Outer Wilds
31 Achievements
1,870
28-35.5h
PC
Xbox One
Xbox Series
Ghosts in the Machine
Reach all 3 Forbidden Archives in a single loop without getting caught. Details for this achievement will be revealed once unlocked
110
0.14%
How to unlock the Ghosts in the Machine achievement in Outer Wilds - Definitive Guide
Catatonic Nali
TrueAchievements
TrueAchievements
I've heard a few different people saying the older methods no longer work or at least are more difficult to use after the update to v1.1.12
I just got the achievement well after this patch by following this video, all credit to Jarod on youtube. It's an old pre-update video but I think the difference is that it works by using tricks that are purposely built into the game rather than relying on glitches or sequence breaking.
Explanation in spoiler tags if you want it. It could definitely be considered a major spoiler for the game's mechanics, not so much the story.
I followed their route exactly and it worked perfectly well for me. It's extremely simple and maybe most importantly involves zero stealth. I think you can see an owl at one point when you're about to enter the first vault but that's it.
The only very slight difference is that about 11min:45sec in the video they go through an opening that in my game was a closed door. There were candles on each side of the door which I extinguished and that opened the door.
In case it's not 100% clear, you do jump off the raft once the tunnel goes dark (5min:55sec) and you do stand in the fire until it kills you (11min:03sec).
Be aware that because this leaves you technically dead in the real world, if you do anything that would usually wake you back up in the section between dying in the fire and reaching the final archive, instead of waking up you will restart the entire loop.
I just got the achievement well after this patch by following this video, all credit to Jarod on youtube. It's an old pre-update video but I think the difference is that it works by using tricks that are purposely built into the game rather than relying on glitches or sequence breaking.
Explanation in spoiler tags if you want it. It could definitely be considered a major spoiler for the game's mechanics, not so much the story.
I followed their route exactly and it worked perfectly well for me. It's extremely simple and maybe most importantly involves zero stealth. I think you can see an owl at one point when you're about to enter the first vault but that's it.
The only very slight difference is that about 11min:45sec in the video they go through an opening that in my game was a closed door. There were candles on each side of the door which I extinguished and that opened the door.
In case it's not 100% clear, you do jump off the raft once the tunnel goes dark (5min:55sec) and you do stand in the fire until it kills you (11min:03sec).
Be aware that because this leaves you technically dead in the real world, if you do anything that would usually wake you back up in the section between dying in the fire and reaching the final archive, instead of waking up you will restart the entire loop.
6 Comments
+1. This is by far the simplest way after the patch.
By skav00vie on 02 Mar 2022 05:25
Great path, best solution! One quick point: I first skipped the part at 6:30 when they go up the elevator and then come down again as I thought they made a mistake and went the wrong way. When I did this the achievement did not pop, so make sure you do go up and then back down again!
By Josh Landon on 30 Nov 2022 23:59
Raziel29a
TrueAchievements
TrueAchievements
Found a "safe" method to do this.
Phase 1. Preparations.
1. Enter the Stranger through the main entrance. Grab the artifact from the "haunted house" the one with ghost matter on the right straight after getting the raft. Enter the 1st dream world. Just blow the lights so that the passage to the pier is open. Wake up.
2. Go to the tower. Just materialise the house with the pier on the left and leave.
3. Go to the hidden gorge. This one gives you the maximum amount of time in the Dream Zone. You can stay for as long as the loop goes.
Phase 2. Execution.
1. Gorge dreamworld. Enter it by dying. Just go straight for turning off the house lights. That's through the bridge, then up. Invisible walkway between candles and back to the start. However instead of going back in go to the place where you spawn the bridge. Leave your artifact behind and you'll see another invisible path behind the bridge spawner. This is your ticket straight down to the archive. Remember where it is, grab your artifact and go. You'll end up right next to the elevator that leads to the raft and if you walk the stairs all the way down, you're right at the entrance to the archive. There's one owl down there but he's in the opposite room so just ignore him, take the elevator to the archive and get back up right away.
2. Take the raft, skip the woodlands and go for the tower dream land. Just walk down the well. You are immune to the alarm towers since bells are falling on dead ears now. Be careful, there's one owl down there in the big room shortly before the elevator. Because you didn't extinguish lights around the tower he's on his own. Just avoid him, jump into the elevator ride down and back up.
3. Take the raft all the way to woodlands. We're leaving them to be last because the house is relatively easy to get to and takes a lot of time to get out from. Especially if you get lost in the woods. Had a couple of runs ruined by getting lost in the woods and got the achievement on my first try after moving woodlands to be last. You also need to light the bridge first to even make escape possible. I presume you already reached the archive in the normal way so nothing special here. The house is empty for quite some time and you already know the way. Achievement should pop up as you descend the elevetor. Good luck!
