God of War Idunn Apples Locations - How to Solve Rune Puzzles

Idunn apples are a type of collectible in God of War. There are nine of them in total, and each three you collect will upgrade your maximum health. Every one is hidden in a chest, guarded by a rune puzzle. You’ll have to solve the puzzle to open the chest, and some of them can be pretty difficult. Once you’ve got them all, you’ll unlock the Idunn’s Orchard trophy. If you have trouble finding the chests or solving the rune riddles, keep reading our God of War Idunn apples locations guide.

Solving the rune puzzle actually means destroying several objects with runes written on them. The hard part is finding the objects. They may be near the chest, but they can also be a bit farther away, or hidden from view.

Wildwoods rune chest puzzle

The first apple is in a chest in the north of Wildwoods. All three objects are in the same room as the chest – one is right next to it, another is in the corner to the left of the stairs as you enter, while the last one is in a sarcophagus on the right.

River Pass rune chest puzzle solutions

The second one is in the River Pass. When you find the chest in the cave, you’ll see the first rune on the wall behind it. Turn around, and you’ll see the second on on the cliff in the distance. To find the third one, you’ll need to cross the wooden bridge. When you’re on the platform that lets you shoot the chain to lower the far half, you’ll see the rune in the distance. Turn left when you cross the bridge, and you’ll see it through a hole.

You can find the third one in the eastern part of the River Pass area. It’s next to the giant ribcage where you fight Brenna Daudi, the yellow troll. The first rune is on the hill behind the chest. The second one is on top of the cliff on the other side of the waterfall. You’ll find the third on the far side of the ribcage, on a large rock. You’ll need to hit them in quick succession, before they can deactivate.

Lake of The Nine rune chest puzzles

The fourth chest is by the boat dock at Lookout Tower (the first dock you can land on after you encounter Jormungandr in the Lake of The Nine). All three runes are above spike traps in the area – two are above the chest to the left and right, and the third is above the waterfall. The catch is that you’ll have to shoot the crank above the chest first, which will lower the spikes and let you shoot the runes. However, the spikes start rising slowly after a while, so you’ll have to be quick about it.

There’s also one at the Forgotten Caverns, a tiny area in the northwest of the Lake of Nine, behind one of the serpent’s fragments. It’s accessible via dock, and the rune puzzle there is more of a dexterity test. The runes are all hanging from a pillar, and when you hit one, the pillar will start rotating. The trick is to shoot from different directions – if you shoot the first one so that it starts turning clockwise, then shoot the other from the other side, so the force is applied counter-clockwise. It will make aiming easier.

Alfheim rune chests

We found the next one in Alfheim, on the landmass east of Tyr’s Bridge. It’s in an elven garden on a clifftop. The garden is surrounded with bells, maybe a dozen of them. You need to figure out which three hold the runes in order to open the chest, and you need to hit them quickly enough. The bells you need to shoot are the one in the doorway, the one diagonally left from the chest, and the second one to the right from the entrance.

You can get another one in Alfheim, in the northeastern part of the map. You’ll easily notice it on your way to the ring of light. As soon as you enter the Ringed Temple Trench, you’ll have to fight some baddies. You’ll notice the chest on the left after you’re done. The crank on the right will lower the bridge between the two sides, but if you continue turning it, it will also lower the two platforms on each side. Turn it all the way down, then shoot the gear on the far side to freeze it. Turn around, and you’ll see the first rune behind you. The other two runes are in the walls of the two moving platforms. To get them, you’ll need to lower all the platforms, freeze them, then go to the edge of the middle platform and retrieve the axe. As the side-platforms rise, throw or swing the axe at the right time to hit the rune.

Mountain rune chest puzzle solution

We found the next one in the caves of The Mountain. When you reach a drawbridge stuck in red resin, you’ll notice the health chest on the left. Go back down the hallway that brought you there, and you’ll see another blockage on the right. Behind it is a shrine, and the first rune is on the wall to the right of it. Once you lower the bridge, look to the right when you cross it, and you’ll see the second rune on the ledge. Use the crank to raise the bridge again and freeze the cogwheel with your axe. Cross it again, and you’ll find the last rune on the right.

Light Elf Outpost runic chest

The final apple is in a rune chest at the Light Elf Outpost, a fortress on an island that will appear in the Lake of Nine once the water recedes. When you dock, you’ll have to fight a troll in the courtyard. Once you’re done, look around and you’ll see a glowing rock behind some boards. Breaking the boards and shooting the rock will lead you to the chest. The first rune is visible in the distance behind the chest, and you can shoot it right then and there. The second rune is on the outer ring of the stronghold, near the crack that lets you climb to the top floor. The last rune can be seen from one of the light bridges on the top floor, on a pillar in the distance.