How to find and solve Nursery Rhymes in Alan Wake 2

Nursery Rhymes are one of Saga’s side quest opportunities in Alan Wake 2, and it’s how you’ll collect charms for her charm bracelet. Like Cult Stashes, these puzzles are scattered around Cauldron Lake, Bright Falls, and Watery, and it’s up to you to find the dolls associated with the rhymes so you can solve the puzzle.

In this Alan Wake 2 guide, we’ll tell you how Nursery Rhymes work, where you can find Nursery Rhymes, and how to solve the Nursery Rhymes you find.

Note: This guide is in progress. We’ll add more Nursery Rhymes as we find them.

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How to solve Nursery Rhymes in Alan Wake 2

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

You’ll first come across Nursery Rhymes in Alan Wake 2’s second chapter, after removing the flooding from Cauldron Lake and adventuring into Streamside.

The Nursery Rhymes appear as chalk drawings on the ground, which surround a piece of paper that has a rhyme on it. To solve the puzzle, you’ll need to find dolls that represent the central characters of the rhyme and place them in locations based on what happens in the story.

When you do this correctly, something in the world changes, and a charm (passive skill) for Saga’s charm bracelet appears nearby. Sometimes these rewards appear right next to the Nursery Rhyme location and sometimes you’ll need to follow a trail of darkness to a different area of the map. Some of these Nursery Rhymes also spawn enemies once you solve them, so be careful.

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Cauldron Lake Nursery Rhymes

There are five total Nursery Rhymes in Cauldron Lake, but you can only get three on your first adventure through the area. You’ll need to return to find the other two later in the game.

Private Cabin Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

The first nursery rhyme is the most complex — at least of the initial three in this flooded area. You can find it just outside the Private Cabin, which becomes a safe area once you turn the nearby generator on.

To solve the rhyme, you’ll need three dolls: Crow, Wolf, and Hero. You can pick up Crow next to the Private Cabin nearby, on a bench. Both Wolf and Hero are upstairs in the Witchfinder’s Station, so head there first and grab them. (You can also skip to the Witchfinder Station rhyme first and complete it, as there’s no reason to do them in the order you find them).

Once you have the correct dolls, it’s time to solve the rhyme:

A mother-Crow sits in her nest

Guarding her babies, doing her best

To protect her home from the Beast coming to feast

But only a Hero brave of heart can keep the two apart

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Place the Crow doll on the baby chick in its egg, place the Hero doll on the big heart, and place the Wolf doll on the house.

When you solve the rhyme, the bird house by the lake just down the ramp from the private cabin will fall down. Walk up to it and grab the Kalevala Knights Charm, which improves hand flares. But be prepared, as solving this riddle spawns a wolf to fight in the area.

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Witchfinder’s Station Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

This rhyme is just outside the door to Witchfinder’s Station, which you’ll find on your map in the northern part of the flooded area.

To solve this riddle, you’ll need the Wolf doll and the Hero doll, both of which are upstairs in the nearby house. Grab them and then study this riddle:

The Hero brave and strong left home to right a wrong

From the woods came the Wolf so greedy and hungry

That he ate what he found in the house without a host

The Hero returned to find she’d lost the thing she loved most

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

To solve the riddle, place the Wolf on the tree and the Hero on the boat. This spawns wolf tracks leading into the house. Follow them but don’t stress, as this rhyme doesn’t spawn a wolf for you to fight like the first one does (or like you might imagine it might). Follow the tracks to the playpen upstairs and pick up the Coffee Mug Charm, which will save your life if you die, but shatters the charm in the process.

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Streamside Picnic Area Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

This rhyme is west of the Private Cabin and southwest of Witchfinder Station. You’ll find it in the picnic table section on the map. Make sure you have the Crow doll with you, which you can pick up from the Private Cabin.

Here’s the rhyme you need to solve:

One bird for light

Two for darkness

Three birds for a fight

Four for a struggle

Five birds for injury

Six for misery

Seven for the ending, whatever it may be

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Take the Crow doll and just drop it on the sun. This will instantly solve the rhyme and spawn the Hammer Charm on a nearby picnic table — which improves your ability to stun Taken.

Be warned: when we finished this rhyme, it spawned three Taken enemies in the area, two by the streetlamp leading to the private cabin, and one by the bridge.

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Watery Nursery Rhymes

There are eight Nursery Rhymes in Watery, and you can get most of them on your first adventure through the area. You need to come back for others once you’ve collected some other key items.

North of Downtown Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

This Nursery Rhyme is just north of downtown Watery, once you’re set on your path toward Coffee World. After you fight the Taken Thrower, head into the open area and take your first right. Follow the path back toward downtown, this time on an elevated ridge, and you’ll find a small clearing with the Nursery Rhyme. Before you do anything else, grab the Moose Doll and the Deer Doll nearby. Once you have them, approach the chalk circle.

Here’s the rhyme you’ll need to solve:

The Gentle Beast with a beautiful crown

Runs through the woods with a worried frown

From the Hunter he flees between the mighty trees

To make it out alive

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

All you need to do here is place the Moose Doll on the tree. As soon as you do that, you’ll solve the Rhyme and notice a giant carved moose statue back along the way you came. Head up to the moose and grab another Mug Charm Charm (saves you from one death) off the ground.

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Radio Tower Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Head to the area marked “Radio Tower” on your map, right beyond the Watery safehouse north of downtown and the Crossbow Cult Stash. Once you reach the radio tower, head to the southernmost ridge that overlooks the safe room and you’ll find another Nursery Rhyme. To solve this one, you’ll need the Deer Doll, which is back at the first Watery rhyme.

