Stay Out of the House

About Stay Out of the House

Stay Out of the House is by Puppet Combo, the studio known for low-poly horror like Murder House and Night Shift. It went through years of early access before its full release on Steam in October 2022, with Night Shift built in as its first chapter, and came to PlayStation, Xbox and Switch in June 2023 and to iOS and Android that December.

You wake after a hammer blow in a cage in the Butcher's house, a rotting old home full of meat, blood and the remains of earlier guests. You have three days. The house is a sandbox: doors, vents, keys, tools and traps can be used in many ways, and the Butcher reacts to what you do. He listens for noise, patrols, and if he catches you, he drags you back to your cage.

You can try to slip away unseen, use his own traps against him, or find his .38 revolver and fight back. Other prisoners are held in the house, and whether you free them changes how things end. Clues hidden around the house explain why he chose you.

Its PS1-style look, grimy and pixelated, makes it feel like a forgotten 1990s video nasty. It is very gory. It suits players who liked Granny's hide-and-escape idea but want something grown-up and grim.

How to play Stay Out of the House

1. Get out of your cage and explore the house quietly, searching rooms for keys, tools and clues.
2. Listen for the Butcher; hide in the shadows or behind cover until he passes.
3. Watch for traps, and use them against him when you can.
4. Find a way out within three days, deciding whether to free the other captives on your way.

Tips

• Move slowly; running makes noise, and he is listening.
• Learn his patrol before you try to cross a room.
• Look for the revolver, but don't count on it to save you.

Questions