How to solve the case - The Trace walkthrough for Chapter 3, The Diner

The Trace is a new murder mystery game that slips you into the shoes of a detective and asks you to gather evidence, follow leads, and answer burning questions as you try to solve the case.

Our new mystery: why did this diner go nuclear?

In chapter three we'll need to find 17 clues, to answer 10 questions. Follow our lead below to find everything you need to find, and answer all the questions correctly.



Enter the diner and look to your right to find your first corpse: a woman with a shotgun.

Check out her body to instantly get two leads, look at the blast wounds in her stomach for another, and then look at her shoulder and scan the blood for a fourth.



Pan the camera like this to reveal a name badge on her chest. Peek at it to get her name - Madge.



Look at her shotgun. Pull the barrel down and pop out the two cartridges to find that one of them is spent.



Look at the torn up sanitation certificate near Madge's body and put this insultingly easy jigsaw together to get another clue.



This is a little tricky to find, but it makes sense if you consider the bullet trajectory. There's a slug in the wall - pull it out and then scan the blood to get a pair of clues.



Take the oven mitt from the counter here.



Look at the blown up propane tank on the floor and scan the bullet holes for a clue.



There's also this handle, near the tank. Use your oven mitt on it to protect your hand, then twist it to shut off the steam jet.



Body number two, now. There's a dude on the table and you'll get a lead just for looking at him. Check his chest for another lead, scan his fingerprints for a third, and look at the banknote in his hand for a fourth.

And finally, look at his shoes for a fifth.



Take a look at the gun. Scan the serial number on the side for one clue. Pull the clip out of the handle for another.



Look down a the floor near this dead dude to find a shelf in the rubble. That'll be a clue in your investigation later.



Next, look on the table to find a suitcase full of money. Check the tag on the side to see that in belongs to Hank and score a clue. And tap on the banknotes to take a closer look and get another clue for your list.



And now our final victim - Hank. Look at him to get a lead, and tap on his neck to get a lead about burns. Look at the blood on his stomach to get two leads at once.

Check out the cellphone in his pocket and then take a scan of the blood on his hand.



Check out the blood trail near the body for a question about Hank dragging himself somewhere…



And then do a scan of the blood on the doorway for an answer. Well, we'll do that in a bit.



Look at the revolver in Hank's hand. Open the barrel and pull out the bullets to see that one round is missing.



That's all your clues. You're now ready to answer the questions. Here's where to shove the evidence you've gathered.

What's the story with all the money?

• Suitcase tag ('A suitcase bell going to Hank, full of fake banknotes')
• Notes in hand ('Fake banknotes in the dead man's hand')

Who's the dead woman and what's her connection?

• Certificate ('Sanitation certificate for Margaret Gruper')
• Badge ('Name badge identifying Madge')

Who shot the dead woman?

• No bullet / Freddie ('The dead man didn't fire a shot')
• Bullet / Hank ('Hank fired one shot from a 9mm revolver')
• Bullet ('The dead woman was shot with a 9mm bullet')

How did the dead woman die?

• Explosion / Woman ('The dead woman has fatal wounds from the explosion')

How did Hank die?

• Blood / Hank ('Hank lost of a lot of blood from the shotgun wound')
• Fire / Hank ('Hank's burns aren't fatal')

What was the dead woman aiming at?

• Gunshot / Hank ('Hank was hit by the shotgun blast')

How was the explosion triggered?

• Shotgun shell / Woman ('The dead woman fired one shot from her shotgun')
• Buckshot ('Buckshot damage on the propane tank')

Where was Hank trying to get to?

• Bathroom / Hank ('Hank was reaching for the bathroom door handle')

How did the dead man get impaled by cutlery?

• Shelf ('Cutlery stored in front of the propane tanks')

Who is the dead man peppered with cutlery and how is he involved?

• Fingerprint / Freddie ('Fingerprints identifying Freddie Gruper')
• Pistol / Freddie ('The dead man took Warren Oakley's gun from the garage')

Go over to Hank's body and shove it out the way. Now open the door to the bathroom.



Grab the iron pipe from by the toilet and use it to prise the wooden beams off the door. Go through.



Take the handle from the corner of the room and use it to fix the refrigerator door. Go inside.



Pull out the suitcase, open the two latches, and crack the lid open. Inside you'll find… well, we won't spoil it. Congrats, you completed the game!

More The Trace walkthroughs

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3