How to Solve Buried City Secret Puzzle in ARC Raiders

The newest secret puzzle in ARC Raiders rewards players with some truly unusual loot. After completing a long and demanding quest, you’ll receive a legendary-rarity guitar as your prize. This musical instrument can actually be used to play music in-game. Now all we’re missing is a working accordion to fully assemble a proper Trallalero band. To obtain the guitar, you must finish the quest by pressing 15 buttons in the correct sequence. Today, we’re going to walk through the ARC Raiders Buried City secret puzzle together.

Recently, the ARC Raiders developers reduced the drop rate of blueprints while also introducing several new ones. Among these additions is a blueprint for an Epic SMG called the Bobcat. If you’re aiming to collect every blueprint available, make sure to check out our ARC Raiders Blueprints service on Gamer Choice.

ARC Raiders Buried City Puzzle Guide

There are 15 different puzzle button locations scattered across Buried City in ARC Raiders. To complete the puzzle, every button must be pressed in the correct order. Without outside information, figuring out the sequence is extremely difficult. The door that leads to the room containing the guitar is located near the Red Tower. When you find it, you’ll notice 15 light bulbs mounted nearby. If you explore the surrounding rooms, you’ll eventually discover a musical sheet drawn directly on one of the walls. This sheet serves as a clue, showing the exact order in which the buttons need to be pressed.

If you press even a single button out of sequence, the entire puzzle resets and must be started again from the very beginning. Each button has a musical note symbol drawn somewhere close to its location, which ties back to the sheet music hint.

If you decide to solve the puzzle completely on your own, expect to spend a significant amount of time searching. The buttons are spread across the entire map, and completing the sequence solo is almost impossible. Even in a trio, it can take up to 20 minutes to reach and activate all the buttons. On top of that, other raiders can interfere by pressing buttons out of order, making the challenge even more punishing. For clarity, we’ll explain the button locations using the map’s orientation. For example, when we mention the “lower-left building,” we’re referring to that position from the map view. Below is the ARC Raiders Buried City puzzle guide:

Button	Location	Description
1	Plaza Rosa	Second floor of the lower-left building, in the kitchen, hidden between two chairs.
2	Galleria	Southern part of the roof, down the elevator shaft, turn left and go along the wall. The button is behind a rusted rack.
3	Warehouse	Roof of the warehouse, next to the skylights, in between the ventilation blocks.
4	Marano Park	Newsstand next to the park’s center. The button is inside it.
5	Grandioso Apartments	Top floor. Rappel up the elevator shaft, turn left, go out to the balcony, and then go into the neighboring apartment. Reach the furthest room, and the button is behind the couch.
6	Piazza Arbusto	Blue tower above the pharmacy. Walk along the ledge, surrounding the tower itself. You’ll find the button on the side facing the subway entrance.
7	Bus	The bus is located to the north west of the Library, on the way to Su Durante Warehouses. You’ll find the button inside.
8	Corso da Vinci	North of the Corso da Vinci location on the map, you’ll find an unmarked building. You can identify it by a broken-down wall. Head inside and turn left, past the stairs. Enter the far-left room, and you’ll find the 8th button there.
9	Buried Properties	Ruins of the building, south of the Field Depot. Next to a broken power unit or whatever that is.
10	Hospital	Head to where the subway entrance is, turn left of it, and go to the stairs. Under them, hidden between the “wet floor” signs, is the button.
11	Bridge	Head to the bridge above Corso da Vinci, specifically to the left of the name on the map. Reach the section where the bridge is significantly destroyed and turn left. You’ll see a building with a hole in the wall. Don’t go in there. Instead, turn back and look at the debris of the bridge. It should be right next to the rope leading down. That was hard to describe.
12	Church Ruins	Lower-left side of the location, chimney on the roof, buried under the sand.
13	Santa Maria Houses	In the attic of the central complex. It’s right below the T letter in “Santa”.
14	Piazza Roma	To the left of the location, there’s an empty patch of land with a tower looking out of it. The button is inside the tower.
15	Red Tower	Mutiny block, the angular building north of the Red Tower. You can reach the required door by approaching from the north. The entrance is the half-buried window on the first floor.

