How to Play Book of Hours (Spoiler-Free)

[Runix]

Introduction – Learning the Game is a Big Part of the Game

Book of Hours – like its predecessor Cultist Simulator – is not an intuitive game. It doesn't play like other games, and it isn't always obvious how to do even simple things.

Some of that is intentional. Exploring the game's systems is a big part of the challenge. You're not supposed to know how to do everything at once. Figuring out how to do even basic things is a big part of the satisfaction of the game.

The game doesn't have a tutorial, which I think is by design. But I think it could use what used to be called a manual. Not a step-by-step on how to progress through the game, but a very basic guide on how to play.

This is my attempt at a how-to guide. I'm going to try to keep it spoiler-free to the extent possible, using just the user interface and information from the readily available cards. My goal is to show you how the game is played, but not how the underlying systems work – that's for you to figure out.

[Runix]

Part I – Getting Started

I said that the game doesn't have a tutorial, but the first part of the game is designed to be sort of a de facto tutorial, in that it channels you into a narrow number of options in a way that's designed to help you figure out the game. But I still think it's worth going through it. If you're past the first part and have already figured all this out, feel free to skip to the next section.

The game has a timer you can pause.

First things first – this is something of a "real time" game, in that it isn't turn-based, there's a real-time clock. It starts out ticking, but you can pause it by clicking the pause button in the top middle. You can take actions while the game is paused, so don't feel rushed. But you also need time to pass for anything to change.

This is a card-based game.

Pretty much all the action in the game is centered around cards. We'll look at cards later.

You play the game by putting cards in slots.

The game sort of has a solitaire feel, where you progress by putting cards in the right place. It's a lot more complicated than that, but that's the general idea.

After you put cards in appropriate slots, a timer will run and you'll get the results in the form of more cards.

You don't get results instantaneously from putting cards in slots – you'll have to wait a variable amount of time. Once an action has completed, the results will show up as cards in the action dialog box. These are sometimes new cards, sometimes the same cards . . . and sometimes the same cards, but transformed in some way.

You have actions that will let you work with the cards in some way.

Actions are the circular icons that appear on the left and right side of the screen. There are a couple that are always there, and others that occasionally show up. When clicked, they show a dialog box with slots where you can add cards.

You start with the results of a completed "Remember" action.

You only have one action available at start, and that's "Remember" – the circle with the eye on the left. And it starts completed, with the cards produced by the action.

After an action completes, you can examine the results by clicking on each of the cards before you collect them.

It's sometimes handy to review the results before collecting them because your card collection can get big – really big! – and when you hit collect, the results could get lost in the shuffle. Examine them first.

To progress through the game, you need to find the right card(s) for the right slot(s).

Once you collect your starting cards, you still only have one action available – Remember. It takes one card. But which one? That's a big part of the game – finding the right cards for the right slots.

To see which cards can go in a given slot, click on the empty slot and see what cards it highlights.

We'll talk more about how cards work with slots, below. But you can get through the early game just by clicking on empty slots and putting a matching card in and seeing what happens.

When a card is added to a slot, the hint text for the dialog box sometimes changes.

This is very useful. The hint texts are great – just enough information to help nudge you in the right direction without telling you exactly what to do. Read the hint text!

When a combination of cards is valid for an action, the button will activate.

If the button isn't activating, you've got the wrong cards. Keep trying different cards in different combinations until the button lights up. After that, hit the button and wait for the results.

In addition to actions, you can also process cards at locations on the map by clicking directly on the location.

Locations start off locked, but you'll get the first location unlocked relatively soon, and from there you can unlock other locations.

You can find locations by seeing what parts of the map highlight when you pass your cursor over them.

There are several very important locations, and not all of them are in the same place. Look around!

OK, that should be enough to get you off the beach. On to the next section . . .

[Runix]

Part II – The Cards

You can find out more about a card by clicking on the card and reading its details.

When you click on a card, you'll get the card's details showing up in the upper right hand corner of the screen. The card will have a flavor text, and beneath it will have a series of several icons. The flavor text is nice, but it's actually the icons that really run the game.

You can find out more about a card's icons by mousing over the icons individually.

When you mouse over an icon, you'll get a short descriptive text of what it is.

When you mouse over an icon, all the other cards with the same icon will highlight.

This isn't useful early on, but very useful later in the game!

Cards go in slots with matching icons.

As mentioned above, when you click on an empty slot, all the cards that fit that slot will highlight. But you'll also get a description of the slot that includes a set of icons. Those are the icons that a card has to match – or not match – in order to be accepted in the slot. Here's how that works:

All the icons next to the star (*) are required.

