There are a lot of secrets you can uncover in Paper Mario: The Origami King’s Shogun Studios. While many will focus solely on finding the Chain Chomp’s bone or unlocking the massive castle, others will participate in the various attractions scattered throughout the amusement park. One of these is the House of Riddles, which isn’t available when you first arrive and will require a bit of work to even unlock. Thankfully, this attraction is worth the effort since it will reward Mario with a permanent 5 point increase to his health. Given how hard the boss hits, you’ll want all the hit points you can get.
How to Unlock the House of Riddles
To even unlock the House of Riddles, you will need to head towards the Shuriken Dojo which is accessible via the alley along the main road. Hopp onto the boxes by the sign and jump over the gap. Now run past the photo studio and climb up the cart to reach the roof. Move south along the roof and then take the ladder up to the bell. Ring the bell via your hammer to cause a Paper Macho Koopa Troopa to start wandering around the nearby courtyard. Hop down the ladder and then jump down the second ladder near the railing. Battle the Goombas to save the toad and then head out into the courtyard.
Just like all the other Paper Machos, this enemy can be defeated by first hitting the sticker with your hammer and then wailing on it a few more times. After it’s dispatched you will unlock the road to the House of Riddles, but the building is locked. You’ll need to progress through the rest of the Shogun Studios level until you unlock the Master Key item. Once you have this, return to the House of Riddles and unlock the door.
How to Solve the House of Riddles
The House of Riddles may seem cryptic, but it’s actually really easy to solve. You will need to make sure the items on both sides are mirror images of one another. Mario can adjust the pillow colors, which door is open, and whether the drawer on the small shelf is open. All of these can be altered by either pressing A when prompted or giving it a good whack with your hammer. It doesn’t matter which side you do first, so long as they are mirrored images of one another. Additionally, there’s nothing you need to do in the middle room, so just ignore it for now. Below is what I did for both sides of the room to unlock the chest!
If you copy the layout above exactly you will complete the House of Riddles and unlock the chest. Now just open it up to receive your permanent health increase. Again, we strongly suggest you get this health bump before going to find the boss in the large Shogun tower. It may not be a big increase, but this foe hits for a ton of damage and the last thing you want is restart the entire fight over. For those going to battle the mighty boss of Shogun Studios, make sure to read our guide on the encounter!
