Choose action difficulty

ModeWhen it helps
Story ModeWhen pursuit, combat or resource pressure prevents story progress. Puzzles still need completing.
NormalFor learning CRTV detection, blocking and escape routes with survival pressure.
NightmareAfter learning routes and enemies. Combat is harsher and the map lacks the normal position marker.

Find Action Difficulty in Game Options. Reliving a Nightmare means finishing New Game Plus and permits any action difficulty; its name does not require Nightmare.

Reference: TechRadar — PS5 review, PowerPyx — trophy roadmap, Player discussion — Nightmare navigation.

Normal versus Hinted puzzles

Hinted emphasizes important clue text. It does not collect documents, provide keys, power computers or perform the final interaction. The answers remain the same.

ProblemNext action
Cannot interpret the clueEnable Hinted and reread it.
Correct code does not open the objectCheck prerequisite documents, power, access items and confirmation.
Enemy blocks accessAdjust action difficulty or use distraction and a safer route.
Cannot find the next areaUse the area map and walkthrough.

Reference: TechRadar — PS5 review, PowerPyx — full story & puzzle solutions.

Does Story Mode provide more ammunition?

Players report more forgiving ammunition availability on Story Mode. Those observations do not establish a universal pickup multiplier. Do not plan around an exact double-ammo claim.

  1. Check supplies before forced encounters.
  2. Avoid ordinary enemies when safe and conserve bullets.
  3. Search side rooms before leaving an area permanently.
  4. After costly failures, reload an intact save and change the approach.

The Pistol 3000 requires the Sci-fi ending and a subsequent New Game Plus run. Switching difficulty does not award it.

Reference: Player observations — ammunition, PowerPyx — trophy roadmap.

Without a position marker, match a street, entrance, stairs or room number to the map. Confirm the next landmark before turning. Learn escape routes before pursuit.

The October 8 patch changed The Weight on Story and Normal: grabs inflict severe damage rather than always causing instant death, and searching behavior was adjusted. The note does not state the same grab change for Nightmare.

Reference: Player discussion — Nightmare navigation, Screen Burn — patch 1.4.0, October 8.

How scary or graphic is it?

Expect stalking, sudden threats, disturbing sound, medical imagery and visible injury. Difficulty helps survival rather than promising to remove disturbing scenes. Hinted assists clue reading.

Reviews disagree about how frightening Townfall feels. Personal tolerance matters, especially for body horror. Read the official store’s mature-content description before deciding.

Reference: TechRadar — PS5 review, Official Steam store — PC requirements.

Sources & image credits

View sources and credits

Reviewed October 10, 2026. Written instructions were compared with the cited gameplay and current official information.

Diagrams: GameHelpBase. They explain the task and are not game screenshots or exact maps.