Game hubs → Halloween: The Game → Walkthrough → Prologue
Prologue: Escape From Smith's Grove walkthrough
First-clear route for this reported story-mode stage. Follow the required HUD objective. Optional challenges and extra kills are replay work.
Chapter titles below are reported by English walkthroughs and commonly shown in story mode. IllFonic's official story post says players guide Michael across six chapters, but it does not print this full title list. Sources: official story reveal · Whisper of the House · Into Indie Games · TPose Gaming.

Reported title: Prologue — Escape From Smith's Grove
Broad area: Smith's Grove Sanitarium grounds (official story framing)
First-clear signal: When the HUD becomes lowering or opening gates, prioritize the exit over clearing every orderly.
Required HUD order
Into Indie Games lists the story beats in this order. Use the on-screen prompt, not a memorized key:
- After the opening cutscene, walk the marked path. IIG notes Michael is sedated: abilities are locked and he cannot run yet.
- Kill or terrify the first orderly. Stalk builds automatically as you close in (IIG: circle fills on the target's back); grab when the prompt appears, then time the execute input — IIG warns against mashing the execute immediately.
- Find a way to the lower gate. Keep moving with the marker rather than looping the yard for extra orderlies.
- Turn off the power box, then pry open the nearby gate. If an orderly interrupts the pry, IIG says deal with that one person and return to the gate.
- Reach the back of the station wagon unnoticed. IIG: wait until the driver moves left, then slip behind the car to end the stage.
Objective order: Into Indie Games Prologue walkthrough (3 September 2026) · Whisper of the House.
Items & interactions (sourced)
- Power box + pry gate. IIG lists these as the required exit pair after the lower-gate objective appears.
- Telephone-pole / railing executions. IIG places optional challenge setups near the power box (pole to the right, railings to the left). They are not required for the wagon exit.
- Station wagon. Official story framing and IIG both end the Prologue on escaping via the wagon, not on a 100% orderly wipe.

Watch a full story clear (unofficial)
Player video covering the single-player chapters end-to-end. Use it as a visual check against the HUD route above — not as official IllFonic documentation.
Common time sink
Whisper of the House: once the objective becomes finding a way to lower the gates, remaining orderlies are not the story job. Killing everyone before escape is a listed challenge and conflicts with a quiet or fast first clear.
IIG lists six Prologue challenges (terrify, multi-execute, telephone pole, railing throw, no-alert, clear all) and notes they cannot all be done in one attempt — leave them for chapter replay.
After the wagon cutscene, the stage ends and the road sequence begins. Continue in Chapter 1: The Road To Haddonfield.

Optional vs required
Official copy says each chapter has secondary challenges and collectibles. They are not the story handoff. Open the optional challenges page only when you are replaying this stage.
This chapter FAQ
Do I have to kill every orderly in the Prologue?
No. English first-clear guides treat remaining orderlies as optional once the gate / power objective appears. Clearing every orderly is listed as a separate challenge, not the story handoff.
Is Escape From Smith's Grove an official chapter title?
It is reported by English walkthrough hubs and commonly shown in story mode. IllFonic's official story post confirms a Smith's Grove escape and six chapters, but does not print this exact title.
All six stages · Spoiler-light chapter list
Halloween hub pages
Is Halloween: The Game out now?
Launch status, modes, platforms and official store links.
Halloween: The Game hub →Which story chapter am I on?
Spoiler-light six-stage navigator. Titles are labeled as walkthrough-reported.
Chapters & story stages →How do I clear story mode once?
First-clear advice: HUD objective first, optional challenges later.
Story walkthrough hub →What maps launched with the game?
Official four-map launch list with high-level location notes.
Multiplayer maps →Which challenges are optional?
Secondary objectives vs the main HUD route, attributed to English walkthroughs.
Optional challenges →What are the Steam-listed PC specs?
Current Steam minimum and recommended PC specifications, quoted exactly.
PC system requirements →How do you start as a Civilian or as Michael?
Role orientation for story mode and 1v4 multiplayer from official copy.
Beginner's guide →Which edition should I buy after launch?
Verified USD prices and live Deluxe contents. Advance Access is historical.
Standard vs Deluxe →All game hubs
Back to The Sinking City 2, Townfall and other survival-horror hubs.
Browse games →