The Courtyard is the opening room of Escape Simulator 2's Dracula's Castle pack, and Pine Studio wasted no time throwing logic puzzles, buried items, and a Latin-speaking ghost at you. Your single objective: collect four Moon Keys and insert them into the massive castle doors at the back of the area. Sounds simple. It isn't. Here's every solution you need, in the order that makes the most sense to tackle them.
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This walkthrough covers Solo mode. Some puzzle interactions work slightly differently with multiple players, but every solution remains the same.
The four Moon Key slots
How do you unlock the carriage?
Head to the carriage sitting in the middle of the courtyard. On the side opposite the locked door, rub the dirty window clean to reveal the correct arrangement of icons for the lock. Set the moving components as follows:
- Top row: empty
- Second row: two lions facing outward, heads pointing toward each other
- Third row: two goats facing outward, heads pointing toward each other
- Bottom row: single lion facing forward
Once the lock opens, go inside and pick up the flask and a key. Use that key on the chest at the back of the carriage, then place the flask in the matching indent inside it. You'll come back to this chest later.
How do you solve the Mendacium and Veritas lock?
On the left side of the courtyard, three demon figures each make a statement:
- "Everyone is telling the truth."
- "There are two or more liars."
- "I am telling the truth."
Only the middle demon (marked with a mountain symbol) can logically be telling the truth. The other two contradict each other and themselves. A translation note on the noticeboard confirms that Mendacium means lie and Veritas means truth.
At the lock, slide each symbol to either Mendacium or Veritas. The correct sequence is: Mendacium, Mendacium, Veritas, Mendacium, Mendacium, Veritas. This opens the cabinet and gives you the first Moon Key.
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If you can't remember which symbol corresponds to which demon statement, look at the mountain symbol on the lock — that's the only Veritas position.
Mendacium/Veritas lock solution
How do you open the padlocked box?
On the bench below the cabinet you just unlocked, there's a padlocked box. A sheet of paper sitting on top contains a coded clue. The answer is the word HELP. Type it in, open the box, and take the stake inside.
Also grab the hammer from underneath the nearby noticeboard. You'll need both items shortly.
How do you dig up the buried items?
Pick up the shovel leaning against the stone wall near the roman numerals. The noticeboard clue tells you to dig wherever you can see three flames through the hanging glasses overhead. There are two spots:
- Just to the right of the noticeboard, roughly one step from the corner pillar: dig here to find a Mechanical Key
- At the back edge of the fountain, in front of the castle doors: dig here to find a locked chest
Examine the Mechanical Key and pull its lever to extend it into a star shape. Insert it into the chest, then wind it to open the compartment inside. This reveals the second Moon Key.
For a more detailed breakdown of the digging mechanic, the Escape Simulator 2 Courtyard Walkthrough on IGN includes additional notes on the hanging glass clue and brick wall interactions.
How do you solve the numbered brick wall and chest?
On the right side of the area, two sliding devices on the wall move bricks in or out depending on their position. Each slider position corresponds to a number shown on the protruding brick. Use these devices to identify which numbers match the three symbols displayed on the dials of the chest sitting on the floor nearby.
The chest solution is II, IV, VI (or 2, 4, 6 in standard numerals). Opening it gives you two new Mechanical Keys with different shapes: one with a large semi-circle and one with two spokes.
Brick wall number puzzle
How do you solve the angel and devil statues?
Near the gate at the front of the area, two statues stand on pedestals with circular dial mechanisms. Insert each Mechanical Key into the correct statue, then rotate it until the outer ring forms an unbroken circle:
- Mechanical Key with two spokes goes in the angel statue
- Mechanical Key with the large semi-circle goes in the devil statue
Completing both gives you a key and two small statuettes (one angel, one devil). Use the key to open the locked green door on the left side of the courtyard.
Inside, a grid table with a riddle tells you where to place each statuette. Compare the gate imagery in the room to the grid to work out which positions represent heaven and hell. Place the angel statuette in the third space from the left on the top row, and the devil statuette directly beneath it. The third Moon Key appears.
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If you insert the Mechanical Keys into the wrong statues, the circle won't close. Swap them if the outer ring has a visible gap after rotating.
How do you complete the carriage chest?
Return to the chest at the back of the carriage. It has three compartments waiting to be filled:
- The flask (already placed earlier)
- The stake (from the padlocked box)
- The hammer (from under the noticeboard)
With all three in place, a compartment opens and you receive a mirror.
How do you solve the well puzzle with the mirror?
This is the trickiest mechanic in the room. Zoom in on the mirror, then click it to enter a bird's-eye view of the courtyard. From this overhead perspective, four glowing symbols become visible around the area, each corresponding to one of the four movable panels on the well (fountain) in the centre.
Adjust each panel's porthole to reveal the matching symbol. Once all four are set correctly, a spirit rises and asks you four questions in Latin. A translation book sits in the bag on top of the fountain.
Note that the questions don't always appear in the same order. Answer all four correctly to receive the fourth and final Moon Key.
Bird's-eye glyph locations
How do you use the Moon Keys to escape?
Take all four Moon Keys to the large castle doors at the back of the courtyard. Each key fits into one of the four slots, but the correct key must go in the correct slot. When a key is seated properly, its top faces directly outward and you can't see its side profile at all. If a key sits at an angle, it's in the wrong slot. Swap them around until all four sit flush, and the level ends.
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Work through the slots systematically rather than randomly swapping. Start with one key and try all four positions before moving to the next.
Where are all 8 tokens in Dracula's Courtyard?
Tokens are the collectibles in Escape Simulator 2, and the Courtyard has 8 to find. All directions below treat the large castle doors as the "back" of the room:
- Under loose stone slabs on the left side of the area
- On the bench underneath the noticeboard on the right side
- In the hand of the angel statue near the gate
- In the window of the small locked room on the left, toward the back wall
- Under the top hat inside the carriage (accessible after unlocking it)
- At the base of the tree nearest the numbered brick puzzle
- Inside the fire nearest the carriage
- Hidden in the wall to the right of the back
How do you solve the Courtyard Darkest Puzzle?
The Darkest Puzzle is an expanded version of the Mendacium/Veritas lock from earlier, now featuring six statements instead of three. The solution:
- All three statements on the top row are lies (Mendacium)
- On the bottom row: the first statement is a lie, and the remaining two are truths (Veritas)
For the full Courtyard Darkest Puzzle context alongside additional screenshots, the GameSpew Dracula's Castle Courtyard walkthrough covers the expanded truth/lie logic in detail.
The Courtyard has a 45-minute trophy time according to IGN's guide, so if you're chasing that achievement, prioritize the Moon Key puzzles before hunting tokens. The digging puzzle and the well mirror mechanic tend to eat the most time on a first run. Once you know what to look for, the room moves quickly.
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