Secrets

Secrets that don't fit into any particular category.

Codes

This is a list of "cheat" codes that aren't linked to game progression in Tunic.

Meta Codes

Certain codes cannot be found within the game itself. They can be activated at any moment in the game.

Big Head Mode

Code:
URUL URDR RURD LDRD

Details:
Makes your fox's head and Rudeling heads bigger. Entering the code again or closing the game entirely un-toggles Big Head mode.

Discovery:
Streamers and media were sent the press kit version of Tunic, which contained the game, various goodies, and one of 25 potential puzzle pieces. These puzzle pieces could be theoretically connected together to form the full 5x5 image. Users shared photos of their puzzle piece online and stitched together the full puzzle through collaboration, revealing an image of a 4x4 grid of foxes holding flags in specific directions, and thus producing the secret code.

↑ → ↑ ←
↑ → ↓ →
→ ↑ → ↓
← ↓ → ↓

Alternatively, the same code is obtained via a Holy Cross code in the inner flap of the Nintendo Switch physical cover art for Tunic.

Sources: 
https://www.resetera.com/threads/tunics-great-press-kit-mystery-has-been-solved-now-discover-it-yourself-no-spoilers%E2%80%94just-joy.564229/
https://twitter.com/Dancrane212/status/1505169325296074842
https://www.reddit.com/r/TunicGame/comments/1930ho3/inside_the_game_case_for_switch/

Sunglasses Mode

Code:
UUU LUL URU LUR ULU RUR DRD LDR DLD RDL DL

Details:
Gives your fox and Terry the Chompignom (a specific enemy in the West Garden) a pair of sunglasses. The sunglasses disappear when the player either dies or returns to the title screen. The sunglasses match the color of the fox's neckband, which can be customized in the secret changing room to the right of the Overworld's fountain.

Discovery:
The Sacred Geometry clothing apparel contains a Holy Cross code in its design. Alternatively, via in-game means, the same Holy Cross code is present in page 5 of the instruction manual, though the origin point is more abstractly represented by the fox's feet rather than an exact symbol, so it is not inherently apparent that this is a Holy Cross code, compared to the real-life clothing merchandise.

Sources:
https://www.compressmerch.com/collections/finji/products/tunic-sacred-geometry-unisex-tee
https://www.compressmerch.com/collections/finji/products/tunic-sacred-geometry-kids-tee
https://www.compressmerch.com/collections/finji/products/tunic-sacred-geometry-pullover-sweatshirt
https://www.compressmerch.com/collections/finji/products/tunic-sacred-geometry-zip-up-hoodie

Icebolt Cost Reduction

Code:
RUL DDR ULU

Details:
Reduces the magic-points cost of Icebolt for 80 seconds.

Discovery:
Andrew Shouldice (dicey), the lead developer, intended the MP cost of the Magic Dagger + Magic Wand combo to equal the cost of both upon the initial release of the game. However, due to an oversight, the cost was much cheaper. He wanted to fix it, but was afraid that it would upset some of the community, like speedrunners.[1]

The September 27, 2022 game update increased the MP cost of the Magic Dagger + Magic Wand combo to the intended amount, and it also added a secret code that temporarily lowers the cost, specifically to help players such as speedrunners. dicey shared the code by placing hidden directions in a Discord message when announcing the news.

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYqj8LoRL-E&t=211s

Best Friend Animation

Code:
ULL DRD LUL LDR DLU RDL DRR URD LDR RR

Details:
The fox hugs a Lure.

Discovery:
The Huggable Fox Plush has a tag that contains a Holy Cross code.

Sources:
https://www.fangamer.com/products/tunic-fox-plush
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G__nydsm780

In-Game Codes

These particular in-game codes are found within the instruction manual and can be activated at any moment in the game. The player typically isn't meant to comprehend their meaning until they receive page 43 of the instruction manual at the minimum, and 47 and 48 as supplementary.

Seeking-Spell

Code:
ULU RDR

Details:
Tiny false fairies locate any nearby fairy souls.

Source:
Page 47/48 of the instruction manual
Seeking Spell.png

1 Free Ice Bomb

Code:
LDR URD RUR DRUL

Details:
Gain 1 free Ice Bomb. Only works once.

