Getting into WaterWorks might look straightforward at first, but the entrance puzzle can easily throw you off if you don’t notice how the lights and pathways actually work together. I remember getting pulled back the first time and thinking I missed something obvious — turns out, you kind of have to break away from the “normal” path to progress here.
Subliminal Episode 1 WaterWorks Entrance Puzzle Guide
This Subliminal Episode 1 WaterWorks Entrance Puzzle Guide is just me walking you through exactly how to solve that entrance puzzle step-by-step, and also how you can go a bit further and trigger the Erase Ending once you’re inside. Nothing complicated, just follow along and you’ll get through it cleanly.
Puzzle
Once the level starts, just keep moving forward normally until you reach the WaterWorks entrance.
- Walk straight up toward it — you’ll suddenly get pulled back.
- Now turn to your right and squeeze through the gap.
- After that, crouch and go under the gate.
Inside, you’ll see some arcade machines, and on the right side there’s a green light.
- Grab the green light using LMB.
- Take it out of the room.
Now look up:
- You should spot a red light above.
- Use LMB again to transfer the energy into that red light.
Here’s where it gets interesting:
- Use RMB to drag the red light along the illuminated rails.
- Move it all the way to the end — this will automatically power a gate.
Go through that gate:
- Inside, there’s an on/off switch — turn it on to keep the gate open.
Now head back out:
- Drag the red light into the middle of the room and just leave it there.
Go back into the room you were just in:
- Pick up the green light again.
- Use it to power a blue light.
This opens another gate, and once it fully opens:
- The red light you left in the hallway will keep it open.
Keep going:
- Grab that same green light again.
- This time, use it to power a different blue light (it’s in the same room — you’ll spot it).
Once that’s done:
- Both power lines for the WaterWorks gate are active.
- Just run toward the gate and move forward.
Erase Ending
After entering the WaterWorks gate, you’ll end up in a hallway.
- Go right and you’ll find an erase switch — activate it.
Now turn around:
- Walk back down the hallway you came from.
- At the end, you’ll reach a staircase-type room.
Don’t bother going up or down normally:
- Instead, build a bit of momentum and jump across.
You’ll land in a new area.
- Just walk forward until you reach a room full of TVs.
Here’s what you need to do:
- There are doors on both the left and right.
- Each one has an erase switch behind it.
First switch is simple:
- Go in and activate it.
Second switch:
- You’ll need to hold E to interact.
- A progress bar will fill up — wait for it to finish, then activate the switch.
Once both are done:
- Go back to the main room.
- Activate the final erase switch.
And that’s it.
Everything gets wiped — worries, struggles… yeah, even you.