This way there's only one enemy that can technically grab you if you're not careful. The big room inside the well. The one in the tower house doesn't count unless instead of going to the archive you run in the opposite direction ;)
Phase 1. Preparations.
1. Enter the Stranger through the main entrance. Grab the artifact from the "haunted house" the one with ghost matter on the right straight after getting the raft. Enter the 1st dream world. Just blow the lights so that the passage to the pier is open. Wake up.
2. Go to the tower. Just materialise the house with the pier on the left and leave.
3. Go to the hidden gorge. This one gives you the maximum amount of time in the Dream Zone. You can stay for as long as the loop goes.
Phase 2. Execution.
1. Gorge dreamworld. Enter it by dying. Just go straight for turning off the house lights. That's through the bridge, then up. Invisible walkway between candles and back to the start. However instead of going back in go to the place where you spawn the bridge. Leave your artifact behind and you'll see another invisible path behind the bridge spawner. This is your ticket straight down to the archive. Remember where it is, grab your artifact and go. You'll end up right next to the elevator that leads to the raft and if you walk the stairs all the way down, you're right at the entrance to the archive. There's one owl down there but he's in the opposite room so just ignore him, take the elevator to the archive and get back up right away.
2. Take the raft, skip the woodlands and go for the tower dream land. Just walk down the well. You are immune to the alarm towers since bells are falling on dead ears now. Be careful, there's one owl down there in the big room shortly before the elevator. Because you didn't extinguish lights around the tower he's on his own. Just avoid him, jump into the elevator ride down and back up.
3. Take the raft all the way to woodlands. We're leaving them to be last because the house is relatively easy to get to and takes a lot of time to get out from. Especially if you get lost in the woods. Had a couple of runs ruined by getting lost in the woods and got the achievement on my first try after moving woodlands to be last. You also need to light the bridge first to even make escape possible. I presume you already reached the archive in the normal way so nothing special here. The house is empty for quite some time and you already know the way. Achievement should pop up as you descend the elevetor. Good luck!
This way there's only one enemy that can technically grab you if you're not careful. The big room inside the well. The one in the tower house doesn't count unless instead of going to the archive you run in the opposite direction ;)
7 Comments
Is there a way to get to the Starlit Cove well without turning off the lights? I'm playing v1.1.12 and both doors leading to the well elevator are closed unless you extinguish the lights. Plus, a comment in another solution Solution for Ghosts in the Machine In Outer Wilds points out you no longer will survive the jump down to the well.
My run went like this:
This method prioritizes the hardest vault first. You encounter 2 owls instead of 1, but they are the ones you've probably dealt with in the past, and are relatively easy to avoid. Plus, staying alive the whole time means you can retry if you accidentally fall in the water. I finished with plenty of time left - just after the dam broke.
My run went like this:
This method prioritizes the hardest vault first. You encounter 2 owls instead of 1, but they are the ones you've probably dealt with in the past, and are relatively easy to avoid. Plus, staying alive the whole time means you can retry if you accidentally fall in the water. I finished with plenty of time left - just after the dam broke.
By TheRedRodCod on 07 Jan 2022 00:38
Thanks for the "dying to avoid the tower enemies" tip, that was super helpful. I followed your guide but due to getting mildly lost and dilly dallying about a bit, the loop ended about one minute before I was done.
However, I realised that you can actually skip setup step 1 entirely, and for execution step 3, just use the raft "loading level glitch" to fall down onto the subterranean lake. You can walk straight onto the woodlands archive from there, and the achievement popped once I was riding the elevator UP.
However, I realised that you can actually skip setup step 1 entirely, and for execution step 3, just use the raft "loading level glitch" to fall down onto the subterranean lake. You can walk straight onto the woodlands archive from there, and the achievement popped once I was riding the elevator UP.
By Snorbuckle on 02 Oct 2021 23:15
British Legends
TrueAchievements
TrueAchievements
This achievement requires you to "Reach all 3 Forbidden Archives in a single loop without getting caught".
Whilst the written guides above are useful, I personally found a video walkthrough easier to follow. I found this video guide that walks you through unlocking this achievement. Credit to "Nathrex", the video creator.
Whilst the written guides above are useful, I personally found a video walkthrough easier to follow. I found this video guide that walks you through unlocking this achievement. Credit to "Nathrex", the video creator.
