Intermittent Mechanism

The analysis I’ve been working on has again resulted in me writing a full-on game walkthrough, this time to Parabole’s 2017 game Kona. Again, I have decided that I might as well just post the results here, as a gesture of goodwill to the world.

There are some useful walkthroughs to Kona out there already, each with its own limitations. The most thorough walkthoughs explaining how to get 100% completion are videos, a format that I really dislike when it comes to games of this style. On the other hand, the written walkthroughs all exclude certain useful details, or sometimes have out-of-date details because they were written while the game was still in early access.

This walkthrough was written with the following goals in mind: thoroughly exploring and retrieving all documents from the game’s principle locations, and fully filling out the game’s journal. If you want to do those things, this is the guide for you. It’s not going to cover some other things, like where you can find all of the talismans and treasure hunt locations. If you want that sort of thing, you should check out another walkthrough (like this one here, which has a great map).  

The first portion of this walkthrough is organized spatially, around the key locations on the game’s map. In addition to these key locations—residences, businesses, caves—there are numerous other points of interest in the game, such as campsites and overturned carts by the road. These additional points of interest are often a good source of inventory items such as logs, matches, fire starter, and steaks. (There are even two sites where you can find magnets, a less-plentiful key item.) You can see the campsites represented on the map up above, but I’m not including them in the written guide. This walkthrough is geared toward document collection and journal completion, and those sites generally aren’t useful to that. (There are a couple of exceptions to this rule, and I have included those exceptions below.)

Rest Stop

• Gating:
  • A route barrier blocks access to the bridge.
    • Use the pincer on the chain to cut it.
• Item collection:
  • inventory item: fire starter (stowed in the bed of Carl’s truck—may as well retrieve it now)
  • inventory item: fire starter x2 (chest at top of fire tower)
  • inventory item: pincer (chest at top of fire tower)

Crash site

• Gating:
  • You aren’t allowed to leave the crash site until you do all three of the following:
    • start a fire in either the cabin’s outdoor stove or its indoor stove
    • retrieve the first-aid kit and use it
    • place the chains on the tires of Carl’s truck
• Heat sources:
  • Brazier-style exterior wood-burning stove (cabin exterior)
  • Wood stove (cabin interior)
• Item collection:
  • Abandoned yellow car Carl crashed into
    • document: Isabelle photo (glove compartment)
    • consumable: locked iron box (front passenger seat)
    • consumable: first aid kit (car trunk)
  • Nearby cabin
    • inventory item: logs (cabin exterior)
    • inventory item: fire starter (on table)
    • inventory item: matches x4 (on table)
    • inventory item: chains (on table)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Flip the Isabelle photo over after you pick it up.

General Store

• Gating:
  • You stop here automatically as your first stop in the town proper. If you want to continue using Carl’s truck (not strictly speaking necessary, but advisable given how easy it is to freeze while walking long distances) you must refuel it here.
    • Before you can turn the pumps on, a scripted event occurs and the power is cut.
    • go out the back door and fix the cable coming out of the generator here
      • requires duct tape
      • requires pliers
    • Turn on the generator
    • At the power control station near the back door, switch power source to “GEN,” then switch the power for the store ON and the power for the garage OFF
    • switch “pump 2” switch near the cash register to ON
    • use the pump to refill Carl’s truck
  • Retrieving the murder weapon and unlocking the locked iron box:
    • Grab the cash reg instructions and follow them to retrieve the post key
    • Use the post key on the locked bottom portion of the post office box outside
  • Door to garage is locked:
    • garage key is in the main building service desk, 4th drawer from window
  • Crowbar can’t be retrieved until garage is powered:
    • Follow the above instructions for restoring the power via the generator, except switch the power for the main store OFF, and the power for the garage ON
    • use the car lift button in the garage (next to the window looking out on the main building)
• Heat sources:
  • Radiator—only provides heat when power is running to main building (main building interior)
  • Brazier-style exterior wood-burning stove (garage exterior)
• Item collection:
  • General store main building:
    • document: envelope (next to corpse)
    • document: letter from Gilles (service desk, near front window)
    • inventory item: garage key (service desk, 4th drawer from window)
    • document: customer credit (updates map) (service desk, 5th drawer from window)
    • inventory item: duct tape (service desk, 6th drawer from window)
    • inventory item: 4 matches (service desk, 6th drawer from window)
    • consumable: first aid kit (shelving unit behind service desk—move the wheeled ladder to get to it)
    • inventory item: sherry wine (shelving unit behind service desk—climb the wheeled ladder after you’ve moved it to reach this)
    • inventory item: fire starter x3 (rear shelving unit, near the mailboxes & photos)
    • document: cash reg instructions (rear table, between the mailboxes and the power station)
    • inventory item: post key (inside the cash register—follow the instruction printed on the document listed above)
    • equipment: revolver (locked bottom portion of post office box outside)
    • inventory item: envelope with small key (locked bottom portion of post office box outside)
    • document: Hamilton letter (immediate produced upon picking up the envelope with small key, as that triggers a scripted sequence in which Carl opens the envelope and uses the key to unlock the locked iron box)
  • Garage:
    • document: draft letter (in one of three trashcans lined up against wall of garage—open lid to see)
    • inventory item: logs (near wood-burning stove at the garage exterior)
    • inventory item: hardware (counter beneath tool board, 2nd drawer from door)
    • inventory item: pliers (counter beneath tool board, 3rd drawer from door)
    • equipment: crowbar (underneath the car. see “gating” section above for how to retrieve it)
  • Frozen body vision sequence: Gilles Lachance
    • Follow the wolf tracks and deposits of glowing blue ice stretching toward the southwest from the store to find this body. The following items are picked up of the course of the vision sequence:
      • document: mysterious journal
      • document: necklace
      • document: Gilles’ wallet
  • Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
    • Photograph William Hamilton’s corpse.
    • Photograph the blue glowing ice. There are a bunch around town, and you can approach any of them at any time, but there’s several surrounding the rear of the general store, so let’s just get this over with now.
    • Photograph Gilles Lachance’s frozen body.

