Minecraft Dungeons guide: Finding all secret runes

Before you can enter Minecraft Dungeons‘ Secret Cow Level, you must first find all the secret runes. The first rune is already unlocked as the only requirement is to gain access to the church in your camp. The remaining nine secret runes, meanwhile, are hidden in various levels. Here’s our guide to help you out.

Note: Please be reminded that you do need to find the church in your camp first as that will let you activate the remaining hidden runes in various levels. For more information about the game, check out our Minecraft Dungeons guides and features hub.

Minecraft Dungeons secret runes guide

When looking for the hidden runes in Minecraft Dungeons‘ levels, be reminded that almost all of these follow a similar process:

• Get to the correct location.
• Activate a hidden switch on the floor or the wall. This will open a secret doorway.
• Head through the doorway and activate the rune’s pedestal.
• Grab the rune afterward.

You don’t need to finish the levels at all, and you can simply return to camp the moment you’ve obtained that level’s rune. Likewise, you could lower the difficulty and skip all the mobs. Try to use artifacts that boost mobility such as Boots of Swiftness or Light Feather, as well as items or enchantments that lower your artifact’s cooldowns just to speed things up and gain access to the Secret Cow Level a lot faster.

Creeper Woods

In Minecraft Dungeons‘ first level, reach the part where you need to rescue several illagers:

Head to the left side of the area and find the floor switch:

Soggy Swamp

Progress through the level and take out the Corrupted Cauldron boss:

You should spot the exit soon after that, but don’t go through it yet. There’s a switch on the pillar close to the exit and that opens up a cavern with the hidden rune:

Redstone Mines

Progress through the level until you reach the part where you need to rescue a group of enslaved miners for the second time:

The hidden switch is at the left-hand side next to some burning coals and one of the workers:

Cacti Canyon

Continue onwards with the level until you reach the part where you need to find a blue key. Make your way to that area and the Arch-Illager should spawn an ambush. The switch is right behind a tree that’s next to the wall where the blue key is:

Defeat the ambush forces and you’ll see the opening right behind the blue key’s pedestal. The secret rune is inside the cave:

Pumpkin Pastures

Fairly early on in this Minecraft Dungeons level, you should spot some towering walls. You’ll notice that this is when the camera also zooms out:

To your left, you should likewise see a destroyed section of the wall. Make your way around it, and you should be able to climb up the cliffside where a house is:

The switch is hidden behind a bunch of crates off to the side. You’ll be able to find the room to the secret rune close by:

If you accidentally kept going and ended up in the Arch-Illager’s ambush area, then you already went too far:

Desert Temple

This one’s quite easy to find, just keep going until you find the first barred wall that needs a golden key:

Go around the path until you find that golden key:

The wall switch and hidden room are behind a palm tree:

Fiery Forge

This secret rune’s also fairly easy to get since it’s almost at the very start of the level. Make your way past the mobs until you reach the forge proper:

Once you enter the forge, you’ll spot a lever that opens the hidden room:

Highblock Halls

Keep going through the castle interior until you reach the open courtyard where it’s raining:

Head to the upper right-hand side and you’ll spot the panel there. It should be close to a wooden platform too:

Obsidian Pinnacle

Progress through Minecraft Dungeons‘ final level, past all the enemies and the Redstone Golem, until you reach the library:

Follow the marker until you reach a large chamber towards the end of this area. You’ll know it’s the right one because to the north of that is a larger bookshelf which also has the switch:

You won’t enter a cavern anymore. Instead, there will be a couple of chests (including one which can reward you with unique items), and the final secret rune:

Once you’ve obtained all the secret runes, head back inside the church and activate the wall panel there. The runes should light up and the wall will slide open. You’ll be able to enter a small room with two chests and a scroll that gives you access to Minecraft Dungeons‘ Secret Cow Level.

Congratulations! Now, take out the bovine menace.

Minecraft Dungeons is available via the Microsoft Windows Store or Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass for PC. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.