Device Reference

In this chapter we'll go over the different devices you can use in your puzzle designs, and check out the properties they bring with them and how you can utilize them.

Feel free to use the sidebar to the left to navigate through the list of devices if you're looking for something specific.

Plasma Door

A classic among puzzle fans, and one of the first puzzle elements ever designed for The Talos Principle!

The Plasma Door acts as a normally-closed doorblock and can be opened either by the player using a Jammer or by using the Activator system.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Height	The height of this plasma door (in meters) (get's automatically set when using the drawing tool)	Number	`3.0`
Length	The length of this plasma door (in meters) (get's automatically set when using the drawing tool)	Number	`6.0`
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`

Pressure Plate

The Pressure Plate is activated either by the player standing on it, or by placing devices (such as a Jammer, Connector, or a Hexahedron) on it.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Targets	List of actors that should be activated by this actor	Target list	`Empty`

Jammer

Being one of the more simpler The Talos Principle devices, and an absolute classic, the Jammer only provides one property in the puzzle editor.

The Jammer is used by the player to jam certain devices, such as the Plasma Door, a Mine or any other device that supports it.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Jam Target	When set, the Jammer will jam this actor by default upon starting the level.	Actor Reference	`(none)`

Connector

Connectors are a tool used by the player to connect a number of Energy Generators and Energy Receivers together (limitations apply).

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Energy nodes	The connector will connect to these energy nodes (generators, receivers and other connectors) by default upon starting the level.	Energy node list	`Empty`

Checkpoint

The Checkpoint can be used as a safety net for players to save their position, i.e. before a dangerous part of the level. The Checkpoint needs an activation and, once activated, saves that it was reached.

Upon the player's death, the player is not restarted at the beginning of the puzzle, but rather the last activated Checkpoint, if any.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`

Light

Lights are purely visual devices. Their function is simple. When they're not linked to any activators, Lights are always enabled and illuminate the environment in their specified color, intensity and radius.

If a light is linked to one or more activators, the light will be enabled or disabled based on the activator conditions.

Three lights placed next to each other — Three *lights* placed next to each other

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Cast shadows	When checked, this light can cast shadows. Note that this will increase the performance requirements a little bit.	Boolean	`false`
Intensity	The intensity of this light. Higher values result in brighter light.	Number	`7.0`
Radius	The radius in which the light affects it's environment. Higher numbers increase the performance requirements.	Number	`4.0`
Color	The color of the light	Color	`White`
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`

Hexahedron

Hexahedrons aren't very complex. You can pick them up and place them elsewhere, use them as a stepping stone, place devices on them or or as a weight for Pressure Plates.

They have no properties.

Fan

One could say, I'm a big fa-... okay, I'll let myself out.

Fans can, when activated, levitate the player or Hexahedrons (including devices that might be stacked on top). They can either have a detachable Fan cover (which is what holds the actual fan blades), or a fixed one.

Additionally, fans can be set up in an angle, or on a flat surface. The editor features a fan stream visualizer which helps you estimating where a play would end up when being pushed by the Fan.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Stream angle	If >0, this will define the angle of the fan, also adding a platform under the fan.	Number	`0°`
Stream size	Defines the size of the air stream	3D Vector	`4.0, 1.5, 1.5`
Push speed	The force with which the player is pushed along the fan stream	Number	`9.0`
Cover type	Attached: the fan cover is detachable, but installed by default No cover: a fan cover needs to be attached Fixed: the fan has no detachable fan cover and can always function	List	`Attached`
Air control	A factor which defines how much the player can move while being in the air stream	Number	`0.4`
Vertical oscillation	Whether items or the player in thee fan's stream should be vertically oscillating. Can be turned off to increase stability of floating actors	Boolean	`true`
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`

Fan Cover

This is the detachable Fan Cover. To be used with Fans that don't have one attached by default.

They have no properties.

Switch

The Switch is another device that can toggle the activation state of other devices, similar to the Pressure Plate. It is activated by the player interacting with it.

