Honestly, playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels like stepped-on LEGOs at first if you try to play it like Uncharted. It isn't a cover shooter. If you start blasting every Nazi you see in the Vatican, you're going to see the "Game Over" screen faster than Indy can lose his hat. This is a game about being a nerd with a whip, not a commando.
I've spent dozens of hours poking around the ruins of Gizeh and the dusty libraries of Rome. The biggest mistake? Ignoring the journal. Seriously. Every little scrap of paper you find isn't just "lore." It's often the literal answer to a puzzle sitting three rooms away. If you’re stuck, you've probably already walked past the solution.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Walkthrough: Survive the Early Game
The Vatican is your first real test. It’s big, it’s beautiful, and the guards are everywhere. You’ll find that stealth is basically mandatory unless you want to get swarmed by twenty guys with clubs.
Pro tip: use your ears.
Guards talk. A lot. They’ll mention keys, secret passages, or even where they’ve hidden a specific bottle of wine. If you're looking for the Blackshirt Key, don't just wander around. Look for the laundry area or listen to the patrol paths.
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The Art of the Bonk
Combat in this game is weirdly slapstick. You can parry, which you should do constantly, but the real secret is the environment. Pick up a bottle. Throw it. Pick up a lute. Smash it over someone's head. If an enemy is blocking, hold the attack button for a heavy thwack to break their guard.
- Bread vs. Fruit: It sounds silly, but eat your carbs. Bread boosts health; fruit boosts stamina.
- The Lighter: You get this later, but early on, you’re stuck with torches. If you need to climb or whip-swing, Indy will drop the torch. Throw the torch to where you're going first.
Solving the Gizeh Mysteries
Once you hit Gizeh, the game opens up. It’s less of a linear corridor and more of a "where do I go" sandbox. You’ll want to find the Nazi Disguise as soon as possible. It lets you walk right into the excavations, provided you don't linger too long near a Captain. Those guys see through your outfit like it’s glass.
The Cloud Atlas Mystery is a big one here. Most people get stuck at the Meteorological Station. You need a key code for the lockbox.
The Gizeh Lockbox Code: 0609.
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Inside, you’ll find the Gizeh Medicine book. This is huge because it marks every single medicine bottle in the region on your map. These bottles are the currency for your health and stamina upgrades, so skipping this makes the rest of the game way harder than it needs to be.
The Canopic Jars
In the Seat of Eternity mystery, you have to place jars in a specific order to open a sarcophagus. Look for the breakable wall next to the main room—the Baboon jar is hidden back there. The correct order from left to right is: Human - Falcon - Jackal - Baboon.
Upgrading the Right Way
You don't just "level up" in this game. You find Adventure Books. But finding them is only half the battle. You still have to spend Adventure Points to actually activate the skill. You get these points by taking photos with your camera and finding artifacts.
If you see a camera icon pop up in the corner of your screen, stop. Look around. Take the picture. It’s free XP.
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Skills you should get immediately:
- Lucky Hat: This is the best perk in the game. If you get knocked down, you can crawl to your hat, put it on, and get a second wind. It’s basically a revive.
- Climbing Ace: You’ll be doing a lot of climbing. This makes you faster and uses less stamina.
- Brawler: It just makes your punches hurt more. Simple, but necessary when the "big muscle boys" start showing up.
What Nobody Tells You About the Whip
The whip isn't just for swinging over pits. In combat, you can target specific body parts.
- Whip the eyes: Blinds them and staggers them back.
- Whip the ankles: Trips them instantly.
If you find the Sleight of Hand book, you can even yank weapons right out of Nazi hands. It’s incredibly satisfying to take a riot baton away from a guy and then use it to knock him out.
Don't Fear the Backwards Walk
If you’re standing on a ledge and need to get down without breaking your ankles, walk off backwards. Indy will automatically grab the ledge. It feels counter-intuitive, but it saves your health bar.
Practical Next Steps for Your Journey
If you’re just starting your Indiana Jones and the Great Circle walkthrough, focus on the Vatican relics first. They teach you the rhythm of the game.
- Check the map sellers: Each hub (Vatican, Gizeh, Sukhothai) has a book seller. Spend the money. Buying the region-specific books will put collectible markers on your map, saving you hours of aimless wandering.
- Repair your guns: Disguise weapons break. Keep an eye out for repair kits in tents and guard houses.
- Toggle the markers: If you’re truly lost, go into the "Hud & Gameplay" settings. You can turn on objective markers and even lower the puzzle difficulty if a riddle is making you want to pull your hair out.
The game is a slow burn. Take your time, stay in the shadows, and remember: if it looks like a trap, it probably is. Keep your eyes on the ceiling and your hand on your whip.