Rosewater walkthrough

Walkthrough by Grundislav Games

NOTE: Rosewater features several puzzles with multiple solutions, as well as encounters/excursions in Act 2 that are completely randomized or based on your companion relationships.

ACT ONE
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ARRIVAL IN ROSEWATER

After speaking to Jem, you can proceed to the offices of the Rosewater Post. When trying to enter, you will encounter a man being thrown out the window. Decide how to handle the situation, then proceed inside. Show the clerk your letter from Joan (right-click, press i, or move the mouse to the top of the screen to access inventory) then head upstairs to be interviewed. After speaking with Joan, head to the saloon and witness a conversation between two very odd people. Enter the saloon and speak to the young man guarding the stairs. He mentions that Jake is performing at the theater. Head to the theater and speak with Jem. You can get past him a couple of ways: get back his watch, or knock him out. If you choose to knock him out, proceed to "AFTER THE SHOW."

GETTING JEM'S WATCH

Jem tells you his watch is in the old smithy's place, where Lola Johnson is squatting. There are two ways in: picking the lock, or smashing the lock.

To smash the lock, simply pick up one of the loose tiles from outside the theater and use it on the lock (when there are no pedestrians on screen)

To pick the lock, head back to Doc Sedgwick's office. As he is preoccupied with a patient, he won't notice you taking his bag of medical supplies from the back counter. Go over to the Sheriff's office, and "ask about" either of the photos on the right-hand wall. While he's blabbing about it, swap your medial pouch for the bag of lockpicks on his desk. Use the lockpicks on the lock, and consult your journal for a clue about the lock type. Place the tension key and the snake pick. Wiggle the key, and while it's moving, turn the pick according to the rhyme (Long, Long Run = Left, Left, Right)

Once inside, search all the areas until you find the watch (the location is randomized at the start of every game)

If you picked the lock, Harley gets out quietly. If you smashed the lock, Lola shows up and chews you out. Head back to the theater and give Jem the watch.

Enjoy the show!

AFTER THE SHOW

If you knocked out Jem, you'll be arrested. But don't worry, after a brief chat with Lola Johnson, Jake and Danny will show up and bail you out.

Now you'll get your chance to interview Jake. After a few questions, he'll cut the interview short, at which point you'll head downstaurs and find yourself in the middle of a saloon brawl. Try picking up the bottle from the table, then press the button on the dumbwaiter when the thug has moved to knock him out. You can either punch out the thug fighting Danny or use the bottle on him.

Jake recruits you to go look for Dr. Bennet Clark's missing fortune. Before you know it, you're at his abandoned desert lab.

CLARK'S DESERT LAB

Approaching the lab, Jake suggests getting help at the fort. Pick up the empty bottles from the box and head over to the fort. You'll encounter an odd person with an even odder hat. Once at the fort, speak to the guard, who makes it clear he's annoyed by the noise. Speak with Marisol and ask her to practice elsewhere. When she refuses, you can challenge her to a shooting contest. If you have the bottles, Harley will automatically give them to her. Otherwise, you'll have to use them on Marisol.

You can try shooting the bottles yourself. You need to hit more than 3 to beat Marisol. You can ask Jake to throw them slower after your second failed attempt. You can also ask Danny to beat Marisol for you (if you fail the challenge 3 times, this will be your only option)

Once Marisol is gone, speak to the guard again. He'll open the door for you. Enter the fort and watch the cutscene. You'll find yourself inside a warehouse/prison.

THE NATIVE VILLAGE

Speak to Jake and ask him about a plan. He'll tell you he needs 3 things: something sharp, something pliable, and something metallic. Luckily, you've got something metallic - the tinfoil hat from the weirdo in the desert. For the something pliable, take some soap from the basket in the back left part of the room. Speak to Phil and ask him about Stokes. He'll get mad and smash a pot. Pick up the shard and give it to Jake. Voila! His plan is complete.

