Honestly, if you're stuck on the fourth data recovery puzzle in An Elmwood Trail, you’re in good company. It’s a massive jump in difficulty. Most players breeze through the earlier tasks, like the 4x4 grid swap or that arrow-toggling nightmare. But then you hit An Elmwood Trail data recovery 4 and suddenly you're staring at a "Lights Out" style grid that feels like it was designed by someone who hates you.
It’s frustrating. One wrong tap and the whole pattern collapses.
The game, developed by Techyonic, does a brilliant job of making you feel like a real detective, but these data recovery segments are the ultimate gatekeepers for Episode 1's climax. If you can't clear this, you aren't seeing what’s on Zoey’s phone. And without that info, the investigation into Riverstone’s missing girl just stops cold.
Why This Puzzle Is a Wall for So Many
The fourth puzzle is basically a classic logic challenge where tapping one square affects its neighbors. It’s not about speed. It’s about sequence. In this version, you’re trying to change all the black squares to grey.
Most people just start tapping randomly, hoping for a lucky break. Don’t do that.
The mechanic is simple but punishing: when you tap a square, it toggles itself and the squares directly above, below, to the left, and to the right. It’s a cross pattern. If you’re not careful, you’ll just end up chasing a single black square around the board forever.
The "Figure 8" Strategy
There is a specific, documented way to break the logic of this grid. You aren't trying to solve the whole thing at once. You're trying to force the board into a shape that is easy to collapse.
First, hit the four corners. Do it in any order.
Doing this usually leaves you with a shape that looks vaguely like a "Figure 8" or a double loop. This is the "sweet spot" of the puzzle. From here, you’re looking for the grey squares inside those loops.
Specifically, you want to find the left-side grey square inside the top loop and the left-side grey square inside the bottom loop. Tap those.
If you’ve done it right, the board should now show two "+" symbols. These are easy. Just tap the center of each plus sign. Everything should turn grey, the data recovery bar will hit 100%, and you’re back in the story.
Common Mistakes in Episode 1 Recovery
I’ve seen a lot of players get confused between this and the "Arrow Puzzle" (which is actually Data Recovery 2).
In the arrow version, you’re looking for fields that are "activated" by arrows. If two arrows point at the same square, they cancel each other out. That's a different beast entirely.
Data recovery 4 is purely about the "Lights Out" mechanic.
Another mistake? Not resetting.
If you’ve spent ten minutes tapping and the board looks like a chaotic mess, just back out. Resetting the puzzle is often faster than trying to reverse-engineer a mess you've already made.
Why This Matters for the Story
You need this data. In An Elmwood Trail, the phone is your primary evidence source. Clearing this fourth recovery task usually grants access to some of the most sensitive files Zoey was trying to hide.
We're talking about the Vault8 leads and the context for her interactions with characters like Kevin. Without this, the transition into Episode 2 feels disjointed because you’re missing the "why" behind your next set of objectives.
Actionable Tips for Faster Solving
If the "Figure 8" method feels too abstract, try this systematic approach:
- Work from top to bottom. Focus on clearing the top row by clicking the squares in the second row that are directly below any remaining black squares.
- Ignore the bottom for a second. Keep "pushing" the black squares down row by row until only the bottom row has black squares.
- The Bottom Row Trick. Once you only have black squares on the bottom row, there are specific patterns you can use to "reset" the top and clear the whole board. However, for most players, the corner-tap method mentioned above is much more reliable.
Once you clear this, make sure to immediately check the newly unlocked files in Zoey's phone. There are often details in the metadata of the recovered files that point toward the car wash or the specific timeline of the night she disappeared.
Next Steps for Players:
- Check your inventory: Ensure you’ve combined the clues from the car wash call before attempting the final data recovery.
- Verify the version: If the puzzle seems genuinely broken (some older builds of the game had UI glitches), check for an update on the Play Store or App Store.
- Review the Diary: Often, the text recovered here correlates with specific dates in Zoey's diary. Cross-reference them to find inconsistencies in Damon's story.
Clear the grid, get the files, and keep the investigation moving. Riverstone isn't going to solve itself.
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