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If you want to explore every inch of Hogwarts Legacy, then you better get used to a certain lockpicking minigame. It’s hardly the most fun hacking/lockpicking minigame we’ve ever seen, and it’s just… there. Being able to unlock high-tier locks is exciting, but actually playing the minigame? Not so much.

Luckily you can complete these in just a few seconds, as long as you know what you’re doing. Read through our guide below where we break down everything you need to know to get through these pesky locks with Alohomora.

Make sure to read through our other Hogwarts Legacy guides for everything you need to know about the game, including puzzle solutions, item locations, and more.

Getting the Alohomora spell – Hogwarts Legacy

Close capture footage of an owl.

Owls deliver mail. That's all, unfortunately.

As you progress through the game, you will eventually be approached by Gladwin Moon, the Groundskeeper of Hogwarts. He is deathly afraid of Demiguise moon statues, for some reason, and he’ll task you with collecting them all. As a result, he will also teach you the Alohomora spell, which unlocks locks. 

The more Demiguise moons you collect and return to Mr. Moon, the more he’ll upgrade your Alohomora spell, allowing you to access new areas.

Lockpick minigame explained – Hogwarts Legacy

You'll need to rotate the two wheels to find lockpick solutions.

You'll need to rotate the two wheels to find lockpick solutions.

Right, now we’re onto the real stuff, the lockpicking minigame. This minigame is played by using both thumbsticks at once.

Your right thumbstick controls a green spark and the outer wheel of the gear, while your left thumbstick controls a red spark and the inner wheel of the gear. The gear is set up with eight cardinal directions, and when held in the correct cardinal direction, the gears at the side or inside of the lock will begin to spin.

You need to find the correct direction for both sticks, and hold them both there for just a few seconds.

It’s fastest to rotate your sticks all the way around and look out for which direction makes the smaller gears twitch – that’ll indicate you’ve just gone past the correct position. Find the correct position for both using this method, and you’ll unlock the door.