Hollow Cocoon

Hollow Cocoon

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Hollow Cocoon Full Walkthrough
Autorstwa: hex: vtuber ☆
a simple written walkthrough :)
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Author's notes
Hello! this is my first guide ever so forgive me if the formatting is wonky.

This guide is only a walkthrough to progress through the game, it wont include any of the 10 yen coin locations, game machine locations, or any file locations. If you are looking for that information, check Stef's guide on where to find those, as well as how to unlock all the achievements. Any notes that are prevalent to progressing through the game are mentioned.

Also, I played the game primarily on the Easy difficulty, so there may be more encounters with the monster that I didn’t get. (sorry gang im a big baby and need that infinite stamina. since writing this guide, i have dipped my toes into normal difficulty- as well as nightmare, but thats for a different section when i get around to it.)

To avoid spoilers, I will be referring to the monster pursuing you as "Kaiko".

I have now added some new game + stuff i've found and how to get them- they are labeled as 'NEW GAME +' and are spoilered as to not ruin the fun for new players or those who haven't finished the game yet!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
edit 12/8/24

It's been a year since hollow cocoon's release and since i wrote this guide. Time flies when you try to find out the family secrets.

Thank you to everyone who's left comments and awards- it means a lot to me that i was able to help you!

Since it's been a year and many updates/patches have come out I am going to go through and update the guide, as well as spruce it up a bit now that I'm more familiar with steam's formatting.

I'm also in the process of creating a video walkthrough for those who prefer that and for people playing on the switch who stumble across this guide (i highly recommend buying the game on the switch- not only to support the devs but to be able to experience the game with a fresh start.)

Thanks again and pardon the renovations!
Tips and tricks
  • the difficulty only changes how stamina works and how aggressive Kaiko is- it does not affect save slots and auto-saving.
  • Red Talismans are save points. They can also protect you if you're in a pinch
  • Any time you pick up a key item or file, the game auto-saves.
  • If you are in chase with Kaiko and you pick up an item, the game does not auto-save.
  • The flashlight doesn't need batteries, however it does make you easier to spot. When entering a hiding spot, the flashlight does not automatically turn off.
  • Walking is your best friend when you aren't in chase. Part of Kaiko's AI is sound based, so the less noise you make, the better. She's able to pick up on running/walking and doors opening and closing. A good rule of thumb is if you can hear her, she can hear you. Her sensitivity goes up with every difficulty.
  • The binaural audio is your best friend when hiding. While it's best to wait until you can't hear Kaiko anymore and the ambiance fades out, if you're in a rush, wait until she is walking in the opposite direction of where you want to go. I recommend crouching and leaning to see how far away she is before you start walking to your destination.
Kaiko
Kaiko's AI is a little funny (and reminds me of the AI from Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient, if any of you have also played that game.)

Kaiko is like Mr. X from RE2, she is always looking for you and is constantly roaming around. I have never seen her standing in one spot for too long. Kaiko can open doors, so I don’t suggest hiding behind them.

Whenever Kaiko gets within a certain distance of you, eerie ambiance starts playing, and you can hear her breathing. As long as you don't make a lot of noise, she'll pass by you so long as you aren't within her line of sight or she can't see your flashlight.

Her detection seems to be somewhat wonky. If she spots you, but doesn't perform her screaming animation, she hasn't really "spotted" you- if you can leave her line of sight in time she'll forget she ever saw you. This can be signaled by her gasping- that's the best way I can describe it. She'll then speed-walk over to where she thought she saw you and search around the area. To reiterate, as long as you manage to get away quietly and efficiently, she'll go back to her normal patrol route.

If she is actively pursuing you in chase, run for a hiding spot. As long as she isn't right behind you, she somehow loses you. On your way, try to close doors to block her line of sight. She'll linger around your hiding spot for a second then return to roaming around. If you're worried about her camping you if you've been hiding for 5 minutes in one spot, don't be. It hasn't happened to me (yet), and I've spent the better part of 10 minutes in a closet. If you're unsure of where Kaiko is, i recommend jumping in a hiding spot and waiting for her to pass by.

If you can manage it, run by a red talisman while in chase with Kaiko, this temporarily disables her. Each talisman only has a certain amount of charges (which varies by difficulty) so try to remember which ones you've used.
Prelude: Ichinose
After the cutscene ends, you want to make your way around to Grandma Kinu's house.

