Chapter 1 in Little Nightmares is known as The Prison, wherein you will be meeting Six, the character you will play for the rest of the game. With that in mind, the chapter introduces a lot of the gameplay and storyline and does not disappoint in terms of mystery. Throughout this chapter, your objective will be to escape.

Due to the introductory nature of this chapter, you will have minimal run-ins with any of the creatures that you will encounter later in the game. However, there will be many puzzles that can be quite tricky to solve without dying. A lot of them can be quite frustrating on your first (or maybe fiftieth) try, and it can help to have some guidance.

Updated November 9, 2023, by Sean Murray: If you're just getting started with Little Nightmares, this walkthrough is here to help. We've also given it a fresh formatting pass and more links to other helpful Little Nightmares topics.

Escape The Prison

The game will commence with your character, Six, waking up in an open suitcase. From here on out, be sure to make use of your lighter (B on Xbox and Circle on PlayStation). As you head left, you will come upon a lantern. The lanterns double to save your progress, so be sure to light them.

There are 20 lanterns throughout the game. Collect all of them, and you will unlock the Light Up Your Life achievement.

Head through the tunnel and go up the flight of stairs. You will pass an opening at the top of the staircase, wherein you can find the first of ten Geisha statues. Smashing all ten of these statues will give you the Rascal achievement. Slide under the door to enter the next room and climb onto the bed using the suitcase to get through the hole.

If you jump on the bed long enough before going through the hole, you will unlock the Highly Sprung achievement. It might take a few tries but keep at it until the notification for the achievement pops up.

The Refrigerator

In this room, you will find a man’s feet dangling above an empty chair. Drag the chair to the door and climb it to help elevate you. Jump and grab the door handle to open the door and enter the next room.

Go towards the refrigerator and pull open the door. From behind the refrigerator, you will see a Nome run out. Follow it through the hole in the wall to the far right of the screen. This will lead you to a small gap where you will find another lantern as well as the Nome standing still. Light the lantern and hug the Nome by grabbing it.

13 Nomes can be found throughout the game. Hug all 13, and you will unlock the Little Lost Things achievement.

Go back the way you came and climb up the front of the refrigerator. Move across the platform until you reach the next room while avoiding the black slugs falling from the ceiling. They will kill your character if you touch them or move too slowly.

Watch Out For The Slugs

Climb onto the box in the middle of the room and jump and grab the switch to open the next door.

Upon entering this room, you will find a door boarded up. Grab the plank at the bottom of the doorway and pull it until it gives. Crawl through the opening.

In the next room, you will fall through the floor after walking a few paces. Do not panic as this is part of the storyline. You will end up in a dark room. Quickly put your lighter on and move forward.

The room is filled with slugs, and they will try to attack you.

Get to the door as quickly as possible before pushing it to escape.

A Matter Of Speed

After jumping across the gap, you will see another lantern. Be sure to light it before climbing the ladder next to it. Follow the Nome across the plank and go up the staircase. There will be a walkway leading to another gap with another staircase on the other side. Jump across and go up this second staircase.

You will find yourself on a platform that you will have to jump across. There will be a lever/wheel that needs to be turned on the other side. Once you jump, you must turn the wheel, and you will see that the door to the next room will have opened on the side from which you just came.

Brace yourself before letting go of the wheel, as you will need to run and jump across very quickly to make it through the door. Try to slide underneath the door as it is closing if you feel you will not make it in time.

Turning Off The Electricity

Go through the hole to the next room, and you will find a white rope you will have to climb. Above you, you will catch your first glimpse of the Janitor, but it will not see you. Once the Janitor disappears, you will be able to climb the rope and enter the next room.

You will find another lantern in the back corner of this room that you will need to light.

Enter the next room and close the door behind you. You will see a switch next to the door. On the opposite side of the room is an electrical gate. Drag the case of toilet paper over to the switch and climb on top of it. Jump and grab the switch to pull it down, and this will shut off all the electricity.

