One Room Challenge 2021

-The Tower-

By Nanaki Azakee

(walkthrough also by Nanaki Azakee)

Note: No gameplay differences between Story Mode and Quick Mode.

This guide does not have any spoilers on the story, as this level is fairly story driven.

Lastly, several pickups are scattered in the level, I will note only the most important ones.

Recommended video walkthroughs, in alphabetical order:

Doggett TV

Saki Croft

Steven35175

Starting off, detour for the secret

As soon as you start up the level, hit the jump button to jump forward and grab the ledge in front of you, as you pull, you will immediately notice a trap in front of you, roll over or side-jump to avoid getting damage and grab on the pedestal the SECRET #1, roll back to avoid the trap again and throw yourself in the water and let the gentle current bring you to the first air hole.

Out of the Water, setting in for Challenge n°1

After the cut-scene look around on your left, you will notice a hill that brings you to a switch, which we will leave alone for now, instead what we want to do is walk to the puddle on our front and there turn S where you will see a little pathway between the higher of the hill and a pillar, there you will find a face button, click it and a camera-shot will show you that two metal pillars which had fire on the top now have some spikes on it, we will need it later and for the second way to complete challenge 1.

Now I will propose you 2 Routes to achieve this first challenge.

First Route to complete Challenge n°1 (Intended but harder)

Head onto the hill previously mentioned and, before using the lever, head SE to the metal looking platform, step onto that and a camera-shot will show you two doors opening and the second secret, we will need to stand on this tile for the timed run that is about to happen, so head back where the lever was and SAVE before using it, because there can be a bug.

BUG: If the lever is used more than once, there can be a high probability that the bell you need to shoot will go OUT OF BOUNDS! Soft-locking the game.

Now use the lever, Lara will look toward the two doors, so quickly head there, draw your pistol and shoot the bell.

TIP: You will have to shoot more than once, it is very much advised to attempt crouching and keep shooting.

If you hit the bell the screen will be shaking and challenge 1 will be completed.

Second Route to complete Challenge n°1 (Considerably easier)

Head onto the hill previously mentioned and head SE till you step onto the metal looking platform, you will notice that a laser-sight is sitting there, with no revolver to be seen. Turn around and make your way to the lonely rock pillar with some mushrooms on it, facing E you will now have to time your jumps on the spiked pillars with the objective of heading onto that metal tile on your left (S).

After you have gotten on that platform, jump forward on that little rock hill, and use the lever, you will hear two trapdoors opening, plus the area where you were standing before now has a block preventing you from entering.

Drop left (W) into the newly opened water tunnel, swim a bit before reaching an air hole, note the revolver lying on the ground, pick that up and then emerge out of the water. Jump on the ladder and as you reach its end a door behind you will open giving you access to the secret, but first combine the revolver with the laser-sight and aim up where a bell is, shoot once or twice and you will have hit the bell switch. Now jump forward and grasp SECRET #2 together with a shotgun, lastly drop outside.

Using the first jump-switch

Whichever method you chose, you now have a raised block in between the two spiked pillars, head up the pillar with the mushrooms and time your jump to arrive on the newly raised ledge, align yourself with the switch and use it, a ball will drop and a camera shot of a door opening will be shown.

Safely leave the pillar and head SE, where the entrance to a bigger building is, several boxes are scattered on the floor, notice in the front a bat or bird approaching, take it down with the pistols, and notice one last thing E, on top of a bridge there is a pedestal with some torches on that, we will be needing this later.

As for now, step on the lower wooden box and jump on the now open door on your left, and make your way to the next building.

Underwater doors galore and a secret

Drop down in the new building and notice a hatch on the floor, open it and drop into the water, you see that lever above? If you want to get the secret IGNORE IT, using it will stop the traps upcoming but also make it impossible for you to grab the secret.

Looking N now, you will see a set of clinging doors, there are three in total with 2 gaps in between. I personally recommend to stop at each of them and save, so to be sure to not get caught and lose progress.

Swim through the traps and, if you did not use the lever, you will find in front of you SECRET #3 together with a small medipack and some shotgun ammo. Above the secret area there is an underwater lever you need to use, this will open a trapdoor on your upper right (W), notice that closed door, we will step back there later.

Finding the first lifeless body and a key

Exit the waters and shoot the caterpillar coming in front of you, they are extremely weak, a shot from the shotgun and they are out. After that look at your surroundings, notice a window-like hole on your right (N), there are some goodies there, and we will go grab them in a moment. As for now, look in between the staircase and notice a dead body, move it over and grab some shotgun ammo, a pair of keys and an apparently unusable shotgun.

Go up the stairs till the end of the suspended hallway, notice on your left (W) a keyhole, use the key you gathered from the dead body shortly before and you will get a shot of a door opening. Now head back where you saw the window with the goodies, and jump there from the staircase, grab a small medipack and some shotgun ammo, lastly exit the newly opened door.

Solving an enigma for Challenge n°2

Out of the structure you were in before, head right (S) until you find on your right an entrance, there a set of 5 buttons will be your next task.

