Amnesia The Dark Descent - Hard Mode Guide

Achievement guide for Hard Mode. Includes video walkthrough on the hard levels.

Hard Mode Information

Welcome to the guide for the Masochist achievement. It will not be an entire walkthrough but will guide you in beating the tougher parts of the game and give you information for monster spawns on each level. This achievement requires you to beat The Dark Descent on Hard Mode. Hard mode differs from the normal game in the following ways:

- Autosaves are disabled, and manual saving costs 4 tinderboxes
- Sanity dropping to zero results in death
- Less oil and tinderboxes throughout the levels
- Monsters are faster, spot the player more easily, deal more damage and stay around for longer
- There is no danger music when the monsters are near.
- If you die you go back to your last save.

You can pick between normal mode and Hard Mode when starting a new game of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The mode changes some fundamental elements of the game, and therefore can’t be changed halfway through.

The mode affects the Illuminatus achievement, which you can’t get during playing in Hard Mode as it reduces the number of tinderboxes throughout the level.

Tips

- Use headphones. You will be able to hear the enemies much easier doing this.
- Strongly recommend at least one playthrough before doing this. You need to know what you’re doing and where you’re going.
- Strongly recommend getting the Illuminatus achievement so you will be familiar with the tinderbox locations (although there will be less)
- Turn the gamma up. You will be able to see the surroundings much easier.
- Don’t go for any notes. It will just make the run longer and slightly tougher.
- If you somehow didn’t know this, standing in darkness and looking at enemies drains your sanity. Try to avoid these, but especially the latter.
- You should try and scavenge for as many tinderboxes and oil as you can. If you previously did the illuminatus achievement, this should be easy.
- Do not use any tinderboxes unless you feel it’s necessary, for example if you have no oil and need to light up an area to heal your sanity.
- If your vision goes blurry and the controls begin to feel shaky and hard to control, it means your sanity is very low and you are about to die. Try to illuminate the area and try to make some progress.
- In the cases where a monster spawns and you are forced to wait for it to leave, as previously said its best to use headphones to see if you can hear it close by. It will probably lurk around for 2 or 3 minutes before despawning.

Level Guide

Safe levels will not include a walkthrough.

Level guide:

Legend:

Safe = No monster spawns
Low risk = Possible monster spawns, but unlikely to harm player
High risk = Several monster spawns, possible to harm player
Monsters = This refers to the maximum amount of monster encounters. Not all may be encountered depending on your route.
Hub area = These areas contain multiple rooms and are used for connecting them when multiple objectives are active.

Rainy Hall:
Objective: Follow the liquid trail to its source
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0

Old Archives:
Objective: Find Daniel’s note to self.
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0

Entrance Hall:
Objective: Hub area – Melt the residue blocking the path to Refinery
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0

Archives:
Objective: Obtain key to wine cellar
Risk: Low
Monsters: 2

The monsters in this level can’t harm you as they will disappear as soon as they spawn. There’s technically only 1 spawn that you should encounter, which is after leaving the history room and heading to exit the archives. If you go back to the area with the rocks, a monster will spawn behind you then immediately disappear.

Wine Cellar:
Objective: Find 4 jars of chemicals
Risk: Low
Monsters: 1

This is technically another safe monster encounter, it is scripted to appear in front of you only after collecting a bottle of laudanum but will quickly leave and disappear.


Laboratory:
Objective: Create the acid
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0


Refinery:
Objective: Proceed to next level.
Risk: High
Monsters: 1
This is the first dangerous encounter and it happens early in the level. It will spawn once you reach a more open area after the dark tunnels. The game will also hint you about enemies. It should not see you though, so just wait in this area for a while and light a tinderbox if needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP1LW9ZuUYM&

Cellar Archives:
Objective: Proceed to next level.
Risk: High
Monsters: 2 (Water monsters)

The water monsters are invisible creatures that can only attack you when you’re in the water, so be sure to stay on boxes and use body parts to lure them away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eC4FbBBPH4

Archive Tunnel:
Objective: Run from the water monster, proceed to next level.
Risk: High
Monsters: 1 (Water monster)

In this section, you want to close every door behind you to slow the monster down. Other than that, keep sprinting down the linear path because this one can kill you if you stand on boxes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbAHJGG5w8s

Back Hall:
Objective: Hub area
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0

Save your game after reaching Back Hall

Storage:
Objective: Obtain 2 rod pieces
Risk: High
Monsters: 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV-M7QDcK6E


Guest Room:
Objective: Find machine room key
Risk: Low
Monsters: 1

The encounter in this level is dangerous but can be avoided. Once you open the door with the crowbar, be sure to stay in the very left corner of this next room. Move the painting and smash the small jar to obtain the key. Be sure to stay on this side the entire time. If you move closer to the closets in the room, a monster will charge at you from behind. If this does happen, close the door and hide in the closet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LkPnddsoz0

Study:
Objective: Find flow cycle rod.
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0


Machine Room:
Objective: Fix machinery
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0