You'll meet Nadine Redbird and Chief Luzi. After some discussion, you'll get to pick a plan to raid a supply wagon. You can either keep a bluff going long enough with Jake, be stealhy with Nadine, or attack the wagon with Phil. Afterwards, you'll regroup with Chief Luzi, then head back to the lab. Jake recovers his hat, and you can take a flag (Phil will carry it if you don't) Phil blasts the door open.

TURNING ON THE LAB

Exploring the lab, you'll find that the power is off. There's a large generator in the room to the left, but it's not working. Ask Jake to borrow the arrowhead, and you can use it to unscrew the panel and look inside. Two of the wires are damaged - one is corroded, the other chewed. If you don't have the flag, you can ask Phil for it. Use the arrowhead on the flag to tear a small piece off, and use the cloth to cover the chewed wire. Head out into the map and notice a new area: a wagon. Speak to Olivia Coaltit and puchase a bottle of her Miracle Elixir. Since it's 98% alcohol, you can use it to remove the corrosion on the other wire. Flip the switch and the generator powers up! Danny and Nadine rejoin you, and you're found by Emissary Paul, who takes you to Chrysalis.

CHRYSALIS

Your goal here is to find some clue to Clark's wherabouts. If you speak to the man you saw outide the lab, you learn he's guarding a museum of Clark's artifacts. You need to get in and search, and can go about this two ways: finding him a new artifact, or causing a distraction (if you manage to get inside and he catches you before you find anything, you'll have to cause the distraction)

FINDING THE ARTIFACT

If you try and get the box in the corner of Clark's lab, you'll find it's too far to reach. Ask Danny to shoot it down for you. Inside are a wrench and a knob. Place the knob on the console in the main room of the lab (when looking at it close up). If you enter the code on the paper, you'll activate the aetheric cannon and realize that the door to the test chamber requires a code. Speak to the various residents of Chrysalis to learn about Dr. Clark and what number might be important to him. (Solution is at the bottom of this document under CODE SOLUTIONS) Once you enter the code and the door opens, enter the test chamber and pick up the vine-covered dummy head on the floor. Present it to Oberlinn and gain access to the museum.

CAUSING A DISTRACTION

Speak to Phil about the museum, and he'll suggest causing a distraction by blowing up the lab. He needs an accelerant, a plunger, and some fertilizer. Give him the remaining elixir (accelerant) and ask Danny to shoot down the box in the next room. You can use the wrench on the broken wagon next to Nadine to get the handle, which works as a plunger. The fertilizer is in a box at the main Chryalis entrance. 

Once inside the museum, search until you find a diary (if you get caught, see the above paragraph for how to get back in) Read the diary and the letter, then present the letter to Jake. Looks like you're going to El Presidio! But first, you need to arrange some transportation.

BACK IN ROSEWATER

You need some money, so go back to the Rosewater post and write your article about Jake using the typewriter in the lobby. Give the article to Joan and receive your compensation. Depending on how you got into the theater, your options for hiring Lola will differ.

IF YOU SNUCK INTO LOLA'S:

Lola will be in the abandoned smithy. Her fee is 40 crowns, but you can ask her about her watch and get it back for a discount (see BROKE INTO)

IF YOU BROKE INTO LOLA'S:

Lola is in the abandoned smithy, but refuses to deal with you unless you get her watch back. Jem is now in front of the saloon selling maps. Ask him about the watch. You can bribe him, persuade him, or knock him out. To persuade him successfully, tell him that being a criminal isn't fun like he thinks it is.

IF YOU KNOCKED OUT JEM:

Lola is in jail. Speak to her about renting her wagon, then speak to the Sheriff about bailing her out.

The wagon is hired, and Lola tells you to meet her at sundown. You're off to El Presidio!

ACT TWO
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In the wagon, you can speak to your companions and get to know them better, or you can pass the time by playing cards, reading, or asking Jake for a story (note that sequences will begin after 3 companion interactions) The trip is divided into Vignettes, Companion Excursions, and Main Scenes. The Vignettes are randomized at the start of each game, and the Companion Excursions are determined by your relationship status with each companion. 

