In this Tenebris Somnia Puzzle and Boss Guide, I cover the boss fights, puzzles, and key items I encounter throughout the game. I explain how to deal with dangerous boss attacks, solve puzzles, find important items, and unlock new areas as I progress through the story.
How I Complete Boss Fight Guide
Obscuratus Candle Fight
When the Obscuratus boss fight starts, he will be invisible. Run around the boss arena and interact with the lit candles to extinguish them. Once all candles are extinguished, Obscuratus will be revealed.
Repeat this process several times throughout the fight until he is revealed enough times for the required damage to be dealt and the boss to be defeated.
Fumus and the Red Circles
During the Fumus boss fight, he will summon red circles on the ground. Stepping onto these circles can be dangerous depending on the weapon currently equipped.
If holding a loaded firearm, the character will turn the gun against herself and commit suicide.
If holding a melee weapon, the character will hit herself on the head and take damage.
If holding an unloaded firearm, a long animation of trying to shoot herself will play, but the character will not die.
The easiest way to deal with these circles is to unequip all weapons and run into them. This causes the circles to disappear instantly and clears some of the hazards from the boss arena.
Breaking Enemy Grapples
Certain enemies and bosses can grab the character and lock her into a grapple. Breaking free quickly is essential, as staying in this state for too long can be deadly.
During the Vitria boss fight, she can shoot a tentacle at Julia and grab her by the throat. Vitria will slowly pull Julia closer until she is within range of her instant-kill attack. Relicta ghosts can also grab Julia and drain her life while holding onto her.
To escape these attacks, quickly mash the interact button until the character breaks free. Once free, continue moving around normally.
Sanguis Beast Form
To defeat Sanguis in his beast form, lure him towards the giant knife near the end of the chase sequence.
Either time his pounce attack correctly or get him to stand directly over the knife. If done correctly, the giant knife will stab through Sanguis and instantly kill him for now.
This ends the boss fight and allows progression to the next area.
Studio Lights in Sulfur Fight
During the Sulfur statue fights, glowing studio lights will surround each arena. If overwhelmed by enemies or if the Sulfur statue gets surrounded, quickly run to these lights.
Shoot them or hit them with a melee weapon to instantly kill all enemies on screen. These lights can be broken whenever they appear throughout the game.
How I complete Puzzles
Door Puzzle in Ivan’s Apartment
Enter the bathroom through the blue door next to the Devora poster and pick up the Wrench.
Head to the kitchen through the grey door to the right of the bathroom and pick up the Developing Chemical.
Proceed to Ivan’s bedroom through the door to the right of the TV.
Equip the Wrench and attack the boarded-up window on the right side of the room.
Once the bottom board falls and sunlight becomes visible, cross to the opposite side of the room and pick up the Glass from the nightstand.
Return to the bathroom and stand in front of the broken mirror. Open the inventory and use the Glass to receive the Glass with Blood.
Select the Glass with Blood in the inventory and combine it with the Developing Chemical to receive the Glass with Chemical and Blood.
Next, return to Ivan’s bedroom and stand in front of the window opened earlier. Use the Glass with Chemical and Blood to receive Auritsatio.
Finally, return to the locked Study Door and use Auritsatio from the inventory to unlock it.
TV Remote Puzzle
Inspect the clothes rack inside Ivan’s office on Floor 2. It is on the right side of the room next to the laptop desk. Pick up the Glove.
Return to the kitchen and stand in front of the circuit breaker on the left side of the room. Use the Glove from the inventory.
Once the lights go out and the washing machine stops, pick up the first Battery.
Next, leave the kitchen and return to the bathroom. Interact with the tub curtain to reveal the second Battery.
With both Batteries collected, leave the apartment and take the elevator to Floor 3. Return to the first version of Ivan’s apartment.
Enter Ivan’s office and stand in front of the TV remote on the desk. Use both Batteries from the inventory.
Leave the Floor 3 apartment and return to the Floor 2 apartment. The TV will now display a series of symbols instead of static. Quickly press the corresponding floor symbols to unlock the door to the right of the TV.
This puzzle is randomized, so the order of the symbols may differ from the video.
