ObsidianObsidian

Game Details:  Sci-Fi, 1996

Links:  Moby Games, Steam, Adventure Gamers

Walkthrough Updated:  9/15/2024

Suggested Listening:  Help Me Out (Ash 25)

Obsidian is a first-person science fiction adventure which touches on nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. You arrive in a strange land, exploring and solving puzzles in an attempt to find your missing partner Max.

The Forest

Turn right and go forward through the forest to see the massive mountain of obsidian. Look back down and continue forward through the forest again. Turn left, then enter the tent. Open the right sleeping bag, then open the portable computer and use it. Browse through all of the available files - this is important or the next part of the game will not be triggered.

Turn around and leave the tent again. Turn left and you will hear a loud noise. Continue forward to find the obsidian. Approach it until you get drawn in.

The Bureau

The Bureau Chief will talk to you and want you to come and see him. Look down and press the red button to descend in the elevator. Step forward and talk to the VidBot. There are a series of booths here and you need to locate the Bridge Repair booth. Head to the booths to the left side of the VidBot, and go to the second last one. Click on the screen and pay attention to the instructions you receive. You can also take a printout with the same information.

Go back towards the elevator and keep to the right, proceeding up a curved staircase that heads up the wall. Turn left and go forward. Climb up the ladder along the left wall. Continue forward, then turn right and press the red button to ascend in the elevator.

Turn left, then go forward to the computer on the end of the aisle. Press Enter on your keyboard, then select options 4, 3, 1. Enter the phrase "standard damage" and enter any valid anagram from these letters (for example "man") - the computer will respond with the longest word, which is "tradesman".

Turn away from the computer. Now search the filing cabinets to find the "Tradesman" document, and pick it up. Now walk along the red carpet to go up to the ceiling. Step forward into the chandelier and pull the lever to the right once. Turn around and go forward along the red carpet twice - another VidBot will offer you some entry cards to the cubicle maze (2 blue, 2 yellow, 2 red), so take them. The layout of the cubicles is as follows (the red carpet is indicated at the bottom):

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

The goal is to gradually collect 3 black cards so you can enter room 1. Once you enter the grid of cubicles you will lose all your cards and need to go back to the VidBot to get some more. This is one order you can follow:

  • Start: 2 blue, 2 yellow, 2 red
  • Room 6: 4 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red
  • Room 3: 3 blue, 2 yellow, 2 red
  • Room 6: 5 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red
  • Room 3: 4 blue, 2 yellow, 2 red
  • Room 6: 6 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red
  • Room 3: 5 blue, 2 yellow, 2 red
  • Room 2: 4 blue, 1 yellow, 2 red, 1 black
  • Room 3: 3 blue, 2 yellow, 3 red, 1 black
  • Room 2: 2 blue, 1 yellow, 3 red, 2 black
  • Room 3: 1 blue, 2 yellow, 4 red, 2 black
  • Room 2: 1 yellow, 4 red, 3 black
  • Room 1

Talk to the Pre-Approvals VidBot here and your document will get pre-approved. Head out through the side exit and make your way back up the red carpet to the chandelier. Pull the lever to the right twice. Turn around and go forward along the red carpet twice. Make your way through the queue. Talk to the VidBot here, who tells you that their clock is broken. Go around behind the stand and examine the clock mechanism. If you push the lever on the left, you will see that the mechanism gets stuck at a certain point. Reset the mechanism by pressing the white button, then turn the dials as follows:

  • Sun Dial: Rotate 2 steps clockwise
  • Moon Dial: Rotate 2 steps counter-clockwise
  • Earth Dial: Rotate 1 step counter-clockwise

Go back around and talk to the VidBot again. Now go back along the red carpet to the chandelier. Pull the lever to the right until it jams and the chandelier dims. You will then be told to find the "orient militia" document. Pull the lever to the left so you can go back down to the library. Use the computer on the end of the aisle. Press Enter on your keyboard, then select options 4, 3, 1. Enter the phrase "orient militia" and enter any valid anagram from these letters (for example "men") - the computer will respond with the longest word, which is "limitation".

