recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Audio log: Cusa name

Nicholas of Cusa talks about the unknowability of God.

## Location

On the Jungle's beach you'll find the Peninsula. Walk along the paths until you find a path that will take you to the center of the peninsula. You'll see some steps, a small building, and a statue inside. Instead of going in, look to your right. On the top of the wall will be your next audio log.

## Transcript

O Lord God, helper of those who seek you, I see you in the garden of paradise, and I do not know what I see, because I see nothing visible. I know this alone that I know that I do not know what I see and that I can never know. I do not know how to name you, because I do not know what you are.

Should anyone tell me that you are named by this or that name, by the fact that one gives a name I know that it is not your name. For the wall beyond which I see you is the limit of every mode of signification by names. Should anyone express any concept by which you could be conceived, I know that this concept is not a concept of you, for every concept finds its boundary at the wall of paradise. Should anyone express any likeness and say that you ought to be conceived according to it, I know in the same way that this is not a likeness of you.

So too if anyone, wishing to furnish the means by which you might be understood, should set forth an understanding of you, one is still far removed from you. For the highest wall separates you from all these and secludes you from everything that can be said or thought, because you are absolute from all the things that can fall within any concept.

- Nicholas of Cusa, 1453

## Literal interpretation

The quote names a wall and this log is placed on top of wall.

Additionally: it is right next to the statue reaching for the grail. This could be a reference to the way Cusa describes the fact that God is unknowable and if you claim to know him, you are very far removed from it.

## Literary context

This quote, like all the other Cusa quotes, is from his work "Vision of God". This one is from chapter 12.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This quote is part of Theme 5: Preconceptions.

The message of this quote is that people who already have an idea of what God should be like have not actually understood the nature of God. Given that God is unknowable, any description of him will fail.
Cusa even calls out that no single method for figuring out the nature of God will ever be sufficient for really knowing Him.

Additionally, the walls that shield us from the truth have the same function as the veils of Arabi, that prevent us from seeing the truth.
The Witness

* **OS**: Windows 7
* **Processor**: 1.8GHz
* **Memory**: 4 GB RAM
* **Graphics**: Intel HD 4000 series
* **DirectX**: Version 10
* **Storage**: 4 GB available space

**Recommended:**
* **OS**: Windows 7
* **Processor**: 2.4GHz
* **Memory**: 8 GB RAM
* **Graphics**: GeForce 780
* **DirectX**: Version 10
* **Storage**: 4 GB available space

**MacOSX:**
*Metal support required*
**Minimum:**
* **OS**: 10.11.6 (El Capitan)
* **Processor**: 1.8GHz
* **Graphics**: Intel HD 4000 series
* **Storage**: 5 GB available space

**Recommended:**
* **OS**: 10.12.3 (Sierra)
* **Processor**: 2.4GHz
* **Graphics**: Radeon R9 M370X
* **Storage**: 5 GB available space

**The Witness** is an exploration-puzzle game designed by Jonathan Blow/Thekla, Inc.

**Official introduction:**

You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.

You don't remember who you are, and you don't remember how you got here, but there's one thing you can do: explore the island in hope of discovering clues, regaining your memory, and somehow finding your way home.

The Witness is a single-player game in an open world with dozens of locations to explore and over **500 puzzles**. This game respects you as an intelligent player and it treats your time as precious. There's no filler; each of those puzzles brings its own new idea into the mix. So, this is a game full of ideas. *~press kit*

## Official links

* Official Site
* The Witness on Steam
* The Witness on Epic Games
* The Witness on GOG
* The Witness on Humble Bundle
* The Witness on Origin
* The Witness on PlayStation
* The Witness on Xbox
* The Witness on Mac/iOS
Audio log: Cezanne motif

Cezanne describes what he means by the word 'motif'

## Location

Once you're on the middle floor, again you must go up the white staircase to where the control panel is. This time, the tape is hidden behind some panels near one of the walls.

## Transcript

"You see, a motif is this..." (He put his hands together, drew them apart, the ten fingers open, then slowly, very slowly brought them together again, clasped them, squeezed them tightly, meshing them.) "That's what one should try to achieve. If one hand is held too high or too low, it won't work. Not a single link should be too slack, leaving a hole through which the emotion, the light, the truth can escape.

You must understand that I work on the whole canvas, on everything at once. With one impulse, with undivided faith, I approach all the scattered bits and pieces. Everything we see falls apart, vanishes, doesn't it? Nature is always the same, but nothing in her that appears to us, lasts. Our art must render the thrill of her permanence along with her elements, the appearance of all her changes. It must give us a taste of her eternity.

What is there underneath? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. Everything, you understand! So I bring together her wandering hands. I take something at right, something at left, here, there, everywhere, her tones, her colors, her nuances, I set them down, I bring them together. They form lines. They become objects, rocks, trees, without my planning. They take on volume, value. If these volumes, these values, correspond on my canvas, in my sensibility, to the planes, to the spots ... which are there before our eyes, then my canvas has brought its hands together. It does not waver. The hands have been joined neither too high nor too low. My canvas is true, compact, full. But if there is the slightest distraction, if I fail just a little bit, above all if I interpret too much one day, if today I am carried away by a theory which runs counter to that of yesterday, if I think while I paint, if I meddle, whoosh! everything goes to pieces.

