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Jun 17, 2023

Baldur's Gate 3: How to Solve the Sluice Gate Puzzle in the Abandoned Cistern (BG3)

It's not an RPG without a valve puzzle The sewers have an inexplicable draw in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s a vile, sprawling system, full of murderers and grease balls. But it’s also a place where half a

It's not an RPG without a valve puzzle

The sewers have an inexplicable draw in Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s a vile, sprawling system, full of murderers and grease balls. But it’s also a place where half a dozen quests and secrets can be found. And to that end, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter the Sluice Gate Puzzle in the Abandoned Cistern of Baldur’s Gate 3’s Sewers. Here’s how to solve it.

The Abandoned Cistern is one of the most popular places in the sewers for the baddies and baddy adjacent. After his heist in the Counting House vault, Minsc will make his way there with his doppelganger crew. And who else should be there but the dwarf (or gnome?) who’s very happy to take the goods off of him.

But to get to them, you’ll need to solve the Sewer Valve puzzle. And it’s easier than you might think. The goal of the puzzle is to balance the heat and amount of water.

To solve the Sluice Gate / Valve puzzle in the Abandoned Cistern, you must:

Essentially, it’s a timed puzzle. Once you interact with the water valve, it will begin flooding. Then its water pressure will drop until it hits “Perfect”, as denoted by its status condition beneath its name at the top of the screen.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3: How to Free Hope in BG3

You’ll then have to interact with the Heat Valve, which will start off too hot and then begin to cool until it’s “Perfect”.

Nothing else needs to be done, and the timer is very generous. But if you do mess things up, there will be an explosion which will do some fire damage and set the floor on fire. To reset the puzzle, use the valve at the far right.

Now that that’s done, you’re mere meters away from fighting Minsc. But when you’ve finally topped him, you might be wondering; Should you kill him? Save him? Or leave him to the tadpole parasite?

A lawyer turned game journalist, Daphne Fama spends an inordinate amount of time playing games across the spectrum but she'll always have a soft spot for horror and JPRGs. Want to see all the best animal pictures the internet has to offer? Follow her on twitter at @DaphneFama.