Solve one of SOMA’s most complicated puzzles with our guide, showing you how to navigate Theta’s Brain Scan simulation and grab an important Cipher code.

About halfway through SOMA intrepid players will finally stumble into the Theta facility where a dastardly multi-step puzzle awaits. There are many steps, ten as we’ve counted them, with several locations and challenges to overcome. It’s a head-scratcher for sure, so if you’re lost in the abandoned facility and need some answers, keep scrolling to get the Cipher.

Theta Cipher Puzzle Solution Guide

Arriving at Theta, you’ll need to enter the control room to the right and plug in the OmniTool to get systems started and begin your journey to the Dunbat submarine.

To get inside the Dunbat and access the rest of Theta, you’ll need a very special security cipher. To get this cipher, you’ll need to load a virtual reality program and trick a certain man’s brain scan into giving up the code.

This can be a complicated puzzle. Get familiar with Theta, because there are several locations you’ll need to visit to completely solve this.

To get the Cipher on Theta, follow these step-by-step instructions.

• 1. The important area where most of this puzzle is solved is inside the Brain Scan Labs. There are two rooms; the left room with the Pilot Seat, and the right room with the Ark Simulation computer. Right now, the Brain Scan Labs computer is offline.

• 2. In the Main Level of Theta, travel down into the dark Server Room guarded by a blind Proxy to restart the servers and get the Brain Scan Labs computers working. The creature only reacts to sound, so avoid objects on the floor and throw them to draw it away. Sneak and move slowly to avoid getting it’s attention.

• 3. Downstairs, flip the switch on the router console then hide. The noise attracts the Proxy. Return to the router and flip the switch again while the timer is on to manually reset.

• 4. Now return to the Brain Scan Lab. Enter the right room and check out the container room to the left of the computer. There are memory chips here, but only one works. Grab a functional chip from the first revolving rack on the right. Press the buttons under the container to turn the shelves until you spot the working chip.

• 5. Take the chip to the computer and plug it into the slot on the desk. Open the ‘Scans’ menu then select ‘WAN, Brandon’ and press ‘Upload’ — Brandon Wan works for Strohmeier the the security officer. He has the Cipher code.

• 6. Now you’ll be able to run ARK simulations with Brandon Wan. To trick him, you’ll need a special Environment option, and a special Module option.

• 7. Open the container to the right of the computer. There’s another chip you’ll need that plugs into another slot to the left of the computer. Before plugging it in, take it to the Brain Scan room with the Pilot Chair.

• 8. Plug your new chip into the slot at the Pilot Chair room computer. Here you can upload new environments to the chip. Select the ‘Scan Room’ Test Environment and press ‘Copy to Chip’ — if you don’t have enough room on the chip, make sure to remove the other environments. You only need the ‘Scan Room’ to complete this puzzle.

• 9. Explore the crew quarters. There’s a hallway full of rooms down the ramp from the labs. Go there and look for Brandon Wan’s room on the left. Chun will open the locked door for you. Use the Data Buffer terminal on the right to hear Alice’s voice. Now Chun can impersonate her in the simulation.

• 10. That’s everything you need to get the Cipher code. Return to the simulation computer in the labs and make sure both chips are plugged into both slots. On the simulation computer, select ‘Scan Room’ and ‘Alice’ to solve the puzzle.

The Main Level of Theta is now complete… mostly. Return to your OmniTool and take it to the Dunbat hangar door. The Dunbat activation panel isn’t powered, so make sure the loose power cord is plugged into the side.

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Kevin Thielenhaus is a freelance writer for The Escapist. Find him on Twitter here.