Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows: Puzzle Guide

Open Midnight Burrows With the Bell Sequence

A musical clue guards a hidden area—and a damage upgrade worth returning for. The Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows puzzle leads into a portal-filled side quest where movement matters as much as the correct notes. This Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows guide covers both bell sequences, the four Keystones, and the secret tree beyond Tokk’s quest.

The area belongs to the exploration and puzzle side of Moon Studios’ adventure, described on the official Ori and the Will of the Wisps Steam page. The route below follows the Into the Burrows walkthrough from Game of Guides, a media guide that documents the entrance puzzle, portal chambers, and final reward.

Find Tokk in the bottom-left portion of the world. Speak with him to begin Into the Burrows. He is examining the stones behind him, which provide the musical clue for the three hanging plants nearby.

Treat those plants as the left, middle, and right bells. Activate them with Bash, following this order:

Left → Middle → Right → Right → Left → Middle → Left

Complete the entire sequence without touching the ground. Once performed correctly, it opens the way into Midnight Burrows.

There are two combinations to keep handy, although the second belongs to the secret-tree puzzle discussed later:

Puzzle	Bash sequence	Result
Burrows entrance	Left, Middle, Right, Right, Left, Middle, Left	Opens access to Midnight Burrows
Secret-tree door	Left, Middle, Left, Right, Right, Middle, Left	Opens access to the tree on the right

A good approach is to memorize the entrance sequence in three groups: Left–Middle–Right, Right–Left–Middle, then Left. That preserves the correct order while reducing how much you need to remember during each movement.

Pay particular attention to the repeated Right. It is a separate activation, so do not move straight from the first right-hand bell to the left-hand bell. If an attempt fails, review both the order and whether Ori touched the ground during the sequence.

Understand the Portals Before Following the Route

After opening the entrance, descend into the Burrows and turn left to activate the Spirit Well. Then begin exploring the portal chambers.

Image: Steam / Moon Studios GmbH

The central Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows mechanic is momentum: portals preserve Ori’s entry speed when sending Ori out through their paired exits. Reaching a destination therefore depends on how you enter a portal, as well as which portal you choose.

The walkthrough begins by directing you into the bottom-right portal. If the resulting exit does not carry Ori high enough, use Double Jump to build entry speed over successive passes. This movement pattern also appears later while collecting Keystones.

These are the movement tools used in the documented route:

Ability or tool	Use in Midnight Burrows
Bash	Activates the entrance plants and supports movement between plants or enemy projectiles
Double Jump	Helps build momentum through portal passes to reach higher destinations
Dash	Sends Ori into the right-hand portal during the timed-door section
Kuro’s Feather	Slows Ori’s movement during the route toward the final Keystone
Launch	Can make the portal platforming easier when available near the end of the adventure

Launch is an optional aid mentioned by the guide. The documented route also explains how to gain height through portals using Double Jump, so you can follow those instructions without treating Launch as the solution to every obstacle.

A good approach is to watch the outcome of each portal pass. If Ori exits too low, work on building momentum. If Ori moves too quickly to line up with a wall or passage, use the slowing technique described later in the route.

Avoid rushing from portal to portal without checking where each exit places you. The chambers ask you to connect movement, terrain, and switches; identifying the destination makes the next attempt more deliberate.

Collect All Four Keystones

The main objective inside the Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows area is to collect four Keystones. They open the gate protecting the Curious Tablet, the item Tokk wants.

Image: Steam / Moon Studios GmbH

The route includes an area-changing lever, a timed lever, and a shortcut toward Howl’s Den. Use those landmarks to keep track of your progress:

Keystone	Route landmark	What to do
First	Brambles after the opening portal section	Build enough height through the portals to reach it
Second	Area changed by a lever	Activate the lever, then retrieve the Keystone on the left
Third	Route beyond the timed door	Pass through the door, continue right, and build speed through the second portal
Fourth	Far-left end of the upper route	Gain height to reach the wall, climb, and traverse the area

Reach the First Keystone and the Area-Changing Lever

From the opening portal section, collect the first Keystone near the brambles. Continue right, drop down, and enter the portal at the bottom left.

On the other side, enter the left portal, then move quickly to the right. Use Bash on the plants to continue across the chamber until you reach a lever.

Activate it. This lever changes the area’s layout, making it an important landmark rather than just another switch along the way. Retrieve the second Keystone on the left after the transformation.

A good approach is to pause briefly after activating the lever and inspect the changed terrain. Your next movement should follow the new layout, so relying only on what the chamber looked like before the switch can make navigation confusing.

