There are 17 Nursery Rhyme locations in Alan Wake 2, and this guide will help you discover both the solutions and the dolls to help you get there.
How to solve the Nursery Rhyme puzzles in Alan Wake 2, and what Charms do
The Nursery Rhymes are one of several collectible side distractions for Saga Anderson. You will find rhyme locations in the three major areas she visits. Each one includes a rhyme that acts as a puzzle, along with symbols that must be matched with dolls.
Solving the puzzle rewards in a charm, most of which will apply a passive buff such as increasing your healing item potency or chance to stun enemies. The Coffee Mug charms are the only ones you find multiple of, and they allow you to survive a death blow but shatter in the process. By default, Saga can equip three charms at one time.
Cauldron Lake Nursery Rhyme locations – Dolls and solutions
There are five Nursery Rhyme locations at Cauldron Lake. One of which isn’t accessible until you get the bolt cutters during the chapter, Return 5: Old Gods. The other is the final challenge and isn’t available until you complete all other Nursery Rhymes.
Let’s take care of the first three before heading back to town.
Cauldron Lake 1
Likely the first Nursery Rhyme you’ll discover is at the western campsite after the flooding receded.
Doll discovered: Pick up the Crow Doll on the picnic table.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Crow Doll on the Sun.
Charm: A crow brings the Hammer Charm and sets it on the picnic table. It increases your ability to stun Taken enemies.
Cauldron Lake 2
The next location is at the Witchfinders Station to the northwest.
Dolls discovered: Pick up the Wolf Doll and Hero Doll upstairs next to the crib.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Hero Doll on the boat and the Wolf Doll on the tree.
Charm: Follow the black sludge that appears after you solve the puzzle. It leads you upstairs, where you find the Coffee Mug Charm in the playpen.
Cauldron Lake 3
The next rhyme is at the Private Cabin southeast of the Witchfinder’s Station. Use the generator outside to turn it into a Break Room before tackling the rhyme near the fence.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Crow Doll on the egg, the Hero Doll on the heart, and the Wolf Doll on the house.
Charm: Leave the cabin and head into the forest. Hear that wolf growl? That’s destiny, friend. Follow the sound of chewing and growling until you find a fallen birdhouse by a pond near a tree with yellow leaves in the ‘Streamside’ area of the map, north of the Private Cabin. Pick up the Kalevala Knights Charm and get ready to fight a wolf. The charm increases the duration and area of effect of a Hand Flare.
Cauldron Lake 4
Use the bolt cutters to open up the Rental Cabins area to the east. Locate the rhyme in Cabin 4.
Rhyme:
Solution: By this point, you should have many more dolls in your possession — unless you’ve been skipping the rhyme puzzles. Psh. You’ll need the Crow Doll, Monster Doll, and Hero Doll. Place the Crow Doll on the eye, the Monster Doll on the egg, and the Hero Doll on the jewelry. If you don’t have the Monster Doll yet, scroll down to Bright Falls 2.
Charm: Prepare for a fight! Head outside and a massive Taken with a pipe or something will burst out of Cabin 6. Defeat him and head inside the cabin to find a Coffee Mug Charm to the left of a TV on a cabinet.
Watery Nursery Rhyme locations – Dolls and solutions
There are eight Nursery Rhyme locations along with new dolls to discover in the Watery area of Alan Wake 2. Three are blocked off until you make enough progress in Saga’s story campaign. You get taken all over the place, so check the map below for the optimal path:
Watery 1
The first Nursery Rhyme location in Watery is along the path you take to get to Coffee World. Take a right at the end of the winding path, just before getting to the area with the save spot. Head south a short way to find the rhyme.
Dolls discovered: Pick up the Moose Doll and Deer Doll next to the rhyme puzzle.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Moose Doll on the tree. Easy enough.
Charm: Return to the path and walk a short way until you discover that a weird moose statue has appeared from nowhere. Pick up the Coffee Mug Charm at its base.
Watery 2
The next rhyme is located south of the Radio Tower in the northern section of the map.
Rhyme:
Solution: This somewhat unnerving puzzle can be solved by placing the Deer Doll on the house.
