At the outset of the chapter, Alan finds himself in a dreamlike state, with the narrative mimicking the beginning of the game. Make your way around the counter toward the back of the diner.
You can interact with the jukebox if you want.
Head down the hall toward the restroom. When you get there, hit B to push the door open. Go to the mirror, and you’ll see a message. Take the Flashlight and Revolver from Zane and head back the way you came.
When you reach the dining room, go to the front door of the diner. Taken will attack you from behind, three in total: one coming from the smashed door to the kitchen, one from behind the register, one from the bathroom hall.
Start with the one from the kitchen — he’s biggest — and be careful of flying hatchets. You shouldn’t have too much trouble if you just stand your ground and pay attention to where your attackers are coming from. Then head to the kitchen.
ALARM CLOCK: There’s a flashing gold Alarm Clock on the counter in the back right corner. Snag it with B. There are 10 of these in “The Signal,” and collecting them unlocks the “Tick Tock” Achievement.
ACHIEVEMENT: Now that you’ve fought for your life, be aware that if you can make it through the entire “Signal” chapter without reloading or dying, you’ll get the “Run-On Sentence” Achievement.
Kick the door down and you’ll be outside. Move along the path and get ready to fight some Taken — they appear around and behind you, and one of them is of the fast-moving, invisible variety.
You can stand your ground and try to kill them, or run along the path toward the house in the distance. Either way works — you won’t miss anything out here. Just be careful of the fast Taken getting behind you.
Get inside the house. Follow the light to the back room until you find a Manuscript Page on the ground. After the cutscene, follow the marker on your map back to the other end of the house.
Check the room to the left as you approach the door out for several floating words. Blast them and collect the items they represent. You’ll get a souped-up flashlight, a flare gun and flares, and some extra batteries.
Go through the front door and you’ll be back on the main street suddenly, across from the diner. Turn right, past the police car, and get ready to fight possessed cars.
Two cars attack you at first — double back and get behind the police car for cover while you destroy them with the flashlight. Be careful not to let them crush you if you can avoid it.
Push forward and another car will come to life and hurl itself at you. Repeat the process.
Just a little further ahead, you’ll face one more car. Cut down the side street to your left a little to avoid it and kill it.
Up ahead, you’ll come to a dead end. Turn left where you see the downed power line, toward a shop marked “Drehen Tools and Hardware.” Destroy the possessed door and go inside.
Zap the word “Tools” to your left and you’ll receive some stuff: a shotgun, ammunition, batteries and a flare. Ready the shotgun, you’re about to need it.
Go around the corner to the right. Immediately Taken surround you — use that flare. Holding it, push either back the way you came or into the next room, but try to use the light to destroy the darkness in some of the Taken.
The way ahead has a big Taken and a couple smaller ones; the way behind, two small guys. Either way, take them out with as much speed as you can manage — the big guy is coming, and he’s a problem. Remember your flare gun if you need it.
After you’re done, exit the hardware store by the back door to the left.
STANDEE: Go out the door and immediately turn right, then go around the corner of the building to the right again, to find the Odin Anderson Standee. There are six standees total that you can read like Signs. Find them all for the “Cardboard Companions” Achievement.
After you field a phone call from Zane, push on across the parking lot. On the far side are some crates and boxes you can climb on to get over the fence. You’ll see a Safe Haven in the distance — that’s your goal.
Over the Fence
Once over the fence, turn left. Hit L3 when prompted to get the lay of the land around your position. Head to the words around the corner to the left of you.
Flash the word “tools” for ammunition — be careful, it’ll tumble off the cliff — and keep moving forward for a “flash” bang and “flare.”
STANDEE: From the word flare, turn left to locate the Sarah Breaker Standee, your second of six.
Cross the road. On the other side, be aware you’re walking into a large Taken ambush that includes several guys, a big guy, and birds.
Backtrack to the road so you have your back to a position where you can’t be attacked by regular Taken. Try to put a flare gun round into the bird flock, or pop a flare when they attack you. If you really want to be efficient, let the Taken surround you and the birds swoop in, then fire your flare gun to kill them all.
