Self-Defense | The Sinking City walkthrough The Sinking City guide, walkthrough

Last update: 28 June 2019

On this page of the guide to The Sinking City, you'll find a walkthrough of the main Case, Self-Defense. This is a rather unique Case, as the main character will be accused of the murder of Johannes van der Berg. Reed will have to clear himself of the charges or blame someone else. This case offers several different paths, although they all eventually lead to the same ending.

• Crime scene at the Crown Theatre
• Leaving the jail
• Visit Carpenter's Manor
• Find Milton Pierce's apartment
• Search Pierce's apartment
• Meeting with Milton Pierce
• Optional step - warn or murder Milton's mother
• Finding the newcomer
• A visit to Glenn Byers' apartment - an important choice
• Option 1- Rescuing Byers' kidnapped family
• Option 2 - forcing Byers to hand over the murder weapon
• Examining the blue cloud in front of the Carpenter mansion
• Meeting at Devil's Reef hotel

Crime scene at the Crown Theatre

This case starts automatically after the completion of the investigation Deal with the Devil. You are in the Crown Theater, where on stage you can see the murdered Johannes van der Berg. Explore the area:

1. Go first to the second floor. Look at the poster halfway up.
2. On the second floor, there are 6 different books to examine, 4 of them on the table/chairs, 2 more lie on the side cabinets.
3. Go back to the first floor. On the stairs to the stage, you can find a piece of evidence no. 4 - examine the hat and engage the Mind's Eye. You have determined that van der Berg was assassinated and that the killer is being blackmailed.
4. Explore the evidence no. 2 on the stage - bullet shells.
5. Look at the body of the "pierced" van der Berg.
6. Look at evidence no. 1 on the stage - a first aid kit to the left of the corpse.
7. Check evidence no. 3 to the right of the stage - a phone with blood on the wall.
8. Stand in front of the round table, launch the Mind's Eye and find the place that shows past events (refer to the picture above).

In front of the stage will be the blue cloud, so you can begin to retrocognition. This is the correct sequence of events:

1. Van der Berg welcomes the participant of the session.
2. Van der Berg shot on stage.
3. The killer escapes from the theater.
4. Session participant runs up to the phone to call the police.

You will determine that van der Berg was shot during the session. The killer escaped, and the session participant summoned the police. You will get two new clues - Theater Attack and The Murder Witness. When you try to leave the theater, Reed will be arrested by the police and arrested (Murder Accusation). There's no way to resist the arrest.

Leaving the jail

The action resumes in the Oakmont Police Department. Talk to Frank standing outside the cell. You will learn from him (The Plot Thickens) that you've been bailed out. One of the Carpenter family members - Brutus or Graham - will be responsible for its payment. It depends on who you helped in the main case Fathers and Sons.

Before leaving this place, talk to the policeman at the reception (picture). It doesn't matter whether you choose calm or aggressive dialogue options. You just need to talk to him to get a 100% of this level.

Visit Carpenter's Manor

Go to the Carpenter Manor and go to the 1st floor. Meet Graham (left office) or Brutus (right office, in which previously was a double - the image above). You will learn about the character Milton Pearce, who was allegedly a witness to the murder and who, at the same time, is a candidate for mayor.

You will receive unique prizes - a Machine Gun, XP and ammo. You can unlock new clues - Finding a Witness and Find the Real Murderer.

Find Milton Pierce's apartment

Go to the headquarters of The Oakmont Chronicle in order to use its archives:

1. As evidence for the analysis, select Finding a Witness.
2. Select the People category, and then select Officials.
3. Select the Section category and then Articles and Interviews.
4. Select the District category, and then Reed Heights.

Thanks to the right criteria, you will find Pierce's Interview, which contains his address.

Search Pierce's apartment

Go to Reed Heights. The purpose of the trip shows a picture - Apartment of Milton Pierce is located in a residential building on Museum Avenue, between the Community Road and Healog Street.

That apartment is on the first floor; start by looking at the forbidden poster. Then use a melee weapon or a firearm to break into the apartment.

