Mistfall Hunter Cipher Guide: Golden Cipher & Decipher NPCs
A Mistfall Hunter cipher guide covering the Golden Cipher event and exactly which camp NPC to bring each cipher to, so you always get the bonus reward.
A Cipher is a special loot item you find during runs, and every one is tied to a specific NPC back at camp — bring it to the wrong person and you only get a small gold reward instead of the real prize. This guide covers how deciphering works and exactly which NPC each cipher’s keywords point to.
What a Cipher Is and How Deciphering Works
Ciphers are unique items with a text hint on them, and that hint contains two highlighted keywords. Those keywords tell you which NPC at your camp can correctly decipher it — every NPC has a “decipher” option in their menu, but only the right NPC for that specific cipher’s keywords unlocks the full reward. The first time you hand in a correct match for a given cipher, you receive a bonus item (one creator reported a free purple or gold-tier item) on top of gold. Hand in that same cipher type again later, and you’ll still get gold, but the bonus item only triggers once per cipher type — it’s still worth turning in for the gold, just don’t expect the bonus twice.
Matching Keywords to the Right NPC
Every camp NPC is associated with a set of theme words. Check your cipher’s hint text carefully — don’t guess based on which NPC feels closest — and match it against this list:
- Cazarro (the merchant): City State, Intelligence, Insight, Balance, Covenant, Interest, Barter, Blood
- Dramm (the blacksmith): Fire, Brimstone, Furnace, Anvil, Ashes, Smoke, Mineral Vein, Oathbound
- Dew (the maiden by the pool): Homeward, Anchor, Prophecy, Spindle, Weaver, Echo
- Soekja (the bird): Stone Steps, Tides, Signpost, Supplies, Guidance, Return, Wings, Praise
- Pip (the auction house): Mantra, Tree Hollow, Secret Cache, Elder Edict, Plucking, Score, Haggling, Hoarding
- Merimo (Pip’s giant goat): Rugs, Caravan, Hay, Cheese, Camel Bells, Salt Lick
- Sigrid (the tavern’s wine-maker): Residual Heat, Sealing Wax, Acid, Malt, Cloves
If your cipher’s keywords aren’t in the list above, the general pattern still applies — think about which NPC’s theme (trade, fire and forging, travel and guidance, and so on) the word most naturally fits.
The Golden Cipher Event
Golden Cipher is a limited-time event built around this same deciphering system, with an extra reward track layered on top. Beyond the standard gold and bonus-item rewards, correctly deciphering cipher types during the event counts toward a separate progress tracker — one creator reported getting a cosmetic emote at 10 total decodes and an additional item at 20. The event has also run with high-value prize pools, including real-world hardware giveaways alongside in-game rewards like outfits and currency, though exact prize details and duration vary by event run — check current in-game event terms rather than relying on a specific past event’s rewards. Abyssal Cipher and Ashen Cipher are two other cipher types referenced by name in the game, but no verified details on how they differ from Golden Cipher were available in the collected material — 待确认 (unconfirmed).
How to Get Ciphers
Ciphers can drop from protected chests, from defeating enemies (including bosses), or from completing certain quests during a run. Drops are random, so the more runs and chests you get through, the more chances you have at finding one.
TL;DR
Always check a cipher’s exact hint keywords rather than guessing — match them to the NPC list above (Cazarro, Dramm, Dew, Soekja, Pip, Merimo, or Sigrid) and hand it in there for the full reward. The first correct hand-in per cipher type gives a bonus item plus gold; every hand-in after that still gives gold, so don’t let a cipher go to waste even after you’ve already claimed its bonus once.