KairoKairo

Game Details:  Sci-Fi, 2012

Links:  Moby Games, Steam, Adventure Gamers

Walkthrough Updated:  9/22/2014

Suggested Listening:  Where There's Smoke (Ash 25)

Kairo is a first person exploratory adventure with mechanical puzzles in a large, futuristic, abandoned world. There are 11 Steam Achievements, all documented in the walkthrough below.

Void

Head forward down the steps and over the white void to the second large building. Go through the dark doorway on the right side.

Lighthouse

Throne Room

Go forward through the purple hallway. Look on the back of the far left pillar to find your first lighthouse rune (1/6). Now turn right at the end of the hallway and head up 2 flights of stairs. Push the throne backward to the glowing symbol on the wall. Turn around and follow the glowing orb, jumping down off the ledge to land on a new glowing symbol. Turn around and go through the new open doorway. Head down the stairs and out to a new open area.

Grey Bridge

Follow the steps and then a long passageway until you reach an elevated bridge. Go up the ramp on either side, then drop down and go across the bridge that has now been lowered.

Garden

Go straight ahead through the green garden and head up the stairs just to the left, to enter the lobby.

Lobby

On entering this purple room you will see a central structure consisting of a tower of stacked circles. Walk around behind the pillars on the outer part of the room to find your second lighthouse rune (2/6). For orientation purposes, find an octagon above the entrance back out to the green garden. From here the exits in a clockwise fashion head to:

  • Green Park
  • Red Treehouse
  • White Bridge
  • Pink Music Room
  • Yellow Amphitheatre
  • Green Mausoleum

Go through the doorway to the red treehouse.

Red Treehouse

Keep walking up platforms under you find a doorway to go through into a green maze. Turn right and keep following the wall (go around walls that appear but keep to the right. On an external wall in the near right corner you will find another lighthouse rune (3/6). Keep following the right wall and you will eventually reach the symbol in the middle platform, completing the first part of the octagon symbol back in the lighthouse lobby. Return by following the left wall back to the doorway and go back through the treehouse to the lobby. Go through the doorway to the white bridge.

White Bridge

Take the left path over the long irregular bridge to find a doorway to go through into a blue generator room. Climb the platform on the far side and walk into the rune to start the discs in the middle of the room spinning. Now you need to quickly touch four panels in order to keep the discs spinning (the symbols associated with these highlight the four discs from smallest to largest). Start with the inner disc panel, which is on the far left, then cross the room to the second disc panel, then find the third just to the left, and cross the room to touch the last panel. This completes the second part of the octagon symbol. Return through the doorway and over the bridge to the lobby. Go through the door to the pink music room.

Pink Music Room

This room has a floor of 16 tiles; you don't know the correct order to step on these yet so will need to come back later. Leave again and head through the doorway to the yellow amphitheatre.

Yellow Amphitheatre

Go down the stairs and all the way to the pillar on the far side. Walk around behind it to find the next lighthouse rune (4/6). Now head down through the door near the bottom of the amphitheatre, into an orange observatory. Step on the triangular panels to rotate lens to shine light onto the pyramid prism on the middle platform. Step off when the light is shining correctly. You need to do this for all 4 lenses (one of the mechanisms is broken, and to stop this lens rotating you need to push the large pointy stone into the gears on the wall. When you are done you will have completed the third part of the octagon symbol. Go back through the amphitheatre to the lobby, then head through the doorway to the green mausoleum.

Green Mausoleum

Find the 5th coffin on the right and look at its narrow end to find another lighthouse rune (5/6). Go up two long ramps and through a doorway to a blue hydroplant. Turn left immediately and go through an archway and down a ramp. Go to the far end of this area and search an alcove on the far left to find the last lighthouse rune (6/6) Lighthouse Keeper. Go back up the ramp to the entrance to this area. You need to step on 4 runes in the floor to complete the symbol above the doorway at the entrance to this hydroplant. From the starting position these are at the bottom left, middle left, middle right and far midline. Once done, you have completed the final part of the octagon, so return to the lobby. Walk to the glowing orb and follow it into the opened device in the middle of the room.