VIGNETTES 
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WELL

Jake and Danny are admiring an oil Derrick, when Cormac, the worker, falls down and hangs by his ankle. You have a limited number of turns to rescue him. Search the small cart near the wagon for some rope, and give it to either Jake or Danny. You can ask Lola to borrow her hunting knife once Jake suggests cutting the rope. If Jake is holding the rope, ask Danny to shoot the rope. If Danny has the rope, give Lola's knife to Jake and have him throw it at the rope. If you successfully save Cormac without causing him injury, he'll give you a letter to deliver to Vespuccia Petrol.

BOWERBIRD

Speak to Vilius Sirkas and learn about Martha. Go to the left to find Martha. Speak to her and learn she's married. Return to Sirkas and tell him about Martha being married, then return to her and tell her he won't take no for an answer. Martha's husband shows up. You'll need to defuse the situation.

BONES

You'll be recruited to dig for dinosaur bones. Pick one of your companions to help you. You'll be able to brush and dig to uncover fossils, picking what you want to tag or discard. You might even find some treasures!

POST

Speak to the postman and learn about what he thinks is in the post office. Go inside the post office, then exit. Ask Jake for something that might help - he gives you his mirror. Enter the post office and use the mirror on the shadow/desk. It's a wildcat! Speak to your companions and pick a way to deal with it. If the post office catches fire, you can use the metal jug outside the post office to put it out.

CASINO

If you choose to take the challenge, you might make some money. Stand to the left of the table and look at the lamp to realize the trick. Choose how to deal with Lady Tyché.

PHOTOS

Speaking to the gentleman with the camera, you can volunteer to model, but he wants men. Jake will say yes with no persuasion. Danny will agree if you have a high relationship with him. Phil can be conviced with the flipbook. To get it, set the timer on the wagon and take the book while Mr. Treadway is distracted.

HUNTING

Pick rabbits, pheasants, or fishing. When the bear appears, take one step back, then ask your companion to distract it with food.

EXCURSIONS 
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JAKE - SPRING

Navigate the conversation. If you choose to look around, look at the dead trees on the first screen. On the second screen, you can search the reeds and find a cow skull, one of the bushes to find some hidden boards, and you can also look at the circling vultures. Convince Jake that something is fishy, then decide what to do about Mr. Trout.

JAKE - BANDITS

Navigate your way around by examining clues in the environments. Once you find the bandits, pick a plan. HINT: You might want to take a moment to inspect your surroundings first.

DANNY - MEMORIAL

Speak to Danny. Pick up a branch from the second river rapids screen and use it to pry out the rock in the first screen with the river. To mark the rock, go back to the campsite and pick up some ash from the campfire. Give Danny some blue flowers.

DANNY - RIVER

Once Danny is in the river, speak to Jake and get his belts. Use the two belts on each other to make a loop, then use them on Danny to rescue him.

NADINE - HERBS

Pay attention to the plant descriptions and gather them for Nadine. You can use the branch to get the egg from the nest and feed the badger, or you can make the sleeping drug by getting the herbs. Find the snakeroot.

NADINE - FIREWOOD

Pick up the firewood. Use the rusty knife from the satchel to get the piece stuck under the rock. To deal with the coyote, you can either throw a rock at it, or craft a torch by placing the dry branch next to the flint rock, wrapping it with the torn cloth, soaking the cloth in alcohol, and striking the rock with the knife.

PHIL - DESERTER

Take the rag from the table and follow Phil down into the basement. Use the rag on the pole, then use the pole on the lamp to light it. Light the lantern on the far wall with the lit pole. Decide the deserter's fate.

PHIL - REFUGEES

Speak to everyone, then speak to Phil about a Remembrance Candle. Take the knife from the table and use it to cut part of the clothesline, as well as to scrape off the glob of wax from the pew. Take the wax from the lantern and the shelf. Place the three wax pieces in the pot and dip the string in it to make a candle. Give the candle to Phil.

