Inside the Backrooms – Grassrooms Progression and Map Guide

Here’s a simple guide to conquer this level, complete with a handy map to keep you on the right track. I put this guide together after playing through the level four times, so it should be a big help if you’re feeling a bit stuck. Soms, it’s the little details that can make all the difference, and not spotting them can lead to a ton of wasted time as you backtrack all over the place. Just keep in mind that while the map isn’t super precise, it does show you the general layout of the rooms, which is what matters most.

Kaart

• Orange gate: Clover gate
• Purple doors: Doors covered with roots
• Yellow door: Electrical door controlled with the computer
• Yellow dots: Chalice locations

Algemene tips

Here are some tips to help you stay safe in this game!

Vijanden:

• Dealing with those grassy foes is a breeze if you’re sneaky. But if they spot you, watch out – they’re tough to shake off!
• Seek refuge in lockers near Sector 5 when you can. But in most parts of the map, your best hiding spots are those tall grasses where you can vanish from their sight.
• When you get too close to them, they switch to alert mode, trying to sniff you out. Maak je geen zorgen; you can still sneak away. If they catch you, it’s time to either hide or make a run for it. Moth jelly or a full-speed sprint can do the trick, but they can be pretty stubborn, Dus wees voorzichtig.

Getting Around:

• Moth jelly is plentiful, so don’t hold back. And keep an eye out for shortcuts to different areas. Pay attention to your surroundings before retracing your steps.

Traps:

• Make sure to use herbicite on those pesky bad weed traps as much as you can. It’s all too easy to stumble into them head-on and lose most of your life points, or worse, get knocked out.
• These traps multiply over time, so don’t ignore them. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re being chased and don’t accidentally trip over one of these sneaky snares.

Important Pre-Maze Checklist

Before you dive into the maze, there are a couple of crucial things you must grab: the herbicite and the cutters.

Herbicite

• To snag some herbicite, solve a puzzle that’s similar to the one at the level’s entrance. Once you crack it, you’ll find yourself in the storeroom, and there it is – your precious herbicite.

Cutters

• Next up, go for the cutters hidden in a briefcase in the Sideroom on the map. You’ll discover the first three numbers in a spot specified on a nearby piece of paper. Out of these five locations – Sector 3, Sector 5, Storeroom, Sideroom (labeled as “This room” on the note), and Maze entrance – you’ll need to locate numbers in three of them.
• The note gives you the correct locations for the first two numbers and narrows down the possibilities for the third number to two rooms. The fourth number can be guessed once you have the first three right.

Computer Instructions

• Here’s a nifty trick to save you some backtracking before venturing into the maze: check out the instructions in the computer room next to Sector 5. With the cutters in hand and the herbicite ready for those pesky weeds, you can enter and read the backup instructions. This has worked consistently in all my playthroughs:
  • Type in “login <gebruikersnaam>”
  • Navigeer naar “cd disk01”
  • Eindelijk, initiate the backup with “-start backup”

Herinneren, you’ll thank yourself later for being well-prepared in this tricky maze adventure!

Maze and Computer Puzzles Solution

Akkoord, now that we’ve got our tools and some helpful hints, let’s conquer this maze!

Chalice of Wind

At the first split in the path, go straight ahead. In one of the dead ends, you’ll stumble upon a round structure. Venture inside, en voila! You’ve found the Chalice of Wind.

Heading to Sector 12

Nu, backtrack to the first split and go the other way. At the end of this path, you’ll encounter some long hallways with blocked doors. Use your trusty Herbicite and Cutters to unlock the first two doors you come across. Our goal now is to reach the double door leading to Sector 12.

Chalice of Water

As you delve deeper into Sector 12, you’ll discover a fountain with the Chalice of Water atop it.

Obtaining the Computer Backup

Beyond the fountain, you’ll enter a spooky room filled with corpses hanging from vines. Hier, you’ll find two hints: one for the password of each ID and the color of our ID of interest.

Use your herbicite on the vines to make each corpse fall along with their ID. Once you find the one with the correct color, check their name and ID. Let’s say, Bijvoorbeeld, the name is “Zombie,” and the ID is “AB-059977-CD.”

Nu, here’s how the password generation works:

1. Get all the letters of the ID: “ABCD.”
2. Pair up every set of numbers and add their digits together: “0+5=5, 9+9=18, 7+7=14” -> “51814.”
3. If there’s a hyphen after the numbers, append it with the rest at the end: “-CD.”

This gives us the password for this ID: “ABCD51814-CD.”