Source:
Page 17 of the instruction manual
Free Ice Bomb.png

1 Free Explosive Bomb

Code:
DRU RUL ULD LDR

Details:
Gain 1 free Explosive Bomb. Only works once.

Source:
Page 17 of the instruction manual
Free Explosive Bomb.png

1 Free Fire Bomb

Code:
LUR DRU RDR URDL

Details:
Gain 1 free Fire Bomb. Only works once.

Source:
Page 17 of the instruction manual
Free Fire Bomb.png

Healing Spell

Code:
DRD LURU

Details:
Consume some magic-points to heal yourself.

Source:
Page 52 of the instruction manual
Magic Potion Spell.png

Back Cover Code

The back cover of the instruction manual has this message encoded in Trunic.

"Under the moon,
contemplate this prayer.
Near an ancient tomb
plundered for its blade
lies a special place.
up dow up dow le righ le righ up dow le righ"

Instructions:
1. Go to the East Forest and approach the Hero's Grave, where the player obtained the Sword.
2. Enter the code translated from the back cover:
UDU DLR LRU DLR

Entering the code produces a treasure chest containing 1 gem. On New Game+ playthroughs, the grass and bushes return, the Sword returns, but the treasure chest remains, acting as an obstacle that perfectly blocks the pathway to reach the Sword.

East Forest Hero's Grave.png

References

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUA-MPk1KC0&t=995s

The Golden Path

The Golden Path is a puzzle in Tunic. It is referred to as "the greatest spell" by page 49 of the instruction manual and "the greatest song" by page 54. Solving The Golden Path unlocks the Mountain Door. Knowledge of it is required to solve the Glyph Tower puzzle.

Elaboration

image-1647768355815.jpg

Like hinted by page 44, the template for The Golden Path is found on page 49 of the instruction manual, and it is inputted like a Holy Cross code.

The template for The Golden Path is a 5x5 grid of numbers ranging anywhere from 2 to 55. The origin point for a Holy Cross code resides below the bottom-center square. As the instruction manual has 54 pages and a front and back cover, the numbers are in reference to specific pages of the manual. Hidden within the 25 specified pages are fragments of The Golden Path.

48 11 2 6 52
27 21 4 50 42
15 22 55 31 33
46 28 9 40 18
34 16 12 39 44

When the fragments are placed upon the template via external means, it creates a cardinal pathway from the bottom origin point, going through each square, until it reaches the center end point.

Solution

Code:
ULDL ULDL URUR ULUR DRUL ULUR ULDL URUU LURD RDRU RDLD RURR DRUR DRUR RDLD LDRD RDLL DRDL DRUR DRUR RDDL URUL DLUL ULUR RULU

image-1647837639181.png

Purgatory

Purgatory Save File.png

Purgatory is a secret location in Tunic. It is accessed after receiving page 9 of the instruction manual and selecting "Load" a couple of times from the title screen, spawning a strange save file.

Save File

This save file is marked with a golden square with a question mark, like depicted by page 9, indicating its special nature. By default, it has 13 manual sheets, 509,342,400 gems, the Sword, the Shield, the Stick, the Lantern, the Magic Dagger, the Magic Wand, the Hourglass, the Muffling Bell card, the Inverted Ash card, and 1 Golden Coin already unlocked, and 8 points in each stat. The time spent in the save file is 999:59:59, a maxed-out amount, suggesting that the save file has been active for over 999 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds.

This save file contains a fragment of The Golden Path. The player can travel from Purgatory to Devworld by killing their fox.

Trivia

Devworld

Devworld is a secret location in Tunic. It is a seemingly unfinished version of the Overworld. It is accessible by loading the save file used to get the page 9 portion of The Golden Path (Purgatory), then dying. The player can kill their fox by inputting the code in the instruction manual for a Fire Bomb, hurting themselves with it, then doing nothing until they die. Once they die, they respawn in a brand-new area full of unfinished enemies and level geometry.

Map

image-1648800668016.png

Triumvirate Mural

There is also a large mural at the top of of the initial area, in front of a small pool. In Trunic, the mural reads "EXPLORE" at the top, "TRIUMVIRATE" at the bottom. In the hexes, clockwise from top, "REASON", "GRACE", and "POWER".

triumvirate_mural.png

Enemies

A few enemies or entities that don't appear in the rest of the game appear here in Devworld. These enemies are in various states of completion. Some are fully targetable, have behavioral programming, and have idle animations, while others seem to be only motionless models. The large pink blob, the pink jelly cube, and the soldier are from older prototypes of Tunic.[1][2]

Devworld also features enemies that do appear in the Overworld on a normal save file.

