A Plague Tale: Innocence: Walkthrough & Tips

This guide covers A Plague Tale: Innocence from start to finish: stealth and rat mechanics, sling and alchemy use, which upgrades to prioritize, a spoiler-light chapter outline, and how to collect everything for 100% achievements.

Researched September 2026, current as of the final PC release (single-player, no live updates). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• Light is life. The rats won't cross a circle of fire or light. Before stepping into the dark, look for torches, braziers and anything you can ignite.
• Stealth first, sling second. Amicia is a 15-year-old with a sling, not a soldier. Avoid fights, use tall grass and distractions, and only take shots you're sure of.
• Craft only what you need. Materials are limited and shared between ammo and upgrades. Don't craft a full bag of every alchemy type "just in case."
• Upgrade pockets early. Bigger pockets mean you can carry more ammo and materials, which makes every later chapter easier.
• Nothing is permanently missable. All collectibles save as soon as you pick them up, and Chapter Select opens after the story. Feel free to play blind and clean up later.
• Search every side path. Materials, Curiosities, Herbarium flowers and Gifts are tucked into side rooms, carts and corners.
• Keep Hugo close. He panics when left alone for too long. Holding hands keeps you together, and you can tell him to wait or come.
• The game takes roughly 12 to 15 hours for 100%. A first playthrough is somewhat less.

Story Setup (No Spoilers)

It's 1348 in Aquitaine, France, during the Hundred Years' War and the Black Death. Amicia de Rune and her five-year-old brother Hugo are forced to flee the family estate when the Inquisition, led by Lord Nicholas and the Grand Inquisitor Vitalis Benevent, comes looking for Hugo. The country is overrun by swarms of plague rats. Along the way they meet Lucas, an alchemist's apprentice; the thief siblings Mélie and Arthur; and the young blacksmith Rodric. Hugo's mysterious illness, the Prima Macula, is at the center of the story.

Core Mechanics

Stealth

• Tall grass hides you. Guards can't see you in it unless they're very close.
• Guards have vision cones. Watch their patrols and move while they look away.
• Noise attracts attention. Running on loose surfaces, knocking over armor and similar noises alert nearby guards.
• Distract with thrown objects. Pots and rocks thrown away from your route pull guards off their paths.
• Getting caught up close is usually fatal. Early on, a guard reaching you ends the attempt. Checkpoints are frequent, so treat each death as a lesson.

Rats and light

• Rats swarm anywhere dark. Fire, torches, braziers and lanterns create safe zones.
• Carry a torch when you find one to walk through swarms. Don't let it go out mid-path.
• Guards carry light too. Put out a guard's lantern or torch and the rats will take him. This is one of the game's main puzzle tools.
• Move light sources. Swinging braziers and pushable carts are how you cross large swarms.

The sling

Amicia's sling is her main tool. Hold to swing and release to throw. Its uses:

• Stunning or killing unarmored guards with a headshot
• Breaking chains, locks and hanging objects
• Hitting switches and distant targets
• Delivering alchemy ammo

Helmeted guards can't be taken out with a plain rock. You need alchemy to remove the helmet first.

Alchemy

Alchemy ammo is crafted from gathered ingredients and unlocked gradually through the story (Lucas teaches Luminosa in Chapter 7, for example). The main types:

Alchemy | What it does | Typical use

Ignifer | Ignites a fire source | Light braziers to make safe paths, burn barriers

Exstinctis (often written "Extinctis" in guides) | Puts out fire | Douse a guard's torch so the rats take him, or kill a brazier to redirect a swarm

Luminosa | Bright flash that drives rats back | Clear rat nests and create temporary safe zones

Odoris | Lures rats to where it lands | Pull swarms off your route or onto a guard

Devorantis | Makes a guard remove his helmet | Opens armored guards to a sling headshot

Somnum | Puts a guard to sleep | Quietly neutralizes a guard without a kill

Tip: Extinctis on a torch-carrying guard next to a swarm is the most efficient kill in the game. It costs one shot and leaves no noise.

Crafting and Workbench Upgrades

You gather crafting materials such as leather, cloth, scrap, string and tools from the world. Workbenches let you upgrade two areas:

Category | Upgrade tracks | Why it matters

Sling | Strings, Pouch | Faster reloads, quieter swings and more effective shots

Equipment | Pocket, Ammunition Bag, Attirail | More carrying capacity for ammo and materials, plus handling improvements

Upgrade priorities:

• Pocket and Ammunition Bag first. Capacity makes you more flexible for the rest of the game.
• Sling speed and noise next, so you can take shots more safely under pressure.
• Save alchemy crafting for when you actually need a specific solution. Crafting ammo you never use wastes materials that could have bought upgrades.

Materials can't be farmed. Replaying a chapter resets your materials to what you had when you first played it. For the two full-upgrade achievements, the trophy guide recommends focusing on one upgrade path at a time and, if needed, replaying Chapters 9 to 12 in sequence to gather materials.

Chapter Outline

The game has 16 chapters plus an Epilogue. These are the chapter names in order, with a spoiler-light note on each.

