Starfield: Lockpicking mini-game Starfield guide, tips

The lockpicking mini-game allows you to break into doors and containers in Starfield. Our guide explains how to use Digipicks, what the mini-game's about, and how to avoid failing it and lossing a Digipick.

Last update: 31 August 2023

This page of the Starfield game guide describes the most important aspects of the lockpicking mini-game, thanks to which you can open chests, locked rooms, and hack into computers. We explain how to use digipicks, how to complete the lock-picking mini-game, and how to decrease the probability of failure.

• How to obtain a digipick and open a lock?
• Higher Security skills ranks
• Do digipicks open all locks?

How to obtain a digipick and open a lock?

1. Starfield allows you to break into various containers and doors that have electronic locks. On top of that, you can disarm terminals and computers, gaining access to their operating systems.
2. Approach a locked object to check its lock level. Your protagonist must have sufficiently developed Security skill (the lowest level is Novice like in the picture).

1. Another requirement is to have at least 1 digipick.
2. You can find digipicks as loot (in plain sight, in containers or on corpses) or buy them in selected stores (e.g. Apex Electronics in the Well in New Atlantis). We advise you to always have a stock of them to not miss any opportunity to open a lock.

1. In the mini-game window, the lock is in the middle of the screen and is symbolized by several rings. Your task is to disarm all the rings. The higher the level of the lock, the more rings it has.
2. On the right side there are circles with connections. You can freely switch between them and rotate around the ring. Your goal is to fit the chosen circle into the holes in the ring (example in the picture above).
3. During the mini-game, you need to plan ahead so that you don't run out of the right circles. We suggest to start with more complex fragments, e.g. to fit into 4-5 holes. Use circles to put in 1-2 holes to fill in the gaps.
4. You can undo the last action, but this will use an additional lockpick. In the mini-game, you can also use auto-attempts, and each of them can correctly fit one fragment for you. The number of auto-attempts is limited, but you can increase it by developing the Security skill (up to a maximum of 5 attempts).
5. Save the game before trying to open a lock. This way you won't lose lockpicks and trigger an alarm in case opening that lock would be considered a crime.

Higher Security skills ranks

Investing development points in the Security skill allows you to pick locks of higher levels:

1. advanced locks - available from rank 1;
2. expert locks - rank 2 required;
3. master locks - rank 3 required.

1. The another important facility available from rank 2 is the blue highlighting of matching circles with connections (example in the picture). This allows you to easily determine where they can be used (on the current or next ring).
2. The highest rank of 4 allows you to remove unnecessary connection circles to reduce the risk of a failed attempt. Unfortunately, this uses up 1 digipicks.

Do digipicks open all locks?

1. Lockpicking will not work in every location. You may come across a lock that cannot be opened with a Digipick.
2. You should find out about the requirement to open the lock when you interact with it. Usually it's a message about the need for the right key (example in the picture) or access card.
3. Another way to open the lock might be, for instance, looking for a switch or hacking into a terminal - there might be an option in the computer menu to open the doors. In exceptional cases, the game may inform you that the lock is inaccessible. There is no way around the problem then.

1. The easiest way to obtain the key is by completing a quest related to a locked room or container. There's a high chance that you'll receive the key as a quest item.
2. You can also search for keys as loot (e.g. in sight, near the corpse) and gain through pickpocketing (peek into the inventories of nearby NPCs).