Batman: Arkham City Riddler Challenges Guide (2024)

The Riddler Challenge is one of the longest side quests in Batman: Arkham City. There are about 440 of his secrets scattered around the districts of Gotham that you need to find to overcome this ultimate test.

You will need specific gadgets and a few of their upgrades to grab some of the collectibles. Also, most of the trophies are locked behind story-accessible areas. This is why we recommend hunting down these challenges later in the game, to avoid backtracking.

If you are just starting out or looking for a solution to a specific secret then you’re in luck. We have broken down all of the Riddler Challenges in Arkham City to the district level to make it easy for you to navigate. In this guide, you can find their locations and solutions for all the items required to complete the trial. Let’s get started.

How to start the Riddler side mission

After you complete the Penguin main mission in GCPD, the Church will have a green question mark banner around it. There is also a command center transmission talking about losing contact with the medical team around this time.

Enter the Church to investigate and that’s where you will have your first encounter with the Riddler in Arkham City. Through a video call, he explains how he has taken the lost team hostage and the only way Batman can save them is by playing his game and solving his riddles. This interaction will mark the start of the Enigma Conundrum quest.

Riddler Trophies

The infamous green trophies return with a few changes. Firstly, not all of Riddler Trophies will be out in the open. Some will be locked in cages or beyond your reach; requiring you to solve small puzzles to get them.

Secondly, there are now two types of trophies to collect to complete your Riddler Challenge in Batman: Arkham City. The green question marks are for Batman while the pink ones are for Catwoman. Something to note here is that Batman cannot pick up Catwoman’s Trophies, but she can pick up his.

There are a total of 282 Riddler Trophies to collect in the game: 247 for Batman and 35 for Catwoman. They are scattered across all the districts.

• Amusem*nt Mile Riddler Trophies
• Industrial District Riddler Trophies
• Museum Riddler Trophies
• Park Row Riddler Trophies
• Steel Mill Riddler Trophies
• Subway Riddler Trophies
• The Bowery Riddler Trophies
• Wonder City Riddler Trophies

Riddles

Riddles are meant to test your skills as the “world’s greatest detective” and are perhaps the easiest of all the Riddler Challenges in the game.

Riddles are environmental puzzles where you need to scan an object in the environment. This can be anything from a landmark to a photograph to an item on the floor to an actual question mark that you must piece together in Detective Mode.

There are a total of 70 Riddles that you need to solve across all the districts. They will pop up on your screen when you enter a new district, even if you are gliding above it.

• Amusem*nt Mile Riddles
• Industrial District Riddles
• Museum Riddles
• Park Row Riddles
• Steel Mill Riddles
• Subway Riddles
• The Bowery Riddles
• Wonder City Riddles

Breakable Objects

There are seven different types of Breakable Objects that you need to find and destroy to advance your Riddler Challenge in Batman: Arkham City. Unlike the other challenges, each type of Breakable Object can mostly be found in a single district. The only problem is that there are 150 of them combined, so this will take time as well.

Demon Seals

There are demon heads with glowing eyes and hook rings in their mouths found inside the Wonder Tower. To destroy these Demon Sealsyou need to pull their rings using Batclaws. These breakables are the hardest ones to spot because of how well they blend in their environment. You will need to search all the highs and lows of the tower to be able to destroy all 12 of them for the Riddler Challenge.

Joker Teeth

Joker Teethare just a chattering teeth wind-up toy that he left around Arkham City to taunt Batman. They are pretty small in size, making it hard to spot them even in plain sight but their sound gives them away. You can easily destroy all 12 of them using a Batarang only.

Joker Balloons

Another rendition of Joker that is part of the Riddler Challenge is the Joker Balloons. There are 24 of these multi-colored collectibles that come in groups of 4. You will always find them tied to high places requiring you to glide and grapple up a lot. However, you can pop them without relying on a gadget by gliding through them.

Harley Balloons

Unlike Jokers, Harley Balloonsappear as single pink balloons with her face on them. These breakables are not classified as riddles as they are part of the Harley Quinn’s Revenge DLC. However, they do contribute towards the completion of the Riddler’s Challenge in Batman: Arkham City.

They are still as fragile as Mr. J’s balloons and can be burst using Batarangs only. You will find them in the Shipyard, the Industrial District, and the Steel Mill.

Harley Heads

Life-size mannequins of Harley with inflated heads and voice boxes that play her dialogues. Harley Headsare mechanical breakables that can only be destroyed using the Remote Electrical Charge. You will find 12 of them mainly in two places, the Steel Mill and her hideout.

Penguin Statues

Penguin statuesare porcelain dolls hiding among the exhibits of the Museum of Natural History. They may seem easy to spot, but there are 12 of them spread around the large area of the Museum, which is filled with even more unique props. They can be easily broken using Batarangs, Remote Electrical Charge, or other gadgets.

Tyger CCTV Cameras

Tyger CCTV Camerasare used by Strange to keep tabs on all activity in Gotham. To cut off his main source of information, you need to smash all 48 of them to smithereens using Batarangs or REC. They are centered in the Industrial District, the Bowery, Amusem*nt Mile, and Park Row. To mark their locations on the map, simply hack the CCTV hub of the respective district.

Physical Challenges

Physical Challengesare a test of your abilities and gameplay prowess. In this Riddler Challenge, you must prove yourself in four categories: navigation, combat, gadget, and predator challenges. They can range from gliding over certain distances, using special gadgets, or performing various combos.

You can complete them anywhere at any point in the game as long as you meet the required conditions.

What happens if you get all Riddler Trophies in Batman: Arkham City?

After getting all the Riddler Trophies, you can finally rescue the medical personnel that the Riddler held hostage during the Enigma Conundrum mission. If your focus is on the quest, then getting 400 out of the 440 will help get the job done.

There are six hostages in total, with one of them having its location revealed at the start of the mission while the rest require you to complete a certain number of challenges to unlock. After the two, the next hostage can be saved after 80 challenges, the fourth doubles it to 160, the fifth one is available after 240, and the last one needs 400 completions.

Following the last rescue, Oracle will reveal the location of Riddler’s Hideout where you will finally bring the Riddler to justice and complete the Enigma Conundrum quest.

Besides the mission, each Riddler Trophy will unlock character trophies and concept art.

Is it worth finding all Riddler Trophies in Batman: Arkham City?

If you are a completionist or want to fully experience the game, finding all the Riddler Trophies is well worth it in Batman: Arkham City. You can try out different gadgets and explore the areas of the map you may have previously ignored. They also pose quite a challenge but completing them is equally satisfying.

For the storyline enthusiasts, the 400 in the base game will get you through all the side missions you need. The extra 40 from the DLC are only needed if you want to 100% it.