Lachance residence

• Gating:
  • There is a secret compartment in the stairwell
    • It can only be opened after the frozen body sequence (see below) reveals its location
  • There is a safe inside the compartment with an alphanumeric lock; requires 1 letter + 3-digit number
    • In Gisèle’s diary, she gives two clues: the letter is the first initial of Gilles’ father, and the 3 numerical digits are carved into the pendant Gilles wears.
    • The digits on the pendant (found during the course of investigating Gilles’ own frozen body) are 739.
    • What is Gilles’ father’s first name? A clue is found on the photo in this very stairwell. Flip it see a name on the back: Bertrand Lachance. Is that Gilles’ father? Try “B” out to see. (Spoiler: It is.)
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (house interior)
• Item collection:
  • document: letter for Gilles (in mailbox)
  • inventory item: logs (house exterior alongside wooden walkway & steps)
  • inventory item: magnet (stuck to a plate of corrugated sheet metal leaning on the rear exterior wall of the house)
  • inventory item: fire starter (cabined on west wall of house, near wood stove)
  • equipment: steak (in refrigerator)
  • consumable: pain killer (bathroom cabinet, top drawer)
  • document: article about the store (rocking chair in stairwell)
  • inventory item: Polaroid film x10 (wardrobe in upstairs bedroom)
  • consumable: cigarettes x5 (chest in upstairs bedroom)
  • document: compromising document (in safe inside secret compartment—see “gating” above)
• Frozen body vision sequence: Gisèle Lachance
  • The body is embedded within the broken wall; she’s impossible to miss. The following items are picked up of the course of the vision sequence:
    • document: Gisèle’s diary
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph the glowing crossbow bolt sticking into the post on the right side of steps leading to main house.
  • Photograph Gisèle Lachance’s frozen body.

Bédard residence

• Gating:
  • Front door is locked.
    • requires house key, hidden beneath the front door mat.
  • Marie’s diary has a small lock on it, preventing Carl from reading it until he has the key.
    • requires small key, in the garage, in the furthest drawer from the door in the counter beneath the tool board.
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (house interior)
• Item collection:
  • Main house:
    • document: treasure map 01 (in mailbox)
    • document: Letter for Marie (in mailbox under treasure map 01)
    • inventory item: house key (hidden beneath door mat)
    • equipment: steak x2 (in refrigerator)
    • inventory item: Polaroid film x10 (top drawer, cupboard under window on western wall)
    • inventory item: fire starter (drawer embedded next to sink)
    • inventory item upgrade: sewing kit can be used to attach a wire to a magnet, if you already have one in your inventory (counter surface, cupboard under window on western wall)
    • document: Marie’s diary (drawer, nightstand with light on it, kids’ room)
    • document: Sylvie’s diary (drawer, desk with tailoring mannequin on it. locked—see gating above)
  • Garage:
    • inventory item: empty bottle (shelving units to the right of the door)
    • inventory item: empty gas can (shelving units to the right of the door)
    • inventory item: hardware (counter beneath tool board, closest drawer to door)
    • inventory item: small key to Marie’s locked diary (counter beneath tool board, furthest drawer from door)
    • inventory item: matches x2 (counter beneath tool board, furthest drawer from door)
    • consumable: cigarettes x5 (counter beneath tool board, furthest drawer from door)
    • consumable: beer bottle (counter beneath tool board, furthest drawer from door)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Explore the house thoroughly to confirm that none of the family is home.
  • Make sure to flip to the second page of Sylvie’s diary.