Paul Cezanne as related by Joachim Gasquet, 1921

## Literal interpretation

Paul Cezanne was a landscape painter and his audio log is inbetween a bunch of drawings of landscapes.

## Literary context

This quote originally appeared in Gasquet's book "Cezanne: A Memoir With Conversations".

The quote was probably also featured elsewhere.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This quote is part of Theme 4: Faith.

Here, Cezanne tells us that to paint a masterpiece, you can't overthink things. Just like clapping your hands, if you think too much about how exactly it works, you can fail to clap your hands.
The parallel here is that to find the truth, you have to trust that the method you have chosen will bring you there. If you second-guess yourself every step of the way, you will not actually find the truth.
Audio log: Einstein library

A quote by Albert Einstein about his personal beliefs.

## Location

In the Town, you can find an audio log by the Town Obelisk. This obelisk might be a bit hard to find because it is surrounded by a dark grey wall, but if you're near the harbor and walk up to the Town looking for this you'll find it in no time. Check behind the obelisk in the grass to get your tape.

## Transcript

Your question is the most difficult in the world. It is not a question I can answer simply with yes or no.
I am not an Atheist. I do not know if I can define myself as a Pantheist. The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds.

May I not reply with a parable?
The human mind, no matter how highly trained, cannot grasp the universe. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn't know what that is.

That, it seems to me, is the attitude of the most intelligent human toward God.

Albert Einstein, 1930

## Literal interpretation

This is next to one of the Obelisks, which could be interpreted as a library of information relating to the environmental puzzles.

## Literary context

The quote is from an interview published in George Sylvester Viereck's book "Glimpses of the Great (1930)". The quote actually continues as follows:

"We see a universe marvelously arranged, obeying certain laws, but we understand the laws only dimly. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that sways the constellations. I am fascinated by Spinoza's Pantheism. I admire even more his contributions to modern thought. Spinoza is the greatest of modern philosophers, because he is the first philosopher who deals with the soul and the body as one, not as two separate things."

There does not seem to be a clear connection to the other Einstein quotes.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This quote probably relates to Theme 5: Preconceptions.

In the quote Einstein tells us that we are incapable of understanding the truth about the universe because we don't even understand the language of it yet. The truth is something that is far outside of our reach because there are layers between us and the truth that we can't even comprehend.
Glass Factory (Walkthrough)

The **Glass Factory** is a puzzle area in The Witness.

## Glass Factory Hints

* **Hint 1:** Seeing double: Think of the symmetry puzzles in the Glass Factory as simple mazes. If one path works for the line you're drawing, but not the one that's mirroring your path, keep trying new routes to find one that works for both.

* **Hint 2:** Locked puzzle: Can't connect the dots because there's an object blocking the maze monitor? Well, then you're not ready to solve this puzzle -- it literally is locked. Solve some others first.

**Spoiler warning! The screenshots below contain solutions for every puzzle in the area.**

## Glass Factory Solutions

As soon as you enter this area, you'll notice a door with a blue grid. As you drag your cursor, your movements are cloned on the other side. Simply drag to the right, then straight up to unlock the door.

Upon entering, you'll see that none of the panels at the front of the factory are activated. Enter this room, and follow the lines on the floor into the very back room. Here, you'll find a series of plates that function the same as the puzzle to open the house. The big difference here is that the plates themselves will have little dividers and breaks in the lines, forcing you to consider your path in both directions. As you clear each puzzle, you'll be moved to the next one. Go all the way to the end to find this sequence on the back wall. The solutions below will allow you to clear this section easily:

Completing this wall will drop the wall down, but you can't leave just yet. After completing this sequence, the wall will drop out revealing a buoy and another deactivated panel. You'll find out what this does later.

For now, follow the newly activated wire to the front of the'*'***Glass Factory**. The line on the floor will light up green. Follow it to the central construct, and there will be more tiles to solve. The following solution will clear it:

Now that the tiles on this wall are cleared, go to the other side of the construct for some additional puzzles. The wire here activates the puzzles on the other side of this machine, which are beginning to melt. Despite the warped look, the rules remain the same. These new tiles get progressively more stretched and distorted as they are solved:

Continue following the green line on the ground to exit the area and move on to Red Gate.
Walkthroughs

This is the Walkthrough and full guide for The Witness. Each area page is formatted so that the top of the page has a basic explanation of the area followed by puzzle hints, then the solutions.

This walkthrough is organized by areas found on the island, starting with the few you will come upon first.

If you're not looking for the direct answers to puzzles and instead want to gain a better understanding of how to solve each kind, visit the **Spoiler-Free Tips** and **Puzzle Types** page for a guide on the rules and principles of each type of puzzle.

