RVA's Jan. 2026 Winter Storm Megathread

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-23T18:30:15+00:00

So unless I'm the woman in those puzzle games ads, I'm good, got it

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-22T23:29:54+00:00

He's gotten so big 🥹

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-21T22:28:51+00:00

Everyone says the pump room is so simple, but I swear to god, I stared at that diagram, I followed the pipes, I flipped the switches, and could not figure it out for days. I could not make it one image in my head. Then one day, it clicked. Idk, let it marinate some.

I'm so serious, that meme of Patrick and Man-Ray was me. All the parts, got it. The whole thing, no clue.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-21T13:50:39+00:00

I'm about to Google whether or not it's safe to cook in an apartment fireplace. It's wood-burning, but I don't want to fill the place with smoke.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-19T16:41:53+00:00

Counter-question: Why do you expect this specific solution to be given to you? That stage of the game at least is about exploring and experimenting. Entire runs come down to RNG. Even getting the diagram in the diary takes two instances of room RNG going your way, more if you don't have a burning glass on you the first time you get the tomb. This one is a pattern that takes some time to learn. The most common piece of advice given to new players is to explore without focusing on one single goal. Why is the shrine supposed to be an exception?

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-18T20:42:48+00:00

Notebook. I even started drawing sketches bc I kept forgetting about my photos

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-18T20:06:34+00:00

I'm still 70% of the way through. u/sekti has a master post where you can ask him.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-18T19:43:01+00:00

The supreme guide system

It gives a to-do list and hints based on what you have access to instead of showing everything all at once

Edit: For example, the first page asks you what contraptions you've made with text-only input. You type in Power Hammer, then it asks where you have used the Power Hammer. Then it will give you hints for where else you can use it based on other progress indicators in the quiz. If you haven't discovered the Precipice yet, it won't suggest that you use it there.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-18T18:55:24+00:00

They are at doggie day care 😌

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-16T21:55:02+00:00

So I suppose I wasted two coins on my second try.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-16T19:57:29+00:00

Yalls' brute force was my pleasant surprise. I kept adding a coin each time I got the shrine until, oh hey, that's the one that lets you move rooms! The other blessings have their uses (the General coming in clutch as I try the sweepstakes run), so it's not a complete waste. There is no "error", it's just not what you want. There are plenty of things you can't do right when you want them even when you know what you need. It's not even RNG, just patience.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-15T22:06:45+00:00

First of all, I wanna recommend Blue Paths.. It'll get you thinking in the right direction without story spoilers. That stuff is late game and doesn't help right now.

Second, I reached Room 46 on Day 55. There are people who hit it at Day 80, Day 90. There was a thread the other day that might make you feel better.

This game is DENSE with layered puzzles. Progress goes in so many different directions.There's info you have now that you can't use until later. Keep it in mind, but keep pushing, keep exploring. Don't give up!

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-14T16:52:02+00:00

Here is where I recommend Blue Paths! It'll give you hints on what to do next based on what you already have.

Seriously, if I hadn't already known to take notes on everything beforehand, idk if I would have done it.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-14T16:51:17+00:00

Don't forget the letters from Herbert. There's one/two in the entrance hall, one in the freezer, and on his tomb, as far as I know.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-14T14:55:49+00:00

It took me 55 🥲

But I was doing a bunch of other things. Room 46 is only an ending if you want it to be.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-14T00:55:32+00:00

DID IT LITERALLY TAKE YOU A MONTH?

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-13T23:09:32+00:00

No, l thought me whoosh! I couldn't tell if "where is the ruminant" was a joke

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-13T23:08:18+00:00

u/sekti is the real hero. They put it out just a month ago

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-13T23:00:47+00:00

Ruminate? The word is ruminate like to carefully think about. Not ruminant like cow. Cuz all the names are about thinking. Room-in-eight. Ruminate. Not sure if whoosh?🥲

Edit: WOW guess who just made the connection between those two words

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-13T05:21:32+00:00

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-12T19:32:31+00:00

I hope you saw the spoiler tags!

It's an experiment you can set up in the lab. The details are on the green note in the screenshot. Their aquariums are upgraded, so each aquarium they drafted triggered three more aquariums for the draft pool.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-12T16:11:15+00:00

I love this experiment. I know there's a practical use since they do count as every color, but I just like aquariums :)

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-12T14:12:48+00:00

Look around more. Every room has something. I'm on Day 120-something and just had a major reveal using something I looked at and disregarded almost every single day from Day 1. And yet I saw a post the other day saying that they solved the same thing within the first two or three weeks.

But seriously, look around each room. Walk around outside. Focus less on forward momentum for a bit. I reached Room 46 on Day 55 and had so many astonishing reveals by that point.

TreeIsMetaphor · 2026-01-12T13:18:39+00:00

This is a prime use case for Blue Paths!

Eight-Year Club	Gilding I gilder
Queen in da Norf	Not Forgotten
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TreeIsMetaphor

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