Discolored Achievement Guide & Road Map

Discolored
Discolored Achievement Guide

Overview:
- Estimated achievement difficulty: 2/10 [Achievement Difficulty Rating]
- Offline: 13 [1000]
- Online: 0
- Approximate amount of time to 1000: 30-45 minutes [Estimated Time to 100%]
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1
- Missable achievements: 4 - Wornhole (76G), Spies (76G), Watched (76G), Tuning In (76G)
- Does difficulty affect achievements: No
- Unobtainable/glitched achievements: No

Introduction:
“A lonely roadside diner in the middle of the desert. The locals say it’s lost all its color. You are sent to investigate.

Discolored is a strange and surreal puzzle adventure, taking place over two-or-so hours in a single desolate location. Your mission: restore the color to this once-vibrant world. What caused the colors to disappear? How can they be brought back? As you explore, you'll solve an array of inventive puzzles and uncover a selection of clues - leading you to discover the deeper secrets of this strange place at the end of an abandoned highway.” - xbox.com

Discolored is a first-person adventure puzzle game with no text, no backstory, and no guidance. Your objective is to restore color to the environment but you aren’t told how to do it. Luckily, the game is progression-based so you can’t advance unless you figure out how puzzles need to be completed. Without a guide, it would be a lot of trial and error, returning to locations over and over again, etc., but luckily everything is laid out here simply and directly.

The controls are pretty standard for an adventure game but seem like they could have been refined. selects something but also backs out (instead of ) once you move the cursor to a certain position on screen. opens your inventory (which you will be doing a lot). During an animation sequence (such as going up or down a ladder/stairs or interacting with something), you can press to skip. And finally, the game doesn’t tell you this but allows you to run. You can also make a limited number of manual saves from the menu.

Abbreviated Walkthrough:
The game requires only one playthrough. All but four achievements are story related, but if you are following this guide, nothing should be missed.

The guide below is written in walkthrough format, so each solution tells you the last achievement that you should have unlocked and the next achievement that you should unlock. Starting with Spies (76G), follow along with the guide by clicking on the achievement reference labeled ‘next achievement you will unlock…’ in each solution. The achievements should be unlocked in this order:

Spies (76G) (missable)
Wornhole (76G) (missable)
Green (76G)
Stealing the Moon (76G)
Blue (76G)
Red (76G)
Dialing Out (76G)
Signal (76G)
Evil Moon (76G)
Watched (76G) (missable)
Full Spectrum (88G)
Tuning In (76G) (missable)
Unfinished (76G)

Conclusion:
If you’re one to let odd-valued gamerscore bother you, you can put your mind at ease. Discolored is a quick and relaxing game with no time limits or pressure so you’re free to take as little or as much time as you want. It’s a fun puzzle game, and solving them isn’t too difficult, especially if you’re using this guide. Congratulations!

[XBA would like to thank bLaKgRaVy for this Roadmap]

Green

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Green
From Wornhole (76G), when you respawn, turn and face the diner. Walk to the left side and under a street lamp is a bucket. Pick it up then walk over to the right side of the diner. You will see a well, so open your inventory and place the bucket on the hook. Turn the crank (press to skip the animation) to lower the bucket then again to raise it. Take the bucket and the hook then walk into the diner.

Once inside, walk to the left and go up the stairs. At the top, go to the end of the hallway and focus on the plant. Open your inventory, select the bucket (with water) and use it on the plant. A drawer will open up in front of the plant to reveal a ‘cash register picture’ so take it. Open your inventory again and combine the new picture with the viewer. Walk back downstairs and stand in front of the cash register, open your inventory and use the viewer (with picture) on the register and it will reveal a green triangle in its drawer. Pick up the green triangle then walk around the counter to the small ticket machine on the table. Press on it so it spits out a ticket then take it (needed for another achievement later). Head back upstairs.

Walk up to the plant again and open your inventory. Select the green triangle (prism) and place it in the green outline on the plant. This will restore the green color and unlock the achievement.

The next achievement you will unlock is Stealing the Moon (76G).
Blue

76
Blue
From Stealing the Moon (76G), walk downstairs to the diner and go outside to return to the well. On the left side of it is now a green rope descending into the well (that couldn’t be seen before because green hadn’t been restored). Open your inventory, select the green crank you picked up in the attic and place it on the vertical support of the well (opposite the other crank). Press to use the crank and a blue prism will ascend from the well. Take it and return to the attic, place the blue prism in the cabinet on the wall to restore the blue color and the achievement will unlock.