You might notice that the Switch has both an Activators property and a Targets property. This is due to the fact that the Switch can both activate devices, but also be disabled/enabled by other devices.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Initial state	The initial state of the Switch	Boolean	`false`
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`
Targets	List of actors that should be activated by this actor	Target list	`Empty`

Time Recorder

The Time Recorder was probably one of the hardest mechanics to tackle in the original The Talos Principle. But we reworked it's mechanics a lot in The Talos Principle: Reawakened, so we're happy to celebrate a comeback of this complex mechanic!

The main idea of the Time Recorder is that player can activate it and the Recorder will record everything the player does, from simple movement to picking up items and activating components. Once the Time Recorder is stopped, a ghost will spawn, replicating the recorded player. As an addition to the original The Talos Principle, so-called Pause Points can be created while recording.

The Time Recorder however has no properties that can be adjusted. Place it, and have fun!

Platform

The Platform is a simple device that can be picked up by the player. The player can use a Platform to carry items ON the Platform. Platforms are often used in puzzle constellations with the Time Recorder.

The Platform has no properties.

Ladder

The Ladder is a simple actor that allows the player to climb to higher places.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Num segments	Defines the length of a ladder (in segments)	Number	`3`

Detector Area

The Detector Area is an interesting device, because it's not visible and therefore doesn't exist as a known device like the rest of the devices.

It serves as an invisible volume which can activate a target once the player enters, and deactivate a target once the player leaves.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Targets	List of actors that should be activated by this actor	Target list	`Empty`

Tetromino

Tetrominos were the main collectible objective in the original The Talos Principle. They exist in the colors green, gold, red, white and blue, as well as the shapes I, J, L, O, S, T, Z.

Info

The sigil names of a Tetromino (e.g. I, J or Z) are related to the shape of the Tetromino piece. Look at them and see the resemblance!

Tetrominos can be displayed on Signs, and be used for Tetromino Doors to unlock specific parts of a level only if enough sigils have been collected.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Color	The color of the Tetromino. Can be `Green`, `Gold`, `Red`, `White` and `Blue`.	List	`Green`
Shape	The shape of the Tetromino. Can be `I`, `J`, `L`, `O`, `S`, `T`, `Z`.	List	`L`
Targets	List of actors that should be activated when this Tetromino is picked up	Target list	`Empty`

Star

The Star serves as another collectible objective in a puzzle, next to Tetrominos. Stars can be used for Star Doors and also Tetromino Doors, where players need to solve a puzzle using the otherwise unobtainable star sigils.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
On screen message	This message is displayed to the player when the star is picked up	String	`Empty`
End game	If true, the game will automatically end upon the pickup of this star	Boolean	`false`
Targets	List of actors that should be activated when this Star is picked up	Target list	`Empty`

Sign

The Sign can be used as a level design tool to point players to objectives, such as Tetrominos or Stars.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Collectibles	List of stars which should be visible on the sign	List	`Empty`
Sign direction	Can either be `Left`, `Right` or `Simple` (which does not have any direction)	List	`Left`

Red/Blue Generator

The Energy Generator generates a energy source that can be connected to Energy Receivers by using the Connector device.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Color	Saves you from placing a new generator every time. Valid options are `Red` and `Blue`	List	depends on which generator was placed
Energy nodes	The generator will connect to these energy nodes (connectors and receivers) by default upon starting the level	Energy node list	`Empty`

Red/Blue Receiver

The Energy Receiver is the significant other of the Energy Generator. It can receive an energy beam of the same color, using Connectors.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Color	The receiver's color. Valid options are `Red` and `Blue`	List	depends on which receiver was placed
Charge duration	Number of seconds it takes this receiver to fully charge up	Number	`1.5`
Targets	List of actors that should be activated when this receiver fully charged up	Target list	`Empty`
Energy nodes	The receiver will connect to these energy nodes (connectors and generators) by default upon starting the level	Energy node list	`Empty`