4 Comments
Very easy to follow. I even had time for getting lost in the woods at the end 
By Calex dEUS on 03 Oct 2021 18:56
With update 1.1.12, they made it impossible to survive the jump at 5:15 and any other jumps used to skip areas. They’re onto us 
By nickjawnsin on 21 Dec 2021 14:22
Rubiiis
TrueAchievements
TrueAchievements
This one is tricky, if you are caught the achievement is failed so be carefull.
This strategy let you plenty of time so you don't need to rush.
//Tower 1
Enter in the Stranger by the main entrance in the sun face,
Take the raft and go to the nearby first house on your right downstream (ghost matter be carefull)
Pick the artefact in this house and leave.
Continue downstream until the first village.
Enter in the first tower basement and go to the dream world.
Exit the tower and go the right to shut down light that lead to the boat.
Exit the dreamworld by drowning you. (you will go back later don't worry)
//Tower 2
Back to the Stranger, take a raft (there is one on the right after you exit the tower)
Go to the second village
Go to the basement of the second tower
Enter the dreamworld.
Exit the tower and take the big bridge then go to the right.
Continue to the right until you see Hand teleporter, (don't take it)
Before the hand, take the staircase and continue.
Jump over the blue lightning sign.
Pass the red bell by hidding your light.
Take the boat and halfway look on your right, a teleport hand will grab you
Go upstair and shut down all the light with the totem. (Ennemies are trigger)
Continue and jump over the fence, to go down (you will take damage)
Continue forward until you see a Hand teleporter, (take it)
Continue and you will see a lift, take it.
An ennemy is nearby, you have to agro him and go the other way around with your light hide.
Hide you light to pass the red bell and go downstair.
Three ennemies are ahead of you, hide your light all the way in
Take the path of the middle.
you will see horn of your ennemy.
When he is on the left and start to go on the right, move on the left and go forward to reach the light. (tricky)
Then take the stair and hide your light to avoir the bell.
Take the lift.
Congratulation first step is done.
Drown yourself.
//Tower 3
Exit the tower 2.
Take a raft and go to the third tower.
Enter the dreamworld.
*Spoiler*
in the tower when you exit the hidden board go to the next board on your right (you can pass through)
Continue until you see the totem to shut down all the light and then use it.
Return to the tower.
Exit the tower by the main entrance and go to the right.
Continue until you see the totem that spawn the bridge, IGNORE it
There is a hidden path on the farest right of this side of the cliff.
(You can see it, if you drop your artefac on the ground and move away from it.)
This path lead to the lift, but you don't take it yet.
*End spoiler*
Enter the mansion and go down.
An ennemy is down there so hide you light.
Cross the cliff again on the invisible bridge.
Take the lift.
Congratulation second step is done.
Drown yourselft again
//Tower 1 again.
*At that time the dam is broken, so now no ennemies are in the first tower zone*
Go back to the Dreamworld
Take again the hidden path on the rightest point of the cliff.
This time take the lift.
Summon the boat.
Pilot it.
Leave this zone.
Pass the next zone, you don't have anything to do here.
Back to the first tower zone.
Jump on the ground when you can.
Go to the left and pass the cave (the first step was to open this path)
Take the staircase on your left.
Look on the other side of the river and use the hand teleporter.
Continue and use the second hand teleporter.
Take the bridge on the left.
Over the bridge you have a tree forward slightly on your right.
Pass it by the left side.
Another big tree is behind.
A hidden entrance is in theirs roots.
Take it and continue.(Cave then staires)
Enter the mansion.
Pass trough the flames.
Take the lift.
Congratulation you did it.
This strategy let you plenty of time so you don't need to rush.
//Tower 1
Enter in the Stranger by the main entrance in the sun face,
Take the raft and go to the nearby first house on your right downstream (ghost matter be carefull)
Pick the artefact in this house and leave.
Continue downstream until the first village.
Enter in the first tower basement and go to the dream world.
Exit the tower and go the right to shut down light that lead to the boat.
Exit the dreamworld by drowning you. (you will go back later don't worry)
//Tower 2
Back to the Stranger, take a raft (there is one on the right after you exit the tower)
Go to the second village
Go to the basement of the second tower
Enter the dreamworld.
Exit the tower and take the big bridge then go to the right.
Continue to the right until you see Hand teleporter, (don't take it)
Before the hand, take the staircase and continue.
Jump over the blue lightning sign.
Pass the red bell by hidding your light.