Key Stuck in Door Puzzle
After speaking with Sanguis, pick up the blue Triangular Stone from the candle arena. It is to the right of the red candle.
Leave the bedroom and return to the main apartment area. If the Scissor Blade and X-Ray have not already been collected, pick them up now.
Find the Scissor Blade on the kitchen countertop. The X-Ray is directly below the apartment’s front door, on a short bookshelf between a picture frame and a lamp.
Leave the apartment and head down the hallway towards the green Floor 2 elevator. Locate the blue door with a symbol on it and use the blue Triangular Stone to enter.
Inside, head to the leftmost door marked A.S., with the red carpet sticking out from underneath. Use the Scissor Blade and then the X-Ray on the door to receive the A.S. Key.
Poster Cutouts and Devora Picture Puzzle
Enter the director’s office and interact with the desk to pick up the second Scissor Blade. Combine both Scissor Blades in the inventory to receive Scissors.
Leave the office and look for poster cutouts that appear out of place. Stand in front of each one and use the Scissors to receive a Cardboard Piece.
Collect all six Cardboard Pieces from the hallway and return to the director’s office.
Stand in front of the ripped poster in the back-left corner of the room and use one of the Cardboard Pieces to start the next part of the puzzle.
Once the poster is complete, use the Lighter from the inventory to burn it and receive the Bathroom Key.
Leave the director’s office and enter the bathroom directly to the left of the office door.
Pick up the Mop Handle inside the bathroom, as it will be needed later.
Where to Use the Mop Handle
Return to the Floor 2 apartment and head to the area where Sanguis was previously encountered and the Triangular Stone was collected.
Enter the candle arena and stand next to the square on the wall beside the windows.
Use the Mop Handle from the inventory and prepare for battle.
Glass Liquid Sound Puzzle
Head to the symbol door just to the left of the Floor 3 elevator and use the blue Triangular Stone to open it.
Once outside, head left and pick up the first Bottle. Then enter the bar.
Inside the bar, collect the remaining Bottles from the table, behind the bar, and inside the bathroom.
Return to the counter and interact with the bell. Make note of the tone it produces.
Stand next to the giant glass pitcher and use the Bottles from the inventory to fill it with liquid. Each Bottle changes the tone. Attack the pitcher with the Wrench to hear its current tone. If an adjustment is needed, use empty Bottles to remove liquid.
Once the pitch matches the bell, return to the bell and ring it again. If the tones match, the glass will shatter, allowing the USB Cable to be collected.
Projector Room Puzzle
Take the elevator to the 1st Floor and head right to Door 6.
Walk to the rightmost section of the room and enter the next area through the doorway where light is shining through.
Inside the dining room, interact with the third door on the right to proceed.
Climb the staircase to the top and pick up the USB Adapter from the floor near the boarded-up door.
Combine the USB Cable with the USB Adapter in the inventory to receive the USB Charger.
Return to the elevator and travel to Ivan’s apartment on Floor 3. Enter the purple door to the left of the broken TV.
Head to the right side of the room and stand next to the wall outlet and Ivan’s phone. Use the USB Charger to receive the projector room code.
Leave the apartment and take the elevator to the 1st Floor. Head left to Door A and enter. Input the code to unlock the door. If the code is forgotten, check the Old Book in the inventory.
Dinner Plate Puzzle and Green Square Stone Sequence
Head to the projector room and stand next to the projector. Use the Devora 1 Film Canister from the inventory. If it has not been collected, retrieve it from the chest on the left side of Ivan’s office on Floor 2.
Head downstairs to the room where the projector room door was unlocked. Enter the theater through the double doors at the top of the screen.
Inside the theater, the leftmost box will now be open. Pick up the Plate with X.
Return to the 1st Floor elevator and head right to Door 6. Enter the rightmost section of the room and proceed through the doorway where light is shining through.
Enter the dining room and interact with the third door on the right.
Climb the staircase to the first door and enter. Head left and pick up the Black Tape from the counter.
Return to the dining room and use the Black Tape on the upper-left plate. Then place the Plate with X in the empty spot beneath it. This unlocks the central double doors.
Enter through the double doors and pick up the green Square Stone.