It’s a tough fight, so be careful. The birds are especially problematic because it’s hard to keep them in sight. Keep fighting and running if you have to. Conversely, if you get into real trouble, you can break for the Safe Haven up the hill.
Head up the steps. The word “tools” is to your right and will replenish your stock of ammo and batteries. Stop by the Safe Haven to refill health before departing onto the street.
Turn left and descend the hill toward the alley with the light on. Jump the fence and get ready to fight a large group of Taken. If you still have that flash bang, it might be a good time to use it.
Watch out here for bad guys up the stairs to the left and right of the center of the yard, as well as in front and jumping down behind you. Try to push through to a corner so you can set your back to a wall while you fight. Flares and the flare gun are useful as well.
When you’re done, ascend the stairs that lead up higher than the others, and use them to hop the fence to the left. Turn left from there and go inside the shack – you’ll find batteries and flare gun ammo for zapping the two words inside.
Back outside, zap the word “memory” to watch a conversation between Wake and Sarah play out. You’ll see a flare in the distance — that’s your new goal. Go through the wrought-iron door.
Go right. You’ll watch a bit of TV, then, as you step into the playground, the horse with the TV on it and the slide ahead come to life, possessed. Quickly double back behind the downed tree right near the entrance.
Use the tree for cover and destroy these first two objects. When they’re gone, in the middle, the merry-go-round comes alive. The tree should protect you while you smoke it with the flashlight. You’re free to move on.
ALARM CLOCK: Go around the fallen tree, then turn around and face it. You’ll see a park bench underneath it, right in front of the entrance to the park, but on the tree’s other side. Take the second Alarm Clock off the bench.
Kill the possessed doors to leave the playground. Run past the deer float up to the church door. It’s locked, so go back down to look for the key — the deer float attacks you once you do.
The float splits into multiple pieces — three pieces of deer, two more of truck – and flings itself at you. Quickly backtrack up the stairs of the church to the front door and you’ll be just fine — the rails and sign in front of the door should protect you from attack.
Destroy the deer float and the word “key” appears on the street in its place. Zap it.
STANDEE: Go into the church and immediately turn left to find the Barry Wheeler Standee near the wall, behind the pews. This is standee no. 3.
Move to the back right corner of the church and zap “tools” to get more ammo. Then go to the left corner and open the door. Watch the TV and kick the door down to the right to enter the basement.
The Basement
Descend the stairs and you’ll find rows and rows of blast furnaces everywhere. Each is labeled with the word “blast,” which causes the furnace to explode with light and fire when you zap it.
ACHIEVEMENT: The “Words Will Never Harm You” Achievement is yours if you can trigger every single blast furnace once. This is tough because the furnaces will reset to their un-triggered states after a few seconds once you’ve passed them. Try to work through it systematically. Check behind you at the bottom of the stairs for a few that are easy to miss.
Go through the basement and watch for Taken — you’ll be under attack every few seconds once you get around the first corner, amounting to maybe four full attacks. Use the blast furnaces to douse the enemies with light and fire as you go for quick kills.
From that first corner, you want to head right, toward another staircase in the back of the room. The blast furnaces form a bit of a labyrinth, but the most direct route is the first right you find. Watch out for attackers climbing over the furnaces all around you.
ALARM CLOCK: When you get to the exit stairs, face them, then go past and behind them. You’ll see a chair there, with Alarm Clock no. 3 on it.
After a few attacks, once you make it to the exit stairs, you should be Taken-free, allowing you to run around finishing any furnaces you missed. Climb the stairs and zap the word “climb” as you go. It produces a ladder you can ascend.
Back outside, look for a floating Manuscript Page on the edge of the parking lot. A lot of words get tossed out from it — none are useful, except the word “friend” on the park bench behind you. Zap it.
ACHIEVEMENT: The “A Friend in Need” Achievement is unlocked by zapping the word “friend” here.
Head up the stairs. You’ll see a wooden platform with “flashlight” on top. Zap the word, then kick out the wood beam to make a ramp. Grab the Lantern from the ground before you go. Zap the “recharge” ahead to your left for batteries.
Drop down into the woods. You’ll see the word “boom” ahead of you — shoot it and it explodes like a flashbang. Keep an eye out for another “boom” near a Taken attack around the corner.
