Darkest Dungeon 2 Jester Chapter 2 puzzle explained

Darkest Dungeon 2 jester puzzle Music of the Night — (Image credit: Red Hook Studios)

The Darkest Dungeon 2 Jester Chapter 2 puzzle, Music of the Night, is a musical sequence where the Jester has to musically duel the Violinist character by picking the right song beats in reaction to that character. It's a peculiar moment in the game that's actually derived from a basic understanding of how traditional song structure works, so if you've got a tin ear for music then you might understandably struggle with this more esoteric puzzle. Don't worry, we'll lay out how to beat Chapter 2 of the Jester's Shrine of Reflection backstory here.

What to do in the Darkest Dungeon 2 Jester Chapter 2

Once Music of the Night starts, you play as the younger Jester trying to outplay the macabre Violinist in a battle of the bands. The whole thing is done via turn-based combat with a focus here on responding to what the Violinist does. Both of you are taking it in turns to play the next section of an ongoing song, so you have to choose the appropriate beats. As far as I know, the Violinist has a set pattern every time, so you can use my guide below to do the exact behaviour needed to bring him down:

Violinist plays: Intro
Player response: Verse
Violinist plays: Chorus
Player response: Verse
Violinist plays: Chorus
Player response: Bridge
Violinist plays: Missteps
Player response: Solo (this will do 30 damage to the Violinist)
Violinist plays: Verse
Player response: Chorus
Violinist plays: Verse
Player response: Chorus
Violinist plays: Solo
Player response: Finale (this should be a Deathblow to the Violinist)

This finale epic shred complete, the Violinist will crumble into dust and the Jester will be declared the victor, ending of this chapter. The rewards here include a Mastery Point, and permanently unlocking the Harvest skill, a weaker attack that hits both enemies in the middle rank and bleeds them, making it good for inflicting status effects. It's a good prize, especially if you're following our Darkest Dungeon 2 best team guide, of which the Jester is an integral part. And, if you're struggling elsewhere in the game, check out my Darkest Dungeon 2 tips for a good ground in all the core thing you need to know.

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Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.