The retro-Soviet setting of Atomic Heart follows an alternate history in which Russia has developed into a utopian society focused on science and human potential. The events of Atomic Heart take place in Facility 3826; a huge, floating countryside in the clouds suspended by copters. Dotted along the grassy hills are quaint towns, massive monuments, scientific institutions, and–hidden in plain sight all over the facility–eight, secret Training Grounds.
The Training Grounds consist of numerous puzzles strung together, and they each served some purpose before all Hell broke loose in Facility 3826. Testing Ground 11 is an interesting one, since it’s one of the few that are opened in a unique way. This one requires a key to enter, and getting the key is a hassle.
Training Ground 11 contains the following crafting recipes:
- Copper: Kalash–Expansive Converter
- Silver: MP–Thermal Scope
-
Gold:
- Fat Boy–Guidance System
- KS-23–Collectors Stock
How to Enter Testing Ground 11
The entrance to Testing Ground 11 has a lock on it that requires a Key Disk. That Key Disk is found in a barricaded compound to the north-west. It’s a good idea to bring down the local HAWK before heading in. When ready, players can jump into the compound from the top of a derailed train near the south side of the barricades.
Once inside, players need to head into the house nearest the southern entrance. It’s in the screenshot above, right in front of where P-3 will land after taking the jump. There’s a lock to get inside that Charles can pick. A black-suited lab tech robot awaits inside. Take it out and loot the Key Disk from the box in the center of the floor. Bring that key to the entrance of Testing Ground 11 and open the lock to enter the facility.
Testing Ground 11 Walkthrough
The elevator lets Agent P-3 out into a large chamber with a few doorways. There’s loot in the door to the right, a break room in the far corner with save and upgrade machines, and another door to the left. Take some time to grab the loot then head into the door to the left to find a red wheel and a large space filled with four colored spinners. Clockwise, starting with the one closest to P-3, they are: blue, yellow, green, and red. The wheel spins all the spinners one quarter-turn. There’s also two more wheels: one near the blue spinner and one on a face of the yellow spinner.
To get started, turn the wheel to the #3 setting. The closest face of the blue spinner now has an open door with a platform under it. Climb up and jump to the next wheel.
This wheel controls the yellow spinner. Turn it to the #1 setting unless it’s already there. The wheel on the yellow spinner should be on the floor adjacent to the green spinner.
Jump down onto the other side of the blue spinner and then onto the long track of magnets that runs through the fence toward the yellow spinner. Reverse the polarity of the ceiling magnets with Shok and then walk across to jump onto the yellow spinner. Then, drop to the ground level under the spinner.
Go through the door to the other side of the spinner and look left to find a lift. Jump onto it. Reverse the polarity of the ceiling magnets again to head up to the surface of the yellow spinner.
Turn the wheel on the yellow spinner to the #1 setting. Then, drop to the ground level again. Jump over the boxes on the right side of the green spinner and turn left to find a lift that goes back up to the surface.
Reverse the polarity of the ceiling magnets to lower the other lift that’s beside the green spinner. Reverse the magnets again to lift it into position. Then, jump across to the platform on the green spinner and jump through the fence to land on the red spinner.
Look to the left to see a lift with a few climbing bars on it. They aren't needed, but will help players climb back up if they fall. Instead, lower the lift, jump on, and then raise it back up to jump across to the doorway in the red spinner. Then, jump to the platform to the left and exit through the door.
Head through the hallways and pick up the Copper Lootyagin in the door on the right just before the stairs. Then head down the stairs and loot everything in the room to the right. Use the scanner to make sure nothing is missed. Save in the break room down the hall and then head through the bulkhead door into the Low Temperature Lab.
The Low Temperature Lab
The Low Temperature lab consists of a few houses and three boilers. There are a few enemies here, cleverly disguised as frozen test-subjects. Agent P-3 can use his weapon of choice to clear them all out. While looting, make sure not to miss the chest in the house on the left in the screenshot above.
The first boiler isn’t operative. The two in the back need to be lit to open the large door to the next room. Follow the tubes coming out of the boilers to find a box of Candles. One is out in the open, and the other is in a locked house.
To get into the locked house, players need to hop onto the platforms closer to the first boiler, and run across the rooftops to jump down a hole in that house’s roof. Once inside, players can deal with the two lab tech robots inside, unlock the door, and pull a Candle through the tube to light the boiler.
When both boilers are lit, the bulkhead door will open. Head through and take a left, going around the truck to head into another large room. Take another left and go across the hall to find the Silver Lootyagin.
Head back into the large room to loot all the file cabinets and then go down the hallway that runs alongside the room to find a crawlspace. Crawl through it and open the grate on the other side.
The Magnetic Gravitation Lab
This lab consists of two main parts. There’s a rotating blue room to the left with four candleholders (two of which are filled) and a door on the far side. There’s also a similar but smaller room to the right with two candles.
Start by heading to the smaller space to the right. Pull the Candle from the wall and drop it nearby. Then, jump across the now-stopped platform and go into the room to pull the other Candle from its holder. Bring it over to the larger blue room.
The next goal is to take the two Candles and throw them into the holders on the other side of the room. It takes some practice to throw them accurately, and it’s necessary to step into the rotating blue room a bit to make the shot, but when all four holders are full, the door will open.
There’s some loot in the next area, along with a break room. Most importantly, in the back-left of the corridor is a room with the Gold Lootyagin. Loot that and then take the elevator back to the surface. The Testing Ground is complete.
Atomic Heart is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.