Image

 Internal Name Animation? Behavior? Collision? Takes/Receives Damage? Appears in Regular Game?

image-1648802333109.png

 blob

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

image-1648802976917.png

 blob

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO
image-1648802355580.png

 hedgehog

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

image-1648802376734.png

 skuladin

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

image-1648802398968.png

 Jelly Cube

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

image-1648802419548.png

 wolf

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

image-1648802430418.png

 -

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

image-1648802775659.png

-

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

Blank Manual Sheet

There is a manual sheet on a small island, which, when picked up, appears to be at index -1 of the manual. There is no content (as in, the view appears to be fully transparent), and flipping the page forwards ends up at the first page of the unfinished manual, with no way to refer to back to the original page. Picking this manual sheet up does not increase the sheet count of the save file.

Getting Out of Bounds

The collision and bounds in this world are much less polished than in the game, and, as a result, there are at least a few methods of getting out of bounds and walking on the water. One is to find the pink jelly cube and attempt to push it up the stairs, after which, it will teleport down the stairs, and walking into it will push the player back in unusual ways, potentially allowing them to get out of bounds. This allows the player to walk on water, although the ramifications of this have not yet been fully explored.

References

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVTBlRqhiYA&t=2938s
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5A7uoJAOvY&t=684s

Trunic

Trunic is the secret written language of the world in Tunic. The player is given the resources to decipher the language themselves with page 54 and 21 of the instruction manual. Each Trunic rune corresponds to a specific English phoneme.

Translation Guide

Credit: Original creators are oposdeo & Ero. Reorganized for easier translating by Andriak2. (See here for original version.)

Trunic Translation Guide Reorganized.png

Phoneme Translators

Credit: KonoTyran

https://konotyran.github.io/tunic/index.html

Credit: Aryan Pingle

https://aryanpingle.github.io/Runic/

Dialogue Translations

Instruction Booklet

https://book.tunic.wiki/

Ghost Dialogue

Credit: TobiasAmaranth

https://imgur.com/a/translation-of-all-ghost-fox-dialogue-tunic-ee54OpZ

Area/Text/Boss/Item Dialogue

Credit: TheGamerThatPlays

https://imgur.com/a/tunic-area-text-boss-item-translations-LPNxJ3v

Glyph Tower Puzzle

image-1647835874519.png

The Glyph Tower puzzle is the ultimate final puzzle at the end of Tunic. It becomes available after collecting at least 7 of the 12 secret treasures. It is hinted by page 54 of the instruction manual. (Also it might actually be 6 instead of 7, need to double-check. 7 works for sure though.)

Page 54 Message

Page 54 "For Additional Support & Secrets" states the following in Trunic:
1. Find some rare golden statues.
2. Traverse the glow to visit 12 strange beings
3. "Un-sing" to them the greatest song, the song of The Golden Path, as seen from within.

Elaboration

Step 1 refers to the secret treasures. Finding "some" of them is a requirement to reach the Glyph Tower. Like showcased in the lower-left image of page 54, the hints and explanations on how to obtain the secret treasures are present on pages 28, 40, 53, 51→1, 39, 53, 48, 28+34, 11, 34, 32, and 41.

Step 2 refers to the glowing portal created by the secret treasures. The player must enter the portal to reach the Glyph Tower. Like page 22 depicts, the player can view their "trophies" ("secret treasures"/"golden statues") in a secret area south of where they obtain the Shield.

Step 3 states "the greatest song, the song of The Golden Path." The Golden Path is the Holy Cross puzzle connected to opening the Mountain Door, tracing a cardinal path from the bottom origin point throughout all 25 squares until reaching the center end point.

"Seen from within" means to look from the other side, as if The Golden Path was a window with two sides. Via external means, the page containing The Golden Path should be flipped horizontally, flipped like a piece of paper.

"Un-sing" requests the code be inputted from the center out rather than the bottom in.

