The Cabinets of Doctor ArcanaThe Cabinets of Doctor Arcana

Game Details:  Horror, 2018

Links:  Moby Games, Steam, Adventure Gamers

Walkthrough Updated:  7/29/2023

Suggested Listening:  Where There's Smoke (Ash 25)

The Cabinets of Doctor Arcana is a puzzle adventure game set inside the mansion of a mysterious magician who has disappeared. After a strange force compels you to enter the house, the door locks shut behind you and you must explore to find a series of 13 keys to allow you to escape.

Mansion Grounds

Starting at the front gate, look at the plaque just to the right of the gate. Insert your amulet into the middle. Now you need to rotate the discs around the edge so that the arrows resemble the word "ABRACADABRA" along the top and along both sides of the plaque. Go through the gate and approach the front door of the mansion.

Examine the front door, and again insert your amulet into the middle. Now you need to exchange the positions of the eyes, so that the two left eyes are on the left side of the plaque, and the two right eyes are on the right side of the plaque. Just take your time and gradually rotate all 4 eyes around in a clockwise direction. Now you can head inside through the opened door. You will be greeted by the voice of Doctor Arcana, and you will be given the choice to either leave, or stay and accept the challenge.

Main Floor

Entrance Hall

Approach the door straight ahead, but you are missing what you need to solve it. Look at the shield to the right of the door to see the symbol for Temujin, then back out again and head right to the East Hall. Examine the statue at the end of the hall, and take the green gemstone from its hand. Now go left twice to reach the West Hall.

Look closely at the door on the left. Insert the green gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Temujin symbol (which will be displayed if you hover over your journal). Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle and change them to show the word TEMUJIN. Go through the green portal that appears.

Parlor

Take the purple gemstone from the shelves. Look at the painting above the fireplace to see the symbol for Aurora. Now examine the cabinet in the middle of the room. You need to rotate the 9 pieces so that the golden paths all align properly. Once you have done this, take the first skeleton key (1/13). Back out of this room for now.

Entrance Hall

Go right twice and examine the door on the right. Insert the purple gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Aurora symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle and change them to show the word AURORA. Go through the purple portal that appears.

Dining Room

Take the aqua gemstone from the dining table, and also read the note here about The Arcanum. Look at the shield above the fireplace to see the symbol for Medusa. Now look at the puzzle cabinet on the far wall. You need to find a path through the maze so that you click on each face once. Click on the faces in this order:

6
7
10
9
5
2
8
11
3
4
1
12

Once this is done, take a skeleton key (2/13). Back out of this room, then go left twice and through the green portal.

Parlor

Examine the door on the right. Insert the aqua gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Medusa symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle and change them to show the word MEDUSA. Go through the aqua portal that appears.

Gallery

Examine the statue in the far left corner and take the red gemstone. Look at all of the paintings, particularly the one of Vervain, where you will also see a new symbol. Also read both framed notes along the far wall. Now examine the cabinet on the far wall. Here you must slide the small block to the very bottom, by shuffling the other blocks out of the way. The following diagrams show the starting position, and the position of each block after each step:

1
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
4
2
2
3
4
1
5
1
6
5
6
5
5
7
5
7
4
5
5
3
6
8
1
1
6
8
6
8
6
7
6
7
8
3
9
8
7
1
9
3
8
9
8
9
9
7
7
3
3
9
3
9
1
  • Step 1: 1 right, 2 up, 4 up, 5 left, 3 down, 1 down, 2 right
  • Step 2: 4 up, 5 up, 6 up, 8 up, 9 left, 7 down, 3 down
  • Step 3: 1 down, 5 right, 6 up, 8 up, 9 up, 7 left, 3 down
  • Step 4: 9 right, 7 up, 3 left, 9 down, 7 right, 8 down, 1 left
  • Step 5: 7 up, 8 right, 1 down, 6 down, 5 left, 7 up, 8 up
  • Step 6: 9 up, 3 right, 1 down, 9 left, 3 up, 1 right

Now you can take the skeleton key (3/13). Go back twice, right twice, and through the purple portal.

Dining Room

Examine the door on the left. Insert the red gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Vervain symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle and change them to show the word VERVAIN. Go through the red portal that appears.

Theater

Look at the posters on the left wall, then look at the small pedestal on the left side of the stage. Take the card from the left, then examine the cabinet in the middle of the stage. Here you just need to rotate the triangular tiles so that all adjacent sides have the same color (including along the outsides of the main triangle). Now you can take the septagram amulet and the next skeleton key (4/13). Go back twice and left.

Entrance Hall

Examine the door straight ahead. Insert your 2 amulets. Now you need to spell out the phrase written on the card from the stage. Start at the green square and follow the path to the red square on the diagram below:

C
L
E
R
W
W
A
E
V
F
E
I
T
U
E
B
L
L
D
B
A
T
R
O
E
U
M
A
T
M
S
S
E
L
S
O
U
F
D
M
I
M
O
N
L
L
N
D
C
E
B
I
W
S

Go through the door.

