Joyce Tanner plays a crucial role in the game Atomfall, assisting players in evading the quarantine zone. The narrative is interwoven with six distinct endings, each connected to one of the following characters: Joyce Tanner, a mysterious telephone caller, Captain Sims, Dr. Garrow, Dr. Alan Holder, and Mother Jago.
As a somewhat elusive figure, Tanner divulges minimal information about the game’s intricate mysteries. This ambiguity leaves much of the overarching storyline—particularly aspects concerning Oberon and the Interchange—obscured. To gain a more comprehensive understanding and fully unravel the secrets of Atomfall, it is advisable to follow the paths laid out by Dr. Garrow and Dr. Alan Holder.
This guide will provide a detailed walkthrough of Joyce Tanner’s missions and objectives, facilitating your escape alongside her in Atomfall.
Walkthrough: Joyce Tanner’s Missions in Atomfall
Step 1: Entering the Interchange
Initially, Joyce Tanner won’t be available to assist you. Your first task is to access the Interchange while ensuring you have an Atomic Battery, one of the most crucial items in the game (refer to the section below for tips on locating Atomic Batteries).
To enter the Interchange, head through the Slatten Dale entrance (coordinates 31.0 E, 77.8 N). Inside the Central Processor Room, you will discover a deceased individual in a hazmat suit alongside an Atomic Battery. Collect the battery and insert it into the terminal to energize the Interchange Bootstrap.
Next, travel to the Charlie Data Center and utilize the Atomic Battery at the terminal to activate it. Upon exiting the data center, you will encounter Joyce Tanner. Speak with her, and she will assign the task of activating all radio towers in Atomfall.
Step 2: Activating the Radio Towers
There are three radio towers scattered across the regions of Atomfall: Slatten Dale, Skethermoor, and Casterfell Woods. Each tower requires a specific keycard to access its console.
Slatten Dale Radio Tower
- Location: 31.0 E, 75.0 N
- Keycard: Located in a quarry under the hill. Look for a corpse in a cave to retrieve the keycard.
Skethermoor Radio Tower
- Location: 43.1 E, 73.6 N
- Keycard: Go to 43.4 E, 74.6 N, near the Greenhouse. Inside the Vehicle Storage Bunker, navigate locked rooms by crawling and climbing. The keycard is in a spacious room on an elevated section.
- Additional: You can also collect another Atomic Battery from this bunker.
Casterfell Woods Radio Tower
- Location: 24.8 E, 89.3 N
- Keycard: Found within Bunker L9 (23.3 E, 90.6 N). Be cautious of feral enemies. Quickly grab the keycard from the table in a room filled with radiation.
Once all radio towers are activated, return to Joyce. She will instruct you to infiltrate the Windscale Plant, extract a sample, and destroy Oberon, although she won’t mention the key items needed for this mission.
Step 3: Accessing the Windscale Plant Entrance
Obtain the Signal Redirector
Before advancing, you must first acquire the Signal Redirector, which is essential for your mission.
- Optimal Source: Skethermoor Prison
- Engage with Captain Sims at Village Hall and earn his trust by reporting suspicious activities (such as the church murder).
- He will task you with retrieving information from Dr. Garrow, a prisoner at Skethermoor Prison.
- Enter the prison non-hostile, navigate to the lowest level, and speak to Dr. Garrow to pinpoint the Signal Redirector’s location—it is on a shelf in the Security Room located north of his cell.
Gathering Additional Atomic Batteries
You will need at least three more Atomic Batteries. Here’s where to find them:
- Defeating Robots: All robots carry Atomic Batteries, but they tend to be formidable foes.
- Trading with Molly (Slatten Dale): Either exchange for a battery or defeat her for a chance to loot one.
- Solving St. Katherine’s Church Murder Mystery: Completing this task rewards you with a chest key, unlocking a chest that contains a battery. Alternatively, you can kill the Vicar for the key.
- Finding a Broken Robot in Skethermoor: Located near Nora’s Camp (coordinates: 41.2 E, 78.2 N).
- Trading with Nora (Skethermoor): Trade or kill her to obtain a battery.
- Greenhouse Landmark (Vehicle Storage Bunker): Find the Storage Room Keycard on a bunk bed and utilize it to unlock a room containing a battery.
Powering Up the Data Centers
Make sure to power each data center using the Atomic Batteries. Here are their respective entrances:
- Slatten Dale Entrance: Charlie & Delta Data Centers
- Skethermoor Entrance: Alpha Data Center
- Wyndham Village Entrance: Bravo Data Center
Once all data centers are powered, head back to the Central Processor Room. Locate the power consoles and use the Signal Redirector to channel energy into the Central Processor. Finally, activate the system by pulling the lever, which will unlock access to the Windscale Plant.
Step 4: Extracting the Sample & Destroying Oberon
Inside the Windscale Plant, prolonged exposure to the alien infection will deplete your health. Move swiftly and either confront or evade infected adversaries.
Step to Extract the Sample
- Reach the Oberon Dig Site and find a building on the left.
- Inside, you’ll encounter the Power Center Room, which requires two Atomic Batteries to activate (defeat robots in the Dig Site to gather batteries).
- Proceed to activate the four explosives (two on each side).
- In the Control Room, pull the lever to extract the sample.
- Retrieve the Oberon Sample Canister from the console on the left.
- Return to the Control Room and engage the self-destruct lever to eliminate Oberon.
Step 5: Escape with Joyce Tanner
Head back to the Interchange and make your way to the Charlie Data Center. There, you will discover a note bearing Joyce Tanner’s coordinates.
Follow these coordinates to Casterfell Woods, where a plane awaits your arrival. Board it, and you and Joyce will make your escape from the challenges of Atomfall.