God of War Ragnarok has plenty of side quests called Favors, which reward you with additional XP and occasionally give you other items, such as armor pieces. One of the first Favors you will find in the game is called Secret of the Sands, is available in Alfheim and is full of red hive puzzles. To start the mission, you’ll need to speak with Sindri at his workbench in The Canyons.
SPOILER ALERT: This guide contains spoilers of the game.
You will have the chance to talk briefly with Sindri about a creature in pain in the desert. After that, you can start the quest by reaching the starting point of the Favor, which is in a cave south of the region called The Barrens in Alfheim. You will find many red hives that block your path, and you must destroy them if you want to complete this side quest and free the beast. In this guide, you will find the solution to each red hive puzzle in The Below.
How to Solve The Secret of the Sand Puzzles in God of War Ragnarok
The Secret of the Sand Favor in God of War Ragnarok brings you to The Below in pursuit of the pained creature. During the mission, you will find many glowing red hive vines, which need to be cut to proceed. This can be done by throwing your Leviathan Axe to the core, and while some are pretty straightforward to break, others involve using any Twilight Stone nearby and finding the right angle, as for the Light Door puzzles.
This can be frustrating, as it may slow you down and prevent you from completing the Favor. You’ll need to carefully look over your surroundings, looking for any spot which will let you land the perfect throw. Sometimes, the solution to the Red Hive Puzzles in Alfheim is easier than you can imagine. But if you need help, you can take a look at the images and the brief explanation below.
Red Hive Puzzle #1
The first Red Hive puzzle in The Below can be solved by throwing the Axe at the Twilight Stone placed left of the vines.
Red Hive Puzzle #2
The hives will block your path again as you proceed in the area. You must throw your Axe at the big Twilight Stone on the rocks to free it.
Red Hive Puzzle #3
After you fight against some enemies, you will eventually find other red hives. This time, you must hit the Twilight Stone on the left from the right angle.
Red Hive Puzzle #4
This area features a lot of puzzles. The first is the one you see in the image above, and you need to hit the core with the Axe from this exact position to free the path.
Red Hive Puzzle #5
The next puzzle is just some meters away from the previous one and requires you to hit the Twilight Stone to proceed.
Red Hive Puzzle #6
This puzzle can be tricky as you must first rotate the Twilight Stone in the right direction. Do it as shown in the image, and then throw your Axe at it.
Red Hive Puzzle #7
When you finally find the pained creature, you must cut the remaining hives to free it. Finding the right angle for this puzzle can be challenging, but you can check the image for the solution.
Red Hive Puzzle #8
The last puzzle involves throwing your Axe at the Twilight Stone, so you can break the remaining roots you have found here.
Once you solve the last red hive puzzle, you will be just one step away from completing the Secret of the Sand Favor in God of War Ragnarok. If you need more help with the game, you can also check how to solve the river sigil puzzle in Vanaheim.
