An anomaly is a phenomenon that prevents you from exploring a location. Anomalies can appear randomly in any location. You use more energy than usual when exploring a location with an anomaly.

There are four types of anomalies.
- Gargoyle: increases your reward for winning, but requires more energy to explore. This anomaly only allows you to see one object from the list at a time. It can by dispelled using a Rock Crusher or summoned to a random location using a Stone Heart.

- Reflection: increases your reward for winning, but requires more energy to explore. The object list and location are inverted, producing a mirror image. This anomaly can be dispelled using a Head Mirror or summoned to a random location using a Cracked Mirror.

- Dark Entities:-increases the reward for winning, but requires more energy to explore. Dark shadows float around the location and partially obscure it. This anomaly can be banished using a Flask of Fireflies or summoned to a random location using a Sphere of Darkness.

- Time Shift: increases the reward for winning, but requires more energy to explore. Time Shift makes time run faster. This anomaly can be banished using a Metronome or summoned to a random location using a Time Violator.

In some quests, items can only be found in locations with a specific anomaly. When this happens you can use special items to summon anomalies. An anomaly will not appear in a location if the location already has an anomaly or Anagram mode (the "cba" icon) or if its rank is Novice.

 

There is also a humorous anomaly called the Flip in Darkwood. While it's active, a location will be reflected vertically. You can only dispel it after successfully exploring the location. The Fun Thingy item summons the Flip anomaly to a random location. You can only get the item by participating in a time-limited event.