There are some coins littered around, as well as a ufo coin game, but not much else. The houses are closed off (which is a bummer. let me explore the abandoned buildings), and Minato will say something if you try going the wrong way.

The only thing you can check out is the Miyama Family Grave, which is a little before the house. There is a stone staircase in front of it.

To progress the story, simply enter Grandma Kinu's house.

a fun little easter egg i found early on: after examining the Miyama Family Grave, if you quickly turn around and zoom in on the torii gate, you can see Kaiko looking across the way! i found this to be a neat little detail :)

NEW GAME + ; When walking up to Kinu's house, a bright pink note can be found posted to the building on the corner before Kinu's house- on it reads 9679, this number doesnt change. After entering the house, go to the phone and dial the number. A child answers. She says her name is Mary and tells you where she is. This new event is based off of a urban legend in Japan called Mary-san or Mary's Phone Call, in which a girl receives a phone call from a doll she abandoned.
You can see Mary sitting in the trash pile at the beginning of the game, shes slumped over and looking at the ground.
Section 1: Grandma Kinu's House
Approach the front door and use the Entrance Key to unlock the door. You might have noticed Grandma's Key in your inventory, that key is used later in the game- so don't worry about it too much.

Explore the house! I recommend opening all of the doors for later.

Notable things to find before resting:

  • to the right of the entrance, through the wooden door, there is a telephone.
  • to the right of the telephone there is a sitting room. grab that note about numbers and Grandma's painkillers. (the note is important for later)
  • there is a flashlight on the chair in the hallway outside the sitting room (why Minato doesn't pick it up beforehand idk.)
  • there is a save room just past the living room on the left. the door has no windows.
  • in the kitchen, on the blackboard, Grandma mentions she lost a key in the bathroom. you can also have a drink of water while you're in there
  • outside in the backyard, there is a chicken coop. grabbing the egg inside and eating it slightly boosts your defense stat.
  • going down the side of the house, there is a gate that has a plank of wood blocking it from being opened. go ahead and remove that and open the gate.
  • there is a door with a dial lock on the far east side of the house, past Grandma Kinu's room and the toilets. keep it in mind for later

NEW GAME +; The majority of Mary's phone call is going back and forth between the phone, and different locations outside. At any point, you can progress the main game after answering the phone (excluding the one in which she says she is behind you) however, doing so cuts Mary off short, as you can no longer leave Kinu's house once you have decided to rest until nighttime. Seeing Mary's phone call all the way through grants you a game over (and a creepy game over screen.)

To progress the story, enter the Living Room and chose to rest until night.

After Minato wakes up, turn on the light in the Living Room. if you try to leave before Minato will complain about how dark it is.

When you leave the room, head towards the Entrance. A faint thud sound can be heard outside. Go to the front door to discover the source of the noise.

Minato freaks out a little at the chicken head, but snaps out of it when the phone starts ringing. Go answer it to progress the story further.

After talking so much to his father, Minato is parched. Go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. You do have to turn the light on or he will, once again, complain that it's too dark to see anything.

While you're standing at the sink drinking, a mysterious figure passes by the window. When Minato puts the cup down, go out the back door- once you reach the bush before the corner a cutscene starts.

Meet Kaiko! From now on, she is active.
There are only two hiding spots in the house: one in Grandma Kinu's room and one in Grandpa Saichi's office (the room above the sitting room)

First order of business is to grab that flashlight from earlier. Kaiko will enter through the front door (what a respectable monster!), so be ready to hide if you're spotted. If you followed my advice at the beginning and opened the gate in the backyard, after the cutscene is over you can run back out and go through there to go through the front door. This cancels Kaiko's event and gives you easier access to the flashlight.

After grabbing the flashlight, go to the telephone and dial 110 - Japan's emergency service number. (119 also works if you heard that that's their emergency line) if you call 110 in a new game (before resting until night) the rep will tell you off for prank calling the line. What stand-up citizens we are.

Kaiko choke-slams you during the cutscene, and you regain control right after Minato stands back up. Book it to the closet in Grandma Kinu's room. If you try to hide in Grandpa Saichi's office she will pull you out.

