Cheat codes in End of Abyss are not handed to you. There are 6 of them hidden across the game's sectors, and before you can scan a single one, you need to track down a device called the Cryptograph and use it to upgrade your Scanner. The process takes you through some of the game's most out-of-the-way rooms, and two of the codes exist purely for fun. Fair warning: activating any code permanently disables achievements on that save file.
How do you upgrade the Scanner in End of Abyss?
Upgrading the Scanner requires the Cryptograph, an item you can only reach after collecting three keycards across the Lower Levels. This entire sequence is locked behind late-game progress, so you need to be near the end of the story before any of this becomes available.
Here is the full step-by-step sequence to upgrade the Scanner and unlock the Second Sight achievement:
- Progress through the story until you reach the Lower Levels and release the protocols at the mainframe's request.
- After returning to the mainframe, take the elevator in the southeast corner of B3 back up to F1.
- Head all the way east to find a second elevator leading down to B2.
- Follow the path east, south, then west, and climb down the ladder on the west side of the room. Pick up the Level I Access keycard from the ground.
- Continue along the main path until you obtain the Incinerator weapon. Then return to the elevator in the southeast corner of Lower Levels - F1. Burn the Parasitic Growth on the wall just east of the elevator with the Incinerator, follow the path south then west into an open room, and drop through the hatch in the floor.
- Crawl through the vent to reach a sealed room. Collect the Level II Access keycard from the body inside.
- Go to the hallway in the northeast corner of Lower Levels - F1 (the one that leads to the Failed Experiment area). Use the Level II keycard to open the door in the southeast corner, then climb the stairs to reach F2.
- Head north, then west to find the Level III Access keycard at the top of a short staircase.
- Return to the northeast hallway on Lower Levels - F1 and use the Level III keycard to open the door in the northeast corner. Follow the path east and grab the Cryptograph from the desk. This upgrades the Scanner and unlocks the Second Sight achievement.
End of Abyss Guide: How to Upgrade the Scanner
Where are all the cheat codes in End of Abyss?
With the Scanner upgraded, you can now find and scan all 6 codes hidden around the facility. Once scanned, each code appears in the Cheat Codes section of the Logbook, where you activate them at your own risk.
All 6 cheat codes
| Code | Location | Requirements | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | Containment Sector - B1 | Explosive Charges | Minimal damage when hurt |
| Infinite Ammo | Communication Center - F3 | Explosive Charges | Infinite ammo for all Equipment |
| Infinite Health Boosters | Infirmary - B1 | Grappling Hook, Incinerator, two keycards | Infinite Health Boosters |
| Infinite Equipment | Outer Sector - B2 | Explosive Charges, Grappling Hook | Infinite ammo for all Equipment |
| Big Head | Factory West - F4 | Explosive Charges, Grappling Hook, Executive Level Access Keycard | All characters get big heads |
| Big Knife | Habitation Sector - B1 | Explosive Charges, two keycards | Player knife becomes big |
Armor code (Containment Sector - B1)
Head to the room on the west side of Containment Sector - B1 that contains a column holding large metal balls. Use an Explosive Charge to destroy the weak metal ball. The code appears once the ball is gone.
Infinite Ammo code (Communication Center - F3)
On the west side of Communication Center - F3, use an Explosive Charge to blow open a weak wall. Step into the room just east of the breach and open the locker inside. The code is printed on the inside of the locker door.
Infinite Health Boosters code (Infirmary - B1)
This one needs two keycards before you can reach the code itself.
- Go to the room directly south of where you picked up the Incinerator on Lower Levels - F1. Burn the Parasitic Growth on the floor with the Incinerator to reveal the Infirmary Access Keycard.
- Travel to the shuttle in the Habitation Sector, head east, and use the keycard to enter the Infirmary.
- Navigate east, north, through the door in the northwest corner of the hallway, then east, south, east, south, and through the first door on the west wall. Pass through two more doors heading west to find a small room containing the Restricted Access Keycard.
- Backtrack through those three doors, go north, and use the Restricted Access Keycard to open the door at the north end of the corridor. Descend the stairs to reach B1.
- At the bottom, find the room with mortuary drawers in the southeast. One of the drawers on the north wall is actually a Sealed Hatch. Open it with the Grappling Hook to reveal the code.
Infinite Equipment code (Outer Sector - B2)
- Go to Maintenance and use an Explosive Charge to destroy the weak floor just west of the Save Room. Drop through the hole.
- Head west, crossing the gap in Maintenance using the Grappling Hook, to reach the bottom of Factory West - F2. Keep moving west to arrive in Outer Sector - B2.
- The code is written on the wall in the middle of the initial corridor. You need to adjust your position to find the right angle before it becomes visible.
Big Head code (Factory West - F4)
This code requires the Executive Level Access Keycard, which is also in Outer Sector - B2.
- Follow the same route as above to reach Outer Sector - B2. Head all the way to the west end of the corridor and destroy the crates to uncover the Executive Level Access Keycard.
- Return to Factory West - F2 and use the keycard on the elevator near the middle of the floor. Ride it up to F4.
- In the first room on F4, hit the electrical panels on the north wall with a melee attack. The code appears and can be scanned. There is also a Data Shard collectible nearby.
Big Knife code (Habitation Sector - B1)
Two more keycards are needed here.
- Use an Explosive Charge to destroy the weak wall near the southeast corner of Containment Sector - F2. Collect the Security Guard Keycard from the body in the room beyond.
- Travel to Habitation Sector - F1 and find the area with the Vault in the northwest corner. Use the Security Guard Keycard to open the door to the east. Follow the hallway north and take the stairs down to B1.
- Head west and pass through the door on the west wall. Pick up the Security Chief Keycard from the table.
- Use the Security Chief Keycard to open the door on the east side of the preceding room. The code is on the wall in the third cell past that door.
What unlocks after finding all the codes?
Scanning all 6 codes earns you the Cryptographer achievement. That is the primary reason to hunt them down before a second playthrough, since activating any of them on your current save locks you out of all other achievements. The two practical codes, Infinite Ammo and Infinite Health Boosters, are genuinely useful for replaying on higher difficulties or just seeing the rest of the story without resource pressure.
For more strategies and collectible guides across the game, the End of Abyss guides collection covers everything from weapon locations to suit mods. End of Abyss sits firmly in the action adventure games space where hidden systems like this reward players who explore every corner, and the Scanner upgrade is one of the better examples of that design philosophy paying off.
