Portal/Chamber 13

An overview of the room.

Chamber 13 makes the puzzle more complex by having the solution be a two-step process; you have to press (and keep pressed) two buttons, both of which are ordinarily inaccessible. At the end of the chamber, you gain a little more insight into what GLaDOS has planned for you once you finish all twenty chambers.

First room

The first two portals, to get the cube and then reach the door.

Camera Shy

There are 3 camera locations:

1. Above the main entranceway (turn around as you enter the first room).
2. On the wall of the main room, to the left (as you enter) of the entrance door.
3. On the left wall in the final passageway.

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Now that you are in control of both portals, this next test could take a very, very long time. If you become light headed with thirst, feel free to pass out. An intubation associate will be dispatched to revive you with peptic salve and adrenaline.

—GLaDOS

This first room has only a small puzzle, requiring you to fetch a cube to put on a button. Place one end of a portal on the wall above the walkway, and the other end on a wall accessible to you. Go through the portal and pick up the cube, then fall back down to the button, and leave the cube there. Now that the door's open, you can go back through the portal, through the door and into the main room.

Main room

Transmission Received

The radio is located on a small ledge that the moving platform passes by. Grab it from the platform. Bring it back into the initial room, near the window above the button (either below it or on the upper level beside it will do).

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An overview of the main room.

Solving the main room requires the use of several different portals, so that two cubes can press the two buttons, opening the exit door so you can walk through.

To begin with, the energy pellet needs directing into the receiver so that the platform holding this room's cube can start moving. Place one end of a portal on the energy pellet's scorch mark on the wall, and the other where the receiver is projecting a red spot onto the ceiling. The energy pellet will go into the receiver, and the platform will start moving.

Next, you need to get the cube off the platform, and onto the first button. Place one end of a portal on the ceiling above the middle of the platform's track, and the other end of the portal on an accessible wall. When the platform's below the exit portal, fall through onto the platform, pick up the cube and walk back down onto the floor with it.

To get the cube onto the button, you need to move one end of the portal you just used to above the platform holding the button — aim for the one-dot symbol on the roof. Now, go through the portal with the cube and deposit it on the button. Alternately, simply place the other portal under the cube. If placed correctly, the cube will quite possibly fall onto the button without you needing to adjust it.

Where can you find another cube? Well there is another cube currently holding the first door open, however if you have portals connecting the two rooms, you do not need that door anymore. So shoot a portal into the initial room, and walk through into it. Shoot another portal (the same color as the one already in the room) that you can reach from ground level, and bring the cube off of the button and into the main room.

Now place a portal on the two-dot symbol and bring the cube through to this button (or drop the cube onto the button like before). Both buttons are now pressed, and the door will open. You can jump from the button to the ledge, place portals to get yourself onto the ledge, or place a portal onto the wall of the exit room, and exit.

Alternatively you can skip using the second cube by standing on the second button and firing a portal through the exit door. Even though the door closes you will be able to get to the other side using the other portal.

As part of a previously-mentioned required test protocol we can no longer lie to you. When the testing is over, you will be "missed".

—GLaDOS

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  The portals required to redirect the pellet.

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  The portal to get the cube off the platform.

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  The portal to gain access to the first button.

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  The portals to get back to the initial room.

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  The portal to gain access to the second button.

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  The final portal placement to reach the exit.

Advanced chamber

In the advanced chamber, the first room has no box, and the button is a lot closer to the entrance. In the main room, almost all of the floor is replaced by goo.

The reason the button is closer to the entrance is so that while standing on it, you are able to shoot a portal at the white tile in the next room marked with one dot (through the floor grating). If you remember from the original chamber, this is located directly above the higher button, so pass through another created portal accessible to you and land on the button.

Get the pellet to the receiver as you normally would, and use portals on the wall near you and above the platform’s path to land on the box as the lift passes. Holding the cube, leap to the exit platform, and then to the lower button. Leave the cube here, and then get yourself onto the top button with a portal above it and on a wall you can jump into. A portal in the exit room and one on the wall gets you through to the exit.

Challenges

Portals

Bronze at 9 portals

1. Blue portal in entrance room, lower level.
2. Orange portal in entrance room, upper level. Grab cube, put on button, walk to door.
3. Orange portal on one dot symbol. Grab cube, walk through, place on upper button.
4. Blue portal above pellet receiver.
5. Orange portal on scorch mark on wall. Platform starts moving.
6. Blue portal on ceiling above platform’s path.
7. Orange portal on ground-level wall. Grab cube off of platform.
8. Blue portal on two dot symbol. Use existing orange portal to drop cube onto button.
9. Blue portal through exit door. Use existing orange portal to walk through.

Silver at 5 portals

1. Blue portal in entrance room, lower level.
2. Orange portal in entrance room, upper level. Grab cube, put on button, walk to door.
3. Orange portal on one dot symbol. Grab cube, walk through, place on upper button. Jump to lower button, making sure to avoid the pellet. If you miss the jump, simply place portal 5 now, and try again.
4. Orange portal through exit door while standing on button.
5. Blue portal anywhere reachable.

Gold at 4 portals

Solution 1:

1. Blue portal in entrance room, lower level.
2. Orange portal in entrance room, upper level. Grab cube, put on button, walk to door.
3. Orange portal on highest point of the wall next to the button. Grab cube, walk through, jump with cube to lower button, place cube there.
4. Blue portal on floor between upper button and second cube. Having the portal placed just on the second cube’s side of the blue wire from the pellet receiver to the platform should work. Come through to the upper button, then jump and fling yourself to the potentially-moving platform (see Angle Flinging for tips on making this fling successful). Once you have the cube, go through the portal again, leave it on the upper button, and you are able to jump to the lower button, and then to the exit platform. This solution has the benefit of not needing to start over if you mess up anything after placing the 4th portal.

Solution 2:

1. Blue portal in entrance room, lower level.
2. Orange portal in entrance room, upper level. Grab cube, put on button, walk to door.
3. Orange portal on wall next to upper red button, within jumping height. Carry cube through, and throw it onto the lower button (you stay on the top button platform).

4. Blue portal through the exit door. If the cube hits the button, shoot this right away, just in case the cube doesn’t stay on the button. Hop back through the existing orange portal.

Steps

See Tips and Advanced Techniques for some general pointers on reducing your step count. On this level, use ceiling portals to put cubes on buttons so you don’t have to go there yourself.

Bronze at 30 steps

Silver at 20 steps

Gold at 10 steps

Time

Bronze at 40 seconds

This achievement can be reached by a very quick normal method. Use a close portal to grab the first cube, placing it on the button and shooting a portal on the 1-dot symbol. Come through quickly with the cube and leave it on the high button. If the pellet disintegrates about now, you are on the right track. Shoot portals to get the pellet in its receiver, and portal onto the platform when it moves below the ceiling. Quickly shoot a portal on the two-dot symbol, drop the cube through, and then portal onto the exit platform or into the exit room.

Silver at 30 seconds

Gold at 19 seconds

For these awards, you should aim to use only one cube. Come through to the top button with the cube as in the Bronze achievement, and then simply jump onto the lower button, shoot a portal as far in the exit room as possible, and come on through. If you do this fast enough, you can achieve gold.