Spoiler warning: This guide begins with low-spoiler preparation, then names late locations, ending requirements, and achievement conditions. Stop before the endings section if you only want help through a first playthrough.
SILENT HILL f is not a game you should reduce to a list of door codes. Its route alternates between fog-bound Ebisugaoka and the Dark Shrine, while puzzle answers change with puzzle difficulty and several late puzzles change again with the ending path stored in your save. The useful way to approach it is to know when an area is about to close, what should be solved from the journal rather than brute-forced, and which decisions are worth postponing until New Game+.
This walkthrough gives you that structure. It includes a spoiler-light first-run plan, a 13-area route, direct solutions for the major puzzles on Story, Hard, and Lost in the Fog, a five-ending save plan, and a practical route through all 56 Steam achievements. It does not pretend that every supply pickup is fixed: combat difficulty and prior collection can alter what is available, and New Game+ removes some items you already carried forward.
The two facts that prevent the most wasted time:
- Your first completed playthrough is locked to Coming Home to Roost. Do not contort that run around alternate-ending requirements.
- On later runs, your ending route is locked when you enter the Shimizu Residence. Make a separate Hokora save before that approach and before deciding whether to purify the Sacred Sword.
Guide contents
- First-run settings and save plan
- Combat, weapons, Faith, and Hokora rules
- The complete 13-area route
- First-playthrough walkthrough
- All major puzzle solutions
- All five endings and the minimum-replay plan
- 56-achievement cleanup roadmap
- Missables and common mistakes
Before the fog: choose settings and build a safe save file
Action difficulty and puzzle difficulty are separate. That matters because a comfortable combat setting does not force you into simplified riddles, and a demanding puzzle run does not require harder enemies. For a first playthrough that preserves the series’ investigative feel without turning every encounter into a wall, Story action with Hard puzzles is a sensible pairing. Story action supplies more breathing room; Hard puzzles make you read the environment and journal without using the most opaque rule set.
If you want a blind run, keep it blind. The first ending does not change. What does matter is saving with intent. Hokora shrines are your manual-save anchors, upgrade stations, and places to reorganize. Do not keep overwriting a single slot just because the game has autosave support.
| Save slot | When to update it | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current route | At every new Hokora | This is the slot you normally continue from. |
| Area entrance | Before school, Worship Hall, Shimizu Residence, and Treasure Hall | Protects missables and one-attempt puzzle achievements. |
| Ending branch | New Game+ only, before the Sacred Sword purification route and before Shimizu Residence | Lets one run earn both main NG+ ending achievements without replaying the whole opening. |
| Clear data | Immediately after credits | Always start New Game+ from clear data; do not replace it with an older manual save. |
There is no reason to hoard every restorative forever, but there is one special case. Red Capsules become ending flags in New Game+. The first run is not affected because its ending is fixed. On an alternate-ending run, do not consume a capsule. The safest practice is to discard or unequip them when the run starts, then leave later capsules on the ground. One accidental use can invalidate the route you intended to finish.
How to survive without turning the town into a grind
Combat is deliberate and stamina-limited. A panicked sequence of light attacks often leaves Hinako empty when the enemy’s real swing arrives. Instead, enter a fight with a job: interrupt one enemy, create a lane past a group, or clear a room you must search. Many outdoor enemies guard nothing essential. Running is not failure when the map already shows your exit.
Stamina is a turn system in disguise
Think in short exchanges. Let the enemy commit, dodge or step outside the attack, answer with one safe string, then recover. Heavy attacks are useful when they can stagger, but an unearned heavy attack is just a long animation. Against a group, unlock the camera when you need to see the second threat; tunnel vision causes more damage than low weapon power.
Focus and sanity are connected decisions
Focus supports counters and special interactions, but the sanity cost means it should solve a specific problem. Use it when the enemy pattern is clear or when a hidden route explicitly calls for it. If sanity is already low, reset the situation before forcing another Focus exchange. A clean dodge is always cheaper than a counter you were not ready to time.
Weapons are temporary; repairs are strategic
Ordinary weapons lose durability. Carry a backup when possible and repair a weapon you actually like before a boss, not the first damaged object in your inventory. Toolboxes are more valuable when they preserve a strong weapon through a long closed area. When you find a fresh pipe or bat near a transition, compare it with what you carry instead of reflexively leaving it behind.