Now you know the full ARC Raiders Buried City hidden button order. Each time you successfully press a button, you’ll hear a playful jingle that references another game developed by the studio, The Finals. Once the full sequence is completed, fireworks will go off to celebrate your achievement. At this point, you’ll likely be very low on time, so hopefully the Plaza Rosa extraction is still active. Inside the unlocked room, you’ll find multiple guitars, along with candleholders and shakers. Keep in mind that guitars do not stack, so grab what you can and head straight for extraction. Congratulations — you’ve successfully completed the ARC Raiders guitar puzzle.

ARC Raiders Buried City Secret Puzzle Tips

Even once you understand the ARC Raiders music puzzle steps, the challenge remains extremely demanding. You’ll almost certainly encounter boss ARCs during the run, since the puzzle forces you to traverse nearly the entire map multiple times. Players are just as much of a threat, as duos and trios tend to be hostile in most matches. So how can you make the process smoother and reduce the overall risk? We’ve put together several practical suggestions. Here are our ARC Raiders Buried City secret puzzle tips:

• Take Adrenaline Shots: You’ll be sprinting across the map repeatedly, so stamina is crucial. Expect to bring around 25–30 Adrenaline Shots. They’re inexpensive to craft, and losing them on death isn’t a major setback.
• Take Ziplines or Snap Hooks: Faster map traversal is a huge advantage. Buried City is highly vertical, filled with tight paths and rooftops. Being able to move quickly across higher ground will save valuable time.
• Bring Wolfpacks: You’re very likely to encounter a Rocketeer at some point, so carrying at least two Wolfpacks is a smart precaution.
• Don’t Loot: Stopping to loot will almost certainly cost you the run, especially if you’re attempting the puzzle solo.
• Bring Your Friends: Completing the puzzle as a group is much easier. While squads may attract more attention, splitting responsibilities significantly speeds up progress.
• Don’t Fight: Avoid combat with other raiders whenever possible. Losing a fight means restarting the entire sequence.
• Plan the Route: If you’re in a group, assign each player specific buttons in advance so no time is wasted.
• It’ll Take Some Time: Don’t expect success on the first attempt. Failure is common, so stay patient and persistent.

These are all the tips we can offer for tackling this Buried City easter egg puzzle. The single most important recommendation is to bring plenty of Adrenaline Shots. If possible, consider preparing an augment that provides additional safe pockets. While not required, this can help you save a few guitars if you manage to complete the puzzle successfully.

F.A.Q.

Do I have to press the buttons in order in the Buried City puzzle?

Yes. Pressing even a single button in the wrong sequence immediately resets the entire puzzle, forcing you to start over. A clear sign of a mistake is when the interaction prompt remains visible after pressing a button.

What rewards do I get for solving the Buried City puzzle?

Completing the puzzle grants several guitars, along with shakers and candleholders. There is also a chance for additional miscellaneous loot inside the reward room.

Can I solve the ARC Raiders Buried City puzzle solo?

Yes, it can be done solo, but it is extremely challenging. Most solo attempts finish very late in the match, which increases the risk of failing to reach extraction in time.

Is the Buried City puzzle tied to a quest in ARC Raiders?

As far as current information shows, the puzzle is not linked to any official quest. It exists purely as a standalone easter egg.

How many buttons are in the Buried City puzzle in ARC Raiders?

There are 15 buttons in total that must be activated, with the final one located directly in front of the reward room.

Conclusion

This puzzle is undeniably difficult, so it’s worth thinking carefully about whether the reward justifies the effort. The guitar sells for only 7,000 coins, so it’s not a profitable activity if you’re chasing currency. That said, the guitar is a unique and entertaining item, allowing you to play one of seven different melodies. It takes up both hands, meaning you won’t be able to interact with anything while using it. Be sure to check back soon for more guides. We’ll also be releasing a dynamic event guide that explains the Closed Gate event in detail. Until then, raiders — stay safe topside.