Game mechanics (with some spoilers!)

I've completed 2/3 of the game, but I already realise it's a suboptimal playthrough that probably won't result in the best ending. SO I've been wondering how to perform better in the game. Here's what I've learned about it just from playing, along with some of my questions:



- The game alternates between "safe levels" (house) and "ghost levels" (eye). In the safe levels there are no ghost, and you are required to reach the clock and activate it, then exit the house through the front door. Fixing light in all rooms yields some optional journal fragments.

- In the forest, is it generally best to reach the house as quickly as possible (there's even a timer in the second half of the game) or to look for ghost girls?

- Ghost levels: the objective is to survive until dawn. The night can be significantly shortened using clocks that you can find and activate. Whenever you fix a light in a room, remain in it for several seconds while the Lodger has his eyes closed, and you'll see either the clock or some furniture materialise.

- The Lodger speaks of the importance of remembering rooms as they are in reality; is it therefore necessary to materialise ALL furniture in a given level? Does it have any effect on the ending?

- One helpful tip: lights can be fixed from ANY point in the room, not just from below the ligth bulb itself. As soon as you cross the threshold, you can hold spacebar to fix the light.

- Important for survival: ocassionally you'll hear a thunderclap and your the game will zoom on a particular room. Go to that room immediately and fix the light. Leave it on, otherwise an eye will appear there, along with some ghosts. If you're quick enough prevent eyes from appearing, ghosts will not trouble you.

- Eyes can be entered; this teleports you to a long hallway with some doors. Entering a door causes the level to restart. Is there any benefit to this?

- Ghosts can go through walls, but they cannot move between levels, nor can they climb ladders. The whispering voice is a good indication when a ghost is very near.

- Ghosts disappear when you turn on the light, but I guess they're still there, only you can't see them, nor can they harm you.

- Is it better to leave lights on or off when leaving the room? The Lodger advises the latter. Lit bulbs have a higher probability of going out (what causes this?), but deactivated lights sometimes break down as well.

- What are pieces of reality and where can they be found? I suppose they're important for the best ending.

- The white lightning bar that appears when you see the huge monster – what causes it to expire? I've noticed being caught by ghosts reduces it, but sometimes it gets shorter regardless of that.



Please answer my questions if you can, and add some tips and discoveries of your own!

They can? Hmm, I was basing my conclusion on the fact that I never encounter a ghost on the lower floor if the eye appears only on the upper floor. This requires further experimentation.

- For the first half of the game you'll want to try to find the girl in the forest to get the good ending. I *think* as long as you get the girl instead of the monster looming over the forest half-way through the game you shouldn't need to bother searching anymore.

- Those long corridors can be accessed from either the eyes or doors which knock a lot when you try to open them (I think the character also mentions he feels an evil presence). Sometimes you can find fragments of reality in them, but I don't know if you 'keep' them when you have to restart the night.

- Ghosts can move between levels when they go through a wall on the edge of the house.

- Turning on lights means that stationary ghosts won't spawn, but you can't see moving ghosts. Vice versa if lights are turned off.

- I know that ghosts will break lights when they pass under them, but I don't know whether it matters if they are on or not.

- Pieces of reality are those weird scenes you see when you find the girl in the forest or sometimes when you go through doors in the long corridors. You need to find a certain amount to cause the girl to appear instead of the monster at the half-way point in the game.

- The white lightning bar is just a timer that ticks down during the nights (ghost levels). As I said in the other thread, if it expires by the time you reach the penultimate awakening you essentially lose and have to restart the game.

Anything specific I'm supposed to do in the forest? It always takes so long to reach the next house. ???

Yeah, thats my point too. What´s up with that singing lady - how to find her? Cant make out from where she´s singing.
A great game which told me after level 6 or so:

"You thought you got it, dude. But you´re checking nothing in here!"

And what should i say, the game is right.

Hi,
How do you interact with the girl in the forest ? I've spotted her a couple of times, but when I try to move to her, she just disappears. What am I supposed to do ? Thanks

Well I haven't played the game since I made that post, but in case you still need an answer I found a guide on the Steam forums which had this to say:
"If you see the girl off in the distance, approach with your face pointing toward her.
Travel vertically toward her when you're within a tree's width or two of her. She might disappear, but you may find her again and again until the screen blanks out to a reality fragment."

So I guess keep moving to her until you get a reality fragment.

Thanks :) I didn't realise this thread was so old, I got the game during the winter sale and I hadn't paid attention