Crimson Desert Duskwood Ruins puzzle solution

The Duskwood Ruins puzzle in Crimson Desert combines a classically annoying puzzle archetype with the game's penchant for making you struggle though hypersensitive controls — creating a perfect storm of tearing your hair out in frustration. On the bright side, there is a very quick way to solve the Duskwood Ruins puzzle in just three steps. So, reloading a recent save or fast travelling away and returning will reset the puzzle and allow you to follow our step-by-step puzzle solution below.

If you've heard this puzzle rewards an Abyss Artifact, but are yet to locate it, you'll find the Duskwood Ruins puzzle in the Alfonso Estate area just northeast of the The Witchwoods area, if looking at your map, near the Witch who can handle the Crimson Desert Abyss Gears. It's marked as a 'Mysterious Energy' question mark before you complete the puzzle. Here's how to solve the Duskwood Ruins puzzle in Crimson Desert.

How to solve the Crimson Desert Duskwood Ruins puzzle

The goal of this puzzle is to align the four pillars on the right to the same level as the first pillar on the left. The first pillar doesn't move, but the other pillars do, and you move the pillars in batches by rotating the column located below the pillars.

Specifically, here's easy step-by-step instructions on how to solve the Duskwood Ruins puzzle in Crimson Desert:

Use the Blinding Flash ability to focus light on the vines attached to the pillars and column. This burns the vines away.
Stab the column hole closest to the pillars, then move it clockwise until the three moving pillars are halfway to lining up with the first pillar (the one that doesn't move).
Stab the hole on the southeast side on the column (if looking at the pillars) and turn clockwise until the second pillar is lined up with the pillar that doesn't move.
Stab the hole closest to the pillars and move clockwise until the last three pillars are lined up with the other pillars.

You'll know you've successfully solved the puzzle when the lights on the pillars turn blue, and you can take the Abyss Artifact from the pedestal below. if you want to know what to put that towards, check our list of the best Skills in Crimson Desert.

For a refresh on controls in Crimson Desert, on PlayStation and Xbox controllers, press L1/LB and R1/RB at the same time, then just R1/RB to use Blinding Flash. To use Stab, press R1 and Triangle on PlayStation controllers, or RB and Y on Xbox controllers.

Don't worry if you've already attempted the Duskwood Ruins puzzle and can't follow the steps above due to your pillars not being in the same starting position, as there's a quick fix for that. All you need to do is load a recent save/autosave, or fast travel away and return to reset the puzzle entirely. Just find your way back to the 'Mysterious Energy' marker on your map, burn the vines again, and you're all set to complete the three quick steps above to get your Abyss Artifact.