Core Shack Hints

Please note this page is still in testing, feel free to send any comments or issues to vlee [at] miningmatters.ca (vlee[at]miningmatters[dot]ca)

Use the Ctrl key to see the controls. Don’t forget you can use the right mouse button (click and hold) to look around. 

The hints are roughly ordered in the expected puzzle order, but to avoid any spoilers we recommend that you use the search function (ctrl+f) to search for key words (e.g. computer, phone, etc.) in the puzzle that you need help with.

Main Room: Coloured Core (On the Ground)

Hint 1

The cores on the ground have distinct colours, do they match something near by?

Hint 2

The writing on the core rack suggests an order.

Hint 3

The map above and to the left of the core rack has a legend with periods listed on the poster to the right.

Solution

Place the pieces of core on the core rack from youngest to oldest: Yellow (Jurassic), orange (Permian), blue (Ordovician), red (Cambrian).

Main Room: Water Spray Pump

Hint 1

Press the buttons on the table, you will need to listen very carefully.

Hint 2

The red buttons are paired with a roman numeral. I = 1, II = 2, III = 3, VI = 4

Solution

The sequence of sounds plays as follows: drill, clang, honk, clang, drill, beep (4, 2, 1, 2, 4, 3).

Main Room: Desk to the Right of the Doors

Hint 1

You will need to find something to use with the apparatus on the desk before you can move on.

Hint 2

Use the sieves with the apparatus and sediment jar.

Hint 3

Maybe you can match the sorted sediment to the chart to the left? Try using one of your tools to help you see better.

Solution

The grain chart goes from coarse to very fine, the matching jars are as follows: Jar second from the right (3), Left jar (1), Right jar (4), Jar second from the left (2).

Main Room: Unlocking the Computer

Hint 1

Have you looked around for something that is 4 digits or letters long?

Hint 2

There are four pieces of coloured core on the floor.

Hint 3

You will need to solve the coloured core puzzle first.

Solution

Use the letters that appeared on the coloured core when it was correctly laid out: MINE

Main Room: Open the Cabinet

Hint 1

This looks like a jigsaw puzzle, have you seen any puzzle pieces?

Hint 2

Look (click and drag with right mouse button) to the bottom left of the locker.
Tips: Puzzle pieces can be put back in the box by clicking on them, unfortunately you cannot drag or move pieces once the are placed. Try placing the pieces with words first, you can also look at the shapes of the pieces, they are all unique. It is recommended that you remove any misplaced pieces before selecting another piece.

Solution

The puzzle box is on the floor left of the locker. Complete the puzzle and you will unlock the drawer.

Main Room: Open the Cabinet Drawers

Hint 1

 Looks like there are animals on each dial…and a note youngest down to oldest.

Hint 2

Is there a something with animals and ages on it?

Hint 3

The geological time poster above the core rack shows the ages of the animals.

Solution

Top down the youngest to oldest is Dinosaur, Insect, Fish, Corals, Trilobite.

Main Room: Left Door

Hint 1

You need PPE to enter, look around, be nosey, open every door and drawer.

Hint 2

Try looking (click and drag with right mouse button) down by your feet.

Hint 3

Have you opened the cabinet yet?

Hint 4

Try sorting some sediment.

Solution

The boots are down and to the left of your starting position. The mask is in the cabinet. The safety glasses are in the drawer of the desk to the right of the doors.

Left Room: Power Circuit

Hint 1

Have you seen these words before, it might be a bit puzzling.

Hint 2

The puzzle to open the cabinet had these words along with some arrows.

Solution

 The mining cycle follows this order: Exploration, Development, Operation, and Reclamation.

Left Room: Filing Cabinet

Hint 1

There are letters on the lock, maybe you can find these letters somewhere else too?

Hint 2

The sign by the rocks on the table has words that start with familiar letters: Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic.

Hint 3

What else is on the table, could that be useful?

Solution

You will need to identify the rocks based on their descriptions and then weigh each sample. Input the weight of each rock next to the letter of the rock type. The code from top down is (I: 6), (S:3), (M:4).

Left Room: Diamond Saw

Hint 1

You will need to turn on the water, where do the pipes go?

Hint 2

You will need to find a new saw blade, have you looked everywhere in the room?

Hint 3

The diamond saw doesn’t have power; can you find the power circuit?

Solution

Follow the pipes to the left and click on the valve to turn on the water. The new saw blade is in the Filing Cabinet, and the Power Circuit needs to be connected.

Main Room/Left Room: Picking a Sample

Hint 1

The samples are too dry to see properly, is there something you can use to wet them?

Hint 2

There doesn’t seem to be any more equipment in this room, can you open any of the doors?

Hint 3

Not equipment but Send and Results boxes. What does the dragon’s email say you need to do?

Hint 4

Read the analysis… do the numbers match the dragon’s request?

Solution

The dragon, Sodalite, wants you to wash, cut, and send the gold samples for analysis until you find the one with 3g/t. You will need to unlock the Water Spray Pump and use it on the core. To cut the core you will need to first find your PPE to open the Left Door. Then fix the Diamond Saw to cut the core. The cut core can be placed in the Send box for analysis. Repeat this until you find the core (right most piece on the core rack) that has 3g/t of gold.

Main Room: Right Door

Hint 1

You need to send the correct core for analysis before you can open this door.

Hint 2

The correct core results have a note at the bottom, can you find these ores mentioned anywhere else?

Hint 3

 The map with the ores has a grid, can these be changed into directions?

Solution

Moving along the map grid starting at the Diamond mine, to the Copper mine, and finishing at the Gold mine gives you will move North, North, North, East, and East (N, N, N, E, E). This will unlock the door.

Right Room: Unlocking the Second Computer

Hint 1

 The password hint shows gold-hematite-magnetite-pyrite…can you find these minerals anywhere?

Hint 2

Can you tell the minerals apart? The chart gives you lots of clues and there is another tool that you can find to help.

Hint 3

Have a close look at the streak plates.

Solution

Once you identify the minerals (left to right: Gold, Pyrite, Magnetite, and Hematite), look at the small numbers on their streak plates. Arrange the small numbers in the order given by the computer for the password: 3714.

Right Room: Volcano

Hint 1

There are so many educational posters and items in this mine, maybe there is something about volcanos?

Hint 2

Which combination of lava and gas do diamonds need to reach the surface?

Solution

Thick lava and high gas results in a composite volcano. This type of volcano can and in this case did bring up a diamond.

Right Room: Storing the Core

Hint 1

Where have we seen a map with a gold deposit?

Hint 2

All the other core is locked in the core storage racks, have you seen a numerical code that you can enter?

Hint 3

You may need your hand lens to look closely at numbers etched into a gem.

Solution

Use the numbers from the diamond (0923010021) that appeared from the volcano to unlock the core storage racks. Use the map in the first room to find the Surface Rock type and age. Combine it with the bore hole number and the depth to determine where the core should be stored. The correct core box label is SJ #6 at 547-553m. You need to place the core sample you analyzed earlier and place it in that core box.

Did You Know?

There is a bonus puzzle hidden in the core shack, find it and you can see the Dragon Code of Conduct.