The game opens with you on a boat at night. In the distance, you’ll spot a red light (a buoy). Press RT to steer your boat toward it. Keep following the buoys one by one, and when you reach the fifth one, a cutscene will play where you rescue the sister.
Reanimal Chapter 1 Walkthrough
Reaching the Building
After the cutscene, steer your boat toward the cliff visible in the distance. Follow the passage and keep moving forward. You’ll soon enter a stretch of water filled with mines, navigate carefully and make sure not to touch them. Continue on the same path until a large building comes into view. Pull up and stop at the beach.
The Beach and the Building Entrance
Several boxes are scattered along the beach. Check the box adjacent to the leftmost one to find a key inside. After collecting it, head right along the beach until you find a door. Use the key to open it and head inside.
Once inside, take the stairs down andfollow the passage through the sewer pipes until you reach an open area with a large fan on the left side. Right next to the platform you arrive on, you’ll spot a lever. Pull it to stop the fan, but act quickly, as it only stops temporarily. Get through the fan with your sister before it starts back up.
Through the Tunnels
On the other side of the fan, you’ll hit a dead end, but there’s a trap door ahead. Interact with it to drop down into another tunnel, which will be quite dark. Press RB to equip your light source, then follow the path until you reach a ladder and climb up.
In the new area, a door will drop nearby. Head toward the stairs and take a left and you’ll notice a platform above with a broken railing. Walk up to the wall and press Triangle to crouch down, helping your sister up to the platform. She’ll then reach down and offer you a hand. Press Triangle to grab it and pull yourself up. Continue following the path until you reach another ladder and climb it.
As soon as you enter the next area, take a left and follow that path to the end, where you’ll find a door. Open it to step out onto a platform outside the building. Look closely at the wall ahead and you’ll see a gap in the broken section. Head inside to find the first collectible, the Bird Mask, inside a box.
Finding Hood
Head back to the spot where you took the left turn for the Bird Mask and follow the path in the opposite direction this time. You’ll come across a metal grate. As you approach it, a cutscene will play and your friend Hood appears on the other side and tells you he knew you’d come for him, but warns you to leave while you still can.
Once the cutscene ends, follow the path on the right. You’ll see a staircase going down, but ignore it for now and keep going straight to the end, then turn left through a door. Inside, you’ll notice a computer in front of you. Take a right from there and head up the stairs to find a lever. Use it to turn on the lights for this area.
This area is also a good place to start working toward the Take a Load Off trophy, which requires you to rest in 10 locations around the world.
After that, go back to the stairs you passed earlier and head down. Follow the pipeline to the end, then hoist your sister up onto the platform. Once you’re both up, you’ll need to stop the rotating drum in the middle of the area.
Call your sister over to the lever by pressing LB, and she’ll hold it down, bringing the drum to a stop. Head toward the stairs visible in the distance, climb them, and follow the path to the right until you reach a metal pillar. Push it down to create a bridge for your sister to cross. Once she’s safely across, go through the door ahead.
The Second Collectible
Inside, you’ll see a door on the left and a row of metal lockers in front of you. Interact with one of the lockers to reveal a hidden passage. Follow it to collect the second mask, an Intestine Mask. Head back out to the locker area afterward.
This time, take the main door and follow the path forward. At the end, kick the ladder to send it dropping down, then use it to reach the lower path. Take the first left at the bottom and open the small grate to enter a new area.
Outside the Building
Follow the sewer tunnel to the exit. Once outside, take a right and climb the ladder to reach the ledge above. You’ll notice a strange man with a distinctive laugh in this area however, ignore him for now.
Walk around the building to look for collectibles. In this area, you’ll find two chairs positioned near the cliff. One of them has a body on it, interact with it to throw it off the cliff, which unlocks the Dark Tourism trophy. You’ll also spot a poster on the wall nearby. Tear it down, and this counts as the first of 20 you’ll need to collect for the Proper Gander trophy.
The Courtyard and the Pump Cart
Return to the main area with the strange man and follow the tunnel. Once you’re outside in the open courtyard, you’ll find a pump cart on the rail tracks but it’s missing two wheels. One wheel is sitting right beside it, so grab it and fix the cart. You’ll need to find the second wheel before you can use it.
The courtyard has three doors — two on the right side and one on the left. Let’s check the right side first.
Of the two doors on the right, one has a glowing lamp above it and the other has a broken lamp. Go through the broken lamp door first. Follow the path into a room with a wooden crate in the center. You’ll find another mask collectible here. In the back corner of the room, you’ll also spot a code written in white on a crate: Middle, Bottom, Bottom, Middle. Take note of this as you’ll need it for Chapter 6: Nobody Left Behind.
