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Aquatic horror finds a murky home in Silt, an atmospheric puzzler teeming with deep-sea creatures for you to possess. From menacing Blockheads to photophobic leeches, manipulating the denizens of the dark is the only way to clear the obstacles in your path and stay alive - hopefully long enough to learn what exactly you're doing down here in the first place.
Don't be fooled; though pretty to look at, these real-life sea monsters can still prove dangerous. Ensure y🎉ou get the most out of your thalassic mystery with our handy tips and tricks ﷽guide.
Soldier For The Controller
Gravity doesn't feature heavily down in the depths. Things bounce and float into places they ought not bounce or float, and that is mirrored in the game's mechanics. However, this can make navigation extra hard for PC gamers as the mouse portion of your KBM setup is rendered useless. If the ASD and arrows configuration has you frustrated, try using a console controller for easier maneuverability of the Div🅺er and their possessed entities.
Under (Water) Pressure
Silt relies heavily on a combined audiovisual atmosphere, so be sure to use headphones! Its carefully designed soundscape evokes the unsettling, cavernous silence of the sea, with nothing but air bubbles, snapping jaws, and the faint lapping of hungry leeches to keep you company - and sometimes, you hear them before you see them.
Man The Periscope
At the start of each puzzle, don't forget to use the camera controls to conduct a quick scan of the area before going much further. Light sources are few, but even a small peek ahead could save you a nasty jump scare from a hidden foe. Check the narrow walls of any tunnels for bulb-like creatures that squirt ink to obscure your vision, and watch out for the sharp teeth of hidden sea snakes, which slither out to chase you!
Plenty Of Fish In The Sea
Just seen an interesting-looking critter and wondering what it is? You'd be well advised to try possessing every creature just in case they serve a useful purpose, whether that be headbutting a wall to clear the way or baiting a gulper eel out to break up a boulder for you. Sadly, feeding your enemies to each other won't clear them from the map; new foes will spawn in their place even after you steer them into the welcoming jaws of a larger predator, so don't let the power of soul transference go to your copper-helmed head.
Make sure your in-game body is safe when you start body-hopping! You can still get fatally wounded whilst your soul is possessing another creature, so don't leave your meat suit unattended for too long and ensure that no damage-dealing enemies are nearby.
Just Keep Swimmin'
The first few puzzles are slow-paced enough to let you take in the atmosphere and adjust to the controls. Once you clear these levels, however, keep your finger on the sprint key and strive to maintain a constant, steady speed. Sluggish swimming makes for a poor getaway plan, opening you up to clumsy navigation as you risk slamming into walls by accident. Avoid getting tangled in the scenery mid-chase by zooming through narrow places as fast as possible.
Die, Die, Die My Darling
Sometimes, the best way to figure out what to do is to figure out what not to do. The quickest way to work that out? Let yourself get eaten (or killed) once or twice by whichever beast is giving you a hard time. You'll respawn at the beginning of the level otherwise unpunished by the game as you have no collectibles to lose, so embrace each death as a chance to learn. Getting gobbled up or defeated will make the enemy less scary each time, givi🌠ng you reassurance for what to expect and (hopefully) how to avoid a repeat performance.
Pretty Fly For A Small Fry
Don't overlook the little guys! Even if they can't chomp their way through ocean debris, possessing one tiny fish gives you control over both him and his entire shoal. The shoal's nimble movements make them tricky prey for nearby enemies, allowing you to slip through virtually any toothy ambush to clear the path ahead.
You're Gonna Need A Bigger Lamp
The monochrome colour scheme doesn't just create a dramatic visual aesthetic - it reflects the instrumental role of light and darkness in your gameplay as well. Some creatures are attracted to the watery lamplight fitted to your helmet, whilst it serves as a useful deterrent to others. Turning your lamp off sometimes plummets the screen into total eerie darkness, and other times the bioluminescent glow of your surroundings will suffice. The horror of Silt lies in the unknown entities waiting for you in the shadowy depths, so you can even treat your lamp as a difficulty toggle w⛎hen you wish to immerse yourself that much deeper into🔯 the world.