Portal 2's unexpected solutions are what make it fun, but sometimes things just don't click. If, after applying caffeine and barraging your screen with bewildered expressions and long sighs, you remain stuck, this guide will send you in the right direction with textual descriptions and videos of every challenge in the game. Just be warned that, because Portal 2's gameplay and story are heavily intertwined, this guide CONTAINS SPOILERS. If you don't want any dialog spoiled, hit mute before watching any of the videos.

Got it? Good! Let's get to it. Portal 2 is divided into chapters, which are divided into test chambers and other segments, and so is this guide, naturally. You can use the navigation below to find the test chamber you need help with, or use the page navigation at the bottom to flip between the chapters one by one.

This guide is a work in progress and will be updated frequently until it is complete.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9

Chapter 1: The Courtesy Call

There isn't much to tell you about the game's opening - just follow Wheatley's instructions, and enjoy the ride. Below is a video of the segment... just in case you couldn't figure out how to look at art.

Test Chamber 00

The first test simply introduces the relationship between cubes and buttons. In other words, put the cube on the button.

Test Chamber 01

This chamber contains three glass rooms, and a portal can be formed within each by pressing the button in front of it. Press the button in front of the room to the right, which contains a box, then walk through the portal on the rear wall to acquire the box and bring it back. Next, press the button in front of the left room, enter it, and place the box on the button. Finally, exit the chamber by pressing the button to open a portal in the third room.

Test Chamber 02

Follow Wheatley's instructions until you've acquired the portal gun (yay!). Take some time to look at the art, then create a blue portal in a wall and exit the area through the existing orange portal. Walk up the broken catwalk and continue through the halls until you jump back into the test chamber. Fire your blue portal on a wall near you and walk through it to cross the gap, then shoot one across the second gap, by the exit, and walk through the orange portal.

Test Chambers 03 - 04

The first chamber (with I'm assuming is 03, though it doesn't appear to be numbered) contains another simple cube/button solution. Jump into the pit, fire a portal on the wall, grab the cube and walk through it. Place the cube on the button to open the door.

The next chamber contains two elevated platforms. Fire your blue portal into a wall and walk through it to reach the first platform. Across from you is the second platform - fire your blue portal behind the cube, then walk through the orange portal to grab it. The second cube you need is in another pit. Acquire it the same way you did during the last test, and place both cubes on the buttons to open the door.

You'll find yourself trapped in a room with a glass ceiling. There is an orange portal above you - shoot your blue portal on a wall or beneath you and enter it to fall into the ceiling, breaking it and forming a ramp. Then just follow the path to the exit.

Test Chamber 05

The entrance to this chamber is blocked - fire a portal on the far wall, and one on the floor beneath you to get in. Press the button on the right side of the room and it will release a cube on an isolated platform across from it. Shoot a portal beneath it, and one near you to grab it. Put it on the button to activate a staircase to the exit.

There are two buttons near the exit. The button on the left drops a cube onto the angled platform, and the button on the right raises a barrier. Place one portal on the angled platform, and another on the right wall. Press the left button to release the cube, then immediately press the right button to raise the barrier and keep it from flying into the goop. Grab the cube and place it on the button to complete the test.

Test Chamber 06

When you enter this chamber, you'll be in a shallow pit. Shoot your blue portal onto a wall, and walk through it to reach the main area. The orange portal is high on the right wall - you need to fall through it with enough momentum to reach the exit door. Fire your portal into the deep pit in the center of the chamber and fall through it to propel yourself to the platform.

There is a cube in a small room beneath the platform, which you can access through a small hole. Place a portal under it to release it. Retrieve the cube, then repeat the jump to the exit while holding it. Place it on the button and continue to the next area.

The second half of the chamber presents you with the same problem, except that the orange portal is at the bottom of the pit. On the near left side of the room (based on the direction you entered), you'll see an angled platform. Shoot your portal onto it, then fall through the orange portal in the pit. You'll be launched to a two-tiered platform with a cube on it. Grab the cube and take it off the platform.

Now you need to get yourself and the cube to the platform across from the one you're on. Facing the entrance, fire a portal into the top-left side of the wall. Grab the cube and repeat the fall into the orange portal. Place the cube on the button behind the broken glass wall to raise a platform. Repeat the same jump, and you'll land on the platform, reaching the exit.

Test Chamber 07

Follow Wheatley's instructions and fire a portal on the wall behind him to move to the next room. Once he opens the passageway, pick him up and carry him down the catwalk. There's nothing else to it.

Reuniting with GLaDOS

There are no significant puzzles in this story-progressing segment. Just listen to Wheatley and explore the ruins. When he's done talking, walk to the back of the area, near the incinerator tube, and down the metal staircase to the control room. The rest of the section will take care of itself.

