The Talos Principle 2 – 100% Full Achievement Guide

Guidance for obtaining 100% achievements!

How to Obtain All Achievements

All credit goes to Hanni!

Intro

The Talos Principle 2 is a first-person puzzle game featuring 59 Steam achievements.

There is a point of no return at the end of the game. After saving Byron (7), you will be able to complete all remaining puzzles in free roam, including the Gold Puzzles. However, if you enter the VTOL after saving Byron (7), you won’t be able to get back again. Fortunately, the game makes an autosave before entering the VTOL. It will be available after watching the credits.

There are three mutually exclusive achievements tied to an election taking place at the beginning of Act V. The outcome of this election depends on multiple decisions made throughout the game, but all three achievements can be obtained in a single playthrough by following the strategy described in section ‘The Theory of Everything’, and utilizing a backup of your save file (see note below). Also, there are several missable achievements in New Jerusalem, a city that can only be visited twice (see section ‘New Jerusalem’). All other achievements are either unmissable, unlock while following the above-mentioned strategy, or can be quickly unlocked in a new game.

Unfortunately, you can’t save the game manually. However, you can backup your save files which are located in ‘AppData\Local\Talos2\Saved\SaveGames’. Make sure to disable the Steam Cloud if you want to load backups (right-click on the game in your library → General → Steam Cloud).

Story

Ab Initio

• Finish the calibration process.

Wanderers

• Embark on the expedition.

Bridge Builder

• Build one bridge.

Grasslands Ring

• Activate the tower at the Grasslands Ring.

Wooded Plateau

• Activate the tower at the Wooded Plateau.

Overload

• Experience a datastream overload.

Eastern Wetlands

• Activate the tower in the Eastern Wetlands.

Into the Machine

• Enter the Megastructure.

Desolate Island

• Activate the tower on the Desolate Island.

Flooded Valley

• Activate the tower in the Flooded Valley.

Lost Marshes

• Activate the tower in the Lost Marshes.

Southern Coast

• Activate the tower on the Southern Coast.

Verdant Canyon

• Activate the tower at the Verdant Canyon.

Circular Oasis

• Activate the tower at the Circular Oasis.

Prometheus Unbound

• Free Prometheus from his chains.

Western Delta

• Activate the tower in the Western Delta.

Anthropic Hills

• Activate the tower in the Anthropic Hills.

High Plain

• Activate the tower on the High Plain.

Break the Loop

• Make a choice that will define the future.

Endings

Chicken

• Refuse to go along on the expedition.

At the very beginning of the game, during the briefing in the tower, reply with:

• Sorry, not interested.

Ab Aeterno

• Defy death.

The Future

• Go above and beyond to change the future.

In order to get this ending, first solve all Gold Puzzles. Then, meet Cornelius (3) on the island at the Megastructure. Interact with the device next to him and save Miranda (α). This will unlock the achievement ‘The Edge of Forever’.

Now, return to the VTOL, enter the Megastructure (it doesn’t matter if you enter the utopian or the dystopian tower), and find Athena. Choose: I want to know the truth to unlock the ‘Leap of Faith’ ending and the achievement ‘The Future’.

Completion

The Thief of Fire

• Solve one Prometheus monument.

The All-Gifted

• Solve one Pandora monument.

Mistress of Riddles

• Solve one Sphinx monument.

Puzzle Fiend

• Solve all regular puzzles.

Renaissance Robot

• Solve all puzzles and monuments.

There are twelve areas in the game, each containing:

• 8 Normal Puzzles
• 2 Lost Puzzles
• 2 Monuments (Stars)
• 1 Gold Puzzle

The normal puzzles and the lost puzzles count as regular puzzles. The monuments are optional and grant stars which can be used on the island at the Megastructure. The Gold Puzzles cannot be accessed until acquiring a certain amount of stars and completing all twelve main areas.

There is a point of no return at the end of the game. After saving Byron, you will be able to complete all remaining puzzles in free roam, including the Gold Puzzles. If you enter the VTOL, you won’t be able to get back. However, the game will make an autosave (before entering the VTOL) and let you continue playing from this autosave after watching the credits.

The Edge of Forever

• Discover a vision of things to come.

After completing all monuments and acquiring all stars, approach the device in the tower on the island at the Megastructure. Place all stars and watch the vision to unlock the achievement.

The Theory of Everything

Balance

• Maintain the status quo in New Jerusalem… for now.

A New Morality

• Help Rand get elected mayor.

A New Beginning

• Help Byron get elected mayor.

