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Like other classic id shooters, Quake is home to several secret levels tucked away in its darkest corners. Here’s how to access them all.
Quake‘s triumphant return has given plenty of gamers the opportunity to revisit an old favorite or play the legendary shooter for the first time. As players frantically run and gun their way through each of the game’s gothic hellscapes, they may very well miss some of the title’s most alluring secrets.
As with other classic id Software titles such as DOOM, Quake is home to several secret levels. Each of these is accessed through a hidden exit within another stage — and some can be incredibly difficult to locate. Here’s how to find each secret exit in the main game.
E1M8: Ziggurat Vertigo
One of the most memorable levels in the game, Ziggurat Vertigo is a stage featuring incredibly low gravity in which players must progress vertically rather than horizontally. This hellish bounce house can be accessed through E1M4: The Grisly Grotto. To locate the hidden exit, players should progress as normal until they obtain the Silver Key and unlock the corresponding door.
After ascending in the elevator, stand on each of the pressure plates adorned with the Quake logo while avoiding the nail traps. After pressing all five, the walls on either side of the room will open. Drop down on both sides (being careful of the Ogre’s below if they haven’t already been dealt with) and press each switch. A message will appear declaring that an underwater cavern has opened, so head back to the main room flooded with water. Dive underneath and veer to the right where a small opening has appeared and emerge to find the exit portal in the small cave.
E2M7: The Underearth
The Underearth is remembered for tasking players with “going for a swim” before it can be completed. It can be unlocked via E2M3: The Crypt of Decay. The stage should be played as normal until reaching the final area of the level, with the main exit on the right and a room full of boxes on the left.
Enter the room full of boxes and shoot the switch on the ceiling to open up a secret room. Inside, press the switch. A message will appear stating that an underwater barrier has been lowered, which you may remember from a secret side room next to where the Gold Key was obtained. Head back over there.
This area can be accessed easily via the Crypt of Decay’s own secret easter egg, the Well of Wishes. To do this, retrace your steps and jump onto the alcove to the right. Follow the ledge around, and you’ll be greeted by the Dopefish and a lovely welcome message. Pass through the Well of Wishes and you will be right next to the now lowered underwater barrier. Emerge from the depths to find the exit portal.
E3M7: The Haunted Halls
The Haunted Halls is exactly what it sounds like — a place of dark, winding corridors swarming with monsters and traps. This level’s entrance is hidden rather nefariously within E3M4: Satan’s Dark Delight. Fight your way through the stage until you reach the final room, which is filled with lava.
As you enter, a monstrous Shambler will spawn in front of you. Dispatch it quickly using the nearby Quad Damage power-up, then attempt the small amount of platforming required uninterrupted. Instead of heading onwards, turn around and glance underneath the stairs. A wind tunnel is submerged within the lava. You’ll need to get inside by walking along the thin barrier surrounding the raised pool of lava and jumping in when close enough. The tunnel will propel you through, dropping you right in front of the level’s secret exit.
E4M8: The Nameless City
The final secret level in Quake, The Nameless City is a small town named after an H.P. Lovecraft’s story. The Nameless City is accessed from within E4M5: Hell’s Atrium and can be one of the most difficult to unlock. From the start of the level, walking straight ahead reveals the level’s regular exit on the other side of a lava pit.
A Silver Key switch nearby will lower a bridge, allowing you to head across safely. However, jumping across the thin wooden poles in the molten pit will allow you to access the regular exit immediately — and is also key to accessing the secret level.
Ignore the exit and continue through the level as normal until you acquire the Silver Key. Return to the exit, but do not activate the Silver Key switch to lower the bridge, as this seals off the secret exit entirely. Instead, jump across the poles with the Silver Key in hand and unlock the door next to the main exit. Behind the door lies the secret exit, allowing you to access The Nameless City.
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