From now on, there are no more scripted interactions with Kaiko while you are in Kinu's house, until the very end where you go to a new area.

Now what hell do you do?
Remember that note about the key in the drain- we need to get something to fish it out.

Be careful when walking around the house, because if Kaiko is outside in the backyard (standing closer to the house in front of the chicken coop) and you walk in front of her she will jump through the glass doors to get at you.

Head outside and go behind the chicken coop. Next to the baseball plinko machine there is a Poker used to stir firewood. Grab it.
(If Kaiko goes outside while you are outside, crouch in the grass. Wait until she is closer to the house before running back in through the side door by the kitchen.)

Go to the bathroom and use the Poker to fish out the Dresser Key Grandma Kinu lost.

Go to Grandma Kinu's room and use the Dresser Key to open the drawer and get the Pencil.

At the beginning of the section, remember that note about keeping numbers in the cabinet under the phone? Head back around to the telephone and inspect that area.

You can use the Pencil on the notepad on the ground to reveal a 4 digit code. The code here changes every time you load a new game.

Head down the long hallway, past the toilets, to the door with the padlock. Enter the code you found. If Kaiko spots you on the way there and she starts chasing you, you are unable to interact with the dial lock.

Kaiko finds you in the hallway and you manage to fight her off, but block off access to the rest of the house...
Section 2: Storage Shed
You survived hell, now what?

You start in what appears to be Grandpa Saichi's study.

NEW GAME + ; If you didn't complete Mary's phone call all the way through, she will appear in the crack of the doorway after the cutscene ends.

Grab the collectibles (if you're into that), and head outside. Grandma's been hiding a giant storage shed!

Approach the shed and open the door. Use Grandma's Key to gain access to the shed.

Currently, Kaiko is not active. You don't have to worry about running and hiding from her.

Take a look around, and put that flashlight to good use! Moonlight is scarce from here on out, so your main light source is your handy-dandy flashlight.

Towards the back left corner of the shed, grab the Garden Scroll that's under the shelves. There is a small door to the right, but it doesn't budge.

Head upstairs.

Look in the red chest to your right, open it and grab the Hawk Scroll.
When you make your way around, you can see a scroll on the wall. It's fine to leave that one where it is.
Go towards the closet on the opposite wall, in front of the staircase. Open it and grab the Lion Scroll.

Read the red book on the desk, The Legend of Princess Mayu - this is the key to solving the scroll puzzle. (and say "hi" to Kaiko for me <3)

In case word puzzles aren't your jam, here's the answer:
Spring: Lion Scroll , Summer: Hawk Scroll , Autumn: Boat Scroll , Winter: Garden Scroll

Head back downstairs to that small door- its open now! Go in and descend the staircase.

Upon discovering the cage, you can continue following the path around. (There's only a file and 10 yen coin in the cage, nothing else of importance.)

In the Storage Room, there's a red talisman. Inspect the wall opposite of where you came in. You can proceed as soon as you inspect it- there's really nothing else of note.

The new room you enter has another talisman and a few files, nothing too important (unless if you care for lore, but this walkthrough is to help you get through the game).

Head out and around, down the staircase and into the room on the right. Kaiko is looming outside, don't worry, she doesn't bust through it to attack you- you can safely walk past her.

Go through the first room into the room with the lit lantern. Grab the Flint and the Map off of the table. Finally, a use for the Map tab!

Opening the map reveals that you're in the Miyama Family Mansion- who knew Mom's family was loaded?
Section 3: Miyama Family Mansion
The map is your best friend here. Thankfully there is an indicator as to where you are on the map, however Minato does not mark off what sections of the map are accessible or not- you have to remember what ways you can go. I will be using the room labels on the map a lot in this section, so be sure to study it!


This section introduces Chests you can hide in. They are large, red chests with the Miyama Family Crest on them. These provide better sight than closets in terms of peeking out to see where Kaiko is, however you're more likely to get caught and pulled out of them if you jump in during a chase.

You start off in the Eastern Tatami room, head out and around (past the toilets) to go to the backyard.

Guess who's back! Run from Kaiko into the Tatami room and hide in the closet. You don't have to wait for long for her to leave. She's gone for a little bit after this, so take a deep breath.

Go out and inspect the well in the yard. There's something in there, but you need something to fish it out. Inspecting the big wooden doors reveals they're locked and need a key.

