How puzzles work: the Minoan Sphere
The stolen Minoan Sphere is the game's puzzle engine. It lets Sophia manipulate light: refract beams, aim coloured light at gems, bounce light off mirrors and open timed gates. Most puzzles are a route-finding problem in disguise: trace where the beam starts, where it needs to land and what is blocking the path.
The confirmed puzzle families are sphere beam routes, rotating mirrors, timed gates, symbol pedestals, traps and statue graves. When in doubt, reverse the beam: stand at the receiver and work back to the source.
All 6 Hero Grave puzzles
Blades are hidden in Hero Graves, puzzle tombs that release a sword when solved. The first two Blades (Rusty Sword in Chapter 1, Falchion in Chapter 2) are automatic story unlocks; the other six all sit behind these graves:
| Blade | Chapter | Location | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kopis | Chapter 4 | The skull statue tomb after the spike-trap room | Cross the spike room with Leni's light, then open the tomb under the skull statue in the next chamber and take the sword from the chest. |
| Greek Sword | Chapter 5 | The bull pillar area in the ruins camp | Take the southwest trial path to the light puzzle room, use the sphere to hit the three coloured gems with matching beams, and the tomb opens. |
| Sica | Chapter 6 | The chamber past the third trial door, turn left | Take Daedalus' key to open the door, climb the second lit platform on the left, then beam two colours straight and bounce the third off a small mirror. |
| Khopesh | Chapter 7 | The white pillar battlefield, near the giant skull | Squeeze through the gap into the open area, turn left, stand on the metal disc by the skull and align three beams to the matching orbs. |
| Broken Spear | Chapter 9 | Past the beast eating a soldier, two unquenchable braziers | Watch the beast eat the fleeing soldier, then turn left to the two braziers that cannot be put out. The tomb is there and the beast cannot follow. |
| Xiphos | Chapter 10 | The small cave on the stream's left bank, climb point at the top | Walk the stream's left bank, enter the cave, grapple up, then activate the sun mechanism, break the vase to reveal the blue orb and align the beams on the opposite platform. |
The Xiphos tomb is the most involved because it needs the sun mechanism, the hidden blue orb and the beam alignment. The Broken Spear tomb is the easiest: no sphere work at all, just the braziers the beast will not enter.
Chapter setpiece puzzles
Beyond the graves, each major chapter adds a setpiece built around the same light logic. Exact step-by-step solutions are not fully published for all of them, so this table gives the confirmed shape:
| Chapter | Setpiece | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Chapter 4 | Spike trap and light path | Puzzles and Traps: Leni reveals the hidden path with mirror light through the spike room. |
| Chapter 5 | The Four Symbols | Four pedestals, symbol selection and the coloured beam puzzle chain that leads to the Greek Sword. |
| Chapter 6 | Minoan Machinery | The machinery and the Sica prism puzzle under the skull statue. |
| Chapter 10 | Daedalus' Workshop and The Test Trial | The lens puzzles across the stream, including the Xiphos tomb, and the Light Concentrate test. |
| Chapter 11 | The Last Lens | The final lens alignment in the factory and mines. |
| Chapter 13 | The Labyrinth and Illusions | The maze, the light-beam reflector chains and the illusions before the Minotaur. |
Chapter 4 has the highest puzzle density: six puzzles by gamingpromax's count, including the spike trap, two symbol pedestals, the mirror reflection and the Minotaur arena finale. The full Chapter 4 solutions are on thechapter walkthrough page.
Puzzle types reference
- Sphere beam routes: aim a beam from the sphere to a receptor, often through gaps or around corners.
- Rotating mirrors: bounce the beam between mirrors until it lands on the coloured receptor.
- Timed gates: hold a plate or align a beam while the gate stays open.
- Symbol pedestals: match symbols in the order shown, sometimes revealed by light.
- Traps: the spike rooms and pressure sequences, usually revealed by Leni's light.
- Statue graves: the Hero Graves themselves, opened by the beam alignment.
Stuck? Common fixes
- The colours will not match: check which gem each beam currently hits, then move the sphere, not the mirror.
- The mirror seems useless: look for a crate to break or a plate to stand on nearby.
- The gate closes too fast: line up the beam first, then step on the plate and rotate last.
- The door will not open: re-read the symbol sequence with Reveal Light; the order matters.
- None of it involves the DLC: the Heritage Pack adds a sword, not new puzzle mechanics.
Puzzles and the Blade hunt
Solving the six graves is the only way to complete Plunderer (all 8 Blades) and Adaptable (one kill with each Blade). The graves are never permanently missable, so a cleanup run through chapter select covers any you skip the first time. The Blade guide lists every sword and perk, and thecollectibles database maps them by chapter.
FAQ
How do puzzles work in Resonance?
Almost everything runs on the Minoan Sphere, which refracts and aims light. You align coloured beams to gems, bounce beams off mirrors and use timed gates, symbols and pressure plates around that core.
How many Blade puzzles are there?
Six Hero Grave puzzles, one per unlockable Blade in Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10. The Chapter 1 and 2 Blades unlock automatically with no puzzle.
Are puzzle rewards missable?
No. Every Hero Grave can be re-solved through chapter select, and the Blades are tracked per chapter.
How many puzzles are in the whole game?
No source publishes a single total. The six Hero Graves are confirmed; chapter setpiece puzzles are counted differently by different guides, so this page lists them by chapter instead of claiming a total.
Sources: PlayStationTrophies — blade guide, allthings.how — collectibles, showgamer — puzzle solutions. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy content and assets remain the property of Asobo Studio and Focus Entertainment.