Dragon’s Dogma 2 offers many secrets for players to uncover, yet few rival this particular challenge in terms of creativity and frustration. Here is our Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx Riddles and Solutions Guide in order to assist with A Game of Wits.
How to Solve Sphinx Riddles in Dragon’s Dogma 2
There are ten Sphinx riddles in Dragon’s Dogma 2, each one leading to a reward from one of 10 chests; solving all ten riddles will yield an even bigger chest with even greater rewards!
Note: PC players should consider creating backup saves just in case any miscalculations arise while solving riddles. Save files can be found at C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata2054970remotewin64_save
Locating the Sphinx
To locate the first location of the Sphinx, head north of Checkpoint Rest Town towards Mountain Shrine and follow its roads until reaching Ancient Battleground.
Oskar in the Ancient Battlefield
Once you advance past the Ancient Battleground, an NPC named Oskar will present himself and offer his quest titled Tolled to Rest. Although this task isn’t strictly necessary in solving Sphinx’s riddles in Dragon’s Dogma 2, taking on this goal may add an extra challenge along your journey.
Help Oskar enter the ruins atop of the hill, where he’ll discover a crypt with a Nation’s Death Knell; an grimoire for Trysha or Myrddin to use against themselves or against you!
Exploring Worldsend Cavern.
Continue to the top of the ruins until you discover a lone Cyclops, take it out, and climb ledges along cliffside areas until reaching Worldsend Cavern – an underground tunnel system filled with ghostly spirits.
Ascending to the Mountain Shrine.
After leaving Worldsend Cavern, turn right and notice a series of ledges carved along the cliff face that lead to Mountain Shrine and Sphinx’s lair. We suggest placing a Portcrystal here if possible – fast traveling back here often can save time!
Should You Confront the Sphinx Early?
The Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx stands out as an unusual boss creature; she won’t immediately attack and should allow for dialogue to ensue between you two.
Please understand: fighting the Sphinx should never be attempted as doing so will simply cause her to flee, ending this story arc before it’s even begun!
A Game of Wits: The Initial Sphinx Riddles.
These Sphinx riddles in the Mountain Shrine form part of A Game of Wits quest.
How to Solve the Riddle of Eyes.
Riddle: “Our eyes can be both friends and foes; sometimes betraying us when they speak falsehood. So I advise, and thence lead astray. So how will your eyes guide you? To find what is of highest value go through that door.”
Solution: The Sphinx can open a cracked doorway for you, leading to a vast tunnel system filled with hobgoblins and even an Ogre. Above the entrance will be a chest with a Sealing Phial; give this to her instead of giving anything from deeper chambers that contains incorrect items.
How to Solve the Riddle of Madness.
Riddle: Love and insanity seem inextricably linked, like night and day. So bring forth your most beloved so I may assess the depth of your insanity.”
Solution: In our romance/affinity guide, Ulrika was our person with whom we had the highest affinity value; though Wilhelmina had also been romanced in our playthrough, an achievement was unlocked when giving gifts to Ulrika alone without needing to complete any quests first.
Carry whomever it may be in your arms and then use a Ferrystone to transport back to Mountain Shrine. Place them upon the pedestal there and tell Sphinx of their love for you.
How to Solve the Riddle of Wisdom.
Riddle: “While one might assume a parent knows their child intimately, that isn’t always the case. Children often don’t recognize their parent; that is their due. Unfortunately I am an orphan child in search of familial connections – therefore bring my parent so I may learn.”
Solution: This Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx riddle may stump some players as its solution isn’t as obvious at first. Simply bring up any Capcom-made pawn that bears “Sphinx” as its name:
If you have already tagged a Riftstone of Fellowship, it will enable you to summon pawns with special names.
Pawns with these names should work: SphinxParent, SphinxMother and SphinxFather. Just in case other players make similar pawns with similar names, keep in mind that they must come from Capcom (you should see its logo at the bottom of your panel).
Teleport back to the Mountain Shrine and carry the Pawn on your shoulders so you can deliver it directly to the Dais.
Solve the Riddle of Conviction.
Riddle: “Life is an enigma–an irreparable loan. However, lighter loads make faster progress and challenges can be faced more swiftly when carried with less weight. So give me what is most precious to you and evade an untimely demise.”
Solution: At first, we thought that this riddle required us to give the Sphinx our most expensive item; however, any item will do. In essence, this riddle simply duplicates any item you give; thus it would be prudent to choose something rare or costly like a Portcrystal for optimal results.
How to Solve Rumination.
Riddle: “Surely you recall finding Seeker’s Tokens on an unforgettable journey? But do you recall where exactly it all started? Retracing your steps may lead to new discoveries.”
Solution: Recovering your Seeker’s Token can be challenging if you can no longer recall where it was first located, with only seven in-game days available to return to that spot.
At Melve campsite outside Melve, our favorite Sphinx was hidden in its nest on top of a small hill near its northern corner. There we discovered a Finder’s Token which we then collected before heading back to retrieve our prize and return to its Sphinx home base.
Sphinx location #2: Playing A Game of Wits.
Once you’re through with the initial set of puzzles (whether all solved successfully or some failed), the Sphinx will fly away, but also inform you of a new location: Frontier Shrine west of Checkpoint Rest Town.
How to get to Frontier Shrine.
There are a couple of methods you can take on foot to reach the Frontier Shrine:
Follow the dry riverbed beneath the bridge that leads to Checkpoint Rest Town, climbing over crags before following its winding canyon all the way to its end at the shrine.
There’s also a longer route, where one exits Checkpoint Rest Town via its southern part and crosses over the river westbound before ascending a high ridge past an infested Saurian cave and arriving at a shrine.