Passing through the Shrine room, there is a closet to hide in. The shrine is above you, so you need a stepladder or something similar to interact with it.

The area above the Northern Tatami room connects to the hallway (western door) and a short hallway to the Crowbar Closet- this door is locked and needs a key.

Out in the main hallway, there's a sliding door that's currently jammed to the right, and stairs to the left. Next to the stairwell there's another jammed door.

Head upstairs. Make your way around to the door. Its jammed (whos surprised?). Go around the corner and pick up the Old Wooden Board. Return to the door and use it to pry the door open.

omg another tatami room! There's a closet you can hide in right by the door to the Silkworm Room.

In the aforementioned Silkworm Room, there's a sketchy patch job over a hole in the floor. Inspecting the planks reveals that the nails can be pried up. Keep that in mind.

Passing through the room leads to the rest of the upstairs hallway that was blocked off, as well as the door to the Butterfly Closet (to the shock and awe of no one, this door is locked.)

Heading downstairs puts you right outside the kitchen. Be wary, Kaiko is in the room right next to you. She can be heard mumbling "Kinu-chan..." to herself.

There's a hanging pot in the middle of the room, inspect it. There's something stuck inside solidified grease (or something similar). Trying to use the Flint by itself is useless, you're gonna need something to burn.

Once you start exploring the area, Kaiko will begin patrolling once more. If you happen to get spotted in this area, i recommend running back to the upstairs tatami room and hiding in that closet.

Go to the Kitchen, in the Closet grab the Firewood, also make note of the water pump in the back that's rusted. Use the Firewood and the Flint to get the Crowbar Key out of the pot.

Look around the room Kaiko was in when you first went downstairs. There's one of the chests I mentioned earlier, as well as a note from a servant stating they lost their Key in one of the toilets. (G-R-O-S-S.)

Going through the doors in front of the stairs leads to a hallway. To the left is the Counting Rod Closet and a door with a Peony Lock on it. To the right is a closet with a Red Talisman, the Servants Room (which is blocked) and the door next to the stairwell from earlier. Remove the plank that's blocking the door. This opens up the first floor more so you don't have to keep going upstairs.

Head through the now-unblocked door and go to the Crowbar Closet. Use the Crowbar Key to get in.

Pick up the letter that's to the right when you enter the closet. It mentions a plate that changes is cold, clear water. Keep this in mind for later. Open the drawer in the back to find the Crowbar.

Remember that sketchy patch job from earlier? Go back to it. (If you don't remember, its in the Silkworm Room on the second floor.)

Use the Crowbar on the nails. Minato moves the planks out of the way. Jump down into the hole. Before interacting with the items on the desk, remove the plank that's blocking the door that leads out to the hallway. Pick up the Peony Key on the desk. Boo! Kaiko's here! Run out and either find a hiding spot or run until she loses sight of you. The closest hiding spot to you in this instance is the closet in the Shrine Room. There is a closet in the Servant Room, but Kaiko is right on you, so hiding there is a no-go.

Head back to the door with the Peony Lock (its next to the Counting Rod Closet) and use the Peony Key. This opens up the Courtyard and the other half of the house.

The Courtyard, as you may expect, is a large open area, Kaiko can easily spot you even if you can't see her. Line of sight blockers and using the "hide in the grass" technique from the first section are vital while moving in this area. There's plenty of light, so its best to turn your flashlight off while out here.

The room to the left, the Messenger Room, has a closet in it.

Heading further down that path leads to the Entryway. Take the Spade that's resting on the cart. Before you ask, no the Entryway doors don't open. You can't get out that easily.

In the Courtyard itself, in the middle there's a Well Bucket. Pick it up, we'll venture back around to that part of the house in a minute. We've got wilderness to explore first.

Turn around and head to the Altar Room. Pick up the note thats on the floor- its about a Crest that's been hidden on the property. We'll look for those later. There's also a strange puzzle in the wall, we'll come back to that too.

Continuing down the path, there are two rooms side by side, the one on the right leads to the Hall, head in there and pick up the Plate.

West of the Hall is a hallway that leads to the Library. The Library is currently locked. Pick up Kyubei's journal that's on the table to read about one of the possible endings.

