๐Ÿ” Complete Lockpicking Guide

Sliding plates, gold pins, interconnected bars โ€” battle-tested solutions, not made-up guesses

โœ… Playtested โœ“ Lock system verified Sliding-plate mechanic confirmed in release version

โšก Quick Reference Card

๐ŸŽฏ Goal: Push every pin to the center position (hole 4). When the pin pops up, that plate is solved.

โš ๏ธ Core challenge: Moving one plate moves others too. Some linked in the same direction, some opposite, some completely independent.

๐Ÿ’ก Training: Find Fingers at the Old Camp (behind the arena, near Snaf's cauldron). Spend 10 LP + 100 Ore for Professional (4 mistake tolerance), 20 LP + 200 Ore for Master (6 mistake tolerance).

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Lockpick sources: Fisk (Old Camp market, ~13-15 Ore each), Mordrag, Dexter. Also lootable from chests, barrels, and corpses.

Table of Contents

  1. How Lockpicking Actually Works
  2. Mistake Tolerance & Durability
  3. Where to Get Lockpicks
  4. Solving Strategy
  5. FAQ

๐ŸŽฏ Tiered by Experience

๐ŸŸข Never picked a lock? Start with "How Lockpicking Actually Works" and "Solving Strategy" โ€” no skipping needed.
๐ŸŸก Already know how to slide plates? Jump to "Mistake Tolerance & Durability" for trainer cost reference.
๐Ÿ”ด Speedrunners / multi-playthrough: Professional lockpicking (10LP+100 Ore) is the optimal choice. Master (20LP+200 Ore) is poor value โ€” the benefit of 6 vs 4 mistakes is not worth 10 extra LP. Shark-tier players dump the saved LP into weapon training instead.

Gothic 1 Remake lockpicking

How Lockpicking Actually Works

โš ๏ธ Let's be clear: Gothic 1 Remake's lockpicking is a sliding plate puzzle, not a button-pressing sequence. Many guide sites incorrectly describe a "red-blue-yellow button" system โ€” that was pre-release speculation, and the final release is nothing like that.

Plate Structure

Each lock consists of 4 to 7 sliding plates. Each plate has 7 holes with a small gold/copper pin inside. You need to slide every pin to the center position (hole 4). When a pin is in place it pops up โ€” that means that plate is done.

Interconnected Plate Mechanics

This is the most frustrating part of the system: moving one plate can move others. There are three types of linkage:

You need to figure out each lock's linkage relationships first, then position each pin in the correct order.

Mistake Tolerance & Durability

Skill LevelMistake ToleranceBreak ConsequenceTraining Cost
Untrained2Lock resets (start over)โ€”
Professional4No reset, but one linkage removed10 LP + 100 Ore
Master6No reset, another linkage removed20 LP + 200 Ore

Break condition: Pushing a pin past hole 1 or hole 7. The edges are the death line. Never let any pin sit at the extreme ends.

Where to Get Lockpicks

Tip: Always carry at least 10 lockpicks. Running out inside a mine is embarrassing, and trekking back to buy more wastes a lot of time.

Solving Strategy โ€” What Actually Works

๐Ÿ’พ Save before lockpicking

Linkage relationships are fixed for each lock โ€” they don't randomize. Test once to map out which plates affect which, take notes, then reload.

๐Ÿ” Test plates one by one

Move each plate one notch solo and watch what else moves, in which direction. This is the first step for solving any lock.

๐Ÿ”— Start with the most-connected plate

Solve the plate that affects the most others first. Once it's in place, the remaining linkage relationships become simpler.

โš ๏ธ Stay away from the edges

Never let a pin rest at position 1 or 7. Keep a one-notch buffer from the edge. Hitting the edge = broken pick.

โœ… Independent plates last

Handle independent plates at the very end โ€” they won't disturb the pins you've already placed.

โฐ Watch your surroundings

Time does not pause while lockpicking. NPCs can see you breaking into someone's chest and will come after you.