Roy residence

• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (house interior)
• Item collection:
  • document: letter for Wilfred (in mailbox)
  • inventory item: empty bottle (in trashcan on front porch—open lid to see)
  • inventory item: fire starter (pantry to the left of front door)
  • document: novel page 1 (kitchen table)
  • inventory item: logs (next to wood stove)
  • inventory item: matches x7 (cupboard under window on western wall)
  • consumable: cigarettes x2 (drawer in nightstand in bedroom)
  • document: novel page 2 (on top of nightstand in bedroom)
  • document: novel page 3 (on top of TV in TV room)
  • document: novel page 4 (desk in TV room)
  • inventory item: .303 ammo x5 (bag inside closet in TV room)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Read the note from from Jeanne Roy posted to the front door of the house. Strangely, although you appear to pick it up, it does not get added to your documents collection. It is, however, necessary for the journal.

The Woodlots

• Gating:
  • Front door of Alexandre Blais’ lumberjack equipment shack is locked
    • Requires the Cloutier et fils key found at the Blais residence
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (Cabin A)
  • wood stove (Cabin B)
• Item collection:
  • Cart crashed at driveway entrance:
    • inventory item: duct tape
    • inventory item: fire starter
    • inventory item: empty bottle x4
  • Cabin A:
    • inventory item: logs (piled outside)
    • equipment: hatchet (stump next to log pile)
  • Campsite NNW of Cabin A (there are many small camp fires in the area but this is a full campsite, with a tent)
    • inventory item: matches x4 (in tent)
    • inventory item: fire starter (on crate)
    • equipment: steak (in cooler)
  • Cabin B:
    • inventory item: first aid kit (drawer, small stand with radio on it)
    • inventory item: duct tape (shelving unit with food next to wood stove)
    • inventory item: log (box near wood stove)
    • consumable: cigarettes x5 (table)
  • Alexandre Blais’ lumberjack equipment shack:
    • inventory item: fire starter x3 (box to immediate left of door)
    • inventory item: hardware (shelving unit on windowless wall)
    • inventory item: flare x2 (shelving unit on wall with window)
    • document: toolshed note (counter beneath tool board)
    • inventory item: forest cabin key (counter beneath tool board)
    • inventory item: matches x6 (counter beneath tool board, 5th drawer from window)
    • inventory item: magnet (counter beneath tool board, 2nd drawer from window)
    • inventory item: Polaroid film x10 (counter beneath tool board, drawer nearest to window)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • “A Cold Mystery” pg 3/4, entry 3/5 should unlock while you’re exploring. Not sure if there’s any way to fail to trigger it.
  • Photograph the glowing crossbow bolt stuck in a tree, in a campsite NNW of Cabin A.
  • Photograph the glowing crossbow bolt stuck in the wagon next to Cabin B.

Blais residence

• Gating:
  • The shack is locked.
    • You can retrieve the shack key from the hole next to it.
      • requires magnet
      • requires a wire attached to the magnet
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (house interior)
• Item collection:
  • Main house:
    • inventory item: logs (side and rear of house)
    • document: note from Martin Blais (beneath the telephone stand—slide it out of the way to grab it)
    • inventory item: Cloutier et fils key (small stand, southeast corner of kitchen)
    • inventory item upgrade: sewing kit can be used to attach a wire to a magnet, if you already have one in your inventory (counter next to wood stove)
    • consumable: cigarettes x4 (cupboard above counter in southwest corner of kitchen)
    • document: Stub: Alexandre Blais 1 (drawer embedded next to sink)
    • equipment: steak (in refrigerator)
    • consumable: beer bottle x2 (in refrigerator)
    • inventory item: fire starter (cabinet under bathroom sink)
    • consumable: pain killer x2 (cabinet over bathroom sink)
    • document: article about P. Blais (on bathroom floor near tub)
    • document: drawing of “le monstre” (drawer in nightstand in the children’s area of the upstairs bedroom)
    • document: Louise’s diary (drawer in cabinet with books on it in the adult’s area of the upstairs bedroom)
  • Shack:
    • inventory item: empty bottle (in trashcan next to shack—open lid to see)
    • inventory item: shack key (hole outside shack—you need the magnet + attached wire to retrieve this)
    • inventory item: empty gas can (on floor pretty much directly in front of door)
    • inventory item: flare x4 (shelving to the left of door)
    • inventory item: hardware (counter beneath tool board, middle accessible drawer)
    • inventory item: fire starter x2 (shelving unit to right of door)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Inspect the boot on the front porch.
  • Explore the house thoroughly to confirm that none of the family is home.