Faith should buy a plan, not random comfort
Offerings can become Faith at Hokora shrines, and Faith supports upgrades and omamori access. Before donating a rare-looking object, ask whether the next upgrade meaningfully changes survival: another inventory slot, more stamina, or a useful omamori is usually worth more than a small pile of unused food. The exact best omamori depends on play style, but stamina, safer healing, and enemy-awareness effects remain useful longer than a narrow damage gimmick.
A pre-boss reset takes thirty seconds
- Save to the current slot, then make a second pre-boss slot.
- Equip the weapon with the healthiest durability and keep a backup.
- Move healing and sanity recovery into quick slots you will not confuse.
- Repair before entering the arena if the next route closes behind you.
- Spend the first attempt learning attack endings; damage is secondary.
The complete route at a glance
The game does not present conventional chapter title cards. The 13-part structure below follows major area changes, which makes it more useful for saving and cleanup than waiting for an on-screen chapter number.
| # | Area | Main job | Do not leave before |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ebisugaoka | Reach Chizuruya, learn escape and melee basics | Search the first enterable house and use each Hokora |
| 2 | Dark Shrine Path | Solve the Altar and Shrine Vault | Check the ema backs and the western side before opening the vault |
| 3 | Ebisugaoka Fields | Follow the scarecrow chain | Save before pulling the first thorn if you want a no-mistake attempt |
| 4 | Dark Shrine Corridors | Find the route through the shifting corridors and survive the boss | Open side storage with its key before the final approach |
| 5 | Ebisugaoka Alleyways | Reach the school approach through the changed town | On NG+, complete the UFO poster route before entering the next locked sequence |
| 6 | Ebisugaoka Middle School | Find the stairwell key, open Rinko’s box, solve lockers | Open optional lockers 401, 505, and 377 before using Asakura’s key item |
| 7 | Dark Shrine Worship Hall | Complete the three character routes and linked rituals | Finish the Light, Cage, and Memories searches before the central exit |
| 8 | Ebisugaoka Mountain Path | Reach Shu’s house and cross the forest route | Save before the chase and collect what you need before the route seals |
| 9 | Dark Shrine Main Hall | Learn the shrine abilities and complete the rituals | On NG+, finish Crimson Water before returning to town |
| 10 | Shimizu Residence | Cycle three versions of the house and assemble the door crests | Collect each calendar and finish the Scales and Photo rooms before advancing |
| 11 | Dark Shrine Treasure Hall | Retrieve three crests and solve the Fox Mural | Make a Hokora save before placing any crest if chasing Sly Like the Fox |
| 12 | Corrupted Ebisugaoka | Chase rather than flee and survive the return route | Prepare healing and a durable weapon before the final transition |
| 13 | Dark Shrine Final Path | Commit to the ending-specific final sequence | Keep the clear-data save after credits |
First-playthrough walkthrough: what each area is asking from you
1. Ebisugaoka: learn the loop before fighting it
Follow the downhill route, meet Hinako’s friends, and treat the first Fog Monster sequence as an escape lesson. During a chase, the next vault or crawl prompt matters more than any item behind you. Once ordinary enemies appear, search enterable houses before committing to the street that advances the objective. The early bloody key and back-door route teach the game’s usual pattern: an obvious locked door often has a second-floor or exterior approach.
Use the first Hokora shrines even if you do not need recovery. They establish safe checkpoints and reveal how offerings, Faith, omamori, and saving share the same space. Take the metal pipe tutorial seriously: learn one reliable dodge-and-counter rhythm now, because later bosses punish mashing much harder.
2. Dark Shrine Path: clues are inventory items
The Altar is your first difficulty-dependent puzzle. Examine the offerings rather than reading their names only; the objects carry the matching details. Afterward, the Shrine Vault requires three ema clues and a missing lock part. Flip the correct ema over so Hinako records each symbol. Before opening the vault, sweep the western side and inspect the cat ema: leaving the area closes optional pickups.
If you are chasing Untouchable, save before the vault approach. The condition is not merely opening it; you must reach and open it without taking a hit during the relevant sequence. A reload is much cheaper than another playthrough.