Turn away from the computer. Now search the filing cabinets to find the "Limitation" document, and pick it up. Return up to the chandelier and pull the lever to the left twice, then go along the red carpet to reach the communication device. You need to set the sliders on the left to match the code 934:

  • Left Slider: Move to the very bottom
  • Middle Slider: Move to 1/4 of the way up (over the middle of the cubicles)
  • Right Slider: Move to 1/4 of the way up (over the golden star)

Press the button on the right and a doorway will open, revealing a rocky landscape. Pull the top of the mountain down towards you. Turn around and go through the doorway. Step forward, then turn right, forward, right, forward, right and forward again. Talk to the Bureau Chief through the ceiling of his office.

Turn around, then head forward, right, forward, right, forward, and forward to the left. Climb up the ladder, then keep moving until you eventually reach the Bureau Chief.

Spider

Turn left and go forward, then turn right. Climb up the right tower and go through the gateway to find the Fire Puzzle.

Click on the sun and watch the order in which the small rods are struck by lightning. Now click and hold on each of the rods to pause the movement of the tree branches. Adjust these so they touch the rods in the same order as the lightning. Click on the sun again and try to get the lightning to strike at the same time as the tree branches make contact. Once you achieve this, the tree will start burning. Turn around and go back through the gateway.

In the control room, look down and drag the fire image into the 4th slot. Turn around again and go forward until you descend to the ground level. Continue all the way forward and back up the stairs to the spider. Head around to the left and climb up the left tower. Go through the gateway to find the Metal Puzzle.

Go forward several times, then through some metal doors to the left and you will find a chemistry set. If you turn right you can watch some helpful videos, and if you look up you will see some chemical reactions. Pour the left red chemical into the top-left flask. Pour the right yellow chemical into the top-right flask. Press the button, then take the top-right flask (which will contain an orange solution). Leave this room and head back outside, then immediately turn right. Put your flask in the alcove here. Continue further outside and turn right again, then press the large red button. Turn around and go back through the gateway.

In the control room, look down and drag the metal image into the 3rd slot. Turn around again and go forward until you descend to the ground level. Continue all the way forward and back up the stairs to the spider. Head around to the right and climb up the left tower. Go through the gateway to find the Air Puzzle.

Look down and go through the small hole in the pipe. Move forward and you will see a grid. The goal is to move the black balls around so they are all within the central square, except the middle space:

Back out to the landscape and use the cannon - aim it at the tornado and you will capture it. Turn around and go back through the gateway.

In the control room, look down and drag the air image into the 2nd slot. Turn around again and go forward until you descend to the ground level. Continue all the way forward and back up the stairs to the spider. Head around to the right and climb up the left tower. Go through the gateway to find the Oil Puzzle.

Take note of the "038.1" written in the sand, then continue forward until you see the ocean. Click on the 9 segments of waves so they are all in sync - you will know when you are correct because the waves will rise up into the air. Go back to where you entered and turn to face the sand castle, then focus on the top of it. Enter the code 038.1 here and press the red button. Back out, then go in front of the sand castle, turn around, and head down into it.

Walk around and look out the windows until you can see a brown curved line pattern. Now walk around and look towards the middle of the room until you see some green tiles with curved lines. Drag these around to match the pattern outside. Now step forward and you will travel down to see some oil beneath the water. Turn around and travel back up. Now look around this room for a machine with 2 large red dials. Turn these to the coordinates 133.5, which should match where you saw the oil beneath the water. Leave the castle again.

Go back to where you entered and turn to face the sand castle, then focus on the top of it. Enter the code 133.5 here and press the red button. Turn around and go back through the gateway.

In the control room, look down and drag the oil image into the 1st slot. Look down and notice the spider symbol in the middle of the console. Look up and click on the central stars in order to draw this symbol. Turn around again and go forward until you descend to the ground level. Continue toward the spider.

