The Harbor Cult Stash—found in Bright Falls–in Alan Wake 2 is a must for players to collect. Inside, you’ll find a particular reward that will make a big difference to your inventory management.
This particular cult stash is one of the trickier ones to solve, though it’s understandable due to the quality of the reward you get from it. You won’t be able to access it until you have progressed enough in the Saga’s story to have unlocked the boltcutters. You get these during your trip to the Valhalla Nursing Home, so as long as you have reached this section of the game and completed it, you should be able to access this cult stash.
We’ll walk you through how to get to this cult stash, how to solve the puzzle to open the combination lock, and what reward you’ll get once it has been solved.
Where is the Bright Falls Harbor Cult Stash in Alan Wake 2?
As the name suggests, this cult stash can be found in the harbor area in the town of Bright Falls. You will come across this location quite soon in the game if you start exploring the area when you first arrive there as Saga. However, as mentioned, you won’t be able to get in until you have received the boltcutters.
The harbor is opposite the abandoned building between the Oh Deer Diner and the Elderwood Palace Lodge. It is quite easy to spot, but just in case you are having trouble, look for the building with “Fresh Seafood” written on it, and you will know that you are going to the right place. It’s rather large, so it’s hard to miss.
Once you have the boltcutters to hand, head to the gate keeping the area locked up (even though there are still people fishing in there, but whatever). Interact with the lock and Saga’s tool inventory should appear on the screen. Scroll down to the boltcutters and click on them, and Saga will cut open the padlock.
When you enter the harbor, you’ll see a door that you can enter that goes to the wooden shack on the right. Go through the door and the cult stash will be in plain view.
How to solve the Bright Falls Harbor Cult Stash combination lock puzzle in Alan Wake 2
First off, you will need to look at the piece of paper attached to the top of the cult stash to figure out the combination for the lock. The picture isn’t hugely clear here—mostly because everything is so damn dark in this game—so we will describe it as best as we can.
The paper has a crude drawing of two long rectangles with the numbers one, two, and three written on in three different areas. The rectangles seem to stretch out into a body of water, as depicted by the happy-looking fish drawn in the wavy water squiggles.
Seeing as the cult stash is found at the harbor, it shouldn’t take long to connect the dots and realize the drawing is referring to the two jetties on the harbor on either side of the seafood building. The black rectangle on the drawing represents the gate to get into the harbor, so consider it as a representation of where you are standing when you first enter the area.
The numbers on the piece of paper relate to specific numbers dotted around the harbor on wooden posts, but you will have to look closely to find them as they are in the water. Although the numbers on the paper don’t tell you the actual numbers on the wooden posts, they tell you the order they will need to go in when you put them into the combination lock. It sounds a lot more confusing than it is, so let us try and break it down a bit.
We’ll go through the numbers in the order they need to be put into the padlock to open the stash. If you look at the drawing, you will see the last number on the padlock is the closest to the end of the jetty, while the first number is the closest to you. That means the first and the third numbers of the combination are on the right side, while the second number is on the left side.
Start walking down the jetty on the right, and you will see a number six on a wooden post in front of the moored boats. This is the first number of the combination, so make a note of it.
To find the next number in the sequence, turn around and go to the other side of the harbor, as per the drawing’s cryptic instructions. You will spot a number nine on a wooden post coming out of the water nearby to another moored boat. This is the only number you need to find on this side of the harbor, so you can be certain nine is definitely the second number for the combination lock.
The final number for the padlock is a bit more difficult to spot, as you need to go to the very end of the jetty. Keep going until you reach the fisherman and then walk past him. Look out onto the water, and you will see the number seven attached to another wooden post. It can be hard to make out the number due to the awkward placement of it on the post, but if you squint you should be able to see that it is a seven.
Now you have solved the puzzle and figured out what numbers you need for the combination lock, as well as what order they need to go in, head back to the wooden shack near the entrance of the harbor. Approach the cult stash and input the numbers in the right order: six, nine, seven.
What is the reward for solving the Harbor Cult Stash combination puzzle in Alan Wake 2?
You only get one reward from this cult stash, but it is an incredibly useful one that can make all the difference as you continue through the game. You will receive an inventory upgrade for your efforts in solving this puzzle, which can make managing your inventory a much more efficient task.
You will get a whole extra row of inventory space when you have picked up this upgrade, which means a lot more room for ammo, health items, and even weapons if you can squeeze some extra ones into your inventory space.
Final thoughts on the Bright Falls Harbor Cult Stash in Alan Wake 2
I personally found the inventory upgrades in Alan Wake 2 to be an absolute blessing, as it didn’t take long for me to keep filling up the limited space that I had. It was getting so bad I was having to leave useful items that I was finding in supply containers behind. I would even have to drop certain items out of my inventory altogether because of the lack of space.
Because of this, I found these upgrades to be a necessity as I was playing. They can be found scattered throughout the game, though it can sometimes be difficult to know which cult stashes are going to reward you with an inventory upgrade rather than general supplies.
Any supplies you can get your hands on are going to be useful during your time with Alan Wake 2, but I would definitely advise keeping a keen eye out for inventory upgrades—such as the one that you can get from the harbor cult stash—so you can get the most out of your inventory space.
