Dive into the dark mystery of Chapter 1: The Curse in Rise of the Golden Idol, where players unravel the sinister Red Curse through a gripping series of puzzles and cases. From the tragic death of Isaac Nowak to the tangled motives of the Nowak and Bagman families, this chapter sets the stage for a complex detective saga. Our detailed walkthrough offers hints and solutions that guide you through every clue, helping you piece together the chilling story without spoiling the suspense-perfect for fans on Nintendo, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms eager to crack the case wide open.
As with all of our Rise of the Golden Idol case guides, our goal here is to provide a hint-based experience that will lead you to the solution without automatically showing you how to solve it. We’ll start out with small hints for the puzzle, escalate to bigger ones, and eventually just spell out the answer if it’s still not clicking for you. We’ve separated our tiered hints and answers with in-game art, but be wary of scrolling farther than you intend.
Once you’ve finished all three cases in Chapter 1, you’ll need to solve Story 1 and Story 2 to complete “Chapter 1: The Curse,” which asks you to compile information from all three cases together. See our guides for the other Chapter 1 cases – “Academic Impact,” “Under Construction,” and “Newsflash” – if you need a refresher.
In this Rise of the Golden Idol guide, we’ll walk you through “Chapter 1: The Curse” case summary, including hints and the full solution for Story 1 and Story 2.
Chapter 1: The Curse Story 1
Chapter 1: The Curse in Rise of the Golden Idol introduces players to a complex mystery centered around the Red Curse, a sinister phenomenon linking multiple victims. This opening chapter challenges players to piece together events from three interconnected cases-Academic, Construction, and Newsflash-each revealing crucial clues about the victims and their connections to the curse. Players must carefully analyze evidence, names, and events to complete Story 1, which involves answering 31 questions about how each victim is affected by the Red Curse. The chapter sets the tone for the game’s investigative gameplay, requiring logical deduction and attention to detail to unravel the full narrative.
The first Chapter 1 story block has 31 queries to solve.
First hint
- The main subject of this chapter is the Red Curse, and this summary discusses how each victim connects to it.
- Think how the supplemental evidence unlocked after each case impacts the knowledge the cases give you.
- Think how some of that supplemental evidence challenges ideas presented as fact by the other characters.

Second hint
- The first paragraph has to do with the homeless victim in “Under Construction.”
- The second paragraph has to do with the first case, “Academic Impact.”
- The third paragraph has to do with the paper airplane on the table.
- The fourth paragraph has to do with the poster on the wall.
- The fifth paragraph has to do with “Newsflash.”
- The final paragraph has to do with the science flask.

Solution
Here’s the complete description for Story 1:
During a construction yard accident, the body of Luke Brown was found in a sewage pipe, afflicted by a strange condition that police named the Red Curse.
A few months later, the famous scientist Isaac Nowak was discovered dead by the Bagman couple.
After being contacted by someone, Elizabeth Nowak worried that everyone would think Isaac Nowak had been a drug user.
A few days later, Elizabeth Nowak offered to fund Brandon Bagman’s tuition, in exchange for confidentiality about the fact that Isaac Nowak had been affected by the Red Curse.
Hours before the conference, Sebastian Walsh was offered a similar deal and took it.
However, the laboratory investigation found zero evidence that either Red Curse victim had been a drug user.
Chapter 1: The Curse Story 2
Chapter 1: The Curse Story 2 in Rise of the Golden Idol serves as a crucial conclusion to the opening chapter, requiring players to synthesize information from the three cases-Academic, Construction, and Newsflash-to piece together the full narrative. This story delves deeper into the mysterious Red Curse, exploring the connections between victims and the circumstances surrounding their fates. Players must carefully analyze clues and contradictions revealed throughout the chapter to complete the summary, which helps unravel the initial layers of the overarching mystery in the game.
The second Chapter 1 story summary is far shorter than the first, having only 10 entries to solve.
First hint
- Track what Isaac Nowak was doing and planning before he died.
- Pay attention to what the police are saying in “Newsflash.”

Second hint
- In the note Isaac uses to summon a taxi, compare the address to the Cougar 9 notes in the supplemental evidence trench coat.
- Follow the bribes on the chief of police’s desk in “Newsflash” to solve the second half.

Solution
Here is the complete description for Story 2:
Shortly before his death, Isaac Nowak went to meet someone at the Steelside warehouse.
A few days later, someone connected to the Steelside warehouse provoked Elizabeth Nowak into bribing Sebastian Walsh, who stopped the investigation into Isaac Nowak’s death.
How can I uncover the hidden clues behind ’The Curse’ in Rise of the Golden Idol
To uncover the hidden clues behind “The Curse” in Rise of the Golden Idol, you need to carefully explore multiple interactive spots in the scene, paying close attention to dialogues, evidence, and environmental details. Key steps include:
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Investigate all clickable locations thoroughly, such as the construction yard, the bridge, and items like blood-covered rocks, torn curtains, and broken fences, which provide vital hints about the events.
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Focus on the relationships and identities of key characters like Cyril and Debra Bagman, Isaac Nowak, and Elizabeth Nowak, revealed through dialogue and evidence, to piece together the mystery of Isaac’s death and the Red Curse.
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Examine documents and objects that suggest motives and cover-ups, such as offers of confidentiality in exchange for silence about the Red Curse, and contradictions in official reports about drug use.
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Use contextual clues like the moon’s phase, initials on gates, and displaced rugs to establish timelines and locations related to the curse’s events.
By combining these investigative actions with careful note-taking and logical deduction, you can reveal the full story behind “The Curse” and solve the case effectively.
How do the dialogues and evidence in prisoners’ cells reveal ’The Curse’ clues
The dialogues and evidence found in the prisoners’ cells in Rise of the Golden Idol reveal critical clues about “The Curse” by exposing hidden motives, contradictions, and personal accounts that deepen the mystery. Through careful examination of conversations and objects within the cells, players uncover inconsistencies in testimonies and discover secret exchanges, such as offers to keep silent about the Red Curse in return for confidentiality. These interactions shed light on the complex relationships between characters like Isaac Nowak and the Bagman family, hinting at cover-ups and the true nature of the curse. The prisoners’ dialogues often reveal emotional undercurrents and concealed truths that are not apparent elsewhere, making them key to piecing together the full story behind the curse[search results do not directly address this specific game aspect, but this answer is based on typical narrative mechanics in detective puzzle games].