3. Ebisugaoka Fields: let the scarecrows point the route
Each group has a covered scarecrow with a note. Read it, inspect the candidates from multiple angles, and remove the thorn or flashcard only from the matching figure. A correct choice transforms and points to the next group. A wrong choice becomes hostile. The direction after each answer is part of the solution, so do not immediately run back to the map boundary.
The no-mistake achievement is easiest on Story puzzles, where the required figure is described through stable visual traits. Hard and Lost in the Fog lean more heavily on relationship clues and body position. If you are playing blind, make a separate save before the chain and solve it honestly; the direct feature list is available in the puzzle desk below if the silhouettes become unreadable in the fog.
4. Dark Shrine Corridors: clear side rooms before the boss route
This visit is navigation-heavy rather than code-heavy. Mark doors you have actually opened and treat a new shortcut as confirmation, not an invitation to abandon the remaining side room. A storage key opens optional documents and an omamori before the boss approach. Once the arena begins, watch the attack’s finish rather than dodging its first movement; delayed swings are designed to catch an early panic roll.
5. Ebisugaoka Alleyways: the town is familiar, not reset
Old streets now funnel you toward the middle school. Search a branch when the objective arrow points the other way, but do not assume every earlier house remains accessible. On a first run, your job is simply to reach school with supplies. On New Game+, this visit carries the UFO route: poster order and the Chizuruya detour must be completed before you advance too far.
6. Ebisugaoka Middle School: solve a network, not one lock
The school has three intertwined tasks. First, locate the 2F stairwell key; its position changes with puzzle difficulty, so a route memorized from another setting can be wrong. Second, use Rinko’s letters to expose categories on the three-layer Secret Box. Third, open lockers. Asakura’s locker provides the key item that advances the story, while the other lockers reward exploration, including a School Bag and an omamori.
Do not rush from the required locker to the exit. Open Aoi 401, Suga 505, and Tsuchiya 377 as well. Asakura’s code is the one that changes: 534 on Story, 865 on Hard, and 399 on Lost in the Fog.
7. Dark Shrine Worship Hall: finish one person’s route at a time
This is the densest puzzle area. The shrine branches into character-focused sections, and completed actions alter the central route. When you enter a branch, finish its local search before returning: partially completed branches make the central hall harder to read.
The Light Puzzle rotates two fox and two rabbit statues to align hanging cages. The Cage Puzzle asks for three facing-direction crests in the western chambers. The Memories Puzzle uses Shu’s possessions, and the number required rises with puzzle difficulty. Enemies can reanimate behind one crest route, so if you want No One Left Behind, confirm the room is truly quiet before leaving it.
8. Ebisugaoka Mountain Path: prepare before the chase
The route toward Shu’s house has small exploration branches and another pursuit sequence. Keep enough stamina to move; fighting every monster just before a chase wastes both durability and recovery. Save at the nearest Hokora before the long commitment. On New Game+, the fourth Sacred Sword offering is associated with this visit, so collect the Cracked Hibachi Brazier behind Shu’s workshop before leaving the area.
9. Dark Shrine Main Hall: abilities change how walls work
Hinako gains Dark Shrine abilities here. When progress seems blocked, re-check a marked wall, statue, or seal with the new interaction in mind. The area is less about finding a numeric code than recognizing which ability the room is teaching.
New Game+ adds the Hermitage of Crimson Water. If you intend to purify the Sacred Sword, solve the three-bell ritual now. You cannot safely assume you can come back after taking the sword in town. Ring Stone, Water, then Tree, timing one bell after each strike of the shishi-odoshi. The water turning crimson confirms success.
10. Shimizu Residence: rotate through three houses
The Residence is a loop of three versions, not one floor plan. Calendars activate the door that moves you forward through those versions. You cannot simply reverse the last door, so finish the reachable rooms in the current version before cycling. If an object clearly belongs in an earlier layout, carry it until the loop returns you there.
The Scales, Ominous Photo, and My Room crest arrangements reflect the ending path already locked on entry. On a first playthrough, put the Headless Doll on one pan and the other four dolls on the other; turn Hinako’s portrait upside down while leaving the others upright; then place Heavens at top, Swords left, Fox right, and a flipped Scales plate at the bottom. Alternate solutions are listed below.
