Upon arriving at Ebisugaoka Middle School in Silent Hill f, players encounter a trio of interconnected puzzles that must be solved concurrently. True to the eerie charm of the Silent Hill series, these enigmas not only provide essential progression but also deepen the narrative experience.
Once you ascend to the second floor, the only accessible classroom is Hinako’s former classroom, 3-1. Inside, players notice the seating arrangement, highlighting where Shu, Rinko, and Hinako typically sat. On Rinko’s desk lies a box and a fragmented letter, both pivotal to advancing the game.
The intriguing twist is that this box contains the key to every other classroom on the second floor, requiring players to figure out how to unlock it. Fortuitously, Rinko offers hints—albeit with a cheeky remark directed at Hinako—during her love confession.
The puzzle process remains consistent across all difficulty levels, revolving around themes of fruits, books, and sakura; however, the specific selections evolve based on the chosen difficulty. Here’s how to crack the Secret Box puzzle in Silent Hill f.
Story Difficulty
Fewer Sections to Slide
At the Story difficulty setting, players benefit from highlighted keywords essential for solving the puzzle, a feature absent in higher difficulty levels. Within Rinko’s letter, she recounts a memory of a café visit with Shu, where they enjoyed a cake adorned with sweet and tart fruit. This hints at the first puzzle stage, which requires selecting the correct fruits—simple enough, but remember that the box is double-sided.
While it might cross players’ minds to select pumpkin, as it is often used in desserts, it’s worth noting that pumpkins are classified as gourds. The only fruits to choose are cherries and a strawberry, as illustrated below:
Upon submitting these selections, players will unlock another portion of Rinko’s letter, revealing a smaller box within. This time, she talks about diligently filling up one journal after another, hinting at the next step.
It’s crucial to focus specifically on journals (bound books) rather than loose-leaf pages. Players will have a choice of only three books on each side of the box, which should resemble this by the end:
Successfully completing this stage grants access to the next segment of Rinko’s note, where she elaborates on the significance of blooming sakura. In Japanese culture, sakura symbolizes youthful love and fresh starts.
Interestingly, only one sakura appears in this difficulty, making the rest of the box seemingly blank. Despite the presence of bonsai trees or other natural elements, remember, you only need that single sakura to proceed.
By following the instructions below, players will eventually unlock the box and retrieve the key to the second-floor classrooms.
Hard Difficulty
Standard Silent Hill Puzzle
In the Hard difficulty setting, players will find that it’s not the light-colored sections of the box that are movable, but rather the miniature brown sections. The riddle maintains the same structure across all settings but is phrased differently, and keywords are not highlighted.
Thus, upon examining Rinko’s message, it becomes clear that the answer to the initial puzzle segment is indeed all fruit. On the front section of the box, what appears to be a flower is actually a slice of orange, making it an appropriate selection.
On the reverse side, while the first fruit may resemble leaves, a closer look reveals grapes hanging from the stem.
The completed sides of the box should appear as follows:
After submitting these answers, players will unlock the second part of Rinko’s message. As in previous difficulty levels, the focus remains on selecting only bound books and avoiding anything with loose paper.
With a total of four books, both sides of the box should now look like this:
Upon completion, the box will reveal the final segment of the riddle, in which Rinko again references the blooming sakura as the answer.
However, unlike previous instances, the front of this box does not distinctly showcase a sakura flower. Rather, it depicts a tree shedding what appears to be leaves—these are not leaves. In springtime, cherry blossoms fall from the branches, a phenomenon articulated in Japanese as sakura fubiki, or cherry blossom snowstorm.
Understanding this context clarifies that the depicted tree is, in fact, a cherry blossom tree, making it crucial for solving the puzzle. The finished sides of this segment should appear as follows:
Lost in the Fog Difficulty
Every Little Section Moves
As players tackle the Lost in the Fog difficulty, every component of the box is adjustable, necessitating a comprehensive inspection prior to rotating or making selections. Thankfully, the riddle adheres to the same pattern, albeit with varying answers.
The notion of the highly delectable fruity cake from the café remains consistent as the answer for this difficulty. Therefore, both sides of the box should ultimately appear as follows:
Upon submitting your answers, the box will open to reveal the next segment of the letter, and—surprise—an additional box within. This follows the established pattern, indicating that your answers must remain focused on bound books.
Rinko’s musings in this part of her poem may entice players to select any form of paper, but it’s important to prioritize items with a spine to meet the criteria.
The completed selection should resemble this:
Once you submit, the final stage of the puzzle beckons, once again returning to the theme of blooming sakura as your ultimate choice. Recall the cherry blossom tree referenced in Hard mode, as it serves as a guiding principle for your selections.
Ultimately, this will lead you to submit your final answer for unlocking the box and obtaining the key, alongside the concluding part of Rinko’s heartfelt confession to Shu.
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