If you’ve ever stood at a pier in Shadows of Doubt, holding what you’re pretty sure is the right envelope, only to throw it into the ocean and watch your mission go absolutely nowhere, you know the frustration.
This is something relatively common: in various side missions in Shadows of Doubt, players will be called to steal and destroy a Secret Envelope from a certain marked area, but destroying the envelope sometimes doesn’t progress the mission.
This is because there are many Secret Envelopes around the map and players will need to find the right one.
In this Secret Envelope guide, I will explain how to find the right Secret Envelope in Shadows of Doubt and showcase how to destroy it.
For more side missions, don’t forget to also check out our guide on how to use the briefcase in Shadows of Doubt.
How to Find the Secret Envelope in Shadows of Doubt
After starting the mission and getting the quest objective to “Find the Document”, you’ll be able to find the Secret Envelope in office-type locations, usually at the target’s place of employment.
(Before new updates, you could find the documents in the suspect’s home, but things have changed in the mean time).
Once you’re in the office, don’t just look at your suspect’s desk. The envelope can be anywhere: inside drawers, in a colleague’s workspace, tucked in a safe, or even stashed in an employee locker.
I’ve personally found one hidden behind a home cruncher when I least expected it, so be thorough.
How to Confirm You Have the Right Envelope
As I mentioned earlier, there are many Secret Enveloppes in Shadows of Doubt and you’ll need to make sure you’ve found the right one before destroying it.
Thus, always keep an eye on your mission objectives. If the “Find the Document” task gets completed after picking up the Secret Envelope, then you can proceed to destroy it.
If the task doesn’t get completed, you’ve found the wrong document and will need to keep looking.
Alternatively (and a solid option), you can use your fingerprint scanner on it. The correct Secret Envelope will have your target’s fingerprints on it.
If it belongs to someone else, put it back carefully and keep searching – try to handle the wrong ones as little as possible, as touching them leaves your own prints, which can complicate things down the line.
Alternatively, you may be unable to find the Secret Envelope due to a bug. To resolve this, save and reload your game. Then, the objective will be marked off and you’ll be able to complete the mission.
If that doesn’t work, try re-calling the person who gave you the job. Go through the dialogue as if you’re accepting it again.
You won’t receive the briefcase a second time, but completing that interaction has been known to trigger both objectives as complete and unlock the resolution form.
One more thing: do not open or read the envelope after finding it. Opening it destroys it, and that’s one mistake you cannot undo.
How to Destroy the Secret Envelope in Shadows of Doubt
Now that you’ve found the right envelope, the next part of the quest requires you to destroy it.
To do that, add the Special Envelope to your inventory, go outside, and throw it into the ocean from the pier – this is the most common requirement of the missions.
Others, though, will direct you to a specific location, like a dumpster on a particular street. Check the requirements and do as told – it’s all easy once you have the correct envelope.
Also read: Shadows of Doubt: SyncDisks Full List
Wrapping up
To sum up this Secret Envelope guide, players will need to locate the right Secret Envelope and then throw it off the pier to complete the mission.
If they can’t find the envelope, reloading the game helps as a common bug prevents the envelope from appearing on certain cases.
Where did you manage to find the envelope? How did you destroy it? Let us know in the comments below.
He has a Master’s Degree in Philosophy, which allows him to always come up with a fresh approach to solving in-game puzzles and challenges, but also to create content that’s to the point, clean and easy to follow.
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