The Sinking City Cheats and Tips
PC, PlayStation 4, Switch, Xbox One
Last Updated: by Dennis
The Sinking City is a third-person detective adventure game that is inspired by the works of horror author H.P. Lovecraft. The game is set in the fictional city of Oakmont, Massachusetts during the 1920s and the story follows private investigator and war veteran Charles W. Reed who plagued by nightmarish visions of a drowned city travels to the waterlogged town of Oakmont to find answers. Check out our The Sinking City cheats and tips to find out how you can progress in the game and solve the mystery of Reeds visions.
Cheats, Tips and Strategy
Below is a collection of hints and tips that will help you to progress in the game. These include... As well as these hints and tips we also have a mini-guide here which goes into more details on some of the tips we have below:
Save the Game
Make sure you manually save the game before conversations as some of them will require you to make choices which will have different consequences. Doing this will allow you to revert back if you realise you made a wrong decision and it also enables you to test the various options, keep in mind however that some will only become apparent later on in the game.
Fast Travel
You can fast travel using the phone booths that are scattered around the city of Oakmont once you have activated them. The phone booths are not visible on the map, you have to find them as you exlore. Check out our Mind's Eye Guide to find out how to use Reed's supernatural ability.
Swimming
Although Reed can swim it is advised that you don't jump into the water as you will get attacked by eels after several seconds which will cause your health points to gradually drop. When you need to get across a body of water make sure you use a boat. Boats will almost always appear when the land ends and the flooded part of the city of Oakmont starts. You can also use the 'Shift' key on your keyboard to speed up any boat Reed uses.
Magnifying Glass Icon
All research sites are indicated by the magnifying glass icon. The colour of this glass indicates different stages of your progress. Gray - the necessary evidence was not found, yellow - you have found all the key evidence, green - you have found all evidence and earned experience points. If you play The Sinking City at a low difficulty level, the game will inform you that you have completed a location. Check out our Investigating Tips Guide to find out more about how to find clues.
Read Evidence
Make sure you read the descriptions of the evidence you collect as there is always the possibility that they contain valuable clues such as an address you can investigate or a person that can be tracked which will help further your investigation.
Avoid Enemies
Early in the game when Reed does not have additional weapons, grenades, or traps it is advised that you avoid or escape from enemies whenever possible. The only time you should consider engaging in combat with the enemy during this stage of the game is when they prevent you from exploring a location related to the current investigation.
Save Ammunition
There will be instances where traces and interactive elements will be hiding behind locked doors or behind wooden boards. Don't waste your ammunition trying to get them, you will be able to bypass these types of obstructions by using a melee weapon which do not have durability to destroy the lock or board after a few hits.
Recovering Health
It is important to remember that Reed's health does not replenish by itself so it is advised that you have at least one first aid kit in your inventory every time you engage the enemy. First aid kits can be crafted in your inventory using two alcohol and one spring coil or they can be found as loot.
Mind's Eye
Activate Mind's Eye when you are exploring locations that are marked with a magnifying glass and you experience image distortion. Check out our Walkthrough, Guide, Strategy to find out more about fast traveling in The Sinking City.
Mental Health
The state of Reed's mental health is indicated by a blue bar and whenever Reed experiences a traumatic experience or he kills innocent NPCs this bar will deplete as a result. The more mental health that Reed loses the more serious the hallucinations he will experience, some of which will take the form of shadow monsters. When this happens do not waste ammo trying to shoot them, just run away and either wait until the blue bar regenerates itself or take medicine that will calm Reed down (you can craft these items). It is important that you do this as Reed can die when he loses the entire blue bar.
Unlock Side Cases
The main way of unlocking the various side cases in The Sinking City is to meet NPCs. These side investigations are worth doing as they are an opportunity to get additional experience points and some of them are releated to Trophies/Achievements.
We hope these tips help you out in the game, but for further help, try our beginners guide, we also have some FAQs for The Sinking City, you can also submit your own questions there for other players to answer.
The Sinking City walkthrough and guide
Latest updates to our guide:
The Sinking City FAQ's
Our Latest Questions
| Where is the Fish Market? |
| The Fish Market does not immediately appear on the world map. You must reach the Eastern part of the Shells district and talk to Anna. |
| How can you get loot safely without going into infected areas and facing many enemies? |
| Find buildings marked with a white 'H' symbol on the doors that you can enter |
| How do you get blueprints? |
| You get a blueprint when you get an item for the first time. |
| How do you know if you have the correct photo? |
| The correct photo will have a white border around the frame. |
| Where is the Folding Camera? |
| You will be able to find this item in the cabin where you start the game. |
Can you help answer any of these questions?
| How many types of boats are there? |
| Why do I die on the first hit by an enemy? Or how can I get better weapons also? |
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The Sinking City walkthrough and guide
Latest updates to our guide:
