Servant of the Lake Bathroom Puzzle: Full 281 Code Guide
Solve the Servant of the Lake bathroom puzzle step by step — tile sorting, the soap dish slider, and the confirmed 281 cabinet code for Alexandra's bath.
The bathroom cabinet code is 281. It comes from two notes left by the siblings' mother — cross out the 6 and the 9 among the digits written on them, and the three remaining numbers in order give you 281. This is the densest puzzle chain on Day 2, built around giving Alexandra a bath.
Two separate tile puzzles look almost identical
The bathroom has two different tile-matching puzzles that look similar but have nothing to do with each other. The regular story puzzle below (animals, people, objects, senses) unlocks the scissors and is unrelated to a second, hidden-ending-only tile puzzle that only matters if you're chasing the secret ending later. Don't mix the two up while playing through the main story.
Step-by-step solution
- Fill the tub: pour the water you're carrying into the bathtub.
- Get the scissors: above the tub is a set of picture tiles — sort them into four categories (people, flowers, body parts, animals, plus a fifth grouping) and the scissors appear once they're grouped correctly.
- Get the soap: solve the slider puzzle on the metal box beside the tub by matching the sliding pieces to the picture shown on the lid, then take the soap inside.
- Advance the scene: use the scissors to cut Alexandra's stitches (revealing maggots), trade the maggots at a mouse hole for a comb, then comb her hair and clear a bubble-matching mini-puzzle.
- Read the two notes: once she settles, two notes from the siblings' mother are readable nearby — the digits on them are the actual source of the cabinet code, not just decorative details.
- Open the cabinet: cross out the 6 and the 9 from the digits on the notes, and the three digits left, in order, are 281. Use Alexandra's pendant to open the final compartment and take the bronze pocket watch.
Why this puzzle is worth extra attention
This is consistently one of the most-asked-about puzzles in the community since launch — multiple players independently posted asking for help with the "281" code within the first week, which lines up with how dense and multi-layered this sequence is compared to most other Day 2 puzzles. If you're stuck, you're solving one of the harder chains in the game, not missing something obvious.
The notes are the actual clue
It's easy to treat the two notes as flavor text and skip past them, but they're the direct source of the 281 code. Read both fully before trying to guess the cabinet combination.
Frequently asked questions
What's the Servant of the Lake bathroom puzzle code?
281 — cross out the 6 and 9 from the digits on the two notes left by the siblings' mother, and the remaining three digits in order are the code.
How do I get the scissors in the bathroom?
Sort the picture tiles above the tub into their matching categories — people, flowers, body parts, and animals.
How do I get the soap?
Solve the slider puzzle on the metal box by matching it to the picture on the lid.
Are the two bathroom tile puzzles the same thing?
No — the story tile puzzle for the scissors is unrelated to a separate hidden-ending tile puzzle that only matters if you're pursuing the secret ending.
This puzzle is part of the Day 2 walkthrough — see that page for what comes before and after Alexandra's bath.