The Operator walkthrough – Full guide and all puzzle solutions

So: you’re playing The Operator. You’ve made a seriously good choice: we absolutely love this game that casts you as an FDI agent working to solve a variety of crimes. In our review of The Operator, we scored it an 8/10, saying we “…were thoroughly engrossed in every minute of it”. It can get tricky, though, and some of its solutions require a bit of legwork. That’s where our The Operator walkthrough comes in: we’re here to help you solve all of its puzzles.

Our walkthrough of The Operator takes you through the game from start to finish. We’ve provided solutions for all puzzles, so if you’re stuck, you know where to look. We haven’t told you what dialogue options to select, however: for the most part, it doesn’t matter what you choose, so we’ll leave that up to you. (The odd occasion where we feel a dialogue choice is important, you’ll find it noted in the guide below).

So: we hope you find our The Operator walkthrough helpful. If you are looking for a specific puzzle, use your browser’s search function (ctrl+F if you’re on Windows). Otherwise, simply work through it from the start — or use the contents page to jump to the section you need.

The Operator walkthrough – quick links

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Day 4

Day 1

1. After the opening cutscene you’ll be prompted for a username and password. Press any keys on your keyboard and the correct details will be entered. Press login.
2. Click the Welcome document that appears in the right hand side of your window.
3. Answer the call from Mike Trench. Choose your own dialogue choices.
4. Answer the call from Xavier Skinner. When you’ve answered his questions you’ll have your first practice assignment: find his age.

5. Answer the next call to Skinner, then answer the call to Alexandra Pendell.
6. You need to find an ID on a shooter in a bar. Click the “Bar” folder that appears on your desktop. Open up the Name_List and listen to what Pendell has to say.
7. Open the Cam_02 file. Watch the video, then listen to Skinner’s tutorial. Click the car in the video to pull up a close-up of its license plate. Click the close up of the plate to bring up the car details.

8. Click the “Find Killer’s Name” task at the top of your screen, then click on Ray Wells in the Car DB tab.
9. Tell Pendell your findings. Now to find the Killer’s address.
10. Click Applications then HumanDB. Enter “Ray Wells” into the box. Click the “Find Killer’s Address” task at the top of the screen and click his last known address (130 Laurel Street). Pass the information to Pendell and end the call. End the call with Skinner too.
11. Open up the FDI Most Wanted List that appears on your right hand bar. Answer the call from Skinner, then answer the call to Barry Walker. Follow the conversation through then open the Desert file. You need to find an inconsistency in the photos.

How to find an inconsistency in the desert photos

Look at the Phone_Rec and Testimony files, then open the Camera. Click the image icon on the camera window (second down) then click the “i” to show the date and time of each photo. Scroll to photo 3: the supposed photo of the UFO. All of these photos were supposedly taken at the same time, but this one has a different date.

Click the “Find inconsistency” task at the top of your screen then click the date of the third photo.

12. Now you need to find the location of where the photo was taken. In her testimony she says she took all 3 photos close together, near Mt Mori. That third photo is timestamped 10.13am, so click the “Find Photo Location” task then click 10.15 am in the Phone_Rec document map. Pass the information back to Walker.
13. You’ll meet “HAL” for the first time. Go through the conversation with the hacker. When you’re done, log in again and answer the call with Skinner. Power off your PC when you’re ready.

Day 2

1. Log in and answer the call from Trench, then Skinner. Answer Pendell’s call.
2. Open the Parking folder she sends over and watch the Cam_04 footage. You need to spot a difference between the first half and second half of the video.
3. There’s a light reflection in the coned-off car in the first half, but not in the second. Click the “Find Something Different” objective on your top bar then click the windscreen. Tell Pendell.

