Heartworm is a tight, retro-style horror adventure that mixes puzzles, exploration, and camera-based combat. This guide gives a clear, step-by-step walkthrough, useful tips, boss strategies, and everything you need to get any ending. Read the section you need while you play — each area is broken down so you can follow along fast.

Controls & recommended settings

Basic controls (PC / common console equivalents)

• Move / menu: WASD / D-Pad / Left Stick
• Interact: Left mouse / X / A
• Cancel / Back: ESC / O / B
• Run: SHIFT / Square / X
• Aim (hold): Right mouse / L1 / LB
• Flash / shoot while aiming: F / R1 / RB
• Toggle aim mode: O / R3 / R3
• Map: M (inventory on consoles)
• Inventory: TAB / Inventory button

Recommended gameplay settings

• Graphics: Modern
• Movement: Modern
• Aiming: Modern
• Tutorials: On
• Subtitles: On
• Skip Doors: On (if you want smoother pace)

Quick tips & resource management

• Camera is your weapon: Aim, hold, and shoot to damage enemies. Reticle turns red when you’ll hit.
• Flash without film: Press Shoot while not aiming to flash the camera — it doesn’t use film and can stun/use lighting.
• Burst Fire Mod is OP: Find and equip it early to triple-shot (big damage without extra film cost).
• Conserve film: Don’t fight every enemy; save film for bosses and groups.
• Use inventory items: Combine items (Antiseptic + Bandage = First Aid Kit). Use film and mods properly.
• Interact with everything: Diaries, books, and objects give clues and puzzle keywords.
• Save often: Use PCs in safe rooms. Some areas are one-way — finish exploring first.
• Hidden collectibles: Possums are photo targets for an achievement — watch shelves, corners, bathrooms.
• Item storage: Use chests to free inventory space (6 item cap default; can expand to 8).

Walkthrough — area by area

Abandoned House (start)

• After intro, get the camera off the car and combine it with film.
• Enter via the left side door. Read diaries and note clues (poem with 12:15, painting “ROSE”).
• Save room: use the PC and store extra items. Kill/take photo of possum on top of shelves for achievement.
• Collect Antiseptic + Bandage → make First Aid Kit.
• Find Attic Key in Master Bedroom (combine or discard items if inventory full).
• Set grandfather clock to 12:15, reveal the hidden door behind bookshelves → collect first Emblem Piece.
• Unlock foyer locked door with code ROSE, go to basement → get second Emblem Piece. Combine both → Heart Emblem.
• Use Attic Key to open attic, use Heart Emblem to unlock final door (this is one-way). Proceed — Tape Keeper encounter triggers escape sequence.

Archive (hub)

After cutscene you’re in Archive: there’s a save station and an item chest behind the giant book.

Photo machine to the left accepts photos that affect endings:

• 0 photos = Stays (bad)
• 1–2 photos = Leaves (good)
• 3 photos = Leaves+ (best + bonus scene)

Use the Neighborhood Page at the tome to open the neighborhood gate.

Neighborhood

• Destroy the static barrier by shooting it and explore. First safe room is in the first house left down the street.
• Collect film packs (phone booth and shelves), House Key in the Corner Store.
• Unlock Sam’s grandparents’ house with House Key. Solve chess puzzle (move Bishop E3 → G5) to get Burst Fire Mod.
• Garage: flip fuse switches (1,3,5) to reveal stairs; find camera bag to increase inventory (8 slots).
• Baseball Field: pick up Baseball Bat. Run base sequence (1→2→3→home) to reveal candle. Light candle with lighter — one of three candles for Funeral Parlor.
• Flooded house & Apartment: collect film, light second candle (in bathroom), find Model Train and Padlock Key.
• Garden: use Padlock Key, shoot static barrier, collect Garden Photo (one of the ending photos). Store in Archive chest if low inventory.
• Warehouse: crowd chase sequence (last chance to explore Neighborhood). Find Crowbar; use it on bus door to start Spider boss cutscene. Save before boss.

Spider boss

• Use Burst Fire Mod and lots of film/healing. Spider needs ~40 pictures (25–30 with Burst Fire Mod).
• Dodge lunges and web spray. Interrupt charge animations by taking pictures during charge.
• Small spiders spawn and explode — kite them away and avoid getting close. Pick up film and first aid kits scattered in the arena.

Back to Archive → Wilderness Page

• Use Neighborhood Page to unlock Wilderness path at the tome.

