Nursery rhymes are a series of puzzles in Alan Wake 2 and although solving them is optional, doing so will grant you rewards that will help you during your playthrough.
You can also get several trophies or achievements related to the nursery rhymes, such as one for completing all the nursery rhymes and one for finding all of the nursery rhyme dolls. The first nursery rhyme you will find is in Cauldron Lake, and we are going to be taking a look at how to solve it as well as where exactly to find it when you are in the Cauldron Lake area and what rewards you get from figuring it out.
Where is the bird nursery rhyme in Alan Wake 2?
You will find the first nursery rhyme at Cauldron Lake, but you won’t be able to access it until you return to the area after visiting Bright Falls as Saga. Once the Streamside area is unlocked, head to the marker on the map as seen above.
How are nursery rhymes solved in Alan Wake 2?
You will find every nursery rhyme written on a piece of paper near some chalk drawings on the ground, and the same goes for the first one you will find.
The general setup of the nursery rhyme is the chalk drawings act as a base. Each base needs a certain doll to be placed in a specific area to successfully solve the nursery rhyme. The nursery rhyme itself also acts as a riddle of sorts, one you will need to solve to figure out the correct placement of the dolls.
What is the bird nursery rhyme in Alan Wake 2?
The bird nursery rhyme can be seen in the image above, with the text referring to a certain amount of birds equating to specific elements within the rhyme, such as light, darkness, a fight, and so on.
Finding the doll needed for the bird nursery rhyme in Alan Wake 2
The doll you are looking for with the bird nursery rhyme is a small crow doll, and it can be found in the immediate area near the rhyme and the chalk drawings. The area seems to be a picnicking hotspot within the forest, with picnic tables dotted around the place. The crow doll can be found on one of the tables surrounding the nursery rhyme. Approach it and pick it up, and Saga will comment on it.
Solving the bird nursery rhyme in Alan Wake 2
As mentioned, the rhyme itself speaks of different amount of birds representing different things. You only have the one crow doll, and the nursery rhyme states “One bird for light.” If you look at the chalk drawing again, you will notice one of the pictures is of the sun, so place the doll onto the chalk sun to create a parallel of the “one bird for light” line from the rhyme. Congratulations, you just solved your first nursery rhyme.
What is the reward for completing the bird nursery rhyme in Alan Wake 2?
Once the doll is in the correct place, Saga will comment on a change in the environment and say you should look around. You will find your reward on the picnic table ahead of you. It is the first Charm you will collect (though Saga already has one on her person). Charms are small buffs that can be added to Saga’s bracelet to help you during combat. The Charm you will receive after completing this nursery rhyme is the Hammer Charm, which—when equipped—will make Saga’s attacks stagger enemies more often than not.
How to equip the Hammer charm reward from the bird nursery rhyme
Once you have picked up the Hammer charm, go into your inventory and navigate to the items tab. Hover over the Charm and click on it to see options of what you can do with it. Select Move and move it over to the small box underneath the heart Charm Saga already has equipped. This will equip the Hammer Charm.
At this point, Saga has three slots available for her bracelet, so there will be space to add it alongside the heart Charm without having to choose between the two.