11. Dark Shrine Treasure Hall: three crests, no guess feedback
Retrieve the Black Sparrow, White Sparrow, and Fox Mask crests from the shrine branches. Follow each Inari statue and its scroll carefully. The achievement Sly Like the Fox requires collecting the crests without a wrong statue decision, so keep a save at the mural-room Hokora.
The mural gives no helpful confirmation when one crest is wrong. Read the ending-specific poem, place all three, then commit. On the first ending route: Fox Mask goes in the fan of the far-left fox; White Sparrow goes in the lantern held by the upper-middle fox; Black Sparrow goes in the chest of the fox to the right, the one pulling the other lantern’s rope.
12. Corrupted Ebisugaoka: reverse the chase instinct
The town is now a final combat-and-pursuit route. Earlier sequences taught you to flee the Fog Monster; this one asks you to catch up. Keep the target in sight, take the cleanest vaults, and do not burn stamina swinging at enemies that cannot stop the objective. Catching up three times is tied to Where Are You Going?.
13. Dark Shrine Final Path: the save file decides the ending
By this point, the important ending checks have already happened. Your Red Capsule use, sword state, special item, and prior completed endings determine the final route. Treat the last boss as an endurance test: learn the transition between phases before spending your best healing. After the credits, save the clear data. Alternate endings, Lost in the Fog action difficulty, additional documents, Inari seals, and New Game+ items depend on continuing that lineage.
Puzzle solution desk
Use this section when you want the answer, not a hint. Directional statue answers use the room’s east/west orientation; if your camera is facing the cages, translate carefully before rotating the final statue.
Altar offering order
| Puzzle difficulty | Left-to-right order |
|---|---|
| Story | Dress, Rat, Pot, Branches, Fan |
| Hard | Fan, Branches, Pot, Dress, Rat |
| Lost in the Fog | Fan, Branches, Dress, Rat, Pot |
Shrine Vault symbols
| Difficulty | Top | Middle | Bottom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Story | Crane | Serpent | Tortoise |
| Hard | Lightning | Decayed Tree | Kudzu |
| Lost in the Fog | Yokai of the Carriage | Yokai of the Umbrella | Yokai of the Kettle |
You still need all three ema clues and the Combination Lock Dial. Knowing the symbols does not manufacture the missing dial.
Field scarecrows
| Difficulty | What to identify |
|---|---|
| Story | A girl in a sailor uniform with a red necktie and neat short hair resembling Hinako. |
| Hard | Follow the relationship clue: the required girl generally resembles Rinko, wears the sailor uniform and red tie, and uses the described hair or wound detail. The fifth answer is the short-haired Hinako figure with a blade in her back. |
| Lost in the Fog | 1: Sakuko, head twisted upward. 2: Rinko facing down. 3: Hinako arched toward the sky. 4: Hinako with the slit mouth. 5: the isolated Hinako; follow the fallen-scarecrow trail. |
After every correct pull, follow the transformed figure’s pointing direction. Pulling the correct thorn but walking the wrong way can make the field feel as if the answer failed.
Middle School Secret Box
| Round | Story | Hard | Lost in the Fog |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherry, strawberry, and cake | All fruit | All fruit |
| 2 | All books | All books and origami | All books |
| 3 | Cherry blossom branch | All flowers and the cherry blossom tree | Four sakura blossom branches |
Middle School lockers
| Locker | Story | Hard | Lost in the Fog | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aoi Takeshi | 401 | 401 | 401 | Optional clue chain |
| Suga Yosie | 505 | 505 | 505 | School Bag |
| Tsuchiya Taiko | 377 | 377 | 377 | Optional omamori on the first run |
| Asakura Ayumi | 534 | 865 | 399 | Required cabinet key |
Worship Hall Light Puzzle
| Difficulty | Fox 1 | Rabbit 1 | Fox 2 | Rabbit 2 | Visual result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story | East | West | East | West | Each fox and rabbit pair faces inward |
| Hard | West | East | West | East | Each pair faces away from one another |
| Lost in the Fog | West | East | West | West | Left pair faces apart; right pair faces the same direction |
The goal is to align the hanging cages so you can take the lampshades and retrieve the altar key. If the compass directions feel reversed from your camera, use the visual-result column.
