Idiotic Monsters and You: A Guide for Outwitting the Grunts and Brutes

How many times have you been chased down and beaten to death by a Grunt? How many times have they just broken down your doors and kicked your butt? Finally, you can find out a way to exploit their stupidity and easily avoid them.

This guide also functions as a full scale explanation of how the monsters work and as a partial walkthrough of certain dangerous areas.

Don't forget to rate what you think of it! It really helps me know how I've done, and I appreciate it!
And, if you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment, I DO read all of them!

Thanks for everyone that took a look at my work and gave me a good rating! I really did work hard on this when I first made it, and now it's the third highest rated Amnesia guide on all of Steam! (At least in English.) Funnily enough, I got passed by my OWN GUIDE, Insanity Incarnate. Thanks to all of you that liked my writing.

A Quick Note

If you wish to have a good, unspoiled story and want to play a good game, don't look at this guide. This will pretty much spoil any genuine surprise the developers wanted you to feel, and ruin the entire plot for you. As said, if you want nothing other than to say you conquered Amnesia, read on.

(This guide now functions as a partial guide to specific annoying events and levels.)

Essential Safe Rooms

As every person with a brain knows, if you have no means of defense, RUN AND HIDE. To find a great hiding spot, try and find a room that has these things:

• A functioning door.
  
  
• A closet or something to hide behind
  
  
• A light source, preferrably a candle to a giant torch.

Leave the door open, because you will require quick entry and a barrier between you and the monster chasing you. Close it if you are in the room.

If the door is destroyed in the process, try and pile up some stuff that you can jump over into the room. Or, as an easier method, find a new Safe Room.

Know Your Monster: The Various Creatures That Haunt You

While Amnesia does not have a very wide array of various monsters, the few it does have pose various threats to the player, and each have their own individual quirks that make them different from the others. There are four types of monsters, three of which will be addressed here. The fourth can be found in the Justine section.

The Grunt

The most common enemy in the Dark Descent and custom stories, the Grunt is your average enemy. When walking he limps around very slowly, pausing every few steps to look around. However, when it spots you, it is quick to give chase, starting off slow, but building momentum as it runs. If being chased by a Grunt you gain a substantial lead, the Grunt will suddenly charge forward, gaining back a lot of ground and often hitting the player. This is why it is advisable to avoid long hallways when being chased. If a door is in between you and a Grunt, the Grunt will take four hits (No more, no less) To destroy the door. It can also destroy wooden closets, but will only attempt to do so if it sees you hide in it. The Grunt can see through partially broken doors and steel bars, so it is best to avoid rooms that have these if a Grunt is lurking about.

The Brute

The Brute is the most dangerous enemy in Amnesia:The Dark Descent. Slightly faster than the player, the Brute will eventually outrun you if chased down a long, straight hallway. They are much rarer than the Grunts, and only pose any threat in levels past the Morgue. However, they make non-lethal appearances in both Prison Blocks, meant only to scare the player. They can also be heard in the Archives, however, this is purely for effect. Brutes strike hard and deal massive damage, killing the player in two hits at maximum health, and in only one if the player has anything less than the maximum health. Brutes can rip down doors in only two hits, but it is preferable to being killed.

The Kaernk

Simply called the Water Monster by most players, the Kaernk can be one of the most annoying foes in Amnesia, due to its invisibility. However, it is also the most easily fooled monster in the game. As long as you are not in the water, the Kaernk will not move from the spot it stops in, which is often right next to you. However, any object can be thrown far away to distract the Kaernk, and make it go away. This can give you some time to get past it if it was blocking a door, or something else important. Chunks of human body parts work even better for distracting the Kaernk, as once it walks over to the flesh it will start to eat, taking as long as ten seconds to fully finish, plenty of time to open a crank wheel as long as you don't panic. Kaernks are often much slower than you think, and are quite easy to outrun. The only exception to this is the Kaernk in the Cellar Archives tunnel in the big room, which is notably bigger and faster than normal Kaernks, and can actually outrun you, as well as hit you while on top of smaller crates in the water. However, the Kaernk can actually be killed, and quite easily too. If the player grabs a medium or large object, like a barrel or crate, and repeatedly smashes it on top of the Kaernk, it will show some yellowish blood where the crate made contact, and the Kaernk will stop moving. This fact alone makes it the least threatening monster in all of Amnesia.

