
If you’ve been grinding through Abyss lately, you’ve probably stumbled upon the Fish Ruins. Or maybe you’ve been swimming in circles, completely lost, wondering where the heck the entrance is. Trust me, I’ve been there. The Fish Ruins is one of those late-game areas that feels like a blend of Lovecraftian horror and a classic Metroidvania puzzle box.
It’s not just a pretty face, though. This area is gated by a series of locked doors that require specific keys to open. Inside? Some of the best loot in the game, lore fragments that explain the origin of the abyssal corruption, and a boss fight that will test your dodge-rolling skills. In this guide, I’m going to walk you through every single key location in the Fish Ruins so you can stop searching and start looting.
I’ll be honest—when I first entered the Fish Ruins, I was frustrated. The lighting was dim, the enemies were spongy, and I couldn’t find the first key to save my life. But once I slowed down and actually looked at the environment design, I realized how brilliant it is.
The atmosphere is thick with tension. The sound design—echoing drips, distant whale calls, and the unsettling silence of the deep—makes every step feel significant. I love how the game rewards observation. The keys aren’t just sitting on a pedestal; you have to solve environmental riddles or defeat mini-bosses to get them. It’s that “aha!” moment when the door finally creaks open that keeps me coming back.
Let’s get to the meat of it. There are three main keys you need to unlock the inner sanctum of the Fish Ruins: the Rusted Coral Key, the Obsidian Fish Key, and the Sapphire Heart Key. Missing even one means you’re locked out of the final chamber.
Here is my step-by-step breakdown for finding each one.
This is usually the first one players miss because it’s easy to overlook.
Pro Tip: Don’t ignore the breakable walls! If you see a faint crack with light peeking through, smash it. I missed this for an hour because I was trying to find a switch.
This one involves a bit of platforming, which can be tricky with Abyss’s floaty underwater physics.
I died twice here because I got greedy with the jumps. Take your time. The key isn’t going anywhere.
This is the final key and arguably the hardest to secure.
Common Bug Alert: Sometimes the chest doesn’t spawn if you kill the boss too quickly (speedrunners beware). If this happens, restart the area from the checkpoint. It’s a known issue that the devs are patching soon.
Here is a quick reference table I put together to save you some time:
| Key Name | Location | Requirement | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusted Coral Key | Sunken Gallery | Breakable Wall / Mini-Boss | Medium |
| Obsidian Fish Key | Apex Pillar | Platforming / Timing | Hard |
| Sapphire Heart Key | Abyssal Maw | Puzzle (Statue Rotation) | Medium |
Navigating the ruins isn’t just about finding keys; it’s about surviving. Here are a few things I wish I knew before I started:
The devs have been active recently. The latest patch (v1.03) actually changed the location of the Obsidian Fish Key slightly—it used to be in the Maw, but they moved it to the Apex Pillar to fix a sequence break. Make sure your game is updated, or your guide might be outdated!
Also, keep an eye on the event tab. Rumor has it that next month’s “Festival of Lights” event will add a secret fourth key to the Fish Ruins that unlocks a cosmetic armor set. I’ll update this guide as soon as I get my hands on it.
Technically, yes. You can glitch through the door using a specific dodge-roll technique, but the enemies inside are scaled for late-game levels. I tried this at level 10 and got one-shot. I recommend waiting until you finish the main story Act 3.
Keys in Abyss are not consumable items. Once you pick them up, they stay in your Key Items inventory. If you drop a key (which you can’t normally do), it usually bugs the game. Just keep them!
Yes! You can buy the “Ruins Map Fragment” from the merchant at the entrance of the zone for 500 gold. It reveals the location of the Rusted Coral Key but not the others. It’s worth the investment if you hate getting lost.
Inside the final sanctum, you’ll find the Trident of the Deep, a legendary weapon that scales with Strength and deals massive poison damage. It’s currently one of the best weapons for tank builds.
Getting all the keys in the Fish Ruins is a rite of passage in Abyss. It tests your exploration skills, your combat reflexes, and your patience. But standing in that final treasure room, holding the Trident of the Deep, makes all the frustration worth it. I hope this guide helped you find that one missing key you were looking for.
If you found this helpful, let me know in the comments or check out my other guides on boundbyflame.com. Good luck down there—I’ll see you in the depths