Complete Ruins of Alph Guide + Hidden Rooms (Pokémon HGSS) - Guide Strats (2024)

The Ruins of Alph is an area located southwest of Violet City, between Routes 32 and 36. It is the only place where wild Unown can be encountered in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

The Ruins also have four puzzle chambers, each with a primary puzzle and a secret secondary puzzle. The solutions and rewards for completing the secret puzzles are detailed in the table below:

In the following guide we will explain where each puzzle chamber is located within the Ruins of Alph, the solutions to the Unown riddles, and the rewards you can get by completing them.

The Ruins of Alph

The Ruins of Alph is an optional area that can be accessed very early in the game. You can enter the Ruins as soon as you reach Violet City, even before obtaining your first Gym Badge.

Inside the Ruins is a main chamber and four smaller chambers.

These smaller chambers contain a tile-arranging puzzle mini game that you’ll need complete if you want wild Unown to spawn within the main chamber.

The walls behind each tile-arranging puzzle have plaques with Unown glyphs inscribed on them.

These glyphs form an English word that provides a hint to a secret puzzle in the same room. Each secret puzzle reveals a hidden room behind the back wall when you solve them.

When you first complete a stone panel puzzle, an Unown Researcher will greet you underground and give you the Unown Report, which keeps track of the different forms of Unown you have captured.

In addition, wild Unown will start appearing in the main chamber after you complete the first puzzle. The kind of Unown you can encounter will depend on which puzzles you’ve already completed.

Northeast Chamber (Kabuto) – Main Puzzle

The Northeast chamber is the first puzzle room available to you in the game. It is immediately accessible as soon as you’re able to enter the Ruins of Alph in the early game.

The path towards the entrance of this chamber is obscured behind two empty buildings. The entrances and exits are denoted by the stone mat in front of each of these buildings (pictured below).

The Northeast chamber contains a tile-arranging puzzle depicting a stone carving of the Fossil Pokémon, Kabuto. Completing this puzzle will open a trap door underneath you, and you will fall into the main chamber.

By completing the first tile-arranging puzzle, Unown A to Unown J can now be encountered.

Northeast Chamber (Kabuto) – Secret Puzzle

The wall behind the tile-arranging puzzle has a plaque with Unown Glyphs that read:

E S C A P E

While this plaque seems random, it is actually a one-word hint that tells you what you need to do.

If you use an Escape Rope while looking at the strange wall, the wall will disappear, revealing a secret room.

Note: This action will not consume your Escape Rope.

Inside the secret room you will find:

• Heal Powder
• EnergyPowder
• An Oran Berry
• And a Pecha Berry

At the end of this room is a hole that leads to another room, this time with Unown Glyphs written on the floor.

The floor reads:

O U R C L A N
E N G R A V E D W O R D S
I N T H I S P L A C E

Another hole can be found in the lower right corner which will drop you into the main chamber.

Southwest Chamber (Omanyte) – Main Puzzle

The remaining chambers in Ruins of Alph all become accessible after you beat the Ecruteak City Gym.

For the Southwest chamber with the Omanyte puzzle, you will need HM03 Surf and HM04 Strength to access it.

This chamber can only be reached via Union Cave.

To get there, head to the north entrance of Union Cave on Route 32 just below the PokeCenter (pictured below).

Head left inside, then go up at the intersection.

A Firebreather will challenge you to a Trainer battle if you have not encountered them yet. Afterwards, head down the stairs nearby.

The basem*nt floor should have a body of water close by. Use Surf on the water and head north, surfing across.

After crossing the water, continue heading north until the very end of the corridor here.

The passageway should naturally turn left, and if you follow it along you should arrive at a fork.

Take the bottom path, and do not jump down the ledge.

You will eventually see a movable boulder blocking the way to some stairs. Have one of your Pokémon use Strength and push it aside so you can pass.

Take the stairs up to an intermediate floor. And then finally, continue to the left to exit the cave.

Upon exiting, you will find yourself in the Ruins of Alph, in front of some stone rubble next to the Southwest chamber.

Carefully navigate through the rubble and you should reach the entrance to the puzzle chamber.

Note: Take your time when walking through the stone rubble so you don’t accidentally jump down the ledge.

The Southwest Chamber contains a tile-arranging puzzle depicting a stone carving of the Fossil Pokémon, Omanyte. Completing this puzzle will also open a trap door underneath you, and you will fall into the main chamber.