How to Locate and Avoid Monsters

To know the location of your enemy is to hold an advantage over them. Make sure you always know where and when a monster appears. This can be crucial if you need a quick escape, but are unsure as to where the monster is.

• Listen for Music:
  Monsters have their own special themes when they are already spawned and running around. Listen for this change to occur after a monster spawns, and once it leaves, the music will stop and the game will continue with it's normal ambiance. The Kaernk has a unique soundtrack that only plays while you are in the water with it.
  
  Danger is Close (Grunts and Brutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNiLz9-7vVg
  
  Water Lurker (Kaernk): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3CxPcfd2FQ
  
  
• Monsters are Noisy:
  The closer they are to you, the more noises they make, such as grunting and moaning. When walking, Grunts make a weird limping leathery sound. This will give their position away and can alert you of their presence. Brutes make a sharp metallic creaking sound as they walk, and can really help to give them away. This may save your life in the Choir, where Brutes lurk around every corner. Kaernks are harder to locate because they do not move without provocation. However, they do make gurgled noises quite often, so it can be told if one is very close to you. If you suspect a Kaernk is in the same room as you, try throwing something into the water. The Kaernk, if there is one, will go and investigate.

Grunts and Brutes: Identifying Noises

Grunts and Brutes make different noises in different scenarios. Here are two videos that will help you understand what you are hearing. REMEMBER: Some noises are fake, and some come from actual monsters. The music mentioned in the last section covers this.

Brute Noise Guide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly9Si-cSanU

Grunt Noise Guide:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtGZwaPFMlA

Escaping Monsters

Lets get one fact clear here: They don't look smart, they don't act smart, and they sure as hell
AREN'T smart. Brutes and Grunts are nearly complete ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, only knowing where you are upon direct sight in light. You can run into an EMPTY SQUARE ROOM and as long as you duck into a corner, it will most likely lose you. As such, here are very effective ways of losing monsters.

Close doors behind you. If you do this, some monsters that spawn outside may never even attempt to enter the room, unless the programming tells it to. Even if it does attempt to open it, Grunts do so very slowly, taking up to four hits to knock down the entire door. Brutes do this in two hits, so if you are in a Brute infested area, like the Sewers and Choir, CLOSE ALL THE DAMN DOORS. This will be one of the few methods of protection you will have against them. Some monsters may even stop to knock down a door if you slam it open while still in a hallway. As long as they don't see you, they usually won't stop until the door is demolished.

Try to avoid long, brightly lit hallways, or just hallways in general. While running down one you will have no way to avoid being spotted and killed. Try to stay in very zig-zaggy passages, where you can easily lose the monster by sprinting around corners. These passages can be lit or not, as light does not matter if the monster can not yet see you. If there are rooms in these tunnels, run into one of those, but NOT WHILE THE MONSTER CAN STILL SEE YOU. This will simply result in you getting cornered. However, if it can not see you, no matter how hard the door slams, it will not enter the room you went into in most cases. If it does, it saw you.

Always hide in the shadows if you end up pinned inside a room with an angry grunt bashing down the door. The best place in small square rooms to hide in is to the immediate left or right of the door. This means if the Grunt destroys the door, you wont be directly in front of it when it comes strolling in.

If you find you are being pursued by a monster through an area filled with a lot of big items, try and throw some behind you while still running. If you are the braver (or stupider) sort of person, try and turn around, and while still running, throw a large object at the monster. If you get a direct hit, the monster will stumble and lose momentum, gaining you seconds that may be essential for escape, especially with Brutes.