The following pages contain **walkthroughs** for The Witness in chronological order. Because none of the areas are named in The Witness, they will be referred to by the common community names that are devised around their landmarks. Click on a section below to see hints and -- if you'd like -- full puzzle solutions.

## Walkthroughs

* Entry Area (Walkthrough)
* Orchard (Walkthrough)
* Glass Factory (Walkthrough)
* Symmetry Island (Walkthrough)
* Desert Ruins (Walkthrough)
* Shady Trees (Walkthrough)
* Monastery (Walkthrough)
* Jungle (Walkthrough)
* Swamp (Walkthrough)
* Bunker (Walkthrough)
* Treehouse (Walkthrough)
* Keep (Walkthrough)
* Quarry (Walkthrough)
* Town (Walkthrough)
* Mountain (Walkthrough)
* Caves (Walkthrough)
Audio log: Clifford busy

An audio log in which William Clifford laments the way people stifle doubt in their minds.

## Location

After you finish the yellow life-size puzzle and the purple life-size puzzle you will go down a narrow passage that leads to the green life-size puzzle. On your way is a statue of a man holding two bags. Behind his legs is your treasure: an audio log.

## Transcript

If a man, holding a belief which he was taught in childhood or persuaded of afterwards, keeps down and pushes away any doubts which arise about it in his mind, purposely avoids the reading of books and the company of men that call into question or discuss it, and regards as impious those questions which cannot easily be asked without disturbing it - the life of that man is one long sin against mankind....

"But," says one, "I am a busy man; I have no time for the long course of study which would be necessary to make me in any degree a competent judge of certain questions, or even able to understand the nature of the arguments."

Then he should have no time to believe.

William K. Clifford, 1874

## Literal interpretation

This quote is next to a man who is working very hard, hauling big sacks of something, probably grain or something similar.
The quote calls to mind the image of this man believing things he has no real basis for.

## literary context

The text for this quote can be found in William K. Clifford's work: "The Ethics of Belief and Other Essays". The work is a statement that belief is only reasonable if it's based in fair inquiry. This quote is a clear statement from the book that mostly captures what it is about.

Part of the quote is left out at the point of the three dots:

"Inquiry into the evidence of a doctrine is not to be made once for all, and then taken as finally settled. It is never lawful to stifle a doubt; for either it can be honestly answered by means of the inquiry already made, or else it proves that the inquiry was not complete."

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This seems to relate very well to Theme 1: Skepticism.

This quote is about only believing things that you have sufficient evidence for, but more importantly - actually doing the work to make sure you understand the reasons for your beliefs. Finding out the truth is hard work, but you can never believe something that you haven't reserached for yourself.
The Witness Wiki/Bottom section

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To write a new article, just enter the article title in the box below or in the search box at the top of the page.

* **Adding content**
	+ If you are unsure of what to do or how to create a page, search for a few articles on the same topic and see what they look like. You can always view the source code in a wiki and learn from what others have done.
	+ An edit doesn't have to be massive; if you feel you don't want to create whole articles, then just fixing spelling errors and broken links is enough.
Audio log: Niffari sea

A poem by Niffari about God and the sea.

## Location

Head to the Tree House dock. Starting from the boat anchoring place, look for the part of the dock overlooking the shipwreck. You'll find another tape on a corner.

## Transcript

God bade me behold the sea, and I saw the ships sinking and the planks floating; then the planks too were submerged.
And God said to me, "Those who voyage are not saved."
And He said to me, "Those who, instead of voyaging, cast themselves into the sea, take a risk."
And He said to me, "Those who voyage and take no risk shall perish."
And He said to me, "In taking the risk there is a part of salvation."

And the wave came and lifted those beneath it and overran the shore.
And He said to me, "The surface of the sea is a gleam that cannot be reached. And the bottom is a darkness impenetrable. And between
the two are great fishes, which are to be feared."

Niffari, circa 970

What?

## Literal interpretation

This audio log is on a pier, looking out over the sea and a shipwreck that has been violently destroyed. It is a clear reference to the dangers of the sea.

## Literary context

Muhammad ibn Abd al-Jabbar ibn al-Hasan al-Niffari was an Islam mystic from the 10th century. He never made any works himself but his revelations were all written down and collected. Eventually his descendants seem to have published this as a complete work. This poem is part of "The revelation of the Sea".

This poem warns the reader that God wants them to devote themselves fully to Him and will not tolerate straying from that path. Sailing on the sea is the safe path that does not lead to salvation, but diving into the water and trusting God might actually find the truth, although there is no certainty of that.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This is the orange audio log for Theme 4: Fatalism.

The poem tells us that to seek for the truth is dangerous. If you choose the wrong path you will certainly perish. However, if you choose the righteous path of God, you don't even know for sure that you will be saved.
Peninsula

The **Peninsula** is located south of the Monastery and west of the Jungle.

## Audio Logs

On the Jungle's beach you'll find the Peninsula. Walk along the paths until you find a path that will take you to the center of the peninsula. You'll see some steps, a small building, and a statue inside. Instead of going in, look to your right. On the top of the wall will be your next audio log.

