The D

Hints/Walkthrough Style

Hints:
Beetle symbols
Glowing beetles will appear up to four times during the game. Once triggered, Laura will experience some disturbing flashback sequences. They are located in varying areas in the game and are only accessible after certain specific actions are completed.

Laura's compact
Select the compact from Laura's inventory to receive a pictorial hint to solve the current puzzle. This may only be done three times per game.

Laura's father
At varying locations in the game, Laura's father will speak to her.

Laura's watch
The game must be completed in two hours (real time). The watch in the inventory will keep track of the elapsed game time. The game begins at 3:00, and will end at 5:00.

Solution:
Note: This solution presents all actions available in the game, including many that are optional. Once certain information is known (e.g., the number of the drawers to open or the combination to the safe, there is no need to play those sections that will reveal those clues).

[Laura walks up to the entrance of Los Angeles National Hospital. She looks at the dead bodies in the waiting room. Suddenly, the interior of the hospital transforms into a gothic structure.]

Dining Room

Approach the table and look at the bowl. The water in the bowl will turn to blood.
Approach the open door to the left of the fireplace to enter the First Floor Hallway.

First Floor Hallway

Look at the dresser to the left of the stairway. An arm will stretch out of the mirror and grasp at Laura.
Walk into the Barrel Room to the right of the hallway.

Barrel Room

Walk towards the far end of the room. A spiked wall will spring towards Laura, stopping inches from her body.
Walk up the stairs to the Second Floor Hallway.

Second Floor Hallway

With the stairs to Laura's back, open the door to the left. A man impaled on spikes will be displayed.
Enter the door directly across from the stairs to enter the Second Floor Sitting Room.

Second Floor Sitting Room

Approach the chest of drawers in the corner. Each drawer is marked with a roman numeral. Open drawer "I". Laura will take the piece of paper that is in the drawer. A beetle symbol may appear in this drawer instead of the paper (open the drawer a second time after the flashback scene has completed).
Approach the fireplace. Laura will pick up the silver key from the bottom of the fireplace.
Return to the Dining Room.

Dining Room

Place the paper in the bowl on the dining table. The inscription "IV - II" will appear.
Return to the Second Floor Sitting Room.

Second Floor Sitting Room

Approach the chest of drawers and open drawer "IV", then drawer "II". Laura will take the wrench that is in drawer "II".
Return to the Barrel Room.

Barrel Room.

Use the wrench to turn the spigot on the barrel. The spikes on the far wall will retract.
Walk into the stairway that was protected by the spiked wall. The stairs end at a locked door marked with the number "78".
Return to the Dining Room.

Dining Room

Use the silver key to unlock the door to the right of the fireplace.
Enter the First Floor Bedroom.

First Floor Bedroom

A manacled prisoner is shackled to the wall. Note that his right arm disappears into the wall. Walk into the other section of the bedroom.
Approach the small wooden safe that is on a pedestal in the corner. Pull the handle to make the number "78" appear. Setting the numbers is difficult because there is a delay, and the number on the right slips ahead a few positions every time it stops. The number of digits that slips ahead is the number currently showing on the left side. Pull the handle to stop the left number between "0" and "1" to stop the display at "7". Pull the handle to stop the right number between "2" and "3" to display "1", which will slip ahead to "8". Once opened, the safe reveals the prisoner's arm that has been placed through the wall. Laura will take the ring off the hand in the safe.
Return to the Barrel Room.

Barrel Room

Enter the room and walk down the stairway.
Approach the door and use the ring to unlock the it.

[The door opens to reveal a circular stairway. As Laura walks down, a large stone ball appears and begins to roll behind her. Laura runs down the stairs, with the ball inches away from crushing her. She enters the Downstairs Bedroom just as the ball is stopped by the archway leading into the room. The stairway back to the first floor is blocked by the ball.]

Downstairs Bedroom

Approach the painting above the fireplace. Upon closer inspection, the girl in the painting smiles and transforms into a picture of four animals in the pattern:

            Chicken
     Horse           Rabbit
             Deer

Approach the desk with two drawers. A beetle symbol may appear here.
Approach the night stand to the right of the bed. Four cups painted with pictures of animals are on a circular tray on the night stand. Rotate the tray to match the pattern from the painting. The tray will rotate, and unlock the door to the right of the night stand.
Open the door and enter the Library.

Library

Examine the four busts on the table. A beetle symbol may appear here.
Examine the bookshelf. A beetle symbol may appear here.
Open the door and enter the Prison.

Prison

[Laura looks at the dead prisoners. A gold key on the floor comes into view, still held by a prisoner. Laura picks up the prisoner's arm and drops it to the floor, dislodging the key, which she takes.]

Return to the Downstairs Bedroom.

Downstairs Bedroom

Unlock the desk with the two drawers. Laura will take the book that was inside the drawer on the right.
Return to the Library.