DON'T LOOK AT THE FREAKING MONSTERS. The game itself even tells you to do this. If you look at it while hiding, it will eventually see you, and strut over to kill you. It's even worse to look back while you are being chased. (The only exception to this rule is in the case of the last paragraph) Often, the monster is a lot closer than you think, and with Brutes, it could very well get you killed. You will slow down and lose vital ground, while being startled and losing even more ground, as well as lose more sanity. Nothing good ever comes from looking back.

                            HOW TO HIDE FROM MONSTERS

Exploiting Objects

In Amnesia, there is often various objects lying around, being useless and often just getting in the way. Use these objects to your advantage. If your current room lacks a door, pile some crap up in front of the door. This may not stop any charging monsters, but it will slow them down long enough to find a good hiding spot.

One of the most common objects lying around are barrels. I don't care if PewDiePie hates them, these things can SAVE YOUR LIFE. Always carry one with you in dangerous areas, no matter how much they slow you down. Why do this, you ask? There is a section in the Grunt's AI programming that lets it see through smaller objects, but not larger objects like Barrels and Chairs. If a Grunt appears, the untrue phrase: "If I can't see them, they can't see me" suddenly becomes true. As long as you can't see the Grunt or Brute, they will not see you either. This will NOT work at close range, however, as you cannot fully cover up the monsters head, the vital part that needs to be blocked. If you find yourself close up to the monster, try backing up, but make sure you do not stop crouching. Also, your lantern will give you away, so put that thing out.

If you can't find any barrels, but there are plenty of places to hide, carry a smaller, lighter object with you instead. This will not prevent the Grunt from seeing you, but if you find yourself cornered, chuck it as far from your hiding spot as you can. The Grunt will go investigate, leaving you. Breakable objects such as Wine Bottles are less preferable to Small Crates, as they can only be used once before they break.

Specific Levels and Areas

The Choir

Possibly the most over hyped area in all of Amnesia, most players who know about it believe that Brutes appear randomly, and without scripted sequences. However, this is not true. There are six scripted sequences, one of which will result in a guaranteed chase. However, the Brutes are also incredibly easy to avoid in the Choir, due to the high amount of pillars. These are just a few ways to successfully avoid them:

Brutes are really freaking noisy when roaming around. This makes them easy to detect their exact location, and avoid them. If one appears, find out which direction its coming from, and run behind a pillar. Once it approaches, listen for the creaking of metal, and stay on the opposite side of the pillar from it. This will help you avoid an encounter to begin with.

Stick to the walls. If you do this, you can easily take cover when a Brute appears. The only exception is when you must cross a bridge, which will result in a Brute appearing, with little cover to hide behind.

Item and Spawn Guide:
http://images.wikia.com/amnesia/images/3/34/Amnesia_map_choir_main_hall_by_hidethedecay-d4n68z6.png

Storage

A smaller, but creepier area, the Storage is known for its unnatural darkness and many unwanted Grunt spawnings. However, the same basic rules of evasion still apply here, but with a vital twist. If you see anything in a room that is a drill part or rod, DON'T PICK IT UP YET. Make sure the door is closed, and locate the nearest hiding spot. This is one of the few areas that has Grunts that break down doors for no reason, so hiding spots will be crucial for your survival. Also, ALWAYS wait for the Grunts to despawn, no matter how long that takes. The wait is better than dying, trust me.

Item and Spawn Guide:
http://images.wikia.com/amnesia/images/1/16/Amnesia_map_storage_by_hidethedecay-d417w44.png

Prison: Main Area

While still an area to be feared, it is not nearly as bad as the Northern Block, so you'll catch a bit of a break until the scares start racking up.
Grunts in the prison blocks have a nasty habit of appearing at the top and bottom of staircases, so when using them, be ready to run, whether it be forwards or backwards. Always be on guard in the prisons, for they have the highest total spawn rate other than the Choir.

