Luigi’s Mansion 3 switches its focus between combat and puzzle-solving, with equal attention being given to both – but solving each puzzle can be quite difficult at times. The developers of Luigi’s Mansion 3 promised more puzzles and they definitely lived up to their word, as the Last Resort Hotel could easily have been built by the Umbrella Corporation, due to the sheer number of brain teasers that need to be solved to reach the next area of the game.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is set in a hotel that has floors themed on different genres and they have their own themed ghosts to match. It’s possible to visit a disco in Luigi’s Mansion 3, as well as ancient Egyptian tombs and a haunted pirate ship. The expanded scope of the game has allowed the developers to try out new puzzle designs, some of which can be brute-forced by impatient players.
There can be some frustrating Luigi’s Mansion 3 puzzles, which is why we created this guide to help players solve the trickiest ones in the game.
Boilerworks Walkthrough
The Boilerworks area is filled with pipes, which means that Gooigi (Luigi’s latest ghost-hunting tool) is vitally important for completing almost every puzzle on the floor. The initial puzzle with seven water pipes requires Luigi to turn valves on the top floor while Luigi tries to bypass the water underground. Turn the valves so that the last three pipes are spewing water, switch to Gooigi and move it to the center, then switch the valves so the first three pipes are spewing water, leaving Gooigi free to activate the switch at the end of the tunnel.
The controls for moving Luigi in the boat can be tricky to master at first, but it’s important for the player to learn the basics of turning and propelling the boat, as it’s used in a boss fight later in Luigi’s Mansion 3. Summon Gooigi and have him walking on the path at the top of the sewer and use Luigi in his boat on the bottom to pull the switches as he goes along, which will open the path that lets Gooigi proceed. Once the water has been drained, don’t try to bypass the wall that’s nearby (it can’t be done until later in the game when a toad is around); just return to the main area and open the vault door. The vault door has to be opened by pressing X and not by using the plunger like the player might expect.
The player will need to return to the Boilerworks at a later stage in Luigi’s Mansion 3 in order to retrieve a part for the Poltergust and save a toad in the area. The toad will allow the player to break through the wall that blocked their progress earlier. There are several striped barricades on ledges that can only be broken by firing the toad at them.
Basement Walkthrough
The Basement is a linear floor, as it’s the area where Professor E. Gadd keeps his lab. The boss fight against the Steward also takes place on this floor.
Level 1 – Grand Lobby Walkthrough
The Grand Lobby is the area in which Luigi and his pals enter the Last Resort Hotel, so there isn’t much in the way of puzzles in this area. It’s possible to pick up the pumpkins with the Poltergust and fire them at the portraits hanging from the top of the room in order to break them and cause cash to fall to the ground. There are also two switches on the ground that can only be accessed when the player acquires Gooigi. Once both characters are standing on the switches, it will cause the chandelier to descend from the ceiling, which can be spun with both of the Poltergusts in order to drop a gem.
Level 2 – Mezzanine Walkthrough
The most frustrating puzzle in the Mezzanine happens after defeating the boss monster. A rat chomps down on the elevator button before Luigi can get it, prompting a puzzle where he has to lay a trap for the pesky rodent. This puzzle takes place in the Restaurant room and the rat will run into its mouse hole and hide from the player.
In order to catch the rat, Luigi needs to put a lump of cheese in the middle of the floor and back off. Once the rat leaves its hole and grabs the cheese, you have to hit it with a fully-charged blast from the Strobulb. A second rat will run out and grab the elevator button, leading to a chase into the Entertainment Room. A mid-boss battle will happen with a bunch of ghosts who toss billiards at Luigi. Once these are defeated, Luigi needs to chase the rat into the left Restroom and suck it up with the Poltergust in order to grab the elevator button.
Level 3 – Hotel Shops Walkthrough
The gimmick of this floor is that there are four shops in the hotel that have signs based on the four playing card suits. Gooigi is needed to enter the shops, as he can pass through the grates. The various cash registers and doors need to be opened with keys based on the corresponding card suit. The cash register in the Spade room is stolen by ghosts and Luigi needs to use the Dark-Light Device on it to make it reappear, which will start a battle.
