Solving the Wood Side Apartments Coin Puzzle in the Silent Hill 2 Remake

One of the areas with a puzzle that you need to solve in order to progress in the Silent Hill 2 remake is the Wood Side Apartments. To bypass it, you need to collect the three coins necessary to solve the main puzzle in the residential building lobby.

Solving this puzzle can range from relatively simple to quite difficult depending on the puzzle difficulty level you chose at the beginning of the game. This guide will cover all three solutions for the three available difficulties during your first playthrough of Silent Hill 2. We will provide you with every step to solve this puzzle, so if you are stuck in a certain area, you can read this section on your own and try the rest by yourself.

Solving the Puzzle on Easy Mode

Three bright coins, three actors in play,

and under the tree, the Maiden dared lay.

And behind the Maiden, where she would not know,

with no one nearby, a Flower would grow.

And then came the Man, so gallant and fine,

in the pale moonlight light did his golden eyes shine.

Solving this puzzle is very clear. The coin with the Maiden in the middle, the coin with the Flower on the right (the Flower is on the opposite side of the Snake coin), and the coin with the Man on the left.

The man draws his Blade, and she froze in fear,

for she did not know the Serpent drew near.

Keep all coins in the same place, but flip the coin with the Man to the Blade side, and flip the coin with the Flower to the Snake side.

The venomous beast is now lost to the night,

the grand chevalier’s grand despair in daylight,

and under the tree, where the maiden dared lay,

a memory now lies, confined to a Grave.

Switch the Snake and the Blade, then flip the Blade back to the Man. Now the Man is “in the light of day” and the Snake is “lost in the night.” Flip the Maiden to the Gravekeeper.

The Beast who its teeth in her flesh doth bore,

He who has failed, She who is no more.

Now you pass the judgment on figures of play,

Which here is the sinner, which carries the blame?

Switch the Snake and the Blade, then flip the Blade back to the Man. Now the Man is “in the light of day” and the Snake is “lost in the night.” Flip the Maiden to the Gravekeeper.

Solving the Puzzle on Normal Mode

Three bright coins in the five holes be,

first sits the Maiden underneath the tree.

The wind from behind the Maiden doth blow,

a beautiful Flower alone has to grow.

And here comes the Man, so sleek and so fine,

in the pale moonlight his eyes doth shine.

Start by placing the coin with the Maiden in the middle, as she is “under the tree.” Then, as the Man is “in the moonlight,” place him in the left hole, as he is “under the moon.” Finally, since the “beautiful Flower” is behind, place the Flower coin (which is the opposite side of the Snake) in the far right hole.

The man doth approach, his Blade now revealed,

his face disappears behind shining steel.

Away from the man doth the Maiden flee,

towards the Flower, away from the tree.

Keep the Flower coin in the far right hole. Flip the coin with the Man so that the Blade is revealed, place it in the left-middle hole, as the man “approaches.” As the Maiden flees towards the Flower, move her one space to the right.

Where once grew a Flower, a venomous glee,

where once was a Maiden, but a stone doth be.

And over her Grave the Man doth remain,

his blade never met the vile Serpent’s vein.

Keep the Flower coin in the far right hole, but flip it to reveal the Snake. Keep the Maiden coin in the same hole, but flip it to show the Gravekeeper. Flip the Blade coin back to the Man and place it in the middle.

The Beast who its teeth in her flesh doth bore,

He who has failed, She who is no more.

Now you pass the judgment on figures of play,

Which here is the sinner, which carries the blame?

There is no puzzle to solve here, just choose who you think is “guilty”. However, your choice may affect the end of the game. So choose wisely.

Solving the Puzzle on Hard Mode

Three bright coins, three actors in play,

yet within the shade, not one doth remain.

The one once so gallant had fled from day’s sheen,

as far as he could from the icon of sin.

The one whom he swore to shield in her life,

now lays in a grave, away from his sight.

The “once so gallant one” is the coin with the Man’s face on it, and the “icon of sin” is the Snake. As the man is as far away from the snake as possible, he is on the far left while the Snake is on the far right. The “one whom he swore to shield” now “lays in a grave,” so flip the coin with the Woman’s face to reveal the Gravekeeper and place it in the slot next to the Snake.

His blade strikes that which from the roots doth

rise, followed by guilt and the mark of demise.

The life he once had he has left behind,

where once there was love, now a stone resides.

Now, flip the coin with the Man so it becomes a blade, and the coin with the Snake so it becomes a Flower. You might think the blade should be in the middle, but instead place it to the left of the middle. The Flower must be in the middle. As he “left” his life behind, and there is “stone,” place the Grave coin to the left of the Blade.

He kneels by the crown that casts a cruel shade

onto the visage of her who did fade.

By them not a soul, not a sight, nor sound,

and yet, evil slithers upon radiant ground.

Place the Snake coin under the sunlight on the far right as it slithers on the “radiant ground.” The coin with the Woman’s face on it is in the middle, as the shadows fall upon it, and the coin with the Man should be on its left, as he is “kneeling by the crown” that casts a cruel shade.

The best that from death and decay had spawned,

He who has failed, She who’s now beyond.

Now you pass the judgment on figures of play,

and choose where the burden of sin doth lay.

There is no “right” answer here. Just choose who you believe is responsible. This is one of the things that will affect the end of the game.