How the Projector Puzzle Fits Into the Station
The silver pines projector puzzle is the key to unlocking the holding cells inside the Riverside Sheriff's Department, and it is the single most common point where players stall out during the precinct section. The puzzle sits inside the Briefing Room in the North Wing, and it connects directly to the four-digit code on the locked cell door that holds Deputy Roberts. Solve it, free the deputy, and you can push through the boss encounter that ends the dungeon.
The Sheriff's Department is the first major dungeon in the Riverside district. Your goal is to collect one of five bells needed to power the Downtown cable car station. Three combination locks stand between you and that bell, and the projector puzzle reveals the last one. It is not optional.
Items Required Before the Briefing Room
You cannot interact usefully with the projector until you have collected several items from other parts of the building. Arriving at the Briefing Room without them means backtracking across the entire precinct.
| Item | Where to Find It | Why You Need It |
|---|---|---|
| Basement Key | Blue wall box in the Sheriff's Office | Unlocks the basement gate for the first time |
| North Wing Key | Storage rack inside the basement Archive Room | Opens the door leading to the Briefing Room |
| License Plate | Trash pile at the base of the exterior North Wing stairs | The physical cutout you place over the projector |
| Crowbar | Evidence Room, opened with the Evidence Lockup Key | Required to retrieve Badge 0013 from the corpse |
| Badge 0013 Memento | Corpse tray in the basement Cold Storage room | The badge number the projector message refers to |
Each item feeds into the next. The Basement Key leads you to the North Wing Key. The North Wing Key leads you to the exterior stairs and the License Plate. The painting safe unlocks the Evidence Lockup Key, which leads to the Crowbar, which lets you pry Badge 0013 from the body in Cold Storage.
Before heading to the Briefing Room, confirm all of the following:
- You have already opened the painting safe using the combination 15, 7, 3, 10
- You have the North Wing Key from the basement Archive Room storage rack
- You have descended the North Wing exterior stairs and found the License Plate in the trash pile at the bottom
- You have the Crowbar from the Evidence Room
- You have retrieved Badge 0013 from the Cold Storage corpse using the Crowbar
If any of those steps are unfinished, do not proceed to the Briefing Room yet.
Getting the North Wing Key and the License Plate
Start in the Sheriff's Office. Examine the desk book to learn the safe dial sequence — Bones, Spirit, Body, Evil — then take the Basement Key from the blue wall box nearby. Head to the basement, unlock the gate, and walk through to the Archive Room. The North Wing Key hangs on a storage rack inside that room. Pick it up before leaving.
Return to the main floor and use the North Wing Key to unlock the North Wing door. Walk through the Briefing Room and continue outside via the exterior staircase at the far end of the wing. These stairs lead outside the building entirely. Descend to the bottom and search the trash pile on your left — the License Plate is inside.
While you are outside, check the door on the right at the base of the stairs. It leads to a room with the number 3 on the wall — one of the four painting safe values. Note it if you have not yet opened that safe.
Back in the basement, find the Cold Storage room. Pull out the corpse tray and examine the body on the stretcher. Badge 0013 is wedged in the corpse's mouth — use the Crowbar to pry it free.
Solving the Silver Pines Projector Puzzle
The projector on the Briefing Room table is already switched on when you arrive. It casts a dense block of overlapping text onto the wall. Reading it without any filter gives you nothing useful — the message is deliberately obscured by surrounding words. The License Plate is what strips away the noise.
| Step | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interact with the lit projector | Game prompts you to place an item |
| 2 | Select the License Plate from your inventory | Plate is positioned over the projected image |
| 3 | Adjust alignment until five words are isolated | Reveals: Badge, Number, Reverse, Release, Prisoner |
| 4 | Read the completed message | Instruction to reverse your badge number |
| 5 | Check Badge 0013 in your inventory | The number on the badge is 0013 |
| 6 | Reverse the digits | 0013 written backwards is 3100 |
The five words the License Plate isolates form a direct instruction: Badge Number Reverse Release Prisoner. Take the number from Badge 0013 and write it in reverse order. Reversing 0013 gives you 3100 — the passcode for the holding cell keypad downstairs.
Alignment can take a moment. Move the plate slowly in small increments until all five target words sit cleanly inside the cutout holes and the surrounding text is fully masked. The game registers correct placement automatically, so there is no guesswork once you find the right position.
Unlocking the Holding Cells and All Precinct Codes
Head to the basement holding area outside the Interrogation Room. The keypad is mounted beside the locked cell door. Enter 3100 to open it.
| Location | Action | Reward or Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Storage (basement) | Use Crowbar on corpse tray | Badge 0013 Memento |
| Hallway corridor near Cell B | Explore past the cells | Armory Key |
| Boarded doorway near Cell B | Use Crowbar to break through | Access to Armory and Model 7 Rifle |
| Holding cell keypad | Enter 3100 | Cell unlocks, Deputy Roberts freed |
| Tape player beside the cell | Insert Cassette Tape | Triggers the precinct boss encounter |
Once Deputy Roberts is free, insert the Cassette Tape into the tape player beside the cell. This triggers the boss fight that ends the dungeon, so make sure you are prepared before you interact with it.
Before inserting the Cassette Tape:
- Count your ammo — the painting safe held ammunition when you opened it
- Collect the Model 7 Rifle from the Armory via the boarded doorway near Cell B
- Use any tonics you have been holding in reserve if your health is not full
- Save at a nearby payphone if you can reach one without crossing a locked area
For reference, here are all three required combination locks inside the precinct in one place:
| Lock | Code | Where the Clue Is |
|---|---|---|
| Sheriff's Office front door | 1715 | Tune the dark Riverside tunnel radio to 86.6 |
| Sheriff's Office painting safe | 15, 7, 3, 10 alternating directions | Four paintings: bones (15), spirit (7), body (3), evil (10) |
| Holding cell keypad | 3100 | Badge 0013 reversed, revealed by the projector puzzle |
None of these codes change between playthroughs. All three are fixed across every save file. The only randomized code in Silver Pines is the Crimson Bear Motel gate, which generates a new number for each save and must be read from Eddie Velvet's row in the Motel Guest Ledger.
FAQ
What is the silver pines projector puzzle solution? Place the License Plate over the projector in the Briefing Room and align the cutout until five words appear: Badge, Number, Reverse, Release, Prisoner. The message tells you to reverse Badge 0013, which gives you the holding cell code 3100.
Where is the License Plate in the Sheriff's Department? Exit the Briefing Room through the exterior door and descend the outside staircase. Search the trash pile at the bottom of the stairs on your left.
What does the projector reveal? It reveals the message "Badge Number Reverse Release Prisoner," pointing you to Badge 0013 and instructing you to reverse its digits to free Deputy Roberts.
What is the holding cell code in Silver Pines? The code is 3100. It is derived from reversing the number on Badge 0013 — exactly what the silver pines projector puzzle instructs you to do.
Does the projector puzzle code change between saves? No. The holding cell code is always 3100. Only the Crimson Bear Motel gate uses a randomized code that differs between saves.
What do I need the Crowbar for in the Sheriff's Department? Two things: prying Badge 0013 from the corpse in Cold Storage, and breaking through the boarded doorway near Cell B to access the Armory and collect the Model 7 Rifle.
