While running around the map in Hogwarts Legacy, you're bound to come across dozens of special treasure vaults with at least one chest inside. Most are pretty straightforward and will just require you to use the proper spell to unlock. However, there are also some more tricky treasure vaults that will take more work and puzzle solving.
We'll go over the basic ways to unlock most treasure vaults in Hogwarts Legacy along with more in-depth explanations on how to solve some of the more tricky treasure vault puzzles like the chess puzzle and San Bakar's Tower treasure vault puzzles.
How to tell where treasure vaults are in Hogwarts Legacy
Treasure vaults are marked on the map with a cave-like symbol that has multiple arches in it. Simply mark these on the map and then travel to them.
How to solve all treasure vault puzzles in Hogwarts Legacy
- Lighting torches: If you see torches in the area and some or all of them aren't lit, then you'll likely want to light them all to make a treasure reachable.
- Whirlpool diving: Swim to this swirling water and then press the proper button to dive into a new location. A treasure chest will be waiting nearby.
- Burning spiderwebs: Some caverns simply have spiderwebs standing in your path. Burn them and get rid of them with either Incendio or Confrigo.
- Spell cubes: Locate a cube with a spell symbol on it and use Wingardium Leviosa to take it to a pedestal with a matching symbol. Then perform the spell on the cube that the symbol indicates (usually Levioso or Incendio). A hidden passage will open somewhere nearby. Enter it to find your treasure. Cubes are never too far from the platforms.
- Demolish entrance: You'll find a doorway or opening that is filled with rocks and debris. Use Confrigo to blast the rubble away and then enter the cave behind it to get your treasure.
- Boarded-up entrance: Wood has been nailed together over a mine or cavern. Blast it apart
- Puzzle cube: Use Wingardium Leviosa to arrange cubes in a way that matches a pattern.
- Unlocking a door: Some treasure vaults are hidden behind a simple Alohomora spell. But you might need to upgrade Alohomora to Level 2 or Level 3 to open some of these.
- Defeat all enemies: Inferi might spring up from the ground and you'll need to defeat them before the treasure chest can show up. Remember they must be hit with a fire spell first in order for them to take any damage.
- Pushing or pulling handles: Sometimes in an area, you'll see an object or item with a handle on it. Use Accio or Depulso to interact with it and it will unlock a way to lead to the treasure.
Particularly tricky treasure vaults
Some treasure vault puzzles will take more work or might be unique puzzles with none others like them on the map. Here are some of these more tricky treasure vaults along with steps on how to solve them.
Phoenix Mountain Cave / Cragcroft Treasure Vault: Chess Puzzle
This chess puzzle is at both the Cragcroft treasure vault and the Phoenix Mountain Cave treasure vault. Solving these chess puzzles takes a bit of magic as well as an understanding of how chess pieces work.
Inside these caves, you'll find a game of chess mostly played through. In order to solve this chess puzzle, you need to cast Transformation (goblet with a rat tail) on the object in the room that glows blue when you cast Revelio. Doing this changes it into a chess piece. You'll then need to place it somewhere on the board that signals checkmate for white.
In the Phoenix Mountain Cave, go to the white chair on the left of the entrance when you walk in and cast Transformation on it to turn the chair into a white Knight chess piece.
Meanwhile, if you're at the Cragcroft treasure vault, you need to transform the vase that glows blue when you use Revelio into a Bishop chess piece.
In the Phoenix Mountain Cave treasure vault, you want to use Wingardium Leviosa to place the Knight so that it is one square left and one square forward from where the white Queen is.
If you're at the Cragcroft treasure vault, you need to use Wingardium Leviosa to place the Bishop in the depressed square two spaces up from the black Pawn that's next to the white Knight.
This will call checkmate against the black King piece on the other side, causing it to crumble. Then your reward for completing the chess puzzle will appear.
San Bakar's Tower Treasure Vault cube puzzle
Pick up the cube in the center of the room using Wingardium Leviosa. Now rotate it so that the symbol is pointing up (holding Q on PC). Now place the cube in the open slot with the other cubes.
Aranshire Treasure Vault mini tornado puzzle
A small leafy tornado blows around this room with two archways inside of it. When you walk through the arches things in the room will change. Locate the mini tornado three times and walk through it to make a treasure chest appear.
Aranshire Treasure Vault moving floor puzzle
After placing the spell cube on the platform outside and casting the spell on it, you'll walk into a cave to the north of the cube. If you cast Revelio, you'll see there's a section of floor inside here that glows blue. If you stand on it, you'll quickly get whipped around into a secret room and then back again. While you're getting whipped around spam the collect button (F on PC) to grab the treasure while you move.
South of Aranshire Treasure Vault statue brazier puzzle
After placing a fire spell cube on its pedestal and lighting it, a treasure vault will unlock. When you get to the bottom of this area there is a statue on the left and an open alcove with a grey platform on the right. Hit the fire brazier with Glacius to put the fire out and then stand on the grey platform that appears. It will rotate you into the treasure chest room. (If that doesn't work then you need to flip the other alcove by standing on the grey button there as well).
Central Hogwarts Valley treasure vault chest under floor puzzle
To access the vault, you need to use Accio on the handle object to the left of the stairs. Now go in to the vault and use Revelio to see the chest and a strange cube. Use Wingardium Leviosa on the cube hidden in the upper right side of the room. Bring it toward the chest and the floor will lower allowing you to get the treasure.
Dozens of treasures to find
One of the things that makes Hogwarts Legacy so fun is the large number of puzzles and rewards players can come across during their travels. This truly is one of the reasons that this magical adventure is one of the best PC games and best Xbox games out there.
If you take the time to go to the treasure vault areas early on in the game, you might just unlock some better gear for yourself, which will allow you to have an edge in battles. Some puzzles are tricky, but if you have all of the spell unlocked then you should be able to solve them.