Search the apartment:

1. Look at a bunch of posters.
2. Check a book about the Prince.
3. Read the speech My Fellow Oakmonsters!
4. Watch the New Candidate for Mayor in a frame on the wall.
5. Read A Note to Milton Pierce.
6. Look at the clothes.
7. Watch the laundry basket.
8. Look at the overturned bottle on the table.
9. Read the Letter from Throgmorton.
10. Take the knife from the table and look at the cutting edge.
11. Check the Letter from EOD.

Now you can go to the blue cloud and start next retrocognition. This is the correct sequence of events:

1. Bloody Milton at the front door.
2. Milton drinks from a bottle in the kitchen.
3. Milton changing clothes near the rack.
4. Take out the trash with bloody clothes.

You'll find that Milton Pierce showed up at the apartment with his bloodstained clothes on. Milton changed his clothes and ordered his butler to take dirty clothes to the Dirty Laundry in the basement.

Milton's apartment is already completed in 100%, but do two other things:

1. Open the Mind Palace. Combine clues: Blood Spatter and No Alibi - you will unlock deduction called Bloodied Clothes.
2. When you leave Pierce's apartment, turn left and go down the stairs to the basement. Find the basket with bloody clothes shown in the picture. Remember this place, because one of the later variants assumes returning to this location.

Meeting with Milton Pierce

Go to the Oakmont City Hall, where Milton Pierce is preparing to meet with voters. You'll find him in the right room. In the course of the conversation, Milton will propose to withdraw the testimony in exchange for the disposal (murder) of his mother. The choice of the dialog option (the picture above) does not matter because you will decide how to behave only after the meeting with him is over.

Whatever dialog option you choose, you'll get a Bottle of Strychnine and unlock two clues - Milton Pierce's Request and Agatha Pierce's address.

Open the Mind Palace. Combine Suspected Newcomer and Killer was blackmailed to unlock the Looking for a Newcomer deduction.

Optional step - warn or murder Milton's mother

If you want, you can skip this step completely and focus solely on finding the person who killed Van der Berg. The manor of Agatha Pierce is on the north end of Oldgrove. It's Beacon Street, near the crossroads of Bullock Street. You will know it's the right house by the huge election poster on the lawn.

When you enter the house, find Agatha Pierce in the main room. Meeting her can run in two main ways. The first option is to warn the woman that her son wants to poison her. It is very simple - just select the appropriate dialogue option during the first conversation (picture). You will unlock traces - Refused to Kill and I Told the Truth. This decision has two consequences:

1. Agatha won't die.
2. Milton will remain on the original statement. Reed will continue to be the prime suspect.

The second option is to kill the woman by giving her a poison. Agatha will give you A Rusty Key to the basement. Before you go down to the basement, inspect the ground floor of the building. You will find:

1. First aid kit and ammo.
2. Unfinished Letter.
3. Container with a small lot.
4. An empty wine bottle.
5. Photo of Milton.

In the basement expect a fight with monsters. There will probably be a big monster among them - you can run around the basement and try to aim at its weak spot below the head or go back to the stairs and wait until he gets stuck there.

After defeating enemies search the basement and open new containers with a small loot. In addition, you will find a first aid kit and ammunition. Start checking the wine bottle racks - investigate three bottles (eye icons appear on their labels, but none of them is Chianti).

Inspect the hole in the floor and go down to the lower level of the basement. You will find ammunition and a chest with a small loot. A bottle of Chianti was placed on the crates. Once you have lifted it, look at the label and check the cork (picture above). Interaction in this place will get you a Poisoned Bottle of Chianti.

Go back to Agatha Pierce, and let her drink poisoned wine (choose any toast, it doesn't matter). The woman dies after a while - you will unlock a trace called I killed Agatha Pierce. Open the Mind Palace. Combine the clues I killed the lady and Milton Pierce, the sell-out to unlock the Revised testimony deduction. You don't have to go back to Milton, because he'll automatically change his testimony. Agatha's poisoning is awarded Crime, No Punishment trophy.

