A normal shift in Shift at Midnight never stays normal for long. Even if you miss a doppelgänger, a random employer task, or a monster, they can change your quiet night into a survival night for sure. It is important to know how all these threats operate because that is what decides the outcome of the shift.
This Shift at Midnight Survival guide will explain all major monsters, bosses, random events, and survival mechanics that are currently available in the game. You’ll also learn how to identify dangerous situations, avoid common mistakes, and deal with each enemy using strategies that always work. Every section is based on the current version of the game, so you can jump straight to the information you need.
What Is Shift at Midnight?
Shift at Midnight is a co-op horror game for one to three players where you work the night shift at a lonely gas station in the middle of nowhere. Your job looks simple on the first nigh. You stock shelves, accept deliveries, clean the store, and serve customers throughout the night.
The real danger starts when you realize that not all the customers are human.
Some visitors are doppelgängers disguised as ordinary people. You have to identify them by matching their ID card details to the database on your store’s computer. If you fail to spot them, they won’t attack immediately. Instead, they will return later as a Entity and will make the rest of your shift far more dangerous.
As the night progresses, new creatures will also appear with different behaviors. You’ll need to inspect customers, reinforce the gas station, set traps, hide from powerful enemies, and sometimes fight your way through the night.
Every shift is randomly generated, so you can’t rely on the same strategy every time. If you want to survive the night, then you’ll have to learn how each enemy behaves. The below Shift at Midnight walkthrough will help you a lot, so read it carefully.
Why You Should Never Miss a Doppelgänger
The biggest mistake new players make is thinking that missing one doppelgänger won’t matter.
It does.
Every doppelgänger that you complete a transaction with instead of killing will eventually return as the Entity. There’s only one Entity in the game, but every missed doppelgänger causes it to come back later. When it appears, your only option is to hide until it leaves.
At first, you’ll see everything working fine. Customers will continue arriving, the store will stay open, and you won’t see anything unusual.
But it will not last for long.
He will force you to spend more time in hiding, checking corners, and looking for safe routes. You won’t be able to focus on your regular tasks.
That’s why I recommend that you always identify doppelgängers, and kill them as soon as possible. Your main goal is to complete objectives and earn money. But even one fake customer inside your gas station can turn an easy shift into a nightmare.
To detect a doppelgänger, use the computer.
The database always shows correct, verified information.
If you suspect one, use the gun beneath the counter and shoot the doppelgänger.
Be careful, though. If you kill an innocent customer (real human), it will cost a $15 penalty. However, the money is deducted from the store’s balance, not your personal funds.
So make sure to think before taking any wrong decision as it can directly reduce the store’s earnings.
Car Doppelgängers
As your shift progresses, you’ll have to do more than just manage the store. Cars will occasionally come outside the gas station and honk, asking for fuel. Before you can help them, walk over to the car, open the driver’s window, and ask, “How may I help you?” The driver will tell you how much fuel they want.
The tricky part is that either the driver or the car itself can be a doppelgänger. Never start fueling until you’ve confirmed everything is normal, and both the driver and the car are real.
You can verify the vehicle in several ways:
- Inspect the car with your flashlight and look for anything unusual.
- Check the items inside the vehicle and question the driver about them. Wrong answers are a major warning sign.
- Look up the license plate in the database and compare the registered details with what you see in front of you.
If everything matches, fill the requested amount of fuel and tell the driver, “You may leave now.”
If you confirm that the driver or the vehicle is a doppelgänger, shoot the driver immediately. This destroys both the driver and the car, preventing the threat to ruin your shift.
Random Employer Tasks
During a shift, your employer may assign a random side objective. Every task has a 60-second timer, so you have to react immediately and complete it within that time.
When you complete a task, you will be rewarded with an extra $10–$30. If the timer expires, you will lose the reward.
Mouse Extermination
In this task, mice start running around the store. The store manager asks you to kill all the mice within 30 seconds to get a bonus. But it is not as easy as it sounds. The mice run really fast in this game.
You have several ways to deal with them:
- Pick up a mouse with the right mouse button and throw it against a wall.
- You can also shoot them with your pistol.
- Check every room carefully because mice can appear almost anywhere.
Tip: You can pick up a live rat and throw it into the dumpster to earn $3.00. Killing the rat only leaves a body part that gives $0.10 when discarded.
Cockroach Extermination
Cockroaches start spreading across different parts of the store, and you must kill every one before time runs out.
The Water Cleaner is the best tool for this task.
