- On Thin Ice chapter 3 walkthrough covers every major puzzle from the hard drive to the final phone monitor.
- Hard drive code: Use the color order to enter 21 10 12.
- Computer PIN: Match the screen icons with photos to enter 5397.
- Locker code: Apply the prisoner rules to enter 40242.
- Final objective: Build the phone-monitoring device and connect its hexagons correctly.
On Thin Ice chapter 3 walkthrough: Police Station Opening
On Thin Ice chapter 3 walkthrough begins at the police station, where Kate investigates a compromised system during the storm lockdown. The opening sequence combines an observation puzzle, a damaged clue device, and a color-coded hard drive lock. Examine each highlighted photo before entering the code, because the color order matters more than the order in which the clues appear.
Video Highlights:
- The hard drive clue uses three highlighted police code names.
- The opening code is assembled from Blackjack, Dimebag, and Nooner.
- The damaged chart must be repaired before its pattern can be read.
The hard drive displays six colored positions: two blue, two red, and two green. The matching chart identifies three names that convert into numbers:
| Clue name | Number | Hard drive color |
|---|---|---|
| Blackjack | 21 | Blue |
| Dimebag | 10 | Red |
| Nooner | 12 | Green |
The chart initially shorts out, so take the police sticker and use it to repair the exposed wire. After the chart works again, inspect the three highlighted references. Their numbers must be placed according to the hard drive colors, producing 21 10 12.
Inspect the Drive
Check the colored slots and note the sequence: blue, red, green.
Repair the Chart
Use the police sticker on the damaged wire so the clue becomes readable.
Enter the Code
Convert the three highlighted names and enter 211012 without spaces.
Do not enter the clue numbers in discovery order. The drive requires the numbers to be rearranged by color, giving 21, 10, then 12.
| Opening task | Required action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Damaged chart | Repair the wire with the police sticker | The chart can be examined |
| Name clues | Inspect Blackjack, Dimebag, and Nooner | Numbers 21, 10, and 12 |
| Hard drive | Follow blue, red, green order | Code 211012 |
Dan’s Office and the Computer PIN
After unlocking the drive, take it downstairs to Dan’s office rather than connecting it directly to Kate’s computer. Dan is asleep, and the room contains the parts needed to rebuild a safer computer system. Clear the area, collect the equipment, and assemble the cooling hardware before trying to access the drive.
Use these steps to keep the item sequence organized:
Collect the Room Items
Remove the clutter, pull the blanket from under Dan, and collect the grabber, two fan bays, remote control, and cabinet handle.
Open the Storage Areas
Replace the missing cabinet handle to obtain the plastic tubes. Open the other drawer to collect coolant, then use the grabber to reach the Zap Cola on top of the closet.
Wake Dan Briefly
Give Dan the Zap Cola. When he shifts, collect the graphics card and microfiber cloth from beneath him.
Build the Computer
Combine the two fan bays, plastic tubes, coolant, graphics card, and hard drive with the computer setup.
Clean the Digital Frame
Use the microfiber cloth on the desk frame, then use the remote control when the frame becomes stuck between photos.
The computer password uses four icons: a stopwatch, snowflake, fish, and gear. Match each icon to the appropriate image in the digital frame. The resulting digits are shown below.
| Computer icon | Matching image clue | Digit |
|---|---|---|
| Stopwatch | Time or escape-room photo | 5 |
| Snowflake | Snowboarding image | 3 |
| Fish | Sushi image | 9 |
| Gear | Robot image | 7 |
Enter 5397 to unlock the computer. The next screen starts the Hard Drive Mysteries puzzle. Rearrange the colored data so that yellow occupies the top row, white occupies the middle row, and green occupies the bottom row.
The computer password is not taken from the icons themselves. Each icon points to a photo, and the number comes from the matching image.
| Puzzle stage | Correct arrangement or code | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Digital frame | Stopwatch, snowflake, fish, gear | Identifies the four photo clues |
| Computer PIN | 5397 | Unlocks Dan’s computer |
| Data puzzle | Yellow top, white middle, green bottom | Organizes the hard drive information |
Clear the Room and Open the Locker
Once the computer reveals Dan as the inside contact, Kate needs privacy to question him. The nearby officers must leave the area, but each one requires a different item or action. The keyring, police tape, arrest papers, and Dan’s belongings all play a role in clearing the room.
First, collect the hand sanitizer and knock down the framed rules. Take the bent wire and read the highlighted words on the rules. Use the wire to pull the keyring from Jacob, then use the key to open the evidence-room door and access a locker containing police tape.
The second locker has a frozen five-digit lock. Clean it with sanitizer to reveal the clue, then apply the rules to two people: the prisoner and one visitor. Count the highlighted categories rather than the people currently visible in the room.
| Rule category | Count for two people |
|---|---|
| Hands | 4 |
| Items | 0 |
| Shirts | 2 |
| Shoes | 4 |
| Mouths | 2 |
The correct locker code is 40242. Take Dan’s belongings from inside. Give those belongings to Keiko, then collect the arrest papers. Give the police tape to Murphy and the arrest papers to Jacob. With all three people gone, Kate can return to Dan.