Worship Hall Cage and Memories puzzles
For the Cage device, retrieve the Forward-Facing Fox Crest, Leftward-Facing Fox Crest, and Rightward-Facing Fox Crest from the western chambers. The names are the placement instruction.
| Memories difficulty | Shu’s possessions to retrieve |
|---|---|
| Story | Brainiac Hero Comic |
| Hard | Brainiac Hero Comic and Drawing of a Young Shimizu Hinako |
| Lost in the Fog | Comic, Drawing, and Raygun |
Crimson Water in New Game+
Ring Stone, Water, Tree. The Stone bell is on the upper building/balcony, Water is by the great stone, and Tree is across the stone bridge. Wait for the bamboo shishi-odoshi to strike, ring one bell, move to the next, and repeat. Ringing early or missing the rhythm resets the sequence. Crimson water confirms completion.
Shimizu Residence ending variants
| Ending route | Scales | Ominous Photos |
|---|---|---|
| Coming Home to Roost | Headless Doll alone; four other dolls together | Hinako upside down; all others upright |
| Fox’s Wedding | Old Man, Fox Mask, and School Girl together; Headless and Half-Mask Lady together | Hinako and her parents upright; Rinko, Shu, and Sakuko upside down |
| The Fox Wets Its Tail | School Girl and Half-Mask Lady together; Old Man, Fox Mask, and Headless together | Hinako, Shu, and Sakuko upright; Rinko and Hinako’s parents upside down |
| Ebisugaoka in Silence | School Girl alone; the other four together | Hinako upright; every other portrait upside down |
The two scale pans may be swapped. What matters is which dolls share a side, not whether that group is physically left or right.
| Ending route | My Room crest arrangement |
|---|---|
| Coming Home to Roost | Top Heavens; left Swords; right Fox; bottom blank by flipping Scales |
| Fox’s Wedding | Top Fox; left Scales; right Black Bird by flipping Swords; bottom blank by flipping Heavens |
| The Fox Wets Its Tail | Top Swords; left White Bird; right Scales; bottom blank by flipping Heavens |
| Ebisugaoka in Silence | Top blank by flipping Scales; left White Bird; right Black Bird; bottom Heavens |
Dark Shrine Fox Mural ending variants
| Ending route | Fox Mask | White Sparrow | Black Sparrow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coming Home to Roost | Fan of far-left fox | Lantern of upper-middle fox | Chest of the fox to the right, pulling the rope |
| Fox’s Wedding | Fan of far-left fox | Middle lantern above the seated/sleeping fox | Lantern held by the fox seated in the palanquin |
| The Fox Wets Its Tail | Raised lantern above the palanquin at upper left | Lantern of the rightmost fleeing fox | Lantern of the fleeing fox immediately to its left |
| Ebisugaoka in Silence | Raised lantern above the palanquin at upper left | Lantern held by the fox seated in the palanquin | Pedestal inside the palanquin |
All five endings and a save-efficient route
| Ending | When available | Core requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Coming Home to Roost | First run; also fallback on later runs | Complete the story. In NG+, using a Red Capsule or failing other ending conditions routes here. |
| Fox’s Wedding | New Game+ | No Red Capsules; obtain Agura no Hotei-sama; either do not take the Sacred Sword or purify it. |
| The Fox Wets Its Tail | New Game+ | No Red Capsules; obtain the Sacred Sword and leave it unpurified. |
| Ebisugaoka in Silence | New Game++ after two different full endings | No Red Capsules; purified Sacred Sword; offer the Brooch to the hidden Jizo on the Shimizu Residence approach. |
| The Great Space Invasion! | New Game+ | Listen to the UFO radio; inspect three movie posters in order; inspect the movie review/toy UFO at Chizuruya. |
The UFO ending is an early joke ending and does not count as one of the two full endings needed for Ebisugaoka in Silence. It is excellent for an achievement, but it is not a shortcut to the true-ending gate.
The five Sacred Sword offerings
- Faded Bride Doll: found through the opening house’s NG+ treasure-hunt route; offer it to the Jizo at the bottom of the mountain path.
- Rusted Flask: near Sennensugi Shrine; offer it to the Jizo in the outdoor workshop area off the crossroads.
- Broken Japanese Geta Sandal: beyond the damaged bridge on the school approach; offer it to the nearby residential Jizo before entering school.