Red Basement

After going down on the elevator, move the very large switch on the wall here, and a beam of light will shoot across the room from the base of the elevator platform, towards a lens in the middle of the room. You need to adjust the lens to shine the line towards the top of the far wall. Walk around to the far wall to see a group of 10 large buttons on the wall. To adjust the lens correctly, press the middle button on the middle row and the middle button on the top row Shining Beacon. Now go and stand in the large shimmering area over to the left.

Void

There will be a beam shooting from one building near you to a much larger building. Head to the large building and go through the doorway at its base.

Tower 1

Throne Room

Step into the spotlights as they appear, then go through the door that opens. Touch the hexagon pedestal (1/3), then go through the opposite doorway into the throne room. Now enter the room on the left; as you walk around the pieces of the broken pillar will reassemble; wait in place when they are aligned and they will solidify then disappear. Do the same in the opposite room, then approach the throne and it will raise into the air.

Grey Bridge

Turn around and jump up around the tall building until you find your first tower rune (1/6). Now take the narrow path behind the left side of the throne and go through another doorway.

Red Planetarium

Walk across this open area and straight through the opposite doorway.

Orange Stairwell

This room is surrounded by ramps going up and down. There is a large floating octagon spinning at the bottom showing your progress in this area. The exits from bottom to top are:

  • Purple Elevator and Purple Hallway
  • Blue Exterior and Red Planetarium
  • Grey Dome

Jump down to the bottom and go through the trapezium doorway to the purple elevator.

Purple Elevator

Go to the end of the corridor and press the button on the console on the right. Head back and through the entrance to reach a new blue area. Go up the stairs on the right and around to see a column in pieces. Stand at the correct position to reassemble the column, and it will turn into an energy ball. Follow this down through the narrow shaft in the floor, then push it forward into the middle of the crank mechanism. Turn the crank anti-clockwise and keep looking up; stop turning when the energy ball is emitting rays from within the pyramid. Head upstairs and look at the stones the energy rays are hitting; find a floor button with the matching symbol and stand on it.

Now head back to the bottom level and turn the crank mechanism again until the energy ball is within the higher sphere. Go up both sets of stairs to the top level. Look at the back of the stairs to find another tower rune (2/6), then look at the stones the energy rays are now hitting. Go down a level and stand on the correct floor button to complete the first octagon segment. Leave this area by returning through the purple elevator to the orange stairwell. Now go through the other door at the bottom in the shape of a parallelogram.

Purple Hallway

Head straight along the hallway and through the opposite door. In the yellow room you will now find, go to the far left and reassemble the column here to create another ball of energy. Step on the floor button above it to send the ball flying beneath the surface to the other side of the room; your goal is to get it to enter the chute on the far side. You need to move the stone pillars to deflect the ball across there. Position them as follows (from the perspective where you are standing on the floor button):

This will complete the next part of the octagon. Go back through the purple hallway to the orange stairwell. Go up one set of ramps and through the corner doorway to the blue exterior.

Blue Exterior

Walk along the ledge until you see an elevator with glass platforms and use this to reach a high doorway on the side of the building. Follow the green path down to a lower platform, and stand in the correct position to reassemble the pillar; it will turn into a massive globe. Look at the back of the stand beneath the globe to find the next tower rune (3/6). Now go back up the ramp to see four floor buttons surrounding a large central button. You need to press the 4 buttons in a specific order so that when you stand on the central button the globe darkens from the bottom to the top. The correct order, if you are facing the globe is:

  • Back right
  • Back left
  • Front left
  • Front right

Step on the central button to complete the last part of the octagon. Return outside, then back in to the orange stairwell. Head up the ramps to the top level, and through the doorway here.

Grey Dome

Walk towards the dome and the roof will retract. Walk into the middle of the platform and wait for a long ride upwards, then follow the stairs up to a doorway.

Tower 2

Green Staircase

Go immediately around to the right to find the next tower rune (4/6) on the side of the entrance building. Now head up the very long flight of stairs into the next area.

Pink Entrance Hall

This entrance hall has a number of exits apart from the way you came in up the green staircase. In a clockwise direction they are:

  • Green Particle Accelerator
  • Yellow Gymnasium
  • Green Exterior

Start by going through the left doorway to the green particle accelerator.