Take the boat and halfway look on your right, a teleport hand will grab you
Go upstair and shut down all the light with the totem. (Ennemies are trigger)
Continue and jump over the fence, to go down (you will take damage)
Continue forward until you see a Hand teleporter, (take it)
Continue and you will see a lift, take it.
An ennemy is nearby, you have to agro him and go the other way around with your light hide.
Hide you light to pass the red bell and go downstair.
Three ennemies are ahead of you, hide your light all the way in
Take the path of the middle.
you will see horn of your ennemy.
When he is on the left and start to go on the right, move on the left and go forward to reach the light. (tricky)
Then take the stair and hide your light to avoir the bell.
Take the lift.
Congratulation first step is done.
Drown yourself.
//Tower 3
Exit the tower 2.
Take a raft and go to the third tower.
Enter the dreamworld.
*Spoiler*
in the tower when you exit the hidden board go to the next board on your right (you can pass through)
Continue until you see the totem to shut down all the light and then use it.
Return to the tower.
Exit the tower by the main entrance and go to the right.
Continue until you see the totem that spawn the bridge, IGNORE it
There is a hidden path on the farest right of this side of the cliff.
(You can see it, if you drop your artefac on the ground and move away from it.)
This path lead to the lift, but you don't take it yet.
*End spoiler*
Enter the mansion and go down.
An ennemy is down there so hide you light.
Cross the cliff again on the invisible bridge.
Take the lift.
Congratulation second step is done.
Drown yourselft again
//Tower 1 again.
*At that time the dam is broken, so now no ennemies are in the first tower zone*
Go back to the Dreamworld
Take again the hidden path on the rightest point of the cliff.
This time take the lift.
Summon the boat.
Pilot it.
Leave this zone.
Pass the next zone, you don't have anything to do here.
Back to the first tower zone.
Jump on the ground when you can.
Go to the left and pass the cave (the first step was to open this path)
Take the staircase on your left.
Look on the other side of the river and use the hand teleporter.
Continue and use the second hand teleporter.
Take the bridge on the left.
Over the bridge you have a tree forward slightly on your right.
Pass it by the left side.
Another big tree is behind.
A hidden entrance is in theirs roots.
Take it and continue.(Cave then staires)
Enter the mansion.
Pass trough the flames.
Take the lift.
Congratulation you did it.
m0gula
TrueAchievements
TrueAchievements
I recommend doing this achievement after going to each archive on your own first, so that you know how to get in and what to do.
1. Land at the hull breach, by the Hidden Gorge.
2. Enter the Endless Canyon (dream world of the hidden gorge) and extinguish the house (through the painting with 4 candles in the room above where you spawn.
3. Follow the main path right around the canyon until you get to the mouth that lights up the bridge. There’s an invisible bridge nearby, you might need to drop the artifact and step away to see it. Cross the bridge and follow the path into the house, and down the stairs to the forbidden archive. Watch out for the owl at the bottom of the stairs!
3. Enter the forbidden archive, then die.
4. Travel to the River Lowlands, enter Shrouded Woodlands world there.
5. Take the path right there until you get to the mouth that extinguishes the door. Extinguish it, then die.
6. Travel to the Cinder isles, enter the Starlit Cove by DYING on the fire.
7. Go to the starlit cove archive, since you’re dead the gongs won’t wake you up, and there won’t be any enemies.
8. Once done there, activate the boathouse using the mouth on the left side of the house and take the boat to the shrouded woodlands.
9. Once you’re at the shrouded woodlands, the owls should have died by now and you can easily make your way to the archive.
10. That’s all of them!
Sorry if this is similar to someone else guide, I wrote this out while I was doing it on my own :)
1. Land at the hull breach, by the Hidden Gorge.
2. Enter the Endless Canyon (dream world of the hidden gorge) and extinguish the house (through the painting with 4 candles in the room above where you spawn.
3. Follow the main path right around the canyon until you get to the mouth that lights up the bridge. There’s an invisible bridge nearby, you might need to drop the artifact and step away to see it. Cross the bridge and follow the path into the house, and down the stairs to the forbidden archive. Watch out for the owl at the bottom of the stairs!
3. Enter the forbidden archive, then die.
4. Travel to the River Lowlands, enter Shrouded Woodlands world there.
5. Take the path right there until you get to the mouth that extinguishes the door. Extinguish it, then die.
6. Travel to the Cinder isles, enter the Starlit Cove by DYING on the fire.
7. Go to the starlit cove archive, since you’re dead the gongs won’t wake you up, and there won’t be any enemies.
8. Once done there, activate the boathouse using the mouth on the left side of the house and take the boat to the shrouded woodlands.