Jacob
Use the bent wire to obtain his keyring, then use the key to access the locked area.
Murphy
Give him the police tape so he leaves the investigation area.
Keiko
Return Dan’s belongings to her, then collect the arrest papers for Jacob.
The five-digit locker code is 40242. It represents four hands, zero items, two shirts, four shoes, and two mouths for the prisoner and one visitor.
| Objective | Item needed | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Reach the keyring | Bent wire | Obtain Jacob’s key |
| Open the evidence area | Key from Jacob | Collect police tape |
| Open the frozen locker | Sanitizer and rules clue | Enter 40242 |
| Remove Keiko | Dan’s belongings | Keiko leaves |
| Remove Murphy | Police tape | Murphy leaves |
| Remove Jacob | Arrest papers | Jacob leaves |
Wake Dan and Follow the Hidden Key
With the room cleared, use the bent wire to pull the tin mug and Dan’s glasses from his area. Fill the mug with the water dripping from the cell, then use the filled mug to wake Dan. Give him the glasses so he can speak with Kate.
Dan explains that the girl in the photograph is his daughter. The ransomware group threatened her, forcing him to compromise Kate’s computer. His confession identifies the motive behind the betrayal and advances the investigation.
Dan then gives Kate his belt. Inspect it carefully to find a hidden compartment and take the mysterious key inside. Use that key on the closet. Inside, collect the laptop, antenna, and battery pack. The laptop becomes the foundation for the final monitoring puzzle.
Chapter 3 Progress Checklist:
- Unlock the hard drive with the color-based code
- Assemble the computer and enter PIN 5397
- Complete the yellow, white, and green data arrangement
- Open the locker with code 40242
- Clear Jacob, Murphy, and Keiko from the room
- Wake Dan and retrieve the mysterious key
- Collect the laptop, antenna, and battery pack
Dan’s confession is a story progression point, but the belt is also an inventory clue. Inspect it after the conversation to reveal the hidden key.
| Location | Item | Next use |
|---|---|---|
| Dan’s area | Tin mug | Fill with dripping water |
| Dan’s area | Glasses | Give to Dan after waking him |
| Dan’s belt | Mysterious key | Unlock the closet |
| Closet | Laptop | Build the monitoring device |
| Closet | Antenna and battery pack | Complete the laptop setup |
Final Phone-Monitoring Puzzle and Chapter Reward
The final sequence requires assembling the laptop with the antenna and battery pack, then connecting a set of numbered hexagons. The goal is to create a valid network in which adjacent sides match according to the available connections. Start with the most constrained pieces instead of moving randomly.
A hexagon marked 6 must connect on all six sides. After placing it, focus on pieces with fewer legal positions. This approach reduces backtracking and makes the remaining connections easier to verify. When every edge is connected correctly, the monitoring tool can identify where the suspect is using the phone.
Assemble the Monitoring Tool
Attach the antenna and battery pack to the laptop found inside the closet.
Start with the Six-Sided Piece
Place the hexagon marked 6 first because it must connect to all six neighboring sides.
Place Restricted Hexagons
Choose pieces with the fewest available positions and connect them before flexible pieces.
Check Every Edge
Confirm that each neighboring side follows the number and connection requirements shown by the puzzle.
The puzzle is solved when all hexagons form one valid connected network. This completes Chapter 3 and points Kate toward the next stage of the investigation.
| Final puzzle feature | Recommended approach | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Hexagon marked 6 | Place it first | It requires connections on every side |
| Limited-position pieces | Place them next | They have fewer valid locations |
| Flexible pieces | Place them last | They can fit several remaining spaces |
| Completed network | Check all edges | Confirms the monitoring tool is functional |
For an additional reference, use the Adventure Escape Mysteries – On Thin Ice Chapter 3 walkthrough guide for the chapter’s item sequence and puzzle clues.
When the hexagon layout feels unclear, avoid moving every piece at once. Lock the six-sided piece and the most restricted pieces first, then fill the open spaces with flexible hexagons.
Q: What is the hard drive code in the On Thin Ice chapter 3 walkthrough?
The hard drive code is 211012. It comes from Blackjack, Dimebag, and Nooner, rearranged by the drive’s blue, red, and green color order as 21, 10, and 12.
Q: What is Dan’s computer PIN in Chapter 3?
Dan’s computer PIN is 5397. Match the stopwatch, snowflake, fish, and gear icons with the correct digital-frame photos to identify the four digits.
Q: How do you open the frozen locker?
Clean the lock with hand sanitizer, read the highlighted rules, and count two people: the prisoner and one visitor. The resulting code is 40242.
Q: How do you solve the final phone-monitoring puzzle?
Attach the antenna and battery pack to the laptop, place the hexagon marked 6 first, then position the pieces with the fewest legal connections before filling the remaining spaces.