Green Particle Accelerator

Head straight through the tunnel and through the next doorway. Find the panel of hexagonal floor buttons over to the left. Stand on the bright red button, and keep quickly going to the next bright red button, making sure to avoid the black buttons when they appear. You will eventually finish the sequence and complete your first part of the symbol in this area. While you are here, go to the far pillar down by the side of the greenhouse and look on the back to find another tower rune (5/6). Now return through the green tunnel to the pink entrance hall. Go up the stairs to the left and through the doorway to the yellow gymnasium.

Yellow Gymnasium

Go to the back room and push the block all the way back into the recess in the wall. Come back out to the front room to see four treadmills in the side recesses. Walk forward on to one of these and keep walking forward to see the gauge above light up; power it up all the way to the top, then repeat this with the other 3 treadmills. Now quickly run back to the back room and enter the ball of energy to complete the second part of the symbol. Leave this room to return to the entrance hall, then go through the last doorway.

Green Exterior

Turn left and go near the end of this area, then turn around and start heading up the ramps. Go all the way back over the original entrance and around the back to find the final tower rune (6/6) Tower Climber. Now come back around the front and find a yellow doorway to enter. Use the elevator block on the right to get up to the raised platform, and stand on the square pad facing the rotating gears on the wall. Moving around on the pad rotates these gears. The symbols you need to have facing the midline on the two hexagonal gears are:

  • Square and square
  • Circle and square
  • Triangle and hexagon
  • Triangle and semicircle

Complete all four sequences to complete the third part of the symbol. Use the other elevator block to reach the higher exit and go through another doorway to a higher part of the pink entrance hall. Touch the square pedestal (2/3) here. Walk around to the right and up some stairs to find another doorway.

Green Spiral

Climb up the spiral staircase and stand on the button at the top. Watch the wall and a light will extend from the top to the bottom of the structure. Keep getting off and on the button until the light connects to the bottom orb, and you will have completed the final part of the symbol. Go back out to the pink entrance hall and stand on the large elevator pad Turning Gears.

Green Control Room

Look around the control room with the skeleton, then head out through the right doorway and fall from the ledge.

Teleporter

Turn around and climb the stairs up on to a raised platform. Position yourself to reassemble the pillar, and four teleporters will become active on the floor below. From left to right these go to:

  • Void at the start of the game
  • Throne room in the lighthouse
  • Throne room in tower 1
  • Grey city (new area)

For now, take the right teleporter to reach the grey city.

Garden

Start by heading around the far right of the city, and at the back right corner you will find the first garden rune (1/6). Now there are 3 huge archways you can pass through around the borders of the city, in a clockwise direction from the left:

  • Blue Entrance
  • Aqua Entrance
  • Orange Entrance

You can enter these in any order, but here they are presented in the same order.

Blue Entrance

There is a grid of floating orange controls:

1
4
7
2
5
8
3
6
9

Walking through them displays a shape in the air ahead of you. Walk through 8, 4, 2, 6 and 8 to draw a diamond. Now step on the floor button, and you can go forward to enter a green landscape. Go forward and up the first flight of steps. Turn left twice and go to the furthest small pagoda; look on its far side to find a garden rune (2/6). Go back to the steps and head all the way to the top and through another doorway.

Step on the middle platform and a large globe will appear in the air, with 3 orbiting spheres. Step next to each of the 3 small columns to move one of the orbits; step away when the orbit passes around the large globe. Repeat this at all 3 columns to complete this part of the current symbol. Go back to the main grey area.

Aqua Entrance

There is a grid of floating orange controls:

1
4
7
2
5
8
3
6
9

Walking through them displays a shape in the air ahead of you. Walk through 4, 1, 6, 9 and 4 to draw a parallelogram. Now step on the floor button, and you can go forward to enter a green landscape. Stay on the ground level for now and walk all the way around to the back of this area; there is a garden rune (3/6) on the inner wall here. Go back out to the front and climb the stairs, then head inside to a large red room. When you reach the broken floor, you must cross by stepping on the pieces indicated on the back of the left pillar:

Climb up both sets of stairs and stand on the floor rune to complete this part of the symbol. Now return to the grey area again.

