Search for the Needle Alien Puzzle Guide: All 3 Solutions
To free the Alien in Search for the Needle, pull the three colored levers in the Basement, then solve the crystal-count, paper-code, and picture puzzles. Finishing all three opens the Alien's cell and disables the lasers blocking the exit.
The crystal counts and keypad code change between runs, so use the clues in your own puzzle room. For the picture puzzle, match the completed alien symbol shown below. Here's how to get into the room and solve each part.
Open the Puzzle Room with All Three Levers
Follow the colored wires along the Basement floor to find the three levers. Each wire leads to a lever tucked beside a different landmark. Click each lever to pull it.
| Wire color | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Green | Behind the haystack, among the wooden boxes. |
| Red | Behind the Sell board, near the Sell Hay cart. |
| Purple | Beside the Alien's cell, next to the Drone equipment. |
Pulling all three opens the puzzle-room door. Head inside once it opens; you can work on these puzzles before finding the Basement Key. You will need the key for the final escape, but it does not stop you from making progress here.
Count the Crystals Around the Room
Look to the left as you enter the puzzle room to find three crystal pedestals with number displays. Each display needs to match the number of wall crystals of its color: red, purple, or green.
Count the crystals embedded in the room's walls, one color at a time. The large crystals on top of the pedestals show which counter to use. Once you have a total, click the number under the matching pedestal until it displays that total. For example, if you count three purple wall crystals, set the purple counter to 3. Watch the number currently displayed so you do not add three more clicks to a counter you have already changed.
Image unavailable. Count the wall crystals, then set the matching pedestal counters to those totals.
Count the wall crystals, then set the matching pedestal counters to those totals.
All three totals must be correct to finish this puzzle. If it stays unfinished, recount one color at a time and check that you entered each total on the matching pedestal. There is no universal set of three numbers to copy from another run.
Find the Keypad Code on the Floor Papers
Search the papers scattered across the puzzle-room floor. Flip them over until you find the one with the code, then enter those digits into the wall keypad. Only one paper carries the answer, so keep checking if the first few do not reveal it.
Image unavailable. Check the floor papers to find the code for your current run.
Check the floor papers to find the code for your current run.
The keypad combination changes each run. Copy the digits from your own paper instead of trying another player's code. If your entry fails, return to the paper and reread the digits, then check what you entered on the keypad.
Complete the Alien Picture
Rotate each tile in its current cell until the 16-piece, 4×4 picture matches the white alien emblem below.
Image unavailable. Match the alien's face and the surrounding curves to complete the picture.
Match the alien's face and the surrounding curves to complete the picture.
Start with the corners and the outer edges of the circular design. These give you a border to work from before lining up the face in the middle. Some pieces may already be correctly oriented, so leave the tiles that match the image as they are.
Use the two dark eyes and the vertical center line to align the face, then match the curved bands on either side. If a section looks wrong, follow its lines across the neighboring pieces. A curve that stops at a tile boundary or a face that sits off-center helps you spot which area still needs work.
Free the Alien and Leave the Basement
Completing all three puzzles releases the Alien and disables the exit lasers. If the lasers are still active, check for an unfinished puzzle. Finding the Basement Key alone will not remove them.
If you have not found the key yet, return to the haystack and clear hay until you uncover it. Dynamite can clear a broad area, while the Vacuum is another useful clearing tool if you have it. These tools help with the haystack; neither is required to solve the room puzzles.
Once the puzzles are finished and you have collected the Basement Key, equip the key and climb the ladder to the exit. This starts the escape cutscene.