Alan Wake 2: Cauldron Lake Nursery Rhymes Locations and Solutions

Saga’s case board has a section dedicated to Nursery Rhymes, which are mysterious yet powerful puzzles that reward you with useful charms. Here are all the locations and solutions of Nursery Rhyme puzzles at Cauldron Lake in Alan Wake 2.

How to Find and Solve All Cauldron Lake Nursery Rhymes Puzzles in AW2

Solving these rhyme puzzles requires wooden dolls that correspond to characters in the poems. Placing them on the correct symbol will yield a charm that Saga can equip to her charm bracelet via the inventory screen. Cauldron Lake has a total of four Nursery Rhymes: two at Witchfinder’s Station, one at Streamside, and one at the Rental Cabins. 

You can often find the dolls needed right near the puzzle. However, more difficult ones down the line will have some dolls placed further away, so keep your eyes peeled. Be sure to always return the dolls back to your inventory after completing a puzzle, as you’ll need them later on. 

Streamside Nursery Rhyme

Doll: Crow

Reward: Hammer Charm — Attacks stagger enemies more often.

Explore the previously flooded area after dealing with Nightingale. You’ll come across this puzzle after crossing the Streamside bridge, located on the northwest quarter of the map. This is the first Nursery Rhyme I came across during my playthrough, and its limerick simply hints at birds being the answer.

A wooden Crow Doll is on the picnic table next to the puzzle. Pick it up and place it on the sun symbol. After a strange flash of darkness, Saga will note that something has changed. Look back at the picnic table and pick up the Hammer Charm that appeared. 

Witchfinder’s Station Nursery Rhyme 1

Dolls: Hero, Wolf

Reward: Coffee Mug Charm — Saves you from death but shatters in the process.

Head up to the Witchfinder’s Station Cabin, and right outside, you’ll find a Nursery Rhyme. This one details how a hero didn’t keep what he loves safe from a greedy wolf. Go inside the cabin, up the stairs, and to the room on the right. There, you’ll find the Hero Doll on the floor and the Wolf Doll on a box.

Return to the puzzle outside. Place the Hero on the boat symbol and the Wolf on the tree symbol. Afterwards, a black trail will appear. Follow it into the cabin and upstairs to the room on the right again. Inside the playpen is a Coffee Mug Charm.

Witchfinder’s Station Nursery Rhyme 2

Dolls: Crow, Hero, Wolf

Reward: Kalevala Knights Charm — Increases Hand Flare’s duration and area of effect.

South of the Witchfinder’s Station is one of Cauldron Lake’s break rooms, marked as a “Private Cabin” on your map. See the circled location on the map above for its precise location. Right outside the cabin is the second Witchfinder’s Station Nursery Rhyme. This poem details the tale of a mother crow guarding her babies from a beast, and a hero bravely steps in to save the day. 

If you’ve completed the previous two puzzles, you already have the dolls you need to complete this rhyme. Place the Crow Doll on the baby chick symbol, the Hero on the heart, and the Wolf on the house. A dark trail appears, leading you to the neighboring forest. Follow it until you reach the Kalevala Knights Charm. However, be wary. I had to fight a wolf on the way to the charm. It’s important to know that sometimes Nursery Rhymes will bring forth foes alongside rewards. 

Cauldron Lake Rental Cabins Nursery Rhyme

Dolls: Hero, Monster, Crow

Reward: Coffee Mug Charm — Saves you from death but shatters in the process.

The Cauldron Lake Rental Cabins are locked behind a gate. You’ll need bolt cutters to access the area. Once you get in, you can find the last Nursery Rhyme in Cabin 4. Follow these steps to get there:

• Enter Cabin 3.
• Exit out the back door and take a left.
• Duck under the tree branch.
• Open the last backdoor to your left and enter the cabin.
• Exit out the front door and head left to Cabin 4. 
• Go inside. The Nursery Rhyme is right in the entryway. 

This rhyme discusses a monster, a hero, multiple crows, and a reward. If you’ve been completing puzzles in other areas up to this point, you should have the Monster Doll in your inventory already. If so, place it on the baby chick symbol. The Crow Doll sits on the eye symbol while the Hero belongs on the jewelry. Afterwards, the Coffee Mug Charm appears in Cabin 6, which is directly across from Cabin 4. 

That covers all Cauldron Lake Nursery Rhyme locations and solutions in Alan Wake 2. For more tips like how to open containers and where to get the crossbow, take a gander at our AW2 guides hub.