Scorn Mine Cart Puzzle Solved [Both Methods]

The mine cart puzzle is one of the early game puzzles that take place in act 1. Figuring out the puzzle can be tricky due to the non-linear approach of the game. You can spend several minutes just walking in circles before realising which buttons to press or which terminals to use. But worry not, as we’ll help you through the Scorn mine cart puzzle so that you can complete it in no time! 

As mentioned, the puzzle is part of act 1; in fact, completing it allows you to open the first door of the game and progress towards the upper levels. There are two different ways of completing the puzzle, and one even grants a trophy/achievement. Therefore, we’ll be discussing both methods in detail. And if you want to read our in-depth review of the game, you can check it out here: Scorn review.

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Key Highlights

• The mine cart puzzle is one of the puzzles in Act 1.
• It is required to open the giant door with two terminals.
• You need to complete the sliding crane puzzle in order to attempt the puzzle.
• You can shift between the two methods by altering the mine cart tracks. 

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Setup For The Mine Cart Puzzle

There are two different ways of approaching the mine cart puzzle in Scorn, but the setup for both of them is the same. That’s why we’ll first discuss the setup and then branch off into the two different outcomes.

Prerequisite

It is worth noting that you cannot complete the mine cart puzzle unless you’ve already completed the crane slide puzzle. To briefly recap, in the crane slide puzzle, you have to move around pods on a wall such that the mechanical arm can grab one of the pods and drop it down through an elevator-like structure.

The pod will be holding the creature that we will need to use in the mine cart puzzle. That is why it is vital for you to complete the first puzzle before even attempting the mine cart puzzle.

Bring The Creature Into The Mine Cart

After you’ve brought down the creature through the sliding crane puzzle, the next step is to get it into the mine cart. If you head into the giant hall with a pillar-like structure, you’ll be able to find the contraption that brings down the creature.

The contraption will be located right next to the base of the slope that leads you up towards the top of the pillar. It’ll have a mechanical arm and a terminal that you can use to operate it. Refer to the image for a better idea.

Approach the contraption and start using it. You’ll first need to guide the arm upwards, where the creature is located. Press the use button in order to get the creature into the arms. Then bring the arm down towards the mine cart. Press the use button again in order to place the creature inside the cart.

Get The Creature’s Head Equipped

Once you’ve got the creature in the mine cart, you can push it around. You need to push it forward a few steps in order to get it equipped with something on its head. It’ll likely try to move around and make lots of noises but worry not, as it can’t hurt you, nor can it escape.

When you’ve reached the equipping station, the mine cart will turn, and you’ll lose the ability to push it. In the same place, behind the cart, you’ll find a terminal that you need to activate. Referring to the image, it is the terminal on the left that has the white action circle on top.

Once you activate the terminal, the machine on top of the creature will do its job and staple a giant helmet-like contraption on its head. Once the process is done, you’ll get the ability to push around the cart again. The creature will struggle and will start making much more aggressive noises and even try to reach out, but just like before, it can’t hurt you.

Going To The Top Of The Pillar

The final step that is common between both methods is reaching the top of the pillar at the centre of the room in order to adjust the train tracks (you don’t need to take the creature to the top). Adjusting the tracks will let you lead the creature into one of two rooms that decides the creature’s fate.

To alter the train tracks, climb the pillar using the slope to its side. The slope starts from the terminal that you used to bring down the creature. When you reach the top, you’ll find a control panel that is shown in the image above. When you use it, you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the room and will be able to change the train tracks.

And with that, you’re all set for either one of the two methods of completing the mine cart puzzle. The only deciding factor between the methods is the positioning of the tracks, which we’ll now discuss.

Method One: Creature Dies

After you’ve completed the setup, you can move on to the different methods of solving the mine cart puzzle in Scorn. The first one, and perhaps the easiest and quickest, is just letting the creature die in order to solve the puzzle.

You’ll need to lead the creature in the room shown in the image above. It is the same room that has the elevator that leads you to the sliding crane puzzle. You just need to make a few changes to the tracks in order to reach the room.

Adjusting The Tracks

If you followed the instructions in the setup, then you should be at the top of the pillar, viewing the entire room from up top, and ready to move around the tracks.

If you have a look at the image above, you’ll get a good idea of which tracks you need to adjust. Make sure that you’ve got your top view aligned so that there’s no confusion. You, in the control centre, should be facing north in the image (marked in turquoise).

From there, make sure that the tracks that are marked in blue are connected to the circular track. After that, move to the track that is highlighted in red. Press the use button in order to make it align outside the circular track, which will ultimately lead out into the desired room.

After you’ve aligned the tracks, go back to the creature, it should still be in the mine cart. Keep pushing it until you reach the room.

Working In The Room

When you’ve pushed the creature inside the room, it’ll eventually get fixed in place. From there, you won’t be able to move around the cart. In the room, there will be two terminals that are marked on the image.

The one marked as one in the image will be operated on first. You’ll use it to grab the creature out of the chair and then put it into the seat shown on the right side of the image. Grabbing the creature is simple, just bring the machine over it and press the use button.

