Hiding

Hiding is one of two ways to avoid being killed by monsters, the other being running.

Fully effective hiding can only be done in a dark, unlit area. The lantern must be turned off when hiding; otherwise, the player will be illuminated and easily seen by an enemy, even at the longest of distances. Having low sanity can affect hiding, as a monster's chance to detect the player increases the lower his or her sanity is, even in the dark. The player is usually allowed to find a good hiding place in advance due to the distortion of the screen, as well as an audible moan, indicating that a monster has spawned. By default, pressing left control is the crouch button; crouching makes it significantly harder to be seen.

Hiding in a dark place for an extended time frame will slowly drain sanity, giving the player the need to find a balance between being in light and darkness. In the expansion Amnesia: Justine, hiding is also needed to avoid the Suitors, though the task is a bit simpler in the expansion due to all of the Suitors (Aloïs, Basile, and possibly Malo) being blind. Malo, however, may not be blind, but his encounter takes place in a section filled with water, so that he can hear Justine Florbelle.

Hiding returns as a good way for avoiding the monsters in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. In some areas, hiding is the only way of getting past Manpigs without confronting them.

Tips on hidingEdit

• When entering a new area, take a few moments to look around. Make a mental note of any potential hiding places.
• Sprinting significantly increases the chances of being seen, so don't sprint unless a Gatherer or Manpig is already pursuing the protagonist.
• When a Gatherer spawns, Daniel will often hear an audible announcement and the background music will change. Take this as the cue to get to a hiding spot, unless the Gatherer has already seen Daniel, in which case the player must run.
• Avoid looking at Gatherers and Manpigs; if stared at for too long, they sense this and Daniel or Oswald has a better chance of being seen. It is best to stare into the directly opposite direction of wherever the monster is.
• If Daniel collapses from low sanity, nearby monsters will hear it and go into a temporary searching state.
• Any hard collision physics that makes a sound will alert nearby monsters to the source of the sound.
• Keep a distance between the character and the monster, especially when the atrocity is in close range. If one brushes up against the player, it will immediately attack.
• Whenever the player is in a room that naturally has much lighting, an encounter with an enemy is unlikely- but, this is not always the case. Still search the area for things such as boxes or barrels, find the darkest available corner, and pile the obstacles on top of each other/place them close together just in case a monster is heard.
• Don't make any noise.
• Hiding behind something, such as a crate, is always preferable, but if this is not possible, hiding in a shadowy corner is just as effective.
• Most of the time, it's a good idea to close any doors entered. Monsters have a tendency to spawn just outside the room the protagonist is in, so closing the door will give the player several, precious seconds to act if one spawns.
• Do not attempt to hide while the terror meter is still blaring. The monster pursue Daniel, Justine, or Oswald straight into the chosen "safe haven" and, due to being cornered, will likely result in death.
• Listen to the music. It will sound very tense when monsters are in "search mode," so do not leave a hiding place until the monster has left and the music returns to its normal ambiance.
• Even if the monster has left, move cautiously, as it could wander back into the room and spot the player. Listen for their distinctive sounds to know if they are still present, and if so, remain hidden.
• It can be difficult to find the direction of the enemy, so be sure to look for the enemy's shadows.
• Know when to stay hidden for a longer period. If the player's health is dangerously low and no Laudanum is available, don't bother trying to run, considering Daniel is incapable of sprinting away from any threat in this state.
• Open doors while standing on the side with the hinges. Occasionally, when a door is opened, a monster will be directly on the other side, and by already being in the corner of the opened door, Daniel will not be automatically seen.
• Lastly, know what cannot be evaded. The Shadow and Kaernk cannot be fooled and always know exactly where Daniel is (though the Kaernk can be distracted).

Places to hideEdit

• Dark corners
• Cupboards
• Behind boxes
• In a fortified room
• An empty, dark room with plenty of hiding places.
• Due to some circumstances, triggering flashbacks can also hide the player from any enemies that already spotted the player (example: In the choir's main hall, when/if being chased by a Brute, quickly enter the torture wheel chamber to trigger the flashback in there).