Welcome to our guide for Magnetic: Cage Closed! It is honestly a rather mediocre Portal rip-off (I say this not just in terms of the mechanics but more crucially the story and characters involved,) but there is still much fun and many achievements to be had!

Time to complete 100%: 8-12 hours

Difficulty: 5/10

Important: If you don't want to go insane trying to get every achievement in this game, you must copy and move your save files at certain moments. This game locks your saves after endings and doesn't allow you to reload previous checkpoints at any point in the game, so it's up to you to do that. You'll find the save files under Program Files->Steam->userdata->(there's only one option here)->344410->remote->save. Copy the file you find here to another folder you can easily remember and access for maximum convenience.

First playthrough: Completion and Saving

For your first game of Magnetic, don't worry too much about the speedrun requirements or the achievements associated with given levels. Instead, focus on using the save file method to ensure you can easily go back to any point of the game with a minimum of replaying.

You will want save files at the following places:

During the box counting decision
(If you got the box decision wrong) During the "Pick Your Poison" decision
(If you got the box decision right) During the "XE-47629" decision
During the "A Matter of Trust" decision
In the ending room you've picked before making your choice

These save files will cut down on most backtracking, but you will still have some to do.

Second Playthrough: Cleaning up limited story decisions and earning all endings

For this game paste your save files back into the game one at a time and earn the remaining story achievements. If you got the box number wrong the first time, do it right this time then save before making the XE-47629 decision and reload after your first choice. If you got it right, intentionally miss and play through the next chapter before picking the Governor's Pardon during the Pick Your Poison decision.

Reload your original end game file and select the one or two (depending on which branch you took) endings you haven't seen yet.

Reload your Matter of Trust room, pick a different path, play it to the end and save so you can reload and earn all the endings associated with that area. Do this a second time with the third and final path you haven't picked yet and the endings that it offers. After all of this you will be at 8/9 story endings.

The ninth one is at the opening scene of the game. Stay in your cell until you die to unlock the final story related achievement and move on to the next step!

Third Playthrough: Level Related Achievements

To help prepare for your speedrun we are going to go into time trial mode and do every achievement tied to specific levels in the game. Doing this will save valuable time on your attempt and earn you the majority of the achievements in this game.

Fourth and Final Playthrough: The Speedrun

Now that you are sitting at 27 or 28 achievements it is time to try the speedrun. Refer to the missable section for a more detailed overview but suffice to say finishing the game in 1:15 will not be easy and the window is rather tight.

Good luck and have fun!

It is impossible to miss these achievements no matter which decisions you make.

Let the Trial Begin

Picked up the D-27 Magnetic Propulsion Device




This will be the first achievement you unlock in the game. After progressing though the opening story cinematics and dialogues you will enter a room with the device in the middle. You must pick it up to progress, and once you do the achievement will unlock.

We Can Rebuild It, We Have the Technology

Acquired a stable version of the D-28 prototype




This achievement cannot be missed. After you've had the choice to determine how many boxes will used in the previous challenge, you will encounter some story bits contingent on which option you selected. At the end of the story moments you will be in another chamber with the magnetic gun in the center. Pick up the gun, watch the ensuing chaos, and the achievement unlocks.

Disregarding the Constabulary

Left confinement without proper escort




This achievement will automatically be earned soon after you've made your choice with XE-47629. You will awaken in your cell during a prison break. follow the path outside of your cell and the achievement will unlock soon after.

Second Hand

Found the Magnet Gun in Tier 3




Shortly after you earn Disregarding the Constabulary and navigate a few corridors/jumping sections, you will find another magnet gun just sitting on the floor. You have to pick it up to proceed, and doing so will net you yet another achievement.

Crossing the Rubicon

Pick a path in "Choice Cube: A Matter of Trust".




After you've finished tier 3's puzzles, you will find yourself in a room with three doors. The three doors determine the order of the puzzles you'll see during the final tier, in addition to the potential endings you can receive. No matter which of the three you select, the achievement will unlock after you've advanced through the tube into the next room.

There Are Many Like It, But This One is Mine

Pick up the Magnet Gun in Tier 4




In the very next room after earning Crossing the Rubicon, you will find yet another magnet gun in the center of the room. Pick it up after fake Cave Johnson stops talking and the last strictly story related achievement will be yours!