Optional: Save before entering elevator

Prison South Block:
Objective: Obtain hammer and chipper, escape to north block.
Risk: High
Monsters: 3

After you clear the debris blocking the gate, head out and around the bend. There should be a path to the right, left and straight. Head to the left one and find a hammer in one of the cells. Head back towards the staircase, but be cautious, as a monster will spawn when you are about halfway up the stairs. The best way to deal with this is walk slowly up the stairs, then as soon as you hear the monster, turn around and bolt it, then go down the path that was originally on the right, but will now be left. Wait in the room down here for a while. Once the coast is clear, head back up the stairs and straight. There should be some cells to your left and right. Go in the one on the left and find the chipper, then combine the hammer and chipper in your inventory by dragging one onto the other. Do not head back down the previous staircase at this point. Exit this cell and head straight, towards the cell at the end of the hall. Ignore the cells on the left. The bed inside covers an exit. Move the bed and use the hammer to make to hole wider, then enter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmo0BczVyAg

Prison North Block:
Objective: Melt the weak padlock using acid, proceed to next level.
Risk: High
Monsters: 8

This level can be very confusing, so I would recommend looking at this map so you now where you are and watching the video to know what to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkhkqve2zOA

Cistern Entrance:
Objective: Hub area
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0


Control Room:
Objective: Fix elevator machinery.
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0


Cistern:
Objective: Fix water levels.
Risk: Low
Monsters: 1 (Water monster)

If you do this level before the Morgue, it will not spawn a monster technically. Well, there will be one in the level, but it is sleeping. It will only wake if you do the Morgue before this level, so don’t do that.

Save your game before entering the Morgue

Morgue:
Objective: Inject vaccine using corpse.
Risk: High
Monsters: 1

The monster will spawn right outside the room after taking the vaccine and when approaching the door. My advice would be to hide in one of the adjacent rooms, behind the staircases. Make sure to not look at the corpses as it will drain your sanity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXXpYM1Uqx4

Sewers:
Objective: Proceed to next level
Risk: High
Monsters: 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpI3DMBbTjs

Save after Sewers

Nave:
Objective: Hub area
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0

Do not enter the Chancel before collecting all orb pieces. Otherwise you can cause yourself an unnecessary death.

Choir Entrance:
Objective: Access Choir Main Hall
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0
This room connects the Nave and the Choir Main Hall


Choir Main Hall:
Objective: Locate 3 orb pieces
Risk: High
Monsters: 6

This level is high risk because the level has poor visibility and there are numerous monster encounters close together. Using the following route should minimize the encounters and make the trip a breeze.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY35y1ijZD4

Save after Choir

Transept:
Objective: Locate 3 orb pieces
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0

Chancel:
Objective: Get captured
Risk: N/A
Monsters: 1

Be advised that you must enter the Chancel after collecting all orb pieces to trigger a scripted capture. This cannot be avoided and must be done to progress. It does not count as a death.

Cells:
Objective: Escape the cells and run from the Shadow
Risk: Low
Monsters: 0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmHtY3Eu0Jo

Optional: Save before entering Chancel

Chancel:
Objective: Access inner sanctum
Risk: Low
Monsters: 3

All the monster encounters can be avoided if you use the following de-spawn and then proceed to destroy the machinery first at the left path (also pick up tar) and then mend the orb. If the orb is mended before destroying the machinery, a monster will spawn in the middle area of the Chancel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmu-0s5xV44

Inner sanctum:
Objective: Access orb chamber
Risk: Low
Monsters: 0
The risk here is that the Shadow is chasing Daniel, which means you should hurry when progressing through this level. Keep your lantern on during this entire level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9B8Cm222DQ

Orb chamber:
Objective: Stop Alexander
Risk: Safe
Monsters: 0
Tip over the 3 pillars to end the game.

[Meh]

i have a problem with the elevator levels.. its bugs everytime and i cant continue anymore :(

[friendly Nea]

thank you

[pave]

ez

[Christina]

Thank you very much for this guide! I kept dying in the storage area but thanks to you I finally made it through! I'm keeping this bookmarked. :)

[Natteee]

Though, if I recall correctly, I had a poofer after dying in Northern Block in one of my earlier playthroughs. Would that be the final one?

[Natteee]

Where is the 8th monster encounter in Northern Block? I've only been able to get 7 of them.

[Arllem]

Thx to your guide, i was able to finish it faster.
I didn't know you can prevent them to spawn.
Thx a lot but i found less tinderboxes and oil than you even if i check same places that you have checked. I have found only 20.
You should change when to make save because if you know, there is few rooms without monsters or they are but they are harmless (illusion or you can avoid them without spawning them, water monster are very easy to avoid), entering safe room and making save before doing easy tasks without zero risk is not a good idea.

[Extracowboy]

Thanks for this guide, especially for videos that helped a lot

[THGhost]

Thank you for this, you're a lifesaver.

[mystisk]

I don't see why you should save before the Morgue.It starts with like 4 flashbacks so you have to rewatch those every time you die, and the monster is easily avoidable. Skip saving there and do it at the sewere, as it's harder there