Help! This game is too sick!

[Paddy™]

I have a few tips for you. The first one will be something of a spoiler though, so don't read it unless you really want to!

Tip #1:

Spoiler below!

For the first chunk of the game (I won't tell you how much, but it's a fairly big chunk!) you aren't in any real danger. The monsters which might appear aren't going to hurt you; they will either be "apparitions" which vanish when they get too close to you or scripted encounters where they don't notice you. Having said that, the early parts of the game are still pretty scary even with this knowledge.

Tip #2:

Hide in closets, cupboards, rooms and behind barrels if you want to avoid being caught and killed. As mentioned above the music and audio cues are quite helpful in figuring out when it's safe to come out of your hiding spot or when you've been seen by a monster.

Tip #3:

Be careful with your use of tinderboxes and oil but you don't have to be THAT careful - the game provides you with a reasonable amount of resources. Oil will run out before tinderboxes do so use the lantern only when you can't use a candle or a torch.

Tip #4:

Close doors behind you, plan your escape routes and/or find somewhere to hide if you're about to pick up an important-looking object