At the very beginning of Hell Is Us, you'll find yourself in Senedra Forest, and after speaking with Ernest Caddell and following the wind chimes, you'll find yourself at the entrance of some ruins that house the APC Key you're looking for. After getting the medkit for the soldier, he'll then tell you that you'll need to use the mechanism above the entrance to open the door, but that's not the only doorway puzzle you'll need to solve along the way. In this guide, I'll explain how to open all doors in the Senedra Forest ruins in Hell Is Us, including the one that requires two medallions so that you can uncover all their secrets.
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How to Open the Ruins Entrance Door in Hell Is Us
The ruins' entrance door is opened by solving a combination puzzle found directly above the entrance itself. You can access it by using the ladder just by where the wounded soldier is sitting. Once you're up there, you'll find a large ruined building. Before you head inside, make note of the stone tablet propped up by the wall, which has a pickaxe on it.
Now head inside the building to find a stone plinth to the left of three alcoves. Place the Ancient Mechanism here, and three pillars will rise from the ground with different symbols on them. Behind these pillars, you'll find two more stone tablets, which give you the combination. The pickaxe tablet we found before has fallen off the end, so the correct combination to open the ruins entrance is: crown, eye, pickaxe.
The first symbol is difficult to describe in words, so use the screenshot above to correctly set the first stone pillar's symbol to match it.
How to Solve the Ruins Riddle Door in Hell Is Us
After a cutscene and your first taste of Hell Is Us' combat, you'll then need to get past a large door with three more symbols you'll need to place in the correct order to unlock. This time, the symbols come in the form of passages of an unknown language in a room off to the right of the locked door.
For those looking to save some time, the correct order is: Tower, Twin-Headed Serpent, Fires of Hell. I've included a screenshot of the symbols above to ensure you get the correct ones again.
It's worth noting that exploring the various rooms to the right of the locked door is worthwhile, even if you know the solution. You can find some useful items tucked away, but beware of enemies lurking around corners and in rooms, too.
Where to Find the Ram Head Medallions for the Ruins Locked Door in Hell Is Us
After you've picked up the twin axes from the corpse on the floor, you'll come across a door on your left with a slot for a medallion on either side. This requires you to find two ram head medallions. I've included where you can find each of these below:
- After you've passed the door and gone through the rooms with the piles of clothes in the alcoves, beat two enemies in a corridor and head through the door. Look for a yellow glowing item on the floor to your left in this room (but watch out for the two enemies). This is the first of the two medallions.
- After you've exited the ruins and navigated the trenches. Run straight past an overturned truck to find a corpse next to a yellow light. A yellow glint will be on the body, which, along with a note, grants you the second medallion.
Take both of the medallions and place them in the slots on either side of the door in the ruins. As soon as the door opens, an enemy will charge you so be prepared to block or parry their attack. Inside, you'll get the 'Journal - Queen's Decree' item and a 'Glyph - Recoil.' Opening the door will also solve the 'Secrets of the Ram' mystery.
You can also complete the 'Caddell Family Treasure' mystery in Senedra Forest if you find the red and blue boulders hinted at in the clue. There's also the Golden Watch Good Deed you can complete easily in this first region.
How to Open the Flame Symbol Door in Hell Is Us
One of the final doors you'll find in the Senedra Forest ruins is once you've exited the ruins themselves and find yourself navigating the trenches. Follow the trenches to the exit to your left, and then use the planks to make your way across the top of the trenches over to the right-hand side instead. On this side, near the wall that houses the ruins, you'll find another stairway that leads to another room within the ruins.
Here, you'll come across a door with a Flame medallion-shaped hole. To find this, you'll need to go to Talju and look for the two-story apartment complex near the playground. You'll know you're in the right place when you find a woman named Charlotte who gives you a Walkie Talkie. In the room just past her, you'll find a yellow glint, which is the Flame symbol medallion.
Return to the room in the Senedra Forest ruins before you pick up the third Keystone and you'll be able to let them out before they die.
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
