Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes players on one more epic adventure as Lara Croft in the conclusive sequel to the series reboot from 2013. As she embarks on a journey of salvation and self-reflection, Lara must climb through ancient ruins, fight off Trinity soldiers, and try to put a stop to the Mayan apocalypse before it’s too late. Of course, it wouldn’t quite be a Tomb Raider game without tombs to raid and puzzles to solve as well.
Below we’ve listed a series of gameplay tips to help you survive the arduous trek through the Peruvian jungle. You will also find several guides for solving the most challenging tombs and puzzles that Shadow of the Tomb Raider has to offer, in case you get stuck or need a few hints to help nudge you in the right direction.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Gameplay Tips
- Use Survival Instinct – Survival Instinct will highlight collectible objects and traversal paths to help you navigate through the environment. Use Survival Instinct regularly to find hidden routes, solve puzzles, and find crafting resources. It’s important to note that not everything is illuminated by Survival Instinct, at least not until you’ve unlocked the right Skills.
- Loot Everything – While it’s important to use your Survival Instinct to highlight nearby salvage, plants, and crafting materials, it’s even more important to actually collect these resources as often as possible. When it comes time to craft and upgrade your equipment, you’ll be glad you grabbed enough materials along the way.
- Watch Your Step – There are a lot of threats that can send Lara to an early demise in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It’s easy to fall victim to tripwires and other hidden traps if you’re not careful. Pay attention to your surroundings and carefully analyze the path ahead before trekking through an area. Tripwire ropes near the ground at your feet can be cut with a knife to deactivate the traps and avoid sudden death.
- Use the Environment – Look for bushes and walls of vegetation or mud to conceal yourself within and avoid detection from enemies. When you perform a stealth takedown from cover, you will bring the enemy into cover as well, which can help you hide bodies after taking down enemies. While you’re at it, keep an eye out for bottles, jars, and cans that can be picked up and thrown to distract and lure enemies as well.
- Complete Challenge Tombs – Along Lara’s journey, you will come across entrances to Challenge Tombs, which contain extensive platforming puzzles that lead to a hefty reward at the end. Challenge Tombs can be a bit time consuming, so you can always forego a Tomb during your trek and return to it later. However, we suggest taking the time to complete Challenge Tombs whenever you find one, as they reward you with valuable Skills that can really come in handy along your journey.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Guides
Try these author-tested tips to survive and thrive in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Combat Tips
Tips for helping Lara tackle Trinity and defeat vicious animals in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
How to Change Lara’s Outfit and Appearance
Raid tombs in style by changing Lara’s outfit and appearance.
How to Unlock All Outfits
Here’s how to unlock every outfit in Lara’s wardrobe and the benefits of doing so.
How to Get XP and Level Up Fast
Tips on how to earn more XP and unlock new skills fast in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
How to Decipher Monoliths
Learn how to read the ancient inscriptions on Monoliths in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
How to Heal
Here’s how to heal during combat and keep Lara alive.
How to Upgrade Weapons
How to upgrade your arsenal of weapons and improve their attributes in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider Story Puzzle Solutions
Hunter’s Moon Cart Puzzles
How to get past the hanging bells and complete the cart puzzles in the first hours of Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Rough Landing Bridge Puzzle
Here’s how to raise the bridge in the Rough Landing mission in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
White Queen Puzzle
How to find the White Queen in Croft Manor in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Challenges & Side Missions
Whistle in the Dark Challenge – All Death Whistle Locations
Where to find all five Death Whistle carvings to complete the Whistle in the Dark challenge in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Challenge Tomb: Underworld Gate (Eagle’s Perch)
A full walkthrough for how to complete the Underworld Gate Challenge Tomb and unlock the Eagle’s Perch skill.
We will be adding new Shadow of the Tomb Raider puzzle solutions to this guide hub in the near future, so be sure to bookmark this page and check back here for updates!
