Resident Evil Village bombards the player with puzzles right from the start of your adventure. The first major location, Castle Dimitrescu, is packed with strange head-scratchers that’ll stop your game in its tracks if you don’t solve them. These aren’t RE7 puzzles either — you don’t need to combine items or slam objects together. These puzzles are more like the ones from RE4. There are objects to interact with, things to move around, and environmental puzzles to solve. You’ll need to search for clues in bloody pools, shoot bells, or dodge deadly traps to move forward.
Here, we’re going to break down how to solve all the puzzles in the first major area of the game. The ‘Castle of Death’, Castle Dimitrescu, is where you’ll be spending your first major hours in the story. Eventually you’ll get free reign over the castle as you search for four masks to escape. Each mask is in a different corner of the sprawling castle, and to reach them, you’ll normally have to solve at least one small puzzle. There are even optional puzzles to solve in the form of treasure maps, labyrinths, and optional chests. Basically, there’s plenty of stuff to keep you busy when you’re not solving these primary, required puzzles.
More Resident Evil Village guides:
Beginner’s Guide | Easter Eggs & References | All Boss Fights Tips & Tricks | How To Solve All Puzzles In Castle Dimitrescu | How To Solve The Doll Workshop Puzzle | Rare, Juicy & Quality Meat Locations | How To Complete The Necklace With Two Holes | All Treasure Chests Locations | All Labyrinth Ball Locations | All Goat Collectibles Locations
Sawblade Trap Escape Puzzle
While escaping from Heisenberg in his twisted maze, you’ll eventually reach a trap that seems impossible to escape from. A giant sawblade drops down and chops you up — like there’s no escape! Well, there is an escape. You just need to find one well-hidden corner that’s safe.
After dropping down into the room where the sawblade drops down, immediately turn left and look for a nook in the back wall. Squeeze in there, and you’ll be able to survive the trap.
Hall of War Puzzle
In the strange room filled with soldiers fighting, you just need to light all the braziers. You don’t even need to waste bullets — just push the hanging brazier into the unlit fire-holders. When all three are lit, the door will open.
The Four Statues Puzzle
Entering Lady Dimitrescu’s Chambers, you’ll have to solve a puzzle in the bloody pool room. There are four statues you need to align, with a cryptic note giving you a clue. Align the statues in this order.
- Three Peasants facing the Horseback Rider.
- Horseback Rider facing the Robed Woman.
- Robed Woman facing the Lady.
- The Lady facing the Robed Woman.
Align the four statues in this specific configuration, and the pool of blood will drain to reveal a hidden passage.
The Atelier Bells Puzzle
In the Atelier, you’ll find a painting with a note — to progress, you’ll need to solve a puzzle. The note states you need to ring five bells. If you look around the room carefully, you can spot five bells. They’re not easy to locate, so here’s where you can find them all.
- Bell #1: The first bell is on the table, to the left of the painting. Easy to spot.
- Bell #2: A very small bell is on the cabinet to the right of the giant painting. You’ll need a pistol to shoot it.
- Bell #3: Look at the exposed clockwork behind the stone walls. There’s a swinging bell you can briefly shoot as it passes the large opening.
- Bell #4: Climb up the stairs and look at the chandelier. There’s a bell inside — shoot the chandelier to make it swing, exposing the bell.
- Bell #5: The final bell isn’t in the room at all! Look above the painting (on the raised platform) to see a bell in a tower far outside. Shoot out the glass to hit this bell.
Ring all five bells and a secret door will open, leading to a new section of the castle.
Hall of Pleasure Locked Door
Taking the mask from the Hall of Pleasure locks the gate, trapping you inside. To escape, you’ll need to sneak up to the Armory through the secret passage under the fireplace. There’s a mini-boss fight against one of the Daughters here.
- To defeat the Daughter, push the shelf away from the cracked wall, then use one of the Pipe Bombs on the table to blast a hole. Now she’s vulnerable to damage.
After the fight, you’ll be able to solve the puzzle. Look on the mantle above the fireplace in the Armory. There’s a Mounted Animal Skull.
- Collect the Mounted Animal Skull from the Armory. Examine it in your Key Item Inventory, then spin it around to find the screw on the back. Interact to remove the mounting from the Animal Skull.
Now you can place the Animal Skull on the spot where the Mask of Pleasure (in the Hall of Pleasure) was located. This will release the lock, allowing you to leave.
Input all masks in Castle Dimitrescu in the hall outside the Vendor room to complete the castle and take on Lady Dimitrescu herself.
