Deracine Spoiler Free Walkthrough: How To Solve Every Puzzle

Deracine, the debut VR title from Dark Souls developer From Software is out this week. It’s a bizarre little adventure in which you play as a mystical fairie that takes a liking to a group of kids in a boarding school. I absolutely think you should play it, though some of its puzzles are a little on the frustrating side.

With this in mind, here’s our handy spoiler-free guide to the entire story. Take note that, whilst this tells you everything you need to solve each puzzle, Deracine is really about exploring the world and listening to its characters. Make sure to spend a good amount of time simply breathing in each level before consulting this guide if you get really stuck.

Prove To Yuliya That You’re Real

– You’ll find yourself in Classroom 2. Inspect Yuliya to hear her request, then head into the back room. Under a basket on a table in the middle of the room are some grapes. Simply pick these up and then wait for the time to be fully drained from them. After that, head back to Yuliya and grab the flower in her hand. Wait for it to be restored, put it back in her hand and you’ll be able to travel to the next level.

Season The Soup

– You’re now given access to much more of the school. Find Yuliya just outside the kitchen and she’ll talk about wanting to play a game on the kids. You need to season the soup Lornic is cooking by finding five herbs.

– The first is found on Lornic himself. Just grab it from his hand and pour it into the soup.

– Head outside to the inner garden. Take a right out of the door and find the tree near the building. Take a look up and you’ll find Herman dozing on a branch. Warp your way up there, take his hat off, and grab the herbs from underneath.

– Get down from the tree and continue making your way right to the pond. To the right side of the water’s edge you’ll see a silhouette of Herman looking under some decking. Crouch and warp underneath it to find the dog with herbs fitted to his collar. Grab those.

– Back inside, you’ll need to find Nils in Classroom 1. First, swipe his bookmark sitting next to him so that he takes his hand out of his pocket. Once he’s moved, grab his key from the same pocket.

– Finally, you need to make your way to the top of the school. Climb the two flights of stairs to find Rozsa staring at a box in the clocktower. Open the box wiith the key and the two remaining herbs can be found within. Grab each, then head back to the kitchen and pour them all in the soup.

Visit The Headmaster

– Head into the lobby to find Rozsla waiting with a basket. Grab the grass from underneath and watch the scene.

– We need to get rid of that cat. Head through Classroom 1 to find Yuliya on the other side. Give her the grass to distract the cat.

– Before heading to the headmaster’s office, go upstairs one level. Marie can be found in the corridor to the right of the stairs. Grab what she’s carrying and something will fall out. Pick that up.

– Head back down the stairs and to the library at one end. Through a door there you’ll find the headmaster’s office. Fix what he’s holding with the item you picked up before, then pick up the completed item when he offers it.

Get Rozsa To Sleep

– Head upstairs. Lornic and Marie are talking at the top of the first flight. Swipe the candle that Marie is holding behind he back.

– Head into the boy’s dorm. Place the candle next to Nils’ bed, watch the scene and then grab the paper that Herman holds.

– Move over to the girl’s dorm and find Rozsa’s bed. Empty the contents of the paper into the candle next to her bed.

Select A Place To Sit

– Simply head down to Classroom 1, grab the chalk from Herman’s hand and make a selection on the chalkboard. Nils and Marie both have other suggestions, but as far as I can tell it doesn’t make any difference what you select.

Get Into The Music Room

– Find Nils outside Classroom 2. He’s holding a triangle in his right hand which you need, so swipe it. Then grab the case in his right arm and you’ll see something unfold out of the front. Grab that.

– Head up the first flight of stairs and take a right all the way over to the upper chapel. Marie is taking a nap but holds a key. Take it.

– Go up the second flight of stairs to the clock tower and use the key to open the box again. Grab the Birdie Beater from inside.

– Go down to the bottom floor and into the chapel. Rozsa is there with two free hands. In one goes the beater, in the other, the triangle. Give her both and then watch the scene.

– Head back up to the upper chapel and take Marie’s stick.

– There’s an open window in this room. Find it, head outside and along the rooftop to find Lornic and Herman. Use the twist of paper you got from Nils on Lornic’s nose (I don’t know why you need to do this but hey). Finally, hand the stick to Herman.

Fix The Music Box With Cogs

– Make your way back downstairs and into the music hall via the chapel. Before heading into the main room, take a right in the lobby and head up the stairs. Find where Herman and Lornic climbed into the room and find what Lornic is so afraid of. Grab it and take it’s time.

– Head back into the chapel to find Nil’s friend near the altar. Give that object the time you just stored and get a cog as a reward.

– Finally, join the kids in the music room. Herman and Rozsa are talking. Inspect Herman’s case by his feet. It’ll open and he’ll grab the second cog. Take it from him.

– Get on the stage and put both cogs in the music box. Job done.

Find The Kids

– For the first time, the storage door by the first flight of stairs is open. Go through it and travel along the linear path.

– You’ll eventually come to an elevator shaft. Nils has dropped his glasses down it, so make your way down and grab them on top of the elevator.

– Get back up, continue to follow the path until you find the real Nils. Put his glasses back on his head.

Help Herman Make A Distraction

– Lots of story here. Follow the path, don’t miss the turning on the left after seeing Lornic.

– Go around the left of house (don’t worry there’s no fail state) and up the mountain to find Herman.

– For now, make your way past him and down the hill. You’ll find a pile of clothes and a lamp next to them. Grab the candle from within. Return to Herman and light his torch.

Fetch The Blankets

– The door to the house is now open. Head in, go to the back room and grab the blankets.

– Head back into the main room and towards Rozsa and Marie. Watch the scene and then inspect the aftermath.

Return To The School

– A trap door has now opened in the main room. Head down until you reach a familiar scene.

– Retrace your steps and get back to the school. You’ll find Lornic sleeping in Classroom 1. Ring the bell to wake him up and then fulfill his request.

Change The Past

– Go into the lavatory to the left of Classroom 1’s back door. Grab Herman’s hat, grab the key inside and flush it down the toilet. The game will tell you can head back to the present now, but don’t do that just yet.

– Upstairs, Marie has another item hiding between laundry that will drop if you grab it. Take it.

– Head into the library to find Nils in front of the headmaster’s office. Switch the item he’s holding with the one you just got.

– Head into the back garden. Find Yuliya by the river with a flower in one hand. Put it in her other hand.

– You can also head to the chapel and steal Nil’s rat. After doing all of that, head back to the present.

– Still no luck, but this time Lornic is located up the stairs behind a previously locked door in the headmaster’s office. Repeat the same process as before.

– Head back down the stairs and fix the wand with the broken piece found on the table behind the headmaster. Head back in time again.

– This time you’ll find yourself back at the night where you had to put Rozsa to sleep. Go and find her in the girl’s dorm again.

– She’s holding a book you’ll need to take. Doing so reveals a key under her hand. Swipe it.

– Use the key to unlock the door to the back garden downstairs (where Rozsa was looking out at. Lornic is standing in front of the door).

– Head out into the garden and find what’s on the dock by the river. First take its collar then take the ring on its hand.

– Back in the later past (this is getting confusing) you’ll see the ring appear in front of you. Grab it, head upstairs and take a right after the first flight to head to Yuliya’s room. Put the ring on her finger.