Library

Take the blue gemstone and some magic words from the statue on the left. Look at the map on the desk, and take the playing card clue. The map will let you travel quickly to rooms you have already unlocked, and show where you have already obtained skeleton keys. Next examine the book on the pedestal to the right. Slide the runes around so they are all over etchings with the same runes, then the book will open, revealing a list of magic words and matching symbols.

Examine the cabinet in the far right of the room. Use your magic words on the board to unlock it, then press the 3 buttons in the correct order:

2
3
1

Take cipher scroll 1 when it is revealed. Leave here, and go back, through the purple portal, and through the red portal.

Theater

Now examine the box on the pedestal on the left side of the stage. Use your playing card clue here, then set the 3 cards as follows from left to right:

  • Queen of Spades
  • Seven of Diamonds
  • Ace of Hearts

Take the dragon talisman. Back away from here, then continue back twice and left.

Entrance Hall

Examine the gate at the top of the stairs, and insert the dragon talisman. Now go through the door.

Second Floor

Second Floor Hall

Go left and look at all of the paintings here and on the next screen, particularly the one of Pandora, where you will also see a new symbol. Go back and head right, looking at another series of paintings. Examine the door around the corner here. Examine the door on the left. Insert the blue gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Pandora symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scroll 1 here, then adjust the symbols to show the word PANDORA. Go through the blue portal that appears.

Guest Bedroom

Look at the plaque over the bed to see the symbol for Zoltan. Look at the ticket on the nightstand, then open the nightstand drawer and take out an orange gemstone. Read the scroll on the fireplace. Examine the cabinet in the corner of the room - here you just need to exchange the positions of the dragon tiles from left to right. Once you are done, take the skeleton key (5/13). Back out of the room, then go back and left twice.

Second Floor Hall

Examine the door here. Insert the orange gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Zoltan symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scroll here, then adjust the symbols to show the word ZOLTAN. Go through the orange portal that appears.

Game Room

Open the helmet on the suit of armor, then take the green gemstone from inside. Read the note in the shelves to the left, and also look at the green painting in the left shelves to see the symbol for Morpheus. Examine the cabinet in the middle of the room. Just make your way through the spiral maze from the outside to the inside, making sure to fill in the maze completely as you go. Once completed, take the next skeleton key (6/13). Back out of the room, then go around the corner to the left.

Master Bedroom Door

Examine the door here. Insert the green gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Morpheus symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scroll here, then adjust the symbols to show the word MORPHEUS. Go through the green portal that appears.

Master Bedroom

Examine the skulls over the fireplace. By trial and error you can work out the correct order to touch the eyes so they stay illuminated:

4
6
1
5
2
3

Take the purple gemstone. Examine the tapestry to the left to see the symbol for Baphomet. Pick up some more magic words from the chest at the end of the bed. Now look at the cabinet on the far wall. Here you must click on alternating dark and light tiles to make your way to the end of the grid:

5
20
13
6
10
16
3
11
12
4
8
15
2
18
9
19
1
17
14
7
21

Take the skeleton key (7/13). Now head all the way back downstairs and into the library (back 4 times, right and forward through the door).

Library

Examine the cabinet in the far right of the room. Use your magic words on the board to unlock it, then press the 3 buttons in the correct order:

2
1
3

Take cipher scroll 2 when it is revealed. Leave here, and go back, upstairs, forward and right.

Second Floor Hall

Examine the door here. Insert the purple gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Baphomet symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scrolls here, then adjust the symbols to show the word BAPHOMET. Go through the purple portal that appears.

Museum

Look at the painting on the right to see the symbol for Azrael. Examine the hand and take the devil clue. Further to the left, examine the skull and grab the red gemstone. Now look at the cabinet in the middle of the far wall. You need to move and rotate the maze pieces to complete a path from left to right:

Take the next skeleton key (8/13). Leave this room, then go back, left and through the orange portal.

Game Room

Look at the puzzle low down in the right shelves. Use your devil clue here. Now you need to rearrange the symbols so that each devil is holding a pair of symbols that goes together. The position of the pairs of symbols is based on the relative locations on the clue:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
  1. Snake
  2. Circle
  3. Bat
  4. Triangle
  5. Wolf
  6. Diamond
  7. Spider
  8. Star

Take the devil talisman. Leave this room, then go back, right and through the purple portal.

Museum

Examine the plaque on the left of the back wall, and insert your devil talisman, then go through the doorway. Examine the posters on the wall, then approach the door. Insert the red gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Azrael symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scrolls here, then adjust the symbols to show the word AZRAEL. Go through the red portal that appears.

Secret Room

Take the aqua gemstone from the left bookshelf. Look at the posters near the back of the room to see the symbol for Osiris. Also read the book on the stand to the right. Now approach the desk. Open the small silver box and take out some more magic words. Finally, look at the cabinet in the right wall. Here you just need to highlight segments to connect the 4 pairs of matching symbols, without crossing the lines at all. Once you are done, take the skeleton key (9/13).