The next achievement you will unlock is Red (76G).
Red

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Red
From Blue (76G), start to walk back downstairs to the second floor and you will see a door propped up against the wall with a blue knob. Take the blue knob and descend down. At the bottom of the attic stairs, turn right and enter the bedroom. Walk around the bed, open the nightstand drawer and take the blue book. Exit the room and to the immediate left is another room with a closed door. Open your inventory and place the blue knob in the door then open it. Pick up the short stool on the right then open the blue briefcase on the left, which is a record player. Open your inventory and place the green disc/album onto the player. Interact with the arm to turn it on. In a few seconds, a drawer will open below it to reveal a red prism and a packet of seeds. Take both of them and exit the closet.

Go downstairs into the diner and walk to the far end of the counter on the stool side. You will see that a stool is missing so open your inventory and place the stool in its place. Exit the diner, turn right, and in the same area where we picked up the bucket is a small patch of dirt. Open your inventory and place the seeds in this pile. Take the ticket stub from the hole and cover the seeds then return to the diner.

Press on the stool that was placed previously and a secret hatch will open. Descend down the ladder and walk over to the wood stove. Turn to the right to pick up some wood then focus back on the stove door. Turn the handle, open the door, open your inventory and place the wood into the stove, close the door then turn the handle again then the triangle on the door will turn red. Open your inventory and place the red prism in the door to restore the red color and unlock this achievement.

The next achievement you will unlock is Dialing Out (76G).
Wornhole

76
Found a wormhole
*MISSABLE*

From Spies (76G), turn around from the TV and walk back to the desk. Press to interact with it then pick up the ‘card with holes’ then again to back out (move the cursor around until it is a curved arrow). Walk around the corner (past the TV) into a short hallway and you will see a suitcase on the left. Pick it up then press to open your inventory then select it. It will open to reveal a ‘viewer’. Remove the viewer from the suitcase then completely back out. Open your inventory again, press on the viewer and combine it with the card with holes. Open the door and you will see a black and white picture of a road on the wall. Open your inventory once again, select the viewer (with card) then click on the picture to be teleported to the road.

We are now at a diner where a majority of the game will take place. Before you do anything else, turn around, walk to the end of the road and fall off to unlock this achievement.

The next achievement you will unlock is Green (76G).
Stealing the Moon

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Stealing the Moon
From Green (76G), take the green pole on the wall above the plant then open your inventory and combine the pole with the hook taken from the well. On the ceiling is an attic door, so open your inventory again, select the pole (with hook) and use it on the door. It will open and drop some stairs. Before going up, turn around and remove the green prism from the plant then head upstairs.

Walk through the attic to a table then turn around. On the right side is a cabinet on the wall. Open it (it would be locked if the green prism was still in the plant) which will reveal a blue triangle and something below it. Walk back down to the second floor and place the green prism back in the plant then return to the cabinet in the attic. You will see a green disc/album has appeared so take it. Turn to your left and to see a green crank on a box, so take that as well.

Next, turn towards the table and you will see a crane toy. Interact with the control box on the table to “play” with the crane. A window will pop up in the left-bottom corner with three buttons. Start by pressing the top button once to rotate the crane. Then, press the middle button to lower the crane. Next, press the bottom button to close the crane on the white object. Then you want to press the second button again to raise the crane then the top button to rotate it again. Lastly, press the second button once again then finally the bottom button to release the white object (moon). Move the cursor onto the white object and press to pick it up and you will unlock this achievement.

The next achievement you will unlock is Blue (76G).
Dialing Out

76
Dialing Out
From Red (76G), turn around and you will see that you are locked behind red bars. Open your inventory and select the blue book taken from the bedroom. Opening it will reveal a clock puzzle, so use the two red triangle buttons to make the hands (roughly) say 3:40. This will open the clock to reveal a red key. Take the key, open your inventory and use the key on the red bars to unlock them.

Walk straight to the panel on the wall (next to the ladder) and flip the green and red switches. A blue light will appear below them indicating that the phone booth outside is activated. Climb the ladder, go outside then cross the road to the phone booth. Open the door and press to interact with the phone. Pick up the receiver then open your inventory and select the white moon and use it as a coin so you can dial a number. The number to dial is: 1227 7334 (the numbers on the two tickets). Press the bottom-right button (with rain drops on it). The phone will ring then you will hang up the receiver, unlocking this achievement.

