The Gallows Puzzle in Silent Hill 2 Remake is a riddle-based challenge encountered in Toluca Prison. It involves six incomplete poems, each of which describes the crimes of different people.
This puzzle involves making a moral judgment based on the nature of each crime. Here’s a guide on how to navigate the Gallows Puzzle in the Silent Hill 2 Remake.
How To Solve the Gallows Puzzle in Silent Hill 2 Remake
Once you’ve solved the weights and scales puzzle in Toluca Prison (likely done if you have the hunting rifle), your next challenge is the Gallows Puzzle located in the prison yard.
click to enlarge
+ 2Without this item, you can’t start the puzzle since it enables interaction with the gallows puzzle. Once you have the Execution Lever, head to the gallows area in the prison yard.
Insert the lever into the mechanism between the gallows, and this will reveal six half-finished poems inscribed on plaques. These poems describe various crimes committed by six different people, and your task is to complete them by matching the missing halves.
The trick is that for each poem, there are two possible second halves, which could be randomized for each playthrough.
At the foot of the gallows, you’ll discover the missing fragments of the poems. Align these fragments to the right poems to wrap up the stories. The criminals committed crimes from theft to murder.
For instance, one poem might describe an arsonist setting a fire in an orphanage, and your goal is to decide if he feels remorse or took pleasure in the act.
Another poem could tell the story of a thief, and you may have to decide if his theft was driven by hunger and desperation, or by pure greed.
Pay close attention to how the story of the crime unfolds in the first half, as this will help guide your matching process.
Here’s the detailed list of every poem solution:
Poem I
| Difficulty | Poem | Answer 1 | Answer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Difficulty | "Hallowed was the place, this one set ablaze." | "T'was the home of evil, it had to be razed." | |
| Standard Difficulty | "For your grace I do not plead, for the flames I did set free." | "Though the young ones' deaths I mourn, their tormentors are no more." | "I watched them burn, I felt a soothing warmth inside." |
| Hard Difficulty | "Under veil of nightfall, in the ink of dusk, a blazing inferno engulfs the wooden husk." | "Death of the blameless, a damnable sin, yet among the pure, the vile also would dwell." | "A contorted chill dances on his spine, as their souls fly forth on Thanathos' sigh." |
Poem II
| Difficulty | Poem | Answer 1 | Answer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Difficulty | "This one took from others, t'was a sinful deed." | "Stealing not to eat, but to feed his own greed." | |
| Standard Difficulty | "The wealth of others I did take, the seventh statue I did break." | "The reason, if I have to say, was to survive another day." | "What were those reasons you might ask? 'Tis all the sense it needs to make." |
| Hard Difficulty | "In twilight’s grasp, a thief emerges sly." | "With hands atremble, he seizes what he must." | "His avarice driving every cunning theft, no conscience stirs, no remorse is left." |
Poem III
| Difficulty | Poem | Answer 1 | Answer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Difficulty | "This one, he did kidnap, his beloved daughter." | "In a fit of anger, bloody end he brought her." | |
| Standard Difficulty | "I took the child, you are quite right." | "Forgive me child, for I have failed." | "My only daughter, joy of days, they wanted to take you away." |
| Hard Difficulty | "In shroud of twilight, a tale doth unfold." | "Amidst the moon's glow, a desperate truth, the man’s life of pain and in peril, forsooth." | "A tragic fruition, a mother’s despair, her heiress undone by the one she once loved." |
Poem IV
| Difficulty | Poem | Answer 1 | Answer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Difficulty | "This one broke the lock, to steal, I'll tell you plain." | "One more place to plunder, One more wrongful gain." | |
| Standard Difficulty | "Once the sun has ceased its reign, I cut through the rusty chain." | "So my guilt is plain to see, I had robbed the pharmacy." | "I departed with great haste, leaving not a single trace." |
| Hard Difficulty | "In clandestine steps, darkness as his guide." | "Amidst the moon's glow, a desperate truth, the man’s life of pain and in peril, forsooth." | "Beneath moonlit guise, a villain's design, he trespasses where treasures brightly shine." |
Poem V
| Difficulty | Poem | Answer 1 | Answer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Difficulty | "This one dared to take his own mother's life." | "Did it just for pleasure, not over a strife." | |
| Standard Difficulty | "Mommy dearest, mommy sweet, your love for me was so deep." | "You broke my legs, I couldn't walk, you pulled my teeth, I couldn't talk." | "You were, oh, so kind to me, filled my heart with joy and glee." |
| Hard Difficulty | "With her senses falling, she looks, mouth agape." | "’Twas a twisted fate that forced the man’s hand, a son at mother’s mercy. | "Desperation's grip suffocates the air, the attacker's past, a tale of despair." |
Poem VI
| Difficulty | Poem | Answer 1 | Answer 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Difficulty | "This one clenched his fist, and has pulled no punch." | "Turned against his bully, turned his brain to mulch." | |
| Standard Difficulty | "I waited long, I bid my time." | "In truth, he was less man than beast." | "In truth, I did not hesitate." |
| Hard Difficulty | "In shadows cast, the hunter lies in wait." | "As the spark of life from her eyes did flee, the man held his gaze with wicked glee." | "The victim’s eyes wide with terror and fright, the attacker’s nature now comes into light." |
Once all six poems are completed, you must now decide which of the six criminals deserves execution. You will see six ropes hanging from the gallows, each marked with a Roman numeral (I-VI) that corresponds to one of the poems.
click to enlarge + 2These ropes represent the nooses for each criminal. This decision is based on the severity and intent behind each crime. The key is to focus on those criminals who committed their offenses with clear malice or without justification.
For example, if a poem suggests self-defense or a morally gray area, avoid selecting that criminal. On the other hand, criminals with clear malicious intent (like cold-blooded murderers or those who take pleasure in their crimes) are the ones more deserving of condemnation.
You need to pull the rope of the criminal you believe deserves punishment. It’s also important to consider the possibility that the puzzle can be interpreted in two ways.
While it’s common to choose the criminal who acted with the most malicious intent, there may be instances where the goal is different. In those cases, you might need to choose who to spare: the criminal who had the most justified reason for their actions.
If done right, you’ll progress in the game. Otherwise, James will end up in a pit swarming with enemies, and you’ll have to fight your way out and return to the yard for another attempt. This can be frustrating, so it’s worth carefully thinking through each criminal’s story before making your choice.
How does the Gallows Puzzle compare to other puzzles in the Silent Hill series? Comment down below!
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