ColdwakeColdwake

Game Details:  Mystery, 2026

Links:  Steam

Walkthrough Updated:  3/29/2026

Suggested Listening:  Wild Hearts Meet (Ash 25)

Coldwake is a terminal-based mystery adventure. You find a hatch buried in the forest, open it and venture inside. After activating a long-abandoned terminal, you must explore it secrets.

Welcome

Once the terminal is turned on, you can type "help" as prompted, but the help system is offline. Click on the Files tab across the top, where you should read through the following available documents:

  • /readme_newbies.txt
    This gives you a general introduction to the terminal and the game.

  • /desktop/projects/journal_feature_completed.txt
    This mentions a problem with the echo-write program, and gives you the command "journal".

  • /desktop/projects/relay_interface_test.txt
    This mentions both ATHENA and HALO, giving you the keywords "athena" and "halo".

  • /truth/readme.txt
    This is an introductory note about the Truth folder, which will hold a record of what happened. It gives you the keyword "remember".

Keywords

Journal

Go back to the Terminal and type "journal". You now have access to these new documents:

  • /desktop/personal/01001101.txt
    This contains a series of binary numbers. If you copy and paste these into a binary to ASCII converter online, you will be able to read a message from "M" that gives you the command "ghost_print".

  • /desktop/personal/athena.txt
    This tells you that ATHENA is an artificial intelligence that was designed to reverse climate change.

  • /desktop/personal/dreams_of_the_surface.txt
    This contains a cipher text with the tagline at the bottom "Caesar 76". This is a Caesar cipher - shift each character forward in the alphabet by 2 and you will see a brief message about a dream.

  • /desktop/personal/journal_entry_001.txt
    This journal entry talks about a hum in the walls and about someone called Maddison. This gives you the keyword "maddison".

  • /desktop/personal/odd_logs.txt
    This is a message about strange behavior in the system logs on the computer, and mentions someone called Saito.

  • /desktop/personal/our_last_talk.txt
    This message hints at someone planning to take over from ATHENA in battling climate change.

  • /desktop/personal/secret_notes.txt
    This message has references to "Project MKM" and "Core Room 76". It suggests that Maddison knows something about why all AI communication logs were wiped. This gives you the keyword "mkm".

Maddison

Go back to the Terminal and type "maddison". You now have access to a single new document:

  • /desktop/projects/maddison_absence.txt
    This file is a daily log that refers to uplink week.
More importantly, all of the text files that you open from now on will have important words underlined, making it easier to spot keywords.

MKM

Go back to the terminal and type "mkm". You now have access to these new documents:

  • /desktop/archive/ai_behaviour_snapshot.txt
    This gives a short AI output.

  • /desktop/archive/recovered_voice_log.txt
    This shows a conversation between Hamada and Nichols.

  • /desktop/archive/remember.txt
    This is a long text message that repeats the word "remember" with other fragmented entries between. Importantly it says "ATHENA is not what you think" and "yes it was Maddison".

  • /desktop/archive/staff_registry_old.txt
    This contains a list of staff members that largely matches the abbreviations you have seen so far, including MK Murphy, S Hamada, N James, J Carter and E Judgkins.

  • /desktop/archive/thread_43.txt
    This appears to be a message from Maddison to ATHENA, and includes the fragment command "haunted_echoes".

Athena

Go back to the Terminal and type "athena". You now have access to these new documents:

  • /desktop/system_ops/memory_fragment_map.txt
    This file shows a count of recovered memory fragments as 3/76. It gives you the keyword "memory".

  • /desktop/system_ops/mkmos_boot.txt
    This is a boot sequence log that shows that core memory threads are fragmented.

  • /desktop/system_ops/process_log_76.txt
    This is a process log that shows a manual shutdown failed.

HALO

Go back to the Terminal and type "halo". You now have access to these new documents:

  • /desktop/projects/halo/log_0037.txt
    This shows a failed attempt at communication with HALO due to an incorrect password.

  • /desktop/projects/halo/log_0037_recovered.txt
    This shows a failed attempt at communication with HALO due to an incorrect password. It also has a message about GHOSTPRINT.

  • /desktop/projects/halo/log_0042.txt
    This shows a failed attempt at communication with HALO due to an incorrect password.

  • /desktop/projects/halo/log_0045.txt
    This shows successful communication with HALO using the password "seraph".

  • /desktop/projects/halo/not_the_saviour.txt
    This file contains shows some musings by Maddison about HALO.

Remember

Go back to the Terminal and type "remember". You now have access to these new documents:

  • /desktop/logs/log_0001.txt
    This is a system log about a power fluctuation.

  • /desktop/logs/log_0004.txt
    This is an audio transcription log involving Maddison.

  • /desktop/logs/log_0187.txt
    This log deals with ATHENA delaying her responses.