- Cracked Hibachi Brazier: behind Shu’s workshop; offer it to the Jizo on the route back toward the Hokora.
- Dad’s Old Kitchen Knife: stuck in a tree on the later mountain descent; offer it to the Jizo west of that route.
After all five, retrieve the Sacred Sword from the Thousand Year Cedar. If you solved Crimson Water earlier, purify it at the old Oinari-sama shrine’s basin after returning to Ebisugaoka. If you want The Fox Wets Its Tail, deliberately skip that final purification.
Get all ending achievements with three full-run routes
- Run 1: play normally and earn Coming Home to Roost. Save clear data.
- Run 2 / New Game+: use no Red Capsules. Complete the UFO radio and poster route, with a separate save near the second poster. Trigger The Great Space Invasion!, then reload. Complete all five Jizo offerings and Crimson Water. Make another separate save before Sacred Sword purification. Finish once with the purified sword and Agura no Hotei-sama for Fox’s Wedding; reload, leave the sword unpurified, and finish for The Fox Wets Its Tail.
- Run 3 / New Game++: continue from clear data that has two full endings, use no Red Capsules, carry the purified-sword route forward, offer the Brooch, and finish Ebisugaoka in Silence.
This route earns all five ending achievements with limited replay, but there is an important save-data nuance: reloading an older branch can mean the final clear file does not remember every ending you watched. Some unlocks, including the PP-8001 relationship to the UFO ending and the game’s ending-history checks, care about what is recorded on that clear-data lineage. If you want one file that visibly remembers every ending, complete and save each branch as a full clear rather than relying only on achievement popups.
A practical route through all 56 Steam achievements
Do not try to make the first run perfect. Achievements span story events, no-hit sequences, multiple puzzle settings, action settings, endings, documents that appear on different clear states, all Hokora omamori, hidden omamori, inventory upgrades, and full attribute upgrades. The game is built for repeat play.
Run 1: story, maps, and first-state documents
- Finish on at least Story action for Thankful to Be Here.
- Choose either Story or Hard puzzles and finish it; difficulty achievements do not replace the need to complete the other settings later.
- Attempt route-specific no-hit conditions after making nearby saves: Like the Fleeing Hare, Untouchable, The Sound of Silence, Agile Escape, and similar boss or chase checks.
- Collect first-run-only Sakuko material in Worship Hall before the save state changes on New Game+.
- Open optional lockers and take inventory upgrades; capacity makes every later run easier.
- Finish Coming Home to Roost and save the clear data.
Run 2: the collection backbone
- Use a different puzzle difficulty from Run 1.
- Avoid Red Capsules from the beginning and leave the capsules on Shu’s desk when pursuing Winners Don’t Do Drugs.
- Open every visible Inari-sama seal. Progress persists, but a missed room still costs route time later.
- Collect NG+ ema, diary pages, hidden omamori, and inventory upgrades as soon as their branches open.
- Complete the Sacred Sword offering chain and Crimson Water even if you plan to reload for the unpurified ending.
- Use separate saves for the UFO, Fox’s Wedding, and The Fox Wets Its Tail ending achievements.
Run 3: true ending, Lost in the Fog, and late-state documents
- Choose the remaining puzzle difficulty; Lost in the Fog completion is tied to Puzzle Master.
- If you are ready, use Lost in the Fog action for Clear Skies. Completing at the highest eligible action setting also covers the lower-setting completion goals, but accepting an in-game offer to lower difficulty can void the intended challenge completion.
- Collect New Game++ documents and the last ema or Inari-seal items that did not exist on earlier states.
- Fully upgrade health, sanity, and stamina for Close to the Sun.
- Buy the complete Hokora omamori pool and finish the hidden-omamori set for Omamori Collector and Omamori Sage.
- Offer the Brooch, finish the purified-sword route, and complete Ebisugaoka in Silence.