Charm: Completing the puzzle causes two wolves to appear and attack you. Take them out, then head to the nearby lamp. Look to the north to see a mutilated deer carcass next to the Radio Tower. That’s sad. Pick up the Deer Charm in front of the body. It increases Saga’s “resilience against being staggered or interrupted.”
Watery 3
You won’t stumble on the next Watery nursery rhyme for quite a while. You’ll need to make your way through Coffee World on your way south toward the trailer park. Before you head there, however, go southeast to the Watery Lighthouse, where you’ll find the third rhyme.
Dolls discovered: Go up the lighthouse steps and pick up the Mother Doll, the Trickster Doll, and the Wise Elder Doll.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Wise Elder Doll on the eye and the Trickster Doll on the waves.
Charm: Finding this charm is a little tricky. You need to follow the lighthouse trail back to the main road. Turn right, and then go right again just before the speed limit sign. Go into the water, turn left, and keep walking until you reach a sunken boat. The Lighthouse Charm is next to it on a rocky surface. It allows you to gain more health when entering Safe Havens.
Watery 4
The next rhyme is at the end of the Lighthouse Trailer Park dock, which is accessible after the flooding recedes.
Dolls discovered: Pick up the Bear Doll at the Fish Cleaning Station near the red truck and the Child Doll on the green bench at the start of the dock.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Wise Elder Doll on the waves and the Bear Doll on the candy.
Charm: Get ready because the locals are restless. As soon as you get back to the trailer park, you get attacked by multiple Taken enemies. Defeat them and get the Coffee World Token Charm on the Fish Cleaning Station to the left of the sink. The charm increases the “quality and quantity of resources found.” This is a good one to keep equipped, in my opinion.
Watery 5
The next nursery rhyme you should go to is in the town of Watery itself. Head to the trailer just north of Suomi Hall. Use the screwdriver you got in Coffee World to casually break in. The trailer is actually an FBC station, and you can find a sheet of how many Nursery Rhyme locations are in Watery and where on the table. The rhyme itself is in the next room in the trailer.
Doll discovered: Before you go to the room with the rhyme, pick up the Maiden Doll on the counter to the left of the fridge.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Maiden Doll on the house and the Trickster Doll on the jewelry.
Charm: Follow the black sludge that appeared outside. Grab the Coffee Mug Charm on the lid of the open mailbox.
Watery 6
Return to the path leading to Coffee World. Now that the flooding is gone, you can travel to the Ranger Cabin, where you’ll find the Nursery Rhyme behind it. Note: You do not need to unlock the cabin to get to the rhyme. Learn from me.
Rhyme:
Solution: This one isn’t as clear since, by this point, you should have multiple beasts. To solve it, place the Maiden Doll on the tree and the Bear Doll on the heart. I honestly think a moose has more sway than a bear, but what do I know?
Charm: Follow the black sludge into the cabin (use a screwdriver to get in) and go upstairs. Follow the trail to the room with a bed covered in flowers. The FBC Charm is sitting on the bed. It increases the “damage dealt while undetected by enemies.”
Watery 7
Continue to Coffee World. With the flooding gone, you can reach the dock for the Latte Lagoon bumper boats. The rhyme location is at the end of the short dock.
Rhyme:
Solution: The “Devil” in this puzzle is the Trickster Doll, which you need to place on the jewelry. Next, place the Deer Doll on the boat and the Moose Doll on the waves.
Charm: One of the bumper boats will float toward land. On top is the Mr. Drippy Charm, which increases your damage when your health is low.
Watery 8
The final Nursery Rhyme location in Watery can’t be accessed until you get the bolt cutters in the chapter Return 5: Old Gods. With the tool in hand, head back to the Lighthouse Trailer Park and unlock the gate outside of the trailer across the way from “Saga’s trailer.” Find the nursery rhyme in the bedroom, surrounded by hay.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Wise Elder Doll on the eye and the Deer Doll on the heart.
Charm: A Taken cultist appears in the trailer. Take him out and search for the Deerfest Charm on the cabinet across from the entry door. The charm greatly “increases time before Darkness Shields regenerate.”