#### Transcript

> O Lord God, helper of those who seek you,
>
>
>
> I see you in the garden of paradise,
>
> and I do not know what I see,
>
> because I see nothing visible.
>
>
> I know this alone
>
> that I know that I do not know what I see
>
> and that I can never know.
>
>
> I do not know how to name you,
>
> because I do not know what you are.
>
>
> Should anyone tell me
>
> that you are named by this or that name,
>
> by the fact that one gives a name
>
> I know that it is not your name.
>
>
> For the wall beyond which I see you
>
> is the limit of every mode of signification by names.
>
>
> Should anyone express any concept
>
> by which you could be conceived,
>
> I know that this concept is not a concept of you,
>
> for every concept finds its boundary
>
> at the wall of paradise.
>
>
> Should anyone express any likeness
>
> and say that you ought to be conceived according to it,
>
> I know in the same way that this is not a likeness of you.
>
>
> So too if anyone, wishing to furnish the means
>
> by which you might be understood,
>
> should set forth an understanding of you,
>
> one is still far removed from you.
>
>
> For the highest wall separates you from all these
>
> and secludes you from everything that can be said or thought,
>
> because you are absolute from all the things
>
> that can fall within any concept.
>
>
>
>
>
> - Nicholas of Cusa, 1453
>
>
Audio log: Cusa impossible

Nicholas of Cusa ponders about how impossible it is to really get closer to God.

## Location

Once you're inside the mountain proper, you must go up the white staircase to where the control panel is. The tape is on a corner.

## Transcript

Therefore, I thank you, my God, because you make clear to me that there is no other way of approaching you except that which to all humans, even to the most learned philosophers, seems wholly inaccessible and impossible.
For you have shown me that you cannot be seen elsewhere than where impossibility confronts and obstructs me.
O Lord, you, who are the food of the mature, have given me courage to do violence to myself, for impossibility coincides with necessity, and I have discovered that the place where you are found unveiled is girded about with the coincidence of contradictories.
This is the wall of paradise, and it is there in paradise that you reside. The wall's gate is guarded by the highest spirit of reason, and unless it is overpowered, the way in will not lie open.
Thus, it is on the other side of the coincidence of contradictories that you will be able to be seen and nowhere on this side.

If, therefore, impossibility is necessity in your sight, O Lord, there is nothing which your sight does not see.

- Nicholas of Cusa, 1453

## Literal interpretation

This is the first point in the game where we see something that is truly impossible. We are walking on beams of light that we get to change as a puzzle.

## Literary context

This piece, like the other Cusa pieces, is part of his work "On the Vision of God".

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This quote relates to Theme 4: Fatalism.

Here, Cusa concludes that there is no reasonable path towards God and the only way to actually get closer to Him is to "Do violence to himself".
In short: This piece tells us that the path to truth can lead us to harm ourselves and even lead us to the belief that harming ourselves is the only path forward after all reasonable options have been tried.
Audio log: Sandwich

A man offers a girl a sandwich.

## Location

As you enter the caves under the mountains, you'll soon encounter a large cavern. At the far end of the lower portion you'll find a tunnel glowing with blue light, with some rails on the ground. The tape lies at the end of those rails, just before some rocks.

## Transcript

God bade me behold the sea, and I saw the ships sinking and the planks floating; then the planks too were submerged.
And God said to me, "Those who voyage are not saved."
And He said to me, "Those who, instead of voyaging, cast themselves into the sea, take a risk."
And He said to me, "Those who voyage and take no risk shall perish."
And He said to me, "In taking the risk there is a part of salvation."

And the wave came and lifted those beneath it and overran the shore.

And He said to me, "The surface of the sea is a gleam that cannot be reached. And the bottom is a darkness impenetrable. And between the two are great fishes, which are to be feared."

Niffari, circa 970

What?

I'm going to the store, do you want a sandwich or something?

You've been standing there for like an hour.

I didn't want to interrupt.

And I don't like sandwiches. Have you ever seen me with a sandwich? Why would you think I'd want a sandwich?

Sorry.

I need some sleep.

It's okay, we're all working hard.

I just want to read it right. We're going to be hearing this \_a lot\_ of times. Every little thing matters because it gets so multiplied.

It's good. It's already good.

Thanks. Yeah. But we've kind of picked high goal posts. Every little bit matters.
Can you get me a coffee?

## Story implications

We hear one of the characters actually reading out Audio log: Niffari sea, including the "What?"

It's clear here that the characters are working on some kind of big project where they are planning to hear these quotes a lot, so they want them to be good. The characters also seem to be stressed and sometimes even unreasonable.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This quote seems like it should fit with Theme 4: Fatalism.

We see characters who are so obsessed with getting to the real truth that they end up overworking themselves. With this one the stress even made them put a wrong cut in the Niffari log, meaning that the stress actually led to someone making real mistakes.
Treehouse

*For puzzle hints and solutions, see Treehouse (Walkthrough).*

The **Treehouse** is an area in The Witness. This area introduces stars. Most puzzles in this area are located on panels that form bridges upon solving them.

