The Sinking City 2 Lorelei Mermaid Guide

“Mermaid” is the player-facing search term for the Lorelei/Siren sequence at Devil’s Reef Hotel. Lorelei is the name to use when matching notes, walkthrough sections, and the lock-puzzle guide; “mermaid” is the broader term that appears in player searches.

Before entering the hotel section

• Carry spare healing so a failed approach does not force a long retreat.
• Search staff areas, side rooms, and containers for keys and clue context.
• Note every locked door instead of assuming the first visible lock is the objective.
• Keep one-time resources until you understand which lock or reward they affect.
• Mark the route back to the nearest safe room or shortcut.

How to approach the Lorelei route

1. Follow the main hotel route until the Lorelei/Siren clues become available.
2. Read the surrounding notes and inspect the hotel objects before entering a code or using a key.
3. Separate the door, statue, and lock clues; they belong to the same hotel sequence but are not interchangeable.
4. If a door does not open, return to the last clue-bearing room instead of trying random numbers.
5. Use the detailed Neoseeker hotel walkthrough alongside the TechRaptor Lorelei lock guide for the exact interaction order.

The three chests and three keys (media reports)

Two walkthroughs published on 2026-08-19 and 2026-08-20 describe the same chain. It is not an official page, but the two reports agree on the steps and on the safe code below.

1. Find the Lorelei Lock. Inspect the strange lock on the basement gate; it unlocks “The Lorelei Lock” as Investigation evidence. The gas-filled doorway sits opposite it.
2. Staff Room, third floor, next to Room 301. Take the three Lorelei Tokens and the Lorelei Chests evidence from the table. Connect Hotel Ledger + The Lorelei Lock + Lorelei Chests for Dream Essence.
3. Open the three chests, one token each. The first is in Room 203 — opening it wakes four record players you have to shoot, including one in the bathroom. The second is in the third-floor Staff Room. The third is where you picked up the Staff Key.
4. Three keys, one gate. Return to the Lorelei Lock with all three keys; the corridor behind it leads to the Generator Room and the Stage Lift.

The Room 301 safe (2137)

The Staff Room holds a Safe Code Letter. It points at the lyrics of “Baby, One More Tide” and the line “beasts with eight have three”. Working the clues out gives wings = 2, tail = 1, octopus = 8 and sins = 7, so the safe in Room 301 takes 2137. The same code is listed on the safe codes page, so you can cross-check it there. Inside you find ammo, crafting materials and the Voss’s Target Grip upgrade for the Equalizer handgun.

The ventilation machine

Clearing the poison gas takes a pointer puzzle at the ventilation machine: every pointer has to sit in the green zone. The left button moves the first two pointers, the middle button moves the second and third, and the right button moves only the fourth.

Common mistakes

• Searching only the main lobby and missing staff keys or chest clues.
• Treating “mermaid” as a separate enemy or location rather than the Lorelei hotel sequence.
• Spending a one-time resource before the lock context is complete.
• Leaving the hotel without recording the opened shortcut and remaining optional route.

Spoiler boundary

This page explains the route logic and preparation without copying every puzzle reveal. Open the linked walkthrough when you need the exact solution order.

Sources

• intoindiegames: Devil’s Reef Hotel walkthrough (2026-08-19)
• grindnstrat: The Sinking City 2 walkthrough (2026-08-20)
• Neoseeker hotel walkthrough
• TechRaptor Lorelei Lock guide
• Checkpoint Gaming review

How to use this puzzle guide

Read the route logic first, then use the linked walkthrough for exact ordering when you are stuck. Keep the location and clue context together so a solution from another puzzle is not copied into the wrong room.

FAQ

Does the guide reveal every story beat?

No. It focuses on route logic and preparation rather than reproducing every reveal.

Can a later patch change the puzzle order?

It can; recheck the linked walkthrough if an interaction no longer matches.

Related pages

• Walkthrough
• Safe codes