Honestly, if you played The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask as a kid, you probably still have a lingering sense of dread whenever you hear the sound of skittering feet. Termina is already a pretty messed up place. You’ve got a moon with a face screaming toward the earth, a mask salesman who definitely needs a background check, and a kingdom of literal ghosts. But nothing hits quite like the skulltula house Majora's Mask designers tucked away in the swamp and the beach.
It's weird.
Most Zelda games treat Gold Skulltulas like a side quest you can mostly ignore unless you’re a completionist. In Majora's Mask, these houses—the Swamp Spider House and the Oceanside Spider House—are dense, claustrophobic puzzles that feel like a survival horror game snuck into your Nintendo 64. They aren't just about collecting tokens. They’re about a curse. A weird, body-horror curse that turns greedy humans into giant, hairy arachnids.
The Swamp Spider House: A Lesson in Greed
The first time you stumble into the Swamp Spider House near the Deku Palace, the atmosphere shifts. It’s damp. It’s dark. There’s a guy at the entrance who has been partially transformed into a Gold Skulltula because he was too obsessed with wealth. It's a classic Zelda trope, but in the context of Termina’s impending doom, it feels heavier. You have three days. The world is ending. And here is this guy, stuck in a web because he wanted some shiny trinkets.
To clear this place, you need 30 Gold Skulltula spirits. You're basically a supernatural exterminator. You'll need bugs. Lots of bugs. If you don't bring a bottle filled with creepy-crawlies to drop into the holes in the walls, you’re never getting that Mask of Truth.
The layout is a bit of a labyrinth. You’ve got rooms filled with pots, hives hanging from the ceiling, and those annoying soft soil patches. It's easy to miss one. One tiny spider. You'll spend twenty minutes slashing at every blade of grass and rolling into every crate just to find that 30th token. It’s frustrating. It’s brilliant.
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What People Miss About the Oceanside Spider House
Then there’s the Oceanside Spider House in Great Bay. This one is different. It’s not just a cave; it’s a literal house. A basement. A cellar. It feels lived in, which makes the infestation ten times more unsettling.
There’s a specific mechanic here that most casual players totally overlook. If you complete the house on the First Day, the reward is different. Talk to the guy at the entrance after clearing all 30 spiders before the clock hits the Second Day, and he’ll give you the Giant’s Wallet. It holds 500 Rupees. If you wait until the Second or Third Day? He gives you a measly purple rupee.
The pressure is real.
The Oceanside house is famous for the "Library" room. You see those colored masks on the wall? They aren't just decoration. You have to shoot them in a specific order with your bow to unlock a gate. If you’re paying attention, the Stalchildren scattered throughout the house are actually giving you the hints. They’re dead, they’re confused, and they’re the only ones who know the code. It’s a great example of how Eiji Aonuma and his team used the "Three Day Cycle" to create a sense of urgency even in a sub-dungeon.
The Body Horror Element
Let’s talk about the cursed inhabitants.
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In Ocarina of Time, the Cursed Rich Family lived in a small house in Kakariko Village. They looked like spiders, sure, but the vibe was "spooky fairy tale." In the skulltula house Majora's Mask version, the transformation feels more like a punishment. The guy in the Great Bay house is literally shivering. He’s terrified. When you break the curse, he doesn’t just say "thanks" and walk away. He’s traumatized.
Termina is a world defined by grief and regret. The Skulltula houses represent the greed side of that coin. While everyone else is mourning their lost loves or dead kings, these guys were trying to get rich. And they paid for it by losing their humanity.
Essential Tips for a 100% Run
If you’re heading into these houses on a modern playthrough—maybe on the Switch or an old 3DS—don't go in blind. You’ll waste time. Time you don't have.
- Fire Arrows are your best friend. In the Oceanside house, there are webs blocking doorways and chandeliers. You need to burn them.
- Use the Lens of Truth. Some of those spiders are invisible or hiding behind fake walls. If you’re at 29/30 and losing your mind, turn the lens on.
- The Hookshot is mandatory. Especially in the Great Bay house. You can’t reach the higher rafters or the jars tucked away on shelves without it.
- Listen. The "skritch-skritch" sound gets louder when you're close to a Gold Skulltula. Use headphones. It’s the only way to pinpoint them when they’re hiding inside a crate or behind a painting.
Why It Still Ranks as a Masterpiece of Level Design
Designers today could learn a lot from the skulltula house Majora's Mask segments. They are self-contained ecosystems. Every room serves a purpose. Every spider location requires a different tool or a different way of thinking. You use the Hero's Bow, the Hookshot, bombs, and even your different masks (like the Goron Mask for heavy smashing).
It’s not just about combat. It’s a spatial puzzle.
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The reward for the Swamp House is the Mask of Truth. This thing is legendary. It lets you talk to Gossip Stones—those weird one-eyed rocks—and read the minds of animals. It adds a whole new layer to the game's lore. You find out that the dog in South Clock Town is actually stressed about the races, or that the Gossip Stones have opinions on the local NPCs.
The reward for the Oceanside House is pure utility: the Giant’s Wallet. You need it if you want to buy the All-Night Mask later.
The Legacy of the Curse
We haven’t really seen anything like this in Zelda since. Twilight Princess had the Poe Souls, and Breath of the Wild has 900 Korok seeds (which, let's be honest, is a bit much), but the concentrated "dungeon-lite" feel of the Skulltula houses is unique to the 2000 era of Zelda.
They represent a time when Nintendo wasn't afraid to be genuinely gross. The twitching legs, the gold carapaces, the muffled groans of the cursed men—it’s all part of why Majora’s Mask remains the "dark" Zelda.
When you finally walk out of that house and see the sun (or the moon) again, you feel a sense of relief. You’ve cleared the infestation. You’ve saved a soul. But you’ll never look at a spider the same way again.
Actionable Next Steps for Players
If you’re currently stuck or planning a run, do these three things immediately:
- Check your inventory for Magic Beans and a Bottle of Water. You need them for the Swamp House soil patches to reach certain platforms.
- Go to the Oceanside House on Day 1. Do not wait. If you want that 500-rupee capacity, it has to be done within the first 24 hours of the cycle.
- Get the Bunny Hood first. The extra movement speed makes backtracking through cleared rooms significantly less tedious.
The skulltula house Majora's Mask challenge is a rite of passage. It's tedious, it's creepy, and it’s one of the most rewarding things to finish in the entire game. Just don't forget to check the ceiling. They're always on the ceiling.