Library

Place the book on the bookshelf. The bookshelf will slide over, revealing a secret passage.

[Laura walks up the stairs in the secret passage. As she passes through the archway at the opposite end, a metal gate and door slam down, blocking her way back. Laura is now in the Rotating Room.]

Rotating Room

The podium in the center of the room has a wheel, that when turned, will cause doorways to different locations to appear in the following order behind Laura. The locations are:

Entrance
Wall
Wall
Stairs leading down to the Circular Pool.
Wall
Stairs leading up to the Garden.
Room with a Stained Glass Window.
Wall
Wall
Wall
Stairs leading down to the Hall Of Knights.
Wall

Rotate the wheel on the podium until the Hall Of Knights is accessible.

Hall Of Knights

[Laura walks down a flight of stairs into a hallway with suits of armored knights. She stares into a circular pit at the end of the hall. Turning around, she comes face to face with one of the knights, which now blocks her path.]

Watch the bottom of the screen for hints to use the controller. Laura can defeat the knight by executing the first move in time. If this is not done, the knight will push Laura into the pit.
If Laura falls into the pit, approach the metal rungs lining the pit wall. A beetle symbol may appear here. To defeat the knight, follow the on-screen controller hints displayed after Laura reaches the top of the rungs. Timing is crucial. Press each button immediately after prompted.

[Laura climbs out of the pit and faces the knight. Press Left when prompted to move Laura out of the way of his sword. The knight points his sword inches from her eye. Press Right when prompted to move Laura away from another swing. Laura slips and hangs from the edge of the pit. She pulls herself up slowly. After she reaches the top, the knight steps in front of Laura and grabs her. The knight throws Laura against the wall. Press Left when prompted to avoid his sword again. Press A when prompted to push the knight into the pit. Laura will take the Knight's sword out of the wall.]

Return to the Rotating Room.

Rotating Room

Rotate the wheel on the podium until the Garden is accessible.

Garden

[Laura climbs up a stairway and climbs through a trap door into a garden.]

Approach both statues in the Garden. When examined, the names of the statues (Aquarius and Sagittarius) are revealed.
Approach the fountain. A beetle symbol may appear here.
Approach the door on the tower wall. Place the sword in the slot on the door. The sword will break, and unlock the door. Use the door to enter the Tower.

Tower

[Laura walks up the stairs into the Tower]

Approach the telescope on the table. Use the lever to the right of the telescope to select the symbol for Aquarius (two wavy lines). Look in the telescope to see the constellation outlined in light blue. Move the lever next to the telescope to select the symbol for Sagittarius (an arrow crossed with a bar). Look in the telescope to see the constellation outlined in green.
Return to the Garden.

Garden

Examine the statue of Aquarius. Push the light blue button.
Examine the statue of Sagittarius. Push the green button.

[The fountain in the garden drains, simultaneously filling the Circular Pool with water. The chest that was in the middle of the pool floats over to the edge.]

Return to the Rotating Room.

Rotating Room

Rotate the wheel on the podium until the Circular Pool is accessible.

Circular Pool

Open the chest floating in the pool. Laura will remove the pistol that was in the chest.
Return to the Rotating Room.

Rotating Room

Rotate the wheel on the podium until the room with the Stained Glass Window is accessible.

Stained Glass Window

Use the pistol to destroy the window. Note the depiction of the woman and Nosferatu-like monster on the window.

[The window shatters, revealing Laura's location in a huge tower. Laura climbs up a set of metal rungs next to the window to reach the Attic.]

Attic

[Laura climbs in through the window. The shutters close and lock behind her.]

Walk to the end of the hallway to experience another flashback sequence.
Return to the middle of the hallway. While facing the window, turn to the wall on the left.

[The hallway shakes, and the wall in front of Laura splits open to reveal the Gear Room.]

Gear Room

This room contains a strange machine with two gears. The gear on the left side has a red sphere. The gear on the right side has a circular hole. To complete this puzzle, both gears must be rotated to view the red sphere through the circular hole.
The two levers on the front of the machine can be set to three positions: front, middle, and back. Set the left lever to the middle position and the right lever to the front position. Push the red button until the red sphere is in the area between the gears. Set both levers to the front position. Press the red button until the circular hole overlaps the red sphere.

[The machine moves back into the wall on a large screw. Laura walks up a flight of white stairs that are suspended in mid-air to the Spire.]

Spire

[Laura reaches the top of the stairs to face a wall with a painting of her mother.]

Examine the painting.

[A series of images will be displayed. The view shifts to a room with Laura's father. He explains the meaning of "D", and Laura's disturbing visions. Her father begins to transform and asks Laura to come to him.]

Use the pistol to shoot Laura's father.

[The ending animation will begin. Watch the entire sequence of credits for a hint to the plot of the sequel, D2.]