk in the middle of the room that you can't walk around. Pull the trampoline over next to it, then jump on it to reach the other side. Look at the chest here, then unlock it with your gold key to get a clown doll. Climb back over the pile of junk and go downstairs. Following the ghost's instructions, head towards the bottom right bedroom, then give the doll to the ghost in the bed Blackout.

Chapter 5

The Laboratory

Look at the dead child, then head outside and climb the stairs. Look at the locked gate to the right, then go down to the right and around into Morgan's study. Look at the painting on the wall, then look behind it and take the pipe key. Use the radio to get some more news. Now leave the study and go up both sets of stairs to find a strange device. Try to use it, but it needs power. Use the pipe key on the pipes to the top right of the machine, then turn the wheel to power up the machine. Walk over to it and use the dials.

The goal is to open all 8 clasps - every time you pull the lever on the right, 3 clasps open on the left, according to the position of the central dial and its spheres. You can alter the position of the spheres by turning the wheel, and you can reset the clasps all to closed by pulling the chain. If you get really stuck, reset the puzzle, then follow these steps:

  1. Pull the lever
  2. Turn the wheel 4 times, pull the lever
  3. Turn the wheel 1 time, pull the lever
  4. Turn the wheel 4 times, pull the lever
  5. Turn the wheel 1 time, pull the lever
  6. Turn the wheel 4 times, pull the lever
  7. Turn the wheel 1 time, pull the lever
  8. Turn the wheel 4 times, pull the lever

A boulder will drop and the previously locked gate will open. Head down the stairs and through the gate into the laboratory. Use the tape recorder on the desk to listen to a message, then look at each of the 3 chalkboards. Click on the first letter of each sentence, and the letters will appear at the bottom of the board. Now rearrange the letters to form the following words:

  • Salvation
  • The Youth
  • Key Hides To

Head to the next door and look at the electronic lock. Talk to it, and say "Youth Hides The Key To Salvation" Redemption. Now open the door Hallucination.

Chapter 6

The Hive

Try to head down and to the right, but a forcefield blocks you. Go and take the ID harness from the dead insectoid, and you are now allowed through. Try to use the purple control panel, but you are denied access. Go down and take the first turn left, then press the yellow button to open the door. Talk to Gravin (52/73) and Chik-Tok (53/73), then grab the insectoid pincer from the wall. Leave this room and go down and right to the last hut - press the orange button and you will automatically say the correct password so the door opens. Pick up the sledgehammer and the tools.

Leave the hut and go up and right, then press the yellow button and enter the furnace room. Look at the patched pipe, and use the sledgehammer to knock it wide open. The bugs will stop pumping the bellows - go and do it for them to create an explosion. Pick up the insectoid arm that is blown off. Look at the multi-colored machine for a puzzle:

The goal here is to match the symbols near the lever on the left with symbols on each side of the trapped insect. You can change the symbols displayed by clicking on the three buttons on the insect's back, and change the color using the two dials on the left. Once the symbols match perfectly, press the two smaller buttons at the bottom left, and the symbols on the far left will turn green. Now move the lever and repeat for all six combinations. This will close the furnace completely.

Go down to Gravin's hut and talk to him again, then return to the robotic lab and talk to Chik-Tok. He agrees to the upgrade if you can prove you are of sufficient age. Stick the insectoid limb in the sensor over on the left, and you will receive the upgrade. Go back to the purple panel and use it to enter the Queen's chamber. Inside, talk to Gritza (54/73), then look at the grubs and the bottles. Use your pincer on a bottle, then go and give the bottle to Gravin. Follow him to Gromna's hut, then talk to him again and you will go inside. Look at the chalkboard to learn about the sound generator, then look at the locked cabinet on the wall. Search under the pillow to find a key, then use this to open the cabinet, and take the sound generator.

Head back to the Queen's chamber and use the sound generator on the transport tube on the right to enter a new area. Talk to Grundle (55/73), then talk to the babies to hear a musical sequence. Memorise that sequence, then save your game. Use the machine over on the left. Press the spheres in the correct order to reproduce the tune (if the spheres are numbered 1-5 from the top going clockwise, press 5, 2, 2, 4, 1, 3. There is an achievement for getting this correct on your first attempt Remember you.

