Let me post a screenshot of the clearance first. It took me 23 minutes in the first round. I figured out the hidden clues in the second round. Now I will break down the underlying logic of this game for you. This game looks deceptive, but in fact the puzzle-solving chain is very regular. Each puzzle has a fixed solution and there are no random elements. So follow my steps and you will definitely be able to pass the level in one go.
Go straight to the main line at the beginning, don't be intimidated by the environment
After entering the game and free perspective, the first thing to do is not to mess around, but to go directly to the door. The door lock is a combination lock. The initial clue is in the crack on the left side of the door frame, where a yellowed note is hidden. There were four numbers on the note, but they were partially obscured by blood. Don't panic, take out your mobile phone - yes, the mobile phone in the game is a core item. Open the photo album and manually adjust the filter intensity. By raising the brightness to the highest level and reducing the contrast to the lowest level, the numbers on the paper can be fully recognized. I have personally tested that the "3" and "7" that are not clearly visible in the original image will be displayed directly, and the password is 3874.
After entering the gate, search the living room and kitchen on the first floor first.
There is half a key in the fireplace in the living room, which needs to be picked out with tongs (taken from the kitchen stove) first. The fire tongs are on the right side of the stove, very close to the fire, but don't be afraid, the screen will flash a red shadow during operation, it is just a performance effect and does not affect the actual picking up of items.
Get matches, a knife and a bag of salt from the kitchen. In this game, salt is a consumable for dispelling evil spirits in the later stages. There are only 15 of them in the whole game, so don't use them indiscriminately. I recommend using it only in music box rooms and attics. It's no problem to run it directly in other places.
There is a certain order in which you go up to the second floor.
Don't go to the third floor first, otherwise it will trigger a forced closing event. You must return to the second floor to find puzzle items within a limited time, which is a waste of time. The correct sequence is: Go to the second floor and turn left to the first bedroom. There is a diary under the bed. The key message is "On a full moon night, a red dress is reflected in the mirror." This hints at the placement of the mirror puzzle later on.
The drawer lock on the bedroom dresser has a three-digit number. The clue is the number "186" on the last page of the diary. That is the payroll number of the landlord during his lifetime. Just enter it directly. After opening it, you get the hairpin and half of the photo.
Then go to the study room on the right side of the second floor. There is a note on the desk that says "The third floor of the bookshelf, the folder of the fourth book." Corresponding to the bookshelf, it is the fifth book from the right (because the index starts from 0? Don't worry, just count). Inside the folder is a prompt for the safe password: grandfather's birthday + granddaughter's age. The grandfather's birthday is in the diary (May 12, 1943), and the granddaughter's age is hidden on a rag doll in the attic (with the number 7 sewn on it). The safe password is 19430512 or another format? The actual measured password is 0512, which only takes the month and day, because the safe in the game only has four digits. Many people get stuck on this detail, so remember it well.
Attic puzzles require some patience
As you go up to the third floor attic, you'll hear the source of the crying coming from a locked wooden box. The lock of the wooden box is a disc engraved with the twelve zodiac signs, which need to be matched in order. The clue is on the mural in the corridor on the second floor. There are four paintings in total. There is an animal pattern in the lower right corner of each painting. The order from left to right is: rat, dragon, monkey, and cow. Turn the discs in sequence to open.
Get the copper key and half of the photo from the box. The copper key opens the door to the utility room on the first floor, where there is a final note, prompting the ending choice: burn all diaries, or keep them. This affects the final outcome. I tested two branches:
Burning the diary: triggers the "redemption" ending. All the resentful spirits disappear and the protagonist leaves safely, but the old house will collapse and you will not have time to get all the collectibles. It is recommended to choose this for a weekly program, the process is fast.
Keep a diary: Trigger the "Reincarnation" ending, the protagonist is swallowed by darkness, but the hidden prop "Old Pocket Watch" will be unlocked, which can be used to rewind multiple episodes. If you want to collect 100%, select this and then load the file and go back to complete it.
The final blood moon boss battle
In fact, there is no real battle, it is QTE selection. When facing the female ghost in red in the attic, three options will appear at the bottom of the screen: escape, attack, and talk. I have calculated numerically, and the attack winning rate is only 30%, and the blood loss is fixed -50% of life. It is better to just click "Talk". After choosing to talk, she will ask you to tell her her real name. The real name is "Lin Wan'er", which is written on the back of the old photo on the wall on the first floor (you need to use a knife to scrape the cardboard on the back of the photo). After saying her name, she will dissipate and go directly to the ending animation.
A few trivia facts
There are 5 collectible supernatural photos in the entire game. They are located on the back of the door, under the chopping board in the kitchen, on top of the bedroom wardrobe on the second floor, on the bottom of the wooden box in the attic, and in the basement (you need to get the copper key and then go back to the first floor stairwell. There is a secret door on the right wall). After collecting them all and clearing the level, the hidden achievement "Photographer" will be unlocked, which does not affect the main line but enhances the game experience.
In the last step, don't forget to take screenshots of all the clues in the memo on your phone before the ending animation plays, because the archive will be cleared after the game is cleared. I suffered this loss, and it took two brushes to make up for it.
Wish you good luck, don't look back, just leave 👻