In order to open the shutter on the Club shop door, both Luigi and Gooigi need to use their Poltegusts on the sign above the door, causing the pair of scissors to spin and lifting the shutter. The cash register in the Club shop also needs the Dark-Light Device to appear.
Level 4 – The Great Stage Walkthrough
The Great Stage floor is mostly linear as it acts as a stage for the boss battle against Amadeus Wolfgeist. There is a secret doorway in the bathroom that can be led to a room called the Concession Stand, which has a safe and a series of smoking vials. It’s tempting to think that a safe might require the player to search for a combination of some kind, but the solution actually involves the vials. In order to open the safe, Luigi needs to use the Poltergust from left to right on the smoking vials, which will cause it to open and drop a gem.
Level 5 – RIP Suites Walkthrough
The RIP Suites floor is mostly linear as it’s encountered early in the game when the player is still being taught the basics of the combat system. The left side of the stage cannot be visited until the player acquires Gooigi, as both characters need to use their plungers to remove the table that blocks off the corridor. The doors on the left side of the room require the Dark-Light Device to be opened, as does a secret cabinet in Room 507 that can be discovered after a sheet is pulled off the wall using the Poltergust.
Level 6 – Castle MacFrights Walkthrough
Gooigi is required for almost every puzzle on the Castle MacFrights floor. The reason for this is that the floor is filled with medieval traps, many of which can’t harm Gooigi. The crossbow bolts fly through Gooigi and he can walk through the spikes as if they were nothing. Gooigi is needed to enter the castle gates and pull the lever, as he can pass through the bars. The crossbowmen in the Waterwheel Room can be bypassed by Gooigi, allowing it to destroy the platform on the other side by pulling the lever.
The Cart Storage Room requires two carts to function, but there is only one that can be found. The player needs to find the wheels at the far side of the room and use the Dark-Light Device on them, causing the second cart to appear. The two carts need to be pushed to the middle of the room to complete the puzzle. In order to cross the wooden bridge in the Bridge room, the player needs to line up both pieces. The left part of the bridge can be moved more times than the right side (which gets stuck on the wall), which is necessary for lining up the moves necessary to make sure the bridges connect in the middle.
Level 7 – Garden Suites Walkthrough
This is the garden level that was shown during PAX West. The mid-boss in this stage is immune to the Strobulb at first, as the leaves covering his face are protecting its eyes. Luigi needs to use the Poltergust to pull the leaves off its face, leaving it vulnerable to attack.
Gooigi is important for completing this stage, as he is required to smash the giant watermelon that blocks the path to the top. There is a secret grate in the Ivy Bathroom that needs to be discovered using the Dark-Light Device that will allow Gooigi to fix the pipes below, which will then allow Luigi to turn on the taps and flood the sink. Gooigi is also needed to destroy the huge venus flytrap on top of the plant, as both characters need to use their plungers on either side of the plant and pull at the same time, leading to the boss battle against Dr. Potter.
Level 8 – Paranormal Productions Walkthrough
The main puzzle in Paranormal Productions involves transferring items in-between four different movie sets: the Castle Set, the Fire Set, the Horror Set, and the Micro Set. Go to each of these sets and activate the TVs using the Strobulb, as these can be used to visit the central studio by fast-traveling through the TVs themselves. The four sets have video cameras set up that show the stage in a different way, such as the Fire Set looking like a bunch of cardboard houses when seen through regular eyes, but looking like a burning neighborhood when seen through the camera. If Luigi is looking through the camera, then Gooigi will be the one in control.
In order to solve the puzzle on this floor, the player will need to grab the bucket from the Backstage room and use the TV to travel to the Horror Set. Drop the bucket in the well, look through the camera and have Gooigi interact with the well. This will cause a monster girl to erupt from the well holding a bucket full of water. Grab the bucket and switch back to Luigi, who can take it to the Castle Set. Pour the water on the plant to cause it to grow (while fighting off enemies), which will create a path leading to an unlit torch.
Take the torch to the Fire Set and look through the camera, then have Gooigi light the torch on the burning building. Travel to the Micro Set with the burning torch and look through the camera. Gooigi can use his plunger to open the box, causing a huge (but harmless) spider to jump out. Use the torch to burn both the spider and its web, causing the red megaphone to drop to the ground. Take the red megaphone to the director in the Backstage area to progress to the boss battle.
