In Blue Prince, players are free to discover and unlock multiple safes hidden inside the Manor and up in the Mt. Holly estate. Noteworthy among them is a safe located inside the Bomb Shelter-a special room that can only be drafted from a snug outdoor location.
Players will have to be able to first gain the skills to draft a Shelter from this secret location in order to access the Time-Lock Safe. Following that, you will have to know what the present date and time are. This guide will take you through the location of the Time-Lock Safe, will offer helpful hints to determine the current time and date, and explain the steps required to unlock it in Blue Prince.
How to Access and Unlock the Time-Lock Safe in Blue Prince
Finding the West Gate and Accessing the Shelter
The West Gate is located on the western side of the Estate, which you’ll find by heading right after exiting through the main Entrance. To open this gate, you’ll need to supply power to the Garage Door using a Breaker Box. The Garage itself can only be drafted from the far left side of the Estate, known as the Western Perimeter.
Once the Garage is powered and the door is open, follow the path heading south outside. This will bring you to the west side of the West Gate. Interact with the lock to permanently unlock the gate, giving you access to the West Path that leads to a hidden Outer Room.
Beyond this gate, you can draft the Shelter—one of several unique Outer Rooms. After building the Shelter, go downstairs and you’ll spot the Time-Lock Safe on a shelf near a Terminal. There’s no need to interact with the Terminal to operate the safe.
Unlocking the Time-Lock Safe
To open the Time-Lock Safe, you need to input a time that’s at least one hour ahead of the current in-game time and date via the ‘Time Lock Safe’ menu.
How to Determine the Current In-Game Date
The current date isn’t listed in the main menu or on an in-game calendar, so you’ll need to do a bit of calculation:
- Start by reading the note on the Security Terminal that states the expedition began on November 7.
- Add your current Day count to that starting date.
- Since November 7 is Day 1, subtract one from your total.
- If the total exceeds 30, the date rolls into December, as November only has 30 days.
How to Determine the Current In-Game Time
To figure out the current time:
- Observe the clock tower outside the Estate or check wall clocks inside rooms like the Den.
- Use the clock hands to determine the time. Each in-game day begins at 8:00 a.m.
- Note that you can only input time in one-hour blocks. So if it’s even a minute past the hour, you’ll need to round up and add another hour when setting the safe.
Waiting for the Safe to Open
Once the correct time is entered, you can wait inside the Shelter until the safe unlocks, or leave to explore and return later. In-game time progresses at roughly five minutes per hour.
The safe remains open for four in-game hours, so be sure to keep an eye on the time. You can check clocks while exploring to ensure you return to the Shelter before it locks again.
Rewards You’ll Find Inside the Time-Lock Safe
When you successfully unlock the Time-Lock Safe in the Shelter, Blue Prince rewards you with a Gem and a Red Letter. This particular letter is labeled VII and is one of several Red Letters scattered across the Estate, all of which are key to uncovering the mystery behind Room 46.
Each Red Letter reveals intriguing story elements that shed light on the secrets of the Mt. Holly estate. While you can’t add the letter to your inventory, it plays a vital role in solving a specific puzzle later in the game. So, be sure to take note of its location, the Roman numeral it’s marked with, and the contents of the message.
