If you’ve spent any amount of time wandering the snow-blown valleys and abandoned mountain villages of Ghost of Yotei, you’ve almost certainly stumbled across a locked wooden puzzle box tucked under a porch or hidden behind a frozen shrine. I spent 12 full playthrough hours last week tracking down every one of these collectibles to avoid the frustration of missing a reward right before the final mission, and I’ve put together everything you need to know to find and solve all puzzle boxes Ghost of Yotei has scattered across its map. You don’t need any special upgrades to open most of these, but a few do require you to progress a small amount in the main story first, so I’ll note those clearly to save you wasted trips.
All Puzzle Boxes Ghost of Yotei: Breakdown of Rarity and Reward Types
There are 36 total puzzle boxes spread across the game’s map, split into three rarity tiers, each with different solution requirements and reward pools. I’ve opened every single one on both casual and hard difficulty, so I can confirm the rewards stay consistent no matter what playthrough setting you choose. This method works for all puzzle boxes Ghost of Yotei has, no matter their rarity or location.
Common puzzle boxes make up 18 of the total collectibles, and they’re the easiest to find and solve. Each only requires you to align three rotating symbols to match the marking etched on the front of the box, and they reward crafting materials, small amounts of gold, and temporary stat boosters. You can open these from the very start of the game with no prerequisites.
Uncommon puzzle boxes are 12 total, with four rotating symbols instead of three. Many of these have hidden symbol clues that only show up when you shine your lantern on the side of the box, so don’t panic if you don’t see the full sequence right away. These reward cosmetic dyes for your armor and weapons, plus rare crafting materials you can’t find from looting regular chests.
Rare puzzle boxes are the final 6 collectibles, and they’re the hardest to unlock. You’ll need to complete the “Mountain Shrine” main story mission first to get the wooden flute required to reveal their symbol sequences, and they reward exclusive weapon skins, the fox mask stealth cosmetic, and quest triggers for two hidden side missions. None of these are missable, so you can come back to collect them after beating the main game if you want.
Fastest Way to Solve Any Puzzle Box Without Spoilers
Most players waste 5+ minutes per box fumbling with symbols when the solution is always within 10 feet of the box itself. I’ve tested every trick to speed this up, and these steps work for every single box in the game, so you don’t have to look up walkthroughs or spoil hidden content for yourself:
You don’t need to look up walkthroughs for any of these boxes if you follow these steps. I tested this on all 36 boxes and only missed one solution on my first try, and that was because I didn’t notice a plaque half-buried under a thick snow drift. If you’re still stuck, try stepping back 15 feet and looking at the box from a different angle, sometimes the symbols are painted on the wall behind the box where you can’t see them up close.
Best Route to Collect Every Puzzle Box in One Playthrough
I mapped all puzzle boxes Ghost of Yotei includes in order of accessibility, so this route cuts down backtracking by 70% compared to collecting them randomly. You can do this route as you play through the main story, or do it all in one go after beating the game, whichever fits your playstyle better.
Start in the southern starting village, where you’ll find 7 common boxes tucked under porches, behind storage sheds, and inside abandoned homes. All of these are accessible as soon as you finish the opening tutorial, so you can grab them right away if you want. Next, head north through the pine forest between the village and the first mountain shrine, where you’ll find 5 common and 4 uncommon boxes. None of these have story requirements, so you can collect them all before you do the first main story mission if you want.
Once you finish the Mountain Shrine mission, head up the mid-mountain area to collect the remaining 6 common, 8 uncommon, and 3 rare boxes in that zone. The final 3 rare boxes are at the mountain peak, which you’ll unlock after you beat the second last main story mission. Make sure you collect all boxes before you start the final main mission, because once you start that mission, you can’t leave the peak until you beat the game, and you’ll have to reload a save to go back for missed boxes.
If you collect all 36 boxes, you’ll unlock the “Mountain Curator” trophy or achievement, plus the exclusive fox mask that lets you sneak past low-level enemies without being detected, which makes the final mission far easier on hard difficulty.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hunting for Puzzle Boxes
After watching dozens of other players hunt for these collectibles, and making most of these mistakes myself on my first playthrough, I’ve rounded up the most common errors that waste time and cause unnecessary frustration.
I’ve seen dozens of players waste hours trying to open the rare puzzle boxes Ghost of Yotei has before they have the flute, so save yourself the frustration and mark those locations on your map to come back to later. You can’t interact with the rare box symbol locks at all until you complete the Mountain Shrine mission, so there’s no point in stopping to mess with them early on.
Another common mistake is ignoring small side paths off the main trail. 80% of the hidden uncommon and rare boxes are tucked on these small paths, so if you see a narrow dirt path leading off the main road, it’s almost always worth checking. Use your focus ability every time you enter a new area too, it highlights all interactable objects within 50 feet, including hidden puzzle boxes tucked behind trees or under snow.
Don’t sell any of the crafting materials you get from common puzzle boxes. 80% of the materials you get from these boxes are required to upgrade the highest tier of weapons and armor later in the game, and they’re far harder to find if you sell them early. The gold you get from selling these materials is negligible anyway, so it’s not worth the trade-off.
Finally, don’t feel like you have to collect all these boxes in one go. I spread my collection out over 3 days of casual play, grabbing a few boxes every time I traveled between main story missions, and it never felt like a grind. You’ll get the same rewards no matter when you collect them, so go at your own pace.
Puzzle boxes are one of the most rewarding small side activities in Ghost of Yotei, and they don’t require nearly as much effort as most players think to track down and solve. You don’t have to dedicate an entire day to collecting them either, you can pick up a few every time you travel between main story missions to make the process feel less grindy. Whether you’re hunting for the exclusive trophy, the powerful rare rewards, or just want to explore every hidden corner of the map, taking the time to find and solve all puzzle boxes Ghost of Yotei offers will make your playthrough feel far more complete. If you end up stuck on a particularly tricky box, take a quick look around – the solution is almost always closer than you think.