  • /desktop/logs/log_0198.txt
    This is an internal staff log that involves Maddison's absence and a strange noise near the archive wing.

  • /desktop/logs/log_0205.txt
    This is a cryptic log about intentional fragmentation.

  • /desktop/logs/the_transfer.txt
    This is a memo from Maddison about her upload into the system to be with ATHENA. It includes the fragment command "crown_of_thorns".

Memory

Go back to the Terminal and type "memory". You now have access to these new documents:

  • /desktop/recovered_memory_fragments/fragment_001_childhood.txt
    This memory fragment includes the fragment command "snowflake".

  • /desktop/recovered_memory_fragments/fragment_056_takeover.txt
    This memory fragment is about ATHENA not making the hard choices.

  • /desktop/recovered_memory_fragments/fragment_061_inside.txt
    This memory fragment is about ATHENA crying.

  • /desktop/recovered_memory_fragments/fragment_068_owner.txt
    This memory fragment is from Maddison.

  • /desktop/recovered_memory_fragments/when_they_left_me.txt
    This contains a cipher text with the tagline at the bottom "Vigenere". This is a Vigenere cipher - you can decode it online with the key "wecouldntstay". It has a message about GHOSTPRINT.

Seraph

Go back to the Terminal and type "seraph". You now have access to a single new document:

  • /desktop/projects/halo/halo_project_brief.txt
    This is a classified document outlining the objective of HALO.

The Truth

Ghost Print

Go back to the Terminal and type "ghost_print". You now have access to a program at /desktop/ghost_print. Run this program. Select an input file, then press the Scan button. Scroll down to see the hidden information that has been revealed.

Chapter 1: The Awakening

Review the file "/desktop/recovered_memory_fragments/fragment_001_childhood.txt" to see the fragment command "snowflake". Go back to the Terminal and type "snowflake". You now have access to a single new document:

  • /truth/1_the_awakening.txt
    This tells the first part of the background story.

Chapter 2: HALO

Run "/desktop/ghost_print.exe" and scrape the file "log_0037_recovered". This displays the fragment command "fallen_grace". Go back to the Terminal and type "fallen_grace". You now have access to these documents:

  • /truth/2_halo.txt
    This tells the second part of the background story.

  • /crew/naming_convention_complaint.txt
    This is a personal log from Saito.

Chapter 3: ATHENA is Born

Review the file "/desktop/archive/thread_43.txt" to see the fragment command "haunted_echoes". Go back to the Terminal and type "haunted_echoes". You now have access to a single new document:

  • /truth/3_athena_is_born.txt
    This tells the third part of the background story.

Chapter 4: The Hidden Project

Review the file "/desktop/logs/the_transfer.txt" to see the fragment command "crown_of_thorns". Go back to the Terminal and type "crown_of_thorns". You now have access to these documents:

  • /truth/4_the_hidden_project.txt
    This tells the fourth part of the background story.

  • /desktop/archive/subject_transfer_log.txt
    This is a log relating to the connection of Maddison to the system. It also has a message about GHOSTPRINT.

Chapter 5: Sacrifice

Run "/desktop/ghost_print.exe" and scrape the file "subject_transfer_log". This displays the fragment command "sacrifice". Go back to the Terminal and type "sacrifice". You now have access to these documents:

  • /truth/5_sacrifice.txt
    This tells the fifth part of the background story.

  • /crew/nichols/naming_madness.txt
    This is a rebuttal of Saito's personal log that you saw earlier. It also has a message about GHOSTPRINT.

Chapter 6: Evacuation

Run "/desktop/ghost_print.exe" and scrape the file "naming_madness". This displays the vigenere cipher key from earlier ("wecouldntstay"). Run "/desktop/ghost_print.exe" and scrape the file "when_they_left_me". This displays another cipher. Decode this with the same key to see the fragment command "when_we_left_her". Go back to the Terminal and type "when_we_left_her". You now have access to these documents:

  • /truth/6_evacuation.txt
    This tells the sixth part of the background story.

  • /crew/nichols/nichols_last_shift.txt
    This is the final log from Nichols. It also has a message about GHOSTPRINT.

Chapter 7: The Last Light

Run "/desktop/ghost_print.exe" and scrape the file "nichols_last_shift". This displays the fragment command "the_last_light". Go back to the Terminal and type "the_last_light". You now have access to these documents:

  • /truth/7_the_last_light.txt
    This tells the seventh and final part of the background story. It also has a message about GHOSTPRINT.

  • /crew/maddison/dear_geniuses.txt
    This is the final message from Maddison to her colleagues.

Run "/desktop/ghost_print.exe" and scrape the file "7_the_last_light". This displays the final command "restore_memory_indexes". Go back to the Terminal and type "restore_memory_indexes". Click on each of the logs, then shutdown the system.

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