After Alone in the Dark practically invented the survival horror genre, the series has become rather quiet in recent years. The reinterpretation now proves that there is still potential in the brand. Our Alone in the Dark tips and tricks will show you how to survive the madness of Derceto Manor without going insane.
Table of Contents
1) Search all rooms thoroughly and check the map
There are a lot of items, clues, key items, and lagniappes to find in Alone in the Dark. The latter are a total of 45 collectibles that give you background information on the characters or even unlock alternative endings to the story. To discover as many as possible, we recommend you explore both the Derceto estate itself and each of the sequences containing Emily’s uncle’s memories.
You won’t find all of these small, sometimes truly bizarre objects on your first playthrough. Alone in the Dark is designed to be played at least twice, and preferably more. On your first two playthroughs, look in every corner, interact with every highlighted object, and go into every room on the map.
Since the game has a very linear structure, you won’t progress in many places until you’ve solved the puzzle or found the right item. Good exploration will also provide you with a regular supply of ammunition. Some enemies can take a lot of damage and can literally back you into a corner. Make sure you have enough firepower at all times.
2) Play as Emily and Edward
At the very beginning of the game, you’ll be asked to choose which character you want to play. We recommend starting with Emily Hartwood. The story is quite complex and makes some crazy jumps. The perspective of Jeremy’s niece is the best way to understand everything.
In your second playthrough of Alone in the Dark, you’ll have the necessary knowledge to understand the facets of the story that await you if you choose Edward Carnby. In terms of playing time, you can expect to spend about seven to eight hours on the first playthrough and about four to five hours on the second.
3) Return to inaccessible locations
There will be times when you’ve searched a room thoroughly, but it’s still pink on the map. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have forgotten something. Sometimes certain areas in rooms are still inaccessible to you. Proceed with the story and return to them later.
It’s also possible that you can’t solve a puzzle until you find the right tools somewhere else. Backtracking is part of the game. When the color on the map changes to blue, you know you’re done here and don’t need to return.
4) Alone in the Dark tips: Open all doors
This advice sounds simple, but it has a tangible background. If you try to look behind every door, your map of Derceto Manor will be updated. This means that you’ll know which section you still have to complete and where a new chapter of the story may be waiting for you.
Of course, many of the doors won’t open immediately. As in the previous games, you’ll need to have the right key or reach a certain point in the story.
5) How to get the shotgun
You can get the shotgun in the second chapter. As mentioned in our Alone in the Dark tips and tricks, the fights can get really nasty at times. The shotgun will give you the firepower you need to keep enemies at a distance and finish them off quickly.
You can find it on the second floor west of the conservatory. North of the library is a small room with a showcase on the wall. Inside is the shotgun. To get your hands on it, however, you must first collect three special Lagniappe that are part of the Lost Children Set:
- The Fountain Pen
- The Rubber Stamp
- The Dog Collar
Once you have all three, you can open the case and add the shotgun to your inventory.
6) Collect all melee weapons
You should collect every melee weapon you see with your flashlight. The durability of melee items is limited, and six hits are usually enough to render your item useless. Therefore, you’ll need a steady supply of melee weapons to fight your way out of an enemy force once they have surrounded you. To avoid nasty surprises, always equip a fresh weapon before a fight.
Interactive throwaway weapons are also useful. There are oil lamps and other items scattered around the environment that you can pick up and throw at the push of a button. To hit the target, you must stand facing your opponent and aim. While aiming, your movement is severely restricted. You need to be quick, especially since the projectiles can’t go into your inventory but must be used immediately.
7) Dodging enemy attacks
Admittedly, the combat system is not Alone in the Dark’s greatest strength. The Resident Evil games have a clear advantage here – if only because of their higher budget. But there is a way to make the tricky fights easier: Use the dodge button as often as possible to get away from the monsters.
By skillfully dodging, you can get out of the range of an enemy’s attack and then deal your own damage. This technique will often save your life, especially when dealing with multiple creatures at once.
8) Use your resources wisely
As befits a survival horror game, resources in Alone in the Dark are very limited. You’ll always be short of ammunition, healing items, and weapons. But with good management, this isn’t a problem. Just keep the following tips in mind:
Avoid unnecessary fights
Not every enemy needs to be killed. You can sneak past some of them and save valuable ammunition. If fights are generally too hard for you, set the game to the easiest difficulty in the menu.
Smart inventory management
The number of healing items you can carry with you is limited. Once your bag is full, you won’t be able to take any more. However, in order not to leave anything lying around, we recommend that you use one of the drinks to make room for a new one, even if you have minor injuries.
Use throwable items first
It’s better to use all interactive throwables first before attacking monsters with your melee weapons, pistol, or shotgun. This will save ammunition and durability, and allow you to survive some fights without using your inventory at all.
Survive in Alone in the Dark with PLITCH!
As much as we want to help you with our Alone in the Dark tips and tricks, the combat system is and remains the game’s weakness. But we have heard the distress call! PLITCH’s Alone in the Dark cheats will help you in the battles. Thanks to infinite health, monsters are no longer a problem and you can fully concentrate on the story.
Our trainer allows you to make the game easier or harder. Increase or decrease your movement speed, set your HP to a certain level, or change the intensity of your flashlight.
Check out our YouTube video to see our mods in the game, or visit this blog to learn more about PLITCH.
Happy Gaming!
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