The Witness Puzzle Help Thread (Spoilers)

I think I know my way around most of the puzzle mechanics in The Witness by now, but the tetrominos are still giving me a hard time. I understand the mechanic and all, but boy, am I bad at those puzzles. I don't know if I'll ever make my way through the swamp without just plainly looking for the solution in a walkthrough. Right now I'm stuck at the tetromino puzzle on the second shortcut gate to the quarry which is located near the bridge, and I don't even think that that's a particularly difficult puzzle. I already started cutting out tetrominos and arranging them on a piece of paper, but even that doesn't help.

Does anyone have any valuable advice on how best to approach these puzzles? They're really frustrating by now, and there are sooo many of them.

@knurrunkulus: Well you're definitely not alone.

I guess a tip for those is to get a good handle on what kinds of arrangements are actually impossible to draw with the dot (for example, separate tetrominos touching at a corner). I usually try to start by looking at the puzzle as a whole and trying to decide which pieces are going to be grouped together, which can help eliminate bad solutions.

I'm confused about the door connecting the monastery to the bamboo forest.

I've done just about every other puzzle in the game, so I know generally what I'm supposed to do, but nothing seems to work out properly.

@reruns: Have you done the other similar puzzles?

@beachthunder: Well, yeah. Of course.

@reruns: It's similar. Keep working on it.

Hey guys, the one I'm needing help with is in the Tetrominos area.

I've lit up the beacon; but there's the panel in the center with the 4 colours, and 3-piece tetromino. I really can't wrap my head around that one. Any hints? =)

Edit: I've noted that the colours and the 3-square shape correspond to the platforms surrounding the puzzle; but I still can't really grasp it.

Edit 2: GOT IT

Just wondering if anyone has done anything with the video that starts with an explosion then a guy with glasses talking in the windmill ? As i have and not seen it mentioned anywhere.

I'm in the mountain, and while I've needed to take lots of notes to get to this point, I'm stuck on a pair of what looks like facing hard light bridges? Also I uh maybe sent the elevator after this puzzle down already accidentally, although that doesn't mean much while the door is still shut.

So I did the 2 color puzzles in the storage container in town and.... Nothing happened. Don't spoil how to solve it, but am I missing something, and is it located within the town?

Also, I've solved 432 puzzles and haven't gotten a single + yet. Right now I figure it must be related to the hexagonal monoliths, but I have no idea how to approach them. A light hint would be appreciated.

I do wonder about those colored puzzles in the container as well.

The one I have a problem with is right next to that, it's on the door of the broken church, the one with six different colored sun/flower shapes. All I want to know is if it's supposed to be solved on it's own, or if there's a step or two beforehand. Not looking for a detailed answer.

I have a feeling those two sets of puzzles are related, since the container isn't linked to a door on the tower.

Outside the pagoda: There's a set of 3 diamond-shaped puzzles built into the fence. Is there a tutorial section somewhere for that style of puzzle? I somehow solved the first one but I can't figure out a way to apply the same method I used to the second one.

@strife777: as with everything else in this game, its all about perspective.

@strife777: As far as I can tell the 2 puzzles in the color container are just optional puzzles. There are a few like that in various places that don't actually unlock anything, they just increase the number on your save file. :)

The broken church door can be solved. There is a similar puzzle to this in another zone that teaches you a trick.

@starvinggamer: That is the tutorial area for those. Maybe look around for a better perspective, or play around with other stuff nearby to get ideas.

@starvinggamer: Take a look at them from inside the pagoda.

@strife777: Another puzzle must be solved first.

@rongalaxy: I don't think you're missing anything. There are some puzzles in the game that (as far as we know) are just meant to be bonus challenges. For the +s, not all puzzles in this game are on panels. Hopefully that's not already saying too much. You'll find them and it's awesome.

@rongalaxy: to give you a hint about the + count would rob you of one of the best mind blowing part of the game. Just play the game, if you don't stumble on it by chance there is one point where the game gives you a really big hint for what you should do.

@rongalaxy: ah geez, I feel real stupid now. I totally noticed that thing the other night and knew it would obviously come into play. I then proceeded to forget it.

Thanks.

Just a message to everyone. If you do not know what the +s are, don't fret. Just play the game as normal. I assure you, you will know by the end. There is something later on that will make it abundantly clear.

Post Game Puzzle Help Request:

@decaped: Wait, where is this puzzle?

@beachthunder: This is all speculation based on practically nothing. I've had other people suggest it is a scrapped puzzle.

I could use a nudge in the right direction with this tetromino puzzle -

So I get that pieces with missing blocks need to be filled in by other pieces, but I don't see how this one relates to the other shapes here.