Specific Things to Watch Out For:

• After obtaining either the hammer or the chisel, watch out for the monster that will appear near the staircase when going for the other piece.
  
  
• After you go up the first staircase, walk forward for a while and you will find a locked door. This can be opened using the hammer and chisel (I think), but unless you desperately need oil, do not do so. This will cause a monster to spawn down the hall and pin you inside the room.

Item and Spawn Guide:
http://images.wikia.com/amnesia/images/5/53/Amnesia_map_prison_pt_1_by_hidethedecay-d3yent9.png

Prison: Northern Block

One of the most dangerous areas in all of Amnesia, and deserves all the fear attributed to it. With a total of 8 different spawn locations, the Northern Cell Block should be tread carefully... lest you run into a monster around a corner.

Confrontations are inevitable in the Northern Block, as you are guaranteed to have at least 3 Grunts spawn no matter what you do. As so, it is best to always memorize the relative location of a "safe room" or cell you can run into and hide. An even better thing to do is scope out a hiding spot before you leave your current room. Chances are if you did something important in that room, a Grunt will come strolling along outside to take a look.

When being chased by a Grunt, always turn corners and hide in rooms. Avoid long corridors that will just extend the chase, and instead try to lose your pursuer among the maze.

Specific Things to Watch Out For:

• If you open a door and hear Alexander say: "He escaped? Where is he now?" Slam the door shut and run away. A Grunt will spawn in the room you just opened and will kill you if you enter.
  
  
• That kitchen is evil. A Grunt will spawn behind you if you enter with the jar, and one will spawn directly in front of you if you exit without a jar. The one that spawns when exiting will instantly see you, so it is best to avoid the kitchen altogether until you have the jar.
  
  
• If you go down a long hallway and turn a corner to find a locked door, back away quickly. If you approach the locked door, a Grunt will spawn behind you and pin you in.
  
  
• After you open the locked door that leads to the Cistern using the Acid and Hammer & Chisel, book it to the exit door. A Grunt will spawn directly behind you and begin chasing you immediately after the lock is broken.

Item and Spawn Guide:
http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/316/4/7/amnesia_map__prison___nb_by_hidethedecay-d422qpp.png

I will continue to add more level tips here and there, but only for ones that are either very feared, or have variations in enemy AI that make them more unpredictable and dangerous.

Justine: The Suitors and their Weaknesses

The terrifying DLC to Amnesia: The Dark Descent poses new scares and new enemies: The Suitors. Without being able to respawn, the player must avoid the Suitors and solve puzzles to escape with their life. While considered by some to be scarier than the original game, and not even spooky by others, this section will tell you how to evade and escape the three Suitors.

Alois:

The only suitor than can be prevented from even spawning, Alois only appears in the very beginning of the game if the player enters the cell nearest the entrance. As long as the player closes the door behind them, Alois will eventually leave the area and despawn. Of all the Suitors, he poses the least amount of threat.

Basile:

Basile poses a substantial threat to the player, as once he inevitably spawns in the Library a bit after the player has either freed or murdered Father David. Just before spawning, all the lights will go out and the door will lock behind you. As such, once he spawns, he does not despawn until the player exits the library. He patrols around the area he spawns in a random pattern. The player is thus forced to find a way around him without being killed. However, there are effective ways of avoiding him.

Unlike Grunts and Brutes in the Dark Descent, which can see you if you look at them too long, the Suitors cannot. They are entirely blind, and will only find you if you walk, sprint, knock something over, or get too close to them. This can be greatly used to their disadvantage, as the player can crouch-walk nearly wherever they please without being detected. The player can also throw objects away from them to confuse Basile, much like Grunts and Brutes.

Note: Once the player passes a small pile of objects near the exit, Basile will become aggressive and attack the player, regardless if the they have made any noise or not. However, you are so close to the exit that it won't matter as long as you don't stop for a minute.

