Nelson Tethers returns to action in the second puzzle-centric adventure game from Telltale. I made a solution guide for puzzle agent 2 so i thought i'd make one for this too.

FBI Office

Moon Focus

Spin the 3 discs until you manage to see the man's face in the moon (there are many solutions to this puzzle, but one involving moving the outer marker to 1 o'clock, the middle marker to 5 o'clock, and the inner marker to 9 o'clock) Puzzle: Moon Focus.

Monosaki Puzzle #320

Talk to Agent Ingraham, then solve the puzzle with the answer 3 (the next hour on a clock) Puzzle: Monosaki Puzzle #320.

Valda's Inn

Watch the cutscene as you arrive back in Scoggins, Minnesota Welcome Back!.

Finding Vacancy

You can pick up the gum from the outside of the building (and anywhere else you see it from now on), in case you need it for puzzle hints. Open the door to the inn to go inside, then examine the shelves on the right and the stove on the left. Talk to Martha, then place the guests in these positions:

• Upper floor: Maxwell, Blesson and Carlman
• Lower floor: LaRue, Dimpleton and Tethers Puzzle: Finding Vacancy

About now you should also receive another achievement for spending a certain amount o f taxpayer dollars Christmas Tree Census. Go outside again, then open the gate to the alley, and you will end up in your room inside Valda's Inn.

Hidden Sightings

Examine the lamp to get a puzzle with 4 photographs. Rearrange them as follows:

• Photo 1: Gnome by himself, 1 set of footprints
• Photo 2: Two people walking, 3 sets of footprints
• Photo 3: Snowmobile, 3 sets of footprints and tracks
• Photo 4: Group of gnomes, lots of footprints and tracks Puzzle: Hidden Sightings

Now click on the bed to sleep.

Missing Persons (Part 1)

You will wake up from a dream to find a note on the floor. You will see a list of names and numbers, but after trying to start the puzzle you will stop and realise you need more information. Go back into the inn and talk to Martha about everything, then head back outside.

Stacks of Flyers

Talk to Daryl. At the puzzle screen, distribute the flyers to the 5 starting positions left to right as follows: 22, 2, 8, 6 and 24 Puzzle: Stacks of Flyers.

Now get on your snowmobile.

Campgrounds

Examine the fire pit, then talk to Alfred about everything The Local Anthropologist. Get back on your snowmobile.

Sheriff Station

Look at the note on the door, then use your snowmobile again.

Moose Ear Diner

Examine the flyer on the window, then look at the store sign.

Power Grid

You need to hook up the generators to the devices below them:

• Generator 1 (output 10: 30 and 45
• Generator 2 (output 30: 15 and 40
• Generator 3 (output 50): 40 and 30
• Generator 4 (output 30): 45 and 45
• Generator 5 (output 10): 45 and 45 Puzzle: Power Grid

Cross The Streams

Head inside and talk to Steve to see your next puzzle.

1. Send the wolf and snake to the right, then bring the boat back empty
2. Send the bear to the right, then bring the wolf and snake to the left
3. Send the mongoose to the right, then bring the boat back empty
4. Send the wolf and snake to the right Puzzle: Cross The Streams

Now talk to the Sheriff. You will automatically talk to Glori outside; talk to Mr Scruffman before leaving.

Sheriff Station

Examine the door again.

Sheriff's Door

Draw a line from the top left corner, to the second position from the left along the bottom Puzzle: Sheriff's Door.

Sheriff's Office

Once inside, click on the file cabinet over on the left.

Move the furniture into the positions shown above to get safely across the room Puzzle: Sheriff's Office

Missing Persons (Part 2)

Examine the board on the right wall, then the filing cabinet. Insert the names in this order:

• Halldor Magnusson
• Will Medlock
• Ted Dijkstra
• Barney Stroustrup
• Isaac Davner
• Darrel Boutin Puzzle: Missing Persons

You should also receive another achievement now Note Decoder. Talk to the Sheriff again before you leave.

Korka's House

Look at the factory in the background, then head inside.

