Horizon Forbidden West: All Relic Ruins Puzzles & Ornaments


The relic ruins or the ornaments you can find there are among the collectibles in Horizon Forbidden West. In order to get the object of desire, you will have to solve some tricky puzzles. If you are like us and get stuck at one or the other relic ruin, you can find out in this guide:

  • Where to find the respective relic ruin
  • How to solve the puzzles

When you complete three Relic Ruins, you will receive a Bronze Trophy for it. A small milestone if you want to platinize Horizon Forbidden West. We've listed everything else you need to do to get platinum in our Horizon Forbidden West Trophy Guide.

Note: We have not yet been able to unlock all relic ruins and thus all ornaments. As soon as another one is added, we will update the article.

What are Relic Ruins?

Relic ruins are dilapidated remains of buildings scattered all over the map. There are nine of them in total. There is always an ornament hidden inside that you need to unlock. To open the massive door, which has usually been given a code, you'll have to solve a puzzle.

Call up your menu and navigate to your notes with R1/L1. At the question mark you will find, among other things, all the ornaments and see which of them you have already unlocked

You have to take a good look around, for example to bring energy cells safely over water, to blow up walls or to overcome obstacles with the help of cubes. In addition, there is usually a data carrier lying around somewhere that you should scan, as it contains important information about the code.

Relic Ruin: No Man's Land

Here you will find the relic ruin "Niemansland".

You may find this relic ruin before you can complete it. You need the staff first, which you can use to destroy the Fire Mica. There are two places on the walls of the Relic Ruin where you can find Fire Mica: Once on the outside, which will take you a bit inside the ruin, and once on the outside at the level of the second floor.

First blow up the upper fire mica and go inside. Jump down and go to the left wall. Break out the blue iron frame there with your hook, which will give you access to the passage leading to the other fire mica.

Blow up the wall at the second fire glimmer, grab the empty energy cell inside and go back through the passage to the previous room. There you will see a slot where you can put the energy cell and recharge it.

Next, you'll need to move the power cell to the other side. But bringing a charged cell into contact with water is not the best idea. So turn your gaze upward once. You should see a square box with blue grid sides. Pull it down into the water with your hook and place it in the area to the left of the charging station.

Place the crate here and climb over the ledge to the upper level, where you will reach the door behind which the ornament lies.

Take the energy cell, place it on the crate, go into the water yourself and push the crate to the other side. Now push the energy cell into the slot provided. However, the gate above you will not open yet.

You will need the crate one more time: Pull it out of the water over the slope up to the side with the door and push it up to the wall, where you will see a yellow highlighted bar to hold on to (see screenshot). The lowest ledge will break away if you hang on to it. Use the crate to reach the ledge above and get to the terminal, where you can now enter the code.

If you haven't scanned the data carrier on the first floor next to the slot of the energy cell, the code is: 2204.

Relic Ruin: The Horror

Here you will find the relic ruin "The Terror".

First of all, look around the ruin. You will soon discover a locked door behind which the object of your desire is located. To get inside, you'll need a key. First grab the crate and place it so that you can climb over it to the level with the door. Go to the balcony and jump over the ramp to the other balcony.

In the ruin you are in now, you will see a ventilation shaft with a lattice flap. You can open the flap with your hook. To the right of it you still have to pull the beam down with your hook. Go to the wall to the right of the beam and perform a walljump to hold onto the beam. Climb up to the shaft and through it to the other side.

In the next room jump down and below the ventilation shaft tear a hole in the wall with your hook. You can now pull the crate from the beginning into the current room.

Now go down one floor and there to the end. You will find a point where you can tear a piece out of the ceiling with your hook. This is important because in the next step you will have to push the crate inside. Push the crate to the place where you see the grapple points. You can reach it now.

Climb up to the roof, jump onto the balcony and loot the needed key from the crate. Go back to the locked door, open it and collect the ornament.

Relic Ruin: Wilderness Path

Here you will find the relic ruin "Wilderness Path".

The puzzle for the Wilderness Path relic ruin is also a bit tricky and involves a lot of crate pushing. If you look around the walls, you will see a crate. To get to the ornament, however, you need two crates.

Place the first crate on the lowest level so that it is flush with the level above (see screenshot 1). Now pull the second crate towards you and push it onto the lower crate. Push the stacked crates to the slope on the next level up to the hole you tore in the wall with your hook - then push the upper crate into the room.

