Putting you in the role of a painter gone mad and no longer able to interact with his fellow man, Layers Of Fear (reviewed here) has you exploring the rooms of an old house as a metaphor for unlocking the truths in your mind.
There are three main endings to be found while playing through this intriguing psychological horror experience, and getting each ending involves changing how you interact with the mansion around and the ghost of your wife.
Figuring out how to get all three ending sequences is a big part of the Layers Of Fear experience, as there’s a clear correlation between how much time you spend facing your wife (or how you choose to treat her) and what end you receive.
If you’re having trouble getting all three and need some extra help, here we walk you through the specifics. For more help discovering every nook and cranny of the abandoned mansion, also be sure to check out:
- Layers Of Fear achievements guide
- Layers Of Fear tips and tricks walkthrough
- Layers Of Fear family memento locations
- Layers Of Fear whispers locations
- Layers Of Fear rat drawing locations
Layers Of Fear Wife Ending
This “cycle repeats” neutral ending doesn’t have a strong resolution one way or another, so correspondingly don’t go too crazy in any direction to get this ending. Pick up as few items as possible (only those required to move the story forward), and only trigger a single wife death scene during the course of the game.
This ending seems like its going well but quickly turns dark when the portrait shifts from a healthy young woman to a dead, skeletal thing with the painter ranting about how he “almost had it this time.” He then throws it into the other room, revealing a huge pile of the same portrait, clearly having been painted over and over as the main character tries to work through his madness.
Don’t turn the game off yet after you get this ending! Shortly after the cutscene, you will have the opportunity to walk forward and grab a book on a table, allowing you to unlock the “Sketchbook of the Damned” achievement.
The Wife Portrait Ending
Layers Of Fear Self-Portrait Ending
To get this “selfish” ending, you have to avoid your wife and instead, go your own way. Don’t walk towards your wife whenever you are able and trigger as few of the death sequences as possible. To cement the chances of getting this ending, jump down the hole, follow the rats near the end and don’t push the wheelchair in the weird hallway.
After revealing the final form of his magnum opus (a self-portrait, rather than anything focused on his wife or child), the painting is put in some sort of gallery or museum. This ending seems to indicate the painter worked through his anguish, overcome his madness, and reclaimed his ability to paint non-terrifying things.
Self-Portrait Ending
Layers Of Fear Mother And Child Ending
This is the non-selfish ending where you break through the madness but remain fixated on the past. To get this ending, always move towards your wife and trigger every scene involving her, pick up all her mementos, and push the wheelchair found at the end of the game.
This time the final painting features both the wife (wearing something different than in the first ending) and her child. The endings seem to be connected, as you’ll walk into another room and see a pile of paintings of the wife (similar to the first ending, but without them all having gone skeletal).
Overcome by grief and realizing the truth of what’s happened, the painter then lights them all on fire and burns alongside them. Kind of a real downer, huh?
Mother And Child Ending
These were the methods we used to get all three endings, but there may be more with all the different options to take in the game – let us know if you found a different way to get each Layers Of Fear ending!