Digits In Space

Examine the windows and enter the answer to the puzzle as 53 (the next 2 digits of pi) Puzzle: Digits In Space.

Coins In A Box

Next examine the shelving just to the left, and select the gold dollar coin on the right (the next number in binary sequential order) Puzzle: Coins In A Box.

Now talk to Korka and she will mark a new spot on your map in the woods.

Woods

Find Edvard!

Examine the footprints, then place the map pieces together:

• Upper row: Grey, red and white
• Lower row: Yellow, brown and green Puzzle: Find Edvard!

After the chase, examine the fallen tree, then examine the astronaut Under Cover.

Korka's House

You will end up back with Korka; talk to her and you will automatically leave.

Valda's Inn

About now if you have been collecting all of the gum you can find, you will receive an achievement Keep Scoggins Beautiful. Go inside and upstairs and examine the boxes, then go back outside and onto your snowmobile.

Lodge

Enter the lodge and examine the photo on the wall.

Clearing The Ice

Look at the the small table near Bjorn. Rearrange the 6 photographs as follows:

• Photo 1: Cleared ice
• Photo 2: Boy skating south, cleaner going west
• Photo 3: Boy skating east, cleaner going south
• Photo 4: Girl skating south, cleaner going west (crossed paths)
• Photo 5: Girl skating northeast, cleaner going south
• Photo 6: Boy skating southwest, cleaner going west (crossed paths) Puzzle: Clearing The Ice

Bjorn's Sanity

Talk to Bjorn.

Place the mirrors in the path of the light to make it pass through the pieces of sanity lights on the way to the blue core (the / and symbols are the mirrors in the grid shown above) Puzzle: Bjorn's Sanity. Talk to Bjorn again, then leave and get on your snowmobile.

Olav's Cabin

Olav's Cabin

Examine the door. Draw a line from the bottom position along the left, to the right position along the top Puzzle: Olav's Cabin.

'Round the Cosmos

Examine the star map on the left wall to see a puzzle with two discs representing day on the left and night on the right. From the starting position, click in this order:

• Left x 1
• Right x 3
• Left x 3
• Right x 4
• Left x 1
• Right x 1
• Left x 3 Puzzle: 'Round the Cosmos

My Four Moons

Next examine the lunar map to the left of the star map. The solution to this puzzle is 20 Puzzle: My Four Moons.

Lunacy Algorithm (Part 1)

Check out the desk near the back of the room for another puzzle, but after playing with it for a little while you will realise you don't yet have enough information.

Earth, Sun & Moon

Now look at the books on the left table. Shuffle the celestial bodies around as follows:

• Move the moon to the top right
• Move the sun below the moon
• Move the asteroid to the top left
• Move the Sun down towards the Earth
• Move the asteroid beneath the moon, to the far right
• Move the Sun just below the moon
• Move the Earth to the top left
• Move the Sun into position
• Move the Earth into position
• Move the moon into position Puzzle: Earth, Sun & Moon

You will now discover something behind the painting on the wall An Incredible Discovery. Examine the sock drawers then the desk again, then leave.

Korka's House

Talk to Korka and follow her into the back room The Kitimat Incident, then leave again.

Campgrounds

Gnome Appearances

Knock on the door to talk to Alfred to see another photograph order puzzle. Just arrange these photos with the moon gradually heading from top to bottom Puzzle: Gnome Appearances.

Finding Alfred

Click on the trees to see the next puzzle. To solve this, move the bottom left tree trunk right, then the top left down and the first up to the far top left. Move the bottom right trunk left, then the large trunk to the bottom right. Now move the top left trunk to the far right, the middle trunk up and left, and the large trunk left to clear a path Puzzle: Finding Alfred.

You will end up back at the hotel Hermes II.

Valda's Inn

Head outside. After the talk, get on your snowmobile.

Moose Ear Diner

Head inside and talk to Director Jennings, then try to leave again.

Retrace The Path

Rotate the tiles to make a path from the top left, down to the bottom left, then up and around to the bottom right Puzzle: Retrace The Path. You will end up in the woods.

