On Thin Ice Chapter 4 Walkthrough: Puzzles, Codes, and Boss Fight Guide

Tackling the final act of Kate Gray's high-stakes blizzard investigation requires sharp logic, quick spatial awareness, and decisive tactical choices. If you are stuck navigating the frozen wasteland or dealing with Sticks' rogue syndicate, this complete walkthrough for on thin ice chapter 4 will guide you step-by-step through every riddle. As the dramatic conclusion to the case, on thin ice chapter 4 tests everything you have learned about environmental puzzles, pattern decryption, and combat countering.

Whether you need the exact numeric combination for the security perimeter or help coordinating Kate and Murphy through the patrol drone grid, this guide breaks down every stage of the finale into clear, actionable steps.

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Breaching the Perimeter: Infiltrating Sticks' Hideout

The chapter begins in the freezing cold right outside the criminal faction's temporary base. A fortified tarp blocks your immediate path, and the surrounding environment is littered with debris buried under heavy snowdrifts.

Your primary objective is clearing the path, securing critical supplies, and cracking the perimeter gate lock.

Step-by-Step Perimeter Solution

1. Clear the Obstruction: Examine the fortified tarp barricade. Tap the heavy structural spikes pinning it down to pull them free. Add the spikes to your inventory—you will need them later.
2. Excavate the Snowdrifts: Brush away the thick snow piles scattered across the yard. This reveals six warning and marker signs, along with a pile of structural rubble.
3. Retrieve the Solvent: Search the exposed rubble pile to locate an unopened bottle of vodka. High-proof alcohol serves as an improvised de-icer in sub-zero survival scenarios.
4. De-ice the Lock Box: Inspect the metal electrical control box mounted beside the security gate. The mechanism is frozen solid. Pour the vodka directly over the latch to melt the ice, exposing a heavy keypad lock marked with a distinct bullet impact.

+------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+
| Sign Marker      | Bullet Holes Counted | Associated Number     |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+
| First Signpost   | 1 Hole               | 99                    |
| Second Signpost  | 2 Holes              | 12                    |
| Third Signpost   | 3 Holes              | 24                    |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+
| Final Input Code | Sequential Order     | 991224                |
+------------------+----------------------+-----------------------+

To determine the access code, cross-reference the bullet hole on the lock housing with the six signs you uncovered. Three of the signs display bullet damage matching the caliber found on the lock:

• The sign with 1 bullet hole reveals the digits 99.
• The sign with 2 bullet holes reveals the digits 12.
• The sign with 3 bullet holes reveals the digits 24.

Punch 991224 into the keypad to disengage the magnetic seals and swing open the security gate.

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Stealth and Navigation: Beating the Chapter 4 Drone Grid

Once through the gate, you encounter an automated security sweep. Autonomous surveillance drones patrol an icy grid, and crossing their field of vision triggers an immediate lockdown. In on thin ice chapter 4, solving this movement puzzle requires dual-character coordination: you must maneuver both Detective Kate Gray and Murphy across the snowfield to collect all five demolition markers without entering a drone's detection radius.

Patrol Mechanics and Movement Logic

Drones follow fixed, predictable routes that advance by one tile each time you take a turn. Understanding their patrol loop is the key to timing your movements:

• Field of View: Red search cones illuminate the tile directly in front of the drone and extend one additional tile forward. Stepping into a illuminated tile resets the sequence.
• Turn Order: Your movement resolves first, followed immediately by the drones' advance. You can safely step into a tile that a drone is vacating during the same turn.
• Marker Collection: Both Kate and Murphy can collect markers. Distribute movement between characters to minimize turns spent idling in open terrain.

+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Character Target | Primary Role         | Tactical Objective                    |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------------------+
| Kate Gray        | Demolition Lead      | Sweep southern quadrant, plant beacon |
| Murphy           | Flank Support        | Draw northern patrol cycle, grab keys |
| Combined Unit    | Convergence          | Detonate ice wall at target breach    |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------------------+

After retrieving all five tracking markers, Kate places them strategically along the structural fault line of the adjacent ice wall. Detonating the charges shatters the frozen barrier and exposes the entrance to the abandoned cabin.

