Can enemies be fought with the torch?
No — avoidance and light management only. No attack damage on creatures.
Scarlet Deer Inn Torch Guide
Scarlet Deer Inn torch guide: brazier chains, foliage burns, spare torches on walls, water extinguishing, and staying alive in darkness underground on Steam.
Underground sections showing brazier relighting, foliage burns, and darkness threats.
~6 min read
At A Glance
The Scarlet Deer Inn torch is your only defense underground. Handheld torches lit from braziers push back darkness; letting the flame die means death or segment resets. Attu Games built Scarlet Deer Inn as a narrative platformer where *"The only thing protecting you is your torch"* — not armor, not swords.
This guide covers relight habits, foliage burns, spare wall torches, lever-gated vertical layers, and the chase where you follow another light source. Read alongside walkthrough Part 2 and enemies for creature behavior.
| Element | Function | Failure mode |
|---|---|---|
| Handheld torch | Player light radius | Extinguishes in water |
| Brazier | Checkpoint relight + foliage ignition | Safe once lit — persists |
| Wall torch | Backup pickup in side rooms | One-time grab until placed |
| Creature light | Safe zone during chase | Not player-controlled |
| Foliage gate | Blocks path until burned | Requires lit torch to clear |
How does the torch work in Scarlet Deer Inn?
Pick up torches from pillars or walls using the interact binding — same key as NPC dialogue. Transfer flame to braziers with interact while holding a lit torch. Attack foliage blockers while lit to burn through; unlit attacks do nothing.
There is no combat stat — light equals safety. Platforming still applies: break crumbling floors with attack, crouch under low tunnels, pull levers while managing flame. See controls for default binds.
Light radius behavior
Your handheld torch creates a circular safe zone. Edge-hugging jumps are risky — center yourself before crossing gaps. Screen transitions do not auto-extinguish flame unless you enter water or a scripted chase segment.
Wall torches vs braziers
Braziers are permanent checkpoints — once lit, they stay lit for the save. Wall torches are consumable pickups you carry; grab them before exploring dead ends so you have spare flame if water douses you.
Brazier chains and relighting rules
Treat every brazier as a save point. After lighting one, relight the handheld torch even if the room looks bright — the next screen may extinguish you or require a long jump without wall torches nearby.
Part 2's maze is a chain: pit ladder → first brazier → foliage gate → lever room → elevator floor → spike corridor → shortcut wall → platforming toys. Missing one relight snowballs into death spirals.
- Do01Light brazier → relight handheld every time
- Do02Burn foliage only when torch is lit
- Do03Open cracked walls when passing — persist forever
- Do04Grab wall torches in side rooms before long loops
- Do05Never explore new screens with unlit handheld
Broken levers and elevators
Some levers break after one use but open stone doors or elevators. Light the brazier on the new floor before exploring branches — never enter a dark room hoping a lever solved lighting for you.
The elevator sequence requires pulling a floor lever, crawling back, then using the elevator lever to descend. Bottom floor has its own brazier pair before the spike corridor.
Dead-end branches
Side paths often hide toys or spare torches. Open shortcuts by attacking cracked walls — hidden shortcuts. The rag doll room is a dead-end upper platform — light fully before breaking decaying floors.
Stone slab doors
Pull right lever, pass through, relight, pull left lever (breaks) to open the stone slab. Wait for full open before crossing — the floor beyond collapses into water and extinguishes your torch, triggering the chase.
Map the maze next
Matched by build plan, shared topics, and guide progression — not random related links.
Water, foliage, and darkness threats
Foliage gates require flame to clear — light the nearest brazier first, then burn the plant wall. Unlit contact does not progress the route.
Water pools douse your torch instantly. Cross quickly and relight on the far side; do not explore dark rooms while wet-handed. The chase segment begins specifically after a water collapse.
Pure darkness without any light source kills — backtrack rather than guessing jumps. Enemies stalk outside your radius; there is no health bar.
Spike corridors
Spike traps require timing while lit — your light does not disable spikes. Light the brazier beyond the corridor before attempting the run so death respawns you at a relight point.
Decaying platforms
Breakable floors drop you to lower layers — sometimes intentionally toward toys, sometimes toward water. Look down before attacking floor tiles; the shepherd's flute room requires deliberate floor breaks.
Platforming while managing flame
Jump distance is fixed — no sprint stat. Short hops use tap jump; long gaps need running starts. Crouch tunnels appear after crate puzzles — push crates first, then crouch through with torch still lit.
Crate room flow: push right → crouch tunnel → grab shepherd's flute → push again → climb crate → relight → break decaying floor. Dropping torch to push is not required — interact works while lit.
Crate and crawl puzzles
Crates block crawl tunnels until repositioned. If flame dies mid-puzzle, backtrack to last brazier through opened shortcuts rather than repeating lever sequences from scratch.
Miller stealth (late game)
Held Breath uses crouch stealth without torch in the miller segment — separate from Part 2 maze. See achievements when you reach the Golden Distaff path.
The light-chase segment
After the stone slab floor collapses into water, follow a creature carrying light across moving platforms. Stay inside its illumination circle — falling out resets the segment.
Do not try to relight your own torch mid-chase until the top ladder. At the ladder, stop pursuing, relight from a brazier or wall torch, and continue right to Horace (Kuba's wooden horse). Run upward through ladders to surface.
Chase tips
Jump early rather than late — the light moves on rails. Center Elise in the glow; edge-walking fails on narrow platforms. If you reset repeatedly, pause between attempts to learn platform timing.
After the chase
Horace pickup triggers Sweet Memory if it is your first toy. Cross the village back to the inn for the Noon Witch revelation — walkthrough aftermath section.
Backtracking with shortcuts lit
Once cracked walls open, braziers stay lit, and foliage stays burned — return paths shrink dramatically. This is why Steam advertises hidden shortcuts: second passes for All Together take minutes, not hours.
Plan your first underground run to open every cracked wall even when the main path does not require it. Toys in side rooms (spinning top, stuffed bear) need these openings on cleanup runs.
100% toy sweeps
Carry collectibles checklist during backtrack. Relight discipline still applies — shortcuts save walking, not darkness immunity.
FAQ
Do braziers stay lit forever?
Yes — return to any lit brazier to relight after water sections.
What if I die in darkness?
Respawn at checkpoint before the segment — braziers remain lit, shortcuts stay open.
Torch guide for Part 1 village?
Part 1 has no torch — mechanics start in the pit after Karel's cellar.
Steam Deck torch controls?
Same interact binding as keyboard — rebind in Settings if needed. Controls
Related pages
Matched by build plan, shared topics, and guide progression — not random related links.