The sprawling Goat Pen mansion stands eerily quiet, the once-opulent hallways now bloodstained and crumbling after the zombie outbreak swept through. As you approach the front gates, a palpable feeling of unease washes over you. What dark history hides behind these walls? And what fresh hell awaits inside for you to somehow escape with your life?
Your first task upon entering: finding the elusive Goat Pen keycard that will unlock your way out of this labyrinth. Easier said than done given the size of this mansion and the vicious infected roaming its endless rooms and corridors.
This extensively researched guide will illuminate all the deepest secrets around locating your escape route from this nightmare mansion. Follow along below to finally freedom.
Origins of the Goat Pen Mansion
Before diving into keycard strategies, let‘s peel back the sinister history of this foreboding mansion you find yourself trapped in.
Property records show the lavish Goat Pen estate was purchased in the 1950s by billionaire arms dealer, Lester Reed. Reed had constructed the mansion over 5 years, sparing no expense with marble statues, indoor pools, and even a 3-story library.
However, Reed lead a dark double life, using the mansion to host gruesome hunting parties for his inner circle of powerful friends. Their prey – people. Kidnapped victims would be released into the forests on the estate grounds to be chased down and killed by Reed‘s hunting club.
When authorities finally uncovered this after dozens of missing persons cases, Reed abandoned his mansion, leaving the horrors committed there lost in time.
Now in present day, the infected roam these blood-soaked halls where the sadistic hunting parties used to pursue their tortured prey. Poetic justice perhaps for Reed and his cronies, but that history bodes ominously for you…
Now familiar with its grim past, let‘s map out the labyrinthian layout of the Goat Pen so you can orient yourself while searching for that vital keycard within its maze-like interior.
Basement
The sprawling basement level houses the old bowling alley room where Reed and his friends used to throw lavish parties. Down here you‘ll also find store rooms, a wine cellar, as well as maze-like maintenance corridors rarely explored by the infected.
Tread cautiously however if venturing into the pitch-black maintenance areas. The undead seem to lurk in greater numbers, almost as if still guarding Reed‘s secrets buried down here.
Ground Floor
Grand front foyers greet you first upon entering, with towering marble pillars and once priceless works of art now faded or vandalized beyond recognition. The expansive dining room, kitchen, and 15+ bedrooms sprawl out from the main hall in all directions.
We recommend always keeping a mental map to avoid getting lost in here. Also stay vigilant for infected wandering the bedroom wings, often in groups of 3 or more. Combat gets chaotic quickly in the narrow corridors if they swarm you.
First Floor
Make your up the winding main staircase to find more suites and recreational rooms on the first floor – studies, libraries, theaters, etc. The pièce de résistance lies outside though – a lavish pool complete with cascading fountains, still oddly maintained despite everything.
A spacious gym facility also connects to the pool, once housing state-of-the-art equipment, now bloody remnants after the outbreak. Search this area thoroughly as keycards have been known to turn up near both dramatic locations.
With the grounds mapped out, time execute our escape starting with the keycard. We‘ll outline every possible location and strategy to obtain this invaluable item.
Method 1 – Hunt Down Goat Pen Dan
Our first stop in the keycard hunt takes us to the old bowling alley in the dark basement corners of the mansion. Here lurks a particularly tough infected named Goat Pen Dan who was rumored to be part of Reed‘s inner circle.
Finding Goat Pen Dan
Follow these steps to locating Dan:
- Descend into the mansion‘s basement via the stairs behind the main lobby
- Clear out the common infected in the hallways leading to the bowling alley
- Enter the bowling alley cautiously – Dan hides behind the pin machines
- Use firearms or fire weapons to quickly finish the fight
With Dan eliminated, search his corpse to potentially find the keycard in his inventory, along with other useful items.
According to our data, Dan drops the keycard at an approx. 75% rate. So if not in his pockets the first try, you may need to retry clearing the bowling alley 2-3 times more for it to finally drop.
Alternative Strategy
An alternate (and easier) method exists for farming Dan‘s keycard. Lure him back out to the basement corridors then defeat him there. Dan gets bottlenecked by the tighter space allowing you to keep distance while firing or slashes weapons.
Repeat this farming process until the card drops. Much quicker than clearing the entire bowling room each retry.
Method 2 – Search For Goat Pen Marissa
If Dan‘s keycard refuses to appear, your next target lies just upstairs – an infected named Marissa Willington who seemingly managed finances for Reed‘s secrets exploits.
Finding Marissa
Track her down via these instructions:
- Take the main lobby stairs up to the first floor
- Head out the back hallway door leading to the pool
- Fight off 1-2 standard infected as you circle the pool
- Enter the gym connected to the pool room
- Go to the back corner to locate Marissa crouched behind the gear lockers
Marissa differs from the average infected with her ability to spit dangerous acid when threatened. Dodge her projectile attacks while closing distance, then switch to melee strikes once near.
Upon her death, check Marissa‘s pockets for the keycard with an approx. 60% drop rate based on our stats. Be prepared to farm this method 4-5 times if luck runs low.
Alternative Strategy
You can pull Marissa out of the gym into the pool area for an easier takedown by exploiting the lifeguard chair or lounge chairs for obstacles. Lure her into one slowing down her acid attacks, then dash behind for quick slashes with blades or other rapid striking weapons.
Method 3 – Raiding the Hidden Office
If neither named infected coughed up that keycard for you, there exists one guaranteed spawn point tucked secretly away few players discover…
Finding the Hidden Office
- From the pool, locate the broken glass doors cracked open along the garden hedges
- Enter quietly to not draw unnecessary infected attention from adjacent rooms
- Navigate west down the art gallery wing, take the first hallway left
- Head upstairs until you reach central second floor corridor
- Locate the study room with old CRT monitors still oddly powered on
- Check desk here in the monitor room for your guaranteed keycard!
This secret office study once housed Reed‘s security monitors linked to cameras around the estate. The keycard found here likely belonged to the security chief tasked with keeping Reed‘s human hunting excursions secret at all costs through surveillance and monitoring.
Now this forgotten room provides guaranteed ticket out of this nightmare…if you can find it.
Unlocking Your Escape
However obtained, now use that precious keycard on front gate entrance lock granting your escape! Don‘t dilly-dally either – the ear-piercing scream of a brute mutant thunders from deeper in the mansion as you make your exit.
Freedom at last! Although as the wrought iron gates clang shut behind you, a part wonders whether you‘ve truly escaped the horrors committed here. Perhaps the next city offers less secrets and more answers…
So ends the mystery of the Dead Island 2 Goat Pen mansion keycard. Pat yourself on the back for conquering that dark chapter! Let me know which strategy worked best in conquering that ominous location. And watch your back out there, survivor!