Plasma Barrier

The Plasma Barrier is usually placed at a puzzle entrance to ensure players are not taking any devices with them into a puzzle, but it can also be used inside puzzles to ensure the same thing.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Puzzle name	When placed at a puzzle entrance, a puzzle name to be displayed can be entered here	String	`Empty`
Show frame	When enabled, the barrier has a frame mesh around it	Boolean	`true`
Height	The height of the Plasma Barrier (automatically set when placed by a drawing tool)	Number	`2.0`
Length	The length of the Plasma Barrier (automatically set when placed by a drawing tool)	Number	`4.0`

Mine

Mines and Turrets form the guardians of the land you're crafting. When the player is getting up close, mines will attempt to kill the player. Mines can also take Hexahedrons, meaning that they can carry items around.

When placed, a mine will just act stationary and does not move - but that behavior can be changed using Path Markers.

If no Path Marker setup is present yet, a first Path Marker can be created by clicking the Place marker button in the properties. The newly created Path Marker is placed at the mine's position and automatically assigned as the first marker.

If a Path Marker is setup, the mine will follow the path endlessly.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Wait time	If set to something greater than `0.0`, the Mine will wait this time (in seconds) before starting to patrol	Number	`0.0`
First marker	The first path marker of the route this Mine should follow (if any)	Path Marker Reference	`None`
Turret kill range	The range (in meters) in which the Mine can kill a Turret	Number	`5.0`

Passive Mine

The Passive Mine is not as dangerous as the classic Mine, since it will not kill the player in a specific range, but just hit the player and "buzz" it away. Similar to the Mine, it can be set up to follow a route, and carry items around.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Wait time	If set to something greater than `0.0`, the Passive Mine will wait this time (in seconds) before starting to patrol	Number	`0.0`
First marker	The first path marker of the route this Passive Mine should follow (if any)	Path Marker Reference	`None`

Path Marker

Path Markers can be used for Mines to indicate a path which the Mine should travel along.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Next marker	If set, then the Mine will travel to the next marker after reaching this one. If not set, the Mine will switch directions and go back the route	Path Marker Reference	`None`

Auto Turret

Another rather dangerous guardian. Auto turrets are usually placed on a wall, guarding objectives or devices. Their angle and range can be freely set up.

The editor features a visualizer that helps estimating where a player would be affected by the turret. The Auto turret can be activated and deactivated by Activators.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Min yaw	The minimum yaw angle of the turret's range	Number	`-45°`
Max yaw	The maximum yaw angle of the turret's range	Number	`45°`
Fire range		Number	`10.0`
Min range		Number	`1.0`
Force kill range		Number	`0.0`
Floor offset		Number	`2.0`
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`

Invisible Wall

The Invisible Wall is a very simple device which only has one purpose: block players from reaching certain areas. Common use cases include the placement on walls or around puzzles to prevent cheesing them and letting players escape the boundaries.

The size of the Invisible Wall can be adjusted using the width, height and length scaling property.

The Invisible Wall has no properties.

Death Area

The Death Area is another simple device that simply kills the player upon entering the area. Similar to the Invisible Wall, the area can be resized using the width, height and length scaling property.

The Death Area has no properties.

Guided Jump

In the base game, the puzzle creators often designed a specific path for the player to follow. Those paths often include walls or cliffs that the player should jump to. While the game often automatically detects situations like these, it sometimes might not be clear if a path is "jumpable" or not. To combat this, we're using Guided Jump areas.

The idea is simple: once the player enters the area of a Guided Jump, the game offers the player to jump to one of the next Guided Jump areas, defined in the Targets property.

Note

Only the closest Guided Jump to the player's crosshair is displayed.

The below image is a classic example of a Guided Jump device placed on top of a wall.

Guided Jump on a wall — *Guided Jump* on a wall

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Targets	List of "next" Guided Jump devices, which will be offered to the player upon reaching this Guided Jump	List of Guided Jump devices	`Empty`

Water

The Water device serves no gameplay purpose and it's sole purpose is to aid the level setdressing. The Water device acts as a simple plane which can be resized using the width, height and length scaling property.