Push the crate through the door into the open, up the slope to the front of the tower. Climb up it, loot the crates and secure the ornament you find almost at the top.

Place the crate in front of the tower and climb up. Further up you can collect the ornament.

Relic Ruin: Restless Wilderness

Northwest of Reinklang you will find the relic ruin "Restless Wilderness".

The relic ruin called Restless Wilderness is not that big, but you still have to cover some meters, because you run around the walls, through them and back again.

The large lorry that stands in front of the ruins is of great importance so that you can get to the ornament at the end. We'll explain below the most important points, where you have to push it and where your path leads along. Note that there is a switch near the original position of the lore that you need to use.

First, push the lorry straight ahead to the ruins. Climb onto the lorry and from there jump onto the wall. There you will find a supply crate and then balance over the rope to the other side. In front of you, you will see a broken pillar, which you can jump onto. Use the rungs and the ladder to get to the higher level - you will be in front of a locked door.

Once you have solved the code and entered it here, you have to slide along the rope to the other side.

If you scan the data carrier right in front of the door, you will get the information where to find the code - it is the year on the outer wall of the ruin. Or you can skip this step and directly enter the following combination of numbers: 1923.

After the door opens, you will see another rope, which you can hang on to. It's best to take a run-up and jump on it, then slide to the other side of the relic ruin.

In this part you will see fire glitter on the wall again. Blow it up and you'll get a hole in the wall big enough for the lorry to fit through. Run outside, push the lorry completely back, switch the switch and push the lorry inside the ruin. Once you're on the rise, you can't miss the ornament.

It's not the ornament from the Relic Ruin Restless Wilderness, but this is what it looks like when you find an ornament.

Relic Ruin: The Still Sands

In the middle south of the map you will find the relic ruin Stillsands.

In the middle of the desert you will come across another relic ruin. First you have to make your way up. On the main side with the huge lattice window you will find a separate part where you can climb up. From there jump to the building, swing to the left and drop down to the elevated level. Continue straight ahead until you see a hole in the wall, including a device from which you can rappel inside.

Take a quick look around and use your focus if necessary: on the first level you will find a door with a key module. The key to it is on the opposite side at the top of a staircase. The ornament you want to collect is at the very top under the roof. You can't reach the key or the ornament without help.

First go in the direction of the locked door. Directly below it is a breach in the wall, which will lead you to an adjoining room. Inside you will find a crate, some kind of scaffolding and a valve. Climb onto the scaffold with the help of the crate and open the valve. To prevent the water from draining through the sewer, you have to block the hole - with the box! In no time, the entire building will be filled with water.

Push the box into the hole to block the drain

Swim out of the room into the big hall. Thanks to the increased water level you can easily reach the second floor. Swim to the stairs with the key, collect it and return to the door on the opposite side. Once the module is in the console, the door will open and another crate will appear behind it.

Push the crate into the water and move it to the opposite side. You have to use your hook and stand on a solid surface. So look for small ledges, stand on them and pull the crate piece by piece to the other side. It should float comparatively close to the middle column, where you can see yellow handles. With a courageous jump you can get from the crate to the ledge and from there to the handles, and then climb to the top. Now you just have to grab it and collect the ornament.

Jump from the crate to the ledge and climb up. There the ornament is waiting for you.

Relic Ruin: The Long Coast

Near the coast you will find the relic ruin "The Long Coast".

In order for you to complete your relic ruins, another puzzle is waiting for you in the west, near the coast. Compared to the previous ruins, this one is a good bit more elaborate. You'll start in the room with the switch on the floor. Climb up to the elevated level, which will take you to the wall where there are several grapple points. Shimmy along the wall to the right until you land in the room with the fire glimmer.

Ignite the fire mica and tear a hole in the wall.

Now you need good timing: In the room you are in right now, you can see a small hole in the wall. On the other side of it you can see the switch, which you can operate with your grappling hook. Get as far away from it as possible so that your grappling hook can reach the switch.

You only have a few seconds for what follows now : If you flip the switch, a kind of grappling hook on rails will appear at the top left of you. You have to jump on it very quickly and push off backwards with the circle button. You will land on a raised metal level with a crate at the end. Push the crate down.

Take out the energy cell and go back to the elevator as quickly as possible.

