Splatoon 3 Mission Guide: Boxes Locked! Keys, Please!

Splatoon 3’s Story Mode will give you all the experience you need to ink up the stage in online matches. But it’s also an engaging campaign in its own right, full of unique missions and challenges. Boxes Locked! Keys, Please! is an early mission that begins introducing some complexity to Splatoon 3, with keys to collects and Octarians to blast.

We’ll walk you through this Mission, offer some tips and help you out if you get stuck. 

READ MORE: Splatoon 3 Abilities Tier List 

Splatoon 3: Unlocking Boxes Locked! Keys, Please! 

To begin this mission, you’re going to need to enter the manhole in Splatsville Plaza. This will transport you to The Crater. 

Once in The Crater, speak with Cuttlefish and progress through until you reach the Kettle that leads to Mission 3. All that’s standing in your way is the Fuzzy Ooze. This strange growth is covering most of the Crater and preventing progress. 

The Fuzz is initially impassable, but that’s where Smallfry comes in. Feeding Eggs acquired in each level to your voracious little pal will power him up, enabling him to clear a path through the fuzz. Simply target a Fuzzball and launch the powered-up Smallfry to strike and devour the fuzz. 

Mission 3: Boxes Locked! Keys, Please! 

Once you’ve entered the Kettle and started the mission, head forward and shatter the boxes in front of you to reveal a Vault. This Vault requires a key to unlock, preventing progress in Splatoon 3 until you find one.

Drop down off the ledge behind the vault and break the box to find your first key. Return it to the vault to unlock it and activate an Inkrail.

Ride across the Inkrail to reach the central island. Shatter all the boxes around the middle column, then shoot the Splat-switch to reveal another vault. You’ll need to look farther afield to find the key to this one, however. 

Move left and activate another Inkrail, then ride it over to the island patrolled by a couple of floating Octarians. Hop off the rail and quickly splat the Octarians, then drop off the platform. 

Ink the ground to swim beneath the surrounding rails, then shatter the orange box in the northeast corner of the island to reveal another key, allowing you to progress in Splatoon 3. Unfortunately, the Inkrail you used to get to this island won’t allow for a return trip, as it’s too high to access.  

Rails And Returns 

Use the key on this island’s vault, activate another Inkrail and ride it back to the central island. There, proceed over to the right and hurl Smallfry at the Inkrail on the rightmost island. Cross to the island and activate its second Inkrail to move up the tower. Claim a key from the orange box, then shoot the final rail atop the tower to activate it. Drop down below and return to the central island. 

Back at the central island, use your key to unlock the shield around the vault. Now, you only need one more key to unlock the vault itself. 

Jump on the mid-air Inkrail behind the vault, then jump a second time to ride the new Inkrail that you activated on the rightmost island. Swim through the rings to claim some free Eggs, then break the boxes at the top to claim your final key. 

Drop below, unlock the Vault and ride the rail across to the final island. Claim the Zapfish to complete Boxes Locked! Keys, Please!