After this happens, a timer will start, and you will need to sprint through two gates before the electricity goes back on. You will have to move fast, as you will be stuck in the conjoining toy room if the electricity goes on before you pass through the second room.

Avoid The Light

You will continue walking until you come into a room with a motion-detecting light. Be careful not to get caught in the light as this will kill your character.

You can make your way across the room by hiding behind the objects in the foreground and moving when the light is pointed elsewhere. An easier way would be going to the back of the room and following the wall as the light will not be able to detect you at all.

On the other side of the room, you will find a lantern on top of one of the cages. Climb up and light the lantern. After this, climb to the top of the cages and walk across them to your right.

Once you drop-down, follow the Nome into the tunnel. You will find another lantern in this room as well as another Nome you can hug.

Go back the way you came and climb up the cages again. This time, climb up onto the wooden platform. Go left and follow the path until you find an open door with your second Geisha statue in the corner.

Break the statue before going back the way you came. Enter the next room.

Hunger Pangs

You will enter a dark room filled with babies in their cribs. Turn off your lighter and quickly hide under the closest crib. The Janitor will enter the room. Wait until it moves off to the left of the screen before you run to the next room with your light still off.

Quickly climb the cages in the next room and follow the bookshelves to get to the hole in the wall. After you drop into the following room, Six will kneel over and hold her stomach. This is also part of the story, and she is now hungry. Your character will slow down significantly but try to move to the back of the next room as quickly as possible as she will die if not fed soon.

Moving to the back of the room will activate the sequence that will get Six food. The boy in the background will get up and come to the bars. He will throw a piece of bread through. Go and grab it and your character will then eat it.

A Lot Of Climbing…

Climb the cases at the back of the room after eating the bread and slip through the gap in the metal bars. You will enter a room with a noose hanging from the ceiling. Continue walking through the shower area until you emerge in a large room filled with cages.

Walk along the platform to the cage closest to the electric gate and climb it. Moving to the back, climb the cages until you reach the top.

Once there, you will spot another lantern. Light it before jumping to the swinging cage. Climb the chain until you reach the next platform.

Jump to the platform and climb up until you reach the lever. There is a switch at the back of the room. Pull this to bring the swinging cage up. Now, pull the lever and this should bring the cage closer. Be quick in your actions as you push the lever back before running and jumping onto the moving cage.

Ride the cage to the other side and wait for it to stop moving. Climb the chain and jump to the next platform.

Playing With Electricity

In the next room, you will encounter another switch. Go to the office drawer on the left of the room and pull the bottom one out all the way. Climb it and pull the second drawer out halfway. Climb this before climbing upwards and sideways to get to the top of the cupboard. Jump and grab to pull the switch down to turn off the electricity.

Go through the gate to your left and light the lantern in the far-left corner of the room. Behind it, open the cage and a Nome should run out.

Follow the Nome into the room you just came from, and it will be standing in the corner next to the chest of drawers. Hug the Nome.

Go back through the gate and push the box with the rope attached into the hole. The noose you previously encountered should come up. Jump and grab the noose, making sure to hold on until you reach the bottom.

Go through the shower area again with your lighter turned on. The shower will now have slugs on the floor and falling from the ceiling. Tread carefully before crossing the platform and making your way through the gate.

Ending Off The Chapter With Some Nomes

You will walk into another motion-detecting light puzzle. Be sure to avoid the light by hiding behind the obstacles to sneak across. Or going to the back of the room and walking along the room to bypass it completely.

You will emerge on a platform with empty cages scattered about. You will need to run across quickly as the platform will split in two. Jump on the smaller, brown cage in the middle to make it to the other side before jumping on the bigger cage. Ride it to the other side before jumping onto the next platform.

You will see two Nomes in the next room. Follow them through the door to end the chapter and escape the Prison.

Achievements

In this chapter, you should have lit eight lanterns, broken two Geisha statues, and hugged three Nomes. Furthermore, you should have unlocked the Highly Sprung achievement.

Next: Little Nightmares: Chapter 4 The Guest Area Complete Walkthrough