Pass the Timed Door

Go back and enter the portal on the left to reach another lever. This one opens the upper door temporarily.

Follow the movement sequence closely:

1. Activate the lever to open the upper door.
2. Dash into the portal on the right.
3. Bash from the plant toward the upper-right portal.
4. Exit above the closing door.
5. Pass through the door promptly, then continue right.

The guide identifies this switch as timed but does not provide an exact duration. Focus on the route instead of trying to count seconds.

A good approach is to identify the right-hand portal, Bash plant, and upper-right portal before pulling the lever. Knowing your next destination at each stage reduces hesitation while the door is closing.

Reach the Third Keystone and Open the Shortcut

Beyond the timed door, continue right and enter the second portal. Use Double Jump to build speed until you can reach the third Keystone.

The nearby wall on the right can be broken to open a shortcut to the ancestral tree in Howl’s Den. This is a separate landmark from the secret tree behind the entrance-area door, so keep the two locations distinct.

Collecting the Keystone advances the tablet objective; breaking the wall opens the connection described in the walkthrough. Use those as separate checks when working through this section.

Traverse the Upper Route for the Fourth Keystone

Return to the previous portal and build enough speed to reach and grab the wall. Climb upward, then continue through the upper area toward its far-left end.

The fourth and final Keystone is there. Use Kuro’s Feather to slow your movement when needed during this traversal.

This is where momentum control changes purpose. Earlier, you needed enough speed to gain height; here, a good approach is to slow down when that same speed makes it difficult to line up with the route.

With all four Keystones collected, return toward the beginning of the area.

Retrieve the Curious Tablet and Finish Tokk’s Quest

The next Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows objective is the Keystone gate near the beginning of the area.

Image: YouTube / Lara Loft

Use Bash on the enemy’s projectiles to reach it. Open the gate with the four Keystones, then collect the Curious Tablet behind it.

Return to Tokk and hand over the tablet. He rewards you with a Large Spirit Light Container, completing Into the Burrows.

Before leaving, pay attention to his explanation: the tablet’s writing is reversed. That observation provides the clue for the remaining entrance-area puzzle.

If you get stuck before reaching this point, match the problem to the relevant mechanic:

Problem	Detail to check	Suggested approach
Entrance stays closed	Bell order and ground contact	Repeat the full sequence while staying airborne
Portal exit is too low	Entry momentum	Use Double Jump to build speed through portal passes
Upper door closes before you pass	Timed-lever route	Identify each destination, then perform the Dash-and-Bash sequence promptly
Movement is difficult to control on the final route	Excess speed	Use Kuro’s Feather to slow Ori down

Completing the quest and opening the secret-tree door are separate parts of the route. Receiving Tokk’s reward gives you the tablet clue; reaching the additional reward requires another bell sequence.

Reverse the Sequence to Reach Ancestral Light

The remaining Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows secret uses the original entrance code in reverse order.

Return to the three plants and perform:

Left → Middle → Left → Right → Right → Middle → Left

The distinction is easy to miss: reverse the order of the notes, rather than swapping every left input for a right input. The original sequence begins and ends with Left, so the reversed sequence does too.

A good approach is to keep the reversed code visible while performing it. Familiarity with the entrance pattern can otherwise lead you into repeating the original middle notes.

Use Bash on the plants to enter the new combination. The door on the right opens, allowing you to approach the ancestral tree.

Absorb its light to receive Ancestral Light, which increases the damage Ori inflicts by 25%. This is the reward beyond Tokk’s Spirit Light Container.

For a final check of your Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows progress, confirm that you have returned the Curious Tablet, received Tokk’s reward, opened the right-hand door with the reversed sequence, and absorbed the tree’s light. Each step corresponds to a distinct part of the documented puzzle route.

FAQ

What is the Ori and the Will of the Wisps Midnight Burrows bell order?

The entrance sequence is Left, Middle, Right, Right, Left, Middle, Left. Activate the three hanging plants with Bash and complete the sequence without touching the ground.

How do you open the secret-tree door?

Use the entrance sequence in reverse order: Left, Middle, Left, Right, Right, Middle, Left. Tokk’s explanation of the Curious Tablet provides the reversal clue. The combination opens the door on the right.

How many Keystones do you need for the Curious Tablet?

You need four Keystones from inside Midnight Burrows. Return to the gate near the beginning of the area, open it with the Keystones, and retrieve the Curious Tablet.

What rewards do you receive from Midnight Burrows?

Returning the Curious Tablet to Tokk awards a Large Spirit Light Container. Solving the reversed bell puzzle also provides access to Ancestral Light, which increases damage by 25%.