Dr. Beaupré’s Clinic

• Gating:
  • Front door is locked.
    • requires house key, hidden in the mailbox.
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (clinic interior)
• Item collection:
  • inventory item: clinic’s key (in mailbox)
  • inventory item: logs (box on front porch)
  • inventory item: fire starter (box on the front porch, hidden beneath the logs—pick them up to see it)
  • equipment: lantern (in outhouse)
  • document: doctor’s note (posted on front door)
  • document: medical files (in case on desk)
  • consumable: pain killers (on shelf under Beaupré’s medical degree)
  • document: communist manifesto (on bed)
  • consumable: first aid kit (in wardrobe)
  • inventory item: matches x2 (drawer in cupboard under window on west wall)
  • inventory item upgrade: sewing kit can be used to attach a wire to a magnet, if you already have one in your inventory (countertop of cupboard under window on west wall)
  • inventory item: fire starter (drawer in stand with Isabelle’s urn on it)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph the bloody pillow on the surgical cot.
  • Inspect the photos on the desk next to the medical records.
  • Inspect urn with Isabelle Beaupré’s ashes.
  • Flip through all pages of the medical files.

Old Rosaire’s residence

• Gating:
  • You need a heavy coat to enter the icy cavern, and Old Rosaire’s the only person who can give it to you. You need to placate him with some “caribou” moonshine.
    • You can make caribou at the Blouin residence. Make sure you have an empty bottle and some sherry before you head there.
  • The shed is locked.
    • requires Rosaire’s key, in his house
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove, pre-lit (house interior)
• Item collection:
  • Main house
    • clothing upgrade: coat (you need to trade Rosaire caribou for this)
    • inventory item: empty bottle (near Rosaire, next to the coat)
    • document: tales and legends (circular table)
    • inventory item: matches x2 (drawer, small stand next to sink)
    • equipment: Rosaire’s key (key pegs next to door)
  • Shed
    • inventory item: empty gas can (to the left of the door)
    • equipment: hatchet (counter beneath tool board)
    • inventory item: .303 ammo x5 (counter beneath tool board, 2nd drawer from left)
    • inventory item: hardware (counter beneath tool board, 2nd drawer from right)
    • equipment: lantern (shelves to right)

Blouin residence (“House of the Patriot”)

• Gating:
  • Although nothing in this house is gated, here we find the means to make “caribou” moonshine, a necessary item to get the winter coat.
    • The caribou recipe is on the wall in here.
    • The distiller for making caribou is in the back. The recipe is a little vague: it makes it sound as if you need white whiskey as a separate ingredient. But you don’t. All caribou requires is the following:
      • sherry wine
      • empty bottle
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (house interior)
• Item collection:
  • inventory item: fire starter (tucked behind the homemade firing range)
  • consumable: cigarettes x5 (outhouse)
  • equipment: hatchet (exterior, western side of house)
  • inventory item: logs (exterior, western side of house)
  • consumable: beer bottle (cooler, exterior, western side of house)
  • inventory item: matches x4 (in trashcan, exterior, western side of house—open lid to see)
  • inventory item: logs (next to wood stove)
  • document: Rejean’s note (wardrobe)
  • document: Rejean’s wallet (on bed)
  • document: caribou recipe (on wall between bed & table)

