Full Walkthrough

How long is the full playthrough?

A single playthrough of the main story takes about 5–6 hours. A completionist run that unlocks all 21 achievements and clears every optional room lands at 8–10 hours. Speedrun or guide-following play can finish in 3–4 hours.

Prologue: Stonetop Inn and the Mortuga

The game begins at 4:00 AM in the Stonetop Inn. Sally is asleep nearby. Before leaving, examine:

• The fantasy novel "Hex of the Helmsmen" on the table.
• The rotting bar stools (note their distinctive look).
• The red Case File on the bar counter — this explains why Detective Grimoire and Sally were hired: Captain Magnus Mortuga was found dead in a locked room aboard the submarine, and acting captain Sinthia Seafoam wants answers.

After the Inn, travel to the Town Square and inspect the shop signs and the fountain. Wait at the end of the dock until a green light appears, then choose it to reveal the surfacing Mortuga submarine.

Aboard the Mortuga: Fore Deck to Illusion Theatre

1. Fore Deck — examine the wooden buoy, rowboat and yellow markings, then enter the submarine.
2. Parlor — Sally pulls a lever to light the room with pink fire. Examine the "HER" painting and the taped-off Control Room door. A note warns you to stay away from the Control Room and the "murder floor." Go to the Mess Hall.
3. Mess Hall — inspect the playing cards and the Serpent Statue Cabinet. Solve it to get Sun Tablets (see Puzzle Solutions for exact dial positions).
4. Illusion Theatre — the crime scene. Examine the inverted poster, the broken stool (matching the Inn stools), the Moon-marked vial, the blood trail and the cauldron. The chalk outline deduction concludes the prologue.

Chapter 1: The Curse in the Cauldron

Most of the submarine opens up. The recommended route to minimize backtracking:

1. Child's Room — inspect the newspaper, portrait and Wooden Chest. Solving it yields the Glass Eyeball.
2. Control Room — after seeing the face in the Parlor window, ask Symmetry about it, then return to open the door. Inside, solve the Electrical Switchboard to get the Captain's Logbook.
3. Sym & Sinthia's Bunk — find the Pig Safe and solve it for the Underwater Photo. Look under Sinthia's mattress for the Inn Deeds.
4. Dream Chamber — talk to Zephyr and solve the Perfume Shelf for the Caretaker's Journal.
5. Dirk & Wirman's Bunk — find Dirk's cellphone and Wirman's typewriter; solve both to get the Handwritten Letter.
6. Engine Room — solve the Compass Puzzle for the Ocean Map, then question Gripp.
7. Cargo Hold — place crew tokens on the Pin Board correctly and question Mariana for the Moon Photo.
8. Airlock Grotto — solve the Diving Helmet for the Pocketbook, then use Tadpole's birthday clue to open it.
9. Bilge — use Dirk's cellphone as a light source and solve the Bilge Switch Puzzle for the Strange Device and Diving License.
10. Captain's Cabin / Quarters — use the Glass Eyeball to unlock the cabin, then solve the Model Town puzzle for the second Film Reel.