The next achievement you will unlock is Signal (76G).
Signal

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Signal
From Dialing Out (76G), cross the road again and go back to the right side where the well is. On the fence is a picture, so pick it up and re-enter the diner. Descend the ladder to the basement and retrieve the red prism. Go back up and climb the stairs to the second floor and walk into the bedroom (where we picked up the blue book). Interact with the TV then open your inventory and select the picture we just picked up. Press to change the screen to the picture and this achievement will unlock.

The next achievement you will unlock is Evil Moon (76G).
Evil Moon

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Evil Moon
From Signal (76G), interact with the top dial on the TV to have the image change from a cart to a cart with a jar on it. Return to the basement again and place the red prism back in the stove door. Turn around and take the red brush out of the jar on the cart and turn to the canvas with the outline of a triangle on it. Open your inventory and use the brush on the triangle to paint it blue. Remove the red prism once again then climb the ladder to the diner.

When you are at the top a short cutscene will play and this achievement will unlock.

The next achievement you will unlock is Watched (76G).
Full Spectrum

88
Full Spectrum
From Watched (76G), turn around and walk towards the tower to the left of the diner. Climb the leaf-covered ladder to the top and before opening the door, look up and take the dial that’s embedded in the ceiling. Open the door and place all three prisms on the stand. Once you do that, the prisms will turn white, so descend the ladder and return to the indicator next to the phone booth. Open your inventory, select the viewer (with tower picture) and use it on the tower we were just on. A short cutscene will play and when it’s over (you can press to skip it), color will be restored and the achievement will unlock.

The next achievement you will unlock is Tuning In (76G).
Unfinished

76
Unfinished
From Tuning In (76G), back out from the radio and turn left to see an envelope with a triangle on it on the floor. Pick it up, open your inventory, select the envelope and take the ‘card with holes’ then back out and this achievement will unlock.

Even though that was the final achievement, you can play the remainder of the game if you like.

Open your inventory and combine the card with holes with the viewer. Use the viewer (with card) on the new picture on the wall (the one that replaced the sunset) and the game will end. Congratulations!
Spies

76
Spies
*START HERE*

*MISSABLE*

When the game starts, you will be in an elevator. Take note of the red rectangle on the left side of the door. When the doors open, you will see a TV in the far upper-right corner of the room. Walk up to it and stare at it, and eventually it will start to countdown from 60.

Watch the TV until it gets to around 10 then go back to the elevator and focus on the middle of the red rectangle. When the countdown reaches 0 (zero), the red rectangle will flicker, revealing a crowbar. Quickly mash to pick up the crowbar then go back to the TV. You will see a panel on the wall beneath the TV, so press to open your inventory and select the crowbar. Use it on the panel to reveal wires and a box with an eye symbol on it. Press on the box to remove it the again on the wires and this achievement will unlock.

Note: It is recommended that you create a manual save when the countdown is approaching 0 (zero) so you can reload it in case you do not obtain the crowbar.

The next achievement you will unlock is Wornhole (76G).
Watched

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Watched
*MISSABLE*

From Evil Moon (76G), we need to retrieve the green and blue prisms from upstairs, so do that then return to the diner basement. In the middle of the triangle on the canvas is the ‘light beam above tower’ picture so take that then climb the ladder again. Walk outside and in front of the phone booth you will see a swirly indicator. Stand in the indicator, open your inventory and combine the tower picture with the viewer. Use the viewer (with tower picture) on the eye in the sky (from Evil Moon (76G)) to unlock this achievement.

The next achievement you will unlock is Full Spectrum (88G).
Tuning In

76
Tuning In
*MISSABLE*

From Full Spectrum (88G), walk over to the tower and climb the ladder again. At the top, walk straight and a picture frame will form in front of you. Standing in front of the frame, open your inventory and select the briefcase (from the beginning of the game). You will see that a red button has now appeared on it, so press it and it will open a secret compartment, revealing another picture. Take the picture, back out, then open your inventory and combine this new picture with the viewer. Select the viewer and use it on the frame and you will see a picture, similar to the black and white picture of the road at the beginning of the game, but this time with the sun shining.

You will back away from the picture and be in an office, so turn slightly right to see a map. Interact with the map then click on the white triangle in the lower left corner and the land mass above it will turn green. Turn around and you will see a red radio on the shelves next to a lamp, so open your inventory, select the dial and place it on the radio. Interact with the dial and this achievement will unlock.

The next achievement you will unlock is Unfinished (76G).