The Icy Cavern

• Gating:
  • In order to survive in here, you’re going to need a winter coat. In order to get that, you’re going to have to trade with Old Rosaire for a bottle of “caribou” moonshine.
    • You can make caribou at the Blouin residence. Make sure you have an empty bottle and some sherry before you head there.
    • Then talk to Old Rosaire at his place.
  • Inside the cavern there’s a bridge that needs to be repaired.
    • requires hardware x1
    • requires hammer
  • You can’t access Rejean’s hideout until you enter into the frozen body vision sequence
  • The rear exit to the cave, near the frozen body, has collapsed
    • Use the dynamite on the obstruction to blow it up
• Heat sources:
  • fire pit (mid-cavern)
  • wood stove (Rejean’s hideout)
• Item collection:
  • equipment: hammer (low part of cavern with pool, on a crate)
  • inventory item: matches x6 (low part of cavern with pool, inside bag)
  • inventory item: fire starter (low part of cavern with pool, inside bag)
  • inventory item: dynamite x3 (Rejean’s hideout)
  • inventory item: duct tape (Rejean’s hideout)
  • inventory item: hardware (Rejean’s hideout)
  • inventory item: pliers (Rejean’s hideout)
  • inventory item: .303 ammo x10 (Rejean’s hideout)
  • inventory item: cigarettes x5 (Rejean’s hideout)
  • equipment: Lee-Enfield rifle (Rejean’s hideout)
• Frozen body vision sequence: Rejean Blouin
  • Immediately past the bridge you repair, you will encounter this body in an area that is, for the moment, a dead end.
    • document: Rejean’s log
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph Rejean Blouin’s frozen body.

Lamothe’s residence, garage, and “secret project”

• Gating:
  • Gate to the area is locked.
    • Use the pincer on the lock to cut it
  • Secret compartment Jean-Guy stashed something in (which we see during his ice corpse sequence) is inaccessible without reaching the roof of the garage.
    • You can get onto the roof of the house, and built a bridge to the roof of the garage from it.
      • requires hardware x1
      • requires hammer
  • The snowmobile, a very useful vehicle, can be reassempbled here, but requires multiple steps.
    • Inspect the snowmobile behind the house to initiate the process.
    • Pick up the parts manual from the table inside the house.
      • attaching the bench requires only the bench
      • attaching the track requires the snowmobile track and pliers
      • attaching the light and handlebars requires the headlight, handlebars, and pliers
      • attaching the skis requires snowmobile ski x2 and pliers
      • using the spark plug & key requires spark plug, filled gas can, and snowmobile key
  • Gate to the “secret project” area is boarded up.
    • Use the crowbar to bust it open
  • The satellite dish is in the way of the entrance point to the “secret project”
    • Approach from the other walkway and pull the lever to rotate it out of the way
  • The gate keeping you from the snowmobile key in the “secret project” is protected by an elaborate electrical lock.
    • You need to turn four wheels, so that each “+” contact point is daisy-chained to a “-“ contact point, and vice-versa. Your starting points are the blue wires coming out of the “+” and “-“ terminals on each side of the door’s electronic lock, which must be chained to a “-“ and “+,” respectively. Once those are connected, you need to connect everything else accordingly.
    • OK, here we go. You’re facing north as soon as you enter this area. Counterclockwise from your left: SW, NW, NE, and SE.
    • SW wheel: + yellow wire (W); – red wire (N) (no need to turn this one, actually)
    • NW wheel: + green wire (S); – yellow wire (N)
    • NE wheel: + blue wire (E); – green wire (N)
    • SE wheel: + red wire (W); – blue wire (E)
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (house interior)
  • outdoor fire pit (immediately outside gate to Jean-Guy’s “secret project”)
  • outdoor radiator (built into the “secret project;” turn valve to turn on)
• Item collection:
  • Surrounding grounds:
    • document: letter for Lamothe (mailbox)
    • inventory item: spark plug (mailbox)
    • inventory item: empty bottle (next to the car without an engine)
    • inventory item: snowmobile ski (trunk of the car without an engine)
    • inventory item: logs (middle of yard)
    • consumable: pain killer (rusted refrigerator on front porch)
    • inventory item: snowmobile ski (shelving unit on front porch)
    • inventory item: fire starter (in trashcan against north side of house—open lid to see)
    • inventory item: bench (lawn chair under umbrella, overlooking water)
    • inventory item upgrade: you can fill up your gas can at the pump, if you already have one in your inventory (gas pump behind garage)
    • inventory item: headlight (inside cooler against south side of house)
    • inventory item: snowmobile track (on hobby horse next to shack near snowmobile)
    • document: crazy thought (secret compartment only accessible through garage roof—see “gating” section above)
  • Garage interior:
    • document: package note (posted to rusted refrigerator)
    • inventory item: hardware (rusted refrigerator)
    • inventory item: headlight (on homemade UFO)
    • inventory item: handlebars (shelving on right side of garage)
    • inventory item: pliers (counter beneath tool board, 2nd drawer from door)
  • House interior:
    • document: police letter (table next to wood stove)
    • map update: looking at the map on the back wall updates Carl’s map with Lamothe’s “secret project”
    • document: spaceship blueprint (posted on the wall next to the door, above the mess of papers on the floor)
    • document: parts manual (table, next to tin foil hat)
    • equipment: hammer (partially disassembled cabined in southwest corner)
  • “Secret project”:
    • inventory item: snowmobile key (behind locked gate in “secret project” area—see “gating” above)
• Frozen body vision sequence: Jean-Guy Lamothe
  • This frozen body is just behind the double doors to the garage. As soon as you open them, you’ll see it.
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph Jean-Guy Lamothe’s frozen body.
  • Photograph the dug-up grave near the gate to Jean-Guy’s “secret project”
  • Inspect graffiti on the front of Lamothe’s house.