These achievements unlock upon ending your game. Unless you copy and move your before earning them your save will lock.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Accept the Governor's pardon.




To become eligible for this achievement, you must pick the wrong number of boxes during that choice (see "Remembered the Boxes" for more details.) Play through the next tier of missions until you come to your next decision point. Select the door on the right to earn the pardon and play out the final couple of scenes.

Note that if you are save scumming and replaying to get all the endings, this achievement does stack with "Pick Your Poison" so unless this is your first playthrough you don't really need to replay this decision.

Game Over

Made a final choice in "Ending: Are We Done Playing Games?".




To unlock this achievement, first you must select the middle door during "Choice Cube: A Matter of Trust." Next, play through the hard tier of levels, after which you will be presented with a final choice. The middle door is the only one with three endings, two of which are unlocked by stepping on either of the buttons, while the third can be found by going up the lift opposite of where you entered the decision chamber. For the purposes of this achievement, you can select any one of the three endings you would like, but for the Cage Closed achievement, you will want to experience all three endings at some point.

As with the other decision points in the game, copy and move your save before making a decision if you want to unlock both endings without having to replay the entire game.


Trust Issues

Made a final choice in "Ending: Trust".




When you come to the area mentioned in the Game Over achievement, select the door on the left. Play through the final tier of levels, and then select an ending. Either ending available here will unlock this achievement, but it is in your best interest to copy your save and move it prior to making a choice so you can pick both endings without having to replay puzzles for the Cage Closed achievement.

There Can Be Only One

Made a final choice in "Ending: Vengeance or Freedom".




During the choice cube outlined in the Game Over achievement, select the door on the right to start down the path towards earning this. Finish out the trials then pick either of the two available endings to unlock this achievement. As with the other tier three endings, be sure to copy and move your save prior to making this choice, so that you can quickly reload and get the other ending towards Cage Closed.

Cage Closed

Find all 9 endings.




If you don't follow my save advice this will be a nightmare of an achievement to earn, even using my advice on saving it is still pretty bad! The nine endings are as follows:

1. At the start of the game do not leave your cell. You will die and earn your first credit towards this achievement.

2. Follow the instructions for the Better Safe Than Sorry achievement. This leads to your second ending.

3, 4, 5. Follow the guide for the Game Over achievement. Save in the final chamber and reload twice after your first decision.

6, 7. Follow the guide for There Can Be Only One. Save in the final chamber and reload once, then select the alternative decision.

8, 9. Follow the guide for Trust Issues. Save in the final chamber and reload once, then select the alternative decision.


The button press choice early in the game and the save/execute the fellow prisoner choice have zero impact on the endings you can receive.

Remembered the Boxes

Chose the correct number of boxes in "Choice Cube: Remember the Boxes".




At the end of tier 1, you will be tasked with recalling the number of boxes used during your final puzzle of the chapter. The correct answer is two. Stand on the plate in front of the two boxes stacked atop each other and the achievement will unlock shortly after you exit that room.

Selecting the correct answer prevents you from unlocking Pick Your Poison and Better Safe Than Sorry, so be sure to copy your save first so you can go back and get those without another playthrough.

Pick Your Poison

Chose a path in "Choice Cube: Three Paths".




When you come to the counting boxes decision outlined in Remembered the Boxes, select one of the three incorrect choices. Play through the next tier of levels until you come to your next decision point. No matter which of these three doors you select, the achievement will unlock.

You can double dip and earn Better Safe Than Sorry along with this achievement if you select the door on the right, however this will end your game so be sure to back up your save if that's your plan.

Coup de Grace

Saved XE-47629 from the horrors of the trials.




At the end of the tier 2 challenges you will face another decision point. This time you will be tasked with deciding whether a woman on death row should be executed for her crimes or sent into the testing grounds. To earn this achievement simply press the button to kill the woman. Note that this decision has zero impact on which endings you can receive, and unlike the box decision outlined above it doesn't even offer a different path or branching future decisions.


This is the companion achievement to A Chance at Life, so be sure to save prior to making your decision in order to avoid additional playthroughs.

A Chance at Life

Granted XE-47629 the oppurtunity to avoid certain death.




At the end of tier 2's challenges, simply choose to spare the woman when presented with the dilemma. Again, it has no impact on endings but it will lock you out of earning Coup de Grace, so be sure and save your file to a different location before making the decision.