Just beyond that, you’ll find a TV and be attacked by four shadowy Taken. These enemies are even less corporeal than their normal counterparts. They’re not more dangerous, just harder to see.
Target the “boom” just behind the TV if you can and pop it to take out some Taken. Back up and deal with them with your normal tactics.
Proceed forward. To the right of the scraggly tree behind the TV, you’ll find “tools,” including ammunition and flares. Go up the little hill to the left and zap “pump” to receive a pump-action shotgun — and a Taken ambush as soon as you pick it up.
This field is actually huge, with words scattered everywhere. Make your way a little to the left to find a set of train tracks to follow through the field. You should find “tools” here as well, so you can refill your ammo.
Use the shotgun – there’s plenty of ammo around from words and you’ll be under almost constant attack. Try to use “booms” when you can and watch your back. Remember your flares if you get into trouble.
The tracks divert left and right — if you stay to the left, you’ll reach wooden train cars you can go in.
ALARM CLOCK: Quickly divert to the right and you should see a steel coal car. Go around the back of it to the right side to find the fourth Alarm Clock on the ground.
You’ll approach an abandoned train car after a few seconds. Grab the “tools” to the right and get inside for flare gun ammo (“flare”) and a flashbang (“flash”). Exit the train car the way you came in to avoid zapping the word “possessed” at the front and having to fight something.
Up ahead is a Safe Haven. You should probably just run for it. Just before it is a tent with an electric company work lamp in front of it. Switch it on and the lamp will zap three “booms” as you go by, eliminating some enemies for you.
ALARM CLOCK: Duck into that same colored tent just right of the of the Safe Haven to snag the fifth Alarm Clock.
Past the Safe Haven, you’ll see words flying around in the air. Zap the word on the ground to the left to create a search light, and use that to hit the flying “bridge” words.
That creates a way forward. Climb into the train car on the right and drop through the hole.
STANDEE: Turn right immediately after you drop out of the train car. The Cynthia Weaver Standee is on the cliff path just around the small bend here.
Zap the “tools” to the right of the stone archway before going forward. You’ll see a TV. Move to the left to find a train car — you can get in it from the back – and pick up flare gun ammo.
The Bad Words
Go back to the TV. Walk forward slowly, as huge books fall from the sky in your path. Continue to the bridge — the field ahead is littered with words. You can climb up on the rock to your right for a better view.
Almost all the words ahead are things like “ravens,” “enemy,” “possessed” – if you zap them, they’ll create trouble for you. There are also a few “tools” scattered around, and “booms” which will do you more harm than good if you hit them.
Meanwhile, as you cross the bridge, books will attack you. They act just like the birds you’re used to, but refrain from using the flare gun for fear that you might accidentally trigger more enemies.
Kill the Taken coming at you across the bridge (falling back is a really good option here), then cross into the field. Your best bet is to take the high ground to the left. There are fewer things to avoid and you can use the rocks and stuff for cover against books.
The flocks of books will attack you ever few seconds. Fight them off and when you’re ready, make a run for the Safe Haven ahead. It’s your best bet and will preclude you from accidentally creating a situation you can’t handle here.
Grab the “tools” from the right of the Safe Haven, then go through the tunnel. Kick down the door past the TV and head into the field with the street lamps.
This field is a mess. The lights flicker on and off at random, sometimes kicking on as you step under them, but they last maybe a second or two.
Your best bet is to try to run forward and hop off the cliff ahead, rather than take the winding path left. You’ll take some damage, but you’ll avoid some fights, which is better.
ALARM CLOCK: Go left from the cliff and look for the edge of the field and a wooden fence. There’s a break between one fence and another — right in between them, in the small alcove that’s created, is the Alarm Clock. It’s easy to miss, and if you have trouble, fight on to the Safe Haven ahead for the checkpoint, then double back to find the clock. This way you can find it with no regard to saving ammo or flares, then reload the checkpoint afterward.
The flickering lights will work to your advantage, occasionally squashing Taken, so if possible maneuver through the pools of light to guide Taken to their deaths. Otherwise, follow the compass toward the Safe Haven ahead and try to get there as quickly as possible.