The Water has no additional properties.

Water device enclosed in a pool mesh — *Water* device enclosed in a pool mesh

Portal

Similar to the behavior of Portals in the base game, they're able to teleport the player, once they enter the portal, to another level within the same episode.

Additionally, Portals can be set up so they require a number of unlocked Stars for the teleportation to work.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Stars to unlock	The amount of Stars needed for this Portal to initiate the teleporting process	Number	`0`
End game	When checked, the game will be ended upon traveling with this portal. The player will be brought back to the main menu	Boolean	`false`
Next level	The level to load when the player enters the Portal. Has to be within the same episode	Level	`(none)`

Stationary Connector

Stationary Connectors are, instead of the regular Connectors, not movable by the player and therefore are a fixed part of the puzzle's design.

Players can connect to the Stationary Connector with other Connectors.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Energy nodes	The Stationary Connector will connect to these energy nodes (other connectors, generators and receivers) by default upon starting the level	Energy node list	`Empty`

Wire Marker

Wire Markers are used to place wires in the level. Wires don't have a gameplay purpose, but can act as visual links to symbolize the connection between devices.

To create a wire, at least two Wire Markers are needed. With the Next marker property (or the auto-link hotkey L), Wire Markers are connected to each other, and a wire is formed.

When one of the Wire Markers in a chain is hooked up to an Activator, the whole wire will emit a glow if the Activation conditions are met.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Next marker	The next Wire Marker to connect to	Wire Marker reference	`None`
Tangent size	The size of the tangent. Increasing this number makes any edges rounder	Number	`1.0`
Intensity	The strength of the glow emitted by the wire if the activation conditions are met	Number	`20.0`
Color	The color this wire will emit when the activation conditions are met	Color	`Light blue`
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`

Lowering Fence

The Lowering Fence is a rather simple device. Similar to a Plasma Door, the Lowering Fence acts as a toggleable door to block the player's way - with the exception that the Lowering Fence cannot be jammed.

In the original The Talos Principle, Lowering Fences were often used to enable shortcuts for the player after picking up the main objective.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`

Tetromino Door

Tetromino Doors were used in original levels to require a certain set of collected tetrominos before the player could continue.

To design your own tetromino puzzle, select a Sigil type in the actor's properties and click the Setup puzzle button in the properties panel.

Protip

Tetromino doors can also be used to set up arranger puzzles for Stars.

On the bottom right corner, you can select the size of the puzzle board, ranging from 1x1 to 8x8. Then, you can freely design a tetromino puzzle by dragging the available shapes in the puzzle. When you're finished, click the red Checkmark button at the top.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Sigil	The type of sigil this Tetromino Door should use. Can be Green, Gold, Red, Star, White and Blue.	List	`Gold`

Star Door

In contrary to the Tetromino Door, the Star Door does not require a tetromino puzzle to be solved, but just needs an amount of Stars collected to be able to be opened.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Stars count	Number of stars required to open this door	Number	`1`

Locked Gate

Locked Gates are doors that require a Key to unlock. A level can have multiple Gates and Keys, therefore linking a specific Key to a Gate is required.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Gate key	The Key that opens this door	Key Reference	`(none)`

Key

This Key is used to unlock Locked Gates.

It does not have any properties.

Terminal

Terminals were the main story vessel in the original The Talos Principle.

Players can interact with a Terminal by selecting different dialogue options - so they can be used for storytelling or for activating other devices.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Targets	List of actors that can be manipulated through the Terminal's program	Target list	`Empty`

To edit a Terminal's "program", click on the Edit text button in the Terminal's properties.

Terminals act upon pages. A Terminal can have multiple pages, where every page can contain some text, together with options (answers) the player can select. Additionally, a page can be marked to be displayed as a document.

Info

The first page in the list of pages will always be the page that's called at Terminal startup. You can reorder the pages if you wish to change this.

