A 360-Degree Scan Pattern for HAUNTED's Mixed Reality

Your room is the nightmare, and rooms have four walls. Arms burst through them, monsters stand in doorways, and the Teleporting Witch is in front of you and then behind you. A HAUNTED awareness scan pattern gives you a repeatable way to keep track of all of it, without relying on luck.

The idea

Instead of reacting only to what you see, you run a short, regular check of every direction. It is a technique borrowed from the way many people drive: mirror, mirror, shoulder. You do not stare; you sample.

Step 1: Pick a home position

Stand in the centre of your cleared play area. From the middle, every wall is roughly the same distance away, so no direction is a blind spot. Stay inside your boundary.

Step 2: Learn the quadrants

Divide your room into four quarters: front, right, back and left. Name them in your head. Doorways and large furniture make useful landmarks. For example, "sofa quarter", "door quarter".

Step 3: Sample on a rhythm

After each threat you deal with, check one quarter you were not facing. Over a few threats you will have covered them all. If nothing is happening, a slow turn through all four takes only a few seconds. Turn from the feet, not just the neck.

Step 4: Let your ears set the priority

Spatial audio places every scrape and whisper at a real direction. If you hear something from the back-right, your next sample goes there. Sound sets priority; the pattern fills the gaps.

Step 5: Return home

After each check, return to the centre and a neutral stance. This prevents drifting toward walls and keeps your weapons ready.

When the pattern breaks

Intense moments will overwhelm any system. If you lose the thread, stop, take a breath and begin again at your home position with the front quarter. A simple restart is better than trying to remember where you were.

Adapt to the chapter

• Arms in the walls: the pattern is a lifesaver, since any wall can break.
• Teleporting enemies: sample quickly and trust sound.
• Drills that follow your eyes: this one reverses the rule. Do not stare; use quick turns and listen.
• Tight spaces: shorten the pattern and keep movements small.

Train it with no monsters

Practise in the shop or while waiting between chapters. Walk through the four quarters with your eyes up. It looks silly, but it builds the habit without any pressure.

Know your limits

All of this is exhausting. HAUNTED contains sudden loud sounds, flashing and darkened light, gore and jump scares. If you feel unwell, take the headset off. For the full list of nightmares and features, see the HAUNTED page.

Why a pattern beats "being alert"

Telling yourself to be alert is vague, and vague instructions collapse under stress. A pattern gives your brain a script: check the next quarter, return to centre, repeat. It also spreads your attention instead of locking it onto the loudest thing. Because mixed reality puts the threats in places you can physically turn toward, a physical habit is the right tool. Try it with a small twist: say the quarter name quietly as you check it ("door... sofa... window"). Naming keeps your mind engaged and slows the urge to rush.

Small adjustments for different rooms

In a narrow room, the pattern becomes front-back with quick side glances. In an open-plan space, add a fifth point: the largest open area, where something can approach from a distance. If your room has a prominent doorway, give it extra samples, since the page places monsters in doorways.

FAQ

Why do threats come from behind in HAUNTED?

The game uses your real room, so any direction can be used. The page mentions the Teleporting Witch being behind you.

Where should I stand to see the whole room?

In the centre of your cleared play area, inside your boundary.

Does scanning work for the drills?

No. The drills strike if you stare, so use quick turns instead.

How often should I scan?

After each threat and whenever sound suggests something new.