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So the big day has finally arrived - after all this work, Thomasina is finally able to start excavating Hob’s Barrow. This is fitting, as this game iscalledThe Excavation of Hob’s Barrow. As we learned in the previous chapter, though, this is not the only excavation of this barrow in history, and there’s something rather mysterious about it.
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Undeterred, this chapter sees Thomasina enter the barrow, finally, and solve many devious puzzles inside. She is filled with determination now, thanks to her personal connection with the barrow.
Making Your Way To The Barrow
After waking up,head downstairs and talk to Stanleyto receive a letter from Leonard, along with a Small Key.Leave the inn, and after the scene,make your way to Mr. Shoulder’s house.
You’ll have to make the trip there manually, asfast travel is disabled.
Pick up the Small Boxin front of Mr. Shoulder’s door.Use the Small Key with it to get Shoulder’s Stone and Mr. Shoulder’s Note. Now,make your way to the barrowvia Mr. Briden’s Farm, which you can access by heading north at the graveyard you passed earlier, in case you forgot.
After the scene with the workmen, you’ll be inside the barrow.Exitit to find that you’ve been abandoned - it looks like you’re exploring the barrow on your own.
Exploring Hob’s Barrow
Examine the pieces of broken pottery and the flowers inside the first room.Use the Trowel on the Flowersto reveal some Boards.Interact with the Rocksto move them out of the way, and thenuse the Trowel on the Boardsto descend further.
On the next screen,continue walking forwards until you reach a cutsceneand end up faced with a large stone door.
How To Solve The Stone Door Puzzle
There aretwo thin, rectangular panelsto the sides of the door.Use the Chisel with the left panelto reveal three slots - examine them to open a close-up view of the slots.
Place the three round stonesinto these slots in this order: The stone withone star marking, the stone withtwo star markings, and then the stone withthree star markings. This will reveal another panel to the right of the door - examine this one to find a set ofbuttons.
Press the following buttonsin this order:I A W A B P A C A Z
Once you’ve done this, the door will open and Thomasina will enter automatically.
How To Solve The Stone Arms Puzzle
The hints that provide the solution to this puzzle and every other puzzle inside the barrow are found inside the Journal.
In this room, the solution lies on the third page: “A planted seed sprouted before our eyes and illuminated our path.”
With that, you must put specific items in the arms against the back wall to open the way forward. The items match the murals on the wall.
Enter the now-open door. Use thePoton theBlack Substancein this hallway.
How To Solve The Spinning Busts Puzzle
Enter the door to the back of the screen on the right. You’ll be in aroom full of bustswith a row of cranks on the back wall.
Firstly,examine the shining object in the mouth of the top-left bustto get aGold Coin. Then,start using the cranks on the wall- each one will rotate one of the busts a single step. Your goal here is torotate each bust until it is facing the larger goat bust in the center.
Once all the outer busts are facing the middle, the middle bust will open, letting you pick up aBust Fragment.
How To Solve The Standing Stone Puzzle
Enter the door to the back of the screen on the left this time.There is a shining object to examine- pick it up to get theSerpent Key. In addition,give the Severed Hand to the cat- it will leave behind aGold Coin, pick it up. Now, return to the corridor.
Enter the door to the left now. Thomasina will describe theVesselat the back of the room as a piggy bank -place your two Gold Coins in there. After this, you canexamine the characters below the vessel, which are now protruding out and can be pressed like buttons.
The hint to this puzzle is also in the Journal - you must identify which characters only appear once andpress them. These would be theΡ, Σ, and Ξ on the first row, and the Θ on the second row. Doing this reveals a compartment with two items to pick up, aPlinth Fragmentand aCoiled Rod.
Now, examine the wheel on the left.Examine the button on the lower left to get an Ouroboros Rod.
With those items placed, interact with the dials until the two arrows are facing the Rods.The inner ring should face the Rod on the upper right, andthe outer ring should face the Rod on the left.
Return to the Standing Stone roomand witness the scene. Pick up theStanding Stone Fragmentfrom the hole.
Head back to the corridor andwalk to the right until you reach a black goat. On the floor is a panel - examine it andplace the three Fragments into the correct slots.
Continue through the door.
How To Solve The Chained Shield Puzzle
In this room, pick up thepagefrom the floor and read it. Then,use your Trowel with the box filled with soilto find a goat skeleton. Interact with it to get the goat’sHorn.
Use the Horn with the Buston the right of the room you’ll have to examine it first to get a close-up view.Interact with both horns twice to make the bust open its mouth. Pick up theHorned Bust Keyinside.
The bust’s right eye is loose. Use yourKnifeto remove it, then pick up theEyeballfrom the ground. Behind the eye was akeyhole.Place the Eyeball inside the niche on the leftto revealtwo recesses. The left one has aTomb Keyinside, and the right recess has akeyhole.
This will reveal alarge hole above the door. The solution to this particular puzzle is toplay the Fiddle you acquired from the girl earlier to play the melody signified by the carving above the door.
Play the Fiddle by using it with the hole. The notes are marked down at the bottom of the Fiddle’s interface - play the following notes:G A D A G. The door will open - enter through it.
How To Solve The Door Puzzle
After the scenes, walk through thedoor underneath the Moon symbol. In the flashback, walk all the way to the left.
In the next room, pick up thepageand then walk through thedoor underneath the Stars symbol. In this next flashback, pick up the Trowel and use it on the dirt patches as you did earlier in the game.
In the third room, enter through thedoor underneath the Ear symbol. In this flashback, talk to Father and then pull back the sheets.
In this final room of doors, enter through thedoor underneath the Mouth symbol.
Make your way through this screen,entering the final chamber when you reach the huge doorway. Examine thepatch of soilin the middle of the room.
After the many cutscenes, you’ll be back at Ticehurst House.Continue along the hallway and enter Room 9. Pick up the Urn from the cabinet and then click on Father.
