Nursery Rhyme Puzzles in Alan Wake 2: How to Solve Them
In Alan Wake 2, Nursery Rhymes are side quests that offer the opportunity to collect charms for Saga’s charm bracelet. Similar to Cult Stashes, these puzzles are scattered around Cauldron Lake, Bright Falls, and Watery. Your task is to find the dolls associated with the rhymes and solve the puzzle. This guide will walk you through how Nursery Rhymes work, where to find them, and how to solve them.
Note: This guide is a work in progress. We will continuously add more Nursery Rhymes as we discover them.
How to Solve Nursery Rhymes in Alan Wake 2
You will encounter Nursery Rhymes for the first time in the second chapter of Alan Wake 2, after dealing with the flooding in Cauldron Lake and exploring Streamside. The Nursery Rhymes appear as chalk drawings on the ground, surrounded by a piece of paper containing the rhyme. To solve the puzzle, you’ll need to find dolls that represent the main characters of the rhyme and place them in specific locations according to the story. When done correctly, something in the game world will change, and a charm for Saga’s charm bracelet will appear nearby.
It’s important to note that some Nursery Rhymes may spawn enemies after solving them, so proceed with caution.
Cauldron Lake Nursery Rhymes
In Cauldron Lake, there are a total of five Nursery Rhymes, but you can only collect three on your initial playthrough. The remaining two can be obtained later in the game.
Private Cabin Nursery Rhyme Solution
The first Nursery Rhyme is the most complex of the initial three in the flooded area. You can find it just outside the Private Cabin, which serves as a safe zone once you turn on the nearby generator. To solve the rhyme, you’ll need three dolls: Crow, Wolf, and Hero. The Crow doll can be found next to the Private Cabin on a bench. Both the Wolf and Hero dolls are upstairs in the Witchfinder’s Station. You can choose to complete the Witchfinder Station rhyme first if you prefer, as the order of completion doesn’t matter.
The rhyme goes as follows:
A mother-Crow sits in her nest
Guarding her babies, doing her best
To protect her home from the Beast coming to feast
But only a Hero brave of heart can keep the two apart
To solve the rhyme, place the Crow doll on the baby chick in its egg, place the Hero doll on the big heart, and place the Wolf doll on the house. Once solved, a birdhouse by the lake will collapse. Approach it to collect the Kalevala Knights Charm, which enhances your hand flares. However, be prepared for a fight, as solving this riddle will spawn a wolf in the area.
Witchfinder’s Station Nursery Rhyme Solution
This Nursery Rhyme is located just outside the door of Witchfinder’s Station in the northern part of the flooded area. To solve this riddle, you’ll need the Wolf and Hero dolls, both of which can be found upstairs in the nearby house.
The rhyme reads:
The Hero brave and strong left home to right a wrong
From the woods came the Wolf so greedy and hungry
That he ate what he found in the house without a host
The Hero returned to find she’d lost the thing she loved most
Place the Wolf doll on the tree and the Hero doll on the boat, and follow the wolf tracks that appear leading into the house. This rhyme won’t spawn a wolf for you to fight, so you can relax as you follow the tracks. Head upstairs to the playpen and grab the Coffee Mug Charm, which saves you from one death but shatters the charm in the process.
Streamside Picnic Area Nursery Rhyme Solution
This Nursery Rhyme is located west of the Private Cabin and southwest of Witchfinder’s Station, specifically in the picnic table section. Make sure to have the Crow doll with you, which can be picked up from the Private Cabin.
Here’s the rhyme you need to solve:
One bird for light
Two for darkness
Three birds for a fight
Four for a struggle
Five birds for injury
Six for misery
Seven for the ending, whatever it may be
Take the Crow doll and drop it on the sun. This will instantly solve the rhyme and spawn the Hammer Charm on a nearby picnic table, enhancing your ability to stun Taken. However, be aware that when you finish this rhyme, it will spawn three Taken enemies in the area.
Watery Nursery Rhymes
There are eight Nursery Rhymes in Watery, and most of them can be collected on your initial playthrough. Some may require you to come back later once you’ve acquired certain key items.
North of Downtown Nursery Rhyme Solution
This Nursery Rhyme can be found just north of downtown Watery, as you embark on your journey towards Coffee World. After defeating the Taken Thrower, head into the open area and take a right turn. Follow the path back towards downtown, this time along an elevated ridge, until you reach a small clearing with the Nursery Rhyme. Before anything else, pick up the Moose Doll and the Deer Doll nearby.
The rhyme to solve is:
The Gentle Beast with a beautiful crown
Runs through the woods with a worried frown
From the Hunter he flees between the mighty trees
To make it out alive
Simply place the Moose Doll on the tree, and you’ll solve the rhyme. A giant carved moose statue will appear back along the path you came from. Approach it to retrieve another Coffee Mug Charm from the ground, saving you from one death.
Radio Tower Nursery Rhyme Solution
Head to the “Radio Tower” area marked on your map, located just beyond the Watery safehouse north of downtown and the Crossbow Cult Stash. When you reach the radio tower, go to the southernmost ridge overlooking the safe room to find another Nursery Rhyme.
This rhyme requires the Deer Doll, which is back at the first Watery rhyme. The rhyme is as follows:
Three little Deers ventured to roam
And found a nice place to eat and play
One little Deer never came home
And two of the deers cried all day
Place the Deer Doll on the house to solve the rhyme. This won’t spawn any enemies.