Now head right and talk to Grella (56/73). Use Gravin's tools on the machinery to stop it, then pick up a piece of machinery. Go back to the left and press the yellow button to go down in the "elevator". Use the sound generator to go through the transport tube on the right, and head to the outside again.

Head down and left towards where Gravin is working on the big machine, but the ground will give way. Talk to him, then throw him the piece of machinery - he still needs a second piece. Go back to the Queen's chamber and head up the "elevator" then climb the rope on the left to get to the top platform. Pull the device out of the back of the Queen, and you will automatically deliver it to Gravin Major Depression.

Chapter 7

The Morgue and Cemetery

Look at the dead woman, then look at the door and approach it. After your chat with the Dead Woman (57/73), use the door. You need to turn the central wheel to open the door, but first you must engage the gears at the top left and top right. Turn the top right wheel 3 times, then move the lever left - repeat this 3 times. Now turn the top right wheel 3 times and move the lever right - also repeat this 3 times. Now turn the central wheel left and the door will open.

Turn right and enter Morgan's study. After the flashback, pick up the empty brass urn from the corner filing cabinet, and the matches and iron bust from the desk. Throw the bust against the wall twice to bust through. Out in the courtyard, turn the valve to close it, and get the pipe u-joint. Back in the study, read the pieces of paper on the back of the fallen bookcase. Leave the study and turn right to find a room with a big oven. Look at the bodies on the wall to see they just have tag numbers, but no names. Look in the toolbox on the right and you will get a monkey wrench. Leave this room and feel the two pipes just outside in the corridor - one is warm and one is cold. Use your monkey wrench on the pipes, then connect them with your u-tube.

Go back into the oven room and use the controls on the side of the oven to start the fire. Open the door and enter the cold-room again. Open the top right drawer and talk to Arthur (58/73), who heard some scratches from nearby. Open the bottom drawer, second from the left and look inside to see some scratches. Use your matches on the drawer to see them, but you still can't make out their meaning.

Go back to the oven room. Open the oven, then pick up body #7 (since you were looking in drawer #7). After the body has been into the oven, open the door again. Pick up the glass eye, and use the urn to collect the ashes. Go back to the cold-room and use the matches on the drawer, then use the glass eye on the drawer. Scan over the text to read the entire poem.

Now finally go outside to the cemetery. Just out to the left you will see a crumbling headstone - when you look at it, you comment that there was an old trick about making these legible again. Pour the ashes on the headstone, so you can read the name "Paul Stark". Go to the far right and you will see a tree with eyes! Talk to Malus (59/73), and he will let you pass. Pick up the green prism he was guarding, then hold it within the beam of light outside the Aztec Temple and the door will unlock.

Go inside just as Morgan is leaving. Read the two pieces of paper on the desk, and look at the symbols on the wall, then use the large Aztec Calendar. You need to press the buttons to rotate through the pictures. You are trying to end up with the following:

  • Sun over twin mountains
  • Rising sun
  • Sun in the valley
  • Eye
  • Pyramid

You will teleport once the symbols are correct Behavior Disorder.

Chapter 8

The Lost Village

Talk to Teteo (60/73), then walk up the stairs to leave the cave. Walk along the path over the water and talk to Huitzilop (61/73) who is over the other side of the waterfall. Next go past the Water Temple and talk to Mixcoatl (62/73). Go down past the sacrificial altar and talk to Xilonen (63/73), then go further down to talk to Ometoch (64/73), and lastly next to the totem is Tepictoc (65/73). Just down from here, climb the steps to the Jaguar Temple and talk to it to learn that you need to provide two offerings.

Head back to the sacrificial altar and climb half way up the steps. Talk to Quetzalcoatl (66/73), then push over the statue to the right and you will create a bridge to the water temple. Go down the steps and across the bridge so you can talk to Centeotl (67/73). While you are here, look at the side of the water temple.

Return to near the large totem and take the path heading towards the huts. Talk to the Old Woman (68/73), then pick up the bowl. Talk to the Weeping Woman (69/73), the Worrying Woman (70/73), and the Stone Mason (71/73) inside the buildings here. The stone mason will agree to give the necklace to the fisherman's wife.

Go and talk to Tepictoc, next to the totem, and he will let you pass. Push over the totem, then walk across to reach the Wind Temple. Push aside the large boulders. After you automatically return the stonemason's daughter to the village, go back to the Wind Temple again. Strike the gongs on the wall in order from largest to smallest, and the crystal will shatter, so that you may pick up the Wind Totem.

