Safe rooms (sometimes called vaults or save rooms) are your main hubs for saving progress, managing inventory, and storing excess items in this Resident Evil-style survival horror game. They function a lot like classic RE typewriter rooms but with a shared storage system.
How Safe Rooms Work
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Saving | Interact with the gramophone (or similar device) to save your game. |
| Item Storage | Use the suitcase/storage box. Items stored here are accessible from any other safe room later. |
| Inventory Management | Drop excess ammo, healing items, crafting materials, or puzzle pieces you don’t need right away. Inventory space is very limited early on. |
| Other Uses | Some contain ERC crates (once you have an Activator Pen/Handle), talent/Sleep Essence stations, maps, notes, or shortcuts. |
| Accessibility | Usually marked by a distinct door symbol or located near story progress points. They are safe from enemies. |
Pro tip: Always clear inventory space before major combat sections or bosses. Store extras, grab what you need for the next stretch, then move on. Returning later is easy because storage is shared.
Known Safe Room Locations (Main Story Path)
These are the major ones confirmed from early walkthroughs and guides (game released today, so more may appear as full maps are completed). Locations are listed roughly in progression order.
| Area / District | Location Details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Opening / Near Floodgate | First safe room — door with a strange symbol shortly after docking and entering the building near the initial floodgate/airlock | Earliest one. Great for learning the system. Save + store after grabbing fuses. |
| Residential / Radio Store Area | Nearby apartment building utility areas and related shortcuts | Useful while solving the 1908 safe code and fuse puzzle. |
| Redemption Church | Door beneath the stairs inside the main church hall | Contains a Sleep Essence note/item and talent chest. Exit the other door for backyard access. |
| Near Whale / Store (post-church) | Inside the store after dealing with the whale obstruction — head left | Grab the Field Surgeon shotgun nearby and Cemetery Key. |
| Printing House / Workshop Area | Office connected to the workshop (right side after getting A.P.H. Key) | Near printing press secrets and gear collection. |
| Devil’s Reef Hotel | On the left when heading downstairs toward the basement (after talking to Lorelei/the siren) | Convenient before the gas shut-off section. Map and Hotel Log nearby. |
| Arkham Fish Market / Warehouse | – Left side near Market Floor / Warehouse entrance – Second-floor safe room (unlocked with Bolt Cutters after Snowflake Key) | Multiple in this zone. Use the second-floor one as a shortcut hub. |
| Gallery / Later Interior Sections | Far end of the Gallery | Good stop before heavier encounters. |
| Akeley / Saint Mary’s Hospital | To the right of the main entrance | Safe room + ERC crate (open later). Ideal before exploring the hospital proper. |
| Pre-Boss / Broken Hold Areas | Bottom of stairs in certain red-lit corridors or near major set pieces | Explicitly recommended for stocking ammo/healing before big fights (e.g., Shoggoth). |
Effective Usage Tips
| Situation | Best Practice |
|---|---|
| Before a boss or heavy combat | Visit the nearest safe room. Dump non-essentials, load up on ammo + healing, save, then proceed. |
| Inventory full mid-exploration | Backtrack to the closest safe room rather than dropping items on the ground (they can despawn or get left behind). |
| After finding an ERC Activator Pen | Return to any previously locked ERC crates near safe rooms for inventory upgrades, weapon parts, or supplies. |
| Talent / Sleep Essence management | Some safe rooms (like the church) have stations — equip only the talents you want active on the mask. |
| Speedrunning / efficient clears | Use safe rooms only when inventory is critical or right before known tough sections. Skip optional looting loops. |
| Exploration | Safe rooms often sit near shortcuts or maps. Check the other exit door — many create useful loops. |
Safe rooms are plentiful enough that you rarely have to go far, but the tight inventory means you’ll visit them regularly. Treat them like rest stops: save, reorganize, restock what you need for the next leg, and keep moving through the flooded streets of Arkham.
As more complete maps and community guides drop in the coming days, additional minor safe rooms may turn up in side areas. For now, the ones listed above cover the critical path solidly. Stay sharp out there.
