Dark Room

Game Details: Horror, 2020

Links: Moby Games, Steam, Adventure Gamers

Walkthrough Updated: 11/18/2020

Suggested Listening: Caught Up in the Panic (Ash 25)

Dark Room is a psychological horror game. You awaken in a darkened basement and must try to recover your memories and piece together the mystery that has led you here. There are 3 difficulty levels, which must be played in order. There are 12 Steam Achievements, all documented in the walkthrough below.

Purgatory

You will receive an achievement for starting this level Purgatory !.

Basement

Examine the old coat on the wall and grab the screwdriver. Next approach the metal box just to the right and pry off the front with the screwdriver. Take the key and letter (1/11) from July 4 1997. Back out and look at the left wall, where there is a message about NC???. There is also a book here that contains a Z-shape. Now use the key on the basement door Basement !. Go through the door.

Ground Floor

Look at the small desk on the right. Open the drawer and take a battery from inside. Go half way up the stairs and take a key from the small painting, then go back down again. Look at the two barrels on the left to see a message "Look reverse at the goal!", as well as a letter (2/11) from August 12 1995. Keep going down the hall and unlock the door with your key, then go through.

Look at the mirror and touch it to make it break. Search the high shelf to find a dirty napkin. Look on the ledge above the fireplace to find a key and a letter (3/11) from July 5 1997. Leave the room by going back through the wooden door on the right.

Return back to the foyer at the bottom of the stairs and look into the room directly to the left. Look at the painting on the wall, then look down at the small desk. Unlock this with your key, then take the flashlight and a letter (4/11) from March 24 2005. In your inventory, combine the battery with the flashlight.

Go back to the foyer, then along to the dark area beneath the stairs. Use your flashlight here, then pick up another key. Back out and go through the wooden door on the left again. Use your key on the electrical box with the green light. Open the electrical box, then pry off the next layer with your screwdriver. Link the different colored terminals in the following pattern to restore electricity to upstairs Second Floor !:

Leave this room and return to the foyer, then go upstairs.

Second Floor

Look at the desk at the end of the hallway to find a letter (5/11) from September 9 2001. There is also a box here that requires a 4-digit combination. This was mentioned in the letter from August 12 1995, so you can enter the code 6352. Inside the box, grab another key and a letter (6/11) from May 24 2019. Return downstairs.

First Floor

Go down the hall and through the wooden door on the left. Look at the floor on the left. Use your key to unlock the small box here. Inside, take the key and a second letter (7/11) from May 24 2019. Return out to the foyer and head upstairs once more.

Second Floor

Head along the hallway and use your latest key on the door to the left, then go through. Look at the computer desk and pick up another letter (8/11) from May 25 2019. If you examine the computer, you will see it requires a 4-digit combination. Back out and look beneath the candles on the right to find a crowbar and a camera lens. While you are here, look at the four paintings above the computer, and the numbers above them:

Mouse: 1
Human: 3
Dog: 5
Cat: 7

Leave this room and return downstairs.

First Floor

Go down the hall and through the wooden door on the left. Use your crowbar on the trapdoor in the floor, then climb down.

Locker Room

Look at the lockers on the right to see a photograph that has F57 on the side, and another letter (9/11) from May 25 2019. Try to open the door, and examine the panel on the left. Look in the far right corner of the room to find a can of thinner. Climb back up the ladder.

First Floor

Go back to the foyer and look in the room directly to the left. Examine the painting on the wall here. Combine the napkin and thinner in your inventory, then use this on the painting. This will give you a grid with some letters around the edge. The letters along the bottom correspond with the animals your saw in paintings upstairs, and you must insert the numbers in these columns according to the crossed squares in the grid (plus one extra):

Reading from top to bottom, this gives you a code of 3517. Leave this room and go upstairs.

Second Floor

Go down the hallway and through the door on the left. Now examine the computer and enter the code 3517 Computer !. Read the Document, then open the Dark Room puzzle. Solve the sliding puzzle, which is based on the photograph on the locker in the basement. Once you are done, back out and head downstairs.