Return to Ivan’s apartment on the 3rd Floor and head all the way right until the green symbol door appears. Use the Square Stone to unlock it and pick up the White Candle from the dresser on the left.
Electrical Current Puzzle Room
Enter the film school and go through the green door to reach the electrical puzzle room.
Interact with the bottom-left electrical switch and wait for the gate to rise completely.
Once the gate reaches the top, interact with the bottom-left switch again and quickly run across the room to activate the bottom-right switch before the gate lowers. Watch the cables carefully, as they glow when electrified, and time each movement to avoid getting electrocuted.
After activating the bottom-right switch, the box at the top of the room will open. Pick up the Piece of Cable and head to the switch in the upper-left corner.
Stand in front of the upper-left switch and use the Piece of Cable from the inventory. Then interact with the switch and make sure it is in the upward position.
Return to the bottom-left switch and interact with it again. If done correctly, the statue in the middle of the room will collapse. Pick up the RCA Cable from where the statue stood.
Return to the cinematography room downstairs and use the RCA Cable on the camera.
Cinematography Class Puzzles
Make sure the RCA Cable has been used on the camera.
Repeatedly interact with the camera to change its views until an outline of a female figure appears on the wall.
Stand inside the outline and match the figure’s pose to fill the empty space.
Return to the camera and keep interacting with it until the green door appears on the camera feed.
Hit the glass window that the female figure is pushing against with a melee weapon until it shatters.
Return to the camera and keep changing the views until a bird appears. Continue interacting with the camera until the bird lands on a tree branch with a green Copper Seed in its beak.
Approach the bird and pick up the Copper Seed.
Head to the 1st Floor and walk all the way left down the hallway until a green vase appears.
Stand in front of the vase and use the Copper Seed on it to grow Flowers.
Pick up the Flowers and return to the cinematography class.
Stand in front of the female figure and use the Flowers on her.
Return to the camera and keep interacting with it until the female figure crumbles away and the male statue sitting in the chair commits suicide.
Once the male statue falls from his seat, pick up the green Copper Key from the chair.
Use the Copper Key on the green door to unlock it and enter.
TV Room
After completing the Cinematography Class Puzzles, use the Copper Key on the green door and enter the TV Room.
Immediately head north and keep pressing the interact button while moving through the darkness.
Continue interacting until the TVs begin turning on and gradually illuminate the room.
Stay alert while activating the TVs, as a Vorax enemy will spawn and ambush the character.
Once the room is fully illuminated, check the Old Book for a note showing the color pattern displayed on the TVs.
Pick up the Black Candle from the desk and leave the room.
Combine the Lighter with the Black Candle in the inventory to light it.
Elevator Puzzle
After collecting the Black Candle from the TV Room, combine it with the Lighter in the inventory to light it, if this has not already been done.
Enter the elevator and use the lit Black Candle.
Place the Black Candle down to trigger the Elevator Puzzle sequence.
Check the Old Book for the color pattern to follow. The pattern is randomized during each playthrough, so the sequence may differ from the video.
Follow the colors in the Old Book from top to bottom, visiting the corresponding floors in the correct order.
Use the following floor colors as a reference: 3rd Floor: Blue, 2nd Floor: Green, 1st Floor: Red, and Ground Floor: White.
Visit each floor in the order shown in the Old Book. If done correctly, the elevator will become increasingly corrupted, and a new Floor -1 option will appear on the panel. Select it to proceed.
Second Film Canister and Cow Skull
After completing the elevator puzzle and reaching Floor -1, enter the lowest part of Ivan’s memories.
Run through the corridors and head right whenever possible. After breaking both glass windows and moving the obelisks, a door leading to Ivan’s childhood room will eventually appear.
Enter the room and interact with the Film Canister next to the Ivan statue to collect it.
Leave the room and follow the same path back to the elevator.
Once inside, the elevator should automatically ascend and stop at the Ground Floor of the apartment building.
Interact with the elevator again, travel to the 1st Floor, and head to the projector room.
Use the second Film Canister on the projector. This opens a second metal box in the theater.
Head downstairs to the theater and pick up the Cow Skull from the box.
Return to the elevator hallway and enter the dining room. Go through the rightmost door leading to the staircase.
