The Underground Lab is the immersive, challenging final escape room in Escape Simulator‘s critically acclaimed Edgewood Mansion game. As a seasoned expert in escape room games, I‘m going to provide a comprehensive walkthrough to help you crack the code of this subterranean science lab.
Escaping the Eerie Depths of The Underground Lab
As soon as you descend down the dark, stone staircase into the underground lab, you know this isn‘t going to be easy. The heavy metal door slams shut behind you and you survey the dimly lit lab.
Scientific equipment, anatomy models, and chemistry sets litter the tables. Strange hissing and bubbling sounds echo from the machinery. Along the walls, glass cages house exotic plants and animals. But perhaps most disturbing are the multiple sets of creepy, staring eyes fixed right at you.
This unsettling escape room earns its name. According to Steam reviews, The Underground Lab is one of most challenging and hair-raising environments in the Escape Simulator game anthology. But with careful observation skills and deductive logic, we can work through all the puzzles in this lab and find our way out.
An Introduction to Escape Simulator
Before we dive into the specific walkthrough, let‘s provide some context. Escape Simulator is a hit virtual escape room game for PC, created by Polish game studio Pine Studio. It first launched via Steam Early Access in February 2021 and has since cultivated a strong fanbase, with a ‘Very Positive‘ 94% rating based on over 1,400 reviews.
The game transplants the addictive fun of real-world escape rooms into fantastically designed virtual spaces. Like most room escape games, progression in Escape Simulator revolves around examining your environment, finding clues, and solving puzzles to get codes to unlock the exit.
Escape Simulator currently has four escape rooms available:
- The Attic
- The Study
- Lost Spirits
- The Underground Lab
The Underground Lab is unlocked after completing the first three games. Many fans consider it the pièce de résistance – an intricate and bone-chilling climax filled with the toughest puzzles.
This walkthrough aims to prepare you for the challenges of The Underground Lab and the satisfying rush of escaping through wit and perseverance.
Step 1: Analyze the Creepy Staring Eyes
Your first task upon entering The Underground Lab is examining the disturbing staring eyes on the wall. They seem to track your movements around the room.
Pick up the tattered anatomy book next to the eyes. You‘ll notice certain phrases highlighted throughout:
- The narrow eyes color of gold.
- Azure sea with a round island in the middle.
- Fallen leaves, with an endless hole to nothingness in the middle.
These cryptic clues correspond to the colors of the eyes – gold, blue, and brown. Click on the staring eyes matching those descriptions, in that exact order.
Once you activate the proper sequence, the correct eyes will open wider. Behind the wall, you‘ll find a key – the first of five needed to escape.
My Tips for the Staring Eyes Puzzle
- The eyes against the bricks are easy to miss at first. Make sure to fully scan the walls.
- The clue book contains very poetic language. Read each line closely to decode the color.
- Don‘t overthink it! The eyes might seem like they should move or require a more complex solution. But simply choosing the correct colored eyes in order does the trick.
Now that you‘ve collected the first key, let‘s move on to the next major puzzle.
Step 2: Solving the Ominous Clock
In the center of the lab you‘ll discover a large clock with four hands and four distinct symbols on its face: stripes, dots, stripes with dots, and swirls. Surrounding the clock are four potted plants, each with a matching pattern.
This is where things get more complex. Your goal is to set the clock hands to point at the correct symbols. But how do you know the proper combination?
The solution lies in observing the butterflies fluttering around the room. Different colored butterflies land on specific plants:
- Purple butterflies land on the striped plant.
- Green butterflies prefer the dotted plant.
- Blue and yellow butterflies gather on the plant with stripes and dots.
- Orange butterflies swarm the plant with swirls.
So for the clock hands, point:
- The purple hand at the stripes
- The green hand at the dots
- The blue and yellow hand at the stripes and dots
- The orange hand at the swirls
Arranging the hands this way will unlock a hidden compartment in the clock with your next key.
The Intricate Details of the Clock Puzzle
This puzzle tests your observational skills and memory. I recommend taking notes on the butterflies if you‘re struggling:
- Don‘t just glance at the butterflies. Watch their flight patterns carefully as they flutter between plants.
- Double check the colors and plants they land on the most before setting the clock hands.
- The plants‘ symbols can be tough to distinguish at first glance. Refer to the clock face symbols if you mix them up.
- Once you set the hands correctly, retrieve the key quickly before the clock resets.
Now it‘s time to count some animal tracks in the next section…
Step 3: Following the Animal Footprints
Scattered around The Underground Lab are four lifelike animal models – an elephant, zebra, lion, and deer. On the floor around each animal are sets of matching footprints.
For this puzzle, your task is to count the number of footprints belonging to each animal.
Tally them up:
- Elephant: 6 prints
- Zebra: 3 prints
- Lion: 6 prints
- Deer: 4 prints
Once you‘ve counted the prints, head to the keypad on the wall. Enter the four numbers in sequence – 6, 3, 6, 4.
Success! The keypad will activate a hidden switch that powers up the lab equipment. Now grab the next key from the machinery.
Keeping Track of the Animal Tracks
Counting so many scattered prints can quickly get confusing. Here are some tips:
- Double check your totals, especially if the keypad buzzes from an incorrect code.
- The elephant and lion both have 6 prints – it‘s easy to mix those up.
