The Black Bell Four Valves Puzzle: How to Drain the Water in Chapter Two

The goal of The Black Bell's four valves puzzle is simple to state and tense to pull off: find and turn four large pipe valves spread across the flooded lower tunnels in Chapter Two. An on-screen Valves counter tracks your progress, and once it reads Valves: 4/4 the water drains, the way out lights up, and you can continue the chapter.

How the drainage objective starts

This is the second of Chapter Two's four objectives, and it begins the moment you're through the gate you opened with the lever and wheel (that puzzle has its own walkthrough). Just past the gate, a floor hatch marked LEAVE THE PEARL drops you down a long circular chute into green, flooded tunnels. The objective switches to DRAIN THE WATER, with the counter starting at Valves: 0/4.

Finding and turning the four valves

The valves are large pipe wheels scattered along the flooded corridors rather than grouped in one room, so expect to explore. A steady approach works best:

1. Sweep the tunnels methodically. Walkthroughs show valves sitting along both the left and right tunnel paths, so clear each branch before doubling back.
2. Turn every valve you reach. Each one you turn bumps the counter, confirming it counted.
3. Let the counter be your checklist. If you're stuck at 3/4, the last valve is waiting somewhere in a stretch you haven't fully searched.

Stay quiet while you search

You are not alone down there. A pale, lanky humanoid creature patrols the flooded tunnels and hunts by sound, and Arthur warns you about it as the valves are being turned: stay quiet, and if it sees you, don't try to outrun it — find somewhere to hide. Metal lockers placed through the tunnels are your tool for exactly that. Duck inside, wait while the creature passes in front of the door, then step out with the E – LEAVE LOCKER prompt once it moves on. More on its behavior is in the monster guide.

What happens at 4/4

The moment the fourth valve turns, the water drains and glowing white chevrons light up along the floor, marking the escape route. Follow them into a floor vent and through a stretch of air ducts until you reach a grille with a "Push harder" prompt — push it open, pop out into the attic, and the drainage objective is complete. The chapter's next task, silencing the eight bells, picks up from there; the Chapter Two walkthrough covers everything around this section.