Wilderness

• Grab Watermill Key under the bridge dock. Solve the piano puzzle (notes from poem) — sequence: C – D – D# – G – F – D – D# – F to reveal waterfall cave.
• Activate switches around the Heart (7 total). Collect Bolt Cutters and other keys in cave. Use bolt cutters at Electric Poles area.
• Push-block puzzle in Train area (see step sequence in-game) to reach switch 6. Use Blood Kit on deer corpse altar (Clearing) and locate last switch.
• Use Hexagon Crank on machine to lower water and open underwater stairs to the Caves. Solve green/red light computer using the Electric Poles panel pattern to open sun gate. Take Cave Photo. Save and store the photo if you want. Last chance to explore Wilderness.

Deer boss

• Bring all film and heals. Deer takes ~30 pictures (20–25 with Burst Fire Mod). Dogs spawn — take them down first.
• Deer ambushes from trees — you can shoot it while hidden for easy damage. If it starts chasing, damage it to stop the chase.

Back to Archive → Clock Tower Page

• Use Wilderness Page at the Archive to unlock the Clock Tower route.

Clock Tower

• Enter, pick up Delta Emblem, explore hospital, watch TVs for word-number clue: 1=Complacency, 2=Uncertainty, 3=Mediocrity, 4=Mortality.
• Delivery Ward puzzle order: (2) Couple watching TV, (3) Person falling through doors, (1) Person at desk, (4) Flowers → get Crucifix from the crib and return it to the Entrance Hall display to enable elevator access.
• Collect Beta, Gamma, Omega emblems by solving gallery puzzles (note keywords: DWELLS / DESIRES / DEPRIVES / DREAD). Use Multigrade Developer in Darkroom to develop the path photo for the Hole puzzle to get Gamma Emblem.
• Solve tiles/clock sliding puzzle in the Gallery house (follow clock-image mapping) to get the Eulogy. Place all mementos in display. This unlocks R floor elevator.
• Reach cathedral, pick up Clock Tower Page, then go back to Archive and pick up Ancient Key.

Archive (final prep)

• Use any photos (Garden, Cave, Clock Tower) in the photo machine before final boss if you want their ending effects. You can reload and test different combos.
• Save, equip Burst Fire Mod, fill inventory with film and healing, and use Ancient Key to open cathedral front door for the final fight.

Boss strategies — quick tactics

Spider

• Equip Burst Fire Mod, bring lots of film. Stagger by chaining shots while it’s interrupted. Avoid small exploding spiders by backing away. Interrupt charge by shooting mid-charge.

Deer

• Shoot while it hides in trees for safe damage. Kill dogs quickly. Keep distance to avoid ambush.

Tape Keeper (final)

• You can’t hit it directly—wait for exposed windows/lantern phases. Dodge falling objects and corner attacks. When lanterns spawn (4 in phase 1, 5 including center in phase 2), take pictures of lanterns during safe windows to stun the Keeper, then photograph the exposed Keeper twice per phase (less with Burst Fire). Corner-based play works: stay far, focus on dodging, then attack lanterns once projectiles clear.

Photos and endings

Photos matter — the Archive machine decides the ending:

• 0 photos → Stays (bad)
• 1–2 photos → Leaves (good)
• 3 photos → Leaves+ (best; adds bonus scene)

Photos to collect: Garden Photo, Cave Photo, Clock Tower Photo. You can deposit them any time before the final fight.

Achievements checklist

• Archive: Enter the Archive
• Clock: Enter the Clock Tower
• Dash: Beat the game under 1 hour
• Deer: Defeat the Deer
• Died: You died
• End: Beat the game
• Home: Enter the Abandoned House
• Immortal: Beat the game without dying
• Keeper: Defeat the Tape Keeper
• Leaves: Get the Leaves ending
• Neighborhood: Enter the Neighborhood
• Possum: Photograph all possums
• Run: Beat the game under 2 hours
• Spider: Defeat the Spider
• Stays: Get the Stays ending
• Together: Get Leaves+ ending
• Wilderness: Enter the Wilderness

That’s everything you need for a smooth run through Heartworm — from controls and settings to the final boss and endings. Use the quick checklist while you play, stash photos if you want to try different endings, and rely on the Burst Fire Mod for the fights. If you want, I can turn this into a printable one-page checklist or make a short boss-only guide with exact item spawn locations and film counts. Which would help you most?