To enter the Treehouse section of the island, take the boat from the beach and pick the eastern-most location.

## Before you begin, you should know...

### Puzzle types present

* Stars
* Hexagon dots
* Black and white squares
* Multicolored squares
* Tetris blocks

Head over to our **Puzzle Types** page for everything you need to know about the various puzzle rules in The Witness.

### What areas should you do first?

* Entry Area - Part 2
* Bunker
* Swamp

## Yellow Bridge

The yellow bridge is the first and most basic path. It introduces the basic mechanics of stars.

## Purple Bridge

The first purple bridge uses both hexagons and stars, and leads to the second purple bridge. The second purple bridge uses both colored squares and stars.

## Orange Bridge

The right-side orange bridge only uses stars, while the left-side orange bridge uses both colored squares and stars. Certain puzzles in the orange bridges have multiple exits, which changes the direction in which the bridges unfold.

## Laser

The switch that opens the door to the building containing the laser is on a timer, meaning a bridge must be built from the switch to the building. Once the building is successfully entered, the area's laser can be activated.

## Discarded Panels

### Burned-Out House

To get this discarded panel, begin building the yellow path of puzzle panels that leads towards the laser for this area. When you get to a puzzle with multiple solutions (namely the 9th one), follow the image above to end up going straight, leading the panels to a path going left to overlook a burned out house, and a panel at the edge.

### Green Bridge

This other discarded panel is located across from another puzzle panel bridge made up of green panels. Just keep going straight - and be sure to answer the multiple answer panel with an ending point leading towards the small house.

## Audio Logs

### Coast

As you take the boat to the Tree House Dock, look for a small rock jutting out nearby. You'll only be able to spot the tape from one side, so be quick or make sure the boat isn't going fast in order to catch it.

### Dock

Head to the Tree House dock. Starting from the boat anchoring place, look for the part of the dock overlooking the shipwreck. You'll find another tape on a corner.

### Green Bridge

In the Tree House you'll notice that there is a bridge made up of green panels that is superfluous. You'll need to complete the bridge in order to get your audio log. When you reach the panel that lets you choose the direction, have the bridge extend to the right. This will take you to a side platform where you'll be able to see the log up in an unreachable portion of the Tree House.

### Shore

Head to the keep and take the path that leads underneath the Tree House. As you approach the shipwreck, you'll find a shore with some gray rocks. You'll find another tape on one of them.
Collectibles

The Witness contains an assortment of odd **Collectibles**, many of which have unknown purposes, and some that provide more story for the game.

These collectibles include strange audio logs, strange blueprints inside locked briefcases behind locked vaults, and even discarded puzzle panels.

To learn where to find these strange collectibles, click on a link below.

## Collectibles

* Audio Logs
* Briefcases
* Discarded Panels
* Environmental Puzzles
Lake

If you don't even know where to get started in tracking down those last few puzzles in The Witness, the big lake between the **Shady Trees** forest, the **Town**, and the **Quarry** might help.

The lake is actually a *map of the island*, containing unique markers that act as a handy way to track your progress in-game.

 Fountains
 Flowers
 Clams
 Triangular leaves

The first thing to do when attempting to 100% The Witness is complete the 11 main areas that house a laser. If you aren't sure how many lasers you've activated, an easy way to tell is to go to the lake and check out if there are any unlit lanterns. An unlit lantern represents an un-activated laser.

When all 11 main areas are done, you'll want to make sure you have all the bunkers open and the video pattern input into the **Theater** under the **Windmill**. There are six videos, meaning six bunkers, meaning six clams in the lake. If the clam is open, you've already gained access to the bunker, but remember you need to also input the video pattern, which gets added to your puzzle count.

There are also 14 discarded triangle symbol panels around the island. Solving each gets added to your total puzzle count. If you're not sure how many you've solved, head to the lake and look out for the bright orange triangular leaves floating on the water. Solving these discarded panels dims that panel's corresponding leaf on the lake, making it harder to see and effectively checking it off your list. If you still see a few bright orange triangles on the lake, though, you still have some discarded panels to track down.
River

River is an area in The Witness. It consists mostly of an open, flowered field, with a river running through it. It is located between the monastery and the keep, and stretches out to the east. On the path from the monastery to the keep, there is a bridge that goes over the river. This area contains no panel puzzles.

This area contains the River Obelisk, and some environmental puzzle. It is also good for navigation, as it is connected to the Monastery, the Keep, the Swamp, the Mountain, the Bay, the Jungle, the Town, and the Lake.
Forgotten Shore

Monsters
 No. of Shiny Spots
 Silver Chest
 Items
 Region

## Info

An inlet beach on the coast of the Floneian Territories. Although it is not immediately apparent, the tide here is fierce, and if one is careless, it is easy to be swept out to sea by its current. There were once plans to build a harbor here, but they were abandoned due to the aquatic monsters that frequent the beach's sands. As the years passed, the beach became forgotten, and its shore lies empty, save for the rocks.
Audio log: Tagore boast

A poem by Tagore about how his work is always full of the divine but people never understand it.

