Hollow

Template:PuzzleInfobox Hollow is the gold puzzle in the Anthropic Hills area of The Talos Principle 2.

Puzzle Elements

• Activator
• Connector
• Emitter
• Receiver
• RGB converter
• Swapper

Overview

On entering the puzzle, you find that there is a room on the left gated by a purple barrier, a room next to it gated by a plasma door, and a corridor to the right blocked by 3 plasma doors that leads to the progress wheel. In the left room is a red activator, an RGB converter, and a swapper with a connector in it. In the second room is a green activator and a blue emitter. There is a red emitter outside.

Hints

A basic hint:

[ hint ]

There are at least three tricky stages to this puzzle, and some people consider this to be in the top-3 hardest puzzles of the base game. The name of the puzzle isn't much of a help. Try to think logically what the end state of the puzzle should be - what equipment you will need at the very end, and in which rooms. Proceed from there.

If you want to know the first objective you have to complete:

[ hint ]

Your first job is to move the red activator to the second room.

If you read the first objective above and need a hint on how to do it:

[ hint ]

First, activate the green activator, then reposition it close to the blue door.

If you want to know the second objective you have to complete:

[ hint ]

Your second job is to make the red activator self-sustaining, but positioned so that it can activate other equipment.

If you read the second objective above and need a hint on how to do it:

[ hint ]

You can put the activator close to the plasma door, connected directly to the red emitter, and then jump start it from the other room with a connector.

If you want to know the third objective you have to complete:

[ hint ]

Your third job is to get the connector and RGB convertor out into the open while still keeping the plasma door activated so that the blue emitter is accessible.

If you read the third objective above and need a hint on how to do it:

[ hint ]

It might have been a while since you solved activator puzzles, so recall that activators can activate other activators. Use that idea. Bring the connector out into the open first, and see if you can aim it into the second room via the purple barrier and the window from outside. You may have to play with the angles a bit.

Solution

There are two ways to solve this puzzle that are quite similar (Steps 1, 2 and 3 are exactly same, and the remaining ones differ a bit). The hints above assume the puzzle is solved using Solution 1.

Solution 1

[ solution ]

• 
  Connect the RGB converter to the blue Emitter, the red Emitter and the green Activator. The outer Plasma Door opens.
• 
  Reposition the green Activator so that it opens the inner door.
• 
  Take the red Activator and connect it to the red Emitter. Place it down within range of the outer door and the green Activator.
• 
  Swap the RGB Converter for the Connector. Move it outside and position is as close to the corner of the wall and the purple barrier as possible.
• 
  Reposition the red Activator so that it opens the inner door and connect it to the Connector.
• 
  Swap the green Activator for the RGB Converter and bring it outside, stopping once in the outer room to reposition the red activator. This time, reconnect the activator to the emitter directly as well, so that it is self-sustaining.
• 
  Use the Connector to link the blue Emitter to the blue Receiver. The first Plasma Door in the corridor opens.
• 
  Take the RGB Converter. Connect it to the Red Emitter, the blue Connector and both green Receivers.

Solution 2

[ solution ]

• 
  Connect the RGB converter to the blue Emitter, the red Emitter and the green Activator. The outer Plasma Door opens.
• 
  Reposition the green Activator so that it opens the inner door.
• 
  Take the red Activator and connect it to the red Emitter. Place it down within range of the outer door and the green Activator.
• 
  Swap the RGB Converter for the Connector. Connect it to the red Emitter through the purple barrier.
• 
  Reposition the red Activator so that it opens the inner door and connect it to the Connector.
• 
  Swap the green Activator for the RGB Converter and bring it in the room with the red Activator.
• 
  Reposition the red Activator within range of the outer door and connect it to both the red Emitter and the Connector.
• 
  Use the Connector to link the blue Emitter to the blue Receiver. The first Plasma Door in the corridor opens.
• 
  Take the RGB Converter. Connect it to the Red Emitter, the blue Connector and both green Receivers.

Story

Upon completion of the puzzle, the player hears another message from Cornelius Noema Messages. That is, if this is the eleventh gold puzzle that the player solved, they will hear the eleventh message.

Gallery

• 
  A wide shot of the area surrounding the room.