The storyline in Hell Is Us will eventually bring you to Lake Cynon, filled with lush meadows of blue flowers and some picturesque views. However, nestled among the beauty, you'll also find a puzzle involving five pillars, each with a different symbol on it. The problem is, it's not immediately clear which order you need to hit the pillars, but with some exploring and a helping hand, it's possible to figure out the correct solution. For those looking for a quick and easy answer, or some advice on how to solve the Lake Cynon pillar puzzle in Hell Is Us for yourself, I'll explain everything in this guide.
Hell is Us' Healing Pulse is a Natural Evolution for Soulslike Combat
Hell is Us takes a little inspiration from the Soulslike genre, and it can be felt most when experiencing the game's healing surge.
After you've opened Pentos Algea's tomb in the Watcher's Nest, you'll find the 'Blue Flower Scroll.' This gives you a hint of where you need to go next and what you're looking for when you get there. I asked Erroll Caddell (the old man at the beginning of the game) about the blue flowers, and he pointed me in the direction of Lake Cynon, if you're struggling to figure out who to ask about them.
If you've not yet done so, you can quickly complete the Golden Watch Good Deed, and Caddell Family Treasure Mystery when you return to Senedra Forest at this point.
Lake Cynon Pillar Puzzle Solution in Hell Is Us
Once you reach Lake Cynon, look for the pool of water surrounded by the five pillars. It's over to your left as you enter the area. There are four pillars along the edge of the pool of water, and one up on a hill to the right as you're looking at it. An orange-topped post at the front of the pool has one symbol on it, but the other slots are missing. To solve the puzzle, you need to look for the other orange posts in the surrounding area and then hit the stone pillars in the order that their symbols are shown.
For those looking for the answer and nothing more, the stone pillars need to be hit in the following order: Crown, Water Drop, Key, Star, Cup.
The order starts with the symbol at the very top of the posts and works down to the bottom. Don't be fooled by the first post at the front of the pool, and do what I did the first time and start with the bottom symbol.
How to Find the Stone Pillar Symbol Order
The symbol posts can be found in the following locations around the pool of water in Lake Cynon:
- Symbol Post 1: Right in front of the pool itself. This gives us the final stone pillar we need to hit, the cup.
- Symbol Post 2: Head up the stairs to the right of the pool. It's next to a picnic bench and has the second stone pillar's symbol, the water drop.
- Symbol Post 3: Go up the hill from the second post and take the second left to find a broken symbol post. The other half of it on the floor doesn't contain the symbol either, so we need to use the remaining posts to figure out the missing pillar symbol.
- Symbol Post 4: Take the path that leads behind the third post and continue following it around until you see the fourth in a similar spot on the other side of the gap from the third post. This one is also lying down, but face up. Take the path down to it to get the fourth pillar symbol, the star.
- Symbol Post 5: When facing the pool of water, take the path around the left and past where the fourth symbol post was. Continue left and look for the final symbol post on a small rocky hill to your left, which reveals the first pillar symbol, the crown.
Once you've hit the stone pillars in the correct order, a circular secret compartment will reveal itself, and a gear will appear on the back side of the pool. Take the small gear from the secret compartment and place it in the mechanism to cause the pool of water to drain, leading the way forward for your adventure.
Hell Is Us
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 79%
- Released
- September 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Rogue Factor
- Publisher(s)
- Nacon
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action, Adventure, Open-World