LOLA - STARS

Identify the stars.

LOLA - SHRINE

Search around and find the statue of St. Christopher (in either the tree hole or the fallen log). Take the chalk from the pile of leaves. Grab the bottle and fill it in the pond, then boil it at the campfire. Place all the objects at the shrine.

MAIN SCENES
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SEA CAPTAIN

You can choose to help in the kitchen. Explore the house until the dinner gong sounds. After dinner, Jake and Phil want more rum. If you choose to help them, you can take the fireplace poker and either pry the door open, or sneak into the Captain's bedroom and use it to get his keys. Take some matches from the shelf in the kitchen and use it to light the lamp in the basement. After hearing the scream, go back and open the wardrobe in the Captain's room. Use a match to look closer and find a switch.

After finding Captain Boylan in the attic, go upstairs and search the trunk in the hall. Look at the sketch to get the name of the ship, then search the ship logs in the library and return the logbook to Jake. You now have to find props for each crewman, as well as an extra bit of information.

Bonelli - Take the hat from the pile of clothes in the empty room upstairs, and look at the model ship in the hallway.

Paiyo - Take the spyglass from the emtpy room upstairs, and search the cabinet to find an old chart. Light the second lamp in the basement and use the chart you found with the one on the wall to compare them and learn the name of the island.

Fisher - Take the stepstool from the basement and use it on the harpoon to get it down. Search Captain Boylan's desk to find a journal, and read it to learn about Fisher's lucky kerchief.

O'Malley - Take the quill and ink from Boylan's desk, and search the open cabinet in the kitchen to find the sea biscuit recipe.

Francois - Look inside the drawer in the upstairs bedroom, and take the correct scrimshaw (whale) from the table in the upstairs hallway.

Give all the items to Jake, then tell Nadine you're ready for the performance.

TROUPE

Note: In this scene, you are only required to help Faye and Quentin. Martina, Dwayne, and the props are optional.

After watching the show, speak to all the actors, especially Kate. You need to fix the show somehow.

Faye - Speak to Kate to learn about her old magic act with Quentin, then ask Quentin about it to learn about the old magic trunk. Search the red tent to find the clue to unlock the trunk using the buttons. Take the ledger from the secret compartment and look at it. Give it to Faye.

Quentin - Take the newspaper from the table and note the article about Dr. Clark. The words in ALL CAPS are your clue. Speak to Quentin and offer to help him with his character's motivations. Select the options that match the words in the newspaper.

Martina - Search the box of wax cylinders and take the one labelled "Saloon Singalong." Use it in the cylindrograph and Martina will sing. Speak to her about it and suggest she sing her lines.

Dwayne - Take the boxing gloves from the trunk in the red tent and give them to Dwayne.

Props - Speak to Phil about his idea. If you've helped Faye, you can take her brandy and give it to Phil.

NEW BETHEL

Note: At this point Nadine and Lola may be closer. If they are, they'll both be in the guest cabin.

Speak to everyone at dinner. The next morning, Harley suspects something is off about the community. Speak to all the community members, and note that Captain Perry wishes he could see some new part of the world. He's also fairly tight-lipped. Take the metal cup from Harley's room, and fill it with water from the barrel near Patrick. Heat the filled cup over the central fire. Open the tea caddy you got from Captain Boylan to find some tea. Head into the main tent, place the tea in the strainer, and pour the boiling water on it to brew some nice Ceylon tea. Giving this to Captain Perry will make him much more talkative.

Once you learn about the dissenters, speak with Bridget and confront her about Patrick being born in the wilderness. Speak to everyone about Abraham Levinski. Look at the newspaper you got from the theater troupe and compare it to Abraham's grave in the cemetery. Search the grave to find it's empty. Speak to Phil and tell him about the empty grave and The Silence. He'll let you search the nightstand, where you'll find a lens.

