Mind Place

The Mind Place. My version of the mind palace technique. To sift through the clues and work the case. Building the Mind Place again for each case, using each field office as the model in my head.

― Saga Anderson, Return 1

The Mind Place is a location within Alan Wake 2. Protagonist Saga Anderson goes into in her mind when she wants to make various deductions and look back on previous objects she's collected throughout her story. Alan Wake also goes to a similar location, known as his Writer's Room.

Design[]

Saga's Mind Place is similar to that of her and Alex Casey's investigation room in the Elderwood Palace Lodge, though her version contains various sentimental objects from her own personal life found within it, such as a coffee mug. These personal objects are interactable, though they can only be interacted with once.

Return 9[]

During Return 9: Come Home, the Mind Place will repeatedly gain various extra details, such as Cult symbols, FBC documents, Logan's toys, and the like. These are used as clues for the Main Case The Mind Place. During this chapter, the Mind Place will be devoid of any collectibles from the previous chapters. The only available options will be Profiling or using the Case Board. While walking around the Mind Place, Other Saga will occasionally flash across the screen as a jumpscare or make despairing comments about the situation, and Logan's voice can also be heard begging for her mother. In one instance, a fake cultist may even appear and "attack" before disappearing.

After attempting to make Other Saga reveal a way out, the lights in the Mind Place will go out. However, a flashlight will appear on the table, and walking around the Mind Place will make sentimental objects appear, shrouded in the darkness; these are the same interactable objects that can be found in the regular version of the Mind Place. They are used for the clues that reveal Saga's way out of the Dark Place.

Features[]

Case Board[]

The facts are on the board.

― Saga Anderson, Return 1

Similar to boards found in detective dramas, Saga has a case board that allows her to place documents she has found and try to pin them together to solve her investigations.

Main Cases[]

These cases cover the main story of Alan Wake 2 and are generally used to track progress through individual chapters.

Background Cases[]

These cases are used to provide background information about the overarching plot lines in Alan Wake 2.

Points of Interest[]

These cases are used to track collection progress of some of Saga's collectibles (Alex Casey Lunchboxes, Cult Stashes, and Nursery Rhymes).

Profiling[]

Profiling. Get into the subject’s head. See what they saw. Feel what they felt. Use whatever I know about them to guide my intuition to a revelation. Piece it together.

― Saga Anderson

Saga can sit at a table and try to understand the mind of various characters she encounters. Across the game she profiles the following characters:

Manuscript Pages[]

This allows Saga to view pages found across Bright Falls/Watery. For a list of pages she can review, go to Return.

Map[]

This will allow Saga to view various map pieces she found in her investigations.

Weapon Upgrades[]

Each of Saga's weapons can be upgraded using fragmented pieces of the manuscript. These Manuscript Fragments can be assembled in the Mind Place by selecting a magazine from several featuring specific weapons, then selecting among three possible upgrades for that weapon. Additional Manuscript Fragments are earned by discovering Alex Casey Lunchboxes throughout Bright Falls, Cauldron Lake, and Watery.

Radio[]

Saga can replay various radio broadcasts she has listened to.

Pat Maine Radio Show[]

Main: Pat Maine Radio Hour

Tapio's Weather Report
Donna's Jerky Review
Terry's Cuckoo Clocks
Jim's Mayoral Candidacy
Gil's Weird Joke
Technical Issues
Terry's Guest Call
Deerfest Floats

Old Gods of Asgard[]

Various Artists[]

Ahti - Yötön Yö
National Nightmare - Filth
Dark, Twisted and Cruel
Follow You Into the Dark
Lost at Sea
No One Left to Love
Superhero
Wide Awake
Poe - This Road (The Mirror is a Trap)
Poe - This Road (The Dark Chamber)
Poe - This Road (Falling Apart)
Poe - This Road (AW)
Old Gods of Asgard - Herald of Darkness
Poets of the Fall - The Happy Song

Television[]

Saga can rewatch various TV shows she has watched.

Koskelas Ad[]

Ahma Beer
Bright Falls Blend
Coffee World
Parade Floats
Adventure Tours
"Return" Review

Additional Decorations[]

Mounted Deer Head[]

Sagan can interact with 12 mounted deer heads throughout her story. Interacting with the deer head in the Mind Place will trigger a voice revealing the number of remaining deer heads. Finding all 12 unlocks Room 108 in the Elderwood Palace Lodge, giving valuable resources.

Mayor Setter Placards[]

Saga can interact with 6 Mayor Setter placards throughout her story, tracked by sticky notes on a Mayor Setter placard in the Mind Place. Finding all 6 allows Saga to meet Mayor Setter. Afterward, Mayor Setter's photo is added to the Mind Place placard.

Setter is Better
Mayor Setter Won't Roll Over on the Issues
Vote for Mayor Setter to Sit in Office
Mayor Setter Will Stand Up for Justice
When You Ask, Mayor Setter Will Speak
Mayor Setter Is Not Afraid of the Rough Questions

Notes[]

Glitch: Multiple players have encountered a glitch for Pat Maine's Radio Hour (Pat Maine Radio Show), where the "Deerfest Floats" will play, but not be acknowledged as being heard by the game. It will not appear as playable on the Radio, and finding new radios in Brightfalls/Watery will cause the 7th episode to be played again. This has been fixed, according to the Alan Wake 2 Update 10 patch notes.

Trivia[]

Saga mentions early on that her Mind Place takes on the appearance of whatever field office she's working out of, to help keep cases straight in her mind. Hence, her current Mind Place has a similar look and layout to the FBI field office in the Elderwood Palace Lodge.