Step 3 Conversion

The Golden Path

The original code:
ULDL ULDL URUR ULUR DRUL ULUR ULDL URUU LURD RDRU RDLD RURR DRUR DRUR RDLD LDRD RDLL DRDL DRUR DRUR RDDL URUL DLUL ULUR RULU

image-1647837639181.png

The Golden Path as Seen From Within

Flipping the page:

image-1647837802496.png

Un-Sing

The final code that must be inputted while the player is at the Glyph Tower:
DLDR RDLD LDLU LDRD LUUR RDRU RDRU LURU LLUR URUL ULUR RDRU RDRU RRDR ULUR DRUR URDL DDRD LULD RDLD LDRU RDLD RDRD LULD LULD

Reward

image-1647838262569.png

When the code is inputted at the Glyph Tower, the runes present the following link:
https://doyoufeartheeyesofthefarshore.co/ [archive.org link]

The website presents the following audio and video:
a.mp3

v.mp4

Website Code

<html>

<head>
    <meta http-equiv="Content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">

    <title></title>
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
    <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.5.1.min.js"></script>
    <script>
        $(document).ready(function() {
            $("body").click(function() {
                document.getElementById('player').play();
            });
        });
    </script>

</head>

<body id="index" onload="">

    <div class="fullscreen-bg">
        <video loop muted autoplay playsinline class="fullscreen-bg__video">
			<source src="v.mp4" type="video/mp4">
		</video>
    </div>

    <audio id="player" loop controls="false" style="position:absolute;top:-100px;">
        <source src="a.mp3" type="audio/mp3">
    </audio>

</body>

</html>
.fullscreen-bg {
    position: fixed;
    top: 0;
    right: 0;
    bottom: 0;
    left: 0;
    overflow: hidden;
    z-index: -100;
}

.fullscreen-bg__video {
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
    left: 0;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
}

@media (min-aspect-ratio: 16/9) {
    .fullscreen-bg__video {
        height: 500%;
        top: -200%;
    }
    /*			  .txt {
      width:40%;
  }*/
}

@media (max-aspect-ratio: 16/9) {
    .fullscreen-bg__video {
        width: 500%;
        left: -200%;
    }
    /*			  .txt {
      width: 40%;
  }
*/
}

@media (max-width: 767px) {
    .fullscreen-bg {
        /* background: url("ff.png") center center / cover repeat; */
    }
    .fullscreen-bg__video {
        display: none;
    }
}

video::-webkit-media-controls {
    display: none !important;
}

*::-webkit-media-controls-start-playback-button {
    display: none!important;
    -webkit-appearance: none;
}

Spectrogram

When a.mp3 is viewed through a spectrogram, it presents the following in the 10 Hz to 500 Hz range:image-1647838747753.png

The symbols at the top are 8 Trunic glyphs. When translated, this states:
"We are the(e) eyes of the far shore"

Rosetta Stone

Below each Trunic glyph, in the 10 Hz to 240 Hz range, is a series of black lines, an arpeggio:image-1647839098128.png

Each Trunic glyph corresponds with an arpeggio, allowing for the deciphering of the secret audio language called Tuneic.

Tuneic

Tuneic[1] is the secret audio language in Tunic. It is a musical cipher hidden throughout the game but never acknowledged. It is present in sound effects and the soundtrack itself. Each Tuneic pentatonic arpeggio corresponds to a specific English phoneme. In this way, phoneme-by-phoneme, entities secretly "speak," and certain music tracks have "lyrics."

Discovery

Knowledge of Trunic and The Golden Path are the prerequisites for solving the Glyph Tower puzzle, and the Glyph Tower puzzle is what provides a.mp3 and its spectrogram, the Rosetta Stone for Tuneic. Furthermore, the Rosetta Stone itself links specific Trunic glyphs with specific arpeggios, so Trunic and basic music knowledge are required to decipher Tuneic.

Translation Guide

Credit: Bunkle

Tuneic Reference Sheet.png

SFX and Soundtrack Secrets

Google Doc: Tuneic (Sound Puzzle Mappings)

Spectrogram Secrets

Certain pieces of music when viewed as a spectrogram reveal hidden images. These can contain Trunic glyphs.

a.mp3 from doyoufeartheeyesofthefarshore.co

image-1647839385747.pngTrunic translation: "We are the(e) eyes of the far shore"

Dark Passage behind the Old House

image-1650513140548.png
Image: The doodle of the fox from page 52 of the instruction manual.

