Silent Hill f’s Secret Box — how to open it on every difficulty
Silent Hill fDecode Rinko’s letters, slide the correct symbols, and get the 2F classroom key.
The Secret Box puzzle in Silent Hill f sits on the second floor of Ebisugaoka Middle School and gates your exit from a classroom. After you’ve gained access to 2F, you’ll find a large wooden box made of three nested layers. Each layer opens only when the sliding tiles on its faces display a precise set of engravings. The clues aren’t on the box—they’re in Rinko’s letters. Read the highlighted phrases (on Story difficulty) or parse the text yourself (on Hard and Lost in the Fog), then reveal only the images the letter describes.
Find the Secret Box (Ebisugaoka Middle School 2F)
You encounter the Secret Box once you’re exploring the second floor classrooms. Solving all three layers unlocks the classroom doors and awards the 2F Classroom Generic Key, letting you continue through the school. A short window-side cutscene plays when you finish the puzzle, after which the door opens and you can move on to the next major puzzle.
How the sliding‑panel box works
Each layer of the box has two faces (front and back). Every face contains multiple sliding tiles engraved with different motifs—fruit, books, plants, and more. Your goal in each round is to slide panels so that only the tiles referenced by the current letter are visible. When both faces simultaneously show only the correct symbols, that layer opens and reveals the next letter inside.
- Round 1 is about fruit.
- Round 2 is about journals (books).
- Round 3 is about sakura (cherry blossom).
Note: The box can be finicky. There’s a slight delay when you slide panels; it’s easy to overshoot and undo a correct arrangement before it registers. Make small adjustments and pause briefly after setting the last tile.
Difficulty: Story (Round 1)
Difficulty: Story (Round 2)
Difficulty: Story (Round 3)
Difficulty: Hard (Round 1)
Difficulty: Hard (Round 2)
Difficulty: Hard (Round 3)
Difficulty: Lost in the Fog (Round 1)
Difficulty: Lost in the Fog (Round 2)
Difficulty: Lost in the Fog (Round 3)
Secret Box solutions (Story and Hard)
| Difficulty | Round | Reveal these tiles | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | 1 | Fruit only (e.g., cherry, strawberry) | The letter references “sweet and tart fruit on the cake.” Some guides include a cake tile; if it doesn’t open with fruit alone, add the cake icon. |
| Story | 2 | All books | Rinko’s line about filling journals points to book engravings only. |
| Story | 3 | Sakura (cherry blossom) branch | Choose the cherry blossom silhouette among plant decoys. |
| Hard | 1 | All fruit | More decoys appear; stick to fruit motifs. |
| Hard | 2 | All books and origami | The added complexity includes an origami symbol; include it with the books. |
| Hard | 3 | All flowers and the sakura tree | There are multiple floral tiles; include them plus the cherry blossom tree. Expect three sakura-related tiles total across both faces. |
Tip: On the hardest plant round, look closely at petal shapes and branching. Cherry blossoms have distinctive five‑petal silhouettes; don’t confuse them with bonsai or generic foliage.
Lost in the Fog difficulty: what changes
The core logic doesn’t change—each round still wants the fruit, the books, then the sakura—but cues are minimal and decoys increase. Journal highlights are gone, and the plant silhouettes are less forgiving. If you struggle on the final layer, slow down and compare petal outlines tile by tile before committing.
Reward: Second Floor Classroom Generic Key
Opening all three layers grants the 2F Classroom Generic Key and unlocks the classroom door after a brief cutscene. With the door open, you can search the floor more freely and tackle subsequent puzzles, including the locker codes. Keep Rinko’s letters handy; they continue to point you toward what matters.
Tips
- Front and back must both be correct: If one face still shows a wrong or extra symbol, the layer won’t open.
- Mind the input latency: After the final slide, pause for a moment to let the state register before moving another tile.
- Ignore convincing decoys: Plants include non‑sakura flora; books are unambiguous; fruits can sit near other food icons.
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