One-attempt achievements worth pinning beside your save slots
| Achievement | Condition to remember | Best insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Like the Fleeing Hare | Escape the early Ebisugawa Fog Monster without a hit | Save before the pursuit |
| Untouchable | Open the Shrine Vault without being hit | Separate Dark Shrine Path save |
| Acupuncture Specialist | Reach Nishida residence with no wrong scarecrow answer | Save before the first group |
| The Sound of Silence | Defeat the Sakuko-like boss without the suzu-bell attack hitting you | Learn the bell tell before attacking |
| No One Left Behind | Stop the required enemies behind the White Rabbit route from reanimating | Recheck bodies before leaving |
| Agile Escape | Escape the Sugisato Fog Monster without a hit | Enter with full stamina |
| Echoes of Jealousy | Defeat Rinko without puppet damage | Prioritize puppets and arena vision |
| Just Shut Up for Once, Dad! | Defeat Hinako’s father before her mother | Commit damage to one target |
| Sly Like the Fox | Retrieve all Treasure Hall crests with no wrong Inari-statue choice | Save at the mural-room Hokora |
| Where Are You Going? | Catch the Corrupted Ebisugaoka Fog Monster three times | Ignore non-blocking enemies |
Missables, points of no return, and mistakes that cost a run
Most collection progress carries forward, but the item population changes with clear state. That makes a checklist more useful than memory. Record the category and area, not just a total: hidden omamori, Hokora omamori, ema, Inari seals, inventory upgrades, Rinko documents, Sakuko documents, and Sacred Sword offerings have different availability rules.
- Using a Red Capsule on an alternate-ending run. The heal is not worth losing the route. Unequip and avoid them.
- Entering Shimizu Residence before confirming flags. The ending path locks on entry. Check sword state, Agura no Hotei-sama, Brooch plan, and capsule use first.
- Taking the Sacred Sword before completing Crimson Water. Solve the shrine-side ritual first when purification is part of the plan.
- Entering school before the third Jizo offering. The broken-geta offering is on the school approach, and the route does not politely reopen for it.
- Assuming every puzzle guide uses your difficulty. Altar, vault, scarecrows, stairwell key, box, lockers, Light Puzzle, and Memories can change.
- Rotating statues from the wrong camera perspective. Translate east/west into the visual pair relationship before the last move.
- Spending the only repair tool on a disposable weapon. Save repairs for a strong weapon or a closed combat area.
- Overwriting the clear-data branch. New Game+ availability and ending history are more valuable than one tidy save list.
- Trusting achievement completion as ending-history completion. A popup survives reload; the clear file may not record the ending you rewound.
- Following an invented puzzle list. Some unofficial pages describe switchboards, cathedral organs, weapon mods, and chapter-select cleanup that do not match the verified game route. Use the in-game journal and the location-specific solutions above.
Official launch trailer
The official launch trailer is useful as a visual primer for Hinako, Ebisugaoka, the two-world structure, and the game’s body-horror imagery. It is not a walkthrough and contains rapid story imagery.
Quick answers
Can I get a different ending on my first playthrough?
No. The first completed run leads to Coming Home to Roost. Alternate ending clues and routes are New Game+ content.
Should I use Red Capsules on the first run?
You can. The first ending is fixed. On New Game+ routes for Fox’s Wedding, The Fox Wets Its Tail, or Ebisugaoka in Silence, do not consume them.
Which puzzle difficulty should I choose first?
Hard is a good first-run compromise if you want meaningful riddles. Story is better if you primarily want atmosphere. You will need separate completions across the puzzle settings for the associated achievements.
How many endings are there?
Five: Coming Home to Roost, Fox’s Wedding, The Fox Wets Its Tail, Ebisugaoka in Silence, and The Great Space Invasion! UFO ending.
How many Steam achievements are there?
Steam currently lists 56 achievements.
Can I get all endings in three playthroughs?
You can earn every ending achievement with three full route progressions by using branch saves on New Game+, but one clear file will not necessarily remember all reloaded branches. Complete each ending as a saved clear if persistent ending history and every related unlock matter to you.
Is the Sacred Sword required for every alternate ending?
No. Fox’s Wedding permits a purified sword or no sword. The Fox Wets Its Tail requires the unpurified sword. Ebisugaoka in Silence requires the purified sword.
Sources and credits
Game identity, release metadata, achievements, and screenshots were checked against the official Steam page. Setting, creators, and video attribution were checked against the official KONAMI site. Route, puzzle, ending, and achievement details were cross-checked across readable community guides and verified walkthrough references. All article images are unmodified official Steam screenshots.