In Crimson Desert, Ancient Ruins can be found all over the map, and each Ancient Ruin has a special puzzle to solve. Solving the puzzles rewards you with Abyss Artefact, which can increase your abilities and stats, and activate Abyss Cresset. In this guide will tell you all the puzzles in Ancient Ruins we have found so far and where you need to go to solve the puzzles.
All Ancient Ruins Puzzles In Crimson Desert
Completing these puzzles will also allow you to activate an Abyss Cresset, which can be used as a fast travel point. You will also be rewarded with Abyss Artefacts, which can be used to unlock new abilities and enhance your character’s stats. You can also monitor the total number of Ancient Ruins you have discovered and completed by checking the Journal under Challenges > The Thread in the Forest. Below is a list of the Ancient Ruins puzzles we have found so far, and we will continue to add more as we discover them.
Southern Hernand Ancient Ruins: Azure Moon Labyrinth Ruins
The puzzle can be found within a small village located northeast of the witch’s hut. To find the puzzle, go to the village and find the small building. Enter the building and go down through the chute to find the puzzle. To complete the puzzle, you need to collect five tree symbols located within the village.
It is possible to complete the puzzle immediately without collecting the symbols. To complete the puzzle, follow these steps:
- Press the two buttons on the left
- Press the three buttons on the right
After you press the correct five buttons, the gate will open automatically. Enter the gate and interact with the Abyss Cresset to collect the Abyss Artefact and the Memory of Tide.
Southern Hernand: Steel Mountains Ruins
You can find the Crimson Desert Steel Mountains Ruins far to the south in the Steel Mountains, near the Spire of Insight. After you reach the location, collect the mallet placed near the bells and read the notes written on the wall next to them. The notes will indicate the sequence of actions to be followed for completing the puzzle.
Ring the bells with the mallet in the following sequence: 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 4 > 3 > 2 > 1.
If you have followed the correct sequence, a rocky door on the right will open, leading you to the Abyss Cresset.
Duskwood Waterside Ruins
You can find the Crimson Desert Duskwood Waterside Ruins near the river, in between the cave and the Kilnden Workshop.
To complete the Crimson Desert Duskwood Waterside Ruins checker puzzle, you need to look next to the Abyss Cresset and collect the hidden white checker. Then, you need to place the white checker between the two white checkers already on the board, creating a straight line with the white checkers. The idea is to place the white and black checkers in a row of five identical checkers. This row could be horizontal, vertical, or even diagonal.
After you have completed the row of white and black checkers, the puzzle is complete, and you can use the Abyss Cresset to collect the Abyss Artefact.
Central Hernand: Hunter’s Cabin Ruins
You can find Crimson Desert Hunter’s Cabin in the Hunter’s Cabin location in the Haunted Hills region, northwest of Hernand City. To solve the Crimson Desert Hunter’s Cabin graveyard puzzle, you must light all the stone lanterns around the graveyard.
The location of the lanterns is not always the same, but it is best to search the entire graveyard and make sure none of the lanterns is unlit. Once you light all the lanterns, you have solved the puzzle and opened the tomb, where you will find the Abyss Cresset.
Central Hernand: Meandering Hills Ruins
These sealed ruins can be found in the Crimson Desert Meandering Hills, northwest of the City of Hernand. To enter the ruins, you must use Nature’s Grasp on the stone gate that is blocking the entrance.
When you enter the ruins, you must use Focus Palm on the large buttons on the floor so that they remain pressed at the same time. To solve this puzzle, you must press the circular dials in the following order: the middle circular dial, the left circular dial, and the right circular dial. Once the buttons are in the correct position, the Abyss Cresset will unlock.
Southern Hernand: Sunrise Plains Ruins
You can find the Crimson Desert Sunrise Plains Abyss Cresset puzzle after going through the vines, located south of Glenbright Manor in the Grace Estate. To unlock this puzzle, you must rotate the statues in a manner that they face the middle of the area where the Abyss Cresset is placed.
First, you need to rotate the first statue towards the middle of the room. This will automatically rotate the second statue towards the middle of the area as well. After this step, you must go towards the third statue and rotate it towards the middle of the area. This will automatically rotate the fourth statue towards the middle of the area.
Precipice of Echoes Ruins
You can find the Crimson Desert Precipice of Echoes Ruins to the southeast of Fort Perwin, located at the base of the Mountain of Frozen Souls.
In the puzzle, you will need to complete a tile-based matching game. The objective is to match two identical icons by stepping on tiles in the correct order. However, you must make sure that you do not step on any other icon except the second icon of the matching pair.
Once you complete the pattern correctly, the door will be unlocked, and you can collect the Abyss Artefact.
Deepfog Basin Everfrost Ruins
The Crimson Desert Deepfog Basin Everfrost Ruins can be found deep inside the forest, near the Argen Peaks. The puzzle requires matching the height of the pillars.
To start, use the “Stab” skill to interact with the pedestal. Then, move pillars 1, 2, and 3 halfway up to match the height of the first pillar. Move Pillar 1 to the target height, and then move Pillar 4 to match Pillars 2 and 3. Move Pillars 2, 3, and 4 so they’re all aligned properly with the first pillar. Once all the pillars are aligned, the puzzle is complete, and you can collect the Abyss Artifact.
Duskwood Hill Ruins
First, take out your sword and reflect the light onto the vines to burn them down. Once the vines have been cleared, insert the small piece of the puzzle into the corresponding slot using your “Stab” skill.
Next, line up the pillars:
- Move the first three pillars in the middle about halfway up so they line up with the first pillar.
- Next, move the middle three pillars all the way to the top.
- Finally, line up the last two pillars.
Once the pillars have been lined up correctly, the puzzle is solved, and the reward.
