Inside: How to Get Past The Mermaid (Water Girl)

Inside is a critically acclaimed indie puzzle game from developer Playdead who is also known because of their first game, Limbo. Although both games have many things in common, Inside undoubtedly offers players a more polished and engaging experience, as well as a unique aesthetic and incredible sound design. Much like Limbo, Inside utilizes enemies as part of its puzzles, often using them to rush players into quick decision-making situations. Of all enemies in the game, none do this more effectively and unsettlingly than the long-haired water girl creature that players meet halfway through the game.

Inside is at heart an incredibly fun puzzle game that will often rely on a quick wit and good observational skills. Sequences in which the protagonist is being chased by enemies are often the most exciting, as they are incredibly precise, and performing them perfectly will often result in the protagonist barely escaping. These close-call situations can sometimes feel punishing, as even a slight delay in movement can result in failure. However, Inside does not inconvenience players too harshly, as death simply results in loading to a checkpoint that is never too distant.

Although the motivations of this mermaid creature are unclear, it is apparent from the first time players see her that she is a threat to the protagonist. Being the only underwater-themed antagonist in Inside, the creature is an incredibly fast swimmer, something that makes every second spent in the water near her terrifying. Dealing with the mermaid will often consist of luring her away from the main path, in order to create distance between her and the protagonist.

How to Get Past the Water Creature in Inside

Players will first find the water creature unconscious behind a large window in Inside. As the protagonist swims by her, she will suddenly wake up and start chasing him. Players should swim to the right towards the surface to grab a rope and get out of the water. After that, swing on the rope to jump as far to the right as possible, then climb the other rope on the right and head to the top of the metal structure. From here, players can jump to the right as far as possible and dive underwater to get through the open metal door, then swim up towards the platform on the surface.

On the platform, players must solve one of Inside‘s puzzles by first climbing the chain and pressing the red button at the top, which will drag it to the left and back. While on the chain, players must slide down until they touch the water, preferably as far to the left as possible. This will lure the creature to the left side of the map, which will create the distance players will need to escape this room. After returning to the platform, dive towards the right and make sure to press the red button as the protagonist swims by it in order to close the door behind him.

As players continue progressing through this exciting indie game, they will eventually open a vault door and jump into the water, where they will once again meet the water creature. Here, players must get on the platform and open the hatch on the right in order to dive in and press the red button, while making sure to return to the surface. Run to the left of the platform and jump into the water there to lure the creature towards the protagonist. Then, get back on the platform, dive through the hatch on the right and press the red button while swimming by it, in order to close the gate behind the protagonist.

Inside is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4 and 5, iOS and macOS, and on PC via Steam.

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