Hiding

The Protagonist hiding from spirits

> *"Hide in these bushes, close your eyes, and do \*not\* open them no matter what happens. Do \*NOT\* open them! Do you understand?"*
>
>

Hiding is one of the vital game mechanics in all of the *Yomawari* games.

## Background

Most Spirits that are encountered during various nighttime wanderings are the byproducts of regret or unfinished business, and as such have rather uncertain motives. As a result, the more violent among them will only attack when properly provoked - namely, by making eye contact with them. Much like humans, they also require a clear line of sight, and will cease to pursue their would-be victim if they can no longer see them. The girls quickly learn this and use this to their advantage to escape their night journeys with minimal injury.

Certain spirits with more purpose and intent are not so easily dissuaded, however, and often have the capacity to pursue their target until persuaded otherwise or death. While they will still lose sight of the girls if they hide, they possess enough intellect for the situation at hand to know that their victim has not left the area, and will remain in their current position.

## Hiding Mechanic

Hiding is used by the the various protagonists to hide in certain items in the environment in order to escape from hostile Spirits. As the name suggests, the girls can hide in certain sealable large objects found throughout their wanderings, which temporarily keeps them safe from any potential ill-wishers. She will also cover her eyes for good measure, which removes all visibility but also allows her to approximate the location of nearby Sprits (which appear as reddish clouds of fog). Like normal, her heartbeat will also increase the closer a Spirit is closer to her.

Some spirits will eventually leave when the main character hides long enough, and return to their original location and routine. However, not all Spirits will leave, forcing the player to be the one to leave and run from the Spirits.

*Yomawari: Lost in the Dark* introduced a unique parody of the system. The main character, Yuzu, can cover her eyes and achieve a similar effect to hiding in a large object. Due to the lack of eye contact, most Spirits will ignore her. However, it is not a total substitute - unlike hiding in stationary objects, bumping into hostile Spirits will still result in a lethal exchange, and certain Spirits will in fact only act when not seen.

## Hiding Places

* Bushes
* Sign Boards
* Shipment Containers
* Stone Pillars
* Cardboard Boxes
* Cabinets
* Abandoned Fridges
* Abandoned Cars
* Keep Out Signs
* Fallen Tree Stumps
* Trash Bags

## Gallery

The Protagonist hiding in the bushes.The Protagonist hiding behind the sign board.The Protagonist about to hide inside the container.The Protagonist hiding inside the container.The Protagonist hiding behind the stone pillar from the Mountain Spirit and its Hand Spirits.Haru hiding inside the cardboard box.Haru about to hide inside the cabinet.Haru hiding inside the cabinet.Haru hiding inside the abandoned fridge.Haru hiding inside the abandoned car.Haru hiding behind the "Keep Out" sign.Haru hiding behind the fallen tree stump.Haru hiding inside a Trash Bag (usable item).Yomawari 3 introducing hiding 'in place sight' 1Yomawari 3 introduces hiding 'in plain sight' 2
## Trivia

* Yomawari: Midnight Shadows introduces an item, the Trash Bag, which effectively allows Haru to create a hiding spot at her current location. However, potentially due to its size, she can only carry one at a time in her pack, and it will be expended upon use.
* The Protagonist, Haru, Yui, and Yuzu all cannot be killed while hiding. However, given that most dangerous Spirits require direct contact to kill, and that they cease their pursuit the moment their quarry "disappears", this feature often does not come into practice.
* Curiously, in all of the *Yomawari* games, the introduction of this mechanic coincides with the disappearance of the protagonists' close relation that they subsequently search for.