Introduction
Gloomwood's Victorian-era city was built with danger around every corner. The traps and environmental hazards scattered throughout the game are not just set dressing — they are deadly obstacles that can end your run in an instant. This guide will teach you to recognize, avoid, and in some cases, use these hazards to your advantage.
Bear Traps
Bear traps are the most common trap in Gloomwood. They appear in various locations throughout the city, particularly in basements, alleyways, and the streets near the outskirts.
How to Spot Them: Bear traps have a faint metallic glint and are often placed in dark corners or under debris. Look for subtle changes in the floor texture — areas where the cobblestones have been disturbed.
How to Disarm: Crouch and approach the trap slowly. A prompt will appear allowing you to disarm it. Disarmed traps can be picked up and placed elsewhere — an excellent strategy for luring enemies into your own traps.
Damage: 40-60 HP. Trap damage is reduced by heavy armor but will always cause a stumble animation, leaving you vulnerable.
💡 Pro Tip: Use collected bear traps to block doorways while you search rooms. Enemies that step into them will be stuck for several seconds, giving you an easy stealth kill opportunity.
Tripwires & Alarms
Tripwires are thin, almost invisible strings stretched across doorways or corridors. When triggered, they cause various effects depending on what they are connected to.
- Bell Tripwires: Connected to bells that alert all nearby enemies. You will hear a loud ring followed by enemies converging on your position.
- Shotgun Tripwires: Connected to a makeshift shotgun trap. Extremely lethal — can kill or critically wound you in one hit.
- Flare Tripwires: Ignite a flare that illuminates the area and draws enemy attention. Less dangerous but can ruin stealth approaches.
How to Spot: Tripwires are easier to see when crouched at a low angle. Use your lantern or a flare to cast light from an angle and reveal the wire's shadow. They are most common in the Opera House and the Town Hall areas.
How to Disarm: Crouch and interact with the tripwire anchor point. Be careful — some tripwires are connected to additional traps below them.
Gas Leaks & Explosive Barrels
The city's outdated gas infrastructure creates pockets of flammable gas throughout certain areas. These can be ignited by any source of fire — including your own lantern if you're not careful.
Gas Cloud Locations: Found primarily in the Sewers, the Factory district, and the Basement of the Asylum. Look for greenish-yellow haze and a hissing sound.
Explosive Barrels: Red barrels scattered throughout the city. They explode when shot or when the gas around them ignites. Use them strategically to clear groups of enemies or blow open weak walls.
Survival Tips: Never use your lantern near suspected gas leaks. Extinguish it by pressing the lantern toggle key before entering sewers or industrial areas. Use throwing knives or your pistol to detonate explosive barrels from a safe distance.
Collapsing Floors & Pitfalls
Several areas in Gloomwood have weakened floors that collapse under the player's weight. These are typically found in older buildings and the Sewer tunnels.
How to Spot: Weakened floors have visible cracks, different sound when walked upon (a hollow thud), and are often surrounded by wooden support beams. You can also test floors by throwing an object onto them — if it falls through, the floor is unsafe.
Consequences: Falling through a weakened floor typically drops you into a lower area with fall damage (20-30 HP) and often places you in a room full of enemies. Some falls lead to secret areas with valuable loot.
Strategy: Not all collapsing floors are bad. Some lead to hidden caches or shortcut unlocks. Use rope arrows to create safe descent paths into known pit areas, allowing you to explore below without taking damage.
Enemy-Placed Traps
Certain enemy types in Gloomwood actively set traps for the player. The Hunters and the Trappers are the most notable:
Hunter Traps
Hunters set snare traps that grab your leg and hang you upside down. While trapped, you cannot move and are vulnerable to attack. You can escape by shooting the rope or using a knife to cut yourself free. Hunters often patrol near their traps — listen for their whistling to know you are in a trapped area.
Trapper Dens
Trappers build complex trap networks in their territory. These include pressure plates, spike walls, and swinging pendulums. The Trapper's Lair in the Industrial District is a gauntlet of these hazards. Move slowly, observe trap patterns, and wait for the right moment to pass through each section.
Advanced Trap Usage & Survival Tips
- Lure enemies into traps: Use thrown bottles or your voice to lure enemies into bear traps or tripwires. This is one of the most resource-efficient ways to deal with tough enemies.
- Create noise distractions: Triggering an alarm tripwire intentionally can serve as a distraction. Place it, trigger it, then circle around while enemies investigate the noise.
- Stockpile disarmed traps: Every trap you disarm is a trap you can redeploy. Build a collection and strategically place them in chokepoints during escape sequences.
- Use gas against enemies: If you find a gas-filled room with enemies inside, shoot the gas cloud from a distance to ignite it and clear the room without entering.
- Learn trap locations: On repeat playthroughs, memorize trap locations to save time and resources. Many traps are static and appear in the same positions every playthrough.