## Location

When you enter the Keep you'll likely go straight for the hedge mazes, but if you stay straight through the arches you'll find an area full of statues and what appears to be a life-size puzzle that turns yellow as you walk over the parts. To the left of this puzzle is a statue of a guitarist. On top of his amp is a tape (unfortunately, it is not of his music).

## Transcript

I boasted among men that I had known you. They see your pictures in all works of mine. They come and ask me, "Who is he?" I know not how to answer them. I say, "Indeed, I cannot tell."They blame me and they go away in scorn.
And you sit there smiling.

I put my tales of you into lasting songs. The secret gushes out from my heart. They come and ask me, "Tell me all your meanings." I know not how to answer them. I say, "Ah, who knows what they mean!" They smile and go away in utter scorn.
And you sit there smiling.

- Rabindranath Tagore, 1910

## Literal interpretation

We see a few statues here. The musician seems to be admired by the queen, but on closer inspection she is looking at her ring instead. The implication would be that the musician is pouring out his heart and soul and nobody really understands the great things he's making.

This is sometimes even seen as a personal reflection of Jonathan Blow that art is never really appreciated in the way it is meant. People go for surface readings, while skipping the more important message of the work. Whether that is a correct interpretation or not, Jonathan Blow does seem to agree with the sentiment.

## Literary context

Tagore was a poet, writer, painter, philosopher and social reformer who has produced a very large body of work and who won the nobel prize in literature in 1913.
This poem seems to stand on its own and the literal interpretation largely holds.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This one fits with Theme 5: Preconceptions.

The poem laments that people are too blinded by their preconceptions to see the way that the artist shows the nature of the divine in his work. A very direct relation to the theme.
Jungle (Walkthrough)

The **Jungle** is a puzzle area in The Witness.

## Jungle Hints

Sound-based puzzles make the **Jungle** difficult for the tone-deaf and hard of hearing to complete. If you need solutions, scroll down to **Jungle Solutions**.

* **Hint 1:** Line Graph: Think of the first three puzzles like drawing a line graph according to the sounds you hear playing in the background.

* **Hint 2:** Right Pitch: The sequence of puzzles on the raised barrier uses the same logic as the dot-collecting puzzles elsewhere on the island, but think about what the different sized dots mean in relation to the sounds playing.

* **Hint 3:** Too much noise!: Not every sound you hear pertains to the current puzzle. You may hear some notes from a previous one that you need to ignore.

**Spoiler warning! The screenshots below contain solutions for every puzzle in the area.**
## Jungle Solutions

These puzzles have you drawing line graphs to reflect the order of pitches heard in the background. If a sound is high then low, like this, you'll draw the line up, then down.

The second puzzle in this sequence introduces middle pitches. Apply the same logic here. If the sound plays two high pitches, a low pitch, then a medium pitch, as is the case above, then you'd draw a line up across the top for two blocks, then all the way down to the bottom of the grid, then halfway back up down the middle of the puzzle, to the end.

Once you've completed the three introductory puzzles, follow the path back down, near where the giant tree is. A new line of puzzles will have lit up.

These ones are trickier with all the random background noise that plays to try to throw you off. Once you solve these, a panel should have lit up that lets you raise an area of the floor around where the bamboo forest begins.

This sequence contains hexagon dots, sized according to their pitch. Low pitches are depicted as larger dots, while higher pitches are small dots, and in-between pitches are medium sized. Here you need to draw a line that will connect all the dots before reaching the end point in the order of the pitches that play.

Solving this lights up the control panel for the **Jungle** area's laser, buried in the dense bamboo forest. Follow the pink cable to the bamboo forest, and then just hug the left wall of the maze to the laser.
Shroomback

HP
 EXP
 Abilities
 Locations
Rare Drop - Hellmoss
Over Kill - Thick Ivy
Exact Kill - Hellmoss Flower
Fire Kill - Holy Paulownia Branch
Water Kill - Holy Paulownia Flower
Light Kill - Bent Screw
Shadow Kill - Red Mushroom
Time Kill - Holy Paulownia Root
Momentum Kill – Bright Blue Gem
Debuff Kill - Sweet Banana Seed
Link Kill - Sticky Thread

**Shroomback** are Fungal Gorrila-Like monsters from the *Intelligent Monsters* category.

## Abilities

### Bad Breath

Shroomback exhales its rancid breath at the party,dealing area damage.
May inflict Stun and/or Sap

### Body Roll

Shroomback rolls into a target party member,dealing damage.

### Beat Ground

Shroomback Slams the ground with fierce force,damaging the party for multiple hits.
Audio log: Zen: points beyond language

This audio log is a quote by David Darling, comparing the Eastern and Western methods for critical thinking.

