Last updated: July 2026
Compass Pinboard Puzzle Solution
Solve the Mortuga compass pinboard puzzle in The Mermaid Mask. Magnetic needle placement, heading hints, and Captain's Cabin map unlock guide.
Late in the Mortuga investigation, the Captain's Cabin compass pinboard puzzle reconciles navigation logs with Mortuga's final voyage track. Compass pinboard gameplay involves placing four magnetic needles on a brass chart representing Silkwirm-on-Sea coastal approaches, aligning headings referenced in Zacharias Zephyr's instrument logs and weather notes from town square. Solving grants access to hidden chart drawer containing Mermaid Mask lore object and final suspicion evidence against multiple suspects.
Collecting Magnetic Needles
Needles are color-coded red, silver, gold, and blue—recovered from Control Room pinboard (initial preview), Cargo Hold navigation crate, Airlock Grotto maintenance pouch, and Engine Room chart tube. Each needle has engraved degree value visible under inspect: 045, 135, 225, 315 respectively. Without all four, Captain's Cabin puzzle UI remains dormant with Grimoire remarking the board "expects company."
Placement Hints and Solution
Chart landmarks label four buoys: North Star Drift, Silkwirm Pier, Mortuga Ridge, and Grotto Mouth. Place needles on corresponding buoy pins: Red 045° on North Star Drift, Silver 135° on Silkwirm Pier, Gold 225° on Mortuga Ridge, Blue 315° on Grotto Mouth. Rotate each needle until degree engraving matches radial tick marks; magnetic snap confirms lock. Drawer opens revealing wax-sealed map overlay connecting Illusion Theatre locked-room mechanism to submarine ballast timing—essential for finale reconstruction without explicitly spoiling culprit identity here.
Use map hints if buoys blur on smaller Switch screens; Switch 2 4K mode renders chart crisply. Completion triggers achievement progress "True Navigator" on Steam list. Cross-link findings with Suspicion Tracker before final interviews.
- Recover four magnetic needles (045, 135, 225, 315) from submarine rooms.
- Open Captain's Cabin pinboard after suspicion threshold on Seafoam.
- Place red/silver/gold/blue needles on Drift/Pier/Ridge/Grotto buoys.
- Rotate to match degree ticks; collect chart drawer map overlay evidence.