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Words of Advice
Return of the Obra Dinn

Words of Advice

Learn essential advice for Return of the Obra Dinn, including memory mechanics and logbook usage, to solve the mystery.

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Learn essential advice for Return of the Obra Dinn, including memory mechanics and logbook usage, to solve the mystery.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    The game is non-linear; memories can be completed in any order once areas are unlocked.
  2. 2
    You can revisit any corpse's memory multiple times.
  3. 3
    Once in a memory, you can move freely and examine items, but cannot interact with doors or use the watch on corpses within the memory.
  4. 4
    Memories fade after a certain time, filling in the passenger log page with corpse information and fate slots.
  5. 5
    Some memories have no connected fates and fill in text immediately.
  6. 6
    Leaving the passenger log returns you to the memory; locate an open door to exit the memory and return to the Obra Dinn.
  7. 7
    Follow-up memories can be unlocked by activating the watch on specific corpses within a memory.
  8. 8
    When a follow-up is unlocked, characters appear as white outlines, the watch vibrates, and activating it transports you to the follow-up memory.
  9. 9
    Follow the spirit released from the watch to form a hologram of the corpse, which you can then examine.
  10. 10
    Memories with follow-ups often lack exit doors and cannot be left until the follow-up is unlocked.
  11. 11
    Revisiting a memory allows instant entry with two string notes, prevents fading until you choose to leave, and ensures the log page is pre-filled.
  12. 12
    The exit door appears in all memories upon revisitation, even those with follow-ups.
  13. 13
    Approaching a corpse with a follow-up memory in a revisited memory instantly transports you to that follow-up.
  14. 14
    Circled locations in the logbook indicate bodies to find.
  15. 15
    Logbook pages fill in as you see memories for the first time, with gaps for fates.
  16. 16
    Completing all memories for a chapter marks the first page of that chapter.
  17. 17
    Extra pages appear for characters whose corpses were not seen in memories.
  18. 18
    The logbook contains a map of the ship and its route, which can offer clues.
  19. 19
    A faded character face in the logbook means the game believes you lack sufficient information to identify them.
  20. 20
    A clear character face means you have seen the necessary memories to identify them, though you may need to identify others first.
  21. 21
    The number of triangles (one to three) next to a face indicates the difficulty of deducing their identity.
  22. 22
    Life at Sea sketches show all faces, their known name, and fate when moused over.
  23. 23
    Clicking dialog on a fate page shows the text; an 'X' indicates the speaker is the person for that fate.
  24. 24
    A line through an identity means it's already assigned to another person; choosing it assigns it to the current person and marks the other as 'unknown'.
  25. 25
    If a person's identity is found via a locked-in correct fate, it won't appear in the identity list.
  26. 26
    Changing a murderer's identity on one page does not update other pages; you must correct it manually on each relevant page.
  27. 27
    To revisit a memory associated with a logbook page, click the corpse's location.
Tips
  • The game is non-linear, allowing flexibility in how you approach solving the mystery.
  • Pay close attention to dialogue, especially accents and the 'X' marker, for identity clues.
  • Use the ship's map and route in the logbook to orient yourself and find clues.
  • The number of triangles is a helpful indicator of how difficult an identity will be to deduce.
  • Be aware that changing an identity can have ripple effects on other pages, requiring manual correction.

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