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Reaching the Secret Sub-Level: Bridge Repair and Ring Alignment

Entering the abandoned cabin triggers an urgent crisis: the floor collapses beneath Murphy, leaving him stranded across a treacherous chasm. Rescuing your partner and accessing the subterranean bunker requires repairing the crossing and unlocking a mechanical mantelpiece mechanism.

Collecting Bridge Materials

Before you can stabilize the floor, collect the necessary repair equipment scattered between the cabin interior and the exterior yard:

• Claw Hammer: Pull back the hanging curtain inside the cabin to reveal a sturdy hammer.
• Support Beams: Grab the two wooden load-bearing beams propped near the doorway.
• Floor Planks: Use the hammer to pry loose two floorboards inside the cabin.
• Exterior Signs: Step back outside into the yard. Pick up the fallen wooden sign from the snow, then use your hammer to strip off two additional mounted signs.

+------------------------+-------------------+------------------------------------+
| Material / Tool        | Location          | Purpose                            |
+------------------------+-------------------+------------------------------------+
| Heavy Iron Spikes      | Outer Tarp        | Improvised bridge nails            |
| Claw Hammer            | Behind Curtain    | Fastening planks & prying fixtures |
| 2 Support Beams        | Beside Entry Door | Primary chasm span                 |
| 5 Wooden Planks/Signs  | Cabin & Yard Sign | Walking surface across the drop    |
| Skylight Rod           | Above Mantelpiece | Retrieving elevated puzzle rings   |
+------------------------+-------------------+------------------------------------+

Building the Footbridge and Freeing Murphy

Return to the interior drop-off. Place the two support beams across the gap, then lay down the five wooden planks. Select the heavy iron spikes you collected at the start of the chapter to serve as makeshift nails, and drive them into place using the claw hammer.

Cross the stable platform to pull Murphy to safety. In return, Murphy hands you an ornate gold ring he recovered while trapped, pointing out an intricate carving above the fireplace mantelpiece that requires three rings to function.

+--------------------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
| Ring Component     | Specific Discovery Method      | Puzzle Function           |
+--------------------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
| Ring 1 (Gold)      | Given by Murphy after rescue   | Outer dial alignment      |
| Ring 2 (Bronze)    | Inside fireplace hearth ash    | Mid-tier dial alignment   |
| Ring 3 (Silver)    | Hooked from rafters via rod    | Inner dial alignment      |
+--------------------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+

Cracking the Mantelpiece Ring Puzzle

To gather the remaining pieces for the mantelpiece mechanism:

1. Look inside the fireplace hearth to find the second ring buried in the soot.
2. Grab the long skylight rod resting on top of the mantelpiece.
3. Look up toward the open rafters and use the skylight rod to hook down the third ring.
4. Inspect the wall where you stripped the exterior signs with your hammer earlier—an etched set of reference letters was hidden underneath.

Insert all three rings into the circular mantelpiece slots. Rotate the concentric dials until the etched letters align identically to the sequence discovered outside. When the dials settle into their correct positions, the central V frame highlights the four-digit combination: 7427.

Entering 7427 disengages the mechanical lock and shifts the fireplace floor, exposing an access ladder leading down into the underground bunker.

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Infiltrating the Bunker: Neutralizing Colt and Freeing Caspia

Descending the bunker ladder brings you into the criminal syndicate's primary staging area. You will spot Colt guarding Caspia—Dan's kidnapped daughter—who is handcuffed to a structural support beam. A direct confrontation is suicidal, so you must orchestrate an environmental distraction.

+--------------------+-------------------------+----------------------------------+
| Action Sequence    | Item / Tool Used        | Immediate Result                 |
+--------------------+-------------------------+----------------------------------+
| Step 1: Breach Top | Chisel & Hammer         | Cracked open globe container     |
| Step 2: Extract    | Empty Bottle Fragment   | Secured thick industrial syrup   |
| Step 3: Sabotage   | Syrup in Generator      | Engine stall; distracts Colt     |
| Step 4: Disarm     | Taser from Backpack     | Colt incapacitated silently      |
| Step 5: Liberation | Handcuff Key from Colt  | Caspia unlocked and freed        |
+--------------------+-------------------------+----------------------------------+

Sabotaging the Auxiliary Generator

To distract the guard, you need an abrasive, sticky contaminant to disrupt the power supply:

1. Climb back up the ladder to the cabin floor.
2. Locate the locked decorative globe on the upper shelf. Use your chisel and hammer to crack the sphere open, retrieving a jar of thick syrup and a broken bottle fragment.
3. Descend back down into the bunker unnoticed.
4. Pour the thick syrup directly into the fuel intake of the auxiliary generator.