Now find the path behind the Jaguar Temple and talk to the shaman, Tezacatl (72/73). Go back to the village and look in the first hut, then talk to the Daughter (73/73) You are not alone.

Next speak to the stonemason again, and undergo the test. List the names as Xilonen, Ometoch, Tepictoc, Centeotl, Huitzilop and Mixcoatl From life to death.

After the cutscene, walk across the lava lake and you will grab the Pod of Might. Give this to the Tezacatl and he will attack Quetzalcoatl. Talk to him, then collect his blood in your bowl. Go to his hut and pick up the crystal heart. Go back to the village and speak to everyone once more.

Head to the Water Temple again and look at the symbols on the wall. You should now be able to work out the order based on the fishermans' creed. Click the sun, spear, waves, fish, basket and fisherman. Now head inside and pick up the ruby fish and the Water Totem. Go to the Jaguar Temple and put the blood in the left dish and the crystal heart in the right dish. Before going inside, have a close look at the stairs leading up to the temple. Now inside, look at the symbols along the far wall - copy the order of symbols from the steps on to the wall - bull, moon, infinity, face, star, fish, target. Take the jaguar totem from the central platform.

Now go to the centre of the paths outside, where the large statue was earlier. Insert the three totems in the three holes, according to the relative positions of their respective temples. You will jump down into the maze Senility.

The Maze

Go straight ahead, timing your walk past the 3 pink energy panels. Turn right and head down 2 sets of stairs. Turn right at the bottom, then follow the path around and up a short flight of stairs. Head forward to the control panel. Press the left and right discs, then press the active right button - this makes two changes to the platforms.

Step into the pink energy to the right and you will return to the starting position. Now head right over the new bridge and pull the little statue's arm, then go back across the starting point. Follow this path and go down the stairs on the left. Follow this to find a lever to pull that opens a gate above. Go up the next steps, then down another set. Pull another lever here to lock the gate open. Go through the gate and into the large orange opening. Take the mask Schizophrenia.

Chapter 9

The Gauntlet

Walk towards the pumpkin wall, but you can't step on the thorns. Switch to Olmec by selecting the Aztec statue in your inventory, then walk up to the pumpkins to see a pattern of lights. Click on the pumpkins in the same order and they will disappear, as will the children behind them. Go through and pick up the skull, then return to the little cemetery.

Switch to Grimwall by selecting the comic, and look at each of the gravestones until the ghost appears. Give the skull to the ghost and a stone crypt will appear. Open the crypt and take the angelic statue's head. Switch to Olmec and walk over the thorny path, then switch to Grimwall and win the carnival game of strength.

Head down the stairs and look at the clown's teeth, which are flashing different colors. Switch back to Olmex, and press the teeth to match the colors of the clown's hair - red, yellow, green, blue. Now switch to Sarah by selecting her doll, then climb into the clown's nose. Pick up the angelic statue's left wing.

Climb back through the ear, then follow the path towards the stone tower and note the empty pedestal. Climb the stairs and crawl over the spiderweb. Switch to Olmec and look at the panels on the floor. By trial and error, you can work out that you need to stomp on them in this order (from left to right): 2, 5, 3, 1, 4. Next switch to Grimwall and push the large stone block out of the way. Push the 6 impaled bodies down on their stakes and the crystal will shatter, allowing you to pick up the angelic statue's right wing.

Cross over the spiderweb as Sarah, then switch back to Grimwall and head through the tower and down to the hive. Go over and use the control panel on the right, and you will automatically reveal a small tunnel in the floor. Lift up the grate to make it accessible. While you are here, go over to the wall and break open the honeycomb cells to get an insect mandible. Now switch to Sarah and jump down through the tunnel. Switch to Olmec to walk over the thorny path, then use the insect mandible to cut the wire. Walk back over the path and switch to Sarah so you can climb back inside through the tunnel. Pick up the angelic statue's torso.

Head back to the tower and place all four parts of the statue on the pedestal. Climb the stairs and enter the portal Madness.

Morgan's Last Game

You are now at the final puzzle of the game. You need to move about the chess squares in your half of the board to get to the glowing orb, while avoiding the black sludge. Just watch the 3 patterns that the sludge forms and avoid those squares to reach the orb. You need to do this 3 times to complete the game Insanity.