You're stalking through the woods of Bright Falls. It's dark, it’s damp, and you’re probably low on shotgun shells because you panicked during that last Taken encounter. Then, you see it. A green plastic box sitting on a stump, covered in weird symbols.
That's a cult stash.
Honestly, these things are a lifesaver. They are basically the "care packages" of the Cult of the Tree, and if you're playing as Saga Anderson, they are your best bet for surviving the nightmare. They aren't just there for loot, though. They tell a story. A weird, paranoid, survivalist story.
What People Get Wrong About Alan Wake 2 Cult Stashes
A lot of players think you can just 100% these in one go. You can't.
Many stashes are locked behind story progression or specific tools. For example, you can't get into the rental cabins at Cauldron Lake without the bolt cutters, and you don't get those until much later in the game (specifically during the "Old Gods" chapter).
Don't drive yourself crazy trying to reach an icon on your map if there’s a locked gate in your way. Just keep playing.
Another thing? The rewards. People assume it’s just ammo. While the ammo is great, some stashes contain inventory upgrades. If you’re tired of playing Tetris with your briefcase every time you find a trauma pad, you need these.
Solving the Puzzles: It’s Not Just Math
Remedy loves a good brain teaser. The stashes generally fall into three categories:
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- Simon Says: The lock flashes green buttons in a sequence. You copy it. If you mess up, just hit the "Restart" button on the lock. Easy.
- Environmental Scavenging: The box might say "Wash hands, take chicken out of fridge, take a nap." This isn't a shopping list. You need to look at the sink, the fridge, and the bed in the nearby trailer. There will be symbols painted near them. Use those in that order.
- The Infamous Math Problems: These are the ones that make people pull out their phone calculators.
Take the battery puzzle in Watery. It asks you about three batteries (B1, B2, B3) having a total charge of 1600 Amps. It gives you some wonky logic about B2 having 128 more than B3 and B1 having double B3.
The math works out to:
- $B3 + (B3 + 128) + 2B3 = 1600$
- $4B3 = 1472$
- $B3 = 368$
- $B2 = 368 + 128 = 496$
The code is 496. If you hate algebra, just remember that number.
Why the Lighthouse Key Matters
There are 22 cult stashes in total. If you manage to find and open every single one, the very last stash you open will contain a special reward: the Lighthouse Key.
This is huge.
You’ve probably seen the Watery Lighthouse. You’ve probably tried to open the door and felt that "Locked" prompt mock you. Once you have the key, you can finally go inside.
Inside, you'll find a massive cache of supplies and, more importantly, a couple of unique Manuscript Pages that you can't get anywhere else. It’s the ultimate "completionist" prize.
The "Missing Key" Bug
A quick heads-up: some players have reported the Lighthouse Key not spawning in the 22nd stash. This often happens if your last stash is the one in the Sheriff’s Station basement or the one near the Witchfinder's Station.
If this happens, don't panic. Sometimes the key "glitches" and stays in a previous box you already opened. Go back to the Rental Cabins stash (the one in the bathroom). Even if it's already open, try interacting with the lock again. Often, the key will just magically appear inside the empty box. It’s a known quirk, sort of like the Lake itself.
Key Locations You Shouldn't Miss
You don't need a perfect list to enjoy the hunt, but you should definitely keep an eye out for these specific spots.
Cauldron Lake
- The Murder Site: This is your introduction. Look for the symbols inside the trailer.
- The Streamside: You’ll need to follow yellow arrows painted on the trees. They only show up when you shine your flashlight on them. Follow them to find a hidden key under a rock.
Watery
- The Crossbow Stash: This is near the hunting shack. The note mentions bolts hitting targets. Count the bolts in each target to get the code (527). You get the Crossbow here, which is arguably the best stealth weapon for Saga.
- Coffee World: There's a stash near the Slow Roaster (the Ferris wheel). The hint is "only the striped cups." Look at the numbers on the cups as they spin. The code is 147.
Bright Falls
- The Work Yard: You’ll need bolt cutters for this one. It’s behind a fence near the Oh Deer Diner. You have to find symbols hidden around the park—one on a satellite dish, one by the benches, and one in the gazebo.
- The Pier: There’s a stash inside a shed on the docks. Look at the poles in the water. They have numbers indicating the water level. Use those numbers from highest to lowest. The code is 697.
Actionable Tips for the Hunt
If you're serious about finding every alan wake 2 cult stash, stop wandering aimlessly.
Go to the Kalevala Knights Workshop in Watery.
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Inside the back room (you'll need the bolt cutters later or some story progress to get full access), there is a massive map on the wall. It has pins for every single stash in the game. When Saga looks at this map, the locations get marked on your in-game map.
It turns a frustrating search into a simple checklist.
Also, keep your flashlight battery charged. Most clues are painted in neon "cult paint" that is invisible unless you're aiming your light directly at it. If a note mentions "Rock, Rock, Tree," start shining your light on every nearby rock. You’ll see the numbers pop out in glowing yellow.
Lastly, don't hoard your supplies. These stashes are generous. If you find a flare or a propane tank, use it. The game wants you to be a powerhouse by the final act.
If you haven't finished the "Old Gods" chapter yet, focus on the story until you get the bolt cutters. Most of the high-tier stashes in Bright Falls and the Rental Cabins are inaccessible until you can snip those chains. Once you have them, do a "clean-up" run across all three maps before you head into the final point of no return. You'll want that Lighthouse loot for the endgame.