Orange Entrance

There is a grid of 3x3 floating orange controls:

1
4
7
2
5
8
3
6
9

Walking through them displays a shape in the air ahead of you. Walk through 7, 2, 9 and 7 to draw a triangle. Now step on the floor button. Before leaving, go and look at the back of the last large pedestal on the right find another garden rune (4/6). Now you can go forward to enter a blue landscape. Just go straight ahead through another doorway into a gloomy yellow area.

Step on to the floor panel to power up the machine and a large globe will appear. Go through one of the two triangular doorways, and search this room's walls to find a garden rune (5/6). Now look at the 6 symbols on the wall behind the fire here. Go down the ramp opposite these symbols, then continue down a flowing yellow ramp to the left. Touch the symbol on the small column at the end to open a large round doorway. Go back up the yellow ramp and touch the symbol on the small column at the top to turn on the large fan below. Go back up and out to the large globe. Now you need to extinguish the flames corresponding with the 2nd, 3rd and 5th symbols you saw on the wall earlier (the ones that were crossed out). This will complete this part of the symbol. Return to the grey area again.

Now go back to a corner of this area between the original starting point and the Blue Entrance, and you will find what appears from the outside to be a small tower with a blue doorway. Head inside.

Blue Tower

Don't approach the tower, but instead walk around the back of the building behind you to find the final garden rune (6/6) Gardener. Now you can leave this area and return to the main grey area. Climb the stairs all the way to the highest central point of the map, and enter the highest building.

Yellow Chamber

Head to the glowing area in the back of this chamber and step on the large black symbol on the floor. Touch the triangle pedestal (3/3) in the new area, then step on the black circle straight ahead. In the grey area you enter now, head down the stairs, follow the path and step on the floor symbol. This will trigger the normal ending Flowing Elements.

Secret Ending

You should now return automatically to the teleporter area, and should base your movements from here. As a reminder, the 4 teleporters go to these locations:

  • Void at the start of the game
  • Throne room in the lighthouse
  • Throne room in tower 1
  • Grey city

18 Runes

The locations of the 6 lighthouse runes, 6 tower runes and 6 garden runes have been described above. You need to find all 18 of these to be able to continue with the next section.

4 Secret Seals

First you need to make sure you have touched the hexagon, square and triangle pedestals, the locations of which were described above. Now you can find 3 secret doors and go through these to find 3 secret seals.

Hexagon Seal

Head through the second teleporter. Go down from the throne room and head through the green door. Go along the grey bridge, through the garden and up into the lobby. Jump into the beam of light in the middle to get down to the red basement. Turn to the right from the starting platform and drop down to the ground. Turn around to see a hexagon door. Go through and climb the stairs, then break the seal. Return to the teleporter area.

Square Seal

Head through the third teleporter. Go out the back of the throne room and through the red planetarium to the orange stairwell. Go down to the bottom level and through the parallelogram door into the purple hallway. Turn immediately right and find a square door in the corner. Go through and climb the stairs, then break the seal. Return to the teleporter area.

Triangle Seal

Head through the fourth teleporter. Go up all the stairs to the entrance to the yellow chamber but don't go inside. Head around to the right to find the triangle door. Go through and climb the stairs, then break the seal. Return to the teleporter area.

There will now be a new black doorway that appears on a platform behind you in the teleporter area. Go through here to find a purple area, and break the 4th and final seal Locked Door Puzzle. Go back through the black doorway to return to the teleporter area once more.

3 Vision Puzzles

In addition to the above secrets, there are 3 separate puzzles that can also be solved throughout the game that reveal black obelisks; these give you temporary visions of other worlds.

Find an obelisk near the top of the grey Garden that plays a short series of musical tones. Go to the pink music room in the Lighthouse and step on the tiles in this order to recreate this tune Sound of Progress:

4
5
2
1
3

There is a puzzle in the red planetarium in Tower 1, solved as follows A Problem Shared:

5
4
3
2
1

And the last puzzle is found in the blue tower in the Garden area. You need to create this pattern Art Lover:

The End

Now once you have found all of these extra runes, seals and rooms, go to an elevated platform in the Garden area where there should be one final black obelisk. Enter this to find a grey and orange area with some special features including a really unusual special ending to view A Different Purpose.