First Floor

Head down the hall and through the wooden door on the left. Climb down through the trapdoor.

Locker Room

Go through the open door into the next room.

Dark Room

Go forward into the room and examine the desk on the left. Grab a letter (10/11) from May 26 2019. Back out and look at the hospital bed on the right to find another key. Head all the way back up to the second floor.

Second Floor

Go forward and use your new key to unlock the door on the right, then go through. Look on top of the filing cabinet to find a controller. Look under the bed to see a locked briefcase that needs a 4-letter combination. Back out and find a sliding block puzzle to solve on the dresser - you need to slide the green block to the far right. Once you are done, take the digital card that is revealed. Head back down to the dark room.

Dark Room

Use the digital card on the card reader next to Dr Kandinsky's office. You will be prompted for a 5-letter combination, which you don't yet know.

Back out and notice the colored lights over the 4 rooms here. Thinking back to the Z-shape in the first book you read in the basement, this would indicate the order green, blue, yellow, red. Enter the red room and use the controller on the television. You will see a word in red: "Help". If you replace "red" with "help" you are left with the order green, blue, yellow, help (GBYH). Go upstairs again.

Second Floor

Enter the room on the right and examine the briefcase beneath the bed. Open this with the code GBYH. Back out and take the binoculars and a letter (11/11) from May 27 2019. Return downstairs.

First Floor

Go through the door on the right to return to the starting basement.

Basement

Look out through the small window at the top right. Combine the camera lens and binoculars in your inventory, then use the binoculars on the right brick wall outside to see the letters PWH. Back out and remember the writing on the left wall here that says NC???. Now it is time to return to the dark room.

Dark Room

Examine the card reader again and enter the code NCPWH - this won't work. Remember also the message about looking in reverse. If you flip this code upside down you will get the correct code for the card reader: NCBMH Exit Key !. Go through the door. Continue up the stairs and try to open the next door.

Laboratory

Examine the desk and use the laptop, then select Teleportation. Just dodge the red dots and collect 30 green dots Easy !. Make sure you watch the credits to the end Credits !. Now you can select the next difficulty.

Green Stone

You will receive an achievement for starting this level Green Stone !.

Basement

Ground Floor

Look at the small desk on the right. Open the drawer and take a battery from inside. Go half way up the stairs and take a key from the small painting, then go back down again. Look at the two barrels on the left, and take a letter (2/11) from August 12 1995. Keep going down the hall and unlock the door with your key, then go through.

Leave this room and return to the foyer, then go upstairs.

Second Floor

First Floor

Second Floor

Mouse: 1
Human: 2
Dog: 9
Cat: 6

Leave this room and return downstairs.

First Floor

Go down the hall and through the wooden door on the left. Use your crowbar on the trapdoor in the floor, then climb down.

Locker Room

First Floor

Reading from top to bottom, this gives you a code of 2916. Leave this room and go upstairs.

Second Floor

Go down the hallway and through the door on the left. Now examine the computer and enter the code 2916. Read the Secret Files and the Document, then open the Dark Room puzzle. Solve the sliding puzzle, which is based on the photograph on the locker in the basement. Once you are done, back out and head downstairs.

First Floor

Head down the hall and through the wooden door on the left. Climb down through the trapdoor.

Locker Room

Go through the open door into the next room.

Dark Room

Second Floor

Dark Room

Use the digital card on the card reader next to Dr Kandinsky's office. You will be prompted for a 5-letter combination, which you don't yet know.

Back out and notice the colored lights over the 4 rooms here. Thinking back to the Z-shape in the first book you read in the basement, this would indicate the order green, blue, yellow, red. Enter the red room and use the controller on the television. You will see a word in red: "Scare". If you replace "red" with "scare" you are left with the order green, blue, yellow, scare (GBYS). Go upstairs again.