Bright Falls Nursery Rhyme locations – Dolls and solutions
There are four Nursery Rhyme locations in the Bright Falls area of Alan Wake 2. None of them are located in the town, however. You’ll find them all scattered throughout Bunker Woods:
Bright Falls 1
The first nursery rhyme location is north of the Break Room in the northern section of Bunker Woods.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Child Doll on the tree and the Mother Doll on the house.
Charm: Turn around and follow the trail of black sludge until you find a Lantern Charm in the middle of the trailer. I got attacked by Taken and wolves here, so watch yourself.
Bright Falls 2
Go to the Ranger Station for the next puzzle. Unlock the station’s door with the screwdriver and locate the nursery rhyme behind a closed door.
Doll discovered: Grab the Monster Doll in front of the door near the computer desk.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Child Doll on the house and the Monster Doll on the candy.
Charm: Go back to the door where you found the Monster Doll. There’s a pool of black sludge in front of the door now, which is just fine. Open the door and turn around to see black sludge footprints leading to the stairs, which is also fine. Follow them upstairs to the bathroom, where there’s now a pool of sludge by the tub. New footprints will appear, leading you to a bed, on top of which is a Coffee Mug Charm. Fine.
Bright Falls 3
Head northeast to find the next Nursery Rhyme location on the beach.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Monster Doll on the waves, the Child Doll on the jewelry, and the Mother Doll on the boat.
Charm: Follow the black sludge footprints until you get to some cattails near a rock and holy crap, it’s two of those weird ‘reflection’ Taken! After you burn all your ammo and healing items, grab the Valhalla Nursing Home Charm and heroically limp away. The charm increases the healing effects of trauma pads and painkillers. You probably could have used it earlier.
Bright Falls 4
The fourth Nursery Rhyme location in Bright Falls is at the beginning of the eastern dock at Billie’s Boat Yard, which is southwest of the town.
Rhyme:
Solution: Place the Monster Doll on the boat and the Mother Doll on the waves.
Charm: Follow the trail of black sludge back to the boatyard, but get ready for a fight against a group of Taken cultists. You’ll find the Anchor Charm next to a white boat on its side. The charm gives you a chance to stun an enemy when using the Flashlight Boost.
How to solve the final Nursery Rhyme Witchfinder Station puzzle in Alan Wake 2
The final Nursery Rhyme in Alan Wake 2 is back at the Witchfinder Station in Caldron Lake. Make your way there, and get ready for one last challenge.
Doll discovered: After you complete the last nursery rhyme puzzle, a box appears containing the Father Doll. You also get a message about not taking said doll to the Witchfinder Station. Well, nuts to that! Let’s cause a ruckus.
Rhyme:
When you approach the Witchfinder Station, you’ll hear the voice of someone speaking the rhyme via a radio:
On our Hero, the faraway Father still kept an eye,
And told her not to stand out in the light too bright,
While the loving Mother and her Hatchling only tried to survive.
When a tricky Witch opened a way into the dark lake,
Our Hero, against all caution, did a bold step take,
Away from the Sun which would make, Her blind to all that she could see.
Solution: The drawings for where the dolls need to be placed are scattered throughout the station. You’ll need to track them all down.
Place the Father Doll on the eye next to the desk downstairs. The Mother Doll needs to go on the heart in the kitchen. Across from the kitchen is a room with two beds. Place the Hero Doll on the sun between them. Go upstairs and put the Trickster Doll on the waves in the bathroom and the Child Doll on the egg in the bedroom playpen.
Charm: Once the puzzle is solved, Dr. Campbell reveals himself as the speaker on the radio. You’ll have a short conversation before something bad happens. Use your flashlight on the dark orb that appears and grab the charm box on the desk. It gives you a fourth charm slot, which means I might finally have a reason to use a Coffee Mug Charm. But let’s face it: That won’t happen.
With that, you have completed all the Nursery Rhyme locations and puzzle solutions in Alan Wake 2. Congrats! Hopefully, you acquired some charms you find useful for the final battles ahead. Good luck.