Head back to the courtyard and go through the glowing lamp door this time. This takes you to the washroom area. The strange man will be inside but will move into another room almost immediately. Look next to the sink to find a poster and tear it down. Then check the door the strange man walked through. There’s a hidden path beside it.
As soon as you enter, you’ll see a dead body on the far side of the room that the strange man is using to crawl through. There’s a plunger lying next to the body. Pick it up and use it on the toilet in the middle cubicle. After plunging for a moment, a small creature will crawl out and spit up a key. It won’t harm you, so just pick up the key and head back to the courtyard.
Now go through the door on the left side of the courtyard and unlock it with the key you just collected. Follow the path and jump across the broken section when prompted. On the other side, you’ll notice a chair. Sit on it to progress toward the Take a Load Off trophy. Continue forward and follow the path to the end, where you’ll find the second missing wheel. Pick it up, but be ready as enemies will spawn the moment you grab it. Pick it up and run straight back to the courtyard the same way you came.
The Railroad
Back in the courtyard, attach the missing wheel to the pump cart. Interact with the cart and begin pumping along the track. After crossing the broken bridge, take a right to enter a broken train. Follow the path through the carriages andexit through the door on the right side. In this area, you’ll find a coffin. Interact with it to trigger a short cutscene with a ghost that disappears immediately after.
Get back on the pump cart and continue pumping along the railroad until you hit a dead end blocked by boulders. On the left side, you’ll notice a hidden passage — go through it. Inside, you’ll find a bunny statue holding a candle. This is one of five prayer statues you’ll need to locate for the Praying for the Dying trophy. Interact with it to light the candle.
The Train Sequence
Head back to the main area and go to the right side to hoist your sister up, and she’ll pull you up after. Follow the path out into an open area filled with broken, rusted trains.
On the far right, you’ll spot Hood climbing a ladder on the side of a train. Climb it, and at the top you’ll find a door. Go through it and follow the carriages to the end, squeezing through the doors as you go.
In the last carriage, crouch and hide beneath the bench. The strange man will enter and begin searching the carriage. When he approaches the final piece of luggage and opens it, your friend sneaks out and escapes through the window, with the strange man following close behind.
Slip out through theleft door of the carriage. You’ll see the strange man is still searching for your friend nearby. Jump into the carriage on the left side and follow the path through to the control room. Inside, pull the levers, but nothing will happen. The strange man immediately breaks through the front window to get to you. Sprint back through the carriages until you reach an exit door on the left side. Jump out, then look to the left for a train with a ladder. Climb it and rush across the carriage until a cutscene plays where your friend comes to your rescue.
The Forest
After the cutscene, jump down from the carriage, light your light source, and follow the path leading right into a dark forest. Watch out for slimy enemies along the way. Keep running and following the path until you reach a fence.
After the fence, take the path on the left where you’ll come across a saw. Pick it up. Head back to the right path and use the saw to cut down a large tree. The tree will fall and create a bridge, letting you safely cross to the other side.
Keep following the path until you reach another fence. Jump across it. As soon as you drop down the ledge on the other side, a van will begin chasing you. Sprint forward without stopping until you reach a ledge and jump down. Unfortunately, Hood slips just before the jump and gets caught by the strange man. A cutscene plays, and Chapter 1: Dead in the Water comes to an end.
All Collectibles in Reanimal Chapter 1 – Dead in the Water Walkthrough
| Category | Item | Location/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Masks | Bird Mask | Inside a box in the gap of the broken wall, accessed from the outdoor platform |
| Intestine Mask | Behind the hidden passage in the locker room | |
| Third Mask | In the room with the wooden crate, accessed via the broken lamp door | |
| Posters | Poster #1 | On the wall in the area near the two chairs by the cliff |
| Poster #2 | Next to the sink in the washroom area | |
| Prayer Statues | Bunny Statue | Hidden passage to the left of the boulder dead end on the railroad |
| Keys | Key | In a box infront of the main building on the beach |
| Key | Spat out by a creature after plunging the middle toilet in the washroom | |
| Secret Codes | Bunker Code | Written on a crate in the back corner of the wooden crate room: Middle, Bottom, Bottom, Middle |
| Trophies | Dark Tourism | Throw the body off the cliff near the two chairs outside the building |
| Take a Load Off | Sit in chairs / rest spots (this chapter has two opportunities) | |
| Proper Gander | Tear down posters — 2 available this chapter | |
| Praying for the Dying | Light all five prayer statues — 1 available this chapter |
Chapter 1: Dead in the Water introduces REANIMAL’s core mechanics. Hood’s capture sets the story in motion and leads directly into Chapter 2: Cleaning House.