Outer Savages is one of the most innovative puzzle games of any generation – and with the new Echoes of the Eye DLC available to everyone, it's the perfect time to revisit the vanilla adventure. In Outer Savages, you're given a spaceship and a single objective; explore before a supernova wipes out all life in the solar system. You have 22 minutes to learn as much as you can about the various strange (and fully simulated) planets, uncover the secrets of a vast, ancient alien project to discover an anomaly in deep space.
Outer Savages is an odd puzzle game, as there are no traditional puzzles. Instead, this game is all about discovery. Learn how alien technology works and the mysteries of the solar system, so you can finally achieve your true purpose. It can take 22 hours, or 22 minutes if you know exactly what to do. And guess what, I know exactly what to do. After many replays, I think I can confidently explain what you need to do to complete Outer Savages in a single cycle.
Not that you should. If you're struggling to reach the end of the game, or are just curious about which steps are 100% absolutely necessary, we have a guide on how to complete the game from the beginning – no previous experience necessary. However, I really recommend practicing. There is virtually no way to win in a single cycle. But, you can win in record time just by knowing all the steps to reach the mysterious anomaly.
Step 1: Obtaining the coordinates of the anomaly
Before you can get to the anomaly – your end goal – you need to get the contact details. The coordinates are located in a probe trapped in the core de Giant's Chasm. The core of the planet has an impassable ocean current.
- How to cross the deep currents of the giant: To reach the heart of Giant's Chasm, find it counterclockwise tornado.
- Most tornadoes are clockwise - watch the tornadoes and check what causes the islands to sink instead of soar into the sky.
- Entering this tornado in your ship will propel you through the impassable current and into the depths of Giant's Deep.
Once in the center of the planet, you will have to pass a second electrified barrier to reach the core.
- How to pass through the electrified core: To enter the Heart, leave your ship and float inside one of the jellyfish bodies. While inside a jellyfish, you are immune to the electrical effects of the core. Inside, wait for the jellyfish to slowly descend into the core.
- To hide inside a jellyfish, float underneath and climb into the tentacles. You'll need to move carefully inside the electrified "cage" to avoid taking shock damage.
Now that you are in the Core, find the crashed section of the Orbital probes and enter it. Target the giant shiny blue ball in the tube and move it to the last spot – translate the floating text to get the Twin Ash Coordinates.
This step makes DO NOT need to be repeated. Once you have Ash Twin coordinates, you have them forever.
Step #2: Collect Advanced Warp Core
WARNING: From now on, all steps must be repeated if you die. The following steps must be carried out in the same cycle, over the same lifetime. This is the trickiest part of the adventure. Before trying, I highly recommend fully exploring the black bramble and find the Installing the Ash Twin Project alone.
Then we have to go to The hourglass twins. On the twin ash (the smallest planet covered in sand) the player must wait for the sand to drop enough to reveal Two Distortion Towers on the planet's equator – part of a long elevated bridge.
- How to enter the Ash Twin project: Entering smaller / ruined tower will teleport you to Installing the Ash Twin Project — but only when passing the sand suction tower.
- Entering the tallest tower teleports you to a site near a lab on Ember Twin.
- Hide under the bridge connecting the two towers or inside the room in the small alcove, then exit onto the warp platform just as the Ember twin is directly above you.
Once inside the facility, find the shiny blue control balls. Use the two balls at the end to expose the Advanced Warp Core, then turn off gravity to reach it. Grab the Advanced Warp Core and go.
WARNINGS: Taking the Advanced Warp Core will deactivate the project, which means death is permanent! Before doing this, I highly recommend practicing the next step. Then comes the hardest part. You are also limited in time. Come back to this step after reading and get the kernel as soon as possible.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Before entering the Installing the Ash Twin Project, be sure to park your ship on the poles of the planet — NOT ECUADOR. If your ship gets sucked into the sand funnel, you'll have a much harder time reaching it safely.
Step 3: Bring the advanced warp core into the ship
The last step is in the black bramble. It's a terrifying and dangerous place filled with huge angler fish enemies - they'll eat your whole ship if you make noise. The Dark Bramble consists of huge angler-filled pocket chambers.
NOTE: To get the Escape pod distress signal for your signal range, you must activate one of the Escape Pods. You will find crushed relief capsules on Brittle Hollow et Ember Twin.
- How to find the ship: Inside of black bramble, you must follow a Escape pod distress signal with the signal range.
- Advance to the Red light far away. You will reach a red threshold – which leads to a deadly area teeming with anglers.
- Inside the core, when you're far enough away from the fishermen (don't hear the breathing), you use the Signalscope to find the Escape Pod.
Once you find the Escape Pod, follow the trail of bodies and lights to the Ship. There are no more anglers once you reach the Escape Pod crash site.
- How to Survive Angler Fish Ambush: Give yourself some speed to float in the knot without having to use your thrusters. The sound of thrusters will activate enemies.
- Float in threes (without using thrusters) – you can reorient yourself. Once you're far enough away that you can't hear their breathing, you can use thrusters sparingly again.
You can also leave your ship and travel in a spacesuit without your ship to reduce thruster noise, but this is not strictly required. Follow the distress signal with the signal range directly to Ship.
Step 4: Reach the Eye of the Universe
Once you have found the Ship, go to the control room. Below, remove the Broken Warp Core and enter the job Advanced Warp Core to power the installation.
Then go to the control room and enter the coordinates of the anomaly — once the portal is activated, you just have to go through it to enter the final part.
The rest is a BIG SPOILERS. The ending leads to some very weird places, but you can't fail once you reach the anomaly. You are free to explore as much as you need. You are no longer subject to a time limit. You have broken the cycle and discovered the truth!