Second Floor

Enter the room on the right and examine the briefcase beneath the bed. Open this with the code GBYS. Back out and take the binoculars and a letter (11/11) from May 27 2019. Return downstairs.

First Floor

Go through the door on the right to return to the starting basement.

Basement

Look out through the small window at the top right. Combine the camera lens and binoculars in your inventory, then use the binoculars on the right brick wall outside to see the letters PWZ. Back out and remember the writing on the left wall here that says NC???. Now it is time to return to the dark room.

Dark Room

Examine the card reader again and enter the code NCPWZ. Go through the door. Pick up the rake from here, then go through the left door and head all the way back upstairs.

Second Floor

Look up at the ceiling and use the rake to open a door to the attic. Climb up.

Attic

Examine the box to see it needs a 4-digit combination. Looking at the hint reveals you need to search for the creator of the second floor paintings. Using the Secret Files on the computer, the artist Edvard Munch corresponds to code 3101013. This means you can open the box in the attic with the code 3101. Take the green stone ring from inside. Head back to the dark room.

Dark Room

Go through to Dr Kandinsky's office. Continue up the stairs and try to open the next door.

Laboratory

Examine the desk and use the laptop, then select Teleportation. Just dodge the red dots and collect 40 green dots Normal !. Now you can select the next difficulty.

Top Secret

You will receive an achievement for starting this level Top Secret !.

Basement

Examine the old coat on the wall and grab the screwdriver. Next approach the metal box just to the right and pry off the front with the screwdriver. Take the key and letter (1/16) from July 4 1997. Back out and look at the left wall, where there is a message about NC???. There is also a book here that contains a Z-shape. Now use the key on the basement door. Go through the door.

Ground Floor

Look at the small desk on the right. Open the drawer and take a battery from inside. Go half way up the stairs and take a key from the small painting, then go back down again. Look at the two barrels on the left to see a message "6352 - August = ?!", as well as a letter (2/16) from August 12 1995. Keep going down the hall and unlock the door with your key, then go through.

Look at the mirror and touch it to make it break. Search the high shelf to find a dirty napkin. Look on the ledge above the fireplace to find a key and a letter (3/16) from July 5 1997. Leave the room by going back through the wooden door on the right.

Return back to the foyer at the bottom of the stairs and look into the room directly to the left. Look at the painting on the wall, then look down at the small desk. Unlock this with your key, then take the flashlight and a letter (4/16) from March 24 2005. In your inventory, combine the battery with the flashlight.

Leave this room and return to the foyer, then go upstairs.

Second Floor

Look at the desk at the end of the hallway to find a letter (5/16) from September 9 2001. There is also a box here that requires a 4-digit combination. This was mentioned in the letter from August 12 1995, so you can try to enter the code 6352 - this won't work. Based on the extra hint from the ground floor, the correct code this time is 6352 - 1995, which is 4357. Inside the box, grab another key and a letter (6/16) from May 24 2019. Return downstairs.

First Floor

Go down the hall and through the wooden door on the left. Look at the floor on the left. Use your key to unlock the small box here. Inside, take the key and a second letter (7/16) from May 24 2019. Return out to the foyer and head upstairs once more.

Second Floor

Head along the hallway and use your latest key on the door to the left, then go through. Look at the computer desk and pick up another letter (8/16) from May 25 2019. If you examine the computer, you will see it requires a 4-digit combination. Back out and look beneath the candles on the right to find a crowbar and a camera lens. While you are here, look at the four paintings above the computer, and the numbers above them:

Mouse: 1
Human: 3
Dog: 5
Cat: 7

Leave this room and return downstairs.

Second Floor

Enter the room on the right and use the cutter on the leather bag on top of the filing cabinet. Take the floppy from inside. Return to the dark room one last time.

Dark Room

Go through to Dr Kandinsky's office. Continue up the stairs and try to open the next door.

Laboratory

Examine the desk and use the laptop, then select Secret Files, followed by Teleportation. Just dodge the red dots and collect 50 green dots Hard !.