Push the crate out of the ruin where the water separates the two parts of the building and push it in. Go to the other side and pull the crate out of the water, push it through the opening in the wall and down one floor. In front of you, you will now see a windowless room - an elevator. Push the crate into it.

The elevator still lacks power, but to the right of the entrance is a slot for a power cell. Turn 180 degrees and go up the stairs. At the end you will see a charged power cell in the wall on the left side. Again, you'll have to be quick, because while you're carrying the cell down, it will discharge again.

Quickly run back to the elevator before the energy cell discharges.

Take the elevator up, leave the box inside for now and go around the elevator to the right. On the wall you can see several grabbing pointsyou will climb up the stairs. On the way up you can already see the ornament you are looking for through a window.

Climb up to the top of the tower using the grapple points.

Go once around the top of the tower, you will see two beams sticking out from the tower over the abyss. Balance on one of them until you reach the front. On the opposite side you will discover another crate on the balcony. Jump off and use your glider to land safely.

Jump off this beam and glide to the other side.

Push the crate from the balcony down and into the elevator as well. If you haven't done it yet, take a look at the ceiling of the elevator now. There is a flap that you can remove with your grappling hook.

Tear the flap out of the ceiling.

Now you will ride the elevator a few times. First, take both crates up and push one of the crates out. Use the other crate to go back down to the first floor. Second, use your grappling hook to pull yourself back up to the upper floor and push the crate you parked there to the roof of the elevator. Then jump through the hatch into the elevator and go up again. Climb onto the crate in the elevator and climb out through the hatch, climb onto the next crate to get to the handles and climb up to the ornament.

Climb up the handles and you will arrive at the ornament.

Relic Ruins: Dry Longing

East of Brennspeer you will find the relic ruins Dry Longing.

Enter the relic ruins through the crumbling walls and you will see the ornament on the right side, which you have to collect. It's clearly visible on an elevation, but it's a bit too high to just jump up on it. You will have to find another way that will lead you to the metal flower on the left (see screenshot).

Destroy the metal flower with your vine cutter. In the room behind it you will find a crate, which you pull under the elevation to the gate. Climb up and you will stand in front of a wheel, which you can use to open the massive fire door in front of you.

You'll have to hurry, though, because the gate will close again automatically. So make sure you slip under it into the next room.

In the room behind the fire door you have to do several things. First, go towards the wall in front of you and use your hook to pull the blue frame out of the wall. Behind it you will find a trolley, which you pull over the rails to the gate, which has been closed again in the meantime. Make sure that the trolley is as close to the gate as possible.

On the right side you will see three beams standing vertically on the wall. You can pull them down with your hook using the blue crosses. Then climb up the gate and jump on the beams to get to the elevation where a deposit maintenance keylies.

Go to the opposite side of the room and pull the crate forward. Use it to get to the elevation directly above you. There you will find a console where you can place the key and through which another room will open.

In the next room you will see a ventilation shaft, remove its flap with your hook and then climb in. Keep to the right and you will fall down one level. At the end, kick the flap out of the anchorage and blow up the fire glimmer in the room.

You'll be back in front of the wheel, which you turn again to open the fire door. Pull the lore under the gate, but not completely. It must block the gate. Climb under the gate once more, jump onto the lore and climb the yellow rungs to the very top, then jump to the left into the small, half-open room. Tear the blue cross out of the wall with your hook and step through the hole.

Go to the edge, you can already see the ornament below you. You just have to jump down and collect it.

By the way: If you still want to collect the green shine near the entrance/exit, open the gate again and pull the trolley completely under it. Pull it over the rails to the entrance, jump up and collect the valuable material.

Now you can grab the ornament.

All relic ruins solved - and now?

Once you have successfully solved all the puzzles and are in possession of the individual ornaments, your path leads back to Stemmur. You'll find him in Glimmerwinkel, south of the relic ruin "The Still Sands". You give him all your collected ornaments, which he then connects to each other. Before he hands you your reward, you have to complete another mission for him.

In return for your efforts, you'll receive Return of the Ancestor, a Legendary Chopper Gauntlet with five coil slots, acid and shock damage, as well as ten percent to agility damage and 25 percent draw speed.

You will receive the Return of the Ancestress chopper gauntlet as a reward for collecting and delivering all ornaments.

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