Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy gives Susan three hypnosis-based abilities that sit at the heart of its exploration system: Retrocognition, Secrets in Mirrors, and Moth Manipulation. Each one answers a different type of obstacle you will hit while moving through Villa Ashmann and the convent of Cristo Morente. This guide breaks down how each power works, when to use it, and what the Secrets in Mirrors puzzle actually requires you to do.
What is the hypnosis system in Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy?
Hypnosis is the mechanical spine of Susan's exploration toolkit. Stormind's official explanation connects metronomes to the altered mental state that makes these abilities possible. You will encounter metronomes at key points in the game, and interacting with one shifts Susan into the hypnotic state that lets her powers function.
The important thing to understand upfront: these powers do not make you invincible. Stormind's design philosophy keeps Susan vulnerable throughout. Hypnosis helps you find routes and items faster, which cuts down the time you spend exposed to stalkers. It supports survival rather than replacing it.
If you played earlier Remothered games, do not carry over assumptions. The Moth Eye ability from Broken Porcelain operated differently, and moth mechanics in Red Nun's Legacy follow their own rules.
Metronomes trigger Susan's powers
Retrocognition: how does it work?
Retrocognition lets Susan read an object's history, pulling fragments of forgotten memory from it. The Steam description lists it as one of the primary ways to uncover the truth behind the Red Nun, and the official Stormind article on the power confirms it supplies clues that help you progress.
This is the most story-driven of the three abilities. Because the entire trilogy revolves around manipulated memories and buried family secrets, Retrocognition fits the narrative directly. When you use it on the right object, you are not just solving a puzzle, you are filling in gaps in the Ashmann family history that the first two games left open.
How to unlock Retrocognition and use it on puzzles
Retrocognition unlocks through its own dedicated puzzle sequence early in the game, before the Secrets in Mirrors ability becomes available. The Retrocognition puzzle follows a pillar-based format where you freeze symbols in specific positions. Once unlocked, you can apply it to objects throughout Villa Ashmann.
The practical rule: use Retrocognition on any object that seems out of place or when a puzzle appears to be missing context. If you cannot figure out what a room is asking you to do, scan the objects with this ability before moving on.
Retrocognition reads object memories
Secrets in Mirrors: how does it work?
Secrets in Mirrors changes how you interact with reflective surfaces throughout the villa and convent. With the ability active, the screen shifts to a near-monochrome palette and a fog effect appears at the screen edges, signaling that hidden elements are present in the reflection. You then search the reflected perspective to locate distortions and hidden points of interest.
Things revealed in a mirror can manifest in the real environment, so a room you already searched thoroughly may suddenly contain something new once this power is active. That is the core loop the ability creates: revisiting familiar spaces with a new lens.
Multiple secrets can exist within a single mirror view. The fog effect at the screen edge disappears and color returns to normal once you have found everything available in that reflection.
How to solve the Secrets in Mirrors puzzle
Unlocking the Secrets in Mirrors ability requires completing a specific puzzle sequence in the convent area. Here is the full walkthrough:
Step 1: Reach the Room of Wonders This sequence begins after you have already unlocked the front door using the Ashmann Family ring obtained through Retrocognition. Once back inside the villa, most doors will be locked, funneling you toward the Room of Wonders on the left-hand side of the building.
Step 2: Survive the Bride encounter A cutscene in the Room of Wonders introduces the Bride, a stalker whose moth shield makes blunt weapon tactics ineffective. You cannot stun her the way you can most nuns. Use whatever defensive items you are carrying to create distance and escape the room.
Step 3: Find the metronome After avoiding the Bride, return to the Room of Wonders to find a new metronome. Interact with it to enter the convent sequence where the Secrets of Mirrors puzzle takes place.
Step 4: Use the mirror to escape the first room The starting room of the convent now has a mirror and no exit door. Look into the mirror to activate Secrets in Mirrors. Search the reflected room to locate a door that only exists in the reflection. Focusing on it lets you escape.
Step 5: Find the missing tile The hallway beyond leads to double doors locked by a missing tile. Head right from those doors to find a mirror on the wall. Use Secrets in Mirrors to spot a key inside a cabinet visible only in the reflection.
Take that key to the bedroom directly across from the locked double doors. Search the bedroom using Retrocognition on available objects. When you leave the bedroom, a blood trail will have appeared on the floor leading back toward the mirror. Follow it to a crib that has appeared in the hallway. The missing tile is inside the crib. Place it in the door lock to proceed.
Step 6: Solve the pillar puzzle The actual Secrets in Mirrors puzzle uses the same pillar-freezing format as the Retrocognition puzzle, but with one key difference: each pillar has only a single image on it rather than multiple. Use the mirror at the rear of the room to reveal the symbols on each rotating pillar. Time your ability use to catch each pillar as it rotates and reveals its face.
