Beginner Guide: Your First Escape - MONOCHROME Wiki
Everything a first-time player needs, from what the opening slides actually teach to the habits that keep you alive long enough to find the keys.
Overview
You start sealed inside a small room with no weapons, no powers and no visible way out. Every tool you need is inside the level: four keys for the deadbolts, one four-digit code for the elevator panel, and a hiding habit strong enough to keep the corridor creature off your back. This guide walks a first run from the opening slides to the ending screen without assuming you already know the map.
Watch a First Run
Before you touch the door, watch a short guided run. Seeing the corridor order once removes most of the panic that gets new players caught, and it shows how the pry prompt behaves when you approach the boarded exit for the first time.
Your First Ten Minutes
This is the exact order a first run should follow. Skipping a step does not just slow you down, it usually sends you back through rooms you already cleared, which is where most beginner deaths happen.
Work through these in order and you will reach the final panel on your first serious attempt rather than your fifth.
Read the tutorial slides
They explain the monster, the escape objective and the optional Radar gamepass. Play through them fully before dismissing the panel.
Pry open the marked door
Find the boarded doorway labelled DO NOT ENTER, stand close until the pry prompt appears, then hold E until the planks fall away.
Descend and scope the loop
Walk the corridor network once without opening furniture. Learn which rooms connect and where the closets are before you start making noise.
Search the far rooms first
Clear the rooms furthest from your spawn point, then work back. Noise draws the creature, so save nearby rooms for last.
Habits That Keep Beginners Alive
None of these habits are exciting, and all of them matter more than reflexes. Internalise them early and the corridors stop feeling random.
Listen First
Footsteps and breathing tell you which lane the creature is walking before it ever appears on screen.
Mark Your Closets
Note every hiding spot you pass so a chase never ends in a dead-end corridor.
Walk, Don't Sprint
Normal movement keeps your noise profile low and buys you room to react.
Search Every Drawer
Keys hide in furniture rather than on the floor, so a half-searched room is a wasted trip.
Backtrack Deliberately
Only return through a corridor you already know is clear, not one you hope is clear.
Note Bright Areas
Brighter rooms usually mean progress. The elevator area is the brightest point on the level.
Understanding What the Slides Tell You
The opening slides are not flavour text. They introduce the monster's existence, restate the four-keys-and-one-code objective, and mention the optional Radar gamepass that some players use to track movement. Ten seconds of reading saves a lot of confusion later.
They also establish that this is a horror experience rather than a puzzle box. There are no enemies to fight and no weapon pickups, so every encounter is solved by positioning, patience and knowing where the nearest closet is.
Finally, the slides confirm the exit is sealed rather than locked. That distinction matters because it tells you the door you need is opened by progress, not by a hidden item you might have missed.
Beginner Mistakes and Fixes
These are the four failure patterns that show up in almost every first-run recording. If you are dying repeatedly, you are almost certainly doing at least one of them.
| Mistake | What It Costs | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinting through corridors | Pulls the creature directly to you | Walk everywhere except during an active chase |
| Searching one room twice | Wastes minutes and makes extra noise | Clear the far rooms first, then work back |
| Ignoring the closets | Nowhere to break a chase | Memorise two hiding spots per corridor |
| Trying the panel early | Panel is inactive, run wasted | Collect all four keys before visiting the elevator |
What to Do the Moment You Spawn
The first sixty seconds set up the rest of the run. Get these done before you commit to searching anything.
- Read the tutorial slides completely rather than clicking through them.
- Locate the boarded door marked DO NOT ENTER and check the pry prompt works.
- Walk the corridor loop once at normal pace to build a rough mental map.
- Identify at least two closets you can reach quickly from the main hallway.
- Check the brightness of each area so you recognise the route back to the elevator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do first in the game?
Read the tutorial slides, then pry open the boarded door labelled DO NOT ENTER by holding E. Walking the corridor loop once before searching anything keeps your first run organised.
Do I need the Radar gamepass to escape?
No. The slides mention it as an optional aid for tracking movement, but every route on this wiki is completed without it.
Why do I keep getting caught in the first few rooms?
Search noise is almost always the cause. Furniture and doors attract the creature, so clear the rooms furthest from your spawn point before the ones beside it.
How many keys do I actually need?
Four. Each key opens one deadbolt on the exit route, and the elevator panel stays inactive until every lock is open. See the key locations guide for the search order.
Can I fight the monster?
No. There are no weapons in the level, so every encounter is solved by breaking line of sight and reaching a hiding spot before it closes the distance.
What is the code at the end?
The confirmed panel code is 5343, entered at the elevator control panel. It is an in-game puzzle solution rather than a redeem code, as explained on the codes page.
How long should my first escape take?
Expect 25 to 40 minutes. Most of that is duplicate searching, and once you know the key order a clean run drops well under ten minutes.
Is it better to play with friends on a first run?
Solo is easier to learn on. Groups cover ground faster but generate far more noise, which pulls the creature toward the largest cluster of players.