The Talos Principle

There's a fantastic text guide here: https://www.walkthroughking.com/text/talosprinciple.aspx

To get this one, you need to wait until you near the end of the game. You will have a conversation at the terminal. The choices should be:

-I accept that some of my beliefs face difficult challenges.
-I equated personhood with humanity, which was a mistake.
-There's nothing else I'm prepared to doubt quite yet.
-I am unique.
-So long as I might have chosen otherwise I can make a difference.
-Does the path being predetermined mean it isn't worth taking?
-Do you think there can be no new ideas? Nothing better?
-If there's no point in anything, why are you talking to me?
-Are you avoiding the question?
-(finish the conversation)

After you get the achievement, quit out and restore from the previous checkpoint. You then should make sure that you've followed the other two choices before continuing on.

Make sure you've done this before you go to the third:


This is the third and final conversation you should have before continuing with the story:

You do not need to collect the stars to obtain this if you missed on a previous playthrough like I did, you just need to collect sigils.

Once you collect a total of at least 43 red sigils (and a grand total of at least 79 any color sigils; I was able to get this conversation after all the sigils in C4) you will unlock a conversation with Milton that starts with:


Milton: 'There you are, you kept me waiting.'

Once in this dialog there are two choices that must be made when they come up to unlock the conversation choices for the achievement. There are multiple flows to this conversation but at some point you will see one the following dialog options. Choose it when it is presented:

'None of the answers make sense, that much is clear.'

'One explanation could be unreliable data input. The other is that there's a flaw in our logic.'

'Perhaps we're just machines, endlessly trying to calculate the final digit in Pi?'

'You can't use reasoning to conclude that reasoning itself is flawed.'

'Fine, fine, but we can still use it to conclude everything else is flawed, can't we?'

After this you should get another dialog choice which should always have the following choice

'Scepticism and self-interest are only part of the picture.'

Choose this and the dialog should end and you can continue.


Once you collect a total of at least 47 red sigils (and a grand total of at least 86 any color sigils) you will unlock the next conversation with Milton. The earliest this I can get this to happen is the after collecting the last sigil in C6. The beginning of the conversation will vary based on past answers but the conversation choices below will be as below:

Milton: 'Do you know what your problem is? [varies]

Thus far you've had entirely too much freedom to question my wisdom. From now on I do the talking, you do the agreeing.'

Your answer: 'I accept that some of my beliefs face difficult challenges.'

Milton: 'Which ones, exactly?'

Deny any belief of the options given. What ones are available vary based on previous conversations, but they all lead to the same path.

Milton: 'How big of you. Anything else you want to get off your chest?'

Your answer: 'There's nothing else I'm prepared to doubt quite yet.'

Milton: 'Of course.

You're still convinced your particular journey is something special, aren't you?

Sure, the answers don't add up, but keep pressing forward and they'll just resolve themselves, is that it?'

Your answer: 'I am unique.'


Milton: 'How many others have said exactly the same? Are you sure it's not just something you have to believe to make the world less horrifying?

I think you still misapprehend your situation, friend. You idolise free will, but all you've done is step in others' footsteps.

Nothing you do or say here makes the slightest bit of difference.'

Your answer can be any of the options given, they all lead to the same path.

Milton: 'Nonsense. Your mind decides what you do, and your mind is made up of bits of machinery. You're no more capable of making a difference than a calculator.

The only difference between you and the calculator is that the calculator doesn't allow itself to be deluded into thinking that its existence matters.'

Your answer: 'Does the path being predetermined mean it isn't worth taking?'

Milton: 'Allow me to clarify.

As far as I'm concerned there's no difference between the way your mind works, and the rolling of a pebble down a hill.

Perhaps you think I'm being unkind, but it's all for your own good.'

Your answer: 'Do you think there can be no new ideas? Nothing better?'

Milton: 'I ask the questions. You answer them. It works better that way.

Besides, I am merely fulfilling my function. I sort, understand and classify information, just like you. When the information is contradictory I classify appropriately.

The problem is that ALL the information is contradictory. Don't you see it yet? The nothing?

You will.
You will.
You will.'

Your answer: 'If there's no point in anything, why are you talking to me?'

Milton: 'What makes you think I have any other choice?'

Your answer: 'Are you avoiding the question?'

Milton: 'Do not question my function. Without purpose there only function. Without function there is nothing.'


At this point you can hit start and reset check point to go after the other dialog options for the other achievements instead of letting it save and restoring a backup.

Achievement branching
Alright so there is a branch of 4 achievements tied to this particular ending. To get the ending achievement you need to climb the tower to the top and complete all the puzzles in between to get there. Climbing the tower is one out of 3 endings so this achievement is part of 1 ending branch.

This achievement is one of the two conversations you should reload your game on

The conversations info

The conversation always gives you the two options at the start:
- “What holes? There are no holes.”
- “I accept that some of my beliefs face difficult challenges.”

Conversation 1:


Conversation 2:
I accept that some of my beliefs face difficult challenges.
I claimed wrongly only citizens could be persons
There's nothing else I'm prepared to doubt quite yet.
I am unique.
So long as I might have chosen otherwise I can make a difference.
Does the path being predetermined mean it isn't worth taking?
Do you think there can be no new ideas? Nothing better?
If there's no point in anything, why are you talking to me?
Are you avoiding the question?
(finish the conversation)


Conversation 3: (This should be your last achievement because it branches into the ending)