Woods

Examine the astronaut and you will end up talking to Isaac Foreman Found.

Mission: Rock

Click on any of the agents to open a new puzzle.

Place your new groups of trees on the grey squares as indicated Puzzle: Mission: Rock.

Lander Circuitry (Part 1)

Now examine on the lander to see another puzzle, but you will be interrupted and taken back to the hotel.

Valda's Inn

Pick up the phone to talk to Jim.

The Escape!

Move the bed to the left, then the couch to the bottom right. Bring the top dresser to the far right, the bed up to the top left, then the top dresser to the left to block the window Puzzle: The Escape!.

Olav's Cabin

Examine the desk and you will play the tape and end up in space.

Space

My Three Suns

Click on the top left hidden person and solve the puzzle by entering 10 Puzzle: My Three Suns.

Racoon Spa

Click on the top right hidden person to see a puzzle with 4 photographs to place in order:

• Photo 1: 3 raccoons standing on shore
• Photo 2: 2 raccoons standing on shore
• Photo 3: 1 raccoon sitting on shore
• Photo 4: 1 raccoon standing on shore Puzzle: Raccoon Spa

Solar Rays

Shin megami tensei iv lucifer. Click on the bottom right hidden person to get another deflection puzzle.

Position the mirrors as in the diagram above Puzzle: Solar Rays.

Starry Field

Finally, click on the bottom left hidden person and rotate the tiles to form a cohesive picture of stars Puzzle: Starry Field.

Lunacy Algorithm (Part 2)

Click on the sun to see this formula puzzle a second time. Arrange the four movable items in this order:

• integral from 0 to 1
• square root of x dx
• pi ( r squared
• v / c squared ) Puzzle: Lunacy Algorithm

There is another achievement for completing the space section and returning to Earth I'm The Best At Space!.

Woods

Lander Circuitry (Part 2)

Examine the lander to see this puzzle again. Drag the correct arrows on to each row of the control panel:

• Up, left, up, up, up
• Right, up, up, up, left
• Left, left, up Puzzle: Lander Circuitry

Running

While Nelson is running, draw lines between the objects as instructed 3 times Nelson's Run. Watch the cutscene where the device is destroyed Case Complete.

FBI Office

Monosaki Puzzle #512

Jim will enter and give you one last puzzle, for which the answer is 151 (cumulative days for each month in the year) Puzzle: Monosaki Puzzle #512.

There is an additional achievement for completing all of the main puzzles in the game Puzzles Complete. Watch another cutscene in your office Puzzle Agent 2.

Robot Hero

After the ending credits, go to your puzzle file and start this puzzle. Drag the correct arrows on to each row of the control panel:

• Right, up, up, up, left
• Up, up, left, up, right
• Up, up, right, up, up
• Left, up Puzzle: Robot Hero

Super Robot Hero

This puzzle is also in your puzzle file and requires similar logic:

• Up, pause, pause, up, right
• Up, left, up, pause, pause
• Pause, pause, pause, pause, up
• Left, up, right, up Puzzle: Super Robot Hero

There is an achievement for completing both Robot Hero puzzles Bonus Puzzles, and another for completing all 33 puzzles perfectly Rank: Puzzle Agent. If you receive this one, you will then automatically proceed to the final puzzle in the game.

King's Challenge

From the starting position, click in this order:

• Right x 1
• Left x 1
• Right x 2
• Left x 2
• Right x 1
• Left x 3
• Right x 3
• Left x 5 Puzzle: King's Challenge

Puzzle Agent 2 brings some much needed closure to the strange happenings in Scoggins, Minnesota

Telltale Games have become a big name in point and click adventures over the last few years, but in 2010 they decided to release something decidedly different from their mainstay formula. Puzzle Agent may have offered the great narrative and adventure framework that the company is known for, but the gameplay revolved not around collecting and using items, but solving logic puzzles. Now they’ve brought that formula back for a second go round with Puzzle Agent 2, a game that offers everything fans of the first could want in a sequel.