Leave here and go back 4 times.

Second Floor Hall

Examine the door here. Insert the aqua gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Osiris symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scrolls here, then adjust the symbols to show the word OSIRIS. Go through the aqua portal that appears.

Upper Floors

The Attic

Take the orange gemstone from the statue on the left. Look in the urn just to the right to find a clue. Examine the paintings and posters to see the symbol for Mephisto. Now examine the large cabinet on the ground. For this puzzle, you need to use the scarab beetle to push all of the golden orbs into the hole - this is the hardest puzzle of the game and will take a long time to gradually solve. Once you are done, take the skeleton key (10/13). Leave the puzzle, then back out twice and go right. Head forward and through the door.

Library

Examine the cabinet in the far right of the room. Use your magic words on the board to unlock it, then press the 3 buttons in the correct order:

3
2
1

Take cipher scroll 3 when it is revealed. Leave here, and go back, upstairs, forward, left and around the corner.

Second Floor Hall

Examine the gate here and use your clue. Now click on the letters to spell the word PERSISTENCE. End by pressing the button in the middle. Now head up the stairs and examine the door. Insert the orange gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Mephisto symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scrolls here, then adjust the symbols to show the word MEPHISTO. Go through the orange portal that appears.

Wizard's Tower

Take the blue gemstone from the shelves on the right, and read the book on the stand to the left. You can find a clue in the shelves above this book. Next look at the tapestry in the far corner of the room to see the symbol for Daedalus. Now look at the green cabinet on the left wall. You need to arrange the nameplates based on the list of clues on the left:

  • Top Row: Dread, Scowl, Skar
  • Second Row: Curse, Snarl, Grim
  • Third Row: Hex, Grog, Klaw
  • Bottom Row: Woe, Maul, Hob

Take the skeleton key (11/13). Leave here, then go back 4 times, right and around the corner.

Second Floor Hall

Examine the gate here and use your clue. Now you need to click on the symbols, starting at the bottom, working out a path based on how they appear around the compass rose on your clue:

Now head up the stairs and examine the door. Insert the blue gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Daedalus symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scrolls here, then adjust the symbols to show the word DAEDALUS. Go through the blue portal that appears.

Astronomer's Tower

Take the green gemstone from the device on the left, and a grandfather clue from further to the left. Look at the tall device and the book on the pedestal for some more information, and look through the telescope to see the symbol for Thanatos. Look in the shelves on the right to find a burnt clue. Now examine the blue cabinet in the right wall. You need to move and rotate the tiles to align similar halves of the celestial creatures. The following shows the relative colors of the creatures throughout the pattern:

Take the skeleton key (12/13). Leave here, then go back 4 times, left, around the corner, upstairs and through the orange portal.

Wizard's Tower

Look at a skull box in the right shelves. Use your burnt clue to get a partial solution to the puzzle. You need to turn the skulls to face either left or right, as shown below:

R
L
L
L
R
R
L
L
R

Take the skull talisman from inside the box. Leave here and go all the way back down to the library (back 5 times, right, forward and through the door).

Library

Examine the clock, and use your grandfather clue. Based on the clue, press these numbers on the clock: 6, 4, 2, 7, 1, 11, 8, 9. Now examine a new puzzle in the left bookcase. Insert your skull talisman in the middle. Now you need to move the round discs so they are next to their matching symbols. Once you are done, put the skull talisman back in the middle position. Enter the secret elevator. Insert your amulet on the left, then press the button to go down to the crypt.

Crypt

Examine the door. Insert the blue gemstone in the middle, then swap and rotate the puzzle pieces to recreate the Thanatos symbol. Once you are done, examine the series of letters beneath the puzzle. Use your cipher scrolls here, then adjust the symbols to show the word THANATOS. Go through the green portal that appears.

Ritual Chamber

Read the books on both pedestals, then examine the cabinet in the far right wall. You need to rearrange the skulls so they show the following message: "Star then moon preceded by triangle after Egyptian eye". Now you can take the final skeleton key (13/13). Leave this cabinet, then look at the gate to the left. You should change the symbols here as follows: "Egyptian eye, triangle, star, moon". Go through the gate.

Trap Chamber

Read the plaques on each wall, then look at the floor. You need to spell out the following by clicking on the floor tiles in the correct order: "Tread wisely as you cross this room. One wrong step spells certain doom. Step forward and look at the book, then touch the hand symbol on the right page. Now walk forward again.

The Tomb

You will now see a series of stone panels, surrounding a list of symbols down the middle. You must click on the stone panels in the same order as the symbols (from top to bottom). You will have notes in your journal to help you:

2
5
3
1
6
4

The Sarcophagus of Doom

Look at the sarcophagus. You must swap and rotate the pieces to recreate the amulet you have held from the start of the game. Look again, and insert your amulet, followed by the 13 keys. Now you need to use "The Hand of Fate" diagram in your journal to work out which key goes into each lock.