Balance – Mayor Hermanubis

• Don’t use the Somnodrome in the Lost Lab in the Anthropic Hills area.
• Before entering the VTOL to save Byron, tell Hermanubis that the myth must be preserved.

A New Morality – Mayor Rand

• Tell Doge (666) that you are interested in meeting her friends (see ‘Not What It Seems’).
• Sign Damien (903) and Moryana’s (801) petition in New Jerusalem (see ‘Signatory’).
• Talk to Rand in the museum, then use the terminal and share your experience with him.
• Try to access the Somnodrome in the Flooded Valley area (see ‘Gnothi Seauton’)
• During your second visit in New Jerusalem, tell Damien (903) that you fully support them.
• During the debriefing in the tower, shortly before leaving New Jerusalem again, pick:
  • It may not be safe, but we can’t leave Byron behind.
  • We have more important matters to discuss.
  • I agree.
  • I would let the scholars investigate.
• Use the Somnodrome in the Lost Lab in the Anthropic Hills area.
• Choose to transmit your data to Rand.
• Don’t reassure Hermanubis before entering the VTOL.

A New Beginning – Mayor Byron

Probably very similar to the choices listed above, but with small changes.

These achievements unlock at the beginning of Act V. After waking up, Neith (33) will tell you about the current mayor of New Jerusalem. There are no achievements for getting Jeremy elected; or if the election failed and no one got elected.

Not What It Seems

• Get involved behind the scenes.

At the beginning of the game, Doge (666) approaches you in the tower (before the meeting). She tells you about her mysterious friends. Let her know that you are interested in meeting them.

While progressing through the game, she will send you a message. Consent to her request of gathering and sharing your personal data, and answer her questions truthfully. When she sends you another private message, tell her to go ahead and accept to connect with her friend.

Make sure to reply to Doge’s messages as soon as possible since she could lose interest and stop accepting replies if it takes too long for you to answer.

Gnothi Seauton

• Use a functioning Somnodrome.

Follow the steps described above (achievement ‘Not What It Seems’). When you are in the Flooded Valley area, try to access the Somnodrome in the Lost Lab. Unfortunately, it will break.

Continue playing until reaching the Lost Lab of the Anthropic Hills area. Enter the Lost Lab to find another Somnodrome which is guarded by Hermanubis. Tell him that you are going to use it, then interact with the device to discover the truth – and to unlock the achievement.

New Jerusalem

Signatory

• Provide your digital signature to someone.

You can listen to Damien (903) in front of the tower in New Jerusalem and sign their petition:

Or you can give Schuyler (923) an autograph who is in front of the museum.

Your Biggest Fan

• Tell Schuyler what to do with his life… or not.

Schuyler (923) can be found in front of the museum in New Jerusalem:

Museum Visitor

• Visit New Jerusalem’s Museum of the Simulation.

Enter the ‘Museum of the Simulation’:

Museum Explorer

• Explore the Museum of the Simulation in its entirety.

Visit all areas in the museum and interact with one of the sigil puzzles.

Excellent

• Tell Purple what to do about his voice.

Talk to Purple (998) in New Jerusalem and ask them about their diction. At the end of the conversation, tell them to stick with it or to try a different voicepack:

Text Adventurer

• Finish all three text adventures in the exhibition.

This achievement can only be unlocked after returning to New Jerusalem, halfway through the game.

Enter the Gehenna Memorial Pavilion and complete all three text adventures:

• Jefferson Goldboom and the Specter of Modernity, by Rat (980).
• Ghosts of Atlantis, by Corazon (815).
• Argument Simulator, by Guta (972).

You don’t need to successfully finish each text adventure. Reaching a ‘Game Over’ screen counts too. Furthermore, make sure to quit the computers using the ‘Quit’ prompt – don’t press E key.

Sinner

• Have a heated argument with Thecla.

This achievement can only be unlocked after returning to New Jerusalem, halfway through the game.

Thecla (862) can be found in the ‘Tablets of the Founder’ area:

Tell her:

• Have you every considered that you might be wrong?
• I don’t want to waste my time talking to idiots.

Good Citizen

• Explore New Jerusalem in its entirety.

This achievement can only be unlocked after returning to New Jerusalem, halfway through the game.

Visit these locations:

• Museum of the Simulation
• Milton’s Rest
• Alexandra Drennan Memorial
• Construction Site
• Tablets of the Founder
• Gehenna Memorial Pavilion
• Friends of New Jerusalem Gazebo

Puzzles

Becoming Smarter

• Return to a puzzle for a second attempt.

