- On Thin Ice chapter 3 begins at the police station during a citywide blizzard lockdown.
- Hard drive code: Use the highlighted names to create the six-digit sequence 211012.
- Dan’s computer PIN: Match the screen icons with the photos to enter 5397.
- Locker code: Apply the prisoner rules to two people and enter 40242.
- Final objective: Build the phone-tracking device and connect the hexagons correctly.
On Thin Ice chapter 3 Walkthrough Overview
On Thin Ice chapter 3 returns Kate Gray to the police station, where a storm traps the team inside and a suspected traitor threatens the investigation. The chapter combines code interpretation, item assembly, environmental clues, and two rearrangement puzzles. Follow the sequence below to avoid missing items or returning to earlier rooms unnecessarily.
Video Highlights:
- Unlocking the hard drive with the color-coded name clue.
- Repairing and activating Dan’s computer.
- Solving the evidence locker code and questioning Dan.
- Completing the final phone-monitoring hexagon puzzle.
| Chapter Objective | Required Result | Main Clue |
|---|---|---|
| Open the hard drive | Enter 211012 | Three highlighted names and their number values |
| Repair Dan’s workstation | Assemble the computer | Fan bays, tubes, coolant, and graphics cards |
| Access Dan’s computer | Enter 5397 | Stopwatch, snowflake, fish, and gear symbols |
| Open the evidence locker | Enter 40242 | Rules about hands, items, shirts, shoes, and mouths |
| Track the suspect | Complete the hexagon layout | Numbered connection points |
Police Station
Inspect the hard drive, repair the damaged chart, and collect the clues needed to expose the traitor.
Dan’s Office
Gather computer parts, wake Dan, recover his glasses, and access the hidden investigation files.
Evidence Area
Remove the other officers from the room, unlock the locker, and retrieve Dan’s belongings.
Tracking Setup
Use the mysterious key to find the monitoring equipment and assemble the phone-tracking device.
Inspect every highlighted object before leaving a room. Several items, including the wire, remote control, and key, are used more than once during the chapter.
Hard Drive and Computer Puzzle Solutions
The first major sequence in On Thin Ice chapter 3 starts with the hard drive in the police station. The drive displays three color groups: blue, red, and green. A damaged chart nearby contains the matching pattern, but it must be repaired before it can provide the useful clue.
Repair the damaged chart
Take the police sticker from the chart and use it to cover the broken wire. Once the chart works again, inspect the highlighted names connected to the hard drive clue.
Convert the names into numbers
The three names are Dimebag, Nooner, and Blackjack. Their number values are 10, 12, and 21. Arrange them by the hard drive’s color order: blue, red, then green.
Unlock the hard drive
Enter 211012. The sequence places Blackjack first, Dimebag second, and Nooner third according to the color-coded clue.
Collect the computer parts
Move to Dan’s office. Pick up the grabber, two fan bays, remote control, and cabinet handle. Replace the handle, then collect the plastic tubes and coolant from the drawers.
After the hard drive is opened, take it downstairs rather than connecting it directly to Kate’s computer. Dan is asleep, so use the Zap Cola energy drink to wake him temporarily. The graphics cards and microfiber cloth become available after interacting with him and the surrounding furniture.
| Item | Where to Find It | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Police sticker | Damaged chart | Repairs the chart’s broken wire |
| Cabinet handle | Dan’s office | Opens the storage drawer |
| Plastic tubes | Cabinet drawer | Part of the computer assembly |
| Coolant | Second drawer | Completes the computer cooling system |
| Two fan bays | Dan’s office | Required for the computer |
| Graphics cards | Beneath Dan | Required to start the computer |
| Microfiber cloth | Beneath Dan | Cleans the digital picture frame |
| Remote control | Dan’s office | Fixes the frame’s position |
The password clue is not visible until the digital picture frame is cleaned and adjusted with the remote control. Inspect the photos afterward to reveal the numbers needed for the PIN.
Dan’s Computer PIN and Data Puzzle
Assemble the computer with the hard drive, two fan bays, plastic tubes, coolant, and graphics cards. Once the system starts, the monitor displays four symbols: a stopwatch, snowflake, fish, and gear. These symbols correspond to images in the repaired picture frame.
The correct PIN is 5397:
| Screen Symbol | Matching Photo | Digit |
|---|---|---|
| Stopwatch | Escape room image | 5 |
| Snowflake | Snowboarding image | 3 |
| Fish | Sushi image | 9 |
| Gear | Robot image | 7 |
Enter the digits in the same order shown on the computer screen. After access is granted, open the hard drive data puzzle. The goal is to reorganize the colored information into three horizontal rows.
| Row Position | Required Color |
|---|---|
| Top row | Yellow |
| Middle row | White |
| Bottom row | Green |
The puzzle allows pieces to move through the open spaces. Work from the most constrained pieces first, then complete each row without disturbing sections that already match. When all three rows are ordered correctly, the computer reveals the contact book.
Use the contact book to identify the phone connected to the investigation. This confirms that Dan is involved as the inside man, but Kate still needs to clear the room before she can question him directly.
Clean First
Use the microfiber cloth on the picture frame before searching for the password images.