Here are a few key reminders as we move forward:
Don’t forget to leave another Portcrystal behind at the Frontier Shrine since this will likely become your destination of choice.
Before taking on the 10th and final riddle, it may be wise to switch to an Archer; we will explain why shortly enough.
Alternative Method: Flying on the Back of the Sphinx
Believe it or not, riding the Sphinx’s back can be achieved – though speed will be required! As soon as the Sphinx finishes speaking, jump up quickly and press “Grab”, moving around until your seat is on her nape (i.e. back of her neck).
As the Sphinx typically flies level for several minutes, you should have no trouble standing on her nape without expending stamina. Just watch out as she may perform an abrupt dive as soon as she nears entering the cave; be prepared to grab hold of her again at that point.
This is the fastest route to Frontier Shrine. However, you won’t be able to open Chest 5 until after grabbing onto Sphinx before she takes flight; but don’t worry as you can always come back later for it!
How to Solve the Riddle of Reunion
Steps for Solving this Riddle: N/A This puzzle does not really contain an intricate logic puzzle.
Solution: Once you arrive at the Frontier Shrine, the Sphinx will be overjoyed that you were successful in finding her. She will likely praise your efforts and celebrate your finding her!
Reward: 100,000 gold Important:
Once we reached the Sphinx’s second location for the Riddle of Reunion, it seems we couldn’t choose which riddle to address (unlike before). She can give you one at any time. She gives you four riddles: Riddle of Differentiation, Contest and Futility.
Riddle of Recollection
Once again, be prepared for an Archer transformation before tackling this last riddle – there will be an important specific projectile you will be required to use down the line!
How to Crack the Code of Differentiation.
Riddle: “I seek this man. As men are so distinctive, I’m confident you’ll meet him without difficulty.”
Solution: When viewing the Sphinx, an image will come into focus of a tubby red-haired man wearing a white robe; however, there may be differences that you should recognize by consulting its History – NPC Logbook:
Dante – With straight locks and a distinctive scar on his eye, Dante can often be found near the entrance of Checkpoint Rest Town market area.
Vergil – He can be found just beyond the gate in Checkpoint Rest Town with wavy hair and an eye scar, just past where the Capcom reference begins. After taking note of their appearance, head directly to their location before picking them up to transport back to Frontier Shrine for transport back home.
Reward: Whimsical Daydream, Trickster class weapon
How to Solve a Riddle of Contest.
Riddle: When confronting The Sphinx, she will appear as an armored combatant and force you to put on a Ring of Derision that severely limits any attacks you make; in doing so, all attacks become less potent and you won’t cause as much damage overall.
Solution: Stagger your opponent, pick them up and throw them off a cliff.
Reward: Ring of Ambition – Increases experience points gained when defeating enemies.
How to Solve the Puzzle of Futility.
Riddle: “Here I present an amphora bound for Ser Maurits in Bakbattahl. Deliver it, taking care as it’s fragile.”
Solution: At first, your initial thought may be to transport the vase directly to its intended location, however there are certain requirements you need to keep in mind:
Due to the amphora’s delicate construction, you must guard it closely or it will break instantly when attacked by enemies in its vicinity. Any time enemies appear nearby or an attack happens, simply place it down before any threats emerge or else the Sphinx may simply fly off with all remaining riddles and you’ll fail them all!
Fast travel is also not available; but don’t despair: just like when solving Sphinx Riddles in Dragon’s Dogma 2, we brought characters directly to her; similarly with Ser Maurits. Simply fast travel to Bakbattahl and head directly to where you will find him before carrying him over and teleporting back to the shrine – dropping him next to an amphora will still count towards completing this objective normally.
Reward: Eternal Bond – Give this ring to an NPC to boost their relationship/affinity significantly.
How to Solve the Riddle of Recollection.
Riddle: “My memory fails me, it seems. Please remind and clarify for me what needs to be said using those statues. When any question has been satisfactorily answered bring it before me so I may receive one as a thank you gift.”
Solution: Carry and place the appropriate number of statues onto or near the dais (i.e. in front of the Sphinx), depending on how many riddles were successfully answered by you.
As we had successfully solved previous Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx riddles, this final challenge required placing nine statues.
Reward: Unmaking Arrow – Said to kill instantly upon firing, this ultimate arrow requires careful timing in order to be effective. Once fired, however, your game will automatically save, so take care when choosing your moment to fire.
Battle the Sphinx and Gather Your Reward All of the Dragon’s Dogma 2 Sphinx riddles have been completed; however, the treasure chest in the shrine still remains sealed. How do we open it? Below is what you should do.
As soon as you solve the 10th and final riddle, the Sphinx will attempt to escape using clues from nearby murals. To combat it, strike with your melee weapon against her to engage combat.
If you switched to Archer class prior, normal shots might not start the battle immediately; to initiate it properly, attack her with regular shots while selecting “Go” to have melee class pawns hit her as well.
Alternately, you could also try using the Warfarer vocation. Make sure one class option is melee-oriented while the other one is archer oriented before beginning combat with her. When combat has started, equip the Unmaking Arrow that you received from Riddle of Recollection before aiming and shooting her with it.
Shooting the Sphinx with the Unmaking Arrow kills her, prompting her to drop a Key of Sagacity that you can use to open a large treasure chest in the shrine. Your reward: Eternal Wakestone allows multiple NPC revival simultaneously while simultaneously earning you Reaper’s Scorn achievement points when used.
Note: Additionally, you might be curious as to the outcome if you simply battle the Sphinx normally without employing the Unmaking Arrow. She will still attempt to flee once her HP drops too low; unfortunately you won’t be able to grab hold of her and you may not be able to deal enough DPS within time – which means she may make good her escape and you won’t see more of her than once or twice more before leaving you to battle another foe!