@walkertr77: Hm, not sure how to push you slightly in the right direction. Maybe it might be helpful to think that there are 12 squares that need to be filled in; therefore, your line needs to exclude 4 squares.

@walkertr77: I tend to start with the largest piece, and then try to add in the others to complete. By large I mean looking at how high or wide, not necessarily the total number of squares. In your example the large right angle piece due to needing to leave room for the next largest (the 3 cubes line piece) can only have 4 possible positions, that can be narrowed down to 2 possible starting positions if you consider nothing will be able to cover its symbol if you don't have it against the top row.

Tree top area clarification on a concept.

So if I'm looking at this correctly white pieces cant touch black pieces and the black cog in the bottom right has to connect to only one black piece. Am I barking up the wrong tree here?

@fatalbanana said:

Tree top area clarification on a concept.

So if I'm looking at this correctly white pieces cant touch black pieces and the black cog in the bottom right has to connect to only one black piece. Am I barking up the wrong tree here?

Yeah, you're on the right track. The notes I took for that area are:

1. Stars must be in pairs

2. Star pairs cannot be with the same color squares

3. If there is an odd number of stars they must be paired with squares of the same color and number

4. Stars are color agnostic if paired

@beachthunder: @edmorex Thanks a lot Duders, I got it!

Anyone complete the Shipwreck puzzle panel?

I'm sure that it's one of the Bamboo area's sound based puzzle, but I'm hoping someone can point out how the colors relate to the sounds so I can get going in the right direction.

@thelastgunslinger: figured it out, thanks.

I wish. I've banged my head against it for a long time. I'm convinced it has something to do with the sounds you hear. It's one of the only areas with sound effects.

Does anyone have a confirmed source saying that the total puzzle count that Blow gave out (~650) includes the + puzzles?

I'm sitting near 450 and I don't know where another 200 panel puzzles could be hiding.

@charoftheflame: You are on the right track. The first move you need to make is to go to the right. This video gradually spells out the solution.

Tree top madness!

So I know the pink cogs have to be within the same space but I cant see how to do that with the 4 block straight tetromino. For what ever reason this one is driving me more batty than a lot of other ones in this area because I think I'm so close but can't quite figure it out.

I'm stuck in the colorful marsh area, with the tetrominoes:

I'm at some red panels, and there's a single square smack in the middle that doesn't seem to connect to any others. There's a four-tall piece by the exit and a two-long piece on the bottom. Am I able to figure this out, or do I need more information from elsewhere in the world? I've been staring at it for ages.

@bwheeeler: There's nothing new you need to know. Maybe go look back at some of the tutorial puzzles for the Marsh to jog your memory of how the pieces work.

Stuck in the Village area, cross shaped puzzle, with lots of potential exits.

I've put the image here.I've tried stopping the Windmill, but it hasn't helped me one jot. Anyone able to give me a nudge in the right direction?

This was my favourite puzzle in the game. It's exactly the same as the previous puzzles just laid out differently. (Also, follow the wire to the end -- also, pay attention to the broken branches--)

@fatalbanana said:

Tree top madness!

So I know the pink cogs have to be within the same space but I cant see how to do that with the 4 block straight tetromino. For what ever reason this one is driving me more batty than a lot of other ones in this area because I think I'm so close but can't quite figure it out.

Hints from least-helpful to more specific:

Hint 1: It helps to draw these puzzles out.

Hint 2: Ask where the straight 4-piece block can go.

Hint 3: There's only two possible positions for Hint 2

Hint 4: Within the two 4-line possibilities, ask where the L-shape can fit in.

Hint 5: There's only one possibility where this can even happen. Then you just need to figure out how to draw that specific line.

@dfl017: Aha, got it, thanks. Think as much through luck as anything else though!

Anyone knows what the grey puzzle at the quarry does?

Do you mean the one on the roof of the old church/factory? They're kind of all over the place and I have no idea what they do. Does anyone?

No, I mean the one inside the building in the control room up on the catwalk. It looks like the ones hiding the hexagonal patterns.

@thelastgunslinger: There is no explicit tutorial area for those types of puzzles. You will need to know how to solve more complex versions of them late in the game, and the only way to learn how to solve them to to find the easy ones in the world that you can experiment with and deduce how they work. They also make your solved puzzle count on your save file name go up :)

The numbers get bigger? That's all I needed to hear.

I can't figure this one out: (pretty early, north coast beach.)

North beach by the ruins. Do I need two separate areas for each color that could fit the squares? But still keep them separate and in circle them?

@forcen: think of yellow squares as 1 and blue as -1. if you have the same number of each in an area, what does the total tell you?

@pliny: I dunno, 7-4=3? 3+4-1-1-2=3? Tried doing a shape of 3 blocks but I don't know how the shapes changes if it is about subtraction.. Also I forgot about the black hexagons, bet they are important...