Mudborne: How to Find the Reception Key
If you’re wandering around in Mudborne wondering how to unlock the Reception building, you’re not alone. The game loves secrets, and the Reception Key is one of those items that hides behind just enough mystery to be annoying. Here’s exactly how to find it without wasting hours licking random bugs and kicking over mushroom piles.
Step 1: Progress the Compendium – Chapter “The Long Road Ahead”
To even start the hunt for the Reception Key, you need to work through The Long Road Ahead chapter in your Compendium. This includes tasks like breeding specific frogs, harvesting mushrooms, and unlocking dream world areas. If you’re not here yet, go finish some earlier chapters. This key won’t magically appear until you’ve hit this point in the story.
Step 2: Unlock the Pontoon Reflection Pool
To get the Reception Key, you must unlock the Pontoon Reflection Pool first.
Use the Reflection Pools to jump into the dream world, where new areas and items appear.
Once you open the Pontoon Reflection Pool, a bunch of previously locked paths and items—including the key—will become available.
The key won’t exist in the waking world until you’ve done this. No pool, no key.
Step 3: Find the Reception Key After the Pool Opens
After unlocking the Pontoon Reflection Pool, head back to the Reception area.
The Reception Key should now be available nearby—look around the area carefully, as it’s sometimes easy to miss.
You’ll now be able to unlock the Reception building and continue on with your goals, including Warm Reception (placing a Vast Mudlurker on the pressure pad) and eventually meeting Dendro to the north.
Final Blurb
Finding the Reception Key in Mudborne is all about progressing the story and knowing when to check back. Unlock the Pontoon Reflection Pool, grab that key, and finally get inside the building that’s been teasing you since you started. No need to overthink it—just follow the dream world path, and you’ll be fine. Probably.