9. Once you’re at the shrouded woodlands, the owls should have died by now and you can easily make your way to the archive.
10. That’s all of them!
Sorry if this is similar to someone else guide, I wrote this out while I was doing it on my own :)
Mordred87
Time: Must be started before the dam breaks
Special note: There are quite different routes to get this trophy, the easier needs you to die, so a new loop must be restarted.
This trophy is similar to Beginner's Luck
but this time, you don't need to start a new expedition. Also, you don't need to explore the archives, just get down from the elevator to unlock it.
There are many routes that can permit you to get this trophy but i will try to write down the easiest one:
Special note: There are quite different routes to get this trophy, the easier needs you to die, so a new loop must be restarted.
This trophy is similar to Beginner's Luck
but this time, you don't need to start a new expedition. Also, you don't need to explore the archives, just get down from the elevator to unlock it.There are many routes that can permit you to get this trophy but i will try to write down the easiest one:
- Wake up on Timber Hearth, fly to The Stranger and take the breach entrance.
- Take the artifact from the table and go inside the Hidden Gorge bonfire
- Forbidden Archive 1 on Endless Canyon
- When you come up the stairs from the Dream World bonfire, look back at the door you came out of. Two doors to the right of that is actually a secret door to the statue that lets you extinguish the lamps in the building.
- After extinguishing the lamps, head back through the secret door, then out the main door of the tower, and go to your right. Just past the statue that lights up the main bridge, there's a small path near the cliffside that leads to an invisible bridge over the chasm. Follow the candlelight on the other side as a guide.
- Go around the elevator and enter the building via the side door.
- Follow the steps to the bottom level, and run for the secret door right in front of you. Don't stop or the Stalker in the room will catch you.
- Use the elevatorto to reach the archive, and jump in the water to go back to the Real World.
- Forbidden Archive 2 on Shrouded Woodlands.
- Enter again on Hidden Gorge bonfire and go back to the first elevator you didn't use before
- Use it and take a raft to go inside the cave
- As soon as you enter the cave and the area become dark, throw yourself out the raft and start falling in the glitch of the VR
- Take the path with trees, rocks and lanterns to reach the forbidden archive 2
- Take the elevator up and then use it again to go down, reaching Forbidden Archive 2 definitely. Throw yourself in the water again
- Forbidden Archive 3 on Starlit Cove
- Once you wake up, reach as fast as possible the Cinder Island bonfire
- This time, don't sleep, but instead throw yourself inside the fire
- Die and wake up on Starlit Cove
- Reach the first elevator you can use and go downstair. Follow the trail and go down in the center of the pit. You're dead and the bells can't wake you up
- Reach the final elevator and the final archive
dnox
stratege.ru
stratege.ru
This guide was translated automatically.
I'll try to be as spoiler-free as possible. As soon as the cycle begins, we fly to the stranger. We go to the first tower (in order, starting from the foot of the dam and further downstream). We fall asleep on the fire, in our sleep we open the door to the pier and die. We go to the next tower, fall asleep on the fire and highlight the pier, and jump into the water again. We go to the third tower and fall asleep at the fire. We turn off the lights in the house. We go across the invisible bridge into the house from the side of the elevator to the boat (you should already know how to find this invisible bridge). We go downstairs into the hall with the painting-passage and run straight to the archive. A pursuer will spawn in this hall, but if you run without stopping, then the chance that he will catch you is almost zero. In the archive we jump into the water and die. Again we fall asleep on the fire, go down to the boat and sail into the world of the first tower, where there is a house with music. Plus or minus, by this time the tower should have been washed away, so there shouldn’t be any pursuers at all. If the dam has not yet broken, just wait a little (it breaks exactly at the 13th minute of the cycle). We calmly go to the archive. There is another option to go to the archive through the lake, from the other end, but when I did that, I didn’t get the trophy. Perhaps you need to go up and down by elevator, I haven't checked. We die again in the archive. Now we don’t fall asleep at the fire, but stand in the fire and die. We sail on a boat to the world of the second tower. And we run straight to the archive. Since we didn't turn off the lights, there shouldn't be any pursuers. The trophy should fall out as we go down the elevator.
2 Comments
I confirm that if you go into the secret archive first from the main entrance to the Stranger simulation across the lake (by jumping off the boat in the cave between simulations) and take the elevator, the trophy will fall out: that’s how I got it myself.
By Vsevolod on 10 Aug 2023 03:36
Video guide (en).
By Corr_Happy on 12 May 2024 13:50
PhyrxianLibrarin
PSNProfiles
PSNProfiles
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