When you first dive intoSouth of Midnight, it’s easy to get swept away by the dreamy Southern Gothic vibes, the cool blues soundtrack, and that thick, swampy atmosphere. You’re dropped into Hazel’s world with barely a paddle, and between uncovering ancient stuff, dodging sneaky enemies, and exploring beautifully eerie backwoods, there’s a lot to take in. And that’s where these tips come in.
Review: South of Midnight
Compulsion Games deliver a fresh new world and intriguing story we won’t soon forget.
This game is sneaky in the best way. It doesn’t shout its best features from the rooftops. Some of the most useful mechanics, coolest upgrades, and even collectible hints are just there, waiting to be discovered by curious eyes or stumbled upon by accident. And these tips will help you discover them.
8Don’t Play Hard Mode
If you were thinking of tackling this game on hard mode for bragging rights, extra loot, or some shiny platinum badge of honor, sorry, friend, but there’s no secret prize waiting at the end. Cranking up the difficulty in South of Midnight doesn’t unlock anything extra. No bonus cutscenes. No exclusive gear. No secret ending. Nada. Whether you breeze through on easy or sweat it out on Advanced, the story unfolds the same way.
The action in South of Midnight leans more atmospheric than adrenaline-fueled. You’ve got a small pool of magic moves—Weave, Pull, Push—each with cooldowns that limit how often you can get fancy. So, most of the time, you rely on regular attacks to get the job done. The atmosphere, the characters, and the slow, mysterious journey you take with Hazel are what makes South of Midnight appealing, not the difficulty setting.
7Be on the Defensive During Boss Fights
When it comes to boss fights, don’t expect to go swinging like John Wick. Blocking boss attacks is almost impossible and their patterns are sneaky. So your job is to be on the defensive to survive for as long as possible. You’ll be constantly dodging, rolling, and waiting for that one glorious window when the boss finally lets its guard down. That’s your cue. Not before. Not after. Just then.
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This isn’t about chipping away at a health bar every chance you get. In fact, hammering away while the boss is shrugging off your attacks is pointless and dangerous. It’s not about overpowering your enemy; it’s about outlasting them and striking only when it matters.
6Blindly Following the Guiding Strand Will Make You Miss Out on Collectibles and Floofs
The Guiding Strand comes in handy when you’re not sure where to go next. But here’s the catch: if you stick to its path without applying common sense, you’re going to walk right past a whole world of hidden goodies.
Cool collectibles in this game are usually tucked away in side alleys, quiet corners, and winding paths that the Guiding Strand conveniently ignores. And the most important of these items are Floofs, which is basically an upgrade currency. So yes, follow the Guiding Strand when you’re stuck. But if you really want to uncover the heart of South of Midnight, trust your instincts, wander off the beaten path, and hunt for those Floofs.
5Weave is a Must-Have Ability
If you’re fighting a bunch of Haints and things are getting crazy, Weave is a skill that can save your life. When you use Weave, it stops an enemy from moving. They freeze in place, stuck like they’re caught in glue. While they’re frozen, they also suffer more damage from your attacks. That means you’re able to hit them harder and finish them off faster.
If youupgradethis skill with something called “Stigma Bane,” it gets even better. This upgrade makes frozen enemies take even more damage, which is perfect when you’re getting attacked from all sides.
4You Can Use Only One Health Coil for Difficult Combat
There’s no limit to the number of times you can use health coils if you’re playing on Easy or lower difficulty. Just pop one after another until you’re back to full health and ready to kick some Haint.
But if you decide to crank up the difficulty to Normal or higher, Health Coils are much more scarce. You get just one use for each fight. This makes the game a bit more intense, and you’ll need to think carefully about when to use your healing.
3Avoid Mushrooms
If you’ve been happily exploring and gathering floofs, the game makes things a bit annoying as you get to the fifth chapter and start seeing those exploding mushrooms. These little fungal jerks blow up the second you come near them.
I’m not talking a light puff of spores; I’m talking full-on kaboom. One wrong step, and you’re eating damage. And if that wasn’t enough, they respawn. So it’s best to avoid them as much as possible.
2Crouton is a Useful Companion During Combat
Crouton, Hazel’s ragdoll companion, is more than just a cute sidekick. Seriously, Crouton pulls more weight than some of your actual enemies. You can chuck Crouton straight at an enemy, and instead of just bonking them on the head, he possesses them. The enemy basically switches teams for a bit and starts beating the stuffing out of their old pals while you sit back and enjoy the chaos.
This is especially clutch when you’re facing a crowd. You can take control of a big enemy, let them smash up the cannon fodder, and clean up the rest while he’s on your side.
If you’re the kind of player who sprints past NPCs and skips through text, you’re going to miss a lot in this game. Every note you find, and every line of dialogue from that random NPC you always ignore, all matters.
The next NPC you meet might just save you from backtracking an entire chapter. They’ll drop subtle hints about what lies ahead, where to look for collectibles, or how to deal with those trickier enemies that don’t go down with your usual fireball and dodge-roll combo.