By completing the Southwest tile-arranging puzzle, Unown K to Unown Q can now be encountered.

Southwest Chamber (Omanyte) – Secret Puzzle

The wall behind the tile-arranging puzzle has a plaque with Unown Glyphs that read:

W A T E R

If you use a Water Stone while looking at the strange wall, the wall will disappear, revealing the secret room.

Note: This action will not consume your Water Stone.

Inside the secret room you will find:

• Stardust
• A Star Piece
• Mystic Water
• And a Leppa Berry

At the end is a hole that leads to another room with Unown Glyphs written on the floor.

The floor reads:

T H E Y P O S S E S S
P O W E R T O S E N S E
W I T H M I N D A N D
R E J E C T O U T S I D E

Like the first secret chamber, another hole can be found in the lower right corner here which will drop you into the main chamber.

Southeast Chamber (Aerodactyl) – Main Puzzle

You can access the Southeast chamber in the Ruins of Alph directly from outside the Ruins of Alph. You will only need HM03 Surf to reach this puzzle chamber.

Here’s how to get there:

The southern part of the Ruins of Alph has a small lake (pictured below). Use surf to cross the water and keep heading down until you see some ruins.

But the entrance to this chamber is obscured behind an empty building.

Just enter the building going right, then turn and head straight up to reach the Aerodactyl puzzle chamber (pictured below).

This Chamber contains a tile-arranging puzzle depicting a stone carving of the Fossil Pokémon, Aerodactyl. Completing this puzzle will open a trap door underneath you, and you will fall into the main chamber.

By completing this tile-arranging puzzle, Unown R to Unown V can now be encountered.

Southeast Chamber (Aerodactyl) – Secret Puzzle

The wall behind the tile-arranging puzzle has a plaque with Unown Glyphs that read:

L I G H T

If you have one of your Pokémon use Flash while looking at the strange wall, the wall will disappear, revealing a secret room.

Inside the secret room you will find:

• Heal Powder
• Energy Root
• A Moon Stone
• And a Sitrus Berry

Like with the other chambers, there is a hole at the end that leads to another Unown Glyph room.

The floor reads:

O U R C L A N
C R E A T E D P O K E M O N
S T A T U E O U T S I D E

As with the others, a hole leading to the main chamber can be found in the lower right corner.

Northwest Chamber (Ho-Oh) – Main Puzzle

The Northwest chamber is also only accessible via Union Cave.

To get there, head to the same entrance of Union Cave on Route 32 (below the PokeCenter).

Then follow the same steps just like getting to the Southwest Chamber until you reach the fork in the road.

Now instead of taking the bottom path, take the upper path instead. A hiker NPC will challenge you to a battle if you haven’t encountered him yet.

But after the battle just follow that passageway and head up the stairs.

This floor has a body of water that you will need to Surf across to reach the exit.

After exiting, you will find yourself outside the Ruins of Alph.

The path to the entrance of this chamber is once again obscured behind a couple of empty buildings. Enter the one directly below you, then turn right (pictured below).

After you turn right just head straight up to reach the puzzle chamber. You will need to battle a Psychic guarding the chamber before being able to enter.

Tip: The tall grass south of this chamber is one of the only areas where you can encounter Wild Natu and Smeargle.

The Northwest Chamber contains a tile-arranging puzzle depicting a stone carving of the Legendary Pokémon Ho-Oh. Completing this puzzle will open a trap door underneath you, and you will fall into the main chamber.

By completing this tile-arranging puzzle, Unown W to Unown Z can now be encountered.

Northwest Chamber (Ho-Oh) – Secret Puzzle

The wall behind the tile-arranging puzzle has a plaque with Unown Glyphs that read:

H O O H

This secret puzzle is fairly straightforward:

If you have Ho-Oh in your party, interact with the wall and it will open up to reveal the secret room.

Inside the secret room you will find:

• Revival Herb
• Charcoal
• Life Orb
• And a Leppa Berry

Like with the other chambers, there is a hole at the end in this room that leads to another Unown Glyph room.

The floor text reads:

W E H U M A N S
N E E D T O
W A L K W I T H
T H E M
W E L E A V E
H E R E
F O R T H E S A K E
O F T H E M

And just like all the other rooms beforehand, a hole leading to the main chamber can be found in the lower right corner.