Little Nightmares
22 Achievements
10-12h
Hard to the Core
What’s different about you? Why are you so brave?
0.4%
How to unlock the Hard to the Core achievement in Little Nightmares - Definitive Guide
For this achievement you'll need to beat the game under 1 hour and without dying at all.
The worst part is the timer.A perfect run will takes you nearly 55 minutes so you'll need to be quick and don't make any mistakes.
You can't quickly quit the game during a death because there's an autosave in the same time.But if you are afraid to beat the game in one go like me,for the Xbox One version you can use the Cloud save to cheat the death.
So,in short:
- Play offline
- At the end of a chapter go online,finish the chapter and quit to the main menu after starting the next chapter (to make a backup save online)
- Go offline
- Repeat
If you die online it's dead.And if you die offline,simply go to the dashboard,go to manage the game and erase the local save (the only save available offline).Go online and download your cloud save.Go offline again and continue your walkthrough ;-)
Also here's a full walkthrough for this achievement (all credits to Games Series Network):
Some tips:
- Try to finish the game 2 or 3 times.You'll need to learn perfectly the game.
- Use a walkthrough if you want to be sure about a tricky part
- You can pause or dashboard the game ! The timer is freezed during the pause.
- Obviously,don't collect any collectibles during this run,you don't have the time for that !
- Don't hesitate to run during the infiltration sequences.The IA is a little stupid and give up easily.You can most of the time rush from start to the end of a room in one go.
- If you're in a bad position you can restart to the previous checkpoint.It's not counted as a death (but i'm not sure about timer,i used this trick 2 times during my run and won the cheevo at the end,but be careful)
Good luck and have fun !
Don't hesitate to like and comment my guide if it's useful,thanks a lot !
1 - The Legit Way
I would recommend completing the game at least 2 times in full before attempting this achievement. You must memorize every sequence and the order of the rooms in order to get your time down enough. Obviously, do everything you can to save time. Make sure you sprint when possible, and try to avoid unecessary sections when possible. There is room for errors but not a lot.
- Loading times do not count
- Pausing and restarting a checkpoint does NOT count as a death. Use this to your advantage for tricky platforming sections to save yourself from a fall or if you think you are about the get caught. It will add time to your run but will save you from a death.
- I would recommend completing the game even if you die to make sure there are no other sections that will give you issues. If you die multiple times on the same section, practice using chapter select before attempting it again. I would also recommend doing the whole game in one sitting without pausing for a break. You will ruin your flow and are more likely to make a mistake otherwise.
- Just keep practicing and trying. This achievement isn't as hard as it may seem. After 3-5 playthroughs, you should be easily able to complete the game within an hour and just need to make sure that you don't die.
2 - The Offline "Cheese" Method
I personally did not use this method, but some gamers may find this solution more suitable for their skill level. It involves using cloud save data and playing offline. It will allow you to play the game one chapter at a time and "save" your progress if you're happy with your run. It will require you to have the license of the game, so keep that in mind if you gameshare.
This strategy goes as follows:
- Disconnect from internet
- Start "New Game"
- Complete a chapter while offline and stop right before it ends.
- Connect to the internet if you are happy with your performance and complete the chapter to "lock-in" that run.
- Quit Little Nightmares
- Repeat the process for every chapter individually making sure you connect and complete the chapter if you are happy with it.
- If you die, dashboard out of the game and connect to the internet. Load the game and "load cloud save".
- Repeat the steps until you beat the game.
This will allow you an infinite amount of attempts at each chapter, but will still require you to complete the game in under an hour and without dying.
If anyone is having trouble keeping under the time limit, I would HIGHLY recommend checking out a speedrun of the game. The world record is about 40min at this point and some of the exploits they utilize are very simple to do and save a TON of time. Obviously there are some I wouldn't recommend trying as they are very high risk with little reward. However, adding even a few of these methods to your run would not only help you shave some time off, but I find it lets me be a little more careful while crossing those damn pipes/rafters to ensure I don't blow my run.
Here is a Reddit post that includes a few good skips you can use:
https://www.reddit.com/r/speedrun/comments/68h589/little_nig...
