House 2 runs on a 6-hour loop from 6:00 PM to midnight. Key timestamps: cat urinates at 7:00 PM, storm and clown spawn at 9:00 PM, Lois shows up at 10:00 PM and turns evil by 11:00 PM. Save Melody by flushing the toilet before 9:00 PM. Known safe codes: 287, 734, 129, 139, 942, 346255, and 392 (door). The gun one-shots the mom and dad bosses. Save all family members for the good ending; kill everyone for the evil ending; explore the desert to unlock the true ending by saving Kimo. The secret boss Mr. Fingers appears after breaking the TV.
Image: First Ending
Why the Time Loop Is the Real Enemy
I’ve played through House 2 multiple times now, and the loop isn’t just a mechanic—it’s the entire puzzle box. Every death resets you to 6:00 PM, but your knowledge carries over. That’s the game’s core design philosophy: experiment, die, retry, optimize.
The journal tracks everything. Deaths, achievements, collectibles, and progression all feed into it. My rule: if I hit a wall, I stop fighting and start experimenting with the environment instead. House 2 rewards curiosity more than combat skill.
The First Hour: Prologue and Setup
The prologue drops you into a new home with Tabby and her sister Melody, adopted by Lois after the events of House 1. You meet Marty the snail, Tulip the fish, and a cat. Flush the toilet here—it triggers an achievement.
The prologue ends when you sleep. The loop starts at 6:00 PM sharp. From that moment, the clock is your real opponent.
The 6-Hour Cycle: Every Key Timestamp
| Time | Event | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 6:00 PM | Loop starts | — |
| 7:00 PM | Cat urinates | Clean it or risk hazards |
| 7:43 PM | Pizza arrives (if ordered early) | Optional |
| 8:00 PM | Chores deadline for saving Melody | High |
| 9:00 PM | Storm starts, clown spawns, lightning strikes | High |
| 10:00 PM | Lois shows up | Prepare |
| 11:00 PM | Lois turns evil | Combat or avoid |
| 12:00 AM | Loop ends | — |
The lightning at 9:00 PM is both a threat and a tool. Hold the anvil in the right spot and it gets electrified—useful for killing enemies. Hold it in the wrong spot and you die. I learned that the hard way.
Characters You Need to Understand
| Character | Role | How to Handle |
|---|---|---|
| Tabby | Protagonist, one-armed | — |
| Melody | Sister, dies early if ignored | Flush toilet before 9:00 PM |
| Lois | Adoptive mother, turns evil | Fight or avoid after 11:00 PM |
| Cat | Pet, easy to lose | Baseball to distract, fish to poison |
| Marty the Snail | Speed buff companion | Place on head after enough deaths |
| Dog | Hostile initially | Feed pie or banana |
| Horse (Majesty) | Later area, recruitable | Give pie |
| Shadow Man | Night enemy | Use spirit bell from saving 3 rats |
| Dad | Boss | Gun works |
The snail is a trap. It doubles your movement speed, but the game calls you out for using it. I tested it anyway—the speed is real, but so is the shame.
Boss Fights: What Actually Works
Blocking does not win rounds. Offense is the only path forward. Here’s what I found for each boss:
Lois (early game): Dissolves into a puddle when killed. She’s a warm-up boss—learn her timing, then punish.
Melody (sister boss): Fast, attacks every two hits. Stay aggressive. The gun ends this instantly.
Dad: Larger knife, slower but harder hitting. The gun is your best answer here too.
Mr. Fingers (secret boss): Appears after breaking the TV. Two phases, fast and erratic. The sponge is your friend—use it to clean the arena between phases.
Tip: The gun has limited ammo. Bullets cap around five normally, but you can push it to seven. Save at least one bullet for the dad fight.
Safe Codes and Environmental Puzzles
Safe codes are randomized each loop. Known codes from my runs: 287, 734, 129, 139, 942, 346255, and 392 for a door. The numbers are hidden in the environment—walls, objects, corners. Search thoroughly before brute-forcing.
The safe holds batteries and bullets. Both are critical. The anvil breaks the toilet to save Melody. The dog stops attacking once fed pie.
Saving Everyone: The Good Ending Path
The good ending requires saving all family members. Here’s the checklist I follow:
- Save three rats → spirit bell → defeat shadow men
- Wash dishes before 8:00 PM → save Melody
- Feed the dog a banana → friendly
- Give the horse pie → recruitable
- Save the cat → baseball distraction, fish to poison
Saving everyone unlocks the “Save everyone” achievement and triggers the family-watches-TV ending.
Endings: How to Unlock Each One
| Ending | Trigger | Result |
|---|---|---|
| First ending | Kill the father | Cycle restarts |
| Good ending | Save all family members | Family watches TV |
| Evil ending | Kill everyone | Horror movie of your actions plays |
| Circus ending | Save baby Suzie from clown on TV | Circus-themed ending |
| True ending | Explore desert, save Kimo | Chains removed, direct heart stab |
The true ending requires the most work. The desert area opens after the main loop, and progress there carries between loops. Doors stay open, actions stay done—but items reset. Plan accordingly.
The Desert Area: Rocks, Buttons, and Crystals
The desert is massive. Four rocks activate stone walls. Rocks respawn, but dropping them on the ground is risky—keep them in inventory.
Moon and sun buttons stay activated once stepped on. Crystals are key items: two in the bottom right, one tied to the moon/sun buttons, others scattered. A crystal door needs four diamonds and leads to a Crystal Dagger and a gem puzzle with a specific order you’ll need to brute-force.
The tornado accelerates and chases you. The vulture can’t be interacted with using it. Green pools lead nowhere—I checked.
Warning: Taking the snail into the desert can bug out the game. Save before attempting this, or skip it entirely.
Basement and Nightmare House
The basement needs the baseball, anvil, and knife. The bear trap is chained there. Time is stuck at 22:22. Break chains, stab the heart.
Boss fights here include mummies with a brain, hands, and a mouth. The brain requires reaction, not running. The hand is fast with AoE attacks. Electrify the anvil with lightning to kill enemies efficiently.
The grandmother key doll is found here. The grandfather’s body is broken, his heart destroyed.
Death Mechanics: What Kills You and What Doesn’t
Deaths reset the loop. Common hazards: cat urine, falling fridge, toilet, hat rack, boss fights. The game tracks every death.
Things that do NOT kill you, despite expectations:
- Chandelier (doesn’t hit)
- Knife (doesn’t work as a death method)
- Butterfly (can’t crush it)
- Green pools (lead nowhere)
The cactus is likely the fastest way to die. I tested it—instant.
Known Bugs and Workarounds
- Snail in desert → game bug, requires reboot
- Credits may break due to a game bug
- Ending cutscene may not play if you’re not walking
- Interacting with a gem on spawn can bug dialogue
- Can’t pause in certain situations
The credits bug is frustrating. After beating Kimiko’s Curse again, you return to House 2 for the true ending—but if the credits break, you might not know if you actually finished.