Deepfog Basin Dragon Head Ruins
You will find the Crimson Desert Deepfog Basin Dragon Head Ruins in the northern part of Hernand, which is near the Central Guard Post. This puzzle requires the player to place the large blocks to complete the image shown on the floor.
To do this, the player needs to stand near the blocks and use the Stab skill to lock the blocks. Then you will need to drag the blocks in any direction. You will need to place the blocks on the top part first. Then you will need to place the blocks on the sides first to make space, followed by the sun-shaped piece and the head-shaped blocks.
There may be some blocks that get stuck together, so you will need to move left or right to free the blocks. The player will need to adjust the blocks until the image is complete. Once all the blocks are in the correct position, the image will lock, and the puzzle will be complete. The player will then need to go inside to interact with the Abyss Cresset and collect the Abyss Artefact.
Arboria Forest Ruins
The Crimson Desert Arboria Forest Ruins puzzle can be found near three fountains in the ruin. The fountains are currently spraying water outwards, and you need to rotate them so the water shoots back inwards toward the centre. To do this, you need to draw your weapon and use the “Stab” skill on it.
Keep rotating the fountain until the water shoots back inwards toward the centre. Repeat this process for the other two fountains so that the water shoots back inwards toward the centre. Once you have done this for all the fountains, the puzzle is complete, and you can collect your reward from the Abyss Cresset.
Haunted Hill Ruins
From the Crimson Desert Haunted Hill Abyss Nexus, head east. To solve the puzzle, you need to channel the Focus on the mechanism that is submerged underwater. Channel the Focus repeatedly until the mechanism is high enough to drain the water from the area. Once the water is drained, the Abyss Cresset will be unlocked, allowing you to claim the reward.
Halssius Conflux Ruins
You can find the Crimson Desert Halssius Conflux puzzle near the House of Healing. This puzzle involves a movable pillar in the centre of the puzzle area. To begin, use your Stab attack on the pillar, allowing it to rotate around the centre of the puzzle area. You need to match the position of the pillar with the symbols highlighted by the light from the nearby statue.
To begin, place the pillar in a position where it is aligned with the symbol of the shield. When correctly placed, it will glow, activating the next part of the puzzle. Next, place the pillar in a position where it is aligned with the symbol of the scales. To complete the puzzle, place the pillar in a position where it is aligned with the two symbols of the horse, one inside the circle and one outside the circle.
With all three symbols correctly aligned, the puzzle is complete, and the Abyss Cresset is now unlocked.
Drakesfall Gorge Ruins
This Crimson Desert Drakesfall Gorge puzzle can be found on a plateau near the camp of the Hernand soldiers, along the border of Demeniss. To begin the puzzle, you need to stand on the stone plate at the edge of the area. This will start the puzzle, and the soldier statues will raise their swords.
Next, you need to slowly move along the path toward the king statue at the end of the area. The king statue will occasionally turn around, and its eyes will light up when it faces your direction.
When the king statue’s eyes light up, you need to immediately stop moving. If the king catches you moving, the eyes will turn red, and you need to start the puzzle from the beginning.
Dragon’s Stone Chamber Ruins
The Crimson Desert Dragon’s Stone Chamber puzzle appears on the map near Thinker’s Meadow, but the actual entrance is not there. To reach it, head south into the Hernand Highlands and drop down into the ravine beside the main road. Inside the ravine, look along the rock walls for a brightly colored mural.
Push against the mural shaped like a door, and it will reveal the hidden entrance to the ruins. To open the door leading to the Abyss Cresset, you need to rotate the three stone dials inside the ruins until they are in the correct positions.
The proper alignment is hinted at by murals inside the ruins and around Anvil Hillside Terrace, but you do not actually need to search for those murals if you already know the correct dial positions. Once all three dials are set properly, the door will unlock.
- Set the claw symbol so it points up and slightly to the left.
- Rotate the dragon symbol so it faces toward the right side.
- Turn the sun symbol so it points straight upward.
If the dials do not move when you try to interact with them, it is usually caused by a bug. Saving and restarting the game normally fixes it. Once all three dials are lined up correctly, the puzzle is completed, and the chamber opens to get the reward.
Ancient Rift Maze
As the name suggests, for this maze, you’ll need to go to Ancient Rift Maze. Once you reach the marked location, you’ll find yourself on top of a mountain. Go down towards the right and you’ll come across a sort of cave whose entrance is blocked with four pillars.
Equip Sword of the Lord and use it to clear the path. Go inside and you’ll come across a stone structure. Use Force Punch on it and you’ll see that it has lit up on the sides and started rotating. You’ll get the Engraved Stone from here. Take the stone and exit the cave.
Next, go to the marked location that takes you to a ledge. Towards the left, you’ll find another cave entrance blocked with pillars. Use the same technique as before to access the cave and get the second Engraved Stone.
Now, exit the cave and go right from there. You’ll find a narrow passage leading you to another cave. Use the same method as before and get the third and final Engraved Stone.
Finally, you’ll need to go to the northwest part of the map and you’ll find a sort of stone wall in front of the waterfall. There, you’ll find three holes where you’ll need to insert the Engraved Stones you got from the three caves. This will open up the front of the stone wall and you’ll be able to get the Abyss Cresset and complete the Ancient Rift Maze.
Trembling Woods Ancient Ruins
You can find this puzzle in Trembling Woods, which is located in the southern part of the Demeniss region. First, you need to turn all three pedestals to the right as far as you can turn them. Turn them one by one, starting with the left pedestal, then the middle pedestal, and lastly the right pedestal.
Next, you need to align the circles on the pedestals. Make sure the largest circle is pointing towards the northeast direction, the medium circle is pointing towards the west direction, and the smallest circle is pointing towards the south direction. Keep rotating the pedestals until you get the circles aligned in these directions.