Move through the store room by room instead of running around randomly. Your task can fail even if you miss one cockroach, so make sure to check all the rooms and every corner.
Tip: You can hit one cockroach with your mop to receive $0.10. The dead bug will also leave a stain behind, and cleaning that stain rewards another $0.10
Store Cleaning
Sometimes your employer will ask you to clean the store immediately.
When this objective starts, dirt will suddenly show up throughout the store.
Start cleaning the store immediately instead of finishing another job first. Move through each section in order so you don’t miss any dirty spots before the timer expires.
Collect Meat in the Forest
This is one of my nightmare mission. The storemanager asks you to collect 15 pieces of meat scattered throughout the forest.
The Forest is located behind the gas station, and unknown creatures can be found roaming inside.
While searching:
- Stay aware of your surroundings.
- Don’t wander farther into the forest than necessary.
- Return to the store as soon as you collect the final piece.
Tip: Grab a Trashbag and the torch to complete this mission. There is no light in the forest. You can also place a bear trap in your way to kill univited creatures.
Remember that the store doesn’t close while you’re outside or doing another task. Customers and other dangers can still appear, so don’t spend more time away than you have to.
How Does Ventilation Work in Shift at Midnight?
The ventilation system can save your life, but it isn’t a place where you can hide forever.
Many new players climb into the vents and wait until the danger passes. The game doesn’t allow that. If you stay inside for roughly 20 to 30 seconds, a massive wall of living flesh will start moving through the ventilation shaft.
Once it reaches you, it completely fills the tunnel and will force you back out, often into an even worse situation.
How to Use Ventilation Properly?
Use the vents as a quick escape route instead of a permanent hiding spot.
- Stay inside only long enough to avoid immediate danger.
- Decide where you’ll go before leaving the vent.
- Use it to break enemy pursuit or reach another part of the station.
- Leave immediately if you see or hear the flesh mass approaching.
Quick Tip: It’s always better to leave the ventilation on your own than let the flesh force you into a room full of monsters.
How to Survive the Main Boss?
The Main Boss is one of the deadliest enemies you’ll face during a shift. It moves quickly, destroys boarded-up doors, and can chase players through the station with almost no warning.
Main Boss Abilities
- Moves very fast.
- Can break boarded-up doors.
- Takes extra damage from fire.
How you deal with the boss depends on your equipment and the situation.
Option 1: Stay Hidden
I always choose to hide from the Entity because it eventually leaves the store once its patience reaches 0.
I don’t want to lose all the progress I’ve made during my shift, so I stay hidden behind the counter until it’s gone. I also press Left Ctrl to crouch and avoid unnecessary sound and footprints. It helps reduce noise and makes it less likely that the Entity will detect me.
To stay alive:
- Move quietly and don’t make unnecessary noise.
- Don’t run toward the boss if you hear it nearby.
- Break its line of sight by moving behind walls, furniture, and different rooms.
- Use the ventilation system to escape or reposition.
- Don’t stand in open areas for too long.
Most players get killed by the boss because they panic and run into open spaces.
Option 2: Fight the Boss
If you have enough weapons and ammunition, you can fight back.
During combat:
- Keep moving instead of standing still.
- Spread out so the entire team isn’t trapped together.
- Don’t let the boss corner you.
- Always leave yourself an escape route.
- Retreat if the fight doesn’t go in your favor.
There’s no shame in running away. When you escape safely, it lets you keep your progress and continue the shift, while an unnecessary fight can end the run.
How to Survive the Screaming Creatures?
These small enemies also come with the Entity and try to give you damage as much as they can.
They crawl on the floor and screams vey loud when they see you.
Once they spot a player, they let out a scream that causes a slowing effect. A second later, they jump straight toward your location.
You can kill them by using any gun. Just shoot at their location before they jump on you. They can’t be killed by one bullet, so give as much damage as you can.
However, one creature is easy to handle. But a few of them attacking at the same time can quickly turn into a big issue, especially if another monster is already chasing you like Entity.
Method 1: Kill Them Before They Jump
The best way to handle this is to stop the attack before it ever begins.
A gun is an effective tool for this.
If someone gets too close, use your bat. End it quickly before it can jump.
Don’t make the fight last longer than needed.
As soon as the scream animation plays, the jump usually happens a few seconds after that.
Method 2: Dodge the Jump
Most new players make the same mistake.
They start walking backwards.
That’s exactly where the creature expects you to be.
Its jump always goes straight ahead, which means you don’t need to outrun it.
Instead:
- Watch for the jump animation.
- Move left or right instead of backwards.