## Location

Go to the forest between the quarry and the keep and approach the quarry's logging facility. As you get close to the window, you'll see on the left some gray rocks that form a path upwards. Climb it to find a ruined orange container. Enter it to find another tape on its upper side.

## Transcript

In a sense, what modern physics is to the history of Western thought, Zen is to the development of the Eastern worldview: the ultimate refinement of more than two thousand years of incisive debate, discussion, and critical development.

Yet the difference between the two could hardly be more marked.
Whereas physics is interested above all in theories, concepts, and formulas, Zen values only the concrete and the simple. Zen wants facts - not in the Western sense of things that are measurable and numerical (which are, in fact, abstractions!) but as living, immediate, and tangible.
Its approach to understanding is not to theorize because it recognizes that previously accumulated ideas and knowledge - in other words, memories of all kinds - block the direct perception of reality.

Therefore, Zen adopts an unusual approach. Its buildup involves language - which is unavoidable. Any method, even if it turns out to be an antimethod, has first to convey some background in order to be effective. But the way Zen uses language is always to point beyond language, beyond concepts to the concrete.

David Darling, 1996

## Literal interpretation

Not clear yet, possibly the container is blocking the view of something important?

## Literary context

This quote is from David Darling's book "Zen Phyisics". Darling is a writer of popular science, who has a number of books in his name.
The book deals with themes such as conciousness, death and reincarnation and looks at both the western and the eastern view on these themes.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This audio log is difficult to place, but might fit best with Theme 6: Acceptance.

The quote describes the way Zen arrives at the truth as a process where all theorizing and accounting is thrown out the window and the only real goal is to just observe the world as you see it. In a way, you are silencing your mind and stopping all of the thought about how things might be a certain way or might be meaningful on higher levels, but you just observe the things that you know are actually there.

This is the main message of theme 6 and it relates to a lot of puzzles in the Witness, where you have to step back from the puzzle panel and see what is actually there in the world in order to solve the puzzle.
Orchard (Walkthrough)

The **Orchard** is a puzzle area in The Witness.

## Orchard Hints

* **Hint 1:** Trees: Look at the apple tree near the maze panel. Notice that it's got the same branching paths?

* **Hint 2:** Branches: There's only one apple hanging from one particular branch on each tree.

* **Hint 3:** Perspective: Some of the apple trees are twisted and need to be viewed from different angles to translate into a 2D layout.

* **Hint 4:** The Right Angle: If you're having trouble finding the right way to look at each tree, notice how some of the branches are broken, and the way that's reflected in the corresponding maze panel.

* **Hint 5:** Fruit Thief: No apple? Sometimes the solution to a puzzle takes a bit of detective work. Explore your surroundings and remember to follow the wires if you get stuck!

* **Hint 6:** Powering Down: Panels in this area power down if the solution you input is incorrect. Remember how you activated the panel in the first place and try again.

**Spoiler warning! The screenshots below contain solutions for every puzzle in the area.**

## Orchard Solutions

The first area of The Witness has a rather easy observational puzzle. When you first enter the meadow, you'll notice some trees that each having fruit hanging from a branch. The green boxes on posts have outlines of those trees, and you will have to draw a link from the beginning of the tree to where the fruit is on each box, as such:

Follow the pink lines after each puzzle, and eventually you will move up a hill and into the next area, the Water House.

Remember that solving panels lights up wires that activates nearby panels. Follow this one to the second puzzle in the **Orchard**.

If you input an incorrect solution, panels in this area shut down. You'll need to return to the panel before it and solve it again to re-activate the next one again.

The last tree doesn't have an apple. Comparing the tree with the panel reveals it's missing a branch. Inspection of the nearby fenced area show the missing branch with the apple, revealing the answer to the last puzzle is the missing branch.
Bunker

*For puzzle hints and solutions, see Bunker (Walkthrough).*

The **Bunker** is an area in The Witness. This area revolves around colored squares. It's a cliffside structure at the base of the mountain in The Witness, right past where you first locate the boat. Its entrance is near what appears to be a long, yellow streak of paint that has stained the cliff. On the outside it looks like a traditional cement military bunker, but on the inside it houses a number of plants, flowers, and fruits/vegetables, resembling a greenhouse or a botanical research facility.

The puzzles inside the **Bunker** are all about color. This area may be impossible for people with different types of colorblindness, so keep that in mind moving forward. You'll be able to find hints and all the puzzle solutions for this area below.

## Before you begin, you should know...

### Puzzle Types Present

* Multicolored squares
* Environmental clues

Head over to our **Puzzle Types** page for everything you need to know about the various puzzle rules in The Witness.

## Elevator

Upon reaching the top level of the elevator, the area's laser can be activated.

## Audio Logs

### Hidden Floor

Enter the greenhouse and head to the elevator. Your objective is the floor with green light you can't normally access because of the broken wire: to reach it, make the elevator move so that it must cross that floor, and quickly move to the floor while the elevator is passing it (don't worry, the elevator will stop at the floor, even if it normally can't). The tape is on one of the corners.
Swamp

*For puzzle hints and solutions, see Swamp (Walkthrough).*

The **Swamp** is an area in The Witness. This area introduces blocks. It can be identified by its sections of colorful water. This guide will reveal every tile solution for each section of the Swamp level.