Self-explanatory. The puzzle must be completed to unlock the achievement. Could be bugged and require multiple retries.

Persistent

• Work on solving a puzzle for more than 20 minutes.

Wait until the achievement unlocks before completing the puzzle. The achievement may not unlock if you run the game in the background or idle for too long. Make sure to regularly move around and interact with tools.

Chasing the Light

• Activate a Prometheus monument without stopping the spark-chasing music.

There are eight Prometheus monuments in the game. I recommend you to try this achievement at each new monument until you obtain it. If you have already completed all monuments or failed to activate all remaining monuments without stopping the spark-chasing music, you must start a new game. Luckily, there is a monument in the first puzzle area – Grasslands Ring. However, remember to build the first tetromino bridge before activating the blue spark!

Challenges

Just One Lap

• Solve “Loop” without doing multiple circles.

Area: Wooded Plateau

Lost Puzzle next to Puzzle 8

Solution:

Single Rod

• Solve “Seesaw” puzzle by picking up only one connector.

Area: Wooded Plateau

Puzzle 8

Solution:

The Hard Way

• Solve “Switcheroo” without using the “keep connections” option.

Area: Southern Coast

Puzzle 8

Solution:

Miscellaneous

Touch Grass

• Read 10 Social Media entries.

Read 10 entries on the Social Media tab in your PDA. There’s a number in the lower left corner of the screen indicating new entries:

Team Spirit

• Talk to each member of your team.

While exploring the areas, talk to your team members who are wandering around:

• Yaqut (764).
• Byron (7).
• Melville (142).
• Alcatraz (264).

Note: Make sure to talk to Byron (7) before entering the Megastructure a second time.

The Spark

• Find one Prometheus spark.

The first spark can be found in Grasslands Ring, in the area between Puzzle 3 and Puzzle 4:

The Word Endures

• Explore content on a lost terminal.

The first lost terminal can be found in ‘Grasslands Ring’, nearby the bridge:

Terminals are marked on the compass (blue hand palm symbol).

Lord of the Files

• Read 30 texts on terminals.

There are plenty of terminals scattered throughout game, each typically containing at least one text. Therefore, the achievement will most likely unlock while progressing through the game.

Lost Labs

Scientia Vincere Tenebras

• Explore all of the lost labs.

Grasslands Ring

Near the Prometheus monument on the left side of the tower:

Wooded Plateau

On the path to Puzzle 7 and Puzzle 8:

Eastern Wetlands

Behind Puzzle 7:

Desolate Island

Between Puzzle 7 and Puzzle 8:

Flooded Valley

In front of Puzzle 6

Lost Marshes

North of Puzzle 6

Southern Coast

Below the transport system:

Verdant Canyon

Behind Puzzle 7:

Circular Oasis

Near the transport system, in a crater:

Western Delta

Next to Puzzle 4:

Anthropic Hills

Next to Puzzle 5:

High Plain

South-east of Puzzle 2:

Monuments

The Thief of Fire

• Solve one Prometheus monument.

The All-Gifted

• Solve one Pandora monument.

Mistress of Riddles

• Solve one Sphinx monument.

Renaissance Robot

• Solve all puzzles and monuments.

Please refer to this guide (spoiler heavy, unmarked solutions).

Audio Logs

Ecstatic Truth

• Collect all 12 of Lifthrasir’s audio logs.

Trevor’s Biographer

• Collect all 12 of Trevor’s audio logs.

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_01
Grasslands Ring

• To the right of the tetromino bridge:

Audio Log: Trevor_01
Area: Grasslands Ring

• In front of Puzzle 5:

Audio Log: Trevor_02
Area: Wooded Plateu

• In front of Puzzle 2:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_02
Area: Wooded Plateu

• On the hill above the rails of the transport system:

Audio Log: Trevor_03
Area: Eastern Wetlands

• Inside the human rock formation north-west of the transport system:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_03
Area: Eastern Wetlands

• Far in the south, east of the Pandora monument:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_04
Area: Desolate Island

• In the far south west; follow the path in front of Puzzle 5:

Audio Log: Trevor_04
Area: Desolate Island

• At the base of the mountain; follow the path between Puzzle 7 and Puzzle 8:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_05
Area: Flooded Valley

• On the island south of Puzzle 3:

Audio Log: Trevor_05
Area: Flooded Valley

• In front of Puzzle 8:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_06
Area: Lost Marshes

• In the far south west of the island, behind Puzzle 3:

Audio Log: Trevor_06
Area: Lost Marshes

• In front of Puzzle 6:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_07
Area: Southern Coast

