Hell Is Us expects you to solve its puzzles by observing, remembering and exploring—not by following a minimap or a trail of quest markers. When a challenge seems directionless, use a repeatable loop: finish every conversation, inspect the area for repeated visual language, scan with the drone, orient yourself with landmarks and the compass, and record clues that the game may not save for you. If that fails, return after the next story trigger before opening a full walkthrough.
This approach works because the game’s mysteries are built around recognizable groups of symbols, objects, text, sequences and environmental relationships. You can postpone any of the 43 Mysteries without losing it, according to PowerPyx’s 2025 trophy guide, but optional Good Deeds have not been given the same universal guarantee. Keep those side tasks on a separate checklist and finish an important one before major story progress if you are worried about its availability.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Hell is Us – PlayStation 5 | $45.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Returnal - PlayStation 5 | $35.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Diofield Chronicle - PlayStation 5 | $22.77 | Buy on Amazon |
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Sonic X Shadow Generations - PlayStation 5 | $19.93 | Buy on Amazon |
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Why Hell Is Us puzzles feel so easy to miss
Hell Is Us removes the usual safety net. Rogue Factor describes its exploration as a “unique exploration system without traditional maps or markers.” There is no constant icon pointing at the next door, no objective arrow telling you which wall matters and no minimap that silently records every point of interest. The game instead gives you a semi-open world full of mysteries and expects you to construct a route from what people say and what the landscape shows.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThat design creates two different problems. First, you may understand the objective but not know where to begin looking. Second, you may find the right location but fail to recognise that several ordinary-looking objects form one puzzle. A painting, a flower bed, a sign and a locked mechanism can be parts of a single clue chain even when none of them is highlighted as a quest step.
#1 Best Overall
- A HOSTILE WORLD: In addition to the civil war dividing the country, the region is suffering from a mysterious calamity, which has given rise to supernatural creatures that no modern weapon can defeat. Your drone and sword from a different age are your faithful allies as you cut a path through lands infested with terrifying chimeras and try to unravel the mystery of their appearance.
- A UNIQUE EXPLORATION SYSTEM: No map, no compass, no quest markers. Following your instincts is part of the adventure. Enjoy a unique experience that uses innovative writing and level design to let you make your own decisions and follow your instincts as you explore. Your discoveries are yours alone.
- COMBAT AGAINST ORIGINAL CREATURES: Swords, spears and axes. A wide range of weapons forged specially for fighting these supernatural creatures is available. You must learn how to fight these monsters and use your drone wisely to stay alive.
- 'The central theme of Hell is Us is that human violence is a perpetual cycle fueled by human emotions and passions.'' – Jonathan Jacques-Belletête, Creative Director
GamesRadar+ called the absence of waypoints and explicit objectives “a double-edged magical sword.” The freedom is satisfying when your observations connect, but scattered clues and small text can also produce false leads. Push Square’s September 4, 2025 guide makes the same practical point: the game can leave you at a “brick wall” when it refuses to give overt direction.
The five-step clue-recognition loop
Run this sequence whenever you enter a new settlement, ruin, forest or puzzle room. It prevents the most common mistake—trying random interactions before you know what information the game has already given you.
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Exhaust every conversation
Speak to an NPC until the dialogue options are genuinely finished. The official tips explain that characters describe destinations through relative directions and landmarks rather than coordinates. “Past the river,” “near the church” or “above the watchtower” is functional navigation information, not flavour text. If a conversation changes after a story event, speak to that person again; the official tips specifically advise returning because new information can appear.
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Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Before leaving, note the speaker, the place they mentioned, the landmark used as a reference and any unusual noun—such as a symbol, animal, flower or object. Those nouns often identify the puzzle family you should search for.
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Read the environment before touching anything
Stand still and look for repetition. Matching shapes, recurring symbols, written placards, paintings, flowers, statues, torches and pressure plates are the strongest signals that several objects belong together. A single decorative item is easy to dismiss; three versions of the same shape arranged in different rooms are evidence of a rule.
