Magnificus is a jerk. Let’s just start there. If you’ve made it to Act 2 of Inscryption, you’ve likely realized that the retro, top-down world of the Scrybes is a massive shift from Leshy’s cabin. You’re trying to challenge the four masters, and for many players, the Inscryption wizard tower puzzle is the first real brick wall they hit. It isn't just one puzzle; it's a gauntlet of cryptic clues, invisible ink, and combat mechanics that feel intentionally designed to make you feel like a bumbling apprentice.
The tower belongs to Magnificus, the Scrybe of Magicks. Unlike the other zones, you can't just wander in and start swinging cards. You have to prove you’re worthy by ascending three floors, each guarded by a student who has been subjected to some pretty horrific "teaching" methods.
The Monocle is Everything
You walk in and see a pillar with three symbols. You click them. Nothing happens. You click them again. Still nothing. This is where most people get stuck for ten minutes before realizing there’s a chest in the room. Inside that chest is the Monocle.
Honestly, the Monocle is the most important item in the entire tower. It lets you see "sigils" or "paint" that Magnificus has hidden on notes and surfaces. Without it, you are literally flying blind. Once you equip it, go back to that blue note on the table. It looks blank to the naked eye, but with the lens, you see three symbols. These symbols change for every playthrough, so don't bother looking up a "cheat code" symbol sequence—it’s randomized. Look at the note, memorize the order (top, middle, bottom), and input it into the pillar.
The door opens. You meet Goobert. Poor, slimy Goobert. He’s stuck in a jar, and he’s your first hurdle.
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Fighting Through the Second Floor
Once you beat Goobert—which involves dealing with his Mox cards—you get to the second floor. This is where the Inscryption wizard tower puzzle gets a bit more "meta." You’ll find another pillar, but the clues aren't just sitting on a piece of paper this time. They are scattered.
One clue is usually tucked away in a chest. Another is found by checking the "rulebook" or a note nearby that explains combat mechanics. But the one that trips everyone up is the dummy. There is a practice dummy on this floor that you can fight. Most players ignore it because they want to progress, but you actually have to "hit" the dummy to reveal the symbols.
I've seen people spend way too much time trying to brute force the combinations. Don't do that. The math on a three-slot pillar with several symbol options means you’ll be there all night. Just hit the dummy, check the notes, and use that Monocle.
Understanding Mox Mechanics
If you're struggling with the fights in the tower, it's probably because you're treating them like Leshy’s game. In Act 1, you sacrificed squirrels. In the tower, you need Mox.
- Sapphire Mox: Powers blue cards.
- Ruby Mox: Powers red cards.
- Emerald Mox: Powers green cards.
If you don't draw a Mox card early, you’re dead in the water. Most veteran players recommend a "thin" deck here. If your deck is cluttered with expensive wizard cards but no gems to power them, Magnificus’s students will absolutely steamroll you. It’s a common frustration. You feel like the puzzle is the hard part, but then the card game itself becomes a different kind of puzzle.
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The Third Floor and the Audio Clue
The final floor before you reach the top is the trickiest. The Inscryption wizard tower puzzle logic shifts here to involve the environment and even the UI.
You’ll find a room that seems empty of clues. Use the monocle. Look at the walls. Look at the floor. Specifically, pay attention to the chest that seems to have nothing in it or the way the light hits certain corners. One of the symbols is often hidden in the "darkness" of a corner that only reveals itself when you’re standing at a specific angle.
There’s also a hint involving a "hidden" path. If you walk against the walls, you might find a secret room. Magnificus is a fan of illusion, after all. He’s a wizard. He hates his students, and he’s not particularly fond of you either. He wants to see if you have the "vision" to see past the mundane.
Why Does This Tower Matter So Much?
Inscryption is a game about layers. On the surface, it’s a deck-builder. Underneath, it’s an ARG (Alternate Reality Game) and a horror story. The wizard tower is the peak of Act 2’s storytelling.
When you finally reach the top and face Magnificus, you realize the symbols you’ve been chasing are more than just keys. They represent his obsession with perfection and his cruelty toward his pupils. The "puzzle" isn't just a mechanical gate; it’s world-building. Daniel Mullins, the creator, loves to hide the most disturbing lore behind these interaction-heavy sequences.
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For instance, if you pay attention to the dialogue of the students you beat, they aren't just losing a card game. They are suffering. Goobert is literally melting. The student in the sensory deprivation tank is... well, in a tank. The tower is a house of pain disguised as a school.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the Monocle: I can't stress this enough. If you put it down or forget you have it, you will never progress.
- Over-complicating the Deck: You might be tempted to use a mix of Undead and Beast cards. In the tower, stick to Magicks. The synergy is built for these specific encounters.
- Clicking Too Fast: The symbols on the pillars look similar. A circle with a dot is not the same as a circle with a line. Look closely.
- Forgetting the Dummy: The training dummy on the second floor is a permanent fixture for a reason. Use it to test your deck and find your clues.
The Inscryption wizard tower puzzle is a test of patience. It’s the game telling you to slow down. If you try to rush through it like an action game, you’ll get frustrated. If you treat it like an escape room, you’ll have a much better time.
How to Optimize Your Tower Run
If you want to get out of the tower as fast as possible, focus on your deck first. Buy the "Mox" packs from the trader if you have the shards. A deck that can consistently drop a turn-one Sapphire or Ruby Mox is a deck that wins.
Once the combat is easy, the puzzles become the main focus. Always keep a notepad (or your phone) handy to jot down the symbols as you see them. Since they change, you can't rely on memory if you take a break and come back later.
Actionable Next Steps
- Equip the Monocle immediately upon entering the tower; it’s in the chest on the first floor.
- Interact with everything. Click the walls, the notes, and the floorboards.
- Fight the training dummy on the second floor multiple times to ensure you’ve triggered all visual clues.
- Check the Rulebook. Sometimes a symbol is literally printed on the pages of the game’s own manual.
- Build a mono-color deck. Trying to juggle three colors of Mox usually leads to a "dead hand" where you have the cards but not the gems to play them.
The tower is a hurdle, but it's also one of the most rewarding parts of Act 2. Once you beat Magnificus, you're one step closer to the "real" Inscryption and the chaos that follows in Act 3. Just don't feel too bad for Goobert. Or do. He deserves better.