Unraveling the Mystery of the Garden Snake Encounter

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Indiana Jones & The Great Circle is filled with intriguing puzzles and mysteries, including one known as "A Snake in the Garden." Even though Indiana has a deep-seated fear of snakes, solving this particular mystery can lead to valuable rewards. To uncover one of the church’s long-held secrets, you’ll need to stealthily navigate the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, gathering clues along the way.

"A Snake in the Garden" isn’t available as a Mystery until you reach the Apostolic Palace, a critical location you’ll discover throughout the game’s storyline. These Mysteries serve as optional quests that can enhance your experience and are sometimes necessary to continue the main narrative. Unlike the Gold and Silver Forges in Indiana Jones & TGC, this Mystery is entirely optional, allowing you to pursue it even after departing from the Vatican.

How To Begin "A Snake in the Garden"

Access an Important Figure’s Office

To kick off "A Snake in the Garden," head to Father Ventura’s office within the Apostolic Palace. This area is crawling with aggressive foes who will attack on sight. Because of this, proceed with caution. Utilize your whip to distract guards stationed near various entry points, making it easier for you to slip inside.

One alternative method to enter the Apostolic Palace undetected is to wear the Blackshirt Uniform. This disguise allows Indiana to blend in, helping you walk past the guards without raising suspicion.

The main entrance to Father Ventura’s office will be locked, so you’ll need to find the side door to gain entry. Upon entering, you’ll trigger the Mystery as you explore the personal space of this high-ranking church official. The puzzle central to this Mystery is linked to the Father’s bookshelf, which you’ll recognize by using the camera feature in Indiana Jones & TGC to discover hidden elements.

Unraveling Ventura’s Bookcase

Once you pull a book from Father Ventura’s bookshelf, it will activate a secret mechanism, setting off the "A Snake in the Garden" Mystery. Your task is to determine the correct combination of books to pull, revealing a hidden compartment behind the shelf.

You can interact with four different books on Ventura’s shelf, but you must pull them in the correct sequence to succeed in the Mystery. Each book features a distinct symbol on its spine, including:

A Crown
A Triangle
A Star
A Sun

At first, the correct order to pull these books might escape you. However, much like other parts of the Vatican level in Indiana Jones & TGC, you can search the room for hints. Notably, you’ll find a Mysterious Note on Father Ventura’s desk, which explains the reorganization of the bookcase and its connection to a hidden mechanism.

The Note indicates that the Father’s four preferred Medieval Latin texts should be pulled alphabetically to unveil the concealed compartment behind the bookshelf. Additionally, the reverse side of the Note lists each book’s name alongside its corresponding symbol. With this critical clue, you need to follow this specific sequence to unlock the secret:

Francorum – Crown
Logicae – Triangle
QDV – Star
Philosophiae – Sun

Be cautious: pulling any book out of the correct order will reset the puzzle with an audible alert. You can revisit the note as often as needed without worrying about drawing attention from enemies.

Once you pull the books in the established order, a hidden section of the shelf will rise to reveal its secret. Successfully completing this puzzle earns you Adventure Points, a form of XP used to enhance Indiana Jones’s skills. Since defeating adversaries doesn’t yield Adventure Points, solving this Mystery becomes a valuable method to gain some.

Upon completing the task, you’ll also receive around £120 cash and a note from Father Ventura intended for Benito Mussolini, which contains significant insights about Father Ventura, pinpointing him as the titular "Snake in the Garden" in this thrilling chapter of Indiana Jones & The Great Circle.