The engine sputters, chokes, and begins to smoke violently. Colt leaves his post to investigate the mechanical failure, turning his back to the room.

Quickly search Colt's abandoned tactical backpack to retrieve two critical items: a high-voltage taser and a hand-to-hand fight manual. Use the taser to neutralize Colt before he inspects the generator exhaust. Search his belt to obtain the handcuff key, then immediately unlock Caspia's restraints.

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The Final Showdown: Defeating Sticks on the Bridge

Freeing Caspia triggers the climactic confrontation of on thin ice chapter 4. Sticks ambushes the group, corners Caspia on an elevated industrial bridge, and threatens to end the standoff by force. To resolve the hostage crisis, Kate Gray must step out onto the narrow gantry and engage Sticks in close-quarters combat.

Combat in on thin ice chapter 4 runs across three distinct rounds. In each round, Sticks assumes an aggressive combat stance, and you must select three sequential combat maneuvers to counter her attacks.

Consulting the tactical fight manual recovered from Colt's gear reveals the exact counter-system:

• High Guard counters low strikes and forward thrusts.
• Low Sweep knocks opponents off balance when they attempt overhead strikes.
• Defensive Parry opens up heavy counters against wild swinging hooks.

+-------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
| Round | Sticks' Stance / Attack Pattern | Winning Counter Sequence (Your Selection) |
+-------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------------------+
| 1     | Forward Jab & Mid-Level Push| Parry  -> High Strike -> Low Sweep        |
| 2     | Overhead Slam & Grapple     | Dodge  -> Rib Strike  -> Disarm           |
| 3     | Desperate Blade Swing       | Low Block -> Leg Sweep -> Takedown        |
+-------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------------------+

Community reports and player experiences highlight Round 3 as the most common failure point: choosing an overly aggressive opening move allows Sticks to recover her balance. Stick strictly to the defensive counter-flow outlined in the tactical manual.

Executing the correct counters across all three rounds disarms Sticks, pins her to the gantry floor, and allows Murphy to secure the perimeter. Caspia is safely rescued, the criminal syndicate's operations are permanently dismantled, and Kate Gray successfully closes the case. For more updates, official announcements, and news on upcoming releases in the Kate Gray series, check out the Haiku Games Official Portal for detailed community resources.

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Frequently Asked Questions About On Thin Ice Chapter 4

What is the gate code in On Thin Ice Chapter 4?

The gate code is 991224. You deduce this code by examining the bullet holes left on the exterior signposts after clearing away the snow. Match the sign with 1 bullet hole (99), 2 bullet holes (12), and 3 bullet holes (24) to assemble the final six-digit access combination.

How do I open the frozen lock box outside the gate?

You must thaw the mechanism using the bottle of vodka found in the rubble pile nearby. Clear the snowdrifts to locate the rubble, pick up the bottle, and pour the high-proof alcohol directly over the frozen metal box to melt the ice and reveal the keypad.

What is the code for the mantelpiece fireplace puzzle?

The code revealed by the concentric mantelpiece rings is 7427. After placing all three recovered rings into the fireplace mechanism and aligning their etched letters to match the clue found beneath the exterior wall signs, the letter "V" frame points directly to this four-digit sequence.

How do I win the boss fight against Sticks in On Thin Ice Chapter 4?

Winning the fight requires countering Sticks' moves across three rounds using the combat manual found in Colt's backpack. Rather than attacking randomly, analyze her wind-up animations: use Parries against forward jabs in Round 1, Dodge and strike the ribs during her Round 2 grapple, and finish with a Low Block and Leg Sweep in Round 3 to subdue her.