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All nursery rhyme solutions in Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake is a famous writer, but neither he nor the new protagonist Saga are known for being particularly fond of nursery rhymes. Whether or not you fall into that category as well won’t matter because Alan Wake 2 hides some very valuable rewards behind puzzles disguised as these small children’s poems. Solving them involves a little bit of exploration, deductive reasoning, and then putting all the right pieces in place. This is one of the many optional cases in the game, and these rhymes are hidden across all the major zones in and around Bright Falls. If you’re stumped on any of these nursery rhyme puzzles, here are all the solutions in Alan Wake 2.

All nursery rhyme answers

There are 17 total nursery rhyme puzzles to find and solve in Alan Wake 2, broken up into all the different major locations. Whenever a puzzle involves placing dolls, make sure you pick up the dolls after solving it because they are needed for other puzzles in that area as well.

Cauldron Lake nursery rhymes

A map of cauldron lake in alan wake 2.
Remedy Entertainment

The first rhyme puzzle you will come across is in the campsite you can access after the flooding has been removed. Cross the bridge and look immediately to the left. The solution is to take the Crow doll off the table and place it on the drawing of the sun.

Your second puzzle adds in the Hero and Wolf dolls from inside the Witchfinder’s Station. You will pass the puzzle itself on the way inside. To solve this one, place the Crow on the Tree and the Hero on the Boat.

Third up, we now add a Wolf into the mix. This is the toughest yet but can be found at the Private Cabin on the map. The solution this time is to put the Crow on the Chick, Hero on the Heart, and Wolf on the House.

You will need to come back much later to get the final two rhymes, but once you can get into Cabin 4 the puzzle will be in the first room. Put the Monster on the Hatchling, Crow on the Eye, and Hero on the Jewelry.

Before going on, make sure you grab the new doll that appears after solving the previous puzzle. Once you have it, go to the Witchfinder’s Station where the puzzle won’t be written as usual, but relayed to you via a radio. The drawings will also be spread out across both floors of the house.

The final puzzle is solved by putting the Father on the Eye, Hero on the Sun, Mother on the Heart, Child on the Hatchling, and Trickster on the Wave.

Bright Falls nursery rhymes

A map of bright falls in alan wake 2.
Remedy Entertainment

Located right next to the Cult Stash to the northeast of the save room in Bunker Woods, and directly south of the G in the Bright Falls label on the map, is the first rhyme in the area. What you need to do here is put the Mother on the House and Child on the Tree.

Travel into the Ranger station and find the next task in one of the bedrooms. All you need to do here is put the Child on the House and Monster on the Candy.

Follow the southern coast east from the Ranger station to find this puzzle on a slab of rock on the shore. Just put the Monster on the Wave, Child on the Jewelry, and Mother on the Boat, and be on your way.

Head onto the docks from Billie’s Boat Yard to stumble right into the next puzzle. The answer now is to put the Mother on the Wave and the Monster on the Boat.

Coffee World  nursery rhymes

A map of coffee world in alan wake 2.
Remedy Entertainment

The first pair of new dolls you need for this set of rhymes can be grabbed after you fight the Thrower Taken. Just continue around the corner to find a little campsite with the dolls and puzzle. The solution is to place the Moose on the Tree.

From the Radio Tower, go straight south all the way to the southern border to find the next puzzle. The solution here is to put the Deer on the House.

After the flooding is gone, which you do by progressing the story, go down to the southern end of the Lighthouse Trailer Park and grab two more dolls at the Fish Cleaning station, then two more on the nearby bench leading to the dock. The puzzle itself is at the end of the dock. To solve this puzzle you need to put the Wise Elder on the Waves and the Bear on the Candy.

Next, you can pick up the Trickster doll off the front steps of the Lighthouse and go to the cliff to begin the puzzle. You will need to place the Trickster on the Waves and Wise Elder on the Eye to solve the riddle.

Our next rhyme to solve is on the dock heading onto the water north through Latte Lagoon. Put down the Moose on the Wave, Trickster on the Jewelry, and Deer on the Boat.

We will need two more dolls from the second-floor bedroom in the Ranger Cabin. Once you have them, take them to the puzzle out back. Use your new Maiden on the Tree and Bear on the Heart to crack this case.

Now that you can unlock the building behind Suomi Hall using the screwdriver in the Watery, this rhyme puzzle is available. Drop down the Maiden on the House and Trickster on the Jewelry to complete it.

Back in the trailer park, come back when you have the bolt cutters to open the locked trailer. Inside is the puzzle. This one is solved by putting the Wise Elder on the Eye and Deer on the Heart.

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All TV locations in Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake stands in front of a movie theater in Alan Wake 2.