- The deer prints are very subtle and shallow compared to the others. Don‘t miss them!
- Methodically scan the whole room near each animal to find all prints.
Now that the power is on, let‘s shed some light on the next puzzle – decoding the zebra lock.
Step 4: Decoding the Zebra‘s Stripes
On the shelf you‘ll notice a decorative zebra figurine. Pick it up to reveal a strange metallic zebra lock with numbers on each of its legs.
To decode the lock, you need to count the green stripes on each of the zebra‘s legs.
Here‘s the tally:
- Leg 1: 5 stripes
- Leg 2: 4 stripes
- Leg 3: 1 stripe
- Leg 4: 3 stripes
Input the stripes for each leg into the corresponding lock – 5, 4, 1, 3. With the correct code entered, the lock will disengage and open the cabinet below.
Inside you‘ll find your next key, along with an eagle icon tile and the locked box you‘ll need later.
Cracking the Code of the Zebra Lock
This head-scratcher stumps a lot of players. Keep these tips in mind:
- Count carefully – it‘s easy to miscount the slender stripes.
- Note the number of stripes per leg as you go, to avoid re-counting.
- The lock‘s legs are numbered 1-4. Make sure to enter the stripe totals in the proper sequence.
- Once unlocked, don‘t forget to collect everything inside the cabinet.
Now let‘s shift our focus from zebras to assembling an animal food chain.
Step 5: Assembling the Animal Kingdom
The Underground Lab has a very natural history museum feel, with its anatomy models and showcase of exotic flora and fauna. This next puzzle builds on that theme.
Scattered around the lab are five icon tiles depicting animals and plants:
- Frog tile
- Fly tile
- Snake tile
- Rose tile
- Eagle tile
To find the next key, you need to place the tiles in the proper food chain sequence, from prey to predator.
Consulting the biology textbook in the lab, the correct order is:
- Rose
- Fly
- Frog
- Snake
- Eagle
Arranging the tiles to match this sequence will make the key appear.
Connecting the Links of the Food Chain
This logic puzzle requires deductive thinking to place the prey and predators in the right order.
- Refer back to the biology book if you get stuck. The key is matching the book‘s diagrams.
- The eagle tile is found inside the zebra lock cabinet. Don‘t forget to grab it!
- You may need to retrieve tiles that have fallen or slid around while solving other puzzles.
Now it‘s time to unlock your escape with the final key from the locked box puzzle.
Step 6: Unlocking the Lock Box Clues
Inside the zebra cabinet, you acquired the mysterious lock box that requires a 3-number code to open. To find the solution, you‘ll need to track down three hidden notes scattered around the environment.
When assembled, these notes reveal a drawing of a mouse with some cryptic clues:
The first was the number of limbs = 8
It was followed by limbs touching the π = 6
The final number is the ones pointing westwards = 3
Based on these clues, the lock box code is: 8-6-3. Input the code and retrieve the final key inside!
Piecing Together the Lock Box Puzzle
Tracking down all three hidden notes can be quite challenging. Here are some tips:
- One note is underneath the lion model‘s paw – look carefully!
- Another note is tucked under a leaf on the floor in the corner.
- Assemble the notes in order as directed to get the full picture.
- Read the mouse clues closely to decipher the logic and lock box code.
The finish line is now in sight! Just one last step remains…
Step 7: The Final Escape
At last, you‘ve obtained all five keys needed to unlock the exit and complete your escape! The keys go in the five locks on the heavy metal door.
Once the locks are disengaged, the door will swing open, revealing a staircase that leads you out of the creepy Underground Lab at last. Congratulations, you‘ve cracked the code on this challenging escape room!
Escape Tips
With so many keys acquired through elaborate puzzles, it‘s easy to lose track. So remember:
- There are 5 locks on the exit door and 5 keys to find. Double check you have them all.
- It can be helpful to gather the keys in one spot before the final step.
- If any locks don‘t turn, backtrack to find the key you‘re missing.
- The lab door locks automatically if you don‘t exit quickly enough.
My Overall Thoughts on The Underground Lab
The Underground Lab is easily one of the most elaborate and tricky escape rooms in the Escape Simulator anthology. Many players on Steam and Reddit consider it the pinnacle of Escape Simulator due to its immersive environment and abundance of challenging puzzles.
Here were a few of my biggest takeaways:
- The staring eyes on the wall are incredibly creepy and set an ominous mood from the start. Well-crafted ambience!
- The multi-step animal footprint puzzle felt unique compared to a standard combination lock.
- Figuring out the clock puzzle was immensely satisfying once the butterflies‘ patterns clicked.
- This escape emphasizes close observation of small visual details in the environment.
- There‘s zero hand-holding. You have to formulate solutions based purely on environmental clues.
While The Underground Lab is certainly tough, escaping feels like a hard-earned victory. I highly recommend giving this escape room a try if you‘re craving a true brain-bending challenge!
For more tips, check out my walkthroughs for the other Escape Simulator escape rooms:
- Escape Simulator: The Attic Walkthrough
- Escape Simulator: The Study Walkthrough
- Escape Simulator: Lost Spirits Walkthrough
I hope this comprehensive guide to solving The Underground Lab helps you make a daring escape from its creepy confines! Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy escaping!