Finding the newcomer

This step is mandatory, regardless of whether you have visited Agatha or not. In order to locate a newcomer (the van der Berg murderer) you need to visit Oakmont City Hall again. This time take interest in a public archive:

1. As evidence for the analysis, select the Looking for a Newcomer.
2. Select category Subjects, and then Newcomers.
3. Select the Registry category and then Legal Documents.
4. Select the Period category and then, After the Flood.

Thanks to the right criteria you should find a Marriage License.

A visit to Glenn Byers' apartment - an important choice

You have to go to the Shells district. The destination is Residence of Glenn Byers (as shown in the image) - this is Revenue House street, near the intersection of Powderhouse Street and Orchard Avenue.

Go to the second floor and inspect the door with broken glass. Then go to the left apartment where Glenn Byers lives.

In the initial part of the conversation with Glenn Byers, simply select the available dialogue options. The moment of making a decision shows a picture above - you have two main behaviors to select here:

1. Rescuing a kidnapped Byers family (dialog option I will help your family) - move to the description of variant 1.
2. Forcing Byers to hand over the murder weapon (dialog option You're not getting out of this) - move to the description of variant 2.

Option 1- Rescuing Byers' kidnapped family

Finish the conversation with Glenn Byers and promise to help him (Glenn Byers' request). You can take advantage of Mind's Palace

1. Combine the clues: Byers and I look alike and Milton Pierce, the sell-out. There will be two deductions to choose from - All-around jerk or Good citizen. The choice of the deduction is not obligatory.
2. Combine the clues Killer was blackmailed and Repentant sinner. Again, there are two deductions to choose from - Fair judgment or Victim, not a villain. You will make the final decision about the obvious (or not) fault of Byers later.

Start exploring Byers' apartment:

1. Examine the envelope lying on the table. Rotate it so you can view its contents (eye icon - the image above). You'll find the severed finger in it. Also, the envelope contains a Ransom Note.
2. Check the partially blurred inscription on the wall.
3. Look at the flyer on the nightstand next to the bed.
4. Look at the gramophone next to the bed.
5. Go to the next room. Check the torn, bloody piece of clothing lying on the carpet.
6. Watch the blood stain on the carpet.
7. Take Michael's Diary from the bed.
8. Look at the poster of Joy Hayden hanging on the wall.
9. Look at the bloody shovel lying on the floor.
10. Watch the broken green door.
11. Look at the boards on the broken piece of floor.

A blue cloud will appear in the apartment and this means that you can proceed with retrocognition. This is the correct sequence of events:

1. Bandits break the door of the apartment.
2. Bandits seized the wife.
3. The son pushes a bandit who falls into a hole in the floor.
4. The bandits bring the wife and son out of the apartment.

You find out that the gang broke into the apartment and kidnapped Glenn Byers ' wife and son. During the struggle, Glenn's son pushed one of the bandits who fell through a hole in the floor. The rest of the bandits left the apartment with Hostage-taking.

Talk to Glenn Byers about a bandit who fell into a hole in the floor. Get a Keychain with a Label from him. Exit the apartment, go down to the first floor and use the key to open the door on the stairs.

Expect some monsters in the kitchen. After defeating them, move down to the basement. There should be a big monster in there. You can retreat to the first floor or attack it through a hole in the kitchen floor. Only after cleaning both floors explore the surroundings:

1. Look at the boards in the kitchen.
2. Look at the bottle of wine in the kitchen.
3. Watch the basket of flowers in the kitchen - there is a note with congratulations on the wedding day.
4. In the kitchen, you will find a leg trap.
5. Go down to the basement. You can find 3 containers with small loot.
6. Reach the body of a bandit shown in the picture, who landed all the way in the basement. You will find a Torn Bit of Map and lockpicks near the corpse. You can also further examine the corpse.

The next step is to find the Gang Hideout on the basis of a torn out map found on the body. The hideout is located in the Salvation Harbor and is shown in the attached picture - it's a blue residential building on Eel Street, halfway across from the crossroads of Skipper Road.

You don't have to worry that you'll be attacked as soon as you enter the building. It's worth exploring the whole building and taking a small loot from all the interactive containers. Then go to the first floor.

