Somerville Mine Puzzle Guide

Getting out of the mine in Somerville is a bit tricky, so use our guide for a quick solution.

By Mark Delaney on November 15, 2022 at 1:14PM PST

In Somerville, the aliens are the real threat, but it's the game's puzzles that may stand in your way most often. A mid-game puzzle involving a mine cart demands you use your unique abilities wisely, and the multi-step process could trip you up if you're not considering all that is available to you in the small area. Here's how to solve this tricky puzzle.

When you first enter the mine area, you'll want to head all the way left, past some broken train tracks and through a small section of water, toward a tower with a ladder on it. Climb the ladder and start the generator to turn on a light, then pull the wooden boards off the opening beside the light.

Return to the generator and use your blue power to melt away the black and reddish pillar made of alien matter hanging from the ceiling just outside the tower. This will fall into the large puddle you previously passed through, and the now-liquified dense alien matter will push a minecart out from the body of water, making it accessible to you.

Take the minecart to the far right end where you first entered the area and place it under the leaking blue alien matter to fill the mine cart. Then place the cart beneath the electrical device connected to a red cord. Turn the crank on the machine that houses the red cord so that the cord falls farther into the cart, but not so much that it opens the door--this is your way out, but letting go of the wire causes it to retract and close the door, so there's more to it.

Next, head to the switch to the left of your future exit, and turn on the light, then blast the area with your red power. This will solidify the blue matter inside the mine cart, which will be sitting beneath the light and thus will be susceptible to your matter-altering powers. Now push the cart down as far as it can go to the right. This will allow the exit door to open and stay open, as the cord can't retract as you've essentially baked it into the mine cart, like putting an object inside a clay figure and then putting the clay in the oven.

That's it! You'll have the exit door open to you and you'll be ready to move onto the next part of Somerville.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email [email protected]