Quick Walkthrough
Start at the construction-site tunnel northeast of the vendor in eastern Central, follow it into the Testing Facility, and listen to the recording. Work through six labs, then finish the Threshold inside the Unknown facility.
The six labs are in Downtown, Central, Evacuation Zone, West Incursion Zone, The Park and Unknown. Three use state-changing soda dispensers; the other three use charged Power Cores. The map marks the laboratory location rather than the doorway, which explains why standing directly on a marker may leave you above an inaccessible room.
Finish each experiment at its own terminal before moving to the next marker. The concluding sequence appears after the six facilities are shut down, so finding the entrance to the Unknown lab alone does not complete the Side Story.
How to Start Unsupervised Science
In eastern Central, search the construction site northeast of the vendor. The tunnel goes down into a Testing Facility; the recording there starts the Side Story. A coordinates file at a facility also adds the locations to your map.
Once markers appear, use them as an area guide. Look around each marked block for stairs, an unfinished building, a tunnel or a sewer entrance. Searching for a hatch exactly under the pin is the common navigation error.
The practical distinction is between discovering a facility and completing its experiment. Enter the room, read its terminal or whiteboard, perform the local puzzle, and trigger shutdown. Only then move on. You can take the labs in an order that suits your unlocked zones.
Testing Facilities and First Objectives
Use this table to identify the entrance area and puzzle family before spending time on the wrong side of the street.
Downtown’s Testing Facility Reade is under construction and may contain Hiss enemies. Clear the approach and search within the building for the way down. The Evacuation Zone entrance is more conveniently anchored to the Survivalist’s Bunker fast travel point. In The Park, two sewer approaches can lead toward the same facility.
| Zone | Entrance clue | Experiment |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown | Testing Facility Reade, east side of zone | Soda Dispenser |
| Central | Construction site east of Patterned Factory | Power Core transfer |
| Evacuation Zone | Beside Survivalist’s Bunker fast travel | Soda Dispenser |
| West Incursion Zone | South of House of Mirrors | Soda Dispenser |
| The Park | Northeast sewer approaches | Power Core transfer |
| Unknown | Middle-west of fast travel point | Power Core transfer |
Step-by-Step Experiment Walkthrough
The experiments repeat a mechanic with different room geometry. Learn the rule once, then apply it to the later locations rather than copying a route through an unrelated chamber.
Soda Dispenser rooms: Downtown, Evacuation and West Incursion
Read the terminal and whiteboard first. Objects change state when they cross the yellow lines. The target is a Soda Dispenser state in the center box. Carry an item through a line, observe its new state, and use the position of the line to make another change as needed. You can cross a line yourself without carrying the object to alter your position for the next pass.
In Downtown, the whiteboard makes the state-change rule visible. Evacuation uses the same logic near the Survivalist’s Bunker entrance, and West Incursion repeats it south of the House of Mirrors. If an item changes past the intended form, keep the line and box in view and cycle it again deliberately.
Power Core rooms: Central, The Park and Unknown
The Central facility starts a timed shutdown using four Power Cores, two initially charged. Watch the uncharged cores for a blinking red cue, then move a charge from a live core to the one requesting it. Keep the transfers going through the sixty-second sequence. The Park uses the same basic timing and warning signal.
Unknown adds a fifth core, so scan the whole room rather than assuming the next target is beside the last one. Move to a position where all core indicators are visible before starting; the time pressure is easier when you know where each target is. If the sequence stops, restart from the terminal and respond to the blinking cue rather than transferring power at random.
Final Threshold in the Unknown
After all six experiments, return to the Unknown facility. Its Threshold opens near the final lab reward area. The route is deliberately confusing, so use the names on the floor as fixed references.
Going left or straight from the opening produces transformations that loop the route rather than advancing it. If you end up as a chair or telephone booth, return to the named junction and take the right passage. The last interaction with the body, not the core transfer alone, closes the Side Story.
- Choose the right passage first. At the opening, Janson is marked left and Puchalski ahead. Take the right route instead.
- Break the board. Follow the right route to the board at the end and hit it.
- Move the charge. Take the left path to collect power, continue ahead, then take the left branch at the split to activate the dead core.
- Complete the investigation. Collect what is in the opened room, return to the split, go straight and interact with the body.
What to Do Next
The last body interaction finishes Unsupervised Science. If another Central Side Story is active, Crossing the Threshold follows a separate evidence trail; Panopticon Service Request is a containment puzzle near Langston.
- Crossing the Threshold walkthrough — The Field Hospital and Dig Site investigation.
- Panopticon Service Request — Terminal repair and radio containment.
Last Reviewed
September 26, 2026.
FAQ
How many Testing Facilities are there? Six, spread across Downtown, Central, Evacuation Zone, West Incursion Zone, The Park and Unknown.
Why is the map marker above a closed floor? The marked laboratory is underground; search nearby buildings or tunnels for its entrance.
What ends Unsupervised Science? Complete all six experiments, traverse the Unknown Threshold and interact with the body at the end.