And here is a speedrun I watched that help me visualize some of those skips:
I take no credit for any of this information, I simply found it very helpful and hope it helps some other people get this b*tch of an achievement.
Happy Gaming People!
Having read their guide on the cloud save not immediately updating, I trialed the following and found it to work:
- Select New Game and play as usual.
- Whenever you see the save symbol appear in the bottom right corner in a clean run, exit to main menu, go to home and quit the game. By quitting the game, the cloud save will update immediately with a clean run to that save point.
-Reload and contine playing. If you make a mistake/die/take too long, go straight to home, manage game and delete local save. DO NOT QUIT THE GAME (as it'll override your clean run). This will then reload your previous clean save when it downloads from the cloud.
Bear in mind, this adds quite a bit of time because of loading screens, but if, like me, you have distractions (children...) so can't continuously practice for one clean run in one go, I found this method worked well to chip away over time.
I found all other tips to be vague when trying to attempt this on my own so I figured I would list what worked for me. I decided, after many failed attempts at getting the offline/cloud method to work, to treat it like it was a steam game. On steam the save files sync immediately after you completely exit the game.
1) Start fresh: delete all local and online cloud saves
2) Launch the game while connected to the internet and start a new game
3) Personally I completed the first level while connected to the internet before deciding to use the offline method. So complete the first level and wait until the beginning of the second level loads up.
4) Once the second level loads up immediately pause and exit to main menu
5) Close the game using the "Quit" function (this completely kills the application
6) Now since you were playing the game online throughout the first level the local save file will start you at the beginning of level 2.
7) Before doing anything else go to your settings and disconnect from the internet.
8) Re-launch Little Nightmares (in offline mode) and select to resume game
9) *****If you happen to die while attempting level 2 immediately "Quit" out of your game session (no need to go to the main menu) and go to your local save files and delete the save game information. It is important to note that sometimes you may have to delete it twice before it is completely cleared. Before re-launching Little Nightmares connect your console to the internet. When you relaunch the game it will sync the save that was uploaded to the cloud and you can continue from there with zero deaths.
10) Use this method after every level to create a backup save.
Relevant notes:
-Pausing will not add to in game time
-Restarting a checkpoint before the death registers will not count as a death
-If you want to be connected to the internet when the game pops your achievement I would suggest waiting until you've completely killed the geisha. Once the geisha is dead just pause the game, connect to the internet and finish the ending. (This is the method I used and it worked)
-The achievement will not pop until you start ascending the stairs after killing the geisha and walking through the Gluttons with your newly acquired power.
Final Note: The tips above are my notes on what worked for me after reading many different strategies and trying multiple different methods.
Just want to point out that the previously mentioned method with cloud saving is overly complicated.
I just went out and deleted the local save when I died in an otherwise clean run and reloaded the game (so the game redownloads the cloudsave). All online.
At least my game didn't upload the death to the save right away even if the game registrerad the death (no 'reload checkpoint' available)
This guide for those who cannot get the achivement otherwise!
I tried to use all 7 guides here. None of them worked for me for some reason...
One of the comment suggested the following guide:
First you can play online, this offline method never worked for me...
Start New Game.
Whenever a game autosaves in the bottom right corner,
Exit to Main Menu.
Quit to Home (Dashboard) and exit the game. Wait a few seconds.
Now the cloud saves the checkpoint. You'll begin from here next time launch the game.
Launch the game --> Resume
Now if you die, quickly press pause and Exit to Dashboard/Home
Do not Exit the game!
Go to manage the game and
Erase the local save File
Start the game automatically download the latest cloud saves for you!
One things I want to mention: You don't have to exit everytime the game saves, if you sure you can do a part without dying.
I´ve found 5 videos (not mine) that explain all the trick that you can do in every chapter, also the videos put information about the time that you save and the difficulty.
Try to play safe you shouldn’t do hard skips that doesn’t save enough time.
All the credits to Nikko.
Sorry if i made a mistake with my words, good hunt gamers!!