The recommended approach is to uncover all four pillars first before touching any of the freeze buttons. Each pillar needs its symbol facing directly toward you when frozen. Once all four are locked in the correct orientation, you receive a necklace that completes the convent sequence.
Freeze all four pillars correctly
Moth Manipulation: how does it work?
Moth Manipulation is the third confirmed hypnosis power. It lets Susan direct swarms of moths toward cocoons to dissolve them and open blocked passages. The Steam description groups it alongside Retrocognition and mirror abilities as a core exploration tool.
Stormind has deliberately kept the full mechanics of this power undisclosed, so the exact controls are something you will learn from in-game prompts. What the PS5 trophy list confirms is that moths and cocoons are a meaningful part of the game's progression: there are trophy objectives tied to controlling moths and to destroying 10 different cocoons.
The Bride is also connected to moths. Her shield of insects is what makes standard blunt-weapon tactics useless against her, which suggests moth-related mechanics carry weight beyond simple environmental puzzles.
Which power should you use in each situation?
Think of the three abilities as three different types of keys, each matched to a specific category of obstacle. The table below maps common situations to the power the official description connects with them.
| Situation | Power to use | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| A puzzle is missing context or information | Retrocognition | Reads objects to surface forgotten memories and progression clues |
| A room feels like a dead end with no visible exit | Secrets in Mirrors | Reveals hidden points, distortions, and paths visible only in reflections |
| Moths or cocoons are blocking a passage | Moth Manipulation | Directs swarms to dissolve cocoons and open new routes |
| You have already tried one power and it failed | Try the others | Puzzles can combine powers; no single ability covers every situation |
Treat this as a starting framework. The retail game contains situations that previews did not show, and some areas will require combining abilities rather than applying just one.
How do hypnosis powers fit the story?
Susan arrives at Villa Ashmann searching for her daughter Agata, who disappeared 14 months before the events of the game. The villa sits on the slopes of Mount Etna and connects directly to the convent of Cristo Morente, where Gloria Ashmann spent part of her childhood before becoming the Red Nun.
Retrocognition in particular makes the storytelling work. Rather than relying entirely on documents and overheard dialogue to reconstruct the Ashmann family's history with Phenoxyl experiments and Acherontia moths, the ability lets you pull those memories directly from the objects that witnessed them. The game's Italian neo-giallo tone, built around altered perception and hidden truths, makes hypnosis feel like a natural fit rather than a mechanical add-on.
Common mistakes players make with hypnosis
- Using powers in the open. Stalkers remain active while you focus on objects and mirrors. Always confirm no pursuer is nearby before activating an ability.
- Ignoring backtracking. New powers frequently unlock content in rooms you already visited. Keep a mental note of unexplained objects and dead-end rooms to revisit.
- Skipping the mirror scan. When the fog effect appears at screen edges, there is more than one secret to find. Stay in the reflected view until the fog clears and color returns before moving on.
- Assuming one power per room. Some areas require Retrocognition and Secrets in Mirrors in the same space. If one ability reveals nothing, try the others before concluding a room is empty.
A practical exploration routine
When entering any new area, the most efficient approach is:
- Check that no stalker is within range.
- Scan objects with Retrocognition, especially anything that looks out of place.
- Check every mirror once Secrets in Mirrors is available.
- Watch for moths or cocoons blocking passages and apply Moth Manipulation.
- After unlocking a new ability, return to previously visited rooms before advancing.
This order keeps you focused and reduces the time you spend exposed in open areas.
For more on surviving Villa Ashmann and tackling its other challenges, browse the full Remothered: Red Nun's Legacy guides collection, which covers stalker tactics, puzzle solutions, and more. Fans of action games with a survival horror edge will find Red Nun's Legacy sits in a distinct space, closer to Clock Tower's hide-and-evade roots than to combat-heavy contemporaries.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use hypnosis powers at any time? Metronomes trigger Susan's altered state, and powers appear to be tied to specific exploration sequences rather than available on demand from the start. The exact unlock order follows the story progression.
Does Retrocognition work on every object? No. Only specific objects respond to the ability. If an object does not react, it is not a Retrocognition target. Focus on items that seem significant to the room's puzzle or narrative.
What happens if the Bride catches you during the Secrets of Mirrors sequence? Blunt weapons are ineffective against the Bride because of her moth shield. Use defensive and healing items to create distance rather than attempting to stun her.
Do hypnosis powers carry over from earlier Remothered games? No. Each game in the trilogy operates independently. The Moth Eye ability from Broken Porcelain is not the same as Moth Manipulation in Red Nun's Legacy. Learn each power fresh from the in-game tutorials.