Landslide and Ice Wall

• Gating:
  • There’s a supernatural wall of ice blocking the alternate route around the landslide, flanked by four ghostly figures.
    • You need to find the four frozen bodies in the rest of the town and initiate their vision sequences to remove this obstacle. It’s the major gate that separates the open-world exploratory part of the game from the more linear final leg.
    • Be aware that, although you can do the frozen bodies in any order, the in-game time of day advances after each vision sequence. After you finish the fourth and final sequence, the town will be dark. You may want to put this off until you have explored the town thoroughly.
    • The ice wall doesn’t close up behind you when you pass through it, so you can return to the town (up to a point). However, the path is much more linear beyond it. I would recommend making sure you have collected everything you want to collect before you pass through it. For reference, if you’re looking to fill out the journal and all documents:
      • There are 44 documents you can collect before passing through the ice wall.
      • “A Case of Vandalism,” “The Crash,” “The Young Woman,” “Further North,” and “Biographies” sections of the journal should all be entirely completed.
      • “A Cold Mystery” journal section should be entirely completed except for the last 3 entries on pg 4. “Hamilton’s Murder” journal section should be entirely completed except for the final entry on pg 3. “The Hunt” should need 2 more photos and a final block of text.
• Item collection:
  • inventory item: logs (strewn about the wagon crashed at the landscape)
  • inventory item: Polaroid film x10 (trunk of abandoned blue car crashed near landslide)
  • document: ranger manual (follow the trail of clothing & suitcases from the abandoned car)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph the glowing crossbow bolt stuck in the tail light of abandoned blue car crashed near landslide.
  • Inspect the boot in the trunk of the abandoned blue car crashed near landslide.

Camp just northeast of ice wall

• Heat sources:
  • outdoor fire pit
• Item collection:
  • document: mysterious journal B
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph the glowing crossbow bolt sticking from a tree here.

Observation tower & accompanying cabin

• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (inside cabin)
• Item collection:
  • inventory item: logs (stacked both in front of and behind the cabin)
  • document: Stub: Alexandre Blais 2 (on floor in cabin, under coat near bottles)
  • document: letter to Pierre 1 & letter to Pierre 2 (on table—flip through to see both separate letters)
  • inventory item: flare x3 (chest at top of tower)
  • inventory item: fire starter (chest at top of tower)
  • consumable: first aid kit (chest at top of tower)

Burnt cottage

• Gating:
  • You’ll have to leave your snowmobile on this side of the stream unless you fix the bridge across it. Although it’s perfectly possible to continue on without the snowmobile, you’ll likely want to repair this bridge anyway, to prevent from getting wet (which saps your body heat)
    • requires hardware x1
    • requires hammer
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (inside cottage)
• Item collection:
  • inventory item: hardware (shelving unit next to door)
  • equipment: hammer (shelving unit next to door)
  • consumable: first aid kit (cabinet in corner)

Forest Cabin

• Gating:
  • The front door is locked
    • requires forest cabin key, found all the way back in Alexandre Blais’ lumberjack equipment shack in the Woodlots (itself locked)
• Heat sources:
  • wood stove (inside cabin)
• Item collection:
  • equipment: hammer (shelving unit opposite door)
  • inventory item: .303 ammo x2 (shelving unit opposite door)
  • inventory item: flare (shelving unit next to wood stove)
• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph the glowing crossbow bolt stuck into the side of cabin.

The Sanctuary

• Photography & additional actions to ensure journal is fully updated:
  • Photograph the frozen dormant wendigo.

