How to solve the crow riddle in Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2: Alan staring at the camera in a suit
Credit: Remedy Entertainment

Alan Wake 2: Alan staring at the camera in a suit
Credit: Remedy Entertainment

As you play through Alan Wake 2, you'll have many side mysteries and puzzles to solve. One such set of puzzles is the set of Cauldron Lake nursery rhymes, which each hide within them a riddle to solve, the first of which is the crow riddle.

Completing the riddles hidden within these rhymes will reward you with special charms that you can attach to Saga's bracelet. Each charm will give a different buff, so it's worth collecting all of the charms you can to give yourself more options.

If you're looking for more Alan Wake 2 guides like this one, why not check out our walkthrough on how to open the Kalevala Knights combination safe or how to get your hands on the flare gun?

Alan Wake 2: Map of Cauldron Lake, showing the location of the crow doll and riddle
expand image
Credit: Remedy Entertainment

How do you solve the crow riddle in Alan Wake 2?

The crow riddle will be the first of the Cauldron Lake riddles you encounter in Alan Wake 2. It is discoverable after the flooding in Cauldron Lake has subsided during Saga's third chapter: The Heart.

Upon arriving at Cauldron Lake, talk to Alex and Alan and head north of Crow's Foot Hills until you come across a camping site. It's here that you'll find the following riddle for you to solve, which follows:

"One for light
Two for darkness
Three for a fight
Four for a struggle
Five birds for injury
Six for Misery
Seven for the ending
whatever that may be"

To solve the riddle, you'll first need to grab the crow doll, located on the end of a picnic bench near where you found the riddle. Place this doll on the drawing of the sun on the floor next to the sheet of paper with the riddle, solving the first line of the riddle, "One for light".

Alan Wake 2: woman points a torch at the crow riddle solution, including the crow doll.
expand image
Credit: Remedy Entertainment

Once you've solved the crow riddle, you'll be rewarded with a Hammer charm, left on the bench by a single crow. This charm can be equipped on Saga's bracelet and enables you to stagger enemies more often in combat, which is a very handy tool to have on you.

After you've completed the riddle, make sure to pick the crow doll back up; you'll need it with you if you're to solve one of the later riddles.

That's all there is to know about solving the crow riddle in Alan Wake 2. If you've not done so already, we've also got a guide on how to solve the hero and wolf riddle to aid you in your hunt for more charms. We've also got all the Alan Wake 2 difficulties explained and a walkthrough on how to open the Coffee World gift shop safe.