Fireboy & Watergirl
Friends · LEVEL 4 · Verified walkthrough
The Small Switchback
Lift the heroes to the two high diamonds, ferry the small friend through the upper-left passage, then trade the lower plate and fan controls to open both exits. Collect all nine diamonds along the way.
Level objective
Bring Fireboy to the orange exit in the lower center and Watergirl to the blue exit in the lower right. Both heroes must be at their own doors together. The 9 unmarked diamonds are optional; collect every diamond for a perfect clear.
| Campaign | And Friends · 4 of 36 |
|---|---|
| Collectibles | 4 fire diamonds, 5 water diamonds. 0 marked diamonds required; 9 optional. |
| Hazards | 1 water pool. Only your own element is safe; purple goo is dangerous to both. |
| Mechanisms | 2 levers, 5 plates, 6 moving platforms, 1 fan |
| Win condition | Bring Fireboy to the orange exit in the lower center and Watergirl to the blue exit in the lower right. Both heroes must be at their own doors together. The 9 unmarked diamonds are optional; collect every diamond for a perfect clear. |
| Exits | Fireboy: lower center. Watergirl: lower right. |
Step-by-step walkthrough
Board the left lift
Move the small friend away from the blue plate. Each hero walks to the right of the middle island, jumps straight up before steering left onto it, crosses the green lever and jumps left onto the blue lift. Their two crossings leave the green ferry on the left.
Raise the heroes
The small friend walks left onto blue. Wait for the blue lift to reach its upper stop. Both heroes jump right onto the green ferry, collecting the high blue diamond with Watergirl.
Collect the high red diamond
Watergirl walks right off the ferry and drops onto the middle lever island. Touch green to send the ferry right with Fireboy aboard. Fireboy jumps for the high red diamond, then walks left off the ferry onto the right side of the middle island.
Prepare the small friend’s route
Move the friend off blue. Watergirl drops from the middle island to the starting floor and holds blue herself. The friend walks right to the low step, jumps onto it, and walks through the short passage beneath the tall wall to board the orange lift. This passage fits the small friend.
Raise the small friend
Fireboy drops onto the starting floor and holds the orange plate. The friend rides up, jumps left onto the stone shelf, then jumps left onto the green ferry.
Ferry the friend left
Fireboy returns to the middle island and crosses green. The friend rides the ferry left, jumps onto the raised blue lift and crosses the narrow gap above the left wall. Move left into the side shaft and drop onto the white platform. Watergirl keeps blue held until the friend is through.
Collect the starting-floor diamonds
Before opening yellow, Fireboy leaves the middle island on the right, returns along the starting floor and collects the far-left red diamond. Watergirl leaves blue and walks right through the blue diamond above orange.
Open the middle passage
The friend walks right from the white platform to the yellow plate. This moves the yellow deck out of the starting-floor gap. Both heroes walk into that gap and descend onto the middle floor.
Collect the middle diamonds
Fireboy walks right for the red diamond. Watergirl walks left for the blue diamond, then continues right off the middle floor’s far edge to collect the blue diamond above the water pool.
Bring Watergirl to the bottom
Watergirl crosses the water pool leftward and jumps out over its left bank. Walk off the bank to the left, drop to the bottom floor and jump for the blue diamond in the inactive fan shaft. Wait beneath the fan.
Let the friend start the fan
The friend leaves yellow, follows the same right-hand descent through the water pool, jumps out at the left bank and drops to the bottom. Walk left beneath the low stone shelf to the pink plate. Keep it held while Watergirl rises in the fan.
Open the white passage
When Watergirl reaches the underside of the middle floor, steer left out of the fan onto the white plate’s shelf. Walk left onto white. Fireboy walks left along the middle floor and drops through the cleared white opening onto Watergirl’s shelf.
Collect the last red diamond
Fireboy walks right off the white shelf into the active fan for the red diamond. Watergirl follows him into the fan. All nine diamonds should now be collected.
Lower the heroes safely
The small friend leaves pink to the right, switching the fan off. Both heroes drop onto the bottom floor. Keep the friend on the bottom route.
Open the exit gate
The friend walks right beneath the low orange gate and touches the orange lever on the far side. Wait for the gate to rise fully.
