After the opening cutscene, you’ll find yourself in a boat in the middle of a foggy ocean. Steer the boat toward the glowing red buoys (use W/R2). Soon you’ll spot your sister in the water. After rescuing her, keep following the buoys until you reach the rocks. Pass through the narrow strait to a fork in the path: either route will lead you to the beach, where the boat will run aground.

On the left side of the beach, near the back wall, find the second-to-last suitcase—the key is hidden inside. Once you’ve retrieved it, head to the far right of the area, open the door, and go down the stairs into the sewer.

The Fan Puzzle

The pipes will lead you to a huge working fan. To proceed, follow these steps:

1. Pull the lever on the platform at the pipe exit. The mechanism will only stop temporarily.

2. Give it a tug (Shift/R2) into the gap between the blades.

3. Your sister will remain trapped on the other side. Find the second lever on the right wall of the tunnel and pull it to clear a safe path for her.

At the end of the tunnel, open the hatch in the floor. You will find yourself in a dark pipe: turn on your light source (F/R1), crouch (CTRL/L2) and crawl under the grate. Once you reach the end, go up to the next floor. On the right, follow the small steps to the railing with a gap. Here, you need to help your sister (E/Triangle) so she can climb onto the ledge and pull you up after her (again E/Triangle).

Climb the next staircase to the metal bridge.

Mask 1 (Bird Mask): Instead of heading toward the grate, turn onto the path on the left and go around the building. Open the door leading to a dead end and examine the hole in the brick wall—your first mask is inside the hidden room.

When you return to the metal grate, you will meet your friend named Hood. After talking to him, climb the stairs on the right and turn left at the end of the hallway into the office.

“Take a Load Off” Trophy (Rest Spot #1): In the office, interact with the chair at the computer desk to sit down. To earn this achievement, you’ll need to rest at 10 different locations around the world. (There are actually 12, but only 10 are listed.)

Turn on the power using the red illuminated switch.

Leave the office, go back across the bridge, and go down the stairs on the right.

Climb through the pipe and help your sister up onto the ledge.

Tell her to press the lever (F/R1) to stop the rotating mechanism.

Jump onto the pipe and run toward the far staircase. When the pipe starts spinning again, walk across the bridge to the right and push the beam—this will create a safe bridge for your sister.

Changing Room and Plumbing

Go through the door next to you. You will hear the sound of splashing water.

Mask 2 (Intestine-like Mask): On the opposite side of the locker room, open the locker next to the overturned one. Go through the secret passage that opens up: the mask is at the base of the sink.

Go through the right door onto the bridge, jump over the gaps, and lower the ladder. On the left, open the small grate and crawl through the sewer until you reach the exit to the old railroad depot.

Railway Depot: Search for Wheels

As soon as you spot the strange old man, don’t rush after him. Go around the building along the edge of the cliff on the right.

“Dark Tourism” Trophy and Propaganda Poster 1: You will see a body covered in burlap sitting on a chair. Push it off the cliff to earn the trophy. The first poster is hanging on the wall behind it (collecting all 20 unlocks the “A Proper Ganda” trophy).

Return to the main path and go through the tunnel into the courtyard with the broken pump cart. Pick up the first wheel to the right of it and put it back in place.

Mask 3 and the secret code: On the right wall, find the door with a broken light fixture above it (it’s to the right of the lit door). In the back room, inside a wooden box, lies a mask. Written on the box in the corner is the code: Middle, Bottom, Bottom, Middle. You’ll need this later for Tap to Reveal.

Go into the bathroom through the illuminated door.

Propaganda Poster 2: It is lying next to the metal trash can by the sink.

Squeeze through the crack next to the door. In the cubicle with the dead creature, grab the plunger (there won’t be any screamers here).

Work with your sister to clean out the central toilet: the creature that appears will spit out the key.

Use this key to open the door on the opposite side of the courtyard.

Rest Area #2: After jumping across the chasm on the bridge, sit on the chair next to the first hanging creature.

At the end of the hallway, behind the glowing door, pick up the second wheel from the table. Immediately after that, a chase with snake-like monsters will begin. Any contact is fatal! Press Shift/L2, run back to the courtyard.

Tip: You can jump over pits while holding the wheel, and you can easily guide monsters around obstacles—they move according to the rules of the classic game “Snake.”

Place the second wheel on the handcar and move along the tracks (using W/S or the joystick). After crossing the bridge, exit the vehicle.

The Train and the Secret Altar

There is an old train car on the right at the edge. Walk through it.

Coffin 1: At the exit, interact with the shaking coffin to see a short cutscene featuring a disappearing ghost.

Go back to the handcar and ride it to the dead end. There will be a breach in the wall on the left.

Prayer Statue 1: In the hidden sanctuary, light a candle at the central statue. This is the first of five statues required to complete “Praying for the Dying.“

On the right, climb onto the roof of the train car using the ladder on the side, open the hatch, and climb inside. Hide under the wooden bench on the left: a stranger will enter the car and find Hood, who is hiding in a suitcase on the shelf.

Go out through the adjacent door and sneak unnoticed behind the piles of luggage while the old man is distracted. Climb through the open window on the other side.

Make your way to the driver’s cab at the end of the train car and, at the same time as your sister, pull both levers on the seat. The plan will fail, a man will burst through the window, and a chase will begin.

Run back through the train car, jumping over suitcases, and jump out the left door. Cross the tracks, climb the train ladder (look for the red lights), and run along the falling train cars until you reach the rescue cutscene with your friend.

The Dark Forest

Jump down, turn on the light, and run to the right through the forest. The snakes will appear again—just keep running forward to the fence and climb over it.

Pick up the saw to the left of the stump with the decapitated chicken.

On the right, cut the log to build a bridge across the ravine.

Climb over another chain-link fence where the ice cream truck is parked. Jump off the ledge and run as fast as you can down the road to escape the car chasing you.

Tip: Avoid tree roots on the road—they will cause you to stumble and lose speed.

Once you reach the end, jump down. Hood will stumble right in front of the cliff, and the stranger will grab him. This concludes the first chapter of Dead in the Water.