Check walls, floors, ceilings and the backs of objects. Read signs at close range, inspect paintings for orientation or order and look for an object that appears deliberately isolated from its surroundings. If a mechanism has no obvious input, search for the visual language that explains it before attempting random buttons.
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Scan with the drone
The official tips page says the drone can reveal interactable objects, enemies, hidden passages and information required for some environmental puzzles. Launch it as soon as you enter an unfamiliar area, then repeat the scan from a different angle if the room appears empty. A drone highlight does not necessarily mean “solve this now”; it may identify a clue, a route around an obstacle or a relationship between two distant objects.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.Use the drone after moving a puzzle piece as well. New lines of sight can expose a passage or an interactable that was hidden behind the original arrangement.
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Build a route from landmarks and the compass
The map helps with regional layout, but it is not a turn-by-turn puzzle guide. The compass and visible landmarks handle the final approach. Churches, distinctive rock formations, watchtowers, rivers and changes in elevation are useful anchors. When an NPC gives a relative direction, identify the landmark first, then use the compass to reproduce the direction from that landmark.
As you travel, form a short mental route: settlement to river, river to tower, tower to elevated path. This is more reliable than wandering in a large zone hoping a marker appears.
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Record information the interface may not keep
GamesRadar+ notes that passwords and environmental clues are not always recorded in menus, and that clues can be scattered across an area. Small text is particularly easy to misread. Take a screenshot or write down every symbol, digit, word, colour, order and nearby location. If a clue appears on a wall, record its orientation as well as its shape; a rotated symbol may represent a different position in a sequence.
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- After crash-landing on a shape-shifting world, selene must search through the barren landscape of an ancient civilization for her Escape.
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Keep notes grouped by area rather than by the order in which you found them. A note such as “three flowers beside the western path, same emblem as door” is more useful later than a bare list of symbols.
Recognising the main puzzle languages
The official puzzle index identifies recurring challenge families. Recognising the family narrows the search and tells you what kind of evidence to collect.
| Puzzle language | What to inspect | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Symbols and matching shapes | Doors, walls, stones, tablets and nearby structures carrying repeated marks | Symbol identity, rotation, placement and the order in which marks appear |
| Pictures and written clues | Paintings, placards, inscriptions and small text in the same building or surrounding area | Words, figures, orientation, sequence and any landmark referenced by the text |
| Object matching | Flowers, statues, animals, tools or other objects that appear in a set | Which objects belong together and where each member of the set is located |
| Light and fire | Torches, braziers and mechanisms that change state when lit or unlit | Starting state, required order and the visual result after each change |
| Position and sequence | Pillars, pressure plates, doors and mechanisms arranged along a path | Correct route, order of activation and any reset condition |
This table is a recognition aid, not a universal rule. A puzzle can combine two languages—for example, a written clue that determines the order of torches—so keep the surrounding evidence instead of isolating one object.
Navigation when there is no objective marker
Translate dialogue into a landmark route
Relative directions become manageable when you convert them into a chain of fixed points. If a character describes a destination in relation to a church and a river, first locate the church on your regional map, then find the river from that position, then search the indicated side of the river with the compass. Do not expect the final door to be visible from the first landmark.
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Clues often distinguish a location by height: above a path, below a ridge or behind a rise. When a route appears to end at an impassable wall, circle the area while watching for a higher ledge, a lower ravine or a side passage revealed by the drone. The absence of a marker means vertical exploration matters as much as left and right.
Re-scan after every major change
Opening a door, moving a mechanism or triggering a story event can change what is visible. Scan the room again, then walk back through the approach route. A newly accessible passage may be behind you rather than in front of the mechanism you just used.
Can you safely leave a puzzle for later?
For the game’s 43 Mysteries, yes. PowerPyx’s 2025 guide states that none of the Mysteries are missable and that they can be completed after the story. It also identifies the 43-Mystery total as the requirement for the Amateur Detective and Super-Sleuth trophies. If a Mystery’s clue trail is incomplete, you can mark the location in your notes and continue with the main story.