STANDEE: Just beyond the Safe Haven, before you enter the saw mill, turn right. You’ll see the Tor Anderson Standee, your fifth, in the corner of the little yard just before you climb the saw mill fence.
Climb the pile of crap and use the crane boom to jump the fence. On the far side are a couple of words, including “wheels” to create a car and “red box” for ammo and batteries.
ACHIEVEMENT: This is a big lumber yard and the “wheels” word gives you a car, but if you don’t drive at any point during the chapter, the “License Revoked” Achievement is yours. It’s extremely dangerous to proceed on foot, however – monster trucks and regular Taken will be all over you.
Watch the right as you head across the lumber yard — one monster truck comes from the right side of the big pile of lumber, the other from the left side.
Move toward the Safe Haven in the back corner diagonal from you, hugging the left wall and moving while Barry keeps talking. Run as much as possible and watch for the trucks. Still got flare gun ammo? Now’s a good time — plug those monster trucks to divert them.
Cut to the right and head for the Safe Haven. Taken will appear between you — put a flare gun round into the ground beside you and it’ll explode, damaging or killing them and protecting you from the trucks. Run for the Safe Haven and get inside it to heal.
You’re protected from the trucks in here — use this spot to finish killing them. Hit the “red box” and “pump” to get shotgun ammo and batteries. When you’re ready, you can hit the button to open the door on the far end of the field, or you can go get the Alarm Clock first.
ALARM CLOCK: Standing in the Safe Haven, put your back to the button so that you’re parallel to the lumber yard wall on your left. Across from you is another building with “wheels” out front. Run to that building and check the pile of logs on the left for Alarm Clock no. 7.
When you hit the button, two things happen: the Safe Haven is destroyed and possessed objects start attacking you. These aren’t nearly as problematic as the monster trucks, however – try to find them so you can dodge when they attack.
The possessed objects are basically just spools and pieces of machinery. Also be on the lookout for additional Taken. The fight shouldn’t be anything you’re not used to, so make your way back to the warehouse. (Note Barry observing you from atop the center pile of logs.)
The warehouse is very literally full of Taken, and you’ll have a group of Taken flanking you as soon as you approach it. Pop a flare and (if you still have some), crank a flare gun round into the four or five Taken inside the warehouse. Conversely, look for metal cans past the set of shelves that will explode under fire.
Now you’re free to turn around and deal with the attackers behind you. Should be easy with them all coming from the same direction.
Find stairs inside the warehouse and go out onto the balcony in the back. Climb down and turn right (your “License Revoked” Achievement unlocks here if you earned it) and zap words for a red box and flares, as well as a hunting rifle if you want it.
Turn around and go toward the word “memory.” Zap it, then turn left and move along the ground under the building’s deck. You’re walking into an ambush – be ready.
You’ve got a mess of Taken ahead of you and one big Taken behind you. Your most effective course of action is to kill the big Taken behind you and clear a way so you can back up, then plug a flare round into the attackers from in front.
That’s easier said than done. Conversely, if you have the flare gun ammo, you might want to kill the big guy behind you and use the bottle neck ahead of you to funnel all the Taken into the waiting maw of your shotgun.
If neither of those things works for you, pop a flare and use it as a wall against either the front Taken and use the free time to kill the big Taken behind you. With one direction clear, you can back away from your attackers and give yourself time to shoot.
When you’re clear, head forward and turn left. Zap “climb” to create a ladder and get up to the top. “Recharge” in front of you offers ammo and batteries.
ALARM CLOCK: The eighth clock is at the end of the dock right behind where you climb up.
The Yard
Hit the “flashlight” word past the “recharge” for a heavy-duty lantern. From there, turn left and go to the back corner for a flare.
Now you’re free to follow the compass into the stock yard ahead. You’ll hear a chainsaw — yeah, that’s going to happen. I won’t blow it for you by saying exactly when he shows up.
When he does show up, pop a flare and use it to give you time to knock out his darkness. He also has a little minion with him, so kill that guy too. Make effective use of your items and you’ll be able to handle the guy.
Move on to the clear area ahead. Zap the “red box” for a refill to your right. The Safe Haven is also there, but hold off a second.
