Summary
The world ofThat’s Not My Neighboris one plagued by dangerous and often disconcerting doppelgangers, but the game’s Nightmare Mode raises both the horror and difficulty to new heights. Moreover, while the game as a whole may seem simple, there is a surprising level of intricacy to Nightmare Mode on close inspection, such as various secrets which can provide new insight into the Doorman’s world. Between these and other changes, mastering and fully exploring Nightmare Mode can be a notable challenge even for those familiar with the game’s Arcade Mode.
That’s Not My Neighborutilizes gameplay notably similar to theindie job simulator gamePapers, Please, tasking the player with examining various documents and investigating discrepancies to decide if the people trying to enter the Doorman’s building are who they say they are. Any irreconcilable issues are indications that the person on the other side of the window is a Doppelganger, whose disguises can range from incredibly obvious to near-perfect. Nightmare Mode turns this premise on its head, with the Doppelgangers now attempting to imitate a range of already-inhuman people, leading to some incredible examples ofvideo game body horror.
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Nightmare Mode Gives That’s Not My Neighbor A Higher Difficulty
Doppelgangers Are Harder To Identify
Nightmare Mode transforms the Doorman’s office into a gore-splattered version of itself, as befitting the literal nightmare it is, with living eyes rolling in the corners of the window frame. Among the most notable changes to the actual gameplay is thatany Doppelganger that avoids detection will now immediately attack the Doorman, instead of at the end of his shift. Naturally, this leads to a game over, essentially making Nightmare Mode as a whole a gauntlet. Additionally,Nightmare Mode always ends with the Nightmare Clown asking to play a game of cards, which must be won to complete the run.
In contrast to allowing Doppelgangers in, the consequences for misidentifying legitimate residents of the building are less immediate. One mistake will cause The Entity, a purplish face with hollow eye sockets and a gaping mouth, to appear on the opposite wall. A second unnecessary call to the D.D.D. will then cause it to attack. In this way,Nightmare Mode is slightly more forgiving of the Doorman consigning undeserving Neighbors to a deadly fate. It is also worth noting that drawing the Entity’s wrath once is required for full completion of the game, as it unlocks the HEADACHE achievement.
Including the Collector achievement, rewarded for unlocking all other achievements, there are a total of eight in-game achievements that can only be unlocked by playing Nightmare Mode.
In Nightmare mode, discrepancies in both appearances and documentation can be much more difficult to identify, and although most of the Nightmares do have Arcade Mode counterparts, they can have different personal details and living situations. This means that although it is possible to memorize the details found in the in-game files, people will have to begin any memorization from scratch in Nightmare Mode. On the other hand, as Nightmare Mode handles game overs differently to Arcade Mode, the player’s win/loss history in the former does not affect the latter’s own letter grade-based scoring system.
Nightmare Mode Features A Brand New But Familiar Cast Of Characters
Nightmare Mode Puts Twists On Arcade Mode’s Characters
In addition to Nightmare Mode having counterparts of all 20 Neighbors, it has several additional randomly appearing characters, all with their own unique behaviors. For example, the Mask Ghost appears multiple times in a row, which would normally be indicative of a Doppelganger. In her case, however, she must be let into the building three times to progress, as indicated by her repeatedly saying“Three times”to the Doorman. Similarly, Peach is a particularly rare VIP character in Nightmare Mode who can be allowed into the building without issue, despite also being a deadly Doppelganger in Arcade Mode.
Nightmare Mode can also sometimes offer new insights into the Neighboursof Arcade Mode, most notably in the case of Anastacha Mikaelys. In Arcade Mode, she lives with her mother, Nacha Mikaelys, but her Nightmare Mode counterpart has a different living situation. Quachil Uttaus lives with Yog Sothoth, the Nightmare version of milkman Francis Mosses (who himself normally lives alone). This, combined with the two characters having the same eyes and the habit of saying “Mmm,” indicates thatFrancis is actually Anastacha’s father. Although their similarities are evident in Arcade Mode, Nightmare Mode is where the connection is directly acknowledged.
There are also plenty of direct references to variouspopular horror video gamesin Nightmare Mode, such as Xuchilbara Lobsel Vith, otherwise known as the Nurse, whose design is clearly based on the Nurses ofSilent Hill. Similarly, Orcus Dis Pater continues his Neighbor counterpart’s reference to theFive Nights at Freddy’s series. Dr. W. Afton is clearly based onFNAF’s infamous William Afton, the Purple Guy, and Orcus Dis Pater’s design is based on his Springtrap persona, complete with remnants of a yellow costume (albeit without rabbit ears) and purple skin.
Secret Lore Is Hidden In That’s Not My Neighbor’s Nightmare Mode
Clues About Operation Trojan Horse
Nightmare Mode also provides some intriguing world buildingregarding the wider setting ofThat’s Not My Neighbour, namely the origins of the Doppelgangers themselves. It is possible for a Hooded Man to appear during a run and give the Doorman a piece of paper showing a code and a link to an actual encoded web page,dddsecrets. As shown by Reddit userChickynuggiesgud, when properly deciphered, this page reveals the existence of Operation Trojan Horse, a secret military project directed by an “Oswald D. Keppler” and which had Dr. W. Afton himself as its lead researcher.
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It seems that Operation Trojan Horse, which began ten years prior to the events of the game, created Doppelgangers to serve as infiltrators of some kind, but they have proven unwilling to follow orders. Subsequently, an Evolutionary Algorithm Project has been proposed as a training program. However, details of the Doppelgangers' existence have also been leaked, leading to the Doppelganger Detection Department being formed as a contingency. Notably, as the report closes by noting the project as being both “active” and “promising,” meaningthe in-game Doppelganger incursions may actually be deliberately engineeredas part of the Evolutionary Algorithm Project.
Nightmare Mode is in all respects the “hard mode” ofThat’s Not My Neighbor, and rewards people for playing it with some interesting lore. Although Nightmare Mode is canonically the Doorman’s literal nightmare, and not reality, it is hard to believe that anything presented in such a complex manner as Operation Trojan Horse is not canonical, especially as the Hooded Man could easily be a representation of a real encounter that the Doorman has had outside of Arcade Mode. In any case, Nightmare Mode offers a fresh challenge even to experienced veterans ofThat’s Not My Neighbor’s Arcade Mode.
