Escape Academy 2 Detention Walkthrough: Solve the Pay Close Detention Puzzle

Why the Escape Academy 2 Detention Sequence Trips Up So Many Players

Few moments in Coin Crew Games' open-world puzzler slow the pace down quite like getting thrown into the school's cell block. If you're hunting for a clean Escape Academy 2 detention walkthrough, the good news is that this section is short — but the bad news is that it stacks three separate puzzles on top of each other with almost no hand-holding. The Escape Academy 2 detention segment, officially titled "Pay Close Detention," asks you to decode a number board, craft a fishing rod out of junk, and aim four lights using clues that only appear under UV.

Miss a single step and that exit door stays locked. So here's the exact order of operations, plus the small details that most players overlook on their first run.

Before You Start: What You Need Going Into Detention

"Pay Close Detention" sits in Chapter 4 of Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School, right after the headmaster's office sequence. You don't need money, and you don't need any items carried over from earlier chapters — everything is contained inside the cell block.

That said, a few things make the section far smoother:

• Finish "Eyes on the Prize" first. The bookshelf jigsaw puzzle gives you access to the headmaster's office and the glasses you'll want later.
• Have nothing equipped that blocks interactions. The UV Light must be equipped manually before the blackboard clues appear.
• Talk to everyone. Three prisoners hold the three items you need, and there is no alternative source.

Step-by-Step: Solving the Escape Academy 2 Detention Puzzle

Step 1 — Crack the "Giving Spoilers" Board

As you leave the office, look at the display board mounted on the left-hand wall. It holds a set of number tiles under the heading "Giving Spoilers," and the objective is simple on paper: rearrange the digits to form the largest possible value.

The answer is 9542. Sort the tiles in descending order and the board completes. This is the only code in the entire Escape Academy 2 detention area that has nothing to do with a cipher — it's pure number logic, which is why so many players overthink it and start hunting for hidden hints.

Step 2 — Open the Locker and Grab the UV Light

Cross to the opposite side of the corridor. A locker sits there waiting, and 9542 pops it open. Inside is the UV Light.

Here's the step people forget: equip it from your inventory. If it's still sitting unequipped, the blackboards in the cells will look completely blank and you'll assume the puzzle is broken. It isn't — it's just waiting for you to turn the lamp on.

Step 3 — Collect the Three Items and Build the Fishing Rod

Now work your way along the cells. Each of your friends is holding exactly one component, and each hand-off happens through dialogue:

• Gillian hands over the chewed gum.
• Reed passes you the yarn.
• Kira gives you the hook.

Return to your own cell and combine all three. The game merges them into a makeshift fishing rod — a genuinely funny bit of improvisation that fits the series' tone.

Step 4 — Fish Out the Warden's Key

Head back into the main corridor and cast the rod into the pit running down the center. A single grab pulls up the Warden's Key.

Use it on each of your friends' doors in turn. Three locks, three doors, and you're one step from the exit. Community reports suggest players sometimes miss one door because the camera angle hides it — sweep the corridor once clockwise and you'll catch them all.

Step 5 — Read the Blackboards and Aim the Lights

This is where the Escape Academy 2 detention room earns its reputation. Four lights are mounted around the main door, and each one has to face a specific direction.

1. With the UV Light equipped, inspect the blackboard in each cell.
2. Each board reveals a shape paired with an arrow.
3. Return to the main door and rotate the lights so each one faces the same direction as its matching arrow.

The trap here is assuming the lights only rotate left or right. They don't — they point in full compass directions (up, down, left, right). If a light won't accept your input, you're probably trying to spin it on the wrong axis.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even with a solid Escape Academy 2 detention walkthrough in hand, a few snags come up repeatedly. Here's the troubleshooting shortlist:

• The blackboards are blank. The UV Light isn't equipped. Open your inventory and equip it manually.
• The pit yields nothing. You need the finished fishing rod, not the individual items. Combine them in your cell first.
• The door won't open after rotating the lights. You've almost certainly skipped one cell. All four lights need correct orientation, and each one is tied to a specific board.
• The locker code is rejected. Re-read the board — "Giving Spoilers" wants the largest number, which means 9-5-4-2, not the sequence printed on the tiles.
• You can't find the board. It's on the wall directly to the left as you exit the headmaster's office, easy to walk past if you're rushing.

What Comes After the Escape Academy 2 Detention Room

Once the door swings open, you move straight into "Through the Looking Grate." Pick up the spectacles on the other side and equip them, then head up the stairs to the courtyard.

From there, examine the tree and its "What are we?" clue. The answer comes from the three founders' portraits scattered around the school — the letters on them spell LIARS, which opens the tree's combination lock. Down the hole, you'll navigate three branching rooms in the order spades, hearts, clubs, then rearrange a plaque to name Alistair Bell as the founder of diamonds.

That plaque text is worth reading carefully. It quietly sets up the back half of the game and a lot of Back 2 School's late-story reveals, so don't just spam the lever and move on.

If you're playing the Steam version and want to check achievements or community screenshots of the puzzle layouts, the Escape Academy series page on Steam is the fastest place to cross-reference. For a full chapter-by-chapter breakdown beyond this section, GameSpew's published Escape Academy 2: Back 2 School walkthrough covers every puzzle in the game.

FAQ

How long does the Escape Academy 2 detention section take? Most players clear it in 10 to 15 minutes. The tile board and the fishing rod take under five minutes combined — the light-rotation finale eats the rest, especially if you're hunting for the fourth blackboard.

Where exactly is the UV Light in the Escape Academy 2 detention block? It's in the locker on the opposite side of the corridor from the "Giving Spoilers" board. The code is 9542, and you must equip the light before any clues will show up.

Can I skip building the fishing rod? No. The Warden's Key only appears when you cast the assembled rod into the pit. The gum, yarn, and hook won't work individually, and there's no alternate route.

What should I do if the lights around the door still won't line up? Revisit all three cells with the UV Light equipped and double-check the arrow direction on every blackboard. The lights need to face the arrow's direction rather than rotate past it — it's a pointing puzzle, not a timing one.