Meanwhile, look at the toys in Harley's room, then ask Patrick about them. He'll mention his hideout. Pick up some firewood from the woodpile, then give Nadine a piece (she'll either be in the cabin or with Sue Ellen in the focsle garden) Ask Nadine to carve you a wolf. If Lola and Nadine are in the cabin, ask them to leave. Give Patrick the wolf, and you'll follow him to the cabin. Afterwards, search behind the cross to find a crank. Use the crank in the slot to reveal a trapdoor. In the treehouse, use the lens in the telescope and look through it. 

At this point, you can recruit Jake, Danny, or Nadine to help distract Patrick. Once down the mountainside, look at the bush behind the wagon to find a secret cave. Take the printer's proof from the desk and look at it, then show it to Lola. Once you're back up the mountain, look inside Eliza's room to see the cloak the mysterious figure was wearing. Choose whether to tell Johanna or keep Eliza's secret.

THE AMBUSH

Speak to Phil about tactical recommendations and ask him for something to help. He'll toss you his flask. Speak to Danny and ask him if he's all right, then ask that he cover you. Go to the right, then move to the center tree. Try moving to the next tree, and Carson will shoot at you. Use the flask on the dry patch of dirt, then take the mud. Throw the mud at Carson. Head to the right and find Nadine. Ask her about Jake, and she'll give you his hat. Pick up the branch and use the hat on it to make a decoy. Use the decoy on Carson so Nadine can grab some dynamite. Give the dynamite to Phil.

ACT THREE
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After arriving in El Presidio and speaking with Shaw, your main goal is to get inside the Jolly Good Club. Walk around the map until you find the streets you've been told it's on, then search the area to reveal it. Knocking on the front door is no good, so you need to go into the alley behind the club. There are three NPCs here: a cook, a laundress, and a sick man. Depending on which two companions you have with you, you can enlist one of them to help you get inside.

DANNY - THE LAUNDRESS

The laundress explains that she's under a contract that she wants to break. Head to Chinatown and knock on the door. Once inside, speak with Jimmy to learn about the circumstances surrounding the contract. He'll give you a watch to repair. Examine the floor near the door, and notice a small gear stuck between the floorboard. You can retrieve t with your lockpick, or with a lodestone you can borrow from the Vespuccia Petrol office.

Head to the pawn shop and ask about buying a watch repair kit. Use it to repair the watch by placing the gears in the correct slots so they all turn when you wind the watch. Return the watch to Jimmy and you'll recieve a box. When you exit the tong, if Phil is with you, he'll offer to disarm the bomb. Deliver the box, return to the tong, and recieve Meihui's contract. At this point, if Phil is not with you, you can decide whether or not to warn the labor union about the bomb.

Give the contract to Meihui and she'll sneak Harley into the club.

PHIL - THE COOK

Speak to the cook and Phil volunteers you to help him join the local labor union. Go to the pawn shop at the wharf and read the signs on the wall: one of them mentions approaching a laborer and giving a pass phrase. Speak to the fruit vendor and give him the phrase to receive a pamphlet. Head to Enebro Square park and speak to the man there. Give him the correct sign, and you'll recieve some directions.

The poem is an encoded set of directions to find the location of the labor union. Once you've found it, knock on the door and say you wish to work. Inside, read the book on the pedestal to learn about the initiation ceremony. Look at the paintings. Go through the door and perform the initiation. If you fail more than 3 times, you won't be allowed back in and will have to choose another path.

If you successfully complete the initiation, you'll recieve a pin. Give it to the cook, and he'll let Harley into the club.

NADINE - THE SICK MAN

Nadine needs three ingredients to make a rehydration solution: a banana, coconut water, and ginger.

Banana - Take this from the bowl in the hotel lobby.

Coconut water - Go to the wharf and find the fruit vendor. You can buy a coconut from him. To get the watr, speak to the repairman outide the hotel, then take his drill. Search the trash bin in the back alley of the Jolly Good Club to find a greasy rag, and use it on the drill to get the rust off. Use the drill on the coconut.