For this trophy, you have to choose New Game in the main menu or your deaths from previous runs will still count and you won't get the trophy. When choosing New Game, you will lose all your progress as there is only one save slot so it's best to get all the other trophies first, plus this way you will know what to do and where to go.
You don't have to do this trophy in one run, it means you can quit the game and back up/reload your save to the Cloud or a USB device. There are plenty of checkpoints in the game so you can do that pretty much everywhere if you're worried about dying.
How to backup your save:
To backup your save, whilst on the XMB:
- Settings
- Application Saved Data Management
- Saved Data in System Storage
- Upload to Online Storage/Copy to USB Device
- choose the Little Nightmares save
- tick it and Upload/Copy it
Now if you die and want to reload your last save, whilst on the XMB go:
- Settings
- Application Saved Data Management
- Saved Data in Online Storage or Saved Data on USB Device
- Download to System Storage or Copy to System Storage
- Choose the Little Nightmare save
- Tick it and Download/Copy it
- The game will ask you if you want to overwrite your save, say "Yes"
There is a simpler and faster method of uploading/downloading your saves to/from the Cloud if you have the 4.50 or higher firmware update installed:
- Highlight the game, then press .
- Scroll up to the Upload/Download Saved Data tab, then press .
- Now chose either the "Upload All" or "Download All" options, then press to confirm your choice.
You can copy/paste all 3 different Little Nightmare saves, it's fine for this trophy.
You can also reload the last checkpoint if you're about to die or if you lost too much time, the timer will reset to the last checkpoint but reloading the checkpoint if you die will not reset your death. If you see the saving icon it means your death is registered and you will need to reload your save from the Cloud/USB or retry.
Pausing the game will stop the timer, unfortunately there is no way to know your current time but don't worry too much as I got this trophy while doing some mistakes and reloading a lot of checkpoints.
Here are some tips to help you throughout the game:
- Chapter 1
This chapter is really not difficult, the only way to die is to fall off a platform or being grabbed by the Leeches but they barely move and you can easily avoid them by jumping. Sprint as much as you can with and when your character is hungry, jump with to save some time.
- Chapter 2
The first time you'll see the Janitor you don't have to stop and hide, you can just run and use the little hole on the right, move to the far right on the next room and he won't see you. Wait for him to leave and open the hatch with the crank. You don't have to fully open it.
In the area with many shoes, don't stop when jumping on the suitcases and jump with so the monster doesn't catch you.
In the library, you don't have to climb the pile of books, you can crouch and sprint to reach the next area.
When fighting against the Janitor's arms, you will have to climb the cages on the back and jump when he's moving his arms from the door. Now jump and grab the cage under the door, do this two times to kill him.
- Chapter 3
In the first area with the Chef, crouch and sprint at the same time to stay undetected. Once in the second area, you can sprint and climb the shelf at the back on the right. In the room where you have to get the key, don't lose your time to wake up the second Chef. Climb the shelf, grab the key and it will automatically fall and wake him up. Hide under the bed and follow him when he's leaving. Hide inside the little box when you're in the elevator. When in the kitchen with the 2 Chefs, get out of the ground using the second hole and sprint until the next room on the right. Pull the crank and hide under the table on the left.
- Chapter 4
When you're on the table with all the Guests, sprint and jump to avoid their arms. When the crawling Guest is facing you, go to your right and climb the shelf. Wait for him to be stuck and jump on him to pass him.
- Chapter 5
Don't sprint too much in this level but wait until the Lady is chasing you. You don't want to lose your energy before as she might grab you otherwise. During the last fight, turn in rounds in the circles of light, this way you don't have to worry about her surprising you from behind.
Here is a good video if you are having trouble but remember that pausing the game stops the timer so don't hesitate to that if you want to watch the video:
Credit to PersNikity for the video
The hardest achievement in the game. You must start and finish the game within 1 hour time limit, all WITHOUT DYING. Highly recommended you play the game once or twice to get acclimated to everything, because following a guide for this run will probably add too much time to the game clock unless you're really good and pausing and figuring out on the fly. Using pause or dashboard DOES stop the clock, so use that if you need to. Also, in your first run you can get collectibles, leaving you to fly through the game in a second playthrough without worrying about them.