Control PS4 8

How do you solve the punchcard puzzle in mission 4 of Control? How do you activate the HRA machine? This is perhaps one of the most complex puzzles in the entire game, even stumping us for a decent amount of time. However, here's the solution you'll need in order to progress.

How to Activate the HRA Machine in Mission 4 in Control

You'll know you've reached the puzzle in question once a cutscene triggers with Marshall, where she joins you in a room containing a large machine in the centre. You're tasked with turning the machine back on via inserting a series of punch cards into various nodes throughout the room. Once you've collected the five punch cards you need, the whiteboards scattered around will give you clues, but here's the correct order:

  1. The punch card with its right side shaded in with three triangles pointed towards the centre.
  2. The punch card with a fully shaded cube in the middle.
  3. The punch card with the single side of a cube shaded in.
  4. The punch card with the right face of a cube shaded in along with the background.
  5. The punch card which has the left-hand side of it shaded in green.

Don't forget that the terminal on the first floor in the office is number four in the sequence, not the last one. Once all punch cards have been inserted into the correct slots, a cutscene will trigger and complete the puzzle.