On the first floor, examine the small loot cabinet and find the coffin shown in the picture. Use Mind's Eye and let the symbols converge so the illusion wall disappears.

You'll meet Billy Drunnon again in a hidden room upstairs. For the purpose of playing the variant described above, resign from his "proposal" to leave the building. You have to kill Billy and his bodyguards that appear immediately after the conversation ends. Because the fighting takes place at a short distance, we recommend using a shotgun or a machine gun. If necessary, retreat to the previous room and eliminate the coming thugs.

Go through the door with broken glass. The new room has a few small collectibles - Aggrieved to PS, A Note That Smells of Fish, Sketchy Notes, Map and Coordinates, He's Reviving the Long-Dead, Carefully Folded Letter. Also, look at the map on which Reed's actions were tracked

Take the Old Key (image above) from the table and use it to open the room upstairs. Talk to the saved (Noble Action) son. There's a wife sitting next to him, but she won't talk. The gang's hideout has been investigated in 100%.

Go back to Residence of Glenn Byers and tell Glenn about the family being saved. You will receive from him a Signed Confession and The Murder Weapon.

Open the Mind Palace:

1. Combine clues: The Gun and No alibi. You can choose between the deductions of Justice and Malice.
2. Combine clues: Killer was blackmailed and the Out of danger - you'll unlock the deduction Words pay the debt.
3. After uncovering the last question marks, you should unlock Frank's Confession.

The last step is to hand over the evidence and the weapons. Return to the Carpenter Manor and talk to Frank who stands in front of you. Select the Glenn Byers confessed to the crime dialog option. You can ask Frank for leniency towards Byers.

Option 2 - forcing Byers to hand over the murder weapon

From Glenn Byers, you will learn where the weapon is Hidden Murder Weapon. You can take advantage of Mind's Palace

1. Combine the clues: Byers and I look alike and Milton Pierce, the sell-out. There will be two deductions to choose from - All-around jerk or Good citizen. The choice of the deduction is not obligatory.
2. Combine the clues Killer was blackmailed and Repentant sinner. Again, there are two deductions to choose from - Fair judgment or Victim, not a villain. You will make the final decision about the obvious (or not) fault of Byers later.

Go down to the first floor of the building and open the previously inaccessible doors on the stairs. Be ready to deal with some monsters. Go to the kitchen. The Murder Weapon is under the sink (refer to the picture). You will discover the clue A Matter of Conscience. Open the Mind Palace one more time. Combine the clues: The gun and No alibi. You can choose between two deductions - Justice or Malice. After discovering the last questions, you should unlock the conclusion called Frame Milton Pierce.

Return to Apartment of Milton Pierce and go straight to Pierce's Basement. Be careful, new monsters that may appear here.

Again, go to the basket with broken clothes and put in the murder weapon (Fabricate Evidence). Select a camera from the inventory and take a photo to get the Evidence Against Pierce (above picture).

The last step is to present the obtained (in particular, falsified) material evidence. Return to the Carpenter Manor and talk to Frank who stands in front of you. Select the Milton Pierce murder charge dialog option - Milton Pierce is a murderer (lie).

Examining the blue cloud in front of the Carpenter mansion

This step can be played regardless of how you cleared Reed of the murder charges. Stay at the entrance to the Carpenter Manor to unlock the Eerie Feeling trace.

Turn around and enter the blue cloud of retrocognition. There is only one area to investigate - a mysterious character appears who will invite Reed (a Sudden Invitation) to a meeting at Devil's Reef hotel.

Meeting at Devil's Reef hotel

Return to Devil's Reef Hotel and head upstairs to a room rented by Reed. You'll meet Johannes van der Berg, who faked his own death. The dialog options you select do not have any influence on the end of the conversation, but you can behave in two ways after the meeting is over:

1. Leave the room immediately.
2. Shoot Johannes. The option to attack a man does not appear during the conversation. You must aim at him with any weapon (example in the picture) and shoot him. This variant is rewarded with Double Tap.

Regardless of how you behave, you will unlock the new Flying Phoenix main investigation and gain XP.