Welcome to the first part of our walkthrough for Routine.
As you start your day in the Lunar Base, you sense that something just isn’t right. The entire station is abandoned, dark, and hauntingly quiet. And before you know it, you find killer robots roaming the empty halls of the once-lively Living Quarters.
For more information on the game, check out their official website here.
Table of contents
Printing the ID
After the initial cutscene, you wake up in a small cabin. The terminal screen in front of you lights up. Head toward it.
Click on the Form option and click continue. Then run through the on-screen instructions to learn how to lean toward different directions. This is an important mechanic and will be required for many puzzles later on.
Once that’s over, choose the Print option. You’ll see a message indicating that you can now print your ID. Turn left to see your ID card being printed.
As you try to take it, the ID falls off and disappears under the terminal. Lean down to pick it up.
Stand up and turn left to spot your helmet. Interact with it to put it on.
Use the terminal beside the door to open it and head out.
Finding the Cosmonaut Assistance Tool (C.A.T.)
As you reach the main lobby of the Arrivals, you’ll see a flashing red light passing by each door. Don’t worry about it.
Turn left and continue moving forward. The shutter at the end of the room will open, revealing the beautiful lunar landscape. Stop a moment to take in the view.
When you’re ready, turn right. Interact with the door terminal to open the door. Then head inside.
There’s another terminal inside, leading into another room through a door to the right. This takes you to a conference room.
You’ll find the C.A.T. machine in one of the tables here. Pick it up.
As soon as you do so, the projector in the room turns on. Choose Next Slide from the projector screen and scroll through the information. It will give you a general idea of how to use the C.A.T.
Before you can do anything else, you need to find a Battery for your C.A.T. Back away from the projector, and you’ll find a door to the left.
This leads to the storage room. There are plenty of Batteries here. But you can only take one of them.
Return to the projector screen and switch on the Wireless Access in your C.A.T., to activate your P.D.A (Personal Data Assistant). You can now save your game.
Take a moment to explore the different tabs of the P.D.A. By checking the Tasks and Database tabs, you’ll find the Elevator Access Code.
With the information in hand, head out of the room and return to the viewing area. Go to the door directly opposite where you’re standing.
Interact with the terminal. Enter the code you saw on the projector in your Database. Then choose Open Door to access the elevator.
Go into the elevator and head to the Gateway level using the elevator control terminal.
Accessing the Tram Station
Walk forward and turn left. You’ll spot the faint glow of a screen in the darkness. Head toward it.
As you get near it, you’ll see that it’s a terminal that lets you access the A.S.N. (Automated Security Network). However, to use it, you’ll need to scan an ID and an A.S.N. Issued Access Code.
There’s a Tape Recorder on the left, beside the turned-off monitor, that you can interact with for some additional lore.
Turn around and head towards the closed shutter of the Tram Station. On the left, above the benches, you’ll see a terminal that’s sparking from time to time.
Use your C.A.T. to fire a blast at the terminal. This will open the shutters, allowing you to head toward the Tram Station.
Continue along the path. You’ll spot a Wireless Access Point on the wall that you can use to save your game.
Also, check your Tasks while you’re at it. You should have two objectives at this point.
When you’re ready, head inside the Tram waiting for you at the platform. The door will open as soon as you get close to it.
Use the Tram Control terminal to head to the Living Quarters.
There’s a note that you can check next to the terminal that hints at where you have to go.
Entering the Living Quarters
After arriving at the Living Quarters, exit the Tram. There’s a Wireless Access Point on the left that you can use to save your progress. When you’re ready, head up the stairs.
You’ll spot a door on the left. Walk up to the terminal and inspect the note beside the screen.
You need to diagnose the terminal and figure out what’s wrong with it. Click the CAT button in the bottom right corner of the monitor.
Then, connect your CAT wirelessly, the same way you use the Wireless Access Points. This will bring up the Error Code E02 and the Solution S01. Switch to the Error Codes tab and see what these codes mean.
Basically, you need to reboot the system. Crouch down and interact with the switch at the bottom twice. This will reset the terminal, allowing you to open the door.
Head inside and use the Elevator Control Panel to head up to the Living Quarters.
When you exit the elevator, you’ll see that the shutters are down. There’s a terminal to your left. Head toward it.
You need to use your Personal ID to log in to the system before you can access the zone. Press the Login button.
This will bring up a Keypad. Look down, and you’ll see your Personal ID printed on your chest. The number is different for each playthrough. Enter the code into the Keypad.