Patrolling Rudeling Room

image-1650513186008.png

Shop - Bought Item

image-1650513214402.png
Trunic translation: "Buy"

Shop - When Page 22+23 of the Instruction Booklet is Offered

image-1650513259223.png
Trunic translation: "Free"

Shop - Prompt "Ok"

image-1650513344143.png
Trunic translation: "Kay"

Shop - Prompt "No"

image-1650513381108.png
Trunic translation:"No"

References

  1. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1583200241222053889.html

Theories

Theories on Tunic's lore.

Theories

Fairies and Constructs

Theories on Fairies, spiritual awakening and communication, the ancient civilization's use of souls, adaptive roles of Fairies and constructs, and the fulcrum and The Far Shore in Tunic.

1. Fairies as Caretakers and Preservers

Core Idea: Fairies aren't just aggressive defenders; they play a crucial role in maintaining and preserving constructs like the Siege Engine.

2. Spiritual Awakening and Communication

Core Idea: The player's journey in Tunic is deeply spiritual, symbolized by actions and interactions that highlight a connection with the ancient civilization's spiritual realm.

3. Ancient Civilization's Use of Souls

Core Idea: The ancient civilization used living souls to power their constructs, adding a darker layer to the game's lore.

4. Adaptive Roles of Fairies and Constructs

Core Idea: The roles of Fairies and constructs have evolved over time, adapting from their original purposes to meet the changing needs of their environment.

5. The Fulcrum and The Far Shore

Core Idea: The fulcrum is both the central idea of the ancient civilization and The Far Shore that shatters, symbolizing their achievements and fragility.

Theories

Squirming Coil Timeline

The theory of the squirming coil timeline in Tunic.

Core Idea: The concept of time in Tunic is a squirming coil, indicating a non-linear progression that still moves forward, with no beginning and no end.

Evidence: Page 4 of the instruction manual states that there is no beginning and no end, supporting the idea of a cyclical timeline that intertwines past, present, and future, tuning into a coil rather than a simple loop.

Supporting Points:

  • Endless Coils: Time is not linear but a series of interconnected coils, with each cycle bringing new changes and evolutions.

  • Spiritual and Temporal Journey: The player's journey involves reliving past events while moving towards an ultimate goal or enlightenment.

  • Fulcrum's Role: The fulcrum maintains the balance within these coils, ensuring a forward trajectory despite the cyclical nature of events.

Theories

Lever and Its Owner

The theory of the lever and its owner in Tunic.

Lever

The world of Tunic is the "lever," and the lever has a connection to the player's world, which is why the player plays as the Ruin Seeker and can control their every move. The "lever" is metaphorical, as while there may not be a physical lever, it functions as a connection to the player's world.

The Canonical Plane, the world of Tunic, is also the bar for the "lever." In science, there are three type of levers, and this would function as a first class lever. The effort force is the player controlling the Ruin Seeker, the load is the Ruin Seeker themselves, and The Far Shore is the fulcrum (the point at which one pivots the lever bar). This is the connection on how the player is able to control the Ruin Seeker.

Potential Prequel

When the player begins to control the lever too much, The Far Shore (fulcrum) breaks. There is proof of this with the map of The Far Shore, as it looks like a broken shard, and most of the map is not there. Because of it breaking, the player was unable to control the Ruin Seeker, so a war broke out between the ancient foxes and the Disquiet Beings.

This suggest there will be a game prequel, because there needs to be someone controlling the Ruin Seeker before the events of the game so that the lever becomes overworked. The world which the player is unable to control is in ruin, and the fulcrum is restored via The Heir. The player can have control again as the future Heir, or as the Ruin Seeker they typically control.

Supporting Evidence

Page 4 of the instruction manual substantiates this theory, by stating "the" lever rather than "a" lever when describing "the lever overworked," but stating "a" lever" rather than "the" lever on page 3, describing "a lever in the Canonical Plane."

The Lost Echo description on page 39 states: "An ECHO-OF-SELF from a past Ruin Seeker whose owner gave up. Watch and listen closely and release it from its agony." Lost Echoes have owners, so the player is the owner through the lever. Both the Ruin Seeker and the original hero are referred to as the "hero" in various cases, so this can mean that the player controlled the hero before the game, giving a reason on why the lever was (or is) overworked.