Most of the magical equipment in Tunic, like the fire wand, is telegraphed either in the game world or in the game's hidden manual. But some of the game's most useful items are hidden well away from the main path.

RELATED: Tunic: How To Get The Wand

One such example is the unlockable Hourglass, which slows down time for you and all of the enemies at the cost of your mana meter. The Hourglass is a useful tool in your arsenal when it comes to dealing with large crowds of enemies or some of the game's brutally fast bosses. The good news is that you can find the Hourglass before encountering the game's first boss, the Garden Knight. It just takes a sharp eye to spot it.

Where To Find The Hourglass

The Town Ruins In Tunic

After acquiring the sword, players will be able to access the Town Ruins, which are located just left of the overworld’s central fox shrine. This place is also accessible later in the game by teleporting to it through various fast travel points.

After defeating a handful of enemies, follow the main path left down the slope, where a couple more enemies will be waiting. The red-lit door frame contains some treasure chests and vases full of coins; the bridge on the left will lead to another treasure chest.

Tunic green knight

Continue down the main path past the pond, then fight a few more sword-wielding enemies before climbing down another flight of stairs. Walk toward the green enemy holding a spear - keeping a distance stops it from striking - then climb down the ladders. You'll find another treasure chest hidden through the gap in the rocks on the beach.

Tunic Map

Walk down the coastline until the broken bridge. Once here, walk under the bridge propped up by columns and head directly toward the island’s walls. There'll be a hidden entrance to an underground room.

This secret underground room is full of water and contains three hostile turrets. The water means that rolling is not an option, so dealing with the turrets will be tricky. Use the shield to make the fight easier, though it's not essential if you haven't come across it yet.

Tunic Hourglass Cave

If you do have the shield, approach the first turret on the right with the shield held up. The turret's bullets will push you away when you have your shield up so try to position yourself between the turret and the wall; that way you'll be close enough to attack when the turret is reloading.

Taking out the turrets without the shield is possible but stock up on exploding bombs beforehand. You can buy some inside the windmill at the Town Ruins.

Once all the turrets have been defeated, walk to the end of the room where you can find the final treasure chest containing the time-slowing Hourglass. The Hourglass requires the same mana that other magical equipment uses up. Though the Hourglass also slows you down, it's still an invaluable item in all stages of the game when used correctly. It's best used to react to some of the bosses’ lightning-fast moves.

Accessing the Hourglass so early in Tunic means that dealing with the game’s first boss, the Garden Knight, won’t be the ordeal it would be otherwise.

NEXT: Ranking Every Item In Tunic