The windmill is one of the earlier landmarks you will hit in Outbound, and it looks simple enough from the outside. A note from the owner, Lilly, is pinned near the entrance explaining she has gone to a festival and is happy for you to use the terminal inside. The catch: the terminal room is locked, the power is off, and the windmill itself is broken. Getting it spinning again involves a two-part lever puzzle and a resource requirement that catches a lot of players off guard.
What do you need before starting the windmill repair?
Before climbing a single stair, make sure you are carrying 20 Scrap Metal. This is the one hard requirement for the repair. Scrap Metal can be found around Signal Tower locations on the map, so if your inventory is light, do a quick loop around any nearby Signal Tower before heading in. Scrap Metal is heavy, so GameSpot recommends leaving other heavy items in the van before you make the trip up.
How to solve the windmill lever puzzle
Head up the stairs inside the mill. On the walkway, you will find a panel with two levers. These rotate the floor layout above you, shifting the position of the ladders and objects on that level. This is the core of the puzzle.
Cogwheel needs 20 Scrap Metal
Step 1: Position the first ladder
Interact with the left lever twice. This rotates the upper floor so that the barrels with a plank balanced on top are moved against the wall where a set of shelves was previously sitting. The shelves were blocking a hidden switch the entire time.
Climb the ladder up to that floor. You will see the barrels and plank now positioned near the wall. Jump onto the barrels, walk up the plank, and interact with the switch to drop a second ladder down from the floor above.
The second ladder has a known glitch reported by multiple players. Walking directly into it may not trigger the climb animation. If this happens, try repeatedly jumping at the ladder, or drop back down to the first floor, climb the first ladder again, and use the momentum to transition onto the second. It is awkward but it works.
Step 2: Reposition the ladder to reach the top
After flipping the switch, head back down to the lever panel. The newly dropped ladder will be behind the shelving unit and out of reach. Use the levers again to shift the lower ladder until it sits by the staircase. Climb up, then use the second ladder to reach the upper floor of the windmill.
When you arrive at the very top, make sure you jump onto the upper floor rather than just walking. Players who skip the jump have reported falling back down and taking fall damage.
How to repair the cogwheel and pull the brake lever
At the top, you will find a Pull Brake Lever that refuses to work and prompts you to check the cogwheels. Turn directly behind the lever and you will see the broken cogwheel. Interact with it and spend your 20 Scrap Metal to fix it.
Once the cogwheel is repaired, go back to the Pull Brake Lever and activate it. The windmill sails will start turning immediately, restoring power to the ground floor.
Before heading back down, check to the right of the ladder. There is a terminal executable disk sitting on top of a crate. Grab it now. You will need it for the terminal, and skipping it means another trip up.
What do you get from the windmill terminal?
With the windmill running, the locked room on the ground floor will open automatically. Head inside and you will find the Mortar and Pestle blueprint, which is required to craft Paint for repainting your campervan. The room also contains Flower Petals and the password key for the terminal. The other two terminal keys are located in the greenhouse and on the balcony nearby, and neither is hard to find.
The Mortar and Pestle is needed to make Paint, which lets you repaint your campervan. If customizing your van is on your to-do list, this is one of the earlier blueprints you want to lock in.
Other things worth doing at the windmill
The windmill area has more to offer than just the terminal. Cairns and gnomes are scattered around the location, so take a few minutes to explore before moving on. These are easy to miss if you are rushing straight back to the van after fixing the mill.
If you are working through other early-game systems, there are a few other guides worth checking out. Fiber is a resource you will need for backpack upgrades, and you can find the fastest farming spots in our guide on how to get Fiber in Outbound.
For everything else the game throws at you, the full Outbound guides collection has you covered.