Silent Hill f – Shrine Vault Ema Boards Puzzle Solution (All Difficulties)

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If you found the Altar puzzle strange in Silent Hill f, the Shrine Vault Ema Boards puzzle will really challenge you. It requires you to search for wooden prayer plaques and then align symbols on those plaques with the dials on the vault.

While it seems straightforward, the amount of Emas you need changes based on the difficulty level you choose. And on Lost in the Fog, you’ll encounter entirely new symbols and places to search. Completing this challenge earns you the Stone Key, which allows you to continue your journey and return to the Ebisugaoka fields.

Let’s break it down step by step for each mode.

Shrine Vault Ema Boards Puzzle Solution (All Difficulties)

When you approach the shrine on the Dark Shrine Path for the first time, a journal entry will appear. This entry contains clues about the Emas you need to find. Once you’ve located them, interact with the correct ones to uncover hidden symbols, and then use those symbols to unlock the vault.

There’s a problem, though: the vault’s padlock is missing a dial. You’ll need it to solve the puzzle. Luckily, the dial is always hidden near one of the Ema boards you need to find.

Now let’s go difficulty by difficulty.

Just so you know, the locations of the Emas will be different each time you play – they’re completely random! The specific Emas you need to find will depend on the difficulty level you choose, and the codes to unlock them will also change with each new game.

Story Mode Solution: Flip over Crane → Serpent → Tortoise

In Story Mode, the journal clues point you toward three familiar creatures:

  • Crane
  • Serpent
  • Tortoise

Where to find them:

  • Crane Ema → Southern area of the map. Flip it to reveal the first vault symbol. The missing dial is also tucked behind this board.
  • Serpent Ema → Western side of the map. Flip for the second symbol.
  • Tortoise Ema → Just north of the Serpent location. Flip for the final vault symbol.

Dial order solution (Top → Middle → Bottom):

  • Top: Crane
  • Middle: Serpent
  • Bottom: Tortoise

Easy enough once you know the spots.

Hard Mode Solution: Flip over Lightning → Decayed Tree → Kudzu

Hard Mode swaps the animals for more abstract, plant-like motifs:

  • Lightning
  • Decayed Tree
  • Kudzu

Where to find them:

  • Lightning Ema → Far west of the map. Flip to reveal the first vault symbol.
  • Decayed Tree Ema → Southern map area. Flip for the second vault symbol.
  • Kudzu Ema → Northwest area of the map. Flip for the last vault symbol.

Tip: The Kudzu Ema also hides the missing dial you need to finish the puzzle. Don’t forget to grab it.

Dial order solution (Top → Middle → Bottom):

  • Top: Lightning
  • Middle: Decayed Tree
  • Bottom: Kudzu

This version takes a bit longer since the Emas are more spread out.

Lost in the Fog Mode Solution: Yokai of the Carriage → Umbrella → Kettle

In the game *Lost in the Fog*, the mystery deepens. Rather than searching for creatures or vegetation, you’ll be investigating a strange set of three symbols.

  • Yokai of the Carriage
  • Umbrella
  • Kettle

Unlike the Story or Hard difficulties, these items appear in random places, so you’ll need to thoroughly search the area. Don’t forget to turn each one over to show the vault symbol, and then place them in this specific order:

Dial order solution (Top → Middle → Bottom):

  • Top: Yokai of the Carriage
  • Middle: Umbrella
  • Bottom: Kettle

This is the most confusing version, since nothing is where you “expect” it to be.

Okay, so I figured out the Lost in the Fog puzzle! It’s all about counting parts. The Carriage has two heads, which matches the second symbol in the journal. Then, the Umbrella has four arms, so that’s the fourth symbol. And finally, the Kettle has three legs, making it the third symbol. It’s pretty clever when you think about it!

Wrap-up

The Ema Boards puzzle in the Shrine Vault requires patience, referencing your journal, and remembering which tiles you’ve already revealed. The difficulty scales with the mode: Story Mode features easy-to-identify creatures, Hard Mode introduces more challenging plant designs, and Lost in the Fog removes all hints, offering a truly difficult experience.

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2025-09-24 16:08