Toluca Prison is easily one of the most oppressive locations in the Silent Hill 2 remake. It’s damp, it’s dark, and the sound design makes you feel like something is breathing down your neck every ten seconds. But the real head-scratcher—the one that stops most players dead in their tracks—is the silent hill 2 remake gallows puzzle.
If you’ve made it to the yard, you’ve already done the heavy lifting with the weights and scales. You’ve probably fought off a dozen of those twitchy, multi-limbed monstrosities just to get that Executioner’s Lever. Honestly, the gallows feel like a final exam for the whole area. It’s not just about matching rhymes; it’s about making a moral judgment in a town that thrives on guilt.
How the Gallows Puzzle Actually Works
Unlike the original game from 2001, you can't just memorize a single answer. Bloober Team decided to make things a bit more "fun" by randomizing the solution. Basically, you’re looking at six stories of people who committed crimes. Some are cold-blooded killers, while others... well, they had their reasons.
The game wants you to find the "innocent" one. Or, more accurately, the one whose crime was justified.
Step 1: Matching the Poems
First, you have to use the Executioner’s Lever to open the cabinet on the gallows. Inside, you’ll see the top halves of six poems. Scattered at the base are the bottom halves on stone tablets.
On Light or Standard puzzle difficulty, this is pretty straightforward. You match the themes. If the top half talks about fire, find the bottom half that mentions flames or ashes. On Hard, however, the rhymes disappear. You have to rely purely on the narrative logic. If you try to slot a tablet and it doesn't "lock" into place, it’s the wrong one. You’ll know you’ve matched them all when you can no longer move the tablets around.
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Step 2: The Judgment Call
Once the poems are complete, you have to choose. There are six nooses nearby, labeled with Roman numerals (I to VI). Each number corresponds to one of the stories in the cabinet.
You need to pull the rope for the person who isn't a "true" sinner. If you pick the wrong one, James falls through a trapdoor into a basement filled with Lying Figures and Creepers. It’s a waste of ammo and health. If you pick right, you drop straight into the morgue, which is exactly where you need to be to reach the Labyrinth.
The Six Criminals: Who is Justified?
This is where the lore gets heavy. These stories aren't just random flavor text; they mirror the internal struggles of James, Angela, and Eddie. Here’s a breakdown of the common scenarios you’ll encounter.
The Arsonist (Story I)
This person set a building on fire. The "guilty" version usually mentions they enjoyed the warmth or the screams. But the "innocent" version often reveals they burned down a place of abuse—like an orphanage or a church—to stop "monsters" from hurting more children. In many playthroughs, this is a "correct" answer because the intent was to end suffering.
The Thief/Embezzler (Story II)
One version of this story describes a guy who stole just because he could. He’s greedy. The other version explains he stole bread or medicine to survive or to help someone else.
The Kidnapper (Story III)
This is the one that trips people up. A man takes a child. The "guilty" version is dark—he takes the kid because if he can’t have her, no one will. The "justified" version, however, suggests he was "kidnapping" his own child to save her from a truly abusive mother.
The Burglar (Story IV)
Usually, this involves breaking into a pharmacy. The justified version is almost always about stealing medicine to ease someone’s pain. It’s a huge nod to James’s own backstory with Mary’s illness.
The Matricide/Homicide (Story V & VI)
These usually involve direct killing. One often represents Angela’s trauma—killing a parent who was a "beast" that feasted on her soul. Another might represent Eddie snapping after being bullied. If the poem mentions the victim was a "monster hiding in plain sight," that’s usually your green light.
Why the Solution Changes
I’ve seen a lot of debate online about whether the "correct" noose is tied to the ending you're on track for. While there's some evidence that choosing specific justified criminals might nudge your hidden "ending points" toward Leave, In Water, or Maria, the puzzle itself always has at least one (and sometimes two) objectively "correct" ropes that let you progress without a fight.
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On Standard difficulty, it’s often VI or IV, but you really have to read the text. Look for keywords like "ease the pain," "save the child," or "tormentors are no more." Those are the markers of the "justified" soul.
Practical Tips for Not Dying
If you’re staring at the ropes and honestly can't tell, here is the "cheat" way to handle it: Save your game at the red save point right next to the gallows.
- Match all the tablets first.
- Read the full versions of each story.
- Pick the most sympathetic one (usually the Arsonist or the Pharmacist Thief).
- Pull the rope.
- If you fall into a pit of monsters, pause, reload, and try a different number.
There's no penalty for reloading, and it saves you from burning through your shotgun shells in the "punishment" room.
Actionable Next Steps
Once you successfully pull the right noose and land in the morgue, don't just run out the door. Search the area for a Gladiator's Ring or any remaining supplies. The Labyrinth is up next, and it’s arguably the most confusing part of the game. Make sure your flashlight is toggled on, as the transition into the next area is pitch black. If you find yourself lost in the Labyrinth's rotating room later, remember that the symbols on the walls usually dictate which way the doors will align.