While climbing the staircase, interact with the first door encountered.
Head all the way left down the hallway and use the Cow Skull on the white door.
Cursed Film Canister
Enter the film school and head to the 1st Floor.
Walk all the way left down the hallway until reaching a blue door.
Enter the room and interact with the Film Canister on the table.
After being teleported to the film studio lobby, return to the film school and interact with the Film Canister on the table again.
Once teleported twice, return to the film studio lobby and find Sanguis sitting in a chair next to one of the statues.
Speak with Sanguis and exhaust all his dialogue options to receive key items and advance the story.
Silver Key Guide
After interacting with the Cursed Film Canister twice, the character will be teleported to the film studio lobby, where Sanguis is sitting in one of the chairs.
Speak to Sanguis and exhaust his initial dialogue. Then select the SPELL dialogue option and continue until he writes information in the Old Book and gives the Silver Key.
Head to the bathroom in the Floor 2 apartment and use the Silver Key on the locked cabinet next to the sink. Collect the Silver Bottle.
Use the Silver Bottle on three save points. The video guide shows the most efficient route to reach them.
Visit the save points in this order:
Floor 2 apartment bedroom save point.
Floor 3 apartment office save point.
Floor 2 director’s office save point.
After interacting with all three save points, the Silver Bottle should contain three doses of water.
Red Pentacle Stone and the Purified Water
After defeating the Fumus boss, pick up the red Pentacle Stone dropped on the ground.
Return to the third floor of the apartment building and head to Ivan’s apartment.
Use the red Pentacle Stone on the bathroom door to unlock it. Since the bathroom will be needed for a later puzzle, pick up the Chemicals from the table to the south now if preferred.
Return to the second floor of the apartment building and enter the door on the far left to reach the film studio lobby.
Use the Pentacle Stone on the white door with the red symbol to unlock it. If the stone has already been used on Ivan’s bathroom door, it will crumble to dust.
Inside the hotel room, exhaust all the dialogue options and then approach the window where the Julia statue is located.
Use the Bottle With Three Doses of Water on the window to purify the water with moonlight.
Return to the first floor of the film school and enter the room with the Cursed Film Canister on the table.
Use the Purified Water on the Cursed Film Canister to cleanse it.
Once this is complete, collect the third and final Film Canister.
Chisel Guide
Head to the projector room and watch the complete movie or watch only Canister 3. Either option unlocks the final box in the theater room.
After the cutscene, head downstairs to the theater and interact with the last box to collect the Cold Chisel.
Return to the apartment hallway and head to the dining room.
Enter the staircase through the door on the far right of the dining room.
Climb to the top of the staircase and use the Cold Chisel on the boarded-up door.
Strike the door with a melee weapon until all the boards come off.
Once the door is clear, proceed to the next area.
Light Bulb Puzzle
Head to the first floor of the film school and enter the photo developing room.
Interact with the lamp in the left corner of the room to collect the Lightbulb.
Return to the dining room on the first floor of the apartment building.
Enter the staircase through the rightmost door in the dining room.
Climb to the top floor and enter through the door. If it is still boarded up, use the Cold Chisel and strike the boards with a melee weapon to remove them.
Head all the way to the right side of the hallway and push the bookcase out of the way.
Enter the room and use the Lightbulb on the bloody table to receive the Red Lightbulb.
Leave the room, triggering a cutscene followed by an ambush sequence.
After surviving the ambush, return to the photo developing room in the film school and use the Red Lightbulb on the lamp. This step can also be completed early.
Photo Development Puzzle
Make sure to pick up the Photo Roll from the floor in the theater lobby on the 1st Floor of the apartment building. It is needed for this puzzle.
Head to Ivan’s apartment on the 3rd Floor and enter the bathroom.
If the bathroom door has not already been unlocked with the red Pentacle Stone, unlock it now. Then pick up the Chemicals from the table to the south.
Return to the film school and enter the photo developing room on the first floor.
Use the Red Lightbulb on the lamp.
Use the Chemicals on the trays sitting on the table directly above the lamp.
Head to the northernmost center table in the room and use the Photo Roll on it.
Move to the left and use the Negative on the table.