Watch the short video in the terminal. You’ll hear a clanking noise coming from somewhere. The elevator door, the same door you came from, will open, and you’ll see something kneeling behind it.
This is a Type-05 Robot, and it’s hostile. If it catches up to you, it’ll throw you once. If it catches you again, you’re dead.
Luckily, the shutter opens just in time for you to run away. Sprint down the stairs and take a left. Then take another left to find a door. Use the terminal to get inside. This is Mike Ford’s Apartment (01A Room).
You can check the Emails in his terminal to gather some more information about what happened to the Lunar Base.
Reaching the Surveillance Room
For this segment of the game, you’ll have to navigate the Living Quarters while avoiding the patrolling Type-05 Robot. There will only be one of these Robots patrolling the zone at a time. If you spot multiple ones, the others will be deactivated.
If things turn south, and you have no other options, shoot a blast from your C.A.T. directly at the chest of the Robot. This will not kill it, but it’ll be stunned long enough for you to escape.
Make your way out of the room when you’re ready and look for Samuel Lee’s Apartment (14C Room). It’s on the other side of where you currently are. You’ll spot some garbage bags near the entrance, and the door will be open.
Head inside and close the door using the terminal, and you’ll be safe.
When you’re ready, head out of the apartment and turn right. You’ll spot a locked door. The terminal next to it has a note attached.
Follow the wires running from the terminal to spot a box above you. Fire a blast at it to open the door.
Head through the door and go left to spot another door. Use the terminal next to it to go inside.
You’ll reach a dark conference room. There’s a vent up ahead, below the table. Crawl into the vent.
Follow the vent all the way through the end and open the hatch by pressing the red button on the right. This will take you to the Surveillance Room.
Accessing the Reception
Head towards the security monitors in the reception. You’ll find a note attached to one of the screens. Check what it says.
Access the terminal and switch to the Reception Camera. Zoom in on the notes pinned on the wall, making up the shape of a heart. You might need to move the camera around to find it.
The middle note has a code on it. This number is important and is randomized for each playthrough.
Switch to the Door tab and use it to open the shutter in the Surveillance Room behind you.
Now you need to make your way to the Reception Door Terminal. It’s just past the first room that you saw when you ran away from the first Type-05 Robot.
Access the terminal, enter the code, open the door, and quickly head inside. Remember to close the door behind you.
Click on the red flashing screen on the wall. This will lift the Fire Protocol, and you can now access the Laundrette area.
The screen will turn into a Wireless Access Point after this. Use it to save your progress and check your Tasks before moving on.
Finding the A.S.N Access ID
Now that the Fire Protocol is lifted, you’ll have to head towards the Laundrette. You can reach the zone by heading left from the entrance to the Surveillance Room.
When you passed by earlier, the terminal was red. This time, the door will be open.
Keep walking forward. You’ll reach a laundry room where you’ll spot a Robot. This one won’t attack you. So head past it and go up the stairs to his right.
This will take you to Kei Koyama’s Apartment. Head towards the terminal on the left.
Stand on your toes and collect the ID from the shelf above the terminal. This is the ID that you need to access the A.S.N. terminal. Then, play the video in the Media Player.
Use the Wireless Access Point in the room to save your progress. When you’re ready, exit the room.
Escaping The Living Quarters
As soon as you exit the room, you’ll get attacked by the Type-05 Robot that you saw standing there earlier. This is scripted, and there’s no way to avoid it.
After it tosses you, start running. You’re done with the zone and now must find the way out.
However, part of the zone is blocked off. This means you can’t run straight for the elevator.
You need to use the vent in the Surveillance Room to return to the dark conference chamber. Then continue progressing till you spot the elevator. If you see any Type-05s along the way, either hide from them or disable them using your C.A.T.
Once you reach the elevator, use it to get back to the Tram Station. This is where the chapter ends.
This concludes the first part of our walkthrough for Routine. For more interesting articles related to indie games, check out the links below:
- Into Indie Games Homepage
- Sleep Awake Complete Walkthrough – All Chapters
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion Walkthrough and Guides
- Marvel Cosmic Invasion Review
- Winter Burrow Review
Muhit Rahman lives off two things: gaming marathons and endless cups of tea. He writes guides, reviews, and occasionally forgets that real life doesn’t come with checkpoints. His favorite genres are Soulslike and Metroidvania, with Dark Souls III, Hollow Knight, and Dota 2 forever holding top spots on his all-time list.