Ginger - Speak to the repairman to learn the location of Chinatown (or if Danny is with you, you can learn from the laundress) Once there, speak with the apothecary, then look at his cabinet. Use the paper to figure out which drawer the ginger is in. If you're confused, speak to the apothecary again.

Give the rehydration solution to the man, and he'll tell you about a back door. You can use your lockpicks on the door. If you don't have any, you can buy some at the pawn shop at the wharf.

Once inside the Jolly Good Club, it's time to find out where Dr. Clark is.

There are several clues to help you deduce the identity of the "L" who signed the letter. Pay attention to the occupation and nicknames in the member list, as well as the details in the photograph in the hallway, and the statue. Once you've determined the correct door, you can pick the lock (or use the icepick from the hallway if you don't have lockpicks)

Inside LaPorte's room, search everywhere until you find a crumpled note. Enter the safe combination. Harley makes a quick exit and returns to the hotel. After reading the diary and reporting to Shaw, you'll need to find a way to Gannet Island. Luckily, there's someone with a boat at the wharf. Unluckily, she charges a lot of money.

If you don't have enough money, you can pawn severl items you may have (the tea caddy, treasures found on the dig) Your companions each have an item of value they can pawn for the ride, but note that doing so will close off their ability to help once on the island.

GANNET ISLAND

Look around and find that there's a guard in the ruined fort standing near some large doors and an odd contraption. Your companions each have an idea for how to get past him (assuming you didn't pawn their item)

PHIL

Phil needs a light source and a sheet. Find the sheet inside the fort's infirmary, and the lantern in the cabin. Light the lantern by using it on the desk lamp in the cabin. Give both items to Phil.

DANNY

Danny can scare off the guard with some trick shooting, but he needs some bullets. Examine the tea containers on the cabin shelf and find a small key. Use it to unlock the cabinet and give Danny the bullets.

NADINE

Nadine can put the guard to sleep with some chamomile and a glass container. Get the chamomile from the tea container in the cabin, and the glass beaker from the fort infirmary.

Once the guard has been dealt with, place the keycard from LaPorte's safe in the slot and pull the lever. Time for an elevator ride!

THE UNDERGROUND LAB

After your arrival and the demonstration of Project Rosewater, your main task is to escape with Dr. Clark. Speak with the male lab assistant to learn that Dr. Clark hates any kind of food in the testing chamber. Go inside the chamber and ask you companion to distract Dr. Clark. If you still have the banana or the coconut, you can place them on Juliette's desk. Otherwise, you can take a tomato from the trellis and use that.

Once Juliette leaves and locks away the power cell, go to her quarters and speak to her about Dr. Clark. Go back to Clark and tell him you were sent by Shaw. Ask him if he wouldn't prefer helping people. This convinces him to leave. Take the aetheric pistol, and pick the cabinet lock with your lockpicks (if you don't have them, you can take a hairpin from Juliette's desk) to get a power cell. 

Speak to Juliette to learn about charging power cells, then take the wire from next to the small oven in the main room. Attach the wires to the aetheric generator, then use the power cell on the wires to instantly charge it. Use the charged power cell on the aetheric pistol.

Go into Dr. Clark's quarters and borrow his screwdriver. Speak to him and learn that you need to call the elevator and disable the communications relay. Head back to the elevator room and use the screwdriver on the panel. In the closeup, press the buttons and note which ones make the contacts press down. To make it easier, you can use the keycard on the contacts. Once you enter the code, use the aetheric pistol to shoot the communications relay.

It's time for the final showdown! If you have a high relationship with Jake, he'll come back and save the day. Otherwise, it's up to you to navigate the dialogue and stall LaPorte until the pistol blows up. HINT: remember what Dr. Clark said about the overcharged power cell.

Congratulations!

CODE SOLUTIONS
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Clark's lab door - 1848
Kate's trunk - 7216
Underground lab elevator - 5238