BO2 Zombies: Buried Easter Egg Guide

Overview

Buried is a Black Ops 2 Zombies map released on July 2, 2013 as part of the Vengeance DLC. Set deep underground in a massive Wild West ghost town, the map features a full saloon, a church, a haunted mansion, shops, a bank, and a labyrinthine hedge maze.

The map's signature mechanic is Leroy — a giant zombie who can be directed to perform actions: smashing walls, retrieving items, and clearing paths. A key tactical tool is the Time Bomb (tactical grenade), which allows you to rewind time to a saved checkpoint.

The easter egg is called "Mined Games" for the Richtofen side and "Ectoplasm" for the Maxis side. Both sides share many steps. This guide covers the Richtofen ending in full and notes where the Maxis path diverges.

Requires 4 players.

Key Items: Paralyzer (wonder weapon), Time Bomb, Witch's Lantern, Leroy the Giant.

Step 1: Build the Guillotine

The Guillotine is a buildable item and the centerpiece of the easter egg.

1. Find the 3 guillotine parts scattered around the map:
   • Blade: Found on the ground near the jail/sheriff's office.
   • Frame: Found near the saloon or the bank.
   • Base: Found in the barn or near the open field behind the mansion.
2. Bring all parts to the guillotine workbench (located near the open area between the saloon and the church).
3. Build the Guillotine. It now sits ready to be activated in later steps.

Step 2: Get the Paralyzer & Shoot the 4 Red Orbs

The Paralyzer is the map's wonder weapon. It fires a beam that levitates zombies and freezes them. You must use it to shoot 4 floating red spheres around the map without detonating them — hitting them too directly causes them to explode and resets this step.

Orb Locations:

1. Outside the saloon entrance — floating above the porch area.
2. Left side of the church — hovering near the church wall.
3. In the tunnel — located in the underground passage between areas.
4. Outside the haunted mansion / maze entrance — floating near the hedge maze gate.

Tip: Shoot each orb with a brief, glancing shot from the Paralyzer. The orb glows and moves slightly when hit correctly. A direct sustained shot will detonate it.

Step 3: Obtain and Charge the Lantern

The Witch's Lantern is required to decode a symbol sequence.

1. Get the lantern: Direct Leroy (the giant) to smash the chandelier hanging inside the saloon. The lantern drops to the floor — pick it up.
   • Alternative: Use explosive equipment (Semtex, claymore) near the chandelier hook to knock it down.
2. Charge the lantern: Go to the haunted mansion and the surrounding hedge maze area. Ghosts/Witches spawn here — kill them while holding the lantern to absorb their energy.
3. The lantern is fully charged when it glows brightly. You will need several ghost kills.

Step 4: Decode the Symbol Sequence

1. With the charged lantern equipped, go to the rooftops (accessible via climbing onto buildings).
2. Hold out the lantern and look for symbols that appear on the walls or ground — only visible with the lantern's glow.
3. The symbols form a code sequence (typically 4–5 symbols). Write them down.
4. The code is randomized each game — this step always requires reading your specific run's code.

Step 5: Hit the Tunnel Signs in Order

1. Go to the underground tunnel (accessible from the center of town).
2. The tunnel has a series of numbered or lettered signs along the walls.
3. Using melee attacks (knife), hit the signs in the exact order decoded from your lantern symbols in Step 4.
4. If done correctly, you'll hear a sound cue confirming each correct hit.
5. Completing the full sequence triggers an audio confirmation from Richtofen (or Maxis).

Step 6: Feed the Guillotine with Zombie Souls

1. Return to the Guillotine.
2. Kill zombies near the Guillotine — their souls are absorbed into it.
3. The Guillotine needs a significant number of souls to activate. Continue killing zombies in its vicinity until it glows and activates.
4. Tip: Use the area near the guillotine as your training loop during this step.

Step 7: Place a Time Bomb on the Guillotine

1. Obtain a Time Bomb (tactical grenade — found in the Mystery Box or as a starting pickup in some configurations).
2. Stand at the Guillotine and throw the Time Bomb directly onto it.
3. This creates a saved time checkpoint and suspends the round timer — giving you effectively infinite time to complete the next steps without the round ending.
4. The Time Bomb can be detonated later to rewind to this checkpoint if needed.

Step 8: Find and Attach All Levers to the Guillotine

There are 4 levers hidden throughout the map on mannequin or skeleton props.

Lever Locations:

1. Inside the saloon — attached to or near the bar area.
2. Inside the general store / shop — on a shelf or mannequin prop.
3. Near the bank — on a figure near the entrance or vault area.
4. In the mansion / haunted house — on a prop inside one of the rooms.

Collect each lever and interact with the Guillotine to attach it. All 4 must be installed.

Step 9: Fountain and Switch Puzzle

This step takes place in the haunted mansion and hedge maze area.

1. Break the fountains: Find and melee/shoot the decorative fountains in the courtyard near the mansion to destroy them.
2. Activate the correct switch combination: Inside or near the maze there are 4 colored switches (or levers). The correct combination is:

3. The correct configuration varies but once set properly, you'll hear a confirmation sound.
4. Tip: Leroy can be used to break certain walls or barriers blocking access to the switches.

Step 10: Shoot All Targets

1. A series of target panels or plates appear at specific locations around the map.
2. Shoot every target without missing — a miss may reset the sequence.
3. Target locations include:
   • Rooftop areas above the saloon and general store
   • Inside the church
   • Near the mansion entrance
   • In the tunnel
4. Use a precise weapon. The Paralyzer works well here.

Finale — Richtofen Ending ("Mined Games")

1. After all steps are complete, return to the Guillotine.
2. Interact with it to trigger the final sequence.
3. Richtofen's voice confirms success. The Richtofen ending activates.
4. Achievement unlocked: "Mined Games"

Alternate Path — Maxis Ending ("Ectoplasm")

If you want the Maxis ending instead, the early steps diverge:

• Instead of helping Richtofen's steps, players must listen to and follow Maxis' instructions throughout the game. His objectives involve different actions at the same key locations (Guillotine, tunnel, mansion).
• The finale is triggered the same way but Maxis' ending plays instead.
• Achievement unlocked: "Ectoplasm"

Tips

• Leroy is invaluable — direct him often. Feed him candy (found in the general store) to make him compliant and move faster.
• The Time Bomb is your safety net. If things go wrong mid-step, detonate it to rewind.
• Paralyzer levitates zombies — use this to create safe zones during difficult steps.
• Ghost/Witch kills for the lantern are easiest in the maze at night — they spawn more frequently there.
• Don't miss the tunnel sign order — write the lantern code down before going to the tunnel.
• Leroy can open the bank vault — inside is a large stash of power-ups and points.
• The Paralyzer recharges passively over time — let it recharge between uses.
• The Mystery Box in Buried has a higher chance of the Paralyzer on this map compared to others.

Guide originally written in 2013 by xcibe95x. Updated with complete step-by-step information.