Malo de Vigny:

The most dangerous enemy in the Justine DLC, Malo claims an entire level to himself. Once the player opens the first door in the Dungeon, Malo spawns behind them and begins the chase. The player must slam the door behind them using a nearby lever if they want to survive, as Malo is extremely fast and can easily outrun the player.

Despite being blind like the rest of the Suitors, Malo has no trouble finding the player, making a direct beeline to them if they attempt to hide. There is no point in crouch-walking, as Malo will simply kill you faster. It is necessary to sprint everywhere, as walking will cause you to run out of time.

Malo displays an incredible amount of strength, ripping down obstacles in seconds. The player must retrieve the cog from the room on the right and bring it to the room on the left to open the door. Once the player opens the second door, Malo will immediately destroy the first door and resume the chase. Yet again, the player must close the door behind them if they wish to live.

Once the player gets through the second door and seals it behind them, they have two options: To either save Inspector Marot by sealing the door to his room, or sacrifice him to Malo in order to buy yourself some time. While saving him can get you the better ending, leaving him to be eaten by Malo will give you a fair amount of time to open the final door.

After the player opens the final door, a chase scene will begin. Malo will chase the player down the long hallway until the player reaches the exit. The player should not attempt to do anything but run, as Malo will instantly obliterate all the barriers in his path.

Any Additions?

Got a question about anything else? Possibly needing help on certain levels. Or maybe you wish to correct me about something I said? Please comment below. That's why guides have comment sections, anyway! :D

                            HAVE A FUN AMNESIA ADVENTURE!

[dandykong]

Yep, custom story monsters can pull all sorts of shenanigans.

Dark Room had a grunt with a trollface mask that locks side rooms and conjures up invisible force fields in all the cupboards, funneling you into a small prison with four cells. And then it checks every cell. The only way to survive is to let it spot you and outmaneuver it.

One other custom story made specifically for a YouTuber (I can't remember the name) had a brute that jumps out of a cupboard, chases you into a dead end and then poofs. But if it catches you at any point before that dead end it doesn't poof - it just kills you.

These same stories can make barrels explode, throw naked ragdolls at you and even Falcon Punch you - anything can happen.

[Xenos]

You can never really know with custom stories, since the AI can be reprogrammed to do basically anything. It could have seen you, it could be programmed to destroy any door it sees, etc.

However, I do now know that the "monsters will detect you if you look at them" is actually completely false. Frictional put it in the game as a tooltip INTENTIONALLY despite it being a lie just to psych out players and increase the horror by making the monsters seem scarier than they really are.

[Somebody Obsolete]

While playing a Custom Story, I stared at a Brute though a crack in a door. It then came over to me, broke the door down, and gave chase. Did it see me because I was looking at it, or was it because of the Brute's peripheral vision?

[Xenos]

They will spawn VERY far in the distance or behind a locked door; making it impossible for the player to die to them because they will never normally aggro. They're just designed to freak you out, like the initial two Grunt appearances which will ignore you entirely and despawn shortly unless you run straight at them.

[Bont]

How the hell can brutes make non lethal appearances?". However, they make non-lethal appearances in both Prison Blocks, meant only to scare the player. "

[HowToBasic]

When in the kitchen part of the Prison you can jump up on high spots and the grunts cannot get you even if they have direct line of sight and will eventually walk away, I think this could apply to all grunts if you can find something to stack up. Further tests required.

[Xenos]

The final sewers Brute is programmed to auto-aggro once you enter the hallway it guards. But you don't have to close the door, and its not really a "surprise" since you have to distract it to pass.

[PuggleLeDog]

If the former is true, I believe that should be added to the guide.

[PuggleLeDog]

I'm pretty sure the Sewers area has a scripted sequence where the Brute chases you on the way out. And you have to close doors to keep it at bay , but that might just be some people having bad luck.

[Eggy]

Love the visual example for hiding, did not expect it at all :D