Control Resonant Konstig Painting Puzzle Solution (Evacuation Zone)

TL;DR

• The Konstig Painting Puzzle is an optional secret in the Könstig Art Gallery, Evacuation Zone.
• Read the “Paintings Sold This Month” note at the front desk first.
• The correct paintings are: Journey (2nd), Windows (1st), Thunder (1st), Tides (2nd).
• Simple sequence to remember: 2 → 1 → 1 → 2.
• All four must be lit at the same time — the hidden wall then opens automatically.
• Rewards include a Health Upgrade, a Talent Point, and several lore documents.

The Konstig Painting Puzzle in Control Resonant is one of those optional secrets that looks confusing at first but is actually pretty straightforward once you know what the game is asking you to do. There’s no combat gimmick, no complicated code, and no second-stage trick.

You just need to match four painting names to the right artworks and light them all at once.

This guide gives you the full solution, what each painting looks like, what you get for completing it, and what to do if the door refuses to open.

If you’re working through the main story at the same time, our Control Resonant Central Checkpoint power puzzle guide covers the relay mechanic in full detail. And for a broader look at the game, check out our Control Resonant review.

Control Resonant Konstig Painting Puzzle

Where to Find the Könstig Art Gallery

The puzzle is located inside the Könstig Art Gallery in the Evacuation Zone.

The gallery sits in the central part of the zone, close to Main Street and the Main Building. The Main Street Fast Travel Door is a useful nearby landmark if you have it unlocked. You’ll also see the Echo exhibition signage on the building itself.

If you spot a secret marker or question-mark-style location icon on your map in that area, that’s the gallery.

Depending on the state of the Evacuation Zone when you arrive, there may be enemies near the entrance worth clearing before you explore properly. Once inside, head toward the reception desk at the front — that’s where the puzzle starts.

Step 1: Read the Paintings Sold This Month Note

Before touching anything in the exhibition room, stop at the front desk.

There’s a document here called “Paintings Sold This Month.” Pick it up and read it.

The note lists four painting names:

• Journey
• Windows
• Thunder
• Tides

These are the four paintings you need to find and illuminate. The paintings themselves don’t have their names displayed next to them — that’s the puzzle. You have to figure out which artwork visually represents each name.

How the Painting Puzzle Works

The exhibition room has four separate display groups. Each group contains three paintings. Each group also has a control or button nearby.

When you interact with the control, the spotlight shifts to the next painting in the group — cycling through painting 1, painting 2, and painting 3.

Your job is to stop each spotlight on the correct painting. One painting per display is the right answer. Once all four displays show the correct painting at the same time, the hidden wall at the back opens.

Konstig Painting Puzzle Solution: 2 → 1 → 1 → 2

If you just want the answer:

• Journey — 2nd painting (middle)
• Windows — 1st painting (left)
• Thunder — 1st painting (left)
• Tides — 2nd painting (middle)

That’s 2 → 1 → 1 → 2. Keep reading if you want to know what each painting actually looks like so you can confirm you’re on the right one.

Display 1: Journey

Select the second (middle) painting in the first display.

You’re looking for the artwork that shows a road or path leading through a wooded area, with trees on either side and the road disappearing into the distance.

This one is the most straightforward. Journey equals a road going somewhere. The middle painting shows exactly that.

Display 2: Windows

Select the first (left) painting in the second display.

This clue is less literal than Journey. You’re not looking for an actual window. Instead, look for the artwork with twisting, circular tree branches and heavy vegetation — the kind of layered, overlapping leaves and stems that frame a view like a natural window.

It might not immediately scream “Windows” at you, but among the three choices in this display, the left painting is consistently the correct one.

Display 3: Thunder

Select the first (left) painting in the third display.

Look for the artwork showing a single tree standing alone in an open field. The tree has a distinctive split or V-shaped silhouette — the kind of bare, exposed tree you’d associate with a storm or lightning strike.

Again, the game isn’t being totally literal here. There’s no bolt of lightning in the painting. The lone tree in the open field is the visual interpretation of Thunder.

Display 4: Tides

Select the second (middle) painting in the fourth display.

This one shows a fallen tree lying across water, with visible water beneath and around the trunk. The horizontal fallen tree against the water surface is the visual match for Tides.

Complete Konstig Painting Puzzle Answer

• Display 1 — Journey: 2nd painting
• Display 2 — Windows: 1st painting
• Display 3 — Thunder: 1st painting
• Display 4 — Tides: 2nd painting

Sequence: 2 → 1 → 1 → 2

When all four correct paintings are illuminated at the same time, the hidden wall at the back of the gallery slides open. No extra step required.

Konstig Secret Room Rewards

The secret room behind the hidden wall is worth the effort. Here’s what you get.

Health Upgrade

The main reward is a Health Upgrade Point. This permanently increases Dylan’s maximum health. Guides identify this as Health Upgrade Point 3/3 in the relevant collection, so it’s especially valuable if you’re working toward completing the health upgrade progression.

Talent Point

The hidden area also contains a Talent Point +1, giving you another point to spend on Dylan’s character progression.

Lore Documents

Several collectible documents are scattered around the secret room, including:

• Workshop Journal Entries
• Proposed Enforcement
• After-Action Summary

These are connected to the game’s Secret Organization lore collectibles, so they’re worth picking up if you’re following the story closely.

For other progression items like keycards, our Control Resonant SR Keycard clearance level guide and Clearance Level 6 keycard guide explain what to expect as you push further into the game.

What If the Secret Door Doesn’t Open?

If you’ve selected all four paintings but the wall isn’t moving, the most likely cause is that one of the earlier displays shifted while you were moving around the room.

The puzzle requires all four correct paintings to be lit at the same time. If you accidentally bumped a control and cycled past the right painting on an earlier display, the configuration is no longer correct.

Go back through all four displays and confirm:

• Journey — 2nd
• Windows — 1st
• Thunder — 1st
• Tides — 2nd

Once the configuration is right simultaneously, the wall opens.

Is the Konstig Painting Puzzle Required?

No. It’s completely optional and has no impact on main story progress.

That said, a permanent Health Upgrade and a free Talent Point are meaningful rewards, especially early in the game. If you’re in the Evacuation Zone anyway, it takes only a couple of minutes once you know the answer.

It’s also a good example of how Control Resonant handles its environmental puzzles — using an in-world note as the clue rather than giving you a straightforward combination on screen.

If you want to get the most out of the game from the start, our Control Resonant beginner tips cover the things the game doesn’t explain well. And if you’re on PC, the best PC settings for Control Resonant guide is worth checking before your next session.

For cosmetics, we’ve also got a full list of active Control Resonant skin codes. And if you’re considering the Deluxe Edition, our preorder and Deluxe Edition bonuses breakdown tells you exactly what’s included.

The game is available on the official Control site, Steam, Epic Games, PlayStation Store, and Xbox Store.

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