There's often only one icon with a star, but whether one or more, they all need to be on the card for it to go in that slot.

At least one of the icons next to the check (✔) needs to be present.

For a card to be accepted, it needs to have one or more of the icons that are listed next to the check mark.

None of the icons next to the 'X' can be present.

If one or more of the icons next to the 'X' is present, the card won't go in the slot. But note that sometimes icons can be removed, so if the icon gets removed, the card will be able to go in the slot.

What determines the result of the action is the icons present.

When you add the cards to the dialog, you'll see a listing of all the icons below. Those icons determine what happens. Getting the right results is a matter of assembling the right combination of cards that has the right combination of icons. This may not make much sense now, but will make more sense as the game progresses.

You don't have to fill every empty slot to take an action – and results will be different depending on which slots are filled.

When taking an action, the temptation is to fill all the slots in the dialog box, but in many cases you don't need to. As long as the button in the dialog box highlights, the action will run. But adding different combinations of cards to the slots will produce different results. Keep an eye on the hint text, it will give an indication of what the result may be.

OK, so that's the basics of the cards. Let's talk about specifics.

[Runix]

Part III – Inventory

You'll start off with just a few cards, but the collection will grow dramatically over time. It's good to know how they're organized.

Physical things can be held in your personal inventory or put on the ground.

Your personal inventory are the five slots on the upper left. You put physical objects – anything with the "Thing" tag – there, but you can also drop them on the ground if you're running low in space. Just don't forget where you put them!

Physical things are persistent and can sometimes be reused, but sometimes will be consumed by actions.

Physical things typically don't have an expiration. And in most cases, physical things can be reused in different actions. But not in all cases, and there are obvious things that are one-time use only. Read the hint text, it'll generally let you know. Also be advised that physical things used in complicated actions, especially in crafting, will sometimes get consumed even if the hint text isn't telling you that, so be careful.

Memory cards will expire after a short time, but tend to be easy to come by.

When memories are generated, they'll automatically get stored in the bin in the lower left. As noted on the cards, they typically last only one day, expiring at dawn. But they're definitely "use it or lose it" type of cards. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to generate them, although some memories are quite rare and difficult to come by. Lessons go in the same bin, and will last a little longer, but they're also in the "use it or lose it" category.

Soul cards can be used once per day, but regenerate at the start of each day.

Soul cards will automatically get stored in the bin in the lower center left. They are your main "renewable resource"; they're a reliable way to add icons to an action since you'll get them back at the start of each new day. But they can also get afflicted, which limits their utility, since some slots forbid cards with the affliction icon. The first soul card you get comes with an affliction that you'll need to clear.

Skill cards are difficult to come by but can be used as often as needed.

Skill cards will automatically get stored in the bin in the lower center right. They can be used as often as needed. But they're also quite difficult to come by. Acquiring skill cards will be one of the main ways you progress through the game.

Other cards go into the Sundries bin.

Other cards that don't fit any of the other categories above tend to get stored in the miscellaneous bin in the lower right. Most of these are self explanatory – currency, people, events. But they all follow the same rules as the other cards; icons have to match when used in an action, and they'll sometimes get consumed by actions.

[Runix]

Part IV – The Game Map

Once the map opens up, the obvious question will be: what to do next?

Again, I want this to be spoiler-free. But here's a general guide to the parts of the game that you'll need to explore in order to progress.

You can take actions at locations after you've unlocked them.

As mentioned above, you can find locations by seeing what highlights when you pass your cursor over them. Locations are just like actions; they're a dialog where you can add cards to make something happen. Some locations will need to be unlocked; this is a matter of, not surprisingly, finding the right cards to add in order to unlock them.

Locations may produce different results depending on what card you add to them.

You won't always get the same result from a location by adding whatever card it accepts. Try out different combinations of cards to see if the hint text changes, or if the results are different.

Locations may produce different results depending on the season.

Even if you think you've gotten everything from a location, go back periodically to see if anything's changed!

Items on the map can be picked up and moved.

Once you've unlocked the house, you'll start finding a lot of items. These are physical things that can go in inventory or be moved around. But note that pretty much everything in the game revolves around actions, so moving them around won't change much. But it's helpful for getting organized!

Items on the map can be identified by clicking on a 'Thing' icon on any card that has it.

Helpful for figuring out what's actually an item and what's just part of the scenery!

Some items found on the map are quite rare and should only be used when necessary.

This is specific to the house, but some of the objects you encounter there are rare or even unique, so think carefully before using them in an action that may consume them.

As a general rule, the more icons an item has, the more rare and valuable it is.

Not always the case, but it's a good quick guide. Items with a whole lot of one particular icon are definitely valuable, though, and you should think long and hard before consuming them.

