Tips and Strategies

In this page you can find tips and strategies based on the knowledge about the advanced mechanics of the game. You won't be given any of these while playing, so, read the contents of this page only it you find it absolutely necessary.

What's the best thing to do when you find an idle skeleton
If the skeleton is idle (standing up), the best thing to do is get close and if you want, examine it. The purpose of this is to wait for a few seconds. If he suddenly falls down, he will no longer be a potential threat to you. If you don't have time to do this, just make sure the skeleton is always in your field of vision.

How to tell if Mary is around
The BGM will stop playing (the dungeon will become more quiet) and if she is quite close to you, you can hear her footsteps. If you are using headphones, you can tell where she is coming from. Another thing that can give her out is a single momentary stutter that can happen the moment she spawns. This stutter mostly happens on weaker computers though.

How to tell if Asmodeus is around
In Nights 4 and 5, you have to first release him from a chest. In Nights 6 and 7 though, he is usually already free. The first suspicion can come to mind when there has been a while since Mary was around. They cannot be in the dungeon at the same time. This is probably the most useful info to keep in mind, because other than this, there's not much. You can only be sure if you hear his footsteps, which happens only when he is close to you. So, always believe that he is around if it's been some time since you saw or heard Mary.

What is the best thing to do if you encounter the Tortured Soul
Although she will vanish if you light a candle, it is best not to light a candle and just get away from her. If you light a candle, she will be invisible, following you and keeping the same distance she had from you the moment you lit the candle. This means that when your candle goes out, she will appear in front of you, no matter how far you have travelled in the dungeon and how fast you did it. You could do this on purpose if you want to leave her in a faraway room.

How to use candles safely
Since some chambers contain skeletons, it is advised to light a candle when you are in a hallway and keep it lit when you enter the chambers. In Nights 6 and 7, it is probably better not to use candles at all (don't even collect them). When a candle is lit in those two Nights, Fire Babies move much faster and they are more dangerous. And the most important is that you need to spark to see Asmodeus. He is still invisible if a candle is lit. If you hear his footsteps, you will need to blow it as fast as you can and start sparking to see exactly where he is.

Do I have to watch the whole film (after Nights 4 and 5)?
No, nothing different happens if you proceed before the film ends. If you have seen it in the past, you can just get on with the game without forcing yourself to watch it all again. Just leave Room 306 and try to go towards the elevator.

What you should know in order to make a good strategy in Nights 4 and 5
The map generation in these two nights isn't the best. Corridors tend to be too long and rooms tend to be close to each other. When you begin inside the room the elevator brings you, the best thing to do first is to check if other rooms are around. If there are multiple doors in that room, or in the ones next to it, open and check everywhere before you choose a corridor and leave these rooms behind. One of them could have the switch, the film reel, or the optional newspaper. It would be a shame and a big cost of time to miss these like this. In each room, open every drawer and chest you see, if you want to find the film reel. Keep in mind though, that there is a risk when opening chests and that is to find Asmodeus.

When you enter a new room after walking on long corridors, do the same, check behind each door to see if more rooms are nearby. Don't leave a single room behind unexplored!

Each time you light a candle, or spark, imagine a skeleton standing somewhere in a dead end and moving towards you. The more times you spark, the further away from the dead end the skeleton will be. If you encounter a moved skeleton at some point for the first time, you immediately know he began moving from a dead end. You can tell how far the skeleton is from it, based on how many times you sparked. This means that if you have only sparked a very few times (1 or 2), the skeleton you see is close to the dead and and it is probably best to turn back, as it isn't very likely that a room will be found beyond the skeleton. This way you can save some time.

In Night 6
The chambers in both Nights 6 and 7 are full of skeletons. In addition, chambers in these Nights are always separated from the hallways with doors. If you finish checking a chamber, it is best to close all doors behind you, in order to contain the skeletons in their chambers and not let them out in the hallways. When inside a room, avoid the center of it at all costs, because the floor is usually a trap and fire can come out of it. Also, check every pillar in the chamber, because it can have the switch, or the newspaper. Avoid using candles, because they put you at a disadvantage against Asmodeus and the Fire Babies.

Every time you receive damage, make sure you heal before opening a door, a chest, or colliding with the Flying Skull.

In Night 7
The above is also true for Night 7, but you need to add the fires to your concerns. Be careful when you walk in a hallway. Avoid running and conserve stamina, so you will be able to run if you are hurt by fire, or you encounter an enemy. What is also known about this Night is that Mary will spawn and despawn 2 consecutive times before Asmodeus' turn comes. In the beginning, Mary will spawn for the first time in under a minute. Keep track of her, as when she despawns for the second time, it will be only Asmodeus from that point onward. Stop running, start walking, have no candle lit and always expect to hear Asmodeus' footsteps. If you hear them, spark to see him in the distance and then try to avoid him.