A Friend in the Dark is one of the best side quests in the Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC. It kicks off straight after you clear a Relic Ruins, and we recommend following it through to the end because it allows you to hang out with one of Aloy’s friends that wasn’t present in the base game. This guide explains how to complete A Friend in the Dark so you don’t get stuck on a door code or puzzle.
Related: Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC Walkthrough – Quests, Collectibles, Challenges & Machines
How to Start A Friend in the Dark
To start A Friend in the Dark, you need to complete Relic Ruins: Murumuring Hollow. You can find the Relic Ruins at the location shown in the map reference above. Solve the puzzle there, and you’ll unlock a door. Behind that door is one of the major NPCs from the Frozen Wilds DLC for Horizon Forbidden West, Gildun.
Your first task is to head down the tunnel where Gildun was trapped before you let him out. Scan the Datapoint on the way down so you know the door code you need later on. In the Datapoint, you’re introduced to Ron, a soldier who has been left behind by his squad after the evacuation order was given. He set up a transmission for anyone else still alive to come to his location if they didn’t want to die alone.
What is the First Door Code for A Friend in the Dark?
The first door code you need for A Friend in the Dark is 117. This is Ron’s birthday, and using the code will get you into the main puzzle chamber for this quest.
The Horizon Forbidden West DLC puzzle chamber has a few layers for you to work through. The first thing you need to do is get Gildun to help you move the train cart. This reveals a box you can move around the room. You can either grab and push or pull it or use the Pullcaster to drag it.
Get the box to the top of the nearby slop so you can have Aloy jump up to the climbing point above. Explore the area and climb across the hanging climbing points on the opposite side of the chamber. This leads to a wheel Aloy can turn that controls the red elevator. After trying it out, Gildun should run into the elevator so you can get him onto the level above.
Once he’s up, head back around to the other side so you and he can push the train cart forward. Then, you must drop down to the floor below and drag the box into the elevator. This will prompt Gildun to climb over to the other side of the chamber to help you get the box onto the first floor. Move the box inside, and Gildun will do the rest.
With the box on the first floor, use it to climb onto the train cart and get to the floor above. Destroy the Firegleam, and you can claim the Horizon Forbidden West DLC Key Module. However, a bunch of machines break in at this exact moment to make life extremely uncomfortable. They’re not especially tough, but there are a lot of them, and they’re difficult to fight in this cramped environment.
When you’ve killed all the machines, get the box back down to the ground floor and into position on the ramp again. Jump up and use the Key Module to unlock the door, but you need another code to get inside.
What is the Second Door Code for A Friend in the Dark?
The second door code for A Friend in the Dark is 1247. This code is found in one of Ron’s Datapoints in the puzzle chamber. He mentions a massive number of tins in the bunker, and the numbers he uses are the code for the door.
When you’re through the door, you can find another Horizon Forbidden West DLC Datapoint showing that Ron wasn’t alone in the end. It’s quite a sweet story, and you should take the time to read it all. To end the quest, you need to open the nearby vent and crawl through. Aloy will find Gildun’s friend, who appears to have stolen his precious looking glass when he pushed him into the sea.
It’s not all bad, though. You have the choice to preserve Gildun’s memory of his friend, and that’s probably the only good outcome of this quest’s story. Gildun seems down on himself, but Aloy cheers him up by reminding him that she’s his friend and even passes on a Focus. This will undoubtedly play into the third game in the series, where we expect to see more of Gildun. As a bonus reward, you’ll get the Last Argument Spike Thrower, which is a pretty great weapon the Horizon Forbbiden West DLC adds, though not the best Spike Thrower you can pick up.
