If you’re playing Crime Scene Cleaner in Nightmare Mode and got stuck on the painting puzzle in the Italian Job level, you’re not alone. The solution seems random at first, but it’s actually tied to hidden paintings scattered across various missions.
This guide breaks down the logic behind the puzzle and shows you the exact location of every painting required to solve it.
How the Puzzle Works
At the final painting puzzle in Italian Job (Nightmare Mode), you’re shown a selection of icons under each painting. These icons match the symbols of other levels (like “Bad Call” or “Trial by Blood”).
The paintings you’re seeing in this puzzle are physically hidden in those missions. That’s the key: find and identify the hidden painting in each mission, and you’ll understand the logic of the puzzle solution.
All Painting Locations (Mission by Mission)
1. Bad Call
- Where: Take the elevator down and go to Rob’s hidden room.
- How: Just open the door. The painting is in plain sight inside.
2. Trial by Blood
- Where: Inside locker W018.
- Steps to Access:
- Key to VIP room is in locker M034
- Key to M034 is in locker W024
- Keycard for W024 is found in the Solarium
3. Toxic Love
- Where: Inside a drawer in the Laundry Room on the ground floor.
- How:
- First, access the room with the man’s body
- Unlock the Laundry Room from there
4. Short Circuit
- Where: Storage room on the first floor.
- How: Open the cabinet behind the mannequin torso.
5. Italian Job
- Where: Near Grandma’s apartment, in a storage room.
- How: Open the cabinet beside the desk with the Gardener’s recording.
6. Affair with Death
- Where: Inside a blue basket in the Laundry Room (ground floor).
- How:
- First, get the Laundry Room key from the first floor
- Use it to unlock the Laundry Room downstairs
7. Friendly Fire
- Where: Open the hidden door on the left wall as you enter.
8. Party’s Over
- Where: In the party house.
- How: Open the cabinet under the sink.
9. Modern Art
- Where: In the Central Exhibition area.
- How:
- Look for the row of white doors
- Open the one that lifts upward, located between the restrooms
10. Call in Dead
- Where: In the control room on the first floor of the hall.
- How:
- Use the step ladder to climb onto the cabinet
- Walk across the pipes to reach a locked room
- Inside the safe is the final painting
While the puzzle solution is technically fair, it’s far from intuitive. There’s no in-game clue that tells you these paintings are hidden across previous missions, and the icons don’t make that connection clear unless you’re actively hunting them.
It would’ve been much more satisfying if the puzzle tied into the Italian Job’s story or the animatronics instead of relying on obscure collectible placement.