Ammo Scarcity Solutions
Ammo is the most scarce resource in Gloomwood. Here is how to make every bullet count and find more ammo.
Headshots are mandatory. A body shot deals 80 damage and requires 2 shots to kill most enemies. A headshot deals 160 damage and kills most enemies in one shot. This effectively doubles your ammo efficiency. Practice headshots on the shooting range in the police station. The target dummies have specific hitbox sizes — the head hitbox is smaller than you think. Aim for the upper forehead, not the center of the face.
Ammo locations. Ammo spawns in fixed locations and respawns when you reload the area. The best farming spots are: the police station armory (6 bullets, respawns), the mansion guard room (4 bullets, respawns), and the factory security office (8 bullets, respawns). Visit these locations whenever you pass through. The "Ammo Pouch" item (increases ammo capacity by 12) is found in the police station evidence room.
Crafting ammo. The Gunpowder recipe requires 2 Saltpeter + 1 Sulfur + 1 Charcoal. Saltpeter is found in the sewer system. Sulfur is in the factory. Charcoal is in the mansion's fireplace. Each craft produces 6 bullets. The "Chemistry Set" (increases crafting output by 50%) is found in the factory laboratory. With the Chemistry Set, each craft produces 9 bullets instead of 6.
Stealth Frustrations & Fixes
Stealth in Gloomwood can be frustrating when things go wrong. Here is how to recover from common stealth failures.
You were spotted. If an enemy spots you but does not raise the alarm, you have a 2-second window to hide before they fully alert. Immediately break line of sight by running around a corner or into a room. Hide in a closet or under a desk. Wait 30 seconds for the enemy to return to patrol. If you were spotted by multiple enemies, you need to leave the area and wait 60 seconds for the alert to cool down.
The alarm was raised. If an enemy raises the alarm, all enemies in the area enter combat state. Your best option is to leave the area entirely. Run to the nearest exit and wait for the alert to cool down (90 seconds). If you cannot leave, find a dark corner and stay still. Enemies will search for 60 seconds before returning to patrol. Do not move during this time — any sound will reset the search timer.
Body discovered. If an enemy finds a body, they enter searching state and call for nearby allies. The body discovery triggers a 45-second search phase. During this phase, enemies are highly alert and will check every hiding spot. Your best option is to stay hidden and wait it out. After 45 seconds, enemies return to patrol but with increased alertness for the next 5 minutes.
Progression Softlocks
Gloomwood has several progression softlocks that can trap players. Here is how to avoid them.
The "missing key" softlock. The mansion's front door key is in the guard captain's office. But if you killed the guard captain before looting his body, the key is lost. Always loot enemy bodies immediately after killing them. If you missed the key, check the guard captain's office desk — there is a spare key in the locked drawer (requires lockpick).
The "broken elevator" softlock. The factory elevator requires a gear to operate. The gear is in the factory's maintenance room. If you used the gear as a crafting component (it is also used for a trap recipe), you cannot progress. The gear has no other use — do not use it for crafting. If you already used it, there is a spare gear in the factory basement, behind a locked door (requires the "Basement Key").
The "flooded path" softlock. The sewer path to the Cathedral requires a valve wheel to drain the water. The valve wheel is in the sewer control room. If you missed it, you need to backtrack through the entire sewer system. The valve wheel is on the wall next to the control panel — it is easy to miss because it blends into the background. Always check control rooms thoroughly.
Combat Difficulty Spikes
Certain combat encounters in Gloomwood are notoriously difficult. Here is how to handle them.
The mansion courtyard. This early-game area has 4 guards and 2 dogs. The dogs make stealth difficult. The optimal strategy is to use the rooftop path to bypass the courtyard entirely. If you must fight, lure the dogs to the mansion entrance and kill them with the revolver (one headshot each), then deal with the guards using stealth.
The factory floor. This area has 6 guards, 2 Overseers, and multiple environmental hazards. The Overseers are the main threat. Use the catwalks to gain vertical advantage. Pick off guards with the crossbow from above. For the Overseers, lure them to the explosive barrels and shoot the barrels. Each Overseer requires 2 barrel explosions to kill.
The Cathedral interior. The final area has 8 guards, 3 Overseers, and the final boss. The boss is immune to stealth kills and requires direct combat. Save your ammo for the boss fight — you need at least 12 revolver shots. Use the pillars for cover and shoot the boss during its attack recovery animation. The boss has 300 HP and takes 80 damage per revolver shot (160 for headshots).
Resource Management Tips
Effective resource management is the key to surviving Gloomwood's hardest sections.
Inventory management. Your inventory has limited space. Prioritize: lockpicks (always carry 3), bandages (always carry 3), ammo (as much as possible), and key items. Drop excess bottles and coins — they are common and easy to find. Store excess resources in safe room chests. The mansion's safe room is the study. The factory's safe room is the foreman's office.
Health management. Bandages are your primary healing item. Each bandage restores 25 HP. Your maximum HP is 100. Never use a bandage unless you are below 50 HP — natural recovery (1 HP per 5 seconds while still) can handle minor damage. Save bandages for emergencies. The "Medical Kit" (restores 50 HP) is a rare item — save it for boss fights.
Key item tracking. Key items take up inventory space but cannot be dropped. Plan your route to minimize the number of key items you carry at once. Use key items immediately when you reach their corresponding door. If you are carrying too many key items, store them in a safe room and retrieve them when needed.