Reach both matching doors
Both heroes walk right through the open passage, then jump onto the raised door ledge. Fireboy enters red and Watergirl enters blue. Either hero may enter first, and either player may control the small friend.
This route was verified in the game simulation using player controls, required diamonds, and both matching exits. It describes this version’s independently reconstructed room, not an official walkthrough.
How this room’s mechanisms work
Switch 1
middle center
Walk past the handle, or use it nearby: Enter for Fireboy, E for Watergirl, or the touch Use button. Each use toggles it; it stays set after you leave.
Controls Moving platform 2.
Switch 2
middle center
Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it.
Controls Moving platform 3.
Switch 3
middle center
Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it.
Controls Moving platform 6.
Switch 4
middle center
Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it.
Controls Moving platform 1.
Switch 5
lower left
Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it.
Controls Fan 1.
Switch 6
lower left
Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it.
Controls Moving platform 4.
Switch 7
lower center
Walk past the handle, or use it nearby: Enter for Fireboy, E for Watergirl, or the touch Use button. Each use toggles it; it stays set after you leave.
Controls Moving platform 5.
Moving platform 1
middle center
At least one of these inputs must be active: Switch 4.
When powered, it moves left; when power is released, it returns.
Moving platform 2
upper center
At least one of these inputs must be active: Switch 1.
When powered, it moves right; when power is released, it returns.
Moving platform 3
upper center
At least one of these inputs must be active: Switch 2.
When powered, it moves up; when power is released, it returns.
Moving platform 4
middle left
At least one of these inputs must be active: Switch 6.
When powered, it moves right; when power is released, it returns.
Moving platform 5
lower center
At least one of these inputs must be active: Switch 7.
When powered, it moves up; when power is released, it returns.
Moving platform 6
middle right
At least one of these inputs must be active: Switch 3.
When powered, it moves up; when power is released, it returns.
Fan 1
lower center
At least one of these inputs must be active: Switch 5.
The air current pushes up. Stay in the stream until you can move onto a dry landing.
If you get stuck
Check the unfinished objective
The diamonds in this room are optional. If you only want to finish, bring both heroes fully inside their own matching doors.
A gate or platform moved back
A pressure plate releases when its rider or weight leaves. Keep your partner on it until you are safely across. Levers stay set after you leave; check their ON or OFF state before crossing.
You missed a moving platform
Return to safe ground and use the connected switch to bring it back. Board before your partner releases the plate or changes the lever. Avoid jumping into its underside; line up with the open shaft first.
You cannot recover safely
Pause and choose Restart level to reset both heroes, diamonds, weights, and switches. Previously completed levels stay saved. Follow the step order before moving a box or releasing a weight.
For touch controls, jumping, audio, or online connection problems, see player troubleshooting.
Level questions
How do you finish The Small Switchback?
Lift the heroes to the two high diamonds, ferry the small friend through the upper-left passage, then trade the lower plate and fan controls to open both exits. Collect all nine diamonds along the way. Bring Fireboy to the orange exit in the lower center and Watergirl to the blue exit in the lower right. Both heroes must be at their own doors together. The 9 unmarked diamonds are optional; collect every diamond for a perfect clear.
How many diamonds are required in The Small Switchback?
9 diamonds: 4 for Fireboy and 5 for Watergirl. None are required to finish. 9 unmarked diamonds are optional collectibles for a perfect clear.
Which hazards are in The Small Switchback?
1 blue water pool (lower center). Watergirl can enter blue water; Fireboy must avoid it. If either hero falls into a dangerous pool, both players restart the level.
What do the switches do in The Small Switchback?
Switch 1 (middle center): Controls Moving platform 2. Walk past the handle, or use it nearby: Enter for Fireboy, E for Watergirl, or the touch Use button. Each use toggles it; it stays set after you leave. Switch 2 (middle center): Controls Moving platform 3. Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it. Switch 3 (middle center): Controls Moving platform 6. Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it. Switch 4 (middle center): Controls Moving platform 1. Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it. Switch 5 (lower left): Controls Fan 1. Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it. Switch 6 (lower left): Controls Moving platform 4. Keep a hero or movable weight on this plate to keep its signal active. Stepping off releases it. Switch 7 (lower center): Controls Moving platform 5. Walk past the handle, or use it nearby: Enter for Fireboy, E for Watergirl, or the touch Use button. Each use toggles it; it stays set after you leave.