The Hint Chamber
Need a Nudge, Solver?
Every puzzle in the book is solvable with logic alone. If you're stuck on finding key digits or decoding a secret word, step through the progressive hints below.
Act I — The First Secret Door
Easy difficulty tier (Puzzles 1–70). Yields 6 shaded key digits.
Nudge 1 Where are the Act I Key Puzzles?
Look for the single shaded cell hidden inside key puzzles. The 6 key puzzles for Act I are:
- Key 1: Puzzle 1
- Key 2: Puzzle 14
- Key 3: Puzzle 28
- Key 4: Puzzle 42
- Key 5: Puzzle 56
- Key 6: Puzzle 70
Nudge 2 How do I use the Vault Door Tally?
As you solve each key puzzle, copy the single digit from its shaded cell into the corresponding box on the Vault Door Tally page (page 210 in the back of the book).
Nudge 3 How does Keyplate I work?
Turn to Keyplate I (page 211). Locate column Key 1 through Key 6. Match the digit you found in that key puzzle to the row number in the table to read the corresponding letter.
Example: If Key 1 has digit 3, look down column Key 1 to row 3 to read your letter.
Full Reveal Reveal the Act I Secret Word
Are you sure? Only reveal if you are completely stuck!
Act II — The Burned Plate
Medium difficulty tier (Puzzles 71–150). Yields 7 shaded key digits.
Nudge 1 Where are the Act II Key Puzzles?
The 7 key puzzles for Act II are:
- Key 7: Puzzle 71
- Key 8: Puzzle 84
- Key 9: Puzzle 98
- Key 10: Puzzle 112
- Key 11: Puzzle 126
- Key 12: Puzzle 140
- Key 13: Puzzle 150
Nudge 2 Why are the columns burned on Keyplate II?
Keyplate II (page 212) shows the columns destroyed by fire! Notice the note directing you to The Second Letter (page 209).
Nudge 3 How do I count words in the Second Letter?
The Second Letter has 7 numbered sentences. Key 7 maps to Sentence 1, Key 8 maps to Sentence 2, and so on. Your key digit tells you which word to count in that sentence!
Golden Rule: Count only the sentence's own words — never count its sentence number!
Full Reveal Reveal the Act II Secret Word
Act III — The Cipher Wheel
Hard difficulty tier (Puzzles 151–200). Yields 7 shaded key digits.
Nudge 1 Where are the Act III Key Puzzles?
The 7 key puzzles for Act III are:
- Key 14: Puzzle 151
- Key 15: Puzzle 160
- Key 16: Puzzle 170
- Key 17: Puzzle 180
- Key 18: Puzzle 190
- Key 19: Puzzle 195
- Key 20: Puzzle 200
Nudge 2 How does the Cipher Wheel work?
Keyplate III (page 213) features a two-ring cipher wheel. Look at the Keeper's clue: "Step back three." The outer ring shows the printed letter; the inner ring shows the true letter shifted back by 3 positions (D → A).
Nudge 3 Do I need to do any manual math?
No counting needed! Keyplate III already prints the shifted letters directly in the table. Simply look up your key digit down the corresponding column.
Full Reveal Reveal the Act III Secret Word
The Hidden Fourth Secret
Unannounced easter egg. Hidden across the Keeper's three letters.
Nudge 1 What is an acrostic?
An acrostic reads the first letter of consecutive paragraphs or sentences in order!
Nudge 2 Which letters should I read?
Read the opening letter of each paragraph across the Keeper's letters in the back of the book (pages 208, 209, and 214).
Nudge 3 Where do I use the 4th word on the site?
In The 3D Vault Crawl, walk deep into Vault III (The Grand Treasure Vault) and look low, in the far-left corner by the back wall. Among all that gleaming treasure, one object is not lit. Click it. (In the painted vault, it waits in the same corner.)