Immediately use the Photo Paper after the Negative to receive the Printed Photo.
Return to the table with the chemical trays and use the Printed Photo on them. This triggers a cutscene.
After the cutscene, collect the Photo.
Leave the film school and return to Ivan’s bedroom on the 3rd Floor of the apartment building.
Use the Photo on the table with the picture frame to unlock the drawer.
Interact with the table again to collect the Hexagonal Stone from the drawer.
Return to the film school and head to the second floor, where Sanguis is lying against the wall. Exhaust all his dialogue options and use the Hexagonal Stone on the locked door with the symbol to proceed to the next area.
Desiderium – Film School
Head to the TV room on the first floor and activate the TVs in the dark room.
Once the TVs are on, pick up the Blue RCA Cable from the table.
Leave the room and run down the hallway towards the blue door.
Enter the room, pick up the Black Lightbulb from the desk, and return to the first floor.
Enter the photo developing room and use the Black Lightbulb on the lamp in the left corner. The game colors will become inverted, turning the Blue RCA Cable yellow.
Return to the ground floor and enter the film production room.
Use the Yellow RCA Cable on the camera, then interact with the rope to reach the next area.
Interact with the lever in the bottom-left corner and wait for the gate to rise completely. Then interact with the lever again to turn off the electrical current. Once the current is off, safely run to the box and interact with it.
Return to the first floor and enter the room that originally contained the Cursed Film Canister. Break the glass and use the Apartment Key on the Purified Water.
Return to the ground floor and enter the room where the Black Lightbulb was originally collected. Locate the statues surrounding a table and interact with the Julia statue to collect the Red Candle. Combine the Lighter with the candle in the inventory to light it.
Return to the ground-floor lobby of the apartment building and enter the door to the right of the elevator to reach the stairwell.
Use the lit Red Candle on the wall with the red symbol.
Desiderium – Fly Puzzle
After breaking the initial fly statue, follow the same tile pattern used to cross the previous room. Pay attention to the floor pattern to repeat it in the next room.
Follow the same pattern through the next room until reaching the end. The pattern is randomized in each playthrough, so remember the tiles from the previous room.
As the correct tiles are stepped on, the statue will gradually turn more golden. If an incorrect tile is selected, return to the start and try again.
Once the final tile is reached, the fly statue will turn completely golden and can be broken. Break it to destroy the final fly wing and unlock the door leading to the theater room.
Enter the theater room and pick up the Lead Fly from the Julia statue sitting on the chair near the middle of the room.
Return to the apartment hallway and use the Lead Fly on the locked door with the fly insignia to unlock it and proceed.
Desiderium – Tin Key and Green Candle Puzzle
After defeating Carnito for the final time, leave the room and pick up the Tin Key hanging on the wire.
Use the Tin Key on the locked door and return to the hallway.
Head to the theater room above the area where the giant fly statue was broken.
Use the Tin Key on the box in the middle of the room to collect the Green Candle.
Combine the Lighter with the Green Candle in the inventory to light it.
Return to the stairwell and climb the stairs to the green icon on the wall.
Use the Green Candle on the wall to unlock access to the second and third floors of the apartment building.
Desiderium – Apartment Rooms
Head to the second floor of the apartment building and enter Ivan’s apartment.
Enter the bathroom and interact with the faucet. Then leave the bathroom and interact with the Ivan statue holding the knife in the living room. This step is important for later puzzles.
Enter the bedroom and pick up the Glass Box from the table next to the bed.
Leave the bedroom and enter the office. Interact with the clothes rack to collect the Photographs.
Leave the apartment and use a melee attack to break through the flooded wall in the stairwell. Enter the bathroom through the hole in the wall and interact with the shower curtain to reveal a path leading to the kitchen.
Return to the stairwell and head to the third-floor apartment.
Enter the office and interact with the plant vase on the table to collect the Glass Vase.
Open the inventory and combine the Glass Vase with the Film Canisters.
Approach the wall with Roman numerals and inspect the poems. After reading each poem, use the Photographs on the wall and select the correct photograph for each one. The answers depend on the randomized poems, so refer to the cheat sheet below to identify the correct choices.