You can see what is available for the Consider by opening it up and clicking the empty slot – but studying will consume some items.

When you click the empty slot, any object that's something that can be studied will flash. When you put the item in the slot and then add the other required card, the hint text will let you know whether it will be consumed or not, so pay attention.

You can claim a bed to sleep in by clicking on the bed and following the instructions.

You don't absolutely need to claim a bed, but it's helpful to have one marked as yours for when . . . well, let's just say that sometimes you're going to need some bed rest, so pick a room.

You can use the Talk action to talk to people.

People will show up as cards in the miscellaneous bin, and you can put them into the Talk action, which will always generate some kind of result. But obviously, the result will be different depending on what, if anything, you add to the other slot.

Talking to a person may add icons to their card.

Always check the icons before and after you interact with a person! As you talk to them, their icons can change, and that can open up significant possibilities.

Having people help you with something will typically consume their card, but they can come back.

When you get a person card, it's typically single-use for the sort of thing you'd like them to help you with. But there are plenty of ways to get that particular person back, though in some cases you may have to wait a while until they're back, so choose carefully.

You get a weather card every day.

Obvious, yes. But check the icons on that weather card – it may be more useful than you initially think.

[Runix]

Part V – Actions and Workstations

Once you've unlocked the map and the locations, much of the progress through the game will be through actions you can take.

You have several sources of actions you can take – Consider, Talk, locations on the map, and workstations.

Each of these allows you to make progress by adding the right cards, and you'll need to use all of them. As mentioned above, locations tend to be straightforward dialogs where you need to add the right cards to get results, but there are a limited number of outcomes. Talk is very useful, but only works with person cards, and there are only a limited number of actions that require a person. So a lot of your progress will come through Consider and the workstations.

A lot of cards are eligible for Consider.

The sheer number and variety of things that can be the target of a Consider action is a pretty big hint as to how important it is. This is your main tool for exploring the world. As mentioned above, you can see what's eligible for Consider by opening it up and clicking the empty slot; but note that some items will be consumed by it, though you'll get a warning for that.

Workstations are located throughout the house; they allow for more complicated actions.

The workstations are basically any location within the house that shows a dialog box that allows for five cards to be added. As with other actions, you don't need to add a card to each slot, and sometimes even just a couple of cards will be sufficient; but you can get more icons added by adding more cards.

Workstations differ in which "colors" and types of cards they allow.

The workstations will initially feel very similar; they all have the same five-slot layout, and they all have a slot for a soul, a skill, and a memory. But you'll note that they have restrictions on the aspects or "colors" of cards allowed. And, critically, the two extra slots will have restrictions on what types of cards they take. Some workstations will be much more useful than others, depending on what colors and types of cards you have available.

You can explore how the workstations function by trying out different combinations of cards and reading the hint text.

Try adding one card at a time and see how the hint text changes; in many cases, it'll let you know what the workstation will produce as long as you're close to the requirements. There's a system to it, but this is a spoiler-free guide, so you'll need to figure that out through trial and error.

Some workstations have a special icon showing something that can only be done there.

The workstations can feel very same-y, but some have a special icon that's actually quite important. As always, check the icons, and if there's a special one, see what other cards it may match.

Some actions can be completed through either Consider or a workstation.

This is not immediately obvious, but there are sometimes multiple ways to get the same thing done, and certain Consider actions can be done at a work station. But note that a work station has more slots that allow for more cards of certain types, which may produce different results.

Some actions will transform cards – and the same action repeated on the same card may have different results.

As a general rule, when you're doing something for the first time, it's good to check the icons on the cards before and after the action. Some actions will add icons to a card, and when you take the same action again, the results may be different.

Some actions have a chance of failure, but you can raise the chance of success by adding more cards when prompted.

The action dialog will generally tell you when something is not guaranteed to succeed, typically because you don't have enough of the right icons. But as that action progresses, it may occasionally allow you to raise the chance of success by adding more cards to it. You'll need to keep an eye on it.

A progressing action will show a small empty box icon when it will allow a card to be added.

When you see a small empty box icon show up on an action that's underway, open it up and see what card it is requesting. But note that, in some cases, it may consume the optional card to be added.

Some repeatable actions will produce cards that are, in effect, renewable resources.

Pay close attention to what cards an action may produce. Some of those result cards may not seem particularly useful at the moment. But realize that if all the cards you used to generate it are reusable and/or easy to get, whatever cards are produced are something you can repeatedly generate, which will be critical for progressing in the game.

You can do as many actions at once as you have the cards for.