4. Open the bullet image Pendell sends. Click it to analyse it. Click “Find out more about bullet” then click “.45 ACP” under the image.
5. Talk to HAL when the chat box pops up. You seemingly have no choice but to accept their offer.
6. Open the video again, and watch the missing segment that’s now available. Click on the car to analyse it, then click on the driver’s face. You can click the car again too to determine the model.
7. Click the “Find more info on killer” task in the top bar and then the unidentified Killer’s face. Pass it to Pendell.
8. You’ll find yourself talking to HAL again. Go to Applications at the top of your screen then open Terminal. Type in “call 187.222.19.98 –nosecure” and press enter.
9. Talk to Katherine Andrews on the phone. When prompted by Andrews, go to Applications and open HumanDB. Search “Mia Cole” then “Sacha Cole”. Report back to Andrews.
10. Ask HAL how to access the Cole case file.
11. In the chat window with Andrews, select the correct command given by HAL. It’s the second option (ensure there’s a ” at the start, and 9XQLHC is typed correctly).
12. Open the Fire file. Look through the documents. We need to prove the fire was not an accident.

How to prove the fire wasn’t an accident in The Operator

Open the Ash sample. Information about ChemScan will pop up. Open the User Manual, which tells you how to find the correct settings. Input the following details into the ChemScan window:

• Ion size: 6
• Delta V: 420
• Threshold: 210
• Sample Matrix size: 5

Click Start. When it’s finished, click Results. Open the CSLCA Data Report from your Applications menu. Enter the following data:

• CCVT: 901
• pH: 6.5
• Frequencies (input in this order): 9.27, 2.47, 1.55 and 10.62.

Click calculate. Part of the composition is Gasoline. That seems like evidence to us. Click “Prove Fire not an accident”, then on the word “gasoline”. Tell Andrews your findings.

13. Return to talking to Hal.
14. Answer call to Trench, then finish your conversation with Hal.
15. Answer call to Walker. Open the Graveyard file he sends over. Your goal is to identify the body. Listen to the autopsy report and look at the photos.

16. Search the Name_list again for Quinton, and send the evidence to Walker. He now wants to know what crossed out names mean.
17. Search Quinton Spence in HumanDB (open it from your Applications menu). Click the objective at the top of the screen then select “Missing” from the top of the DB window. Return to the chat with Walker.
18. Open the Quinton Spence file sent to you. Your goal is to open the second floppy disk.

How to find the floppy disk password in The Operator

Look through all the files. There are clues to the password hidden here. You’ll want to open FMP-1138 and RES.2 at the same time. They both have strange messages in the centre of them, with oddly placed square brackets. What happens if you drag each document on your screen and try and line up the placement of those square brackets?

Do so, and you’ll reveal a secret message spelling out the password. The password to the floppy disk is 105ENDIAN.

19. Open the disk and read the confession document. Your task will now become “Find next step”. Click this, then the paragraph of the letter than contains BioM Facility’s address.
20. Report to Walker and conclude your conversation. Power off for the night.

Day 3

1. Answer the call from Trench, then answer the call from Walker. Open the Facility file Walker sends through.
2. Watch the security footage. Click the keypad to see the code, and click the object in the person’s hand. Scan to 4 min 11 sec in the video to be able to analyse the person’s face.
3. Prove it was arson by linking to the close up of the jerry can. Tell Walker. When he asks for a code, click “Find the code” then input 014485 into the chat box.
4. Walker wants more information on the arsonist. Does he look familiar to you? Open up the Parking file and the Killer photo. Click your objective at the top and link it to the photo. Report back to Walker. Look at the Connie file Walker sends over and finish the call.
5. Talk to Hal. You’re now going to sneak into the Evidence room. Log out of your machine.

How to solve the evidence room puzzle in The Operator

• On the next screen, click the corresponding keyboard key to log in. Hit keys as usual to input Tanner’s login then press Enter. Press Esc to go to the main screen. Press H for help, and you’ll see a message from Hal. Use your keyboard arrows to navigate the chat.
• Make sure you tell Hal you’re getting an error message and he will update your credentials. Press Escape to leave the chat window.
• Hal asked you to check the Hidden column of evidence listings. Use the arrow keys to navigate each Agent’s cases, clicking enter to see them. Only G1669 BWalker has a “True” in the hidden column. Press Tab to move to the listings, scroll down to HDD and click enter.
• In the new window, scroll down to Hidden and hit enter. On the confirmation window, hit enter again. Press Esc then H to speak to Hal again.
• Now you need to find the list of names in the evidence room and see if you can see the redacted name. It’s in the first file, G1921 APendell. Press Tab to navigate the evidence and press Enter on Name_List.
• Press Tab to go to the History box. Select 001 and press enter. Press Esc then H to chat with Hal again. Press Esc then L to log out.