The remainder of this walkthrough is organized in terms of journal sections. The information below is almost entirely redundant to the information listed above, but it’s more conveniently structured if you’re missing a journal entry and just want to immediately look up how to fill it in.

Journal Entries by Section

• A Case of Vandalism
  • initiation
    • It has already been initiated and is complete except for one entry from the beginning of the game.
  • final entry
    • General Store
      • fills in upon entering the General Store main building

• The Crash
  • initiation
    • initiates upon waking up after the car crash
  • pg 1/2, entry 1/3
    • Crash site
      • fills in upon approaching the yellow car
  • pg 1/2, entry 2/3
    • Crash site
      • document: Isabelle photo (You must flip this over. Simply picking it up doesn’t trigger this update.)
  • pg 1/2, entry 3/3
    • Crash site
      • consumable: locked iron box
  • pg 2/2, entry 1/5
    • Dr. Beaupré’s clinic
      • inspect the photos on the desk next to the medical records
  •  pg 2/2, entry 2/5
    • Dr. Beaupré’s clinic
      • inspect urn with Isabelle Beaupré’s ashes
  • pg 2/2, entry 3/5
    • Dr. Beaupré’s clinic
      • fills in after if you inspect the photos on the desk next to the medical records if you have already filled used Isabelle’s photo to fill out pg 1/2, entry 2/3
  • pg 2/2, entry 4/5
    • General Store
      • fills in during the scripted moment where Carl automatically uses opens the envelope, finds the small key, and opens the locked iron box
  • pg 2/2, entry 5/5
    • General Store
      • fills in automatically at the same time as “Hamilton’s Murder” pg 1/3, entry 5/6

• A Cold Mystery
  • initiation
    • initiates upon waking up after the car crash
  • pg 1/4, entry 1/5
    • General Store, or multiple locations later
      • Fills in as soon as you approach any outcropping of blue glowing ice. The first you encounter are around the rear of the general store, but any subsequent ones you encounter can be photographed to fill this in.
  • pg 1/4, entry 2/5
    • General Store, or multiple locations later
      • photograph any blue ice
  • pg 1/4, entry 3/5
    • General Store (heading southwest)
      • photograph Gilles Lachance’s frozen body
  • pg 1/4, entry 4/5
    • General Store (heading southwest)
      • fills in over the course of Gilles Lachance’s frozen body vision sequence
  • pg 1/4, entry 5/5
    • Lachance residence
      • photograph Gisèle Lachance’s frozen body
  • pg 2/4, entry 1/7
    • Lachance residence
      • document: Gisèle’s diary
  • pg 2/4, entry 2/7
    • Blais residence
      • move through every room of the house and confirm none of the family is home
  • pg 2/4, entry 3/7
    • Blais residence
      • document: note from Marin Blais
  • pg 2/4, entry 4/7
    • Bédard residence
      • move through every room of the house and confirm none of the family is home
  • pg 2/4, entry 5/7
    • Bédard residence
      • document: Sylvie’s diary (flip to second page to trigger)
  • pg 2/4, entry 6/7
    • Roy residence
      • read the note from Jeanne Roy posted to the house’s front door (doesn’t count as document even though you pick it up)
  • pg 2/4, entry 7/7
    • Landslide & Ice Wall
      • fills in upon arriving at the landslide
  • pg 3/4, entry 1/5
    • Landslide & Ice Wall
      • document: ranger manual
  • pg 3/4, entry 2/5
    • Landslide & Ice Wall
      • fills in upon arriving at ice wall and seeing ghostly figures
  • pg 3/4, entry 3/5
    • The Woodlots
      • fills in over the course of exploration—not sure exact trigger
  • pg 3/4, entry 4/5
    • Icy Cavern
      • photograph Rejean Blouin‘s frozen body
  • pg 3/4, entry 5/5
    • Icy Cavern
      • equipment: Lee-Enfield rifle
  • pg 4/4, entry 1/5
    • Lamothe’s Garage
      • photograph Jean-Guy Lamothe’s frozen body
  • pg 4/4, entry 2/5
    • Lamothe’s Garage
      • fills in after you’ve completed Jean-Guy Lamothe’s frozen body vision sequence
  • pg 4/4, entry 3/5
    • The Sanctuary
      • fills in while approaching the two frozen bodies flanking the sanctuary entrance
  • pg 4/4, entry 4/5
    • The Sanctuary
      • photograph the frozen dormant wendigo
  • pg 4/4, entry 5/5
    • The Sanctuary
      • • fills in during the wendigo awakening sequence