# | Chapter | Notes

1 | The De Rune Legacy | Opening chapter on the de Rune estate; sling basics

2 | The Strangers | The flight with Hugo begins

3 | Retribution |

4 | The Apprentice | You meet Lucas, the alchemist's apprentice

5 | The Ravens' Spoils |

6 | Damaged Goods |

7 | The Path Before Us | Lucas teaches you Luminosa

8 | Our Home |

9 | In the Shadow of Ramparts | Start of the recommended replay stretch for materials (9 to 12)

10 | The Way of Roses |

11 | Alive |

12 | All That Remains |

13 | Penance |

14 | Blood Ties |

15 | Remembrance |

16 | Coronation | The final chapter before the epilogue

17 | For Each Other (Epilogue) | Short conclusion; no collectibles

Chapters 1 to 16 each unlock a Steam achievement of the same name when you finish them (the Epilogue has none). "Knights!" is for completing all chapters.

Collectibles and 100%

According to PowerPyx's collectible guide there are 55 collectibles:

Type | Count | Notes

Hugo's Herbariums (flowers) | 13 | Gathered for Hugo's herbarium; tied to the "Botanist" achievement

Gifts | 11 | Small souvenirs; tied to the "Big sister" achievement

Curiosities | 26 | Lore items; one achievement for a partial set and one for all

Alchemist Carts | 5 | Enter all five for "Resource sharing"

Key facts:

• Nothing is missable. Collectibles save when you pick them up, even if you die or quit afterwards.
• Use Chapter Select after finishing the story to pick up anything you missed.
• The Epilogue has no collectibles.
• Carts are sometimes blocked by rat nests. Luminosa (Chapter 7) is used to clear some of them.

Achievement tips

• Upgrade achievements ("Not a toy anymore" for the Sling, "Handfull of pockets" for Equipment) are the main materials sink. Don't waste materials on unneeded alchemy.
• There are no missable achievements according to PowerPyx's trophy roadmap, but plan your materials for the two semi-missable upgrade trophies.
• Difficulty: the PowerPyx roadmap rates the full list around 3.5/10.
• The Steam list has 35 achievements. Seventeen are story progress (16 chapter achievements plus "Knights!"). The rest are collectibles, upgrades and one-off moments.
• Situational achievements to watch for (descriptions from Steam): "Alchemist" (craft 100 ammunitions), "The Blacksmith" (find Rodric's forge), "Herbalist" (find 6 flowers), "Tribute" (find the tomb), "More practice" (complete the aiming training), "Merciful" (save the dying), "Savior" (save a soldier), "Feeding the hungry" (find a lunch for Hugo), "The hard way" (enter through the main door), "Found!" (play hide-and-seek) and "Captain Sidekick" (stay with the captain). Most come from optional interactions, so explore and try unusual choices when the game gives you one. Look up a chapter guide if you're hunting a specific one.

Encounter and Boss Tips

• Armored guards: Devorantis to remove the helmet, then a sling headshot. Or avoid them entirely.
• Guards with light sources: Extinctis their torch or lantern when rats are nearby.
• Large rat seas: plan a chain of braziers with Ignifer and move from light to light, keeping Hugo with you.
• Boss-style encounters (including set pieces with Inquisition leaders later on) are puzzle fights. Look for environmental tools like fire sources, chains and hanging objects, and use the right alchemy on the right weak point instead of spamming rocks.
• When stuck, pause and scan the arena for anything you can light, extinguish or break. The solution is almost always environmental.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Crafting ammo you don't need. It drains the materials you'll want for upgrades.
• Sprinting in stealth zones. Noise is the most common way to get spotted.
• Standing on the edge of light. Circles of light shrink and flicker. Step into the middle.
• Leaving Hugo alone too long. He gets scared and causes problems.
• Ignoring side rooms. Materials and collectibles concentrate there.
• Trying to fight your way through. The game rewards avoidance much more than confrontation.

Advanced Tips

• Use the environment as a weapon. Dropping hanging objects on guards or luring rats onto them saves ammo.
• Learn patrol loops before moving. A few seconds of watching usually shows a gap.
• Chain alchemy. Odoris to pull a swarm, then Extinctis on a guard's light near the swarm, is a two-shot solution to many encounters.
• Check companion prompts. Companions have context actions in certain areas, and the game often expects you to use them.
• Replay chapters strategically. For materials-dependent achievements, replay chapters back to back from Chapter 9 onward rather than jumping around.

FAQ

How long is A Plague Tale: Innocence? Around 12 to 15 hours for a full completion. The main story is shorter.

Are there missable collectibles? No. Everything saves on pickup and Chapter Select lets you go back.

Can I farm materials? No. Replaying a chapter resets your materials to what you had when you first reached it.

Which alchemy should I craft most? Whatever the current area's puzzles need. Keep one or two Extinctis and Ignifer on hand, since fire and light puzzles are everywhere.

Is there a sequel? Yes. A Plague Tale: Requiem (October 2022) continues Amicia and Hugo's story, and Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, a prequel starring Sophia, released on 27 August 2026.

Is there a TV adaptation? A television series adaptation was announced in March 2022.

Sources

• Steam store page: A Plague Tale: Innocence
• Wikipedia: A Plague Tale: Innocence
• PowerPyx: A Plague Tale: Innocence trophy guide and roadmap
• PowerPyx: A Plague Tale: Innocence all collectible locations
• Steam news: Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy releases August 27