This is the alternative achievement to Coup de Grace, so save before making this decision if you want to easily earn both.

If you miss the requirements for these achievements you're going to need an entire additional run, so be very careful.

Quick Thinker

Play through all tiers and pick an ending in under 2 hours & 30 minutes.




2:30 is a very generous amount of time to get through this game. Both Lenny and I got it with 10-15 minutes to spare during our first play, so as long as you're paying attention and grasping the puzzles it shouldn't be that difficult to unlock this. At any rate, even if you don't get it on your first try it unlocks alongside Speedrunner (which you most certainly will not get on your first go) so there's no reason to push too hard.

Speedrunner!

Play through all tiers and pick an ending in under 1 hour & 15 minutes.




This is the hardest achievement in the game, but with proper preparations you should manage to get it.

First, beat the game with a tier 3 ending. You aren't getting this on your first try.

Secondly, do every timed and mission specific achievement in the time trial mode. The vast majority of them will help tremendously when going for this, as they can shave around a dozen minutes off your total time if done properly.

Third, move quickly through each level and don't hesitate to restart if things aren't going well. For me, I didn't even use time trial mode except for the achievement related levels. For the rest, I would play through them once or twice, then reload and do them very quickly. If I still made some bone headed mistake, I reloaded again.

Finally, copy and move your saves constantly. In the event that you are just short of the goal, it is much better to replay the last 20-25 minutes looking for a way to save a minute or two than to have to re-do the entire game.

You're probably going to get aggravated by how much talking there is and what a huge chunk of time it takes up, but I couldn't find any way to skip it, just make sure you are in position to advance to the next area as soon as possible during these parts.

In terms of choices, none of them make a difference except you want to be sure to get the box question right, and I picked the "fast" path because the ending is pretty quick to get to.

I finished with a time of 1:11:30, and I didn't see many places where I could go much faster. Following these tips should be enough to earn the achievement, so good luck!

These achievements do not have a timed component, but do require you to play certain levels. You can do them during your story playthroughs or in time trial mode, either works perfectly well.


I'd Rather Climb Than Crouch

Take the high road in "Crouch 'n Climb"




After you've hit the switch to extend the platform across the gap, simply jump on the newly created walkway, then turn back to where the switch was and jump on the ledge above it. Next you'll need to do a somewhat tricky jump + turn on to a pipe, then follow that pipe to the end of the level for the achievement.



A Dunk and a Three Pointer

Hit both buttons in "The Pit" from the topmost platform.




Load up "The Pit" and play through the initial part, throwing the switch on your right to extend the walkway and boosting over the flaming walls. Once you get to the top of the area with the box dispenser, pull the box out and hit both switches from this platform. The one closest to you is very easy. The one across the map may take a bit of effort, but it doesn't move or anything so it shouldn't take you too many tries. If you miss a shot feel free to jump off the topmost platform to retrieve the box, but be sure to return to the platform before trying to shoot again.


Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo' That!

Complete "Target Practice" without hitting both buttons.




To earn this achievement, load up Target Practice and pull the box out of the flame corridor on your right, then use it to hit the red button on the right to turn off the electricity. The red button on the left controls the bridge and will make it impossible to earn this achievement because of the electrical coils being active. After you've shut off the power, drop down on the left side to the elevated platform. Set your repulse power to maximum, activate it, then quickly jump to land on the walkway to the door and earn the achievement. This last step is a bit tricky so don't worry if it takes a couple tries.


Duty Calls

Went to the public bathroom.




At the start of the prison break chapter, you will advance through the area until you head up a flight of stairs. Written on the wall to your left will be a restroom sign, and ahead of you and to the right from there is a bathroom. Go inside and find that the middle stall is open. Use the interact key (E by default) on the toilet to earn the achievement.


Flappy Bird

Fly all the way to the lever without touching the ground in “I’m Flying”.




The description is a bit inaccurate for this achievement. You're allowed to touch the ground at any point in the level UNTIL you start using your repulse power to fly around the spike traps. During this sequence you need to stay elevated and clear all the platforms until you get to the end with the switch. Throw the switch and the achievement is yours. Just remember to keep your gun aimed behind you and at a fairly tight angle so you will keep moving forward.