6. Log back in to your own PC. Open the Bar file and the name list. Sacha Cole was the redacted name. Click the HDD.
7. Talk to Hal. Click the “Give censored entry” at the top of your screen and select Sacha Cole.
8. Some of the HDD files are recovered. Hal wants to get into the Connie Moore file first.

9. Look at the Overview and the Notes in the Connie file. You need to find an address for the trap. At the bottom of the Notes document is a lab address. Click the task at the top of your screen then the address to link them.
10. Return to talking to Hal.
11. Talk to Skinner and get patched through to Pendell.
12. Answer the next call from Pendell. You’re about to have a tense time on your hands. You need to defuse a bomb, and you’re against the clock. You’ll call Skinner, who’ll send you a Bomb Defusal Guide.

13. Continue your conversation with Pendell, then Skinner. Power off for the night.

Day 4

1. Log in to your machine.
2. Answer the call from Pendell. Open the Lab file she sends over. Read the document and look at the picture.
3. Talk to Hal. He’ll patch you through to Andrews. Open the Surveillance folder she sends through and watch the video feed. You need to work out who the apartment belongs to.

4. This can’t be good at all. Link the name to the task and return to chat with Andrews. Talk with HAL.
5. HAL now asks you to trust them, and wants to give you proof of who they are. Open the Trash to find a “To_Delete” file. HAL gives you the password to open it.

6. Once you’ve read the Alice file, finish your conversation with HAL, and then with Andrews.
7. Answer the call to Walker. You’ll eventually talk to “The Ghost” and get to ask him some questions.
8. Ultimately, we don’t think the questions you ask or the answers you give have any impact on the story. But just in case, we’ve provided our choices below.
   • Ask why he killed Ray Wells.
   • He’ll ask who Mike Trench is. Tell him he’s your friend and the Operator Program Director.
   • Ask what he knows about Project Eve.
   • When he asks about Sacha Cole, tell the truth.
   • Ask his full name.
   • When he asks about the missing footage, tell the truth.
   • Ask who he works for.
   • Tell the truth when he asks if you know HAL’s real identity. When he asks for HAL’s real name, tell him it’s your turn to ask a question.
   • Ask what he knows about Mia and Sacha Cole.
   • Refuse to give up Hal’s identity.
9. Talk to HAL, and eventually Andrews. You’ll be sent a feed of the 11th floor, and need to help Andrews get around.
10. Tell Hal that Andrews’ access code doesn’t work. She’ll get sent down to the 8th floor, and you’ll need to manually guide her via a floorplan.

11. Switch to the ST camera. Tell HAL that Katherine is at the stairway door. Tell Andrews to use her badge.
12. Switch to HW camera. Tell Andrews when the coast is clear. Ask HAL about a code for the locker room. When prompted, open up the Terminal from the Applications menu. Type in ssh FDI.L11.LCK –logs then press enter.

13. Switch to the LK camera. Switch to SV camera when Andrews prompts. Tell HAL that someone is in front of the server room.
14. Click the person on the camera feed to bring up their HumanDB page. Click “Find identity” at the top of the screen, then their name. Report to HAL.
15. Talk to Davis to try and get her away from her desk. Tell her there’s an issue with her computer and get her to leave.
16. When you can, tell Andrews that the coast is clear. Switch back to the LV camera and then SV.
17. Tell Hal the device has been plugged in.
18. Oh no – Code Red! Click “I understand”.

19. Tell Andrews there’s a security alert and you don’t know what’s going on. Talk to HAL and find out who the mole is. Pass it on to Andrews.
20. HAL tells you about an email on Trench’s system. Open the HDD on your main screen and click on the Sacha Cole file. Enter B21P1SC as the password.
21. Listen to the audio file while the other files are recovering. Twist incoming. Talk to Hal, and watch events unfold.
22. After the cutscene, you’ll switch to HAL’s point of view. Talk in the Direct Message box with Skinner before moving to the Terminal, and then a Horizon News chat box.
23. Talk to Skinner and then click the command in the terminal. Click the person in the security feed and return to the Skinner chat window.
24. Talk to Horizon.News before clicking launch nuke-protocol in the terminal window.