Here is the rhyme you’ll need to solve:

Three little Deers ventured to roam

And found a nice place to eat and play

One little Deer never came home

And two of the deers cried all day

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Place the Deer Doll on the house and you complete the rhyme. However, this will spawn two Taken Wolves in the area. You need to be very careful around these guys, as they’re fast, hard to track, and hit hard. Take them down and then make for the street lamp further into the radio tower area. Take out the other Taken here and then look east of the radio tower for a deer carcass. Walk up to the dead deer and grab the Deer Charm, which increases your resilience against being staggered or interrupted.

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Lighthouse Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Head to the Watery Lighthouse area on your map, which is south of Coffee World. Take out the Taken swarming the area when you arrive, and head to the Lighthouse itself before heading over to the peak (which is where the Nursery Rhyme is waiting). The Lighthouse door is locked, but you need to grab the Trickster, Mother, and Wise Old Man Dolls off the stoop before moving on.

With your new dolls in hand, walk up to the rhyme. Here’s what you’ll need to solve:

An old Watcher of the Sea before his demise

Cursed the waters that ruined his eyes

So he played a trick on the Ocean deep

The waves to fight and havoc to wreak

And in doing that wrong lost his soul’s song

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

This one is a little tricky based on the clue alone. Place the Wise Old Man on the eye and the Trickster on the waves/ocean. This will solve the riddle and send you on a long trek for the charm.

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

For this charm, you need to head all the way back down toward downtown, back to the road. Solving the riddle will spawn at least one Taken on the road, so be careful. Head down to the street and hang a right toward the water just before the bridge. Some debris that was blocking the area is no longer there, allowing you to get into the waves. Head inside and grab the Lighthouse Charm off the rock, which increases the amount of health you get back while in a Safe Haven.

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Trailer park dock Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Once you’ve conquered the Overlap in Watery and the flooding has gone down, head back to the trailer park and keep going toward the water. You’ll see a shack/station for cleaning fish off to the left and a dock straight ahead. Head to the fish station first to collect the Bear Doll. Then walk onto the dock and grab the Child Doll sitting on the bench. With both dolls in hand, walk forward along the dock and hang left.

Once you reach the Nursery Rhyme, you’ll need to solve this riddle:

The Old Fisherman had great luck

His catch at Sea was beyond belief

But the Hungry Guest found relief

In the Fisherman’s bountiful truck

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Place the Wise Old Man Doll on the waves and place the Bear Doll on the candy. This will solve the riddle and spawn some Taken in the trailer park. Head back to the fish station to grab the Coffee World charm, which increases the quantity and quality of any resources you find.

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Latte Lagoon dock Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Once the flooding has gone down in Watery, head back into Coffee World to the Latte Lagoon dock on the map — just north of the Fair Trade Fun Zone. You’ll need the Deer, Moose, and Trickster Dolls, which you can get from the Nursery Rhyme north of downtown and the Lighthouse rhyme.

Head out onto the dock by the bumper boats and you’ll find this riddle:

A Devil with a prize, lured the animals two

To his boat all shiny and new

Who would float and who would sink?

Asked the Devil with a wink

The Moose went splash, the Deer sailed on

But which one of them was therefore gone?

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Place the Deer Doll on the boat, the Moose Doll in the water/waves, and the Trickster Doll on the prize/jewels.

This will cause one of the bumper boats to capsize, allowing the one with the charm on it to float to the nearby dock. Grab it to acquire the Mr. Drippy charm, which increases your damage when you also have low health.

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Ranger Cabin Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Head to the Ranger Cabin area on the western part of the map once you’ve lowered the flooding in Watery. First you’ll need to take down the Taken Wolves in the area. Then go inside from the back and head upstairs into the bedroom. Grab the Maiden Doll and the Monster Doll on the dresser, then head back to the backyard of the cabin.

You’ll see the Nursery Rhyme sitting on the ground. Here’s the riddle you’ll need to solve:

A young Woman eager and smart

Ventured into the woods, the beasts’ lair

The King of the Forest stole her heart

And together they now live, without a care

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Place the Maiden Doll on the tree and the Bear Doll on the heart.

This will solve the riddle and spawn a trail of ooze leading back up to the bedroom. Follow it to get the FBC charm, which increases your damage when enemies don’t know where you are.

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Downtown Watery Nursery Rhyme solution

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

You can get to this Nursery Rhyme as soon as you’ve collected the screwdriver from Coffee World, but it makes more sense to wait until you’re on your way out of town. Head into the area marked “Downtown Watery” on your map and go to the trailer north of the Suomi Hall. Use your screwdriver to pop the lock off and head inside. Make sure to read all the documents from the FBC in here, as they’re both very interesting and will give you more items to place on your case board.

You need the Trickster and Maiden Dolls here, which you can collect from the Lighthouse and Ranger Cabin.

Head to the room on the left side of the trailer once you walk in the door. Here’s the rhyme you’ll need to solve:

There once was a faithful Girl

At home she stayed and there she prayed

For her Lover to return

But he collected fair maidens just as he did

Their stolen riches and broken hearts

Image: Remedy Entertainment/Epic Games Publishing via Polygon

Place the Maiden Doll on the house and the Trickster Doll on the jewelry.

This will solve the riddle and create a trail leading back outside. Grab another Coffee Mug (saves you from a death) charm out of the mailbox.

This rhyme is one of the few that doesn’t spawn any Taken for you to fight, as the town isn’t a combat zone.

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More Nursery Rhymes coming soon!

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• Source: https://www.polygon.com/guides/23935291/alan-wake-2-nursery-rhyme-locations-solutions