Bismuth

Turn left and head up twice, then press the red button. Turn around and enter your spaceship. Continue through the next door and you will see some creatures powering a wheel. Focus on the spinning display at the top, then click again to view the individual frames of animation. Drag these into the correct order (if it looks smooth but odd, try completely reversing the order). Turn around and go back through the door, then walk forward to the left to enter the cockpit. Look down and turn the key, then follow the instructions (flip switches D1, B2 and A3). Click on one of the destinations on the screen to travel there.

The Piazza

Back away from the cockpit, then go downstairs and out through the door. Head over to the building, then step into the playing field in the middle of the building. In this game you must trap Bismuth in the corner. Bismuth will move after every time you do - he can only move in the 4 cardinal directions, and cannot step onto a blank square or onto your square. You should move him into the corner, by making sure that you cut down his options for movement until he is trapped there.

Once you have done this, return to the spaceship and enter the cockpit. Look down and turn the key, flip switches D1, B2 and A3, then select another destination.

The Church of the Machine

Back away from the cockpit, then go downstairs and out through the door. Walk straight ahead until you see a light shone down to the platform below. Back out, then go down the stairs to reach this area. Approach the machine, which you now get to program. Enter the following series of commands from left to right:

  1. Scan chip (cannot be changed)
  2. Turn left
  3. Go forward
  4. Turn around
  5. Go forward
  6. Turn right
  7. Go forward
  8. Turn left
  9. Turn left
  10. Turn left
  11. Turn right

Now pull the lever on the right. After the sequence completes, exit the machine. Turn around and look down so you can pick up the computer chip. Return to the spaceship. Before entering the cockpit, look to the left and insert the computer chip in the gray compartment on the wall. Now enter the cockpit. Look down and turn the key, flip switches D1, B2 and A3, then select another destination.

The Statue

Back away from the cockpit, then go downstairs and out through the door. Turn left and head up the ramp, then step forward, turn right, and go forward to the end of the room. Turn left and go through the small doorway. Approach the machine on the left and use it. The goal is to end up with a completely white sheet of paper. Press the yellow button until you see a black square on the page. Drag each of the 8 smaller shapes into different positions on the page so you can see them all clearly, then follow these steps:

  1. Move 2 small triangles together to create a square shape.
  2. Move the other 2 small triangles over these so they completely cancel out and become white.
  3. Place the left side of the short horizontal rectangle over the bottom of the irregular shape - this will create 2 squares that touch at their corners.
  4. Move the large vertical rectangle over the left side of this.
  5. Move the large horizontal rectangle over the remaining rectangle.

Now that you have a white page, press the green button. After leaving the room automatically, flip the switch on the left. Return to the spaceship and enter the cockpit. This time, move the lever on the left. Flip switches D1, B2 and A3, but you won't be able to go to the selected destination. Move the lever on the left twice, and now flip these switches (this is similar to the puzzle in The Piazza):

  • Flip switch D1
  • Open the cover to see the red light next to A4
  • Open cover A3, flip switch D2
  • Open the cover to see the red light next to B4
  • Open cover B3, flip switch C2
  • Open the cover to see the red light next to A4
  • Open cover A3, flip switch C3
  • Open the cover to see the red light next to B4
  • Open cover C4, flip switch B3
  • Open the cover to see the red light next to A4
  • Open cover A3, flip switch B4

You will now commence your departure.

Ceres

Turn right and go forward twice to see a broken bridge leading to Max. From the starting position, make these moves to restore the bridge:

  1. Move up 3 times
  2. Move left 3 times
  3. Move up
  4. Move right 7 times
  5. Move left 2 times
  6. Move down 2 times
  7. Move left 4 times
  8. Move right 4 times

Now walk forward to reach Max. Look down and drag the orange flask to the side so that it drops down. Now turn around and go back over the bridge. Continue forward twice and you will be back next to Ceres. Examine the strange control panel here. There is a grid of 16 buttons on the right - 8 of them will turn green when pushed, and some are covered by fake buttons. If you click a fake button, the 8 fake ones will all move at the same time. Pay close attention to which ones are fake, and click the 8 real buttons. When you have succeeded, pull the lever on the left.

After the conversation, you can either pull the switch or leave it alone, to see the two possible game endings.