Nu, at the computer in the room, you can generate the backup by following the instructions from the previous computer room:

• Type “LOGIN ZOMBIE”
• Binnenkomen “ABCD51814-CD”
• Navigeer naar “CD DISK01”
• Eindelijk, initiate the backup with “-START BACKUP.”

You can then pick up the backup disk from the computer.

Chalice of Fire

Between the fountain and the vine room, there’s a side passage. Explore it to unlock a handy shortcut. Achteraan, you’ll find a small room that you can access using your Herbicite. Binnen, you’ll discover the Chalice of Fire on a stand.

Unlocking the Electrical Door

With the shortcut in hand, return to the first computer room and insert the backup disk into the computer. Be prepared because there’s an enemy that will sneak up on you during the loading time. You can either run out and crouch or hide in the locker until the threat passes.

Once it’s safe, return to the computer. Eerst, print the instructions if you want to understand how the puzzle works. Dan, attempt to open the “Main door.”

In this puzzle, you must power up the gray bars. The yellow bars indicate excess energy, while the red bars signify missing energy. You can activate or deactivate certain lines below to add or remove energy from the bars.

To solve this, identify gray bars with only 1 of 2 possible green power-ups. If you find the correct first part of the combination, complement it by removing excess energy and adding it to the lower parts.

Once you crack the code, the electric door will swing open, and you’ll be one step closer to conquering this challenging maze.

Kathedraal

Nu, our journey takes us to a grand Cathedral, where the most crucial puzzle awaits.

Chalice of Earth

Ideaal, you’d use a metal detector, but I’ve had no luck finding it in my four playthroughs (if you know where it is, please share in the comments).

Without that handy device, you’ll have to rely on your eyes and meticulous investigation of the ground. The Chalice of Earth is cleverly hidden in one of the grass piles or among the rubble on the ground floor.

In my four playthroughs, I’ve spotted it in three different spots:

1. Nestled in the grass near the fallen pillar towards the back-right from the entrance.
2. Tucked away in a pile of rubble near the shortcut leading back to the maze.
3. Concealed in a pile of grass near the stairs going up to the right from the entrance.

And while I haven’t found one there, it’s worth peeking into the grass piles near the stairs to the left from the entrance.

If you do have the metal detector, consider your task made a lot easier!

Cardinal Elements / Statues Puzzle

Take a seat in one of the chairs on the right side of the entrance. There’s a hint next to a seated, unfortunate soul, indicating where each element should be placed in the center of the chapel.

To set the stage, put each Chalice on the correct pedestals by following the compass drawing on the floor.

Dan, head upstairs on the right side from the entrance. Hier, a body holds a clue that reveals the element for each statue:

• Wind for Pegasus
• Fire for the Demon
• Earth for the Lion
• Water for the Siren

Use the lever next to each statue to orient them to face the same direction as their element downstairs.

When all statues are in harmony, the bell will chime and tumble onto the big statue. Among the rubble, you’ll find the clover key. Be ready though, as making the bell fall will summon a bunch of foes on the ground floor.

Opening the Clover Gate

Make your way back to the maze by using the Cathedral shortcut.

Near the place where you got the Chalice of Wind, in another dead end, you’ll find a Clover gate. Use the key you just acquired, and it will swing open. Beyond it lies the final area, so brace yourself for the epic finale!

Bibliotheek

You’ve made it through the Clover gate and now find yourself in a labyrinthine library. Brace yourself; this is the trickiest area to navigate, and being chased often leads to a grim fate. Monsters seem to spot you more easily in this confined space compared to the more open areas of the map.

The Bookshelf Puzzle

Right at the library’s entrance, you’ll spot a hint that reveals the values of different book colors:

• Blue books are worth 1 punt
• Red books carry a hefty 3 punten
• Green books are the jackpot, boasting 5 points each

Scour the library with your flashlight on; it’ll be your best ally in finding these colored books. You can only carry one of each color at a time, and your objective is to gather enough books to add up to the value displayed on the back wall.

I’ve encountered this value ranging from as low as 6 to as high as 19. Gelukkig, there are often multiple ways to solve the puzzle. Bijvoorbeeld, if you need to reach 11, you can do it with either 5 + 5 + 1 of 5 + 3 + 3. Since moving around and exploring is no walk in the park, try to make do with the books you find.

Once the books you’ve placed in the bookshelf add up to the correct value, the door swings open, leading you to the final hallway before the exit. Stay sharp; you’re almost there!