The Talos Principle 2: How to Find Puzzles and Secrets in Each Zone

Lots of discoveries await when you’re exploring a mysterious island. Our guide discusses how to find puzzles and secrets in The Talos Principle 2 by using map engravings, symbols, and numbers.

How to Fast Travel in The Talos Principle 2

You can find puzzles and secrets in The Talos Principle 2 by taking note of the engravings on stone slabs, as well as your map and the icons on your compass. Keep in mind that numbers and symbols pertain to certain types of landmarks.

Puzzle Area Landmarks

The stone slabs that you see in each zone that you visit has several numbers and symbols that glow. Arrows also point you toward their general direction. You can also open your menu to check the map, as that’s where you’ll see just how many activities you’ve cleared in that zone.

In any case, here’s what each symbol or number represents:

• Numbers – The glowing numbers represent the eight regular puzzles that are part of the cluster. The difficulty gradually increases, such that #1 introduces a new mechanic or device, and #2 and #3 are still fairly easy. Things get more complex once you reach #7 and #8.
• Triangles – The triangle shapes symbolize Lost Puzzles. These also use the mechanic or device introduced in that particular zone, though the solution sometimes requires you to think outside the box.
• Gate/tablet – The symbol that looks like a gate or a tablet denotes the location of a Golden Puzzle. Compared to others, Golden Puzzles are significantly more difficult and challenging.

I personally suggest tackling the numbered puzzles first, as they’re more in line with what you can expect from a particular zone. However, if you do get stuck, I advise you to try the Lost Puzzles, which might be easier compared to a select few numbered puzzles.

Bear in mind that you need to complete eight puzzles of any given type just to gain access a sector’s tower. As such, I feel that it’s a good idea to adapt depending on the difficulty of the challenges that you encounter.

Other Landmarks

There are also various puzzles and secrets in The Talos Principle 2 that aren’t shown on the stone slabs. However, they do appear as question marks on your compass, which appears at the top of your screen. Once you approach that location, the type of landmark/point of interest is then revealed.

• Terminals – You can interact with these to read notes and documents from explorers. Some may even have recordings that will be played once you click on them.
• Lost Labs – These, too, have terminals, but they’re more tied to the Founder’s origin and plans. There are a few of these files that also cause your character, 1K, to see a vision of an event that came before.
• Monuments – Monuments are somewhat similar to world puzzles. Instead of an enclosed area, you’ll need to explore the zone to find out just what this particular brain teaser requires. For instance, Sphinx puzzles usually involve a specific location on the map that you need to check out. Likewise, there are Monument Sprites, such as the Monument Sprite in Desolate Island. The task is to find a glowing sprite and follow it all the way back to the Monument.

Unmarked Points of Interest

Lastly, there are points of interest and secrets in The Talos Principle 2 that simply don’t appear on the map, stone slab, or compass. As such, you really need to keep your eyes peeled if you want to discover them during your travels.

• Prometheus Sparks – These glowing objects are found in specific locations, and they can be used on Prometheus Terminals.
• Echoes – You might spot virtual recreations of humanoid figures. Some are blue and some are golden. Walking up to these will lead to your character hearing a short monologue or conversation from the people that have come before you.
• Artifacts – From time to time, you might see old objects from a bygone age. These add to the Artifacts tab tally in your Research menu.

That’s it: that’s everything you need to know about how to find puzzles and secrets in The Talos Principle 2. If you’ve just started the campaign, you might want to learn about how to fast travel and how to skip puzzles completely, as well as how to return to New Jerusalem. For other tips and tactics, you can visit our Talos 2 guides hub.