The final segment is also simple - just follow the pathway, and use the portal gun to get past barriers. Eventually you will reach a cracked window which looks into a room full of detached panels. Facing the window, turn to the right and walk around the room until you find an elevated platform on your right side. Portal up to that platform, and from there, you'll be able to fire a portal into the final room and enter it. Then just walk to the exit.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9

Got it? Good! Let's get to it. Portal 2 is divided into chapters, which are divided into test chambers and other segments, and so is this guide, naturally. You can use the navigation below to find the test chamber you need help with, or use the page navigation at the bottom to flip between the chapters one by one.

This guide is a work in progress and will be updated frequently until it is complete.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9

Chapter 1: The Courtesy Call

There isn't much to tell you about the game's opening - just follow Wheatley's instructions, and enjoy the ride. Below is a video of the segment... just in case you couldn't figure out how to look at art.

Test Chamber 00

The first test simply introduces the relationship between cubes and buttons. In other words, put the cube on the button.

Test Chamber 01

This chamber contains three glass rooms, and a portal can be formed within each by pressing the button in front of it. Press the button in front of the room to the right, which contains a box, then walk through the portal on the rear wall to acquire the box and bring it back. Next, press the button in front of the left room, enter it, and place the box on the button. Finally, exit the chamber by pressing the button to open a portal in the third room.

Test Chamber 02

Follow Wheatley's instructions until you've acquired the portal gun (yay!). Take some time to look at the art, then create a blue portal in a wall and exit the area through the existing orange portal. Walk up the broken catwalk and continue through the halls until you jump back into the test chamber. Fire your blue portal on a wall near you and walk through it to cross the gap, then shoot one across the second gap, by the exit, and walk through the orange portal.

Test Chambers 03 - 04

The first chamber (with I'm assuming is 03, though it doesn't appear to be numbered) contains another simple cube/button solution. Jump into the pit, fire a portal on the wall, grab the cube and walk through it. Place the cube on the button to open the door.

The next chamber contains two elevated platforms. Fire your blue portal into a wall and walk through it to reach the first platform. Across from you is the second platform - fire your blue portal behind the cube, then walk through the orange portal to grab it. The second cube you need is in another pit. Acquire it the same way you did during the last test, and place both cubes on the buttons to open the door.

You'll find yourself trapped in a room with a glass ceiling. There is an orange portal above you - shoot your blue portal on a wall or beneath you and enter it to fall into the ceiling, breaking it and forming a ramp. Then just follow the path to the exit.

Test Chamber 05

The entrance to this chamber is blocked - fire a portal on the far wall, and one on the floor beneath you to get in. Press the button on the right side of the room and it will release a cube on an isolated platform across from it. Shoot a portal beneath it, and one near you to grab it. Put it on the button to activate a staircase to the exit.

There are two buttons near the exit. The button on the left drops a cube onto the angled platform, and the button on the right raises a barrier. Place one portal on the angled platform, and another on the right wall. Press the left button to release the cube, then immediately press the right button to raise the barrier and keep it from flying into the goop. Grab the cube and place it on the button to complete the test.

Test Chamber 06

When you enter this chamber, you'll be in a shallow pit. Shoot your blue portal onto a wall, and walk through it to reach the main area. The orange portal is high on the right wall - you need to fall through it with enough momentum to reach the exit door. Fire your portal into the deep pit in the center of the chamber and fall through it to propel yourself to the platform.

There is a cube in a small room beneath the platform, which you can access through a small hole. Place a portal under it to release it. Retrieve the cube, then repeat the jump to the exit while holding it. Place it on the button and continue to the next area.

The second half of the chamber presents you with the same problem, except that the orange portal is at the bottom of the pit. On the near left side of the room (based on the direction you entered), you'll see an angled platform. Shoot your portal onto it, then fall through the orange portal in the pit. You'll be launched to a two-tiered platform with a cube on it. Grab the cube and take it off the platform.

Now you need to get yourself and the cube to the platform across from the one you're on. Facing the entrance, fire a portal into the top-left side of the wall. Grab the cube and repeat the fall into the orange portal. Place the cube on the button behind the broken glass wall to raise a platform. Repeat the same jump, and you'll land on the platform, reaching the exit.

Test Chamber 07

Follow Wheatley's instructions and fire a portal on the wall behind him to move to the next room. Once he opens the passageway, pick him up and carry him down the catwalk. There's nothing else to it.

Reuniting with GLaDOS

There are no significant puzzles in this story-progressing segment. Just listen to Wheatley and explore the ruins. When he's done talking, walk to the back of the area, near the incinerator tube, and down the metal staircase to the control room. The rest of the section will take care of itself.

The final segment is also simple - just follow the pathway, and use the portal gun to get past barriers. Eventually you will reach a cracked window which looks into a room full of detached panels. Facing the window, turn to the right and walk around the room until you find an elevated platform on your right side. Portal up to that platform, and from there, you'll be able to fire a portal into the final room and enter it. Then just walk to the exit.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9