You're stuck. P03 is staring at you with that smug, pixelated face, and you’re staring at a cuckoo clock in the corner of a dingy industrial room. If you’ve made it this far into Daniel Mullins' meta-horror masterpiece, you already know that nothing is a coincidence. But the Inscryption clock puzzle Act 3 version is a bit of a head-scratcher because it relies on your memory of Act 1—or, more realistically, your ability to squint at some very specific environmental cues.
It’s frustrating. You want to get back to the deck-building, but the game demands you get up from the table. Honestly, the shift from Leshy’s cabin to P03’s factory changes the vibes completely, but the clock remains a constant anchor.
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What the Inscryption Clock Puzzle Act 3 Is Really Asking
In Act 1, the clock was your ticket to the Ring and the Stinkbug. In Act 3, the stakes feel different because the world of Botopia is so sterile and cold. The puzzle itself is essentially a two-part lock. Most players stumble upon the first solution by accident or by being observant during their rounds of the card game, but the second solution? That one requires you to be a bit of a digital detective.
The first thing you need to realize is that the clock isn't just decoration. It’s a bridge between the different versions of the game's reality. While Act 3 feels like a totally new game—a "sequel" within the lore—the physical objects in the room are echoes of the past.
The First Code: The Low-Hanging Fruit
You might remember a specific time from earlier in the game. If you don't, look around the room. Specifically, look at the shop where you buy upgrades or items. There’s a small hint there, but let’s be real: you’re probably here because you want the numbers.
Set the clock to 11:00.
When you align the hands to 11:00, the clock will react. It’s a simple mechanical click, but it opens the top compartment. Inside, you’ll find a little drone—a "Leap Bot"—which is basically a necessity for navigating some of the more annoying flying blocks P03 throws at you later. It’s a practical reward, but it’s not the "true" secret of the clock.
The Second Code: The One Everyone Misses
This is where the Inscryption clock puzzle Act 3 gets genuinely clever and a bit annoying. To get the second reward, you need a very specific time: 4:00.
Why 4:00? Because back in Act 1, if you looked at the clock while the cabin was dim, or if you paid attention to the sigils, that was the time that triggered the shelf to open. In Act 3, setting the clock to 4:00 opens the bottom door.
Inside is the Ourobot.
If you used the Ouroboros in Act 1 or the 2D pixel art Act 2, you know this card is a game-breaker. In Act 3, it retains its stats. If you spent hours grinding that card to have 100 attack and 100 health in the previous acts, the Ourobot will show up in P03's factory with those exact same stats. It makes the rest of the boss fights a joke. It’s the ultimate "win button."
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Why the Ourobot Changes Everything
A lot of people think the Ourobot is just a fun easter egg. It’s not. It’s a narrative tool. By pulling that card out of the clock, you’re literally bringing a piece of Leshy’s "old world" into P03’s "new world." It’s a glitch in P03’s perfect, calculated system.
The sheer power of the card also changes how you play the map. Instead of worrying about energy management or bot positioning, you just wait for the Ourobot to hit the table. Boom. Match over.
Troubleshooting the Clock Mechanics
Sometimes the hands are finicky. If you're playing on a console with a controller, the movement can feel a bit drift-heavy. Make sure the hour hand is exactly on the 4 and the minute hand is exactly on the 12. If it doesn't pop, move the hands away and reset them.
- The Hour Hand: Controlled by the left interaction point.
- The Minute Hand: Controlled by the right.
- The Reward: Doesn't always "jump" out at you; check the small doors on the face of the clock.
Honestly, the most common mistake is people trying to use the "Cuckoo" time from the very beginning of the game without realizing the clock has two separate compartments.
A Note on the GBC Section
Some players get confused and think the clock puzzle relates back to the graveyard or the mage tower in Act 2. While the clock motif is everywhere in Inscryption, the Act 3 version is strictly a callback to the 3D cabin. You don't need any information from the 2D world to solve this, other than the general knowledge that the Ouroboros exists.
The Bigger Picture: Why Does P03 Have This Clock?
Daniel Mullins loves environmental storytelling. The fact that this clock exists in P03’s factory suggests that either P03 is repurposing assets from the "original" game or that the clock is a fundamental part of the OLD_DATA that can't be deleted.
When you solve the Inscryption clock puzzle Act 3, you aren't just getting a strong card. You're interacting with a piece of the game that P03 doesn't fully control. It's one of the few moments in the final act where the player gets the upper hand on the antagonist by using knowledge the antagonist thinks has been erased.
The Ourobot is your best friend. Use it.
Next Steps for Your Botopia Run
- Go to the Clock: Move away from the table and head to the back right of the room.
- Input 11:00: Grab the Leap Bot to help with the upcoming bridge encounters.
- Input 4:00: Collect the Ourobot. If it's weak, you can still buff it, but if it's already strong from Act 1 or 2, your run just became significantly easier.
- Check the Battery: Once you have the Ourobot, make sure you have enough energy-related cards in your deck to actually play it early in a match.
The Ourobot is the most powerful tool in your arsenal, so don't leave it sitting in a piece of furniture while P03 mocks your deck-building skills. Get the clock open, get the bot, and start breaking the game.