That assurance should not be extended automatically to every optional Good Deed. The available guidance does not establish a universal deadline for all Good Deeds. If an NPC task matters to you, record the character and area, then complete it before a major story progression rather than assuming it will remain available forever. Treat Good Deeds as a separate category from the 43 Mysteries.
Spoiler-light help before a full walkthrough
Use help in stages so that you preserve the satisfaction of solving the puzzle while avoiding hours of aimless searching.
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Return to the last relevant NPC
Ask whether new dialogue appeared after your latest story trigger. This is the least spoiler-heavy check and often supplies the missing landmark or destination.
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Re-check the room and its approach
Inspect every wall, placard, painting, object set and side path. Launch the drone from the puzzle room, then from the route that led there. Many clues are nearby but not in the same line of sight.
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The Diofield Chronicle - PlayStation 5- New Strategy RPG by Square Enix - An all-new Strategy RPG that chronicles an epic tale of war and honor; Featuring a unique and beautiful world that blends fantasy, medieval and modern-day influences, and a deep yet innovative real-time battle system
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Use a recognition hint
Look for help that names the clue type—symbols, text, matching objects or a sequence—without giving the final arrangement. This tells you what to observe while leaving the deduction intact.
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Use a location hint
If you know the rule but cannot find the relevant object, consult a hint that identifies the landmark, building or sub-area. Keep your own notes open so you can test the hint against what you already recorded.
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Reveal the complete solution
Only after the earlier steps fail should you read a full answer. Push Square’s guide is arranged chronologically by act and warns that it contains spoilers and solutions. Open the entry for the act and puzzle you are on rather than browsing the entire guide.
A useful rule is to stop reading as soon as you receive the missing fact. If a guide tells you the relevant room, close it and solve the mechanism yourself; if it gives the sequence, accept that the deduction has been spoiled and move on without searching for additional story details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Act-by-act field guide to the puzzle families
The following index is designed to help you recognise what to inspect without publishing every code or final input. The official puzzle index names these main-story challenges.
Senedra Forest: symbol doors
Expect a visual-language problem. Compare the marks on the doors with symbols in the surrounding forest and structures. Record orientation and placement instead of assuming that a symbol’s presence alone is enough. If a door appears unrelated to the nearby scenery, use the drone to search for a matching mark or hidden approach.
Acasa Marshes: picture puzzle
Read the images as information rather than decoration. Inspect paintings or picture panels for order, direction and repeated details, then compare them with the physical layout of the marsh area. Small text or fine visual differences are easy to miss, so capture the panels or write a precise description before leaving the room.
Watcher’s Nest: flower puzzle
Search for a set rather than a single collectible. Note every relevant flower, its position and any visual relationship to the nest or nearby path. If one flower seems absent, widen the search with the drone and check changes in elevation.
Lake Cynon: pillars
Treat the pillars as a position-and-sequence puzzle. Walk around the entire arrangement, identify what can change, and record the starting state before activating anything. If the mechanism resets, use that reset as an opportunity to test one variable at a time.
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Lymbic Forge: torches
The visual language is light and fire. Count the torches, note whether each is lit or unlit, and look for a nearby inscription or pattern that defines order. Change one torch at a time and observe the mechanism rather than guessing through every permutation.
Marastan: eagle and door puzzles
Separate the animal or object clue from the door mechanism in your notes. Search the area for eagle imagery, matching shapes and landmarks that explain how the door relates to the surrounding environment. A door that does not respond may be waiting for information from a nearby object rather than a different key.
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Jeljin: crypt puzzles
Crypts reward slow inspection. Scan side chambers, read inscriptions and check the floor and ceiling for repeated marks before interacting with the central mechanism. Record the route through connected rooms so that a clue found in one chamber can be matched to a device in another.