• On the hill between Puzzle 2 and Puzzle 3:

Audio Log: Trevor_07
Area: Southern Coast

• Between Puzzle 7 and Puzzle 8:

Audio Log: Trevor_08
Area: Verdant Canyon

• Near Puzzle 1 and Puzzle 2:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_08
Area: Verdant Canyon

• North of Puzzle 5:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_09
Area: Circular Oasis

• In front of Puzzle 8:

Audio Log: Trevor_09
Area: Circular Oasis

• Next to Puzzle 5:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_10
Area: Western Delta

• Behind Puzzle 1:

Audio Log: Trevor_10
Area: Western Delta

• Between Puzzle 4 and Lost Puzzle Jailbreak:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_11
Area: Anthropic Hills

• On a small plateau in front of the transport system:

Audio Log: Trevor_11
Area: Anthropic Hills

• On top of the mountain; near the Gold Puzzle:

Audio Log: Trevor_12
Area: High Plain

• By the south exit of Puzzle 3:

Audio Log: Lifthrasir_12
Area: High Plain

• In front of the hands; next to Puzzle 8:

Remnants

Remnants of the Past

• Discover a trace of what happened on the island.

Mnemosyne

• Find every manifestation of the past.

Remnant: Miranda’s Studies
Area: Eastern Wetlands

• Near Puzzle 2:

Remnant: Future Cat
Area: Eastern Wetlands

• Near Puzzle 7:

Remnant: Our Duty
Area: Desolate Island

• In front of Puzzle 6:

Remnant: The Ancients
Area: Desolate Island

• In front of Puzzle 8:

Remnant: Irresponsible
Area: Flooded Valley

• In front of Puzzle 5:

Remnant: Work of Art
Area: Flooded Valley

• On the island reachable after building the first bridge:

Remnant: Terraforming
Area: Lost Marshes

• Behind Puzzle 5; in front of Puzzle 3:

Remnant: Player Of Games
Area: Lost Marshes

• Next to Puzzle 8:

Remnant: More Timber
Area: Southern Coast

• Next to Puzzle 4:

Remnant: I’m Dad
Area: Southern Coast

• Between the Gold Puzzle and Puzzle 8:

Remnant: The Bigger Picture
Area: Verdant Canyon

• In front of Puzzle 2:

Remnant: Life
Area: Verdant Canyon

• Behind Puzzle 4:

Remnant: Miranda’s Design
Area: Circular Oasis

• In front of the transport system:

Remnant: Too Much Beauty
Area: Circular Oasis

• Between Puzzle 2 and Puzzle 3:

Remnant: Too Human
Area: Western Delta

• On a hill between Puzzle 3, Puzzle 4, and the Prometheus monument:

Remnant: Just To Be
Area: Western Delta

• In front of Puzzle 6:

Remnant: Leadership
Area: Anthropic Hills

• In front of the bridge to the tower; next to the transport system:

Remnant: Birth
Area: Anthropic Hills

• At the base of the stone statue statue leading to Puzzle 7

Remnant: Together
Area: High Plain

• Near Puzzle 4; east exit:

Remnant: How Did She Do It
Area: High Plain

• Near Puzzle 7; north-east exit:

Human Artifacts

Discovery

• Find an ancient human artifact.

Archaeologist

• Find 10 ancient human artifacts.

Human Artifact: Radiator
Area: Grasslands Ring

• On the right side of the tower:

Human Artifact: Tricycle
Area: Grasslands Ring

• On the left side of the tower, at the very end of the lake:

Human Artifact: Unknown Machine
Area: Grasslands Ring

• North-west of Puzzle 6:

Human Artifact: Slide
Area: Eastern Wetlands

• Between the Sphinx monument and the Pandora monument:

Human Artifact: Satellite Dish
Area: Flooded Valley

• Near Lost Puzzle Lateral Inhibition:

Human Artifact: Anchor
Area: Lost Marshes

• Next to Lost Puzzle Elegance, in the south-east of the area:

Human Artifact: Bomber Plane
Area: Southern Coast

• In front of the tower, under the water:

Human Artifact: Van
Area: Southern Coast

• Below Puzzle 6:

Human Artifact: Arcade Machine
Area: Southern Coast

• Between the Gold Puzzle and Puzzle 8:

Human Artifact: Washing Machine
Area: Verdant Canyon

• Near the Lost Terminal north of Puzzle 5:

Human Artifact: Classic Vehicle
Area: Anthropic Hills

• In the circular area in front of Puzzle 4:

W.I.P.