Grab the instructions from the little table, you may try solving it yourself, but I will also write down the solution here. So skip the following in case you want to do this alone.

Looking East the following will be the order of the buttons to be pressed:

S 4 2 5 3 1 N

The enigma is solved!

As you will have solved the enigma, a block will rise, and one will lower, in the NW corner of the room. Push the block forward, and then outside next to the big raised block. Step on the block and use the jump-switch to reveal a door opened inside the waters, remember the one before we saw?

Head back in the other part of the structure, using the door you came out of, and enter back into the waters, it is very important to save as some traps are coming next and can become a pain to pass through.

An underwater quest for raising a single trapdoor

You will find yourself in a bigger water area with some plants and a lot of crystals of Ashetrine, now swim in the NW area and notice there is a little hole which you can go through. At the end of this cave you find two shut doors, while you swim check on the left (N) for a underwater switch, use it to open the two doors and after that swim into the newly opened area.

You may want to grab the tablet on the table, but it is for mere LORE reasons, so if you are willing you can also skip it, instead look at the ceiling and notice a underwater switch, use it and you will get a shot of the trapdoor you wanted to activate getting raised, but it has a cost, and the two doors you just opened suddenly shut as another door on the S will open. Another traps galore, so save before swimming in.

Fairly recommended it is also to save at every safe area, it can be very easy to lose way too much health.

You will find yourself inside an elevator room, that seems to be an useless addition, but we will be back here later, as for now, go inside the only door, and avoid two more traps.

You can now swim to your left E, and get up on the trapdoor.

Getting inside the last structure

Notice in front of you a closed door and a ledge with fire going on and off W, time your jump and pull up on that, save and then jump on the other side where the doors will open. Make your way inside and notice a higher ledge you want to get onto, look at your right (S) and jump onto the slippery ledge and then launch yourself forward and grab, shimmy left and, when the floor is no more slippery, pull up.

Challenge n°3, 4 switch, 4 flames

Drop down inside the newly reached area, ignore the door on your left (N), it is no use (Note from the Builder: It only serves as an Easter Egg), instead enter in the room straight on (W) and you will notice 4 different switches in the corners and 4 torches for each wall. Notice also those two torches up S, we will need them to get all the secrets.

Each torch turns on and off different torches, it is up to you to understand which one is the right order. (Note from the Builder: This enigma is similar to one in a work by Feder, I have indeed been helped by him with this).

It is very much advised to write down what torch gets turned on by what lever, if you want to solve this on your own, skip what is following.

You will need to use these levers, in whatever order you may like: SW, SE and NE.

Finally outside?

A flyby camera will show you that you finally got a way out, plus a way to use the last jump-switch.

Make your way back to the newly opened area, and now, before you exit, there is one decision to be made.

If you go East, you can unlock two endings, if you go South, you can unlock two different endings. Here I will be listing them from D to A.

Ending D

Go East and drop into the waters again, swim South and go inside the door you came out of before, avoid the traps and reach the elevator room again, notice that a panel in the middle of the S wall has opened, enter in to retrieve a sword.

Make your way back to where there is the man laying on the ground, a cut-scene will show you the enigmatic ending.

The End.

Ending C

Go East and drop into the waters again, swim South and go inside the door you came out of before, avoid the traps and reach the elevator room again, you will notice that the elevator shaft is now free for Lara to go in, swim inside and use the lever, something very enigmatic will again happen.

The End.

Ending B

Go South and jump on top of the opened window, use the jump-switch, to finally open the tower’s door. Make your way inside of there and you will trigger this ending.

The End.

Ending A

This ending requires you to take all the game’s secrets, here you will find listed SECRET #4 and #5.

Detour for getting the torch lit

Head again in the SE structure, where the torches were. Grab one and make your way to where the last jump-switch was used, lay it on the ground, where the raised block will appear, and use the lever next to it, NOTE if the lever was already pulled, no need to pull it again.

Now use the little bit of sand next to the raised block to get on the block, grab your torch, and make your way to the torch enigma room, here on the W there is a lower torch, that can allow you to lit your own torch.

Detour for the fourth secret

Look S, remember those torches that are not lit? Reach them with the torch in your hands, and lit them both to open the door just out of the grating.

Make your way outside and leave the torch in a safe spot, now go NW next to the third structure, notice on your right a closed building with a door, this will be where we need to rush in a bit.

Get inside the cave and on your left enter the newly opened door, inside between the two gratings there is a timed button that opens the door we saw before. Save before using it!

After you press the button rush down quickly to enter in the newly opened door, retrieve on the altar SECRET #4, turn around and kill the two caterpillars, then step outside.

Detour for the fifth secret

Grab the torch back and look for the two torches next to the entrance to the tower, lit them to get the shot of a door, still closed, now head back where you got the torch (so SE) and notice the last two torches you need to light.

Now a door in this area has opened, do not drop the torch yet, instead jump inside the alcove and light the torch next to the secret pedestal.

You can now freely leave the torch, and grab the last secret, SECRET #5.

Now simply go inside the tower, to be treated to this ending.

The End