The choice between the saw or scoop in Scorn is an essential part of the very first puzzle in Ebb Software’s first-person survival horror game, and it’s a pretty dramatic one. In order to open the door that blocks your progress through the alien structure at the beginning of the game, you must first enlist the help of a fleshy, humanoid creature. One problem: they’re currently trapped inside an egg. You can choose one of two ways to break them out, and both definitely violate health and safety regulations. If you’re tying yourself in knots wondering what the outcome of either choice may be, we’ve got the scoop… or the saw.
Like most games where choices matter, the choice between the saw or scoop in Scorn is an ethical decision that has wider implications for the outcome of the story, so be sure to choose wisely. There’s no objectively right or wrong choice, but your decision makes a big statement about how you plan to interact with this biomechanical world, and how you view the strange beings that inhabit it. Without further flim-flamming, here are the outcomes for choosing the saw or scoop in Scorn’s egg puzzle.
The saw choice
Listen, we know how it looks. The saw is an imposing, seemingly lethal option, and if you’ve already become attached to your little egg dude you’re probably less inclined to subject them to whatever torments this particular contraption has in store. It might seem contradictory, but if you want to spare your new best friend an untimely and gruesome death, the saw is your only option.
Once activated, the saw breaks open the egg’s outer shell, freeing the fleshling inside. Help them out of the chair, then wait for them to get to their feet before leading them towards the modification chute nearby. It’s exactly the same as the chute that equipped you with the ability to use the door panel, and without one of its own, the fleshling isn’t much use to you. Once that’s sorted, lead them towards the door panel and interact with them when they fall to trigger the animation to open the door.
The scoop choice
You might be tempted to use the scoop, but context clues are a vital part of Scorn, and the pile of egg husks scattered around this particular machine is a big tell. Once activated, the scoop, er, scoops your new pal right out of their shell – killing them in the process – and deposits their remains down the nearby waste pipe.
Take a moment to think about what you’ve done, then approach the scoop to retrieve their severed arm and bring it to the modification chute. This method is undoubtedly miles quicker than standing around waiting for the fleshling to learn how to walk, but we’re still judging you.
How to get to the saw or scoop
In order to get your fleshling to the saw or scoop in Scorn, you need to adjust the rail tracks from the central podium. To reach the scoop, close the bottom left track. To reach the saw, close the bottom left and right track. Once you’ve made your decision, return to the trolley containing your egg pal and interact with it to manually push it along the track and reach your destination.
That’s all there is to know about choosing the saw or scoop in Scorn. Our Scorn preview features this particular puzzle, so it’s well worth checking out if you’re curious to know how we got on. We’ve also got a primer on how to heal in Scorn if you’ve taken a few knocks and struggling to survive. Finally, if you currently wondering, ‘just how long is Scorn?’, well, we’ve got the answer to that, too.