Cut back through the Hall and the adjacent room to enter the bath area. There's a toilet all the way north and baths to the right, as well as a door that connects to the rest of the house. Unblock the door so you can make your way to the Shrine Room if you need to hide. Go up to the Toilet and stick your hand in there, you'll get the Counting Rods Key. In the Bath Room, there's a Red Talisman and an Oilcan on the edge of the tub.

Make your way back to the other part of the house and go to the Counting Rods Closet. Use the Counting Rods Key to get in. Grab the Stepladder

Head back to the Shrine Room. You can either use the Stepladder to get the Red Medallion first, or use the Well Bucket at the well to get the Left Silkworm Key- doesn’t matter which one you do first.

Head to the Courtyard and find the indicator for the dirt patch. Use the Spade to dig up the Blue Medallion.

Make your way to the kitchen and use the Oilcan on the water pump from earlier. Then use the Plate, it reveals a pattern similar to the Medallions that you’ve collected- write the pattern down or take a screenshot of it.

Go to the Altar Room and put the Medallions in the contraption on the wall.
Section 3: Miyama Family Mansion (cont’d)
Remember that pattern from the plate? Recreate it on the wall: North: green, East: blue, South: red, West: black

Grab the Library Key from the drawer, and try to make your way there.

After using the Library Key on the door, head in and grab the Right Silkworm Key from the table drawer.

There were large double doors out by the well when you first gain access to the mansion. You want to make your way back there, thats where the keys go. When you approach the door, use the Left Silkworm Key and Right Silkworm Key and proceed through the doors.

Section 4: Miyama Mansion Outhouse
There is a map right in front of you, go ahead and pick it up. Welcome to the Outhouse!


Kaiko does not show up in this section. so take a deep breath.

To the left of the Entrance there's the Detached Tatami Room. Inside it is a locked red box.
To the right of the Entrance there's a Red Talisman and the Dressing Room which has a checkerboard with the word "Old Man" written on it.

In the toilet there is a UFO coin game, and no, you can't stick your hand in the toilet this time.

In both Ayano and Kinu's rooms are vanities. Ayano has one with a Peony symbol, Kinu has one with a Mountain Grapes symbol.

Head out to the Courtyard and get the Mountain Grape Mirror. Go to Kinu's Room and place the Mountain Grape Mirror on the stand. It opens up to reveal a Puzzle Box and part of Kinu's journal. On one of the storage cabinets on the wall behind the vanity is a note from Kinu about how to solve the puzzle box.

Head back to the Dressing Room and put the Puzzle Box on it. Here's the order: Old man, boat, princess, disease, silkworm, cocoon - down, right, down, right, down After completing it, it opens up and you get a Small Key.

Go to the red box in the Tatami room and unlock it using the Small Key. Take the Peony Mirror from inside.

Head to Ayano's room and put the Peony Mirror on the vanity. You have to pick up Ayano's journal before you can get the Crane Key below it.

Now, in the hallway west of Kinu's room there is a talisman sticking out of the wall. Inspecting it reveals a hidden passageway. Go inside it.
Section 5: Underground Passage
This area is where Kaiko was kept, hence the talismans.

There is a Red Talisman on the wall as soon as the stairs end. Up ahead is a door with a lock on it, approach it and use the Crane Key.

As you make your way down, you'll come across Kaiko's cell. There is a Talisman right on the cell- it will vaporize as if shielding you from an attack, I highly recommend saving at this talisman. Take a look around the room, there are ropes that are bolted to the rock and a noose hanging from the ceiling.

To progress to the ending "Boss Fight", read Kinu's Will on the table. This blocks you in the cell, and you have to run from Kaiko.

In order to win, you have to undo the two bolts (3 if playing on normal or above) on either side of the cell, then pull the noose to cause the ceiling to cave in. To do this, you have to wait for Kaiko to perform a Lunge Attack- this attack is signaled by her growling and standing as if she were going to jump. Be sure to be close by the bolts when she does this as that is how you break them.

After this, Kaiko pushes you out of the way and gets crushed under the rubble.

You're now left with a choice:

Kill her or Spare her?
Endings
Killing Kaiko - grants you the "Human" achievement. After choosing to kill Ayano, her body disappears and she leaves behind a cocoon with a horde of silkworms. Minato hasn't said anything to his dad about what happened, and construction of the dam is still going to happen.