After solving the poem puzzle, return to the kitchen on the second floor.
Use the VASE FILLED WITH CHEMICALS AND BLOOD on the oven and then use the Lighter on the oven to burn its contents. Once this is complete, pick up the Circular Plate from the table.
Leave the kitchen and enter the office on the same floor to collect the Julia Figure. Use the Circular Plate on the chest in the corner to receive the VHS Tape. Then combine the Glass Box with the Julia Figure in the inventory.
Return to the third-floor living room and use the VHS Tape on the TV. Fight several waves of enemies that are only visible on the TV screen. After defeating all of them, pick up the Ivan Figure from the TV screen and combine it with the Glass Box in the inventory.
Return to the second-floor hallway and enter the blue door on the far left. Go through the A.S. door and continue left until reaching a statue with a hole in its chest.
Use the Glass Box on the statue to turn it gold. Then break the statue.
After breaking the statue, continue left down the hallway until reaching a studio light. Use the VASE FILLED WITH CHEMICALS AND BLOOD on the light to receive the Auritsatio mixture.
Return to the Ivan statue in the second-floor apartment living room and use the Auritsatio on it to receive the Lapis Fictus Knife.
Desiderium – Poem Outcomes
The first poem determines which four photographs need to be placed on the wall to solve the puzzle.
For example, if the poem starts with “You’re dead,” he tells her, taking her cold hands in his, the correct photographs are CROSS NECKLACE, FEET, SUNGLASSES, and BLACK VEIL.
Use the following combinations to solve each randomized poem:
“He nestles in her hand…”
HAND WITH RING
EAR WITH EARRING
SHINY DRESS
PEARLS NECKLACE
“You’re dead…”
CROSS NECKLACE
FEET
SUNGLASSES
BLACK VEIL
“I’m dreaming…”
MOUTH WITH LIPSTICK
SUNGLASSES
EAR WITH EARRING
BLACK DRESS
“Adorned with the blue of silver…”
FEET
SHINY DRESS
CLOSED EYES WITH BIG EYELASHES
BLACK GLOVE
Desiderium – Aurifer Knife
After collecting the Lapis Fictus Knife from the Ivan statue, leave the apartment and enter the door leading back to the stairs.
Return to the kitchen through the bathroom.
Use the Lapis Fictus Knife on the fuse box in the kitchen to receive the Melanosis Knife.
Return to the apartment hallway and interact with the elevator door. Use the ladder to descend into the elevator shaft.
At the bottom of the elevator shaft, a cutscene starts. Once it ends, run for your life to escape the Relicta ghosts.
Sprint left and continue down the hallway until reaching a door on the right.
Enter the door to escape the Relicta ghosts and continue all the way right to enter another door.
Use the Melanosis Knife on the puddle of mercury on the ground to receive the Virdis Knife. Then interact with the statues on the bed and inspect the hole in the wall in the corner of the room below the health potion.
After interacting with the hole, the TV drops the Lead Key. Pick it up and interact with the hole again to leave the area. Then climb all the way up the stairs to reach the ground floor of the apartment building.
Enter the stairway and head to the second-floor apartment door. Continue left to reach the studio lobby and use the Lead Key on the door with the symbol.
Pass through the Lead Key door and continue north through every door until reaching the locked Hotel door. Use the Virdis Knife on it to trigger a cutscene. Once the cutscene ends, receive the Aurifer Knife.
Desiderium – Finale Route
There are two choices for the ending. Killing any Relicta ghost with the Aurifer Knife triggers the BAD ENDING. Only one ghost needs to be killed. To get the GOOD ENDING, run all the way to the end without killing anyone. If a game was saved here, reload the save to get the other ending.
After making a choice, continue down the path and pass through the Hotel doors until returning to the studio lobby.
Leave the studio lobby and head into the apartment building hallway. Enter the rightmost door leading to the staircase.
Run all the way up the stairs to the third floor and enter the apartment hallway.
Head all the way left and enter the door with water leaking out from underneath it.
Continue left along the street until reaching the SEPTIMO ARTE building, which is guarded by several Relicta ghosts.
Enter the Septimo Arte building to reach the final area of the game, where one of the final bosses awaits.