• Hamilton’s Murder
  • initiation
    • initiates upon entering the General Store main building
  • pg 1/3, entry 1/6
    • General Store
      • photograph William Hamilton’s corpse
  • pg 1/3, entry 2/6
    • General Store
      • document: envelope
  • pg 1/3, entry 3/6
    • General Store
      • equipment: revolver (this is the murder weapon)
  • pg 1/3, entry 4/6
    • General Store
      • fills in during the scripted moment where Carl automatically uses opens the envelope, finds the small key, and opens the locked iron box
  • pg 1/3, entry 5/6
    • General Store
      • fills in after you’ve done everything necessary to fill out out the four previous entries
  • pg 1/3, entry 6/6
    • General Store
      • document: draft letter
  • pg 2/3, entry 1/7
    • Dr. Beaupré’s Clinic
      • inspect the photos on the desk next to the medical records
  • pg 2/3, entry 2/7
    • Dr. Beaupré’s Clinic
      • document: medical files (flip to the 4th page)
  • pg 2/3, entry 3/7
    • Dr. Beaupré’s Clinic
      • document: communist manifesto
  • pg 2/3, entry 4/7
    • General Store
      • document: letter from Gilles
  • pg 2/3, entry 5/7
    • Lachance residence
      • document: compromising document
  • pg 2/3, entry 6/7
    • Lachance residence
      • fills in after picking up compromising document, if you have also read Gisèle’s diary
  • pg 2/3, entry 7/7
    • Blouin residence (“House of the Patriot”)
      • document: Rejean’s note
  • pg 3/3, entry 1/5
    • Icy Cavern
      • document: Rejean’s log
  • pg 3/3, entry 2/5
    • Lamothe’s resdience
      • inspect the graffiti on the front of the house
  • pg 3/3, entry 3/5
    • Lamothe’s Garage
      • document: crazy thought
  • pg 3/3, entry 4/5
    • Lamothe’s residence, pathway to “secret project”
      • fills in while approaching the dug-up grave
  • pg 3/3, entry 5/5
    • The Sanctuary
      • fills in during the wendigo awakening sequence

• The Young Woman
  • initiation
    • initiates upon picking up the medical files in Dr. Beaupré’s Clinic
  • entry 1/4
    • Dr. Beaupré’s Clinic
      • photograph bloody pillow on the surgical cot
  • entry 2/4
    • Dr. Beaupré’s Clinic
      • document: medical files (first page)
  • entry 3/4
    • Lamothe’s residence, pathway to “secret project”
      • photograph the dug-up grave
  • entry 4/4
    • Lamothe’s residence, pathway to “secret project”
      • fills in at the same time as entry 3/4, if you have the previous two entries already

• Further North
  • initiation
    • Initiates upon arriving at the landslide. This section of the journal provides a handy checklist of all that is required for late-game gating.
  • entry 1/7
    • Landslide & Ice Wall
      • automatically filled in as soon as section initiates
  • entry 2/7
    • Old Rosaire’s residence
      • talk to Rosaire and get him to tell you he wants “caribou”
  • entries 3/7–6/7
    • Lamothe’s Garage & residence
      • all of these fill in while discovering what parts the snowmobile needs
  • entry 7/7
    • Landslide & Ice Wall
      • return to the Ice Wall after having done all four frozen body vision sequences

• The Hunt
  • initiation
    • Initiates after taking your first photo of a crossbow bolt. The bolts can be photographed in any order.
  • bolt photograph locations
    • Lachance residence
      • sticking into the post on the right side of steps leading to main house
    • Woodlots
      • stuck in a tree, in a campsite NNW of Cabin A
      • stuck in the wagon next to Cabin B
    • Landslide & Ice Wall
      • stuck in the tail light of abandoned blue car crashed near landslide
    • Campsite just northeast of ice wall
      • sticking from a tree here
    • Forest cabin
      • stuck into the side of cabin
  • entry at the end
    • document: mysterious journal B

• Biographies
  • The biographies section is  tough to track, because the biographies aren’t visible until something triggers them, at which point it’s difficult to see what exactly triggered what. You are guaranteed to fill out all biographies in the journal, however, if you follow these steps:
    • Do everything required to fill out the rest of the journal
    • Pick up all documents listed in this walkthrough
    • Interact with the shoe on the front porch of the Blais residence, and the shoe in the trunk of the blue car abandoned by the landslide (this finishes Alexandre Blais’ biography, the only one that isn’t completely filled in over the course of doing everything else)