Darkness AheadDarkness Ahead

Game Details:  Horror, 2016

Links:  Moby Games, Steam

Walkthrough Updated:  4/13/2018

Suggested Listening:  Caught Up in the Panic (Ash 25)

Darkness Ahead is a horror adventure game. You wake up in a shelter after a storm, and set off to find your brother, who has left a trail of notes for you to follow. There are automatic checkpoints within this short game, which is designed to be played in one sitting.

Setting Out

I Need to Find My Brother

After the introductory text, head forward to the street light. If you try to go left from here, your path will be blocked by fallen rocks from the storm. Instead turn right and go towards the next street light. On the way, you will notice a light on in the house to your left. Go towards that building and approach the fire to the right side of it. While you are standing there, a light will come on at the rear of the house. Go over to the light and open the door, then head inside.

Go towards the fireplace, and pick up the flashlight from the floor - you can now use this by pressing F on your keyboard, but make sure you turn it off when you don't need it. Head up the stairs and along the landing, then pick up Note 1 from your brother.

Exploring

I Need to Search Other Houses

Try the other door up here, but it is locked for now. Go downstairs, and the door downstairs will close. Look at the table here to find Note 2. Head outside and go towards the fire again. You will find a rock trail that you can follow. Follow it to the left, then search the debris at the next corner to find a battery for your flashlight. Turn right and follow it a little further, then turn right and go off the path to approach the next building.

Open the door and go inside. Look on the table to find another battery, as well as Note 3. Look in the room upstairs if you want, but it is empty as suggested in the note. Go outside and return to the rock trail. Follow this to the right - when it forks left and right, you will make a comment about the fire ahead. Ignore this for now, and instead go straight ahead to approach the third building.

Look in the debris outside the building to find another battery. This building doesn't have a door, so just go inside. Head upstairs and pick up the axe. On your way back outside, turn just to the right and go straight ahead to find a small fenced area with 4 benches. Look on the benches and pick up Note 4.

Now make your way back to the fire that you ignored earlier. There is a monster here that will attack you on sight, so you need to get in and out quickly. Search the benches here to find Note 5, then quickly run away again.

The Big Building

I Need to Get Into the Big Building

Approach the big building and find the gate. Now that you have all 5 notes, you are willing to open the gates and go through. Follow the path ahead and search the bricks on the left to find a key. Open the door on the front of the building and go through.

There is a wandering enemy in here that you will need to avoid. Several of the central rooms are boarded up, and you will need to use your axe to break down the boards to gain access to them. You will see there are some large statues along the northern wall, and statues 1, 2 and 4 are lit up, while statues 3 and 5 are dark. There are some tall candles in the corridors, which you can light to help you find your way, and there are also some tall candles in several of the smaller rooms. You need to light the tall candles in the rooms that have 1, 2 and 4 smaller candles at their bases. Use the following map as a guide, where C indicates candles and S indicates statues:

S
C
C
S
S
S
C
C
C
S

You must light all the candles that are highlighted in yellow on this map, and make sure the other candles remain unlit. Once you do this, you will hear something heavy move. Go to the unlit statue in the northeast corner, and climb the staircase that has been revealed behind it.

Upstairs

I'd Better Hurry to Find Them in This Creepy Place

Pick up the note, which disappears after you read it. Grab another battery here, then continue on. You need to find a total of 5 notes scattered around this floor. Just after you find the 6th note, the wall in front of you will open up. Go forward and turn right. Pick up the key at the end.

Backtracking

I Should Turn Back and Check the Locked Room in the House With Fireplace

Now go back down the stairs and all the way back out of the building. Follow the path out through the gates, then turn right and make your way back to the first house you entered. Go upstairs and you will now be able to open the room with your new key. Look in the shelves and pick up the book. Also read the 2 notes on the desk and find another battery here.

The Forest

I Need to Search the Forest and Find the Book

Head downstairs and outside again. Turn right and go around to the front of the property to find a streetlight. Turn left and follow the road, keeping an eye on the streetlights ahead. Go right towards a streetlight that is closer to the forest, and you will see a swirling black portal at a break in the fence along the edge of the forest - go through here.

You can now use F for your flashlight, or Z for your holy book - use the holy book to tell you where to find the second book in the forest. For now, use the holy book and just follow the glowing markers - don't stop moving as there are multiple enemies in the forest chasing after you. When you reach the book, set it on fire to dispel the enemies. Read the note on the ground here, then head towards the light and read the final note.