Remedy has been one of the biggest studios to push the inclusion of multimedia in gaming. The first Alan Wake featured short TV episodes of a fictional show called Night Springs that players could discover and watch, Control added in real-life footage in various projections, and Quantum Break had fully live-action "cutscenes." Alan Wake 2 adds more TVs to the world in two different forms -- Koskela Brother Commercials and Writer's Journey videos. The former are found with Saga and the latter with Alan, and both have their own trophy/achievement related to finding them all. As a bonus, they are entertaining enough on their own to warrant seeking them out. Don't touch that dial, because we're going to show you where to find every TV in Alan Wake 2.
All Koskela Brother Commercial locations
Starting off with Saga, there are six commercials to find over the course of the game. All you need to do is approach the TV for it to start, and you get credit for them as soon as they begin playing, so you really don't have to watch them through to the end.

Head into the police station before the end of Return 3 and go into the employee lounge. Note: This commercial is missable if you do not get it before the end of Return 3.
This TV is in the Oh Deer Diner up on the left wall.
The TV in the lobby of the Lederwood Palace Lodge can't be missed.
When you reach the Nursery Home, go into the rec room to watch this TV.
The only TV in Coffee World is in the Lighthouse Trailer park inside the first trailer you pass on the left.
The final commercial icomes during the final sequence of Saga's campaign. Once you start Return 8, go back to the Oh Deer Diner for the last one.

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All Word of Power locations in Alan Wake 2
Alan Wake sitting at a desk with a typewriter.

Alan Wake 2 splits its campaign up between the titular writer from the original game and a new character, FBI agent Saga. While the two play mostly the same, each one does have some bespoke elements. Aside from smaller touches like each having their own weapons and inventory, they also have different sets of collectibles to search out. While Saga needs to track down and solve things like Nursery Rhymes and open Cult Stashes, Alan's hidden items, called Words of Power, are more in line with his profession. These are more concepts than actual, physical items to grab, and must be picked up in a unique way. Not only are they worth finding because they unlock a Trophy, but they also will help smooth out the difficulty curve since they serve as upgrades for Alan. Our words may not be as powerful as Alan's, but they can still guide you to every Word of Power location in Alan Wake 2.
How Words of Power work
Words of Power are environmental objects that only Alan can interact with. While exploring his section, you will be able to hunt down these spots on the map and find a spiral of words written somewhere. To "collect" one, you simply need to shine your light on it from the right angle -- your controller will vibrate to let you know you're getting close.

Words of Power are divided into seven types, each of which offers three different upgrade options in different areas. Here's each type and how they can improve Alan's skills.

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The best weapon upgrades in Alan Wake 2
Saga fights off a Taken in Alan Wake 2.

The Dark Place and Cultists in Alan Wake 2 may be dark and twisted manifestations of an evil force, but once you shed away the darkness, everything will fall into your arsenal of firearms. Neither Alan nor FBI agent Saga are exactly equipped with the firepower you'd want when wandering through the haunted woods and mind-bending Dark Place, but they can make do with what they have in clever ways. Saga specifically is skilled enough to upgrade all the weapons in her inventory to better protect herself against the supernatural threats that stalk her. Upgrades don't come cheap, and if you find all the weapons in the game, you will need to make some tough calls on how you improve them. Here are the upgrades you need to see the final chapter of Alan Wake 2's story.
How weapon upgrades work

You can upgrade your weapons whenever you like in Alan Wake 2 by visiting Saga's Mind Place. Any weapon you have is available to upgrade there, provided you have the required amount of manuscript fragments that you collect from the hidden Luncboxes around the map. These are distinct from the Cult Stashes, so be on the lookout for them since you will need to find quite a few before you can afford even the first upgrade.
Best weapon upgrades
More Bullets
Your starting pistol may not be the most flashy gun in Alan Wake 2, but it is always reliable and it never stops being effective. The first upgrade you should get has to be More Bullets. This will increase the pistol's default magazine size from 12 to 18. This will obviously make it easier and safer to deal with encounters since you won't be caught reloading as often but also helps keep your inventory clean since less space will be taken up for ammo.
Another Headshot
For another pistol upgrade, Another Headshot is very powerful if you're a sharpshooter. If you can score two headshots in a row, the unlucky Cultist will be stunned for a comically long time. That gives you plenty of time to either deal free damage, heal, or just run away if you're low on resources and not prepared for a fight.
Ready for More
The best shotgun upgrade is easily Ready for More. Healing is not only a limited resource, which again takes up inventory space but also a somewhat long animation. If you're in a tight situation and on the verge of death, there usually isn't much you can do. Ready for More can bail you out since it will turn any kill you get with the shotgun into a bit of healing. It isn't a huge amount, but every bit makes a difference.
Two Shots
The Crossbow may be a late-game addition to your toolset, but is absolutely worth saving some manuscript fragments to upgrade ASAP. Two Shots is borderline essential, making it so you can fire twice rather than just once before needing to reload.
Magnetic Pull
Magnetic Pull could be the best upgrade in the game. With it, after you skewer an enemy with a bolt, switching to another gun will make those bullets track to the bolt for guaranteed hits. If you're comfortable swapping weapons on the fly, this is satisfying and efficient.

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