Dungeons Of Hinterberg: Desolate Castle Walkthrough (2024)

Each new dungeon you explore in Dungeons of Hinterberg gets progressively tougher, with higher difficulty ratings and brain-racking puzzles inside. The Brunnelsumpf region, being the last to reopen, perfectly embodies this trend by offering some of the most challenging dungeons yet, like the Desolate Castle.

After getting your bearings in the swampy region of Brunnelsumpf by mastering its magical abilities and conquering its first dungeon, the Desolate Castle will be next on your list. From cracking its puzzles to securing its coveted commemorative coin, here’s everything you need to know to complete the Desolate Castle.

How To Complete The Desolate Castle

Navigating Brunnelsumpf's marshes can be a bit of a wild goose chase, as the signposts to guide you to your next dungeon are few and far between.

After gaining access to the kayak to cover the watery expanse, head toward Birchwood Island, which is the southwestern island. Here, you'll find the entrance portal to Desolate Castle atop a tower.

How To Lower The Bridge

Upon entering the Desolate Castle, take note of the large wooden bridge hanging above you. Your objective is to blow two horns in this area to drop the bridge.

For the first horn, head right, placing as many Jelly Blocks as needed to cross the toxic water. When you reach the chest containing a Medium HP Potion, face the rocky elevation to the left and place a Jelly Block in front of its chalked ledge to scale it, where you'll find the first horn.

With the bridge partially lowered, make your way to the second horn. Return to the starting area and follow the path on the left. To cross the toxic water, shoot a Plasma Ball at the dormant jellyfish on the other side, which extends a bridge for you to safely get across. Once on the other side, head up the decrepit staircase and blow the other horn.

This causes the bridge to lower completely, connecting the starting island with the main area of the Desolate Castle. On the bridge, defeat the waves of enemies that will ambush you, then send a Plasma Ball between the two jellyfish, activating them simultaneously and unlocking the metal gate.

How To Reach The Three Horns

Beyond the gate is the castle courtyard, where you’ll spot the escape portal for the Desolate Castle on top of a platform with a massive fountain. But hold your horses! You've got a few hoops to jump through before you can make your grand exit though.

The platform is initially out of reach, but blowing three horns in this area will cause three submerged staircases to emerge, creating a pathway to the exit portal.

The First Horn

Luckily, the first horn is just in front of you. Blow it, and the first set of stairs will appear. Some stone pillars will also fall down all over the place, allowing you to access other parts of the castle.

The remaining two horns are hidden behind some challenging puzzles that you'll need to solve to reach them.

The Second Horn

Head right first and up the stone pillar. Follow the wooden path, and head down the tower on the left where you'll have to deal with a bunch of monsters. Once you've defeated them, grab the defense-boosting charm from the chest beside the tower and extend the bridge to reach a puzzle.

To solve this puzzle, you'll need to rotate the two wheels so that each jellyfish on them is positioned face-to-face. Each wheel has a mechanism inside a small compartment on either side of the area that rotates it.

However, the gate to each compartment is initially locked, but they open up if you activate their respective jellyfish individually. After that, it's only a matter of working your way up to the mechanism to rotate both jellyfish into the correct position.

Once you've done so, send a Plasma Ball between them, and the large metal gate will open up.

After that, make your way to the tower on the left, and defeat the waves of monsters that will spawn near the entrance.

Once you've defeated them, head up the tower, then beeline straight for the second horn. Blow it, and the second staircase will emerge. At the same time, a shortcut will open up to the courtyard.

The Third Horn

With one set of stairs remaining, return to the courtyard and work your way toward the tower with a lobster crest on the left. At the top, open up an optional chest for a Weapon Enchantment, and hop over to the raft that's barely hanging by the rope.

Cut the rope to release the raft into the water, and use your Plasma Ball to propel the raft toward the stone rubble.

Repeat the same process for the next raft to reach the area with the fish tube puzzles. Here, direct a Plasma Ball at the fish's mouth to unlock the door.

Past the locked gate, you’ll find a network of fish tubes. Place a Jelly Block in front of the fish's mouth on the far left, so a Plasma Ball can bounce off it. Next, unlock the mesh-fenced compartment and step inside.

Then send a Plasma Ball at the fish's mouth above, and thanks to the Jelly Block from before, it will bounce off and hit a jellyfish, unlocking the exit gate.

From there, fight any monsters that come in your way, grab any optional chests you find, and head up the tower to reach a bedchamber. Inside, you'll find another raft hanging from a rope. Drop it into the water below and ride it to another tower with a bird crest.

From the tower, follow the only path available, and you'll reach the third horn. Interact with it, and the final flight of stairs to the platform will reveal itself.

This also unlocks another shortcut to the courtyard. Follow it, and you'll make it to the platform with the Desolate Castle's escape portal in no time. Stamp your slayer book, step through the portal, and gear up for your next epic adventure in Brunnelsumpf!