Page Text

Terminal page texts can be fully custom, you can write whole paragraphs, or just small prompts. Texts can contain special markers to customize the behavior when the Terminal prints the text:

Name	Marker Code	Description	Example
Wait	`%w<x>`	When the Terminal reads this marker, it waits the length of `x` until continuing to print. The wait length is a factor of the Terminal's typing speed, and not in seconds.	`Loading%w1.%w1.%w1.Done!`
Sound	`%s<x>`	When this marker is read, the Terminal plays a sound. `x` indicates the type of sound to play. `0`: beep	`Beep! %s0`
Glitch	`%g<x>`	Plays a "glitch" effect on the player. `x` indicates the strength, ranging from `0` (very soft) to `5` (very strong)	`Error! %g5`
Typing Speed	`%x<x>`	Adjusts the Terminals typing speed, where `x` indicates the speed in characters per second. Use `0` to return to the default speed.	`%x10 Slow text! %x100 Fast text! %x0 Standard!`
Clear	`%c`	Clears the screen immediately	`You've seen enough.%w10%c`

Additionally, you can use the <text></> formatting directive to further customize your text. The following attributes are supported:

Attribute	Description	Example
`color`	Alters the text color. Color value must be in HEX format (`#RRGGBB` or `#RRGGBBAA`)	`<text color="#ff0000">Red Text</>`
`size`	Alters the text size, in pt. The default text size is depending on the Terminal text size option. The default is `20`.	`<text size="12">Very small text!</>`
`case`	Alters text casing. Valid values are `upper` and `lower`	`<text case="upper">This text is transformed to uppercase!</>`

Of course, all of those markers and formatting directives can be combined. The following text produces the output as seen in the GIF:

<text color="#ff0000" size="32" case="upper">Warning!</>
<text color="#fff700" size="28" case="upper">%x5Dangerous Area%w1.%w1.%w1.%w1.%w1.%x0</>

Are you sure you want to proceed?

Advanced Terminal text formatting — Advanced *Terminal* text formatting

Protip

To preview how the page would behave on the Terminal, you can click the Preview page button in the top right corner of the program editor.

Answer options

Every Terminal page that's not displayed as a document needs to have answer options which the player can choose from. You can find them below the page text input.

An answer option consists out of a name (that's displayed on the button), a primary action and a secondary action.

A primary action can either be to exit the dialog, or switch to another page.

A secondary action can be used to manipulate the state of the external Targets that can be configured in the Terminal's properties.

See this example setup:

Example Terminal program — Example *Terminal* program

This program has three pages, a "Start page" which introduces the player, a page which tells a joke, and a page which prints "Opening the door...". You can see that the answer option to open the door does switch to the "Open Door" page, but also activate the linked Lowering Fence as a secondary action. When the player selects that option, the Lowering Fence in the background is opened.

When a Terminal page is marked as a document, it's Page text is displayed in a document popup, like so:

Terminal page displayed as a document — Terminal *page* displayed as a document

QR Code

QR Codes are decals that are automatically generated by the game based on the to-be-encoded text. In order to appear correctly, they should be placed facing a flat surface.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Message Text	The text to encode in the QR code	String	`Empty`

Trigger

The Trigger is, similar to the Detector Area, an invisible device that can be used to control behavior on levels.

A good use for a Trigger is to delay activations, display messages to the user, or end the game. They can also be used to relay activations to other devices.

Property	Description	Type	Default Value
Only once	When enabled, this Trigger can only trigger once	Boolean	`false`
Wait time	If >= `0`, the Trigger waits this time (in seconds) before activating	Number	`0`
On screen message	If set, this message is displayed to the user when the Trigger activates	String	`Empty`
End game	If true, activating this Trigger will end the game, bringing the player back to the main menu	Boolean	`false`
Condition	Whether this actor requires any, or all activators to be active in order to activate	Condition	`Any`
Invert activation	Whether the activation state should be inverted	Boolean	`false`
Activators	List of actors that activate this actor	Activator list	`Empty`
Targets	List of actors that should be activated by this actor	Target list	`Empty`