Sparing Kaiko - grants you the "Descendant of a Xenomorph" achievement. After sparing Ayano, Minato becomes her caretaker en lieu of Kinu. He drops out of college and tells his dad to not contact him, construction of the dam has ceased. Ayano is always crying as she misses Kinu.

UFO ending - grants you the "UFO" achievement. in the newly unlocked shop, purchase the Tin Foil Hat and have it equipped when starting a new game. When you get to the Outhouse, go inside the closet in the Detached Tatami Room. Turn around and interact with that door. Walk out to the middle of the crop circle and interact with the UFO icon. This ending unlocks the Tin Foil Hat accessory for Ayano.

Butterfly ending - grants you the "Mayuhime" achievement. in the newly unlocked shop, purchase the Butterfly Closet Key. At any point in the game, open the Butterfly Closet with the Butterfly Closet Key and read Kyubei's journal 2 and get the Cocoon item. Play the game as normal, and after the boss fight at the end, choose to feed Ayano the Cocoon.

Mary's Phone Call - completing the urban legend grants you the 'Mary's Phone Call' achievement.
Nightmare
Oh boy... the dreaded Nightmare difficulty.

Since this difficulty unlocks after you beat the game on Normal or Hard, I will not be spoilering anything. If you have not beaten the game do not read past this point, unless if you don't care about the story. (which you should it's genuinely interesting and really tugs at the heartstrings)

The game is still the same- there's no change at all to locations or key items, however Ayano is more brutal than ever. Her senses are through the roof and the slightest creak from the floorboards sets her off on a hunt. The ambiance also starts when she's further away.

At the time of making this section (12/8/24) i have only made it to the Mansion, right before Ayano becomes active again (when shes in the room right next to the kitchen- where she's mumbling to herself.) I'm too scared to progress at the moment, so I'm going to share what I've learned/done to get to this point. I have also been recording my gameplay to make a video.

Your stamina is non-existent. Running is deadly anyway when not in chase, but even in chase you aren't going to be able to last long. It's also better to not use the flashlight at all with how sensitive Ayano is.

Kinu's House

If you though this was bad on the other difficulties, it's best to never play nightmare.

I used a lot of stealth to get around. The only time i didn't was after the cutscene where Minato calls the police and Ayano slams him into the floor- i just booked it to get the poker outside and slammed doors in her face to hopefully get her off my trail (which worked surprisingly).

I hid in the closet with the talisman every time I heard her get close or after getting an item. Since I've only played on Easy I had no idea if there were going to be any new events where Ayano just Shows Up. This closet also has the advantage of being right next to the side door that leads to the backyard- so whenever Ayano went outside, I'd run to wherever I needed to go.

After finding out the code to the dial lock, i loaded the last save i had in the closet then booked it to the lock. Ayano takes a few seconds to load in after resuming the game and spawns far from you, so I took the chance of loading the state and running rather than risk going there while she was in. This is also a known speedrun strat if you're into that kind of thing.

Miyama Mansion

This is where I'm at so this is gonna be short.

The first chase with Ayano can be ended still by jumping in the closet in the Eastern Tatami room, as long as your flashlight is off.

After this is where I discovered just how sensitive her hearing is. I was showing a friend where I was too scared to progress- and I was walking (not crouch walking, regular walking) on the second floor, by where the railing is to see into the kitchen area. Ayano busted through the doors and spotted me up there even though my flashlight was turned off.

I ALT + F4'd my way out of that.

When I progress more I will share my tips! This is my first time ever playing on any sort of Nightmare difficulty seriously and I'm really enjoying myself. I understand the people who enjoy these kinds of things.
Komentarzy: 5
「The Home Hamon」 28 marca o 13:09 
+rep
Corydoras 28 czerwca 2024 o 6:53 
nice. thx for sharing!
Foulcher 21 marca 2024 o 16:23 
Thanks a lot man, I also played on easy mode for the story and I would probably have dropped iit without guide especially at section 2 (thus I would have missed a great story).
45FPS 2 stycznia 2024 o 1:30 
Referred to this guide multiple times. thank you very much :D
MudaMudaMudaMudaMudaMudaMudaMuda 11 grudnia 2023 o 12:23 
thanks mate. this game is 10/10 i didnt use your guide but thanks regardless!