Then just press the right direction key once (or flick the analogue stick), and the machine will move the creature above the seat. Press the use button again, and you’re ready for the next step.

Once the creature is in the seat, you can move to the second terminal (marked as two in the image). You only need to activate the terminal, and the machine will do the rest. It’ll scoop up the creature from the machine and dump it into the hole to the left of the seat. The only thing remaining will be a single arm that you need to go ahead and pick up.

Using The Arm

After you’ve got the arm in your hand, you need to use it in order to solve the puzzle and open the big, locked door in the giant room. If you look towards your left in the same room, you’ll find a passage, as highlighted in the image above.

Go through the tunnel, and eventually, you’ll find yourself in front of the big giant door with two terminals in front of it. You can’t do anything here yet but keep the place in mind as you’ll have to return here again. Keep going forward and into the tunnel that is highlighted in the image.

After going through the second tunnel, you’ll find yourself at an intersection of two more tunnels. You need to go into the left tunnel, as the right one will simply lead you to the room that will be used in the second method.

After you enter the tunnel to the left, you’ll find yourself standing next to one of those devices that puts a key on your arm (the same one that you would’ve used at the start of the game in order to operate all the terminals).

Get close to the key terminal and use it. Your character should take out the arm that was acquired from the creature and get it equipped with the key. Now you’re ready to open the big gate.

Opening The Gate

Once you’ve got the hand equipped with the key, you can head back to the area with two terminals and a giant locked door. Approach the terminal on the left and press the use button. That should let you use the creature’s arm in order to open the door partially.

Once the hand is in place, head towards the other terminal and operate it yourself. Once you activate the terminal, the door should open up, marking the end of the first method of the mine cart puzzle.

Method Two: Creature Survives

If you’re feeling slightly generous and don’t want to be cruel to the creature, then you can opt for the second method of solving the mine cart puzzle in Scorn. It is slightly longer, but the general procedure is quite similar to the first method. Additionally, you’ll also get access to the “extraction” achievement.

For the second method, we need to push the mine cart into a different room, as shown above. Over there, we’ll follow the same steps of first removing the creature, placing it in the seat, and then operating on it using the second terminal. But first, we need to adjust the tracks in order to reach the room.

Track Alignment

Just like with the first method, you need to be on top of the pillar at the centre of the room and look through the control panel that lets you get a bird’s eye view. Ensure that your view is aligned with the one shown in the image above so that you don’t accidentally trigger the wrong tracks.

With your character facing the north side of the view, you need to adjust the tracks on the top right, marked in red. Ensure that they’re facing outwards, away from the circular tracks. As for the ones marked in blue at the bottom, adjust them so that they’re part of the circular tracks and not going outwards.

After adjusting the tracks, you can return to the creature in the mine cart and push it all the way into the room shown in the image at the start of this section.

Working In The Room

When you’ve pushed the creature into the room, the mine cart will eventually lock into place. Once that happens, you can start working on the terminals. The first terminal that you need to use is marked with one in the image. Approach it and use it to grab the creature out of the cart and into the seat on the right side of the room.

Grabbing the creature is simple, bring the arm above it, trigger the machine, hit the right direction button once, and then simply trigger the arm again in order to let the creature down into the seat.

Once the creature is in the seat, approach the terminal marked as two in the image. Activating it will start up the machine on top of the seat. It’ll cut through the head mount on top of the creature; there will be blood and mechanical bits flying all over the place. Once the machine stops, you can move on to the next step.

Helping The Creature

When the machine finishes its work, approach the seat, and you’ll notice some pieces obstructing the way, with the creature still alive. Remove the pieces out of the way, which will cause the creature to get out of the seat.

The creature will be very weak and will immediately fall flat on the ground. Wait for a bit, and it’ll eventually get up. Once it stands up, it’ll follow you anywhere you go.

Equip The Creature With The Key

Because the creature will follow you anywhere you go, you can lead it towards the room where you can get its arm equipped with the key needed to operate the terminals. The key terminal is right behind the room where you just operated on the creature. For reference, we’ve marked the fixed mine cart in the image. You can use it in order to find your way into the key terminal.

The creature will follow you very slowly. But once it gets near the key terminal, it’ll fall flat to the ground again. Unfortunately, this time around, it won’t get up on its own, and you need to help it get up. Get close to the creature, and you’ll get the option to help it up.

Once you help it, your character should get the creature’s arm equipped with the key, allowing you to move on to opening the big door.

Opening The Gate

From the key terminal room, you need to keep going forward (in the opposite direction from the operation room), and you’ll find yourself in front of the giant gate with the two terminals.

The creature will try to approach the terminal on the left but will eventually fall to the ground again. You need to approach it and help put its hand on the controls. Once the creature is in place, as shown in the image, you can head towards your own terminal on the right side. Simply activate the terminal, and the door will open up.

With that, you know both of the methods of solving the mine cart puzzle in Scorn. The second method can definitely be much more time taking because not only is the second room farther, but the creature takes its time in walking around. However, the second method is definitely more entertaining and worth the achievement.