The Lethe: safe
Handle the safe as an information-management puzzle. Search the room and its approach for digits, written hints and object placement, and record the exact order. Do not rely on the game to preserve a password in a menu; this is the type of clue GamesRadar+ warns may remain outside the interface.
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In a museum, displays themselves are likely to carry the context. Compare labels, images, objects and their arrangement. Read every placard at close range and use the drone to identify interactable exhibits that blend into the room.
Plains of Mist: entrance
When an entrance is not obvious, start with landmarks and the compass. Circle the boundary, check elevation changes and scan for a hidden passage. Dialogue describing the area may point to a landmark rather than the entrance itself, so translate the directions into a route.
Temple of the Fallen: pressure plates
Pressure plates are a sequence and movement problem. Map the room mentally, note the safe starting position and watch how each plate changes the environment. If stepping off a plate resets the puzzle, record the order before attempting a full crossing.
Lake Cynon Golden Eye and Lymbic Sphere sequence
This is a multi-stage sequence rather than an isolated interaction. Keep notes for the Golden Eye and Lymbic Sphere separately, then connect them only after you understand how the game links the stages. If one part appears inactive, revisit the other location after the relevant story trigger and scan again.
Troubleshooting branches when nothing makes sense
There is no interaction prompt
- Move closer and inspect the object from another angle.
- Scan with the drone; the object may be a clue or hidden passage rather than a direct interaction.
- Check whether dialogue or a story trigger is required before the mechanism activates.
You found the mechanism but not the rule
- Search for repeated symbols, a painting, a placard or a matching object set.
- Walk the approach route in reverse; the clue may be behind you.
- Write down the starting state and test one change at a time.
The directions seem contradictory
- Identify the landmark used as the reference point before following the compass.
- Check elevation and alternate paths around rivers, ridges and rock formations.
- Return to the NPC after the next story event in case the dialogue expanded.
You are unsure whether you missed a clue
- Compare your notes with every symbol, digit, object and sequence visible in the area.
- Rescan after opening a door or changing a mechanism.
- Use a spoiler-light recognition hint before reading a complete solution.
A practical note-taking system
A small, consistent record is more useful than a long unstructured list. For each puzzle, write four lines:
- Location: the region, landmark and room or path.
- Clue type: symbol, text, picture, object, light or sequence.
- Evidence: the exact words, digits, shapes, order and starting state.
- Status: clue found, mechanism located, solved or waiting for a story trigger.
Add a screenshot when text is tiny or symbols are easy to rotate mentally. Keep Mystery notes separate from Good Deed notes so that the confirmed post-story availability of Mysteries does not make you careless about optional NPC tasks.
Should you use a walkthrough?
Use one when the cost of continued searching is higher than the value of preserving a blind solution. A recognition hint is appropriate when you do not know what to look for. A location hint is appropriate when you understand the rule but cannot find the relevant room. A complete answer is appropriate when you have recorded the evidence, tested the obvious interpretation and still cannot progress.
Chronological guides are safer than a search for a bare code because they let you open the entry for the current act and avoid unrelated story spoilers. Push Square’s guide labels its spoiler and solution content clearly. Even then, stop reading at the first useful sentence and return to the game; the goal is to recover momentum, not replace every deduction.
Buying and edition details
If you are deciding whether to start the game, the PS5 edition is the physical product most directly associated with this guide. Retail editions and regional availability can vary, so check the listing and your local store before purchasing. The puzzle principles above apply to the game’s exploration design rather than to a particular retailer or edition.
Quick Recap
Quick checklist before you leave an unsolved area
- Every nearby NPC has been spoken to after the latest story trigger.
- The room, ceiling, floor, side chambers and approach route have been inspected.
- The drone has been used from more than one angle.
- Repeated symbols, pictures, text, flowers, statues, torches and plates have been catalogued.
- Landmarks, compass direction and elevation have been noted.
- Digits, passwords and symbol order have been written down or captured.
- The task has been marked as a Mystery or a Good Deed.
- A recognition hint has been tried before a full solution.
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