FAQ

Q: Will the randomizer affect my previous save data?
A: It will not affect your previous save data. Only the save file you randomize on will be affected. To prevent accidental corruption of save data, the randomizer will only operate on an unplayed or prevously randomized save file.

Q: Will this work on all versions of The Witness?
A: The randomizer works on the most recent Windows/PC version of The Witness on Steam, Epic Games Store, or GOG.

Q: What puzzles are randomized?
A: Tutorial, Symmetry, Quarry, Swamp, Treehouse, Mountain, and Caves are fully randomized. Town, Jungle, and Keep are all randomized except for environmental puzzles. Desert panels are swapped around. Greenhouse could not be randomized, despite my best efforts.

Q: Why are several lasers turned on at the start of the game?
A: Areas that weren't randomized will give you a free laser when you solve certain optional puzzles. I would have liked them to turn on at the very start, but can't figure out how to trigger them without the player solving a puzzle.

Q: I came across a puzzle that I think is impossible.
A: Check the "Info/Known Issues" wiki page to see if your concern is addressed there. If possible, also run the puzzle on the solver. If neither of these provide any help, close the game, then reopen it. Solve the puzzle the normal way, then run the randomizer again. For instructions on how to report the bug, please see the page titled "Reporting Issues".

Q: When I launch the program, I get a "Process not found in RAM" error.
A: The game must be running in the background to be able to launch the randomizer. Also, make sure the game executable is named "witness64_d3d11.exe".

Q: When I came back to continue playing after quitting, all the puzzles were reset.
A: Open the randomizer and run it again to restore your puzzles.

Q: When I chose "Load Game" or "New Game" on the pause menu, the game crashed.
A: This happens because the randomizer dynamically allocates new process memory. This causes certain pointers to become invalid when loading a new save file. Open the game back up after it crashes and you will be able to load or start a new game.

Q: The game crashes immediately every time I open the game.
A: Your save file probably got corrupted somehow. You will have to go into your AppData and delete the most recent save. Fortunately, the game auto-saves at certain intervals so you shouldn't lose all your progress. I have never had this happen on the current release, but I included these instructions just in case.

Q: Are environmental puzzles affected by the randomizer?
A: Some optional environmental puzzles will become unsolvable under randomization. However, all square/rectangular puzzle panels should be solvable.

Q: Why isn't the greenhouse randomized?
A: Unlike most other puzzles in the game, the puzzles in the greenhouse are pre-rendered onto the background. Until I find a way to deal with this, none of those puzzles can be changed.

Q: What does "Normal Random" or "Expert Random" mean on the starting panel?
A: The starting panel displays your seed and difficulty. If the seed was chosen randomly, the word "Random" will be displayed instead of the seed.