ALARM CLOCK: Instead, go past the table and chairs toward the left corner of this area, where there’s a fence. At the bottom is your ninth Alarm Clock.
Check in at the Safe Haven and kick down the door into the wooden warehouse. As soon as you round the corner to the left, you’ll see Taken on the crates ahead.
Immediately turn around and look up — another Taken is getting ready to drop down behind you. Flash him, blast him, and turn back to deal with the guys coming down the long corridor toward you. Look for the red canister behind them in the left corner – shoot it.
Up ahead, you’ll turn left and see two red canisters right in front of you. Get ready – this is the site of another Taken attack.
Push by there and go left and you’ll reach steps leading up. Shoot the “flares” with your light to your right and grab them before heading up. Get the “red box” at the top.
The next room is a big Taken attack, but there are canisters all over the place. Pop them and get away from the door you entered by — at least two guys will be behind you. Kill them all and exit the room out the back.
Jump down. Zap the “memory” and “bridge” words. They create a button and a piece of wood.
STANDEE: The Alice Wake Standee, the last of the chapter, is found around the right side of the building you just exited. It’s easy to get to and you pass some words on the way. The “Cardboard Companions” Achievement is yours for finding all six.
Hit the button so you can see what it does – it moves a crane with a hanging crate over to your side of the river, then back to the far side. You have to get on it.
Go to the piece of wood near the other “bridge” word and you’ll be able to push it down, forming a ramp. Back at the button, hit it when you’re ready, then sprint up the ramp and get on the crate.
On the far side of the river is a Taken ambush, with two regular guys and one big Taken. You’ll need a flare to keep them off you. Take your time and pick your shots.
Climb the ladder in the back right corner of the area. At the top, zap the “memory” and keep climbing up. At the top, follow the path to the hole and drop in.
Watch the memory and then go around the backdrop to the door. Take the stairs down and you’ll eventually emerge in Wake’s bedroom. Grab flares and batteries from the dresser. Leave the bedroom to enter the hall.
ALARM CLOCK: Your final Alarm Clock is immediately to the right outside the bedroom, in Wake’s study. Grab it to unlock the “Tick Tock” Achievement.
Continue into the hall. Look for a flare to the left in the foyer, as well as more batteries. When you hit the living room, get the two boxes of shotgun ammo scattered around.
You’ll have to clear out the possessed, smaller, red TVs. Just zap them with the lantern and the way will be opened.
The Final Fight
Leave the room and enter the warehouse. When you drop down, you’ll have to fight your way through the room to the back. Look for ammo and batteries all over the place to the left and right if you need it.
ACHIEVEMENT: The “Fast and Furious” Achievement is yours if you can struggle through this battle in less than a minute and a half. Do so by popping flares and flash bangs to cut through the masses of TVs that block the way forward.
This is a hard battle. You’ve got possessed objects coming at you from all sides, and Taken that appear behind you and to the sides in this first area.
The TVs ahead block your path, and you have to destroy the smaller red ones to cut a path. You can try to find cover against the possessed objects in the back of the area, behind the steel girders that hold up the balcony behind you.
An effective way to destroy the TVs is to pop a flare right in front of them. Mop up the others with your lantern, but try not to have tunnel vision because there are threats all around you. When the way is clear, you can run forward to the next section.
TIP: Be careful as you try to zap the TVs – they like to teleport a foot or two out of your way to avoid being destroyed.
There’s an even bigger mass of TVs in the next section, coupled with nowhere to hide from possessed objects. Pop a flare next to the TVs, then, hell – pop another one if you have it, or use a flash bang instead.
The goal here is both protection and cutting through the TVs as fast as you can manage. You don’t need to conserve anything, so use what you’ve got. The sooner you blast through these TVs, the safer you’ll be.
Get outside when you can. A huge boat lands on the dock in front of you – to kill it, pop whatever flares you have left and lay into it with your light. Just keep pumping batteries into the lantern until it does, then head out onto the dock and destroy the final TV.
ACHIEVEMENT: The “A Friend Indeed” Achievement unlocks when you complete the chapter.
Looking for advice on The Writer, Alan Wake’s second DLC pack? We’ve got a full walkthrough at this link.
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