To enter the Swamp section of the island, go to the Keep in the middle of the island and make your way east. The Puzzles will be fairly straightforward until the last half of the puzzle before the Laser. There are also a few Environmental Puzzles here -- look for them in the River Obelisk section.

## Before you begin, you should know...

### Puzzle types present

* Tetris blocks

Head over to our **Puzzle Types** page for everything you need to know about the various puzzle rules in The Witness.

### What areas should you do first?

* N/A

You can complete the **Swamp** with no prior knowledge of other areas in The Witness.

## Audio Logs

### Coast

As you take the boat from the swamp heading south towards the jungle, you'll notice on the west side as you approach the bunker a crashed boat near a rock. Stop the boat and examine the rock to see the tape.

### Shore

Anchor the boat in the swamp and you'll see an intersection with three scaffoldings. Take the right scaffolding to find a rocky path. Follow it until you encounter an area overlooking the Tree House. You'll find there another tape on top of a rock.

### Underwater Lair

Head to the rotating tram and use it to reach the purple platform. Enter the underwater lair there and you'll find inside another tape located behind a crystal box.
Environmental Puzzles

## The Mystery of the Obelisks

Found all over the island are large black obelisks that seemingly serve no purpose. However, an observant player may notice parts of the environment might align to look just like the puzzle paths found on panels. Interacting with these Environmental Puzzles will release a rush of energy leading to a nearby obelisk. That obelisk will now be covered in symbols that represent other environmental puzzles nearby, and the path that you'll need to spot and trace.

To find out where these puzzles might be located - look closely at each of the obelisks faces. The columns represent the number of different puzzles that are located in the area in which that side of the obelisk is facing. Once you've found every environmental puzzle for a corresponding obelisk - it will turn white. At this time we don't know what will happen when every obelisk is finished - let us know if you do!

## Environment Puzzles

Unlike the traditional Puzzle Solutions that are the main object of the game, astute players may notice certain places on the island that seem to resembles parts of a puzzle. These **Environmental Puzzles** are cleverly woven into the island and can often only be found when looking from the right angle.

Unlike regular puzzles, you won't need a panel to interact with them - but you'll need to line them up perfectly to activate. Once activated, a flash of light will trail off to the nearest corresponding obelisk, which will contain symbols of other puzzles in the area.

Note that every Environmental Puzzle contains a set of rules:

* Like puzzle panels, it must start with the large circle, travel a path, and end with a half circle.
* The entire puzzle must be brought into full view either by perspective or line of sight before it can be completed. It doesn't matter if the pieces are near or far, as long as they form an unbroken puzzle from your point of view, you can trace it.
* The entire puzzle MUST be the same color. This may require some clever workarounds and adjustments to the environment around you.

Each page below is organized by the obelisk and it's corresponding area. The page is formatted so that the top of the page has a basic explanation of the areas, it's corresponding obelisk, followed by puzzle hints, then the solutions.

**A Map of the Island with Obelisk Locations**

Click on a section below to see hints and -- if you'd like -- full puzzle solutions.

* River Obelisk
* Monastery Obelisk
* Tree House Obelisk
* Quarry Obelisk
* Desert Obelisk
* Town Obelisk
Audio log: Brooke the dead

A poem by Rupert Brooke about the dead.

## Location

Head to the keep and take the path that leads underneath the Tree House. As you approach the shipwreck, you'll find a shore with some gray rocks. You'll find another tape on one of them.

## Transcript

These hearts were woven of human joys and cares,
Washed marvellously with sorrow, swift to mirth.

The years had given them kindness. Dawn was theirs,
And sunset, and the colours of the earth.

These had seen movement, and heard music; known
Slumber and waking; loved; gone proudly friended;

Felt the quick stir of wonder; sat alone;
Touched flowers and furs and cheeks. All this is ended.

There are waters blown by changing winds to laughter
And lit by the rich skies, all day. And after,

Frost, with a gesture, stays the waves that dance
And wandering loveliness. He leaves a white

Unbroken glory, a gathered radiance,
A width, a shining peace, under the night.

Rupert Brooke, 1914

## Literal interpretation

Aside from the wrecked ship, we can also see shapes on the bottom of the sea here that could be drowned human beings.

## Literary context

Rupert Brooke was a nationalist who wrote poetry to inspire people to partake in the first world war. This poem "The Dead" is part of a series of five poems. Interestingly, both number 3 and number 4 of this series bear the same name. This is the second one of these.

The poem glorifies the idea of dying for your country abroad. The poem describes how glorious the dead are who are buried after having died in war.

## Relation to the six themes of the Witness

This poem is part of Theme 3: Faith

The idea here is that it's good to die for your beliefs. If your goal is lofty enough, it's fine that it costs you everything. This theme of sacrificing yourself for your beliefs is present throughout the pieces of theme 3.