Read the Order
Enter the symbols from left to right: stopwatch, snowflake, fish, then gear.
Sort by Rows
Keep the yellow, white, and green target rows in mind while moving the data blocks.
If the computer rejects the PIN, verify that the symbols were read in screen order. The correct sequence is 5397, not the order in which the photos were discovered.
Evidence Locker, Dan’s Testimony, and Hidden Key
After discovering Dan’s role, Kate must remove Jacob, Murphy, and Keiko from the area. Collect the hand sanitizer and knock down the framed rules list. The sanitizer cleans the frozen locker panel, while the bent wire helps retrieve a keyring and later reaches objects in Dan’s sleeping area.
| Action | Required Item | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Clean the locker panel | Hand sanitizer | Reveals the keypad |
| Retrieve the keyring | Bent wire | Provides access to the evidence room |
| Open the evidence room | Key from the keyring | Allows Kate to collect police tape |
| Move Murphy | Police tape | Clears Murphy from the area |
| Open the second locker | Code 40242 | Reveals Dan’s belongings |
| Move Keiko | Dan’s belongings | Clears Keiko from the room |
| Move Jacob | Arrest papers | Clears Jacob from the room |
To solve the five-digit locker code, apply the displayed rules to two people: one prisoner and one visitor. Count the highlighted categories rather than counting the people currently visible in the room.
| Rule Category | Count for Two People |
|---|---|
| Hands | 4 |
| Items | 0 |
| Shirts | 2 |
| Shoes | 4 |
| Mouths | 2 |
Enter 40242 to open the locker. Give Dan’s belongings to Keiko, give the police tape to Murphy, and hand the arrest papers to Jacob. Once the area is clear, use the bent wire to retrieve Dan’s tin mug and glasses.
Fill the mug with the dripping water from the cell and use it to wake Dan. Give him his glasses so Kate can question him. Dan explains that the woman in the photograph is his daughter and that the ransomware group threatened her. He then gives Kate his belt.
Inspect the belt to find a hidden compartment containing a mysterious key. Use that key on the closet to reveal a laptop, antenna, and battery pack.
The code is based on the hypothetical situation described by the rules: two people with no carried items. That produces 4 hands, 0 items, 2 shirts, 4 shoes, and 2 mouths.
Final Tracking Device Puzzle
The closet contains the equipment needed to monitor the suspect’s phone. Take the laptop, antenna, and battery pack, then attach the antenna and battery to the monitoring tool. The final puzzle uses connected hexagons with numbered sides.
The reliable approach is to place the most restricted pieces first. A hexagon marked 6 must connect on all six sides, while pieces with fewer available connections should be positioned where their required links can still be completed.
Assemble the monitor
Combine the laptop with the antenna and battery pack. Check that every component is attached before starting the connection puzzle.
Find the fixed connection
Locate the hexagon marked 6. This piece must connect to all six neighboring sides, making its placement the strongest anchor.
Place restricted pieces
Identify hexagons with only a small number of valid positions. Fit these before placing flexible pieces so the available spaces do not become blocked.
Complete the network
Match each numbered side with a neighboring side and confirm that every required connection is satisfied. Adjust the flexible pieces last.
When the layout is complete, the device identifies where the suspect is using the phone. This ends the chapter and sets up Kate’s next confrontation.
Chapter 3 Completion Checklist:
- Repair the chart with the police sticker
- Unlock the hard drive with 211012
- Assemble Dan’s computer and enter 5397
- Open the evidence locker with 40242
- Build the phone tracker and finish the hexagon puzzle
| Final Puzzle Feature | Recommended Approach | Common Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Hexagon marked 6 | Use it as the main anchor | Placing it after flexible pieces |
| Restricted pieces | Place them early | Leaving them until the board is crowded |
| Flexible pieces | Save them for last | Treating every piece as equally limited |
| Numbered sides | Match every required connection | Checking only one side of each piece |
For additional visual reference, use the Adventure Escape Mysteries: On Thin Ice Chapter 3 walkthrough guide alongside this solution order.
If the hexagon board stops progressing, undo the last flexible placement first. The issue is usually a restricted piece that was forced into a space needed by another connection.
On Thin Ice Chapter 3 FAQ
Q: What is the hard drive code in On Thin Ice chapter 3?
The hard drive code is 211012. Convert Blackjack, Dimebag, and Nooner into 21, 10, and 12, then arrange the values according to the blue, red, and green clue order.
Q: What is Dan’s computer PIN?
Enter 5397. The stopwatch corresponds to 5, the snowflake to 3, the fish to 9, and the gear to 7.
Q: How do I open the evidence locker?
Clean the locker panel with hand sanitizer and enter 40242. The digits represent four hands, zero items, two shirts, four shoes, and two mouths for two people.
Q: What happens after the final hexagon puzzle?
The completed phone-monitoring device locates the suspect’s phone and concludes Chapter 3, leading into the next chapter of Kate’s investigation.
Once the tracker identifies the phone location, the major puzzles in Chapter 3 are complete. Keep the solution codes recorded if you are replaying the chapter for missed interactions or achievements.