While largely side content, the Lymbic Chests you find in the world of Hell Is Us contain items that will come in particularly useful, such as Glyphs, Runes, and Amine Prisms to name but a few. These aren't simply a case of cracking them open with any old key, though. You'll need to find different Lymbic Rods to open them. However, if you've come across one of these chests and received the message 'The rods were pushed out,' you may be wondering what you did wrong. In this guide, I'll explain how to solve Lymbic Chest rod puzzles in Hell Is Us, and why you're getting that message despite thinking you've got the right rods for the job.
Hell is Us Dev Talks Creating a Gritty World of Emotions
The Best War Games speaks with Hell is Us creative director/art director Jonathan Jacques-Belletête about its dark, gritty world focused on emotions.
How Do Lymbic Chest Rod Puzzles Work in Hell Is Us?
Put the Rods in the Slots
In premise, these puzzles are simple. All you need to do is place Lymbic Rods that you find scattered throughout the world into the corresponding slot on the chest. Each chest typically has three slots. Some of these slots may already be filled in for you, while others will require you to find and place all three rods into the slots.
There are different colors and symbols on Lymbic Rods, and this is where most people get confused in Hell Is Us. While they may have the correct symbol on the Lymbic Rod to match the one next to the slot on the Lymbic Chest, they do not match the color.
When this happens, the chest will fail to open, and instead, you'll receive the 'The rods were pushed out' message instead.
How to Check Lymbic Chest Rod Color and Symbol in Hell Is Us
The easiest way to make sure you've got the correct Lymbic Rods to fit into each slot is to look at the symbols in the upper left and lower right corners of each rod in your inventory when you interact with the chest itself.
The symbol in the bottom right corner needs to match the symbol above where the slots are at the top of the chest or other container. The symbol in the upper left corner needs to match the one on either side of where you'll place a Lymbic Rod. I've color-coded these in the example above.
The color of each Lymbic Rod can also be used to ascertain whether it'll work, as the symbol at the top of the puzzle will be the same color as the end of the rods that will work in the puzzle.
As long as the symbols and color or 'type' of rods match those on the Lymbic Chest, it should open, and you'll receive your reward. This will likely be a Glyph, Lymbic Battery, piece of defensive gear, or other useful item to help you progress through the storyline.
How to Get More Lymbic Rods in Hell Is Us
Lymbic Rods can typically be found by interacting with any yellow or gold glint in the environment as you're exploring the world. These can be found hidden away in secret areas, or in plain sight. I highly recommend just exploring the world as much as you can and completing 'Mysteries' and 'Good Deeds' (read: side quests), and you'll likely find yourself collecting plenty of these as you make your way through the game.
It's worth noting that the Lymbic Rods you need aren't always going to be close to the chest that requires them. As such, it's worth making a note of the location of Lymbic Chests you come across and what rods they require so you can revisit them at a later date.
You don't have to open Lymbic Chests to beat the game. Their contents can be useful in making your adventure easier, or for closing the Timeloops dotted around the world, but you can reach the end of the story without opening many of them.
Hell Is Us
-
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
