Playing Tricks

*We each have our own demons. They are ours and ours alone...**This article is about The Dark Pictures Anthology's second installment,* ***Little Hope***
***.***

## Chapter Guide

**Playing Tricks** is the fifth chapter of Act 1 in *Little Hope* and the seventh overall.

The player controls Andrew (Theatrical Cut) and Angela (Curator's Cut) as they meet a strange girl along the road.

## *Main Road, 11:49 P.M.*

The group leaves the bar and heads to the town after hearing the bells ringing, although they can return to the bar and explore its courtyard, where they can find a secret and a picture. Walking along the road, Andrew and Angela lag behind the others. On the way, they find a stick doll suspended from a wooden fence.

* If Taylor found the same doll by the bus, Andrew will mention that and that John said they ward off evil spirits. Angela asks where John had this idea, to which Andrew replies that he is a professor and reads a lot.
* If Taylor doesn't find the doll, Andrew will assume it's some kind of effigy and warning or some other spiritual significance.

Angela feels uncomfortable and when Andrew asks about it, she replies that she doesn't believe in the supernatural. Andrew can reply that some people do, or that he is not superstitious either, but cannot explain what happened to them in the fog.

Andrew agrees with Angela that they need to catch up with the others and keep walking down the road until one of them sees someone in the woods. Andrew/Angela says this to Angela/Andrew, but she/he does not believe, claiming that they do not see anyone and if there is someone in the forest, they are gone. When John shouts to the guys to stick together, a creature appears behind them, and then they are startled by the noises from the woods. They think that it was one of the guys, but without hearing an answer, continue to walk along the road. The two begins to hear a child's voice and then find a straw doll by a circle of stones.

When Andrew picks up the doll, they see a girl grabbing Andrew's hand. The girl asks what their names are and introduces herself as Mary. She says that she is fashioned poppet with her own hands, after which she asks to play with her and starts jumping around the fire. A hooded woman appears and asks Mary what this witch's trickery is. Mary replies that she hasn't done anything, and the woman says that she sees who she really is and that Reverend Carver's affection for her will be shaken loose when he learns of her infidelity with the Devil. Andrew and Angela stand up, attracting the woman's attention and upon seeing them, leaves in shock. Mary manages to call the woman by her name, Amy, after which the others arrive and ask what happened.

Andrew and Angela tells them about Mary, but the guys don't believe them, thinking that they were imagining because of the fog. Andrew says that Mary looked the same as the girl in his dream, but spoke with a different accent. Daniel notices a bruise on Andrew's arm and asks if Mary wanted to harm them. Andrew can say that she didn't want to harm them or she could be malicious.

* If Andrew says that Mary is malicious, his arm will hurt and Angela will notice that he is burning up. Andrew will receive a locked trait *Anxious*.

John will say that their only choice is to go to the town and, despite Taylor's protest, they will continue to move on.

## *Meeting The Curator*

The Curator meets the player in the repository and says things escalated rather quickly. Then he makes a subtle comment about John's decision to take a drink.

* If John didn't take the drink, the Curator will say everything that one does or doesn't do, in one's life will catch up with one eventually. He asks the player about it and tells them to not look at him, because he can't help them.
* If John took the drink, he will say that everything is fine in moderation, interrupt himself, and cite Shakespeare - "Lord, what fools these mortals be".

The Curator speaks broadly about the survivors' situation and their relationships, culminating with the questioning of whether Mary is in trouble or *is* trouble. Then he summarizes the protagonists and comments on the player’s choices thus far.

* If all the protagonists have only default traits so far, the Curator will congratulate the player.
* If a protagonist got a locked trait, he'll say the player will regret their choices later.

After mentioning the stranger's rudeness at the bar and that the protagonists might be in danger, the Curator gets up from the desk and dismisses the player, urging them to find the bus driver.

## Collectibles

### Secrets

* Visitor's Map - Can be found outside the bar to the right.
* Poppet - Can be found to the left of the main road next to an empty campfire. Cannot be missed.

### Pictures

* Familiars - Can be found on a picnic table outside the bar to the right.

## Trivia

* In the early version of the game, Amy appeared without a cloak and her face was visible.
* This chapter was featured in the first gameplay that was shown for *Little Hope*.