You’re stuck. I know because everyone who plays this game gets stuck at least once. Maybe you’re staring at the green clouds of Giant’s Deep wondering how the hell to get under the current, or you’re tired of being eaten by those oversized, blind fish in Dark Bramble. You want to know how to beat Outer Wilds, but here’s the thing: you don't "beat" this game by leveling up or finding a better sword. You beat it by knowing things.
Information is the only currency in the Hearthian solar system.
It’s a weird feeling, right? Most games reward you with XP. Mobius Digital rewards you with "Oh, that's how that works." If you’re looking for the path to the credits, you’re actually looking for a set of coordinates and a very specific warp core. But getting there requires unravelling the tragedy of the Nomai.
Stop Trying to "Win" and Start Reading
The biggest mistake people make is treating this like a platformer. It isn’t. If you want to know how to beat Outer Wilds, you have to become an archaeologist. Every piece of glowing text on a wall is a piece of a logic puzzle.
Seriously.
If you skip the text, you will never finish the game. The Nomai weren't just writing flavor text; they were leaving instructions for their future selves—which happens to be you. Most players hit a wall because they have "Rumors" in their ship log that they haven't followed to the end. If your ship log says "There's more to explore here," then you haven't actually finished that thread. Go back.
The game is a clock. Everything happens on a schedule. The sand flows from Ash Twin to Ember Twin. The islands on Giant's Deep get tossed into space. Brittle Hollow literally falls apart. If you can't get somewhere, wait. Or get there earlier. Timing is usually the answer when logic fails.
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The Ash Twin Project is the Key
You’ve probably seen the towers on Ash Twin. They’re basically giant USB ports for the sun. This is where most players get incredibly frustrated. To understand how to beat Outer Wilds, you have to master the warp towers.
Each tower corresponds to a planet. The design of the tower reflects the destination. The one that looks like a giant tornado? That goes to Giant’s Deep. The one that looks like... well, a ruin? That goes to Brittle Hollow. But the twin towers—the ones that look like a pair of bridges—are the ones that matter most. One goes to Ember Twin. The other goes to the heart of the Ash Twin Project itself.
Here is the trick that trips everyone up: The warp only triggers when the planet you're warping to is directly overhead.
But the Ash Twin Project is inside the planet you’re standing on. The "overhead" point is actually the center of the Ember Twin/Ash Twin gravity well. You have to stand on the warp pad exactly when the sand pillar passes over you. But the sand sucks you up, right? You have to hide under the little bridge alcove until the very last second, then run onto the pad.
Inside that core, you’ll find the Advanced Warp Core. That is your golden ticket. Once you pull that out, the music changes. The stakes change. The 22-minute loop is no longer a safety net; if you die now, it’s game over (well, for that run).
Solving the Giant's Deep and Brittle Hollow Puzzles
Before you can use that core, you need coordinates. These are hidden in the Probe Tracking Module.
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To get there, you have to go under the current on Giant's Deep. How? The cyclones. Most of them throw you up into space. But look closely—one of them rotates counter-clockwise. That one pushes you down. Once you're under the current, you’ll hit an electric barrier. This is where the jellyfish come in.
Feldspar—the absolute legend living in a fish carcass—tells you that jellyfish are "insulating." You have to swim up into the "head" of a jellyfish from underneath. Don't touch the tentacles. Just drift up into the gooey center and let it carry you through the electricity.
Meanwhile, on Brittle Hollow, you need to find the Southern Observatory. This is where the Nomai figured out that the Eye of the Universe is in a distant, stable orbit. You need the knowledge from this observatory to understand why the orbital probe cannon was fired in the first place. You can't just "guess" your way to the end. You need the data.
The Final Run to the Vessel
Once you have the coordinates from the Probe Tracking Module (found underwater on Giant's Deep) and the Advanced Warp Core (from the center of Ash Twin), it’s time for the finale.
You have to go back to Dark Bramble.
Honestly, Dark Bramble is everyone's least favorite part. It’s scary, it’s foggy, and the Anglerfish are nightmare fuel. But there's a trick. They are blind. They hear you. If you are using your thrusters, they will eat you.
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When you enter the "node" containing the Anglerfish, stop touching your controller. Just drift. Your momentum will carry you past them. Only when you are a safe distance away should you gently—and I mean gently—tap your thrusters.
You are looking for the Vessel. This is the ancient Nomai ship that crashed ages ago. Inside, you’ll find a broken warp core slot and a coordinate input device.
- Insert the Advanced Warp Core.
- Input the three shapes you found in the Probe Tracking Module.
- Push the sphere up the pillar to warp.
You’re not in the solar system anymore. You’ve made it.
The End of Everything
When you reach the Eye of the Universe, the game shifts from a physics simulator to something much more metaphysical. You aren't "beating" a boss. You are witnessing the end of a universe and the birth of a new one.
You need to gather your friends. Even if they’re just memories or echoes. Find the instruments. Find Solanum on the Quantum Moon if you haven't already (seriously, do the Quantum Moon questline before you finish, it changes the ending).
The ending of Outer Wilds is about acceptance. It's about the fact that things end, and that's okay because something new starts afterward. When you jump into the eye, you're completing the work the Nomai started thousands of years ago.
Actionable Next Steps for Completion
- Check your Ship Log in "Rumor Mode." If there are any question marks or "More to explore" bullets, you aren't ready for the final run.
- Practice the Ash Twin Warp. Don't wait until you have the core to try it. Get the timing down when the sand pillar passes over the broken tower.
- Visit the 6th Location. Land on the Quantum Moon, use the Shrine to move to the north pole, and ensure the moon is orbiting the Eye. If you don't meet Solanum, you're missing the emotional heart of the game.
- Master the "Drift" in Dark Bramble. Go into the red light node and practice moving without using your engines. It’s the only way to survive the final trek to the Vessel.
- Keep your scout active. If you're stuck in the fog or a dark area, your scout can reveal geometry and threats before you stumble into them.
Beating Outer Wilds isn't about reflexes. It's about curiosity. If you've reached the point where you know why the sun is exploding and how to stop it (or rather, what to do about it), you're already 90% of the way there. Just take a deep breath, watch the horizon, and wait for the music to start.