Thanks to its profoundly open nature, the world of Tunic affords players opportunities to progress through the game in wildly different ways. This can be wonderful, but it can also frustrate some folks who want certain items sooner rather than later. For a comparison with a rather on-the-nose genre predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time makes sure you've got a shield before Link sets off on any sort of adventure. Not so here.
Finding the shield in Tunic can take mere minutes once you know where to look. Or it can take several hours. Since you're here, let's choose the former.
Get the Sword
The first thing you'll need to do to acquire the shield is, well, to acquire the sword. This is the game's introductory chapter, so it won't take long to get there. Not only is this the optimal path toward nabbing a shield, but you'll just be so much better of𓂃f wagging a real weapon around rather than that stick that took three hits to pop bubble🦩s. (No offense to the stick. It served us well.)
Defeat the Guard Captain on your way out of the East Forest, besting Tunic's first boss. When you reach the Eastern Belltower, give it a nice firm ring with your sword, jumpi🎃ng down via the rope afterward and exiting back out into the overworld.
Get the Key
Indeed, both prerequisites for the shield involve grabbing another important item first. Now you've got the sword, so it's time to find the key to the Old House.
Travel left a ways, and you'll locate a lever –pushing it unlocks a shortcut to the prior area, so definitely give it a tug. Save your game nearby and cross the bridge, mowing the bushes with your newfound blade along the way, and a few ladders later you'll come upon the Old House. Unfortunately, it's locked. Time to find the key.
You'll find the game manual pages 16 and 17 a short trek left of the house alongside a few foes that should be no trouble at all now that you've got that sword. You're going to keep left for a while; down the hills and then over another bridge, once you come upon a small collection's worth of blue-shaded Rudelings, continue a bit further and engage in battle against a somewhat tougher enemy in a green cape.
Once he's done and dusted, the Old House Key is yours for the grabbing. Head back to the Old House, and after unlocking it and taking in the sights, take the path inside to the right. You'll cross one more bridge, at the end of which the shield awaits your patronage.
Go forth and block, brave fox!
