How to Activate the Waterworks in Tales of Kenzera: Zau

After catching up to Liyana in Tales of Kenzera: Zau, you’ll need to activate the old waterworks in Ikakaramba. This guide will explain how to activate the Waterworks in Tales of Kenzera: Zau.

How to Enter the Mines in Tales of Kenzera: Zau

The mines can be found to the right of the waterworks. Follow the empty water channel and head through a wooden door. Keep following the path until you reach a Workbench next to a trapdoor. While the mines are below this trapdoor, you’ll need to take the long way round for now.

Keep heading to the right until you find a series of platforms over a river. Here, you’ll be attacked by a group of Tokoloshe. If you can knock them into the river, they will be swept up by the current, making it easier to defeat them. Once they’re gone, freeze the river with Bamba’s Stone, as it will make the journey easier.

Don’t freeze the next river, however. Fight the current and dash through the waterfall at the end. Continue along the path and dash through a second waterfall. However, turn around and freeze this one. Wall jumping up from here will take you to a switch that opens the trapdoor from earlier, unlocking a shortcut for later. Return to the main path and you’ll soon reach an elevator that leads into the mines.

Where to Find the First Waterworks Key

The first Waterworks key can be found to the left of the elevator. The path is straightforward until you reach a room with breakable platforms and two waterfalls. Keep this room in mind but just dash through the right waterfall for now.

Along the path, you need to be careful of a big spike pit with a breakable platform above it. You will also encounter a forced combat room. The first wave of enemies is two Roho ya Rungu, and the second brings in a third, along with two Roho ya Mtupaji on either side of the room. Be wary of the Mtupaji’s projectiles, but the Rungu are easy to deal with.

Continue to follow the path, although be careful with the next river as it ends with instant death spikes. Freezing the river will make them easier to avoid. Soon you’ll arrive in a large room with a long spike pit.

To cross the pit, jump up to a wooden platform just above the edge of the pit. This will lead you to a switch that lowers an elevator over the spike pit. Hop back down and use this elevator to cross the pit, where you’ll find the waterworks key waiting for you.

Now, you need to head back. While the route is generally straightforward, the room with the breakable platforms and two waterfalls is a little trickier. Freeze the left waterfall and use it to wall jump to the first of the platforms. On the second platform, freeze the right waterfall and wall jump from it to the third platform. Here you can either take a detour to the top of the right waterfall for a Ulogi Crystal or head back to the elevator by jumping to the left waterfall.

Where to Find the Second Waterworks Key

The second waterworks key can be found on the route to the right of the elevator. You’ll soon encounter a small river and a smasher column on the opposite side. Watch for when the smasher starts to rise, then jump and dash across the gap before you get crushed.

From here, follow the rivers while keeping an eye on spikes at the ends of the rushing currents. At the bottom of the first waterfall, you can dash through it to find a hidden Ulogi Crystal, so keep an eye out for this. There are also two combat encounters along the way, the second one featuring a Roho ya Ngao. As with the previous encounter with this enemy, simply lure it into charging at a wall, then combo it while it’s vulnerable.

The final river you’ll encounter is tricky. It features a couple of platforms with smashers above them, and these platforms all have instant death spikes on the sides. The best solution here is to freeze the water, allowing you to have more time to wait for the smashers. Once you’re past this, you’ll find the waterworks key. Now, simply return to the elevator the same way you came.

With both keys in hand, return to the waterworks and use the keys to access the switch. This turns on the waterwheels, allowing you to progress further up the mountain with the waterfall they create.

Tales of Kenzera: Zau is out now for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.