Lost in a strange, oddly science-fiction world, your objective in Trace is to leave such a wondrous land. Despite the place’s interesting features, Trace features all sorts of mind-bending puzzles that you need to solve if you have any hope of escaping. You have a long road ahead of you, so let’s get started with our Trace walkthrough complete guide !
Escaping the Bathroom
The first objective in our Trace walkthrough is to unlock the door to the bathroom to reach the rest of the house. Facing the toilet, you’ll find a small panel near the floor with a series of colored arrows. That panel will be your ticket out of the bathroom.
- Position the arrows so that they trace the shape of a star. Grab the half pair of scissors inside the cabinet to your left.
- Combine the scissors with the other half in the bathroom sink. Use them to cut the string attached to the key by the mirror and use it to unlock the lockbox on the shelf.
- The note inside reveals the location of a hidden tile by the bathroom mirror. Behind the tile is a picture of a fish. Notice the dots and lines? Match them with the arrows.
- Go back to the mirror and click on the picture frame at the bottom of the floor. There’s a hidden safe behind it. The combination is 5, 4, 7, 2.
- Take the lightbulb and insert it into the pumpkin, revealing the final arrow puzzle combination. Position the arrows to match the eyes and nose of the pumpkin.
Once completed, the cabinet underneath the sink will open and you can grab the key to the bathroom door, but you aren’t quite free yet. To leave the bathroom, place the key into the panel on the door and reposition the blocks so that the key overlaps the green lock.
Escaping the House
The next section of our Trace walkthrough guides you through the house. Your objective is to get outside the house, and into the tower nearby. To do that, let’s start by retrieving every item that doesn’t require solving a puzzle to obtain. These items include:
- An action figure between the potted plant and couch;
- A battery underneath the couch cushion;
- A toy horse in the desk drawer at the top;
- A star on the painting and under the couch.
You won’t use these items right away, but they’ll become much more relevant later. With those out of the way, start by solving the planet puzzle at the bay window.
- Complete the Metal Plate.
Located under the bay window is a cabinet. Adjust the planets inside to match the ones seen outside the window, then press the red button to obtain a Metal Plate. Examine the window by the bathroom with the Toy Horse. Bend the neck in such a way that the eye of the horse lands on the diamond. Pressing the button on the horse will release the second half of the Metal Plate. When you gain access to the porch, do this puzzle again, only from the other side of the window.
- Retrieve the Green Key and Box Cutter.
There are a series of red buttons located around the room. To unlock the gray chest on the end table, press them in this order: Fishtank, fan, computer, by the planet puzzle, behind the painting of a house, and then the gray chest. For the painting, match the symbols on the Metal Plate to the levers on the wall to reveal a red button.
- Obtain an additional 5 Stars.
Access the porch with the Green Key. Turn left and flip the blocks on the wall, starting left to right, like so: a round potted plant, tall potted plant, short potted plant, and painting of a potted plant. Grab the star, as well as the ones on and under the table, and another by the piano. The final one is underneath the end table, by the edge. Go to the desk and open the drawers in this order: X, O, X, O, U, to obtain a magnet; use it to pull the fifth star out of the tube.
- Obtain the Brass Key.
First, use the Box Cutter on the carpet underneath the end table. Inserting the Batteries into the light above will reveal the secret to the floor puzzle and reward the Submarine and Puzzle Piece. Go out to the porch and complete the puzzle on the table. Now you can go back inside and use the Box Cutter on the couch arm to obtain the Brass Key.
- Unlock the front door.
Remove the paneling on the door with this code: 2, 6, 3, 3, 6, 6, 1, 6, 1. Place a single Star in each colored area (as seen in the screenshot below) and press the red button. Before you leave, grab the action figure out on the porch, located on a shelf by the door.
Escaping the Planet
Now you head into the final stretch of our Trace walkthrough, on the last leg of your journey. Head into the tower and turn left to a dead end. You’ll see a small end table and a frame containing a similar puzzle to the one featured behind the painting of a house.
Start by completing the puzzle in the small end table. Type I DID DEEDS to obtain a Dragon Action Figure. Afterwards, complete the puzzle on the wall, starting from left to right: Downward arrow, S, squiggly line, lowercase D, and X. You’ll obtain another action figure and a key.
Head back to the porch and unlock the umbrella with the key you just picked up. It’ll unfurl, shading the nearby chair and revealing an image of a wizard’s hat. Examine the chair and take a screenshot using the Camera function to use as a reference shortly.
Go back to the tower and open the door on the first floor. See the gear on the door? Trace the image of a wizard’s hat, the same one you took a screenshot of.
Now, look up at the ceiling to find eight lights. Using the screenshot below as a reference, click on the lights in this order: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 4. With the four action figures you found, place them on the pedestal, from left to right: Phoenix, dragon, vampire, and troll. Collect the screwdriver for later.
Go back to the house and use the screwdriver on the panel underneath the shelf by the fishtank. Type in that password to access the Tower app on the PC. Completing a game of MatheMagic will help you understand the sigils needed to unlock the safe built into the desk.
What you’ll find inside is a book containing a launch date, some pictures, and a series of planets strung together with an arrow. Go to the second floor of the tower and approach the panel at the back, featuring dials with shapes. From left to right: Circle, Square, Triangle, Star, Square, Triangle, and Circle.
Match the flight plans and launch date to that of the planets and date mentioned in the book you found in the desk safe, then click GO. Return to the house and step towards the bay window.
See the pyramid? Each black spot can change colors. The trick is to match the colors to the diagram of the solar system you were shown after you punched in the flight plans. When completed, grab the top of the pyramid to reveal it’s a key.
Go back to the bathroom to find that it’s locked. Use the Pyramid Key on the door and step inside. Remove the padlock on the toilet with the Brass Key, then open the lid and you’re free!
And there you have it: a complete walkthrough guide for Trace. Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience with fantastic artwork and quite the brainteaser. For those looking for more co-op experiences, check out the 21 best Xbox One party games or maybe you’d rather test your brain some more with the 10 best murder mystery and detective movies.