- Time your movement correctly.
- Let the creature fly past you.
After it misses, you’ll have a short opening to finish it with your weapon before it attacks again.
Don’t think that hiding from this creature will save you. You’ll have to kill all the creatures that are running in your store before your shift ends.
How to Survive the Fast Red Creature?
This enemy will appear when you try to help move the car down the road. (This is a trap)
The first thing you’ll notice is its speed. This is a true killer in the game and will reach you in just a matter of seconds.
The Fast Red Creature has several advantages:
- Moves extremely fast.
- Ignores or destroys boarded-up doors.
- Can be damaged with any weapon.
Keep moving, change direction when needed, and don’t rely on barricades to slow it down. They won’t work.
Quick Tip: Run inside the gas station building as fast as you can.
Best Survival Strategy:
- Never stop running unless you have a clear plan.
- Use the environment to create distance.
- Don’t rely on boarded doors because the creature can break through them.
- Stay calm and keep changing direction instead of running in a straight line.
- You can kill this creature inside the gas station building with any weapon.
How to Spot the Fake Bus Driver?
Boarding the bus doesn’t always mean you’ve survived the shift. The bus job is to take you away from the gas station to your home. But what if the bus driver instantly kills you?
Just like customers inside the store, the bus driver can also be a doppelgänger.
Before entering the bus, always check the driver’s seat through the window or the open door.
- If the driver’s seat is empty, you can leave safely.
- If someone is sitting behind the wheel, don’t board the bus.
However, the game doesn’t give you any other option than boarding the bus. You’ll have to board the fake bus even if there is any creature inside it.
Once you enter the bus:
- Your pistol will not work.
- You’ll have to survive by running or using traps.
- You can run fast by using the SHIFT button and board the real bus that is moving next to you.
- Once you enter the real bus, your shift will end and you’ll see the overview of customer’s and you earnings.
How to Survive the Phantom?
The Phantom is one of the most dangerous monsters because it punishes players for making a single mistake.
As long as you keep looking directly at it, the Phantom cannot move closer.
The moment you turn away, it rapidly closes the distance and can kill you in just a few hits.
Method 1: Use a Bear Trap
- Place a bear trap before the encounter.
- Keep the Phantom in the center of your screen and keep looking at it.
- Slowly walk backward.
- Lead it directly into the prepared bear trap.
Once the trap activates, the Phantom will be destroyed.
Method 2: Restroom Door Strategy
The current version of the game includes another method.
To use it:
- Lead the Phantom into the restroom.
- Board up both the entrance and exit doors.
- Move it toward the first stall door.
- The player inside the restroom turns away.
- The Phantom will break the door and shatter.
This works in the current build, but don’t be surprised if a future update removes it.
Quick Tip: Never turn around and sprint away. The Phantom is designed to kill players who take their eyes off it.
How to Deal With the Gnome?
The Gnome isn’t the strongest enemy in Shift at Midnight, but ignoring it can creates problems.
Unlike the other monsters, it isn’t trying to hunt you down. Its only job is to create as much chaos as possible while you’re already busy managing the store. Every time it returns, it causes even bigger problems than before.
That’s why you should never leave it alive.
The moment you spot a Gnome, deal with it first and get back to your shift.
Waiting even a few seconds gives it more time to create chaos around the store.
First Gnome Appearance:
The first encounter doesn’t look very threatening.
The Gnome runs into the store and starts sprinting between the shelves. Since it isn’t attacking anyone, you can ignore it until you’ve finished serving customers.
Don’t.
Leaving it alone only gives it more time to disrupt everything happening inside the store.
As soon as you see it:
- Shoot it immediately.
- If you’re carrying a firearm, don’t waste time chasing it with a bat.
- Finish the encounter before going back to your regular tasks.
Second Appearance: Lemonade Seller
The second appearance catches a lot of players off guard because it doesn’t look dangerous at all.
Instead of driving around or running through the store, the Gnome quietly stands near the entrance selling lemonade.
That’s the trap.
If you drink the lemonade, it gives you several negative effects at once.
- Your health starts draining over time.
- Thick yellow slime covers your screen.
- Your vision becomes so poor that you won’t be able to spot enemies.
What looks like a harmless interaction can leave you struggling through the rest of the encounter.
If you see the Gnome selling lemonade, simply kill it with your Gun without even thinking for a second.
Third Appearance
The third visit is much harder to ignore.
Instead of running into the store, the Gnome arrives in a car and stops right at the entrance. The vehicle blocks the path while the Gnome continues creating chaos around