This walkthrough shows you how to crack Otto’s puzzle on the Free Market Station in The Outer Worlds 2. Here’s how to activate the switches in the correct sequence and open the door to his room.
The switch puzzle on the Free Market Station is one of the first real brainteasers in The Outer Worlds 2. At first glance, it looks impossible to open the door to Otto’s room—especially if you’re missing a crucial tool. In this guide, we’ll walk you through each step so you can solve it anyway and grab the loot waiting behind the door.
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The Outer Worlds 2: How to Find Otto’s Puzzle
You’ll find the puzzle inside the ACS Free Market, a crashed ship located on the Free Market Station. You can only access it after completing the main quest on Paradise Island. Head down the main corridor to the marketplace, turn into the dark alley on the right, and go through the back rooms. There, you’ll come across a wall with eleven switches arranged in a grid. Right next to it is a locked door leading to Otto’s room.
How to Solve Otto’s Puzzle – With and Without the N-Ray
The puzzle is meant to be solved using the N-Ray Scanner. This gadget lets you see through walls and trace the power lines behind the switches—but to get it, you’ll need to advance the main story. You’ll receive it during the main quest in the Golden Ridge region.
Switch Order for the Three Door Locks
Even without the N-Ray, you can solve the puzzle — if you know the correct order. The switches are arranged in three rows: top, middle, and bottom. Read them from left to right in each row.
1st Lock:
- Top row, switch 3
- Top row, switch 2
- Middle row, switch 2
- Bottom row, switch 1
2nd Lock:
- Middle row, switch 4
- Middle row, switch 3
- Top row, switch 1
3rd Lock:
- Bottom row, switch 4
- Bottom row, switch 3
- Bottom row, switch 2
- Middle row, switch 1
Once the switches are flipped in this sequence, they’ll glow blue, and the door to Otto’s room will unlock. Pay close attention to the order—one wrong switch can jam the entire circuit.
Inside Otto’s room, you’ll find a journal entry that you’ll need for the quest “The Last Voyage of the ACS Free Market.” Confront Otto with what you’ve learned, and he’ll fill you in on the missing details.
You’ll also discover an advanced decryption key that can be used to unlock the sealed container on the Incognito and retrieve additional items for Valerie’s companion quest.
