walkthrough

Level 7 — Palace Midas (the lead-to-gold puzzle)

King Midas's hand. Three lead bars become three gold bars on the giant hand statue. Centaurs.

Palace Midas — Level 7 walkthrough

The lead-to-gold puzzle level. Find 3 Lead Bars, place them on King Midas's giant hand statue, and they transform into 3 Gold Bars that unlock the level exit.

The Lead Bars

  • Scattered across the level. Each one is heavy — Lara walks slowly carrying them.
  • Plan your route before grabbing each — backtracking with a Lead Bar is brutal.
  • One Lead Bar is in the upper east room with the swinging blades — drop down from above; don't try to clear from below.

The Hand of Midas

  • Place a Lead Bar on each finger position. The statue clenches and the bar transforms into a Gold Bar.
  • Place all 3 Gold Bars in the central pedestal.

Centaurs

  • Two centaur statues come alive when you trigger the central pedestal.
  • Magnums or shotgun mandatory — pistols barely scratch them.
  • Strafe-shoot, do not face them head-on.

Trophy

  • Hand of Midas — touch the statue while NOT carrying a Lead Bar. Lara turns to gold and dies. Make a save first; the trophy unlocks then you reload.

Secrets

  • 3 secrets. One is in the flooded room near the entrance — swim through to a hidden chamber.

If stuck: if you've placed 3 Lead Bars but the central pedestal won't activate, you're missing a fourth bar — yes, this level has bait. Only 3 are needed; the bait one is decorative.