Level 9 – Unnatural History Museum Walkthrough
The Unnatural History Museum is a straightforward boss floor. If the player returns to the boss arena after it’s defeated, there will be several covered paintings situated around the room. One of these paintings contains Boones – the secret Boo of the floor. Approach each painting and use the Poltergust on whichever one has the strongest reaction from the HD Rumble in the controller.
Level 10 – Tomb Suites Walkthrough
Tomb Suites has the deadliest puzzles in Luigi’s Mansion 3, as some of them involve instant deaths if the player cannot solve them in time. The player should stock up on Golden Bones before attempting this floor. When Luigi enters the temple and opens the sarcophagus, he will fall into a sandpit trap. Use the Poltegust to suck up the sand and reach the bottom of the pit, where a lever can be found that opens a window. Wait for the sand to start building up again and use the blow function of the Poltergust to create a ramp leading up to the window.
The Snake Chamber requires Luigi to create ramps of sand to reach a lever. Once he does this, a group of snake statues that fire lasers out of their eyes will appear and start attacking the structures that are holding up the roof. Use the Poltergust to create ramps leading up to the snake statues and use the Stomp move to break them. If the player doesn’t do this quickly enough, then the roof will fall and kill Luigi.
The Scale Chamber is all about matching the weight of the scale to the correct animal icon on the lever. Luigi needs to pick up the weighted statues around the room and place them on the scale, then use the Strobulb to activate the mechanism to see if the weight is correct. Luigi’s weight is also taken into consideration if he is standing on the scale when the Strobulb is used, so try removing a statue and putting Luigi on the scale if the weight is slightly over the correct icon.
The Jewel Chamber quickly fills up with poisonous gas that will drain Luigi’s health, but it’s the least-deadly of the rooms on this floor. Just use the Poltergust to suck up the sand in the room, revealing jewels of different shapes that match the holes in the wall. Fire the correct jewels into the holes and Luigi will be saved.
Level 11 – Twisted Suites Walkthrough
Twisted Suites is a floor that is about messing with the player’s perception. The Inverted Bedroom is flipped upside down, but the solution is simpler than it looks. Just use the Strobulb on the mechanism on the side of the room to move the bed and use the Dark-Light Device on the space left behind to create a doorway.
The key that can be found in the Trainer’s Bedroom will be grabbed by a golden rabbit. The player will need to summon Gooigi to defeat it. One character needs to use the Poltergust to hold the rabbit in place, while the other needs to use the Dark-Light Device to destroy it.
Level 12 – The Spectral Catch Walkthrough
The Spectral Catch floor is mostly linear, as it’s all about building up to the Captain Fishhook boss fight on the pirate ship.
Level 13 – Fitness Center Walkthrough
The Fitness Center has two particularly annoying mid-bosses that can be tricky to fight, as Luigi needs to turn their weapons against each other. The ghost holding the dumbbells will throw them into the center of the room, so the player has to lure the boxer ghost into the path of the dumbbell, leaving it vulnerable to being hit with the Strobulb and the Poltergust. Once the boxer is defeated, Luigi can grab its gloves with the Poltergust and fire it at the other ghost.
The key that is needed to open the Training Room is hidden in one of the exercise bikes. Luigi needs to use the Poltergust to spin its wheels, which will eventually cause the key to appear. The puzzle in the Yoga Room can be annoying at first, as it’s not evident that the mirror on the wall can be moved to show more parts of the back wall. The yoga mats need to be rolled or unrolled in such a way as to match the posters on the wall. The top row from left to right should be rolled, unrolled, unrolled, while the bottom row from left to right should be unrolled, unrolled, rolled.
Level 14 – The Dance Hall Walkthrough
The Dance Hall is a boss floor that mostly consists of areas leading up to the Dance Floor, where the battle against DJ Phantasmagloria and her dancers takes place.
Level 15 – Master Suite Walkthrough
The main puzzle of the Master Suite involves visiting four rooms and completing basic puzzles in order to win four keys, which are used to open the door to the boss chamber. This floor mainly exists as a gateway to the final two boss battles in the game, so there aren’t many puzzles that need to be solved.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch.