Obviously, the Consider and Talk actions can only be used one at a time. But map locations and work stations can all be run simultaneously if you have the cards for them. You may be left with nothing to do before your cards refresh at morning, however!

[Runix]

Part VI – The Tree of Wisdom

Spoiler-free . . . so basically, this is going to be really short.

You can open the Tree of Wisdom by clicking on the icon to the left of the time.

This will open into a separate screen that will show the whole tree. Yes, it's a bit complicated.

Click on the center space for instructions on how to unlock the Tree.

Should be straightforward.

You can add certain cards to the Tree to build it out.

Once multiple empty slots open up, click on them to see what card they require. After you add the card, you'll need to click Commit to add it to the Tree.

Pay careful attention to what the slots on the Tree require – and what they produce after they get filled!

Not much to add here without spoiling anything.

[Runix]

Part VII – Tips for When You're Stuck

OK, I think the above should be enough to do pretty much most of what you can do in the game, at least from a UI and mechanics perspective. There's a lot to be figured out, but once you've got the basics down, the game unfolds relatively naturally. It's really well-designed in that way.

But if you get stuck, here are a few tips. Disclosure: I've gotten quite far but haven't finished it yet, but I did sink a fair amount of time into its predecessor, so I think I've got the hang of how to make it through the game. I don't think these are spoilers, but obviously see how far you can get before checking these.

Tip 1: Keep notes. Note a spoiler obviously, but keep notes of "when I used cards A, B, and C at location D, I got X, Y, and Z." Sometime in the future you may want card Z and you need to remember where you got it from.

Tip 2: Try repeating an action you already completed. "But I did that already", yes, but sometimes when you repeat it, the results are different, often because something has changed – like the cards you used actually got changed in the process and you didn't notice it.

Tip 3: Try adding cards one at a time to a location or work station. Add just one card to the first slot, see what changes, remove it and add one card to the second slot, etc. Also try filling all slots and see what changes. Try using a different card than the one you usually use at that location or work station. Sometimes there's an alternative you didn't realize was there because every time you're there you've just been using the same cards.

Tip 4: Try a low probability action – but be ready to add cards as needed. If you only wait until you're guaranteed to succeed at something, you could be waiting a very long time to progress. Take a chance every once in a while when you feel like your progress has slowed. But be ready to add cards in as the action proceeds and asks for more in order to boost your chances of success.

Tip 5: Go back and check everything again when the seasons change. Yes, they matter. Not everywhere, but in certain places and in certain ways.

Tip 6: Dip into the consumables if you really need help getting past a tough point. That's what they're there for. That means figuring out how to use them to best effect, which will be a bit of trial and error. I would recommend experimenting on cheap consumables before opening a bottle of the expensive stuff. But don't die with a full set of potions in your backpack, as they say in the RPG world. (That isn't this type of game, of course, that's just a figure of speech.)

Tip 7: Go back and look at the Tree. It's easy to get hung up on the map and your lack of progress there, when making progress on the Tree may actually help unlock things for you.

Tip 8: Do boring stuff and wait. Sometimes events happen that will help unlock things in useful ways. And sometimes all you need is just a change of the weather.

[Runix]

The above is obviously for relatively new players who just need to figure out how the game works. May be a few tips in there that could be useful to someone who's already several hours in, though.

And if someone accuses me of writing a book: yep, that's the idea.

[Vardis]

That's a lot of detail! My version was going to be something along the lines of:

1. Read Everything.
2. Try Stuff

Yours will probably help more people.

[Stim The One]

You should make a guide with that

[Pandorian]

Why did you post this in general discussion instead of guides? It'll just get buried because a lot of people don't use the search function. You see the same questions popping up when the answer is already and STILL on the front page of threads.

[Runix]

Originally posted by Pandorian:

Why did you post this in general discussion instead of guides? It'll just get buried because a lot of people don't use the search function. You see the same questions popping up when the answer is already and STILL on the front page of threads.

To be honest: I started typing up a short guide and got carried away! I may re-post to the Guides section, though I'm kind of a perfectionist, and if I wanted to do a full guide I'd need a full set of pictures to go with it.

[Pandorian]

Originally posted by Runix:

To be honest: I started typing up a short guide and got carried away! I may re-post to the Guides section, though I'm kind of a perfectionist, and if I wanted to do a full guide I'd need a full set of pictures to go with it.

Fair enough. Guides are rough to make :D

[Wereducky]

Originally posted by Runix:

if I wanted to do a full guide I'd need a full set of pictures to go with it.

Well good thing guides aren't set in stone when you submit them. I think this is a great starting point, and you can update it as you get the supplemental pictures .

[moonbean]

Hey… thanks for this. That’s pretty rad of you.