Careful...Careful!

Complete “Columnial” without being burnt by any flamethrowers.




This achievement isn't that difficult but it does require a bit of care. Load up the level and progress as usual. You only have two parts you need to look out for. The first is immediately after you've come to the two boxes in the dispenser. Retrieve these boxes and put them both on the switches nearby. You will notice the switches are occasionally doused in flame so be careful. After you have both boxes down and the flames have just ceased, grab the box directly across from the vertical switch, stand on the switch you took the box off of, then throw the box at the vertical switch. Quickly evacuate the switch you were standing on before the flames return.

The only other dangerous part is after you've returned to the main room that you threw the boxes into after activating the wall switch. You will be tasked with navigating a corridor of flames that activate in short delay of one another. The strategy is to jump into the hallway they are on, then wait for the flamer closest to you to go off. When it does, begin slowly moving forward in time with the successive flamers being switched off. It is vital that you keep your character positioned to look at the flamers during this part so that you know when to move forward, but the timing window is very tight and it is likely you will need a couple tries before you get it down. Once you throw the switch at the end of the hallway the flamers turn off and the danger is past. Finish the level to earn the achievement.

It is strongly advised to do the following achievements in the game's time trial mode. It is possible to do all of them during your story playthroughs but you won't have an in-game timer to figure out if you are still eligible for the achievement.

Making Karen Proud

Complete "Hard WMMPs" in less than 10 seconds, without touching the floor.




Once you've learned how to boost your jump, this isn't so hard. From the start of the puzzle, jump to your right and use full powered repulse on the nodes there, DO NOT jump yet, however, as if you jump straight away you are likely to be blocked by an electrical arc. Listen for the crackle of the electricity, and once it ends quickly jump and boost across the room. Then turn around and run towards the door.


Watch This!

Complete "Trick Jump" in less than 8 seconds.




To earn this achievement, after loading in immediately drop down and run and jump across the poison gas to the magnetic hub in the far left corner. You will need a pretty much perfect jump to land this, stand with your back diagonal to the exit and aim your repulsor at the upper left square. Let it charge quickly, jump, and then simply walk backwards as soon as you land (no need to turn around.) This one can be tricky, so don't be worried if it takes multiple attempts.


Never Liked the Playground Anyway

Complete "Seesaws" in less than 20 seconds.




To earn this achievement you have to hit a pretty difficult repulse jump. I got it by turning right as the level starts, then jumping and immediately hitting repulsors on the caged squares in that area. You're going to have to do some trial and error to get it perfect, but once you nail this jump the achievement is very simple. While walking on the seesaw, hug one side or the other as standing in the middle seems to cause it to tilt down faster. Navigate across, throw the switch, and walk down the steps for your achievement.


Three Dimensions Are Nothing To Me

Complete “3D Puzzle” in less than 60 seconds.




Unlike the other time trial achievements, there's no hidden path or jump to help you get this one. All you can rely on is knowledge and practice with the level. Even playing perfectly it is going to be VERY close. If you miss a jump, momentarily forget where you are supposed to go next, or have a hard time progressing the ball, immediately restart as you have time for none of that. This is definitely one to play in time trial mode, but as long as you are playing mistake free you should get it in a handful of tries.

The following two achievements can be done in multiple levels.


Nature's Elements

Endure the pains of electricity, poisonous gas and fire in a single level, and live to tell the tale!



An early easy level to do this on is Target Practice, the same level where you unlock Ain't Nobody Got Time fo' That! To unlock this achievement, grab the cube as usual, but where for the other achievement you want to hit only the right hand button to stop the electricity, here you want to first hit the left button to extend the bridge. Once this is done, walk into the electricity, then turn around and get hit by the flames that were guarding the box, then jump into the pit and choke on a bit of noxious gas. When you've taken damage from all three sources, use the box to hit the other button and walk across to the end of the level.

Do note that you need to survive and finish the level for this to register.


Too Close!

Trigger a spike trap with your body...and survive.




You can (and probably will) get this at many different points in the game. A good place to go if you're having trouble is the medium difficulty level "Quality." Spawn in and drop down, then head to your right. You will see a slightly elevated magnetic pad, then some ground level spikes. Step on the spikes then quickly repulsor jump up. The achievement should unlock immediately.