How to Play & Shortcuts

Your only way out is the old car in the garage. To get it working, you must find and install the following parts: A Car Battery, a Spark Plug, and an Engine Part. You will also need a Wrench to install them and a can of Gasoline to fuel the car. You have five days to escape before your fate is sealed.

Gameplay Mechanics Explained

Hiding & Survival

To survive, you must use the environment to your advantage. Granny is always listening, and hiding is essential to break her line of sight, especially during a chase. Key hiding spots include:

  • Underneath beds
  • Inside closets
  • Behind doors
Your key to escape lies in thorough exploration. Every container chests, cabinets, and dressers might hold a crucial item. Search everything.

Defending Yourself (Aiming Mode)

Weapons like the shotgun or crossbow can temporarily stun Granny, buying you precious time.

  1. While holding a weapon, press the G key to enter Aiming Mode.
  2. Use the ARROW KEYS to aim. You will hear auditory cues that get faster as your aim gets closer to Granny. A steady tone means you have a clear shot.
  3. Press the CTRL key to fire.
  4. Press R to reload if you are also holding the correct ammunition.
  5. Press G again to exit Aiming Mode.

Listen to the aiming sound cues:

Bridging Gaps (Planking Mode)

The gap in the attic floor blocks access to a secret area. To cross it, you'll need to find a Wooden Plank.

  1. While holding a plank, stand at the edge of the gap in the trap's warning area (where your footstep sounds change).
  2. You must be approximately 6 steps away from the opposite ledge to place the plank.
  3. Press the G key to enter Planking Mode.
  4. Use the ARROW KEYS to aim where to place the plank. You will hear audio cues indicating if the placement is valid.
  5. Press the CTRL key to place the plank, creating a bridge.
  6. Press G again to exit Planking Mode.

Listen to the sound of a plank being placed:

Core Gameplay Rules & Advanced Mechanics

The Slowdown Weapon (Water Bottle)

Besides the main weapons, there's a crafty way to slow Granny down without stunning her.

  1. Find an Empty Bottle, often in kitchen areas.
  2. Go to the Laundry Room. The washing machine is your water source.
  3. While holding the Empty Bottle and standing near the machine, press the K key to fill it. You will receive a Full Bottle.
  4. The Full Bottle acts as a throwable weapon. When thrown, it shatters and significantly slows Granny's movement speed for 40 seconds if she walks through the resulting puddle.

Action Cooldowns

To make the world feel more realistic, certain interactions have a brief cooldown period. If you try to use them again too quickly, you'll hear an error sound. This applies to actions like flushing the toilet, playing the music box, or picking up items from the floor.

Inventory: The One-Item Rule & Its Exceptions

Typically, you can only carry one major puzzle item at a time (like a key, hammer, or plank). However, you can carry two items at once when they form a logical pair for a specific action. The allowed combinations are:

  • Weapon & Ammo: Carry a primary weapon and its matching ammunition.
  • Crafting Parts: Carry two shotgun parts simultaneously to craft them.
  • Car Repair: Carry a car part and the Wrench together.
  • Special Items: Carry the Watermelon and the Knife together.

Essential Audio Cues

Here are some of the most important ones:

  • Trap Warning Footsteps: When you walk on unstable floorboards near a trap, your footsteps will change to this creaking sound. Move away immediately!
  • Trap Ambience: When you are very close to the hole from a dynamic trap, you will hear this low, humming ambient sound.

Game Shortcuts

General Controls

W, A, S, D: Move Around.
ALT + W, A, S, D: Sprint (uses stamina).
PAGE UP: Go up stairs when on staircase.
PAGE DOWN: Go down stairs when on staircase.
ENTER: Interact with objects (open doors, search containers).
F1: Decrease Master Game Volume.
F2: Increase Master Game Volume.
F5: Save game progress (only when Granny is not chasing you).
SPACE: Pick up item from the floor.
1 / 2: Check item in Right / Left hand.
SHIFT + 1 / 2: Drop item from Right / Left hand.
CTRL + H: Hide or emerge from hiding spots.
V: Report Granny's status.
B: Announce the object nearest to you.
H: Check your stamina percentage and description.
N: Report status of the item you are tracking.
T: Open list of items in the room to track.
Y: Open list of traps in the room to track.
R: Read a note if you are holding one.
F: Unlock a locked door if you have the correct key; afterward, you can open and close it normally using enter.
J: Craft items if holding two compatible parts.
L: Perform a special action (e.g., cut watermelon).
K: Fill empty bottle with water (must be in laundry room near washing machine).
U: Display known safe code (if you have discovered it).
C: Announce your current coordinates.

Weapon & Aiming Mode

G: Enter/Exit aiming mode when holding a weapon.
ARROW KEYS: Change aiming direction (Up, Down, Left, Right).
R: Reload weapon if holding correct ammunition.
CTRL: Fire weapon.
V: Report Granny's status while in aiming mode.

Planking Mode

G: Enter/Exit planking mode when holding a wooden plank.
ARROW KEYS: Aim where to place the plank.
CTRL: Place the wooden plank to create a bridge.

Driving Mode (Inside the Car)

G: Insert Car Key into ignition.
SHIFT + G: Remove Car Key from ignition.
B: Attempt to start the engine.
X: Charge the engine (press multiple times when prompted).
UP ARROW: Launch the car to escape.
R: Toggle the radio on/off.
N / , (Comma): Change radio station.
H: Check fuel status.
V: Report Granny's status while in car.
ENTER: Exit the car.