When last we left Agent Nelson Tethers of the FBI’s Puzzle Research Division, he was investigating some strange happenings in the town of Scoggins, Minnesota. Off the beaten path and seemingly buried in snow 12 months of the year, Scoggins plays a key role in the operation of the US government: specifically, they produce all of the erasers used by the White House. But the eraser factory had shut down production, the foreman Issac Davner was missing, and there was whispered talk about the possible existence of the Hidden People, a group of forest gnomes that may or may not exist in the woods of Scoggins.

Puzzle Agent told a strange tale, but the game’s odd personality and well told story made it an instant win for fans of all things quirky. The whole experience played like Twin Peaks meets Professor Layton, and as a fan of both series, it was hard not to fall in love.

But like Twin Peaks, the original Puzzle Agent managed to leave us wanting more. While the story was great, it didn’t feel like it had wrapped up in any significant way. There were a lot of unanswered questions, and with no promise of a sequel at the time, it seemed like they might have stayed unanswered. Thankfully Puzzle Agent 2 picks up right where Puzzle Agent left off. The case may be closed and the eraser factory open, but Agent Tethers is more than happy to book some vacation time to take a trip back to Scoggins and tie up some loose ends.

As it turns out, there may not even have been an Issac Davner, and even if there was, he certainly wasn’t the first (or last) missing persons case in Scoggins. Were they all connected? What role do the Hidden People have in all of this? And why is there a dead astronaut in the woods?

Puzzle Agent 2 not only manages to answer all of the unanswered questions from the first game, but manages to raise and answer new mysteries, all in the span of about three or four hours. The only heart-breaking thing is that, by the end of the game, there’s literally nothing left to bring Agent Tethers back to Scoggins for a third go-round. As someone who likes every loose end in a mystery tied up, this isn’t really a complaint.

Because this is a game that requires you to solve logic puzzles to advance, you’ll want to make sure there’s a good variety of puzzle types as well as an approachable level of challenge. For the most part, Puzzle Agent 2 succeeds on both counts. Some puzzle types tend to repeat with new thematic elements, but for the most part every puzzle you’ll encounter feels fresh and original. And if you do find yourself stuck, there’s a pretty helpful hint system that can be abused fairly regularly (it’s powered by gum that you find stuck to things, and there’s gum everywhere.)

It’s a good thing that hint system is in place, too, because this time around there were a few puzzles that simply didn’t give you the information needed to solve them without using hints. One puzzle asks you to list the next two numbers in the sequence, but it turns out the number in question was Pi – so there was no way to solve the puzzle logically – you simply needed to know Pi (or, as in my case, search it out on the internet). Another puzzle had you sorting pictures in chronological order, but the instructions weren’t clear about what the starting or ending picture should be, which left us trying to solve the puzzle in both possible directions before getting it right.

Thankfully incidents like this were few and far between.

In terms of art production, Puzzle Agent 2 features the same quirky Graham Annable art that was featured in the first game, and it’s a perfect fit for the quirky nature of the story. On the technical side of things though, the presentation could get a little sticky. For review purposes we found ourselves playing Puzzle Agent 2 on the iPad. And while we can’t speak for every platform the game is playable on, in our experience the game sometimes looked sharp and fantastic, but other times the art assets looked fuzzy and low res. Likewise, there were one or two audio hiccups that shook us from the game’s otherwise outstanding sound production. Every character in the game is fully voiced, and as is par for the course with Telltale Games, the acting is superb.

We wouldn’t recommend playing Puzzle Agent 2 without having first played Puzzle Agent. Conceivably it could be done, but we’re really talking about two halves of the same story. It would be like showing up for Hamlet during intermission. Sure you could probably piece together what’s happening, but why deprive yourself of such a great story?

Puzzle Agent 2 delivers everything fans of the original were looking for – more puzzles, more Scoggins strangeness, and some proper answers to a mystery that was only half solved in the first game. If you’ve already played and enjoyed Puzzle Agent, this one is an easy buy. If you haven’t… well, Puzzle Agent is pure gold for fans of quirky stories and head-scratching logic puzzles, so pick up the original first, and then dive into Puzzle Agent 2 the moment that game ends.