๐Ÿ“Œ Patch 1.0.2 update: Successful lockpicking now awards a small amount of XP. Underwater lockpicking is trickier โ€” you have a breath meter and will drown if oxygen runs out.

๐Ÿ”“ Lock Solutions Library

Step-by-step solutions for specific named locks. All sequences assume a non-upgraded Lockpicking skill โ€” once you train/upgrade with Fingers, the linkages change and these sequences no longer apply. Save before picking.

LockSolution stepsReward
Broken Tower Chest #1
Broken Tower		P2 Left ร—4 โ†’ P5 Right ร—6 โ†’ P6 Left ร—4 โ†’ P2 Left ร—5 โ†’ P5 Right ร—5 โ†’ P3 Right ร—3 โ†’ P4 Right ร—3 โ†’ P1 Left ร—1 โ†’ P6 Left ร—1Crude Sword, Fire Bolt, Lockpick, 26 Ore
Broken Tower Chest #2
Broken Tower		P1 Left ร—1 โ†’ P4 Right ร—1 โ†’ P5 Left ร—6 โ†’ P3 Right ร—1 โ†’ P4 Right ร—1 โ†’ P2 Left ร—6 โ†’ P3 Right ร—1 โ†’ P6 Left ร—1 โ†’ P1 Left ร—3 โ†’ P4 Right ร—3 โ†’ P5 Left ร—4 โ†’ P3 Right ร—3 โ†’ P4 Right ร—3 โ†’ P2 Left ร—6 โ†’ P1 Left ร—3 โ†’ P3 Right ร—3 โ†’ P4 Right ร—3 โ†’ P5 Left ร—3
โš ๏ธ ๅฆๆœ‰ 6 ๆญฅ็Ÿญ็‰ˆๆตไผ ๏ผŒไธค็‰ˆๅ†ฒ็ช๏ผŒไปฅ้•ฟ็‰ˆไธบๅ‡†		Ring of Iron Skin, Essence of Strength, Iron ร—4
Xardas Tower Chest
Xardas Tower 3F		P4 Left ร—4 โ†’ P2 Left ร—4 โ†’ P4 Left ร—4 โ†’ P3 Right ร—4 โ†’ P4 Left ร—4 โ†’ P6 Left ร—5 โ†’ P1 Left ร—6 โ†’ P4 Left ร—5 โ†’ P3 Right ร—6 โ†’ P4 Left ร—6 โ†’ P2 Left ร—3 โ†’ P5 Left ร—3 โ†’ P6 Left ร—3Ring of Lesser Invincibility, Elixir of Life/Spirit recipes
Firestorm Chest
6-plate lock (Aโ€“F)		A Right ร—3 โ†’ C Right ร—5 โ†’ F Right ร—5 โ†’ E Left ร—1 โ†’ A Right ร—3 โ†’ B Left ร—3 โ†’ E Left ร—6 โ†’ C Right ร—3 โ†’ A Right ร—6 โ†’ D Right ร—3 โ†’ E Left ร—3
โœ… Speedrun ่ฎบๅ›ๅŽŸๆ–‡็›ดๅ–		โ€”
Shrine of Innos Chest
Shrine of Innos		P1 Right ร—3 โ†’ P3 Right ร—5 โ†’ P6 Right ร—5 โ†’ P2 Left ร—3 โ†’ P5 Left ร—4 โ†’ P1 Right ร—6 โ†’ P5 Left ร—6 โ†’ P3 Right ร—3 โ†’ P1 Right ร—3 โ†’ P4 Right ร—3Essence of Life, Gold, 3 Lockpicks
Blackmailer's Chest
Bridge between Old & New Camp		P5 Right ร—2 โ†’ P2 Left ร—4 โ†’ P4 Right ร—6 โ†’ P5 Right ร—5 โ†’ P3 Left ร—4 โ†’ P1 Left ร—2 โ†’ P6 Right ร—22 Lockpicks, 23 Ore + XP
Scatty's Chest
Old Camp Arena (Scatty's hut)		P5 Right ร—1 โ†’ P3 Left ร—5 โ†’ P5 Left ร—2 โ†’ P2 Right ร—2 โ†’ P5 Left ร—6 โ†’ P4 Left ร—6 โ†’ P5 Left ร—6 โ†’ P3 Left ร—2 โ†’ P5 Left ร—2 โ†’ P2 Right ร—2 โ†’ P5 Right ร—2 โ†’ P4 Right ร—1 โ†’ P1 Right ร—2
โš ๏ธ ๅฆๆœ‰ 9 ๆญฅ็Ÿญ็‰ˆ๏ผˆIGN/PCGamer๏ผ‰๏ผŒไธค็‰ˆๅ†ฒ็ช๏ผŒๅปบ่ฎฎๅญ˜ๆกฃๅŽ่ฏ•		Scatty's Ring (quest), 16 Ore
Cor Kalom's Chest
Swamp Camp		P4 Left ร—6 โ†’ P2 Right ร—5 โ†’ P1 Left ร—4 โ†’ P4 Right ร—2 โ†’ P3 Right ร—2โ€”
Santino's Chest
Old Mine (Santino's hut)		P2 Left ร—6 โ†’ P3 Right ร—6 โ†’ P4 Right ร—3 โ†’ P2 Left ร—3 โ†’ P5 Right ร—333 Ore
Arto & Thorus' Room Chest #1
Old Camp castle		P5 Right ร—1 โ†’ P1 Left ร—6 โ†’ P6 Right ร—3 โ†’ P4 Left ร—4 โ†’ P3 Left ร—6 โ†’ P2 Right ร—3 โ†’ P5 Right ร—3 โ†’ P1 Left ร—6 โ†’ P4 Left ร—4 โ†’ P6 Right ร—6 โ†’ P3 Left ร—4 โ†’ P2 Right ร—3 โ†’ P4 Left ร—3Ring of Strength, 22 Ore
New Camp Tavern โ€” secret door
New Camp tavern (behind Silas)		P4 Left ร—2 โ†’ P6 Right ร—3 โ†’ P2 Right ร—3 โ†’ P6 Right ร—3 โ†’ P2 Right ร—1 โ†’ P3 Right ร—2 โ†’ P5 Left ร—2 โ†’ P2 Right ร—2 โ†’ P6 Right ร—5 โ†’ P3 Right ร—4 โ†’ P5 Left ร—1 โ†’ P2 Right ร—1 โ†’ P6 Right ร—2โ€”
New Camp Tavern โ€” Bran's Axe chest
New Camp tavern		P3 Right ร—3 โ†’ P4 Left ร—4 โ†’ P6 Right ร—6 โ†’ P1 Left ร—2 โ†’ P3 Right ร—6 โ†’ P4 Left ร—3 โ†’ P5 Left ร—2 โ†’ P2 Right ร—2 โ†’ P6 Right ร—3Bran's Axe

Sources: Game8 lock solution pages, the Speedrun.com Firestorm thread, and community guides. A few sequences have conflicting short/long versions in circulation โ€” those are flagged. If a sequence doesn't work, reload your save and use the interactive solver instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a broken lock be fixed?

After Professional or Master training, breaking a lock does not reset it โ€” it only removes one linkage. Untrained breaks cause a full lock reset, meaning you start over from scratch. So get at least Professional before tackling important chests.

Can you beat the game without learning lockpicking?

Most locks have alternative routes (detours, keys, combat), but you'll miss a lot of good loot. Strongly recommend spending at least 10 LP for Professional โ€” the return on investment is exceptionally high.

Does this site's lockpicking tool still work?

Our Lockpicking Guide was built pre-release based on speculation, and its underlying assumptions don't quite match the final sliding-plate system. It's fine as an interactive demo to play with, but for real locks, the manual methods above are more reliable.

Why do locks get harder and harder?

By design. Early training locks have only 3-4 plates with simple linkages. Late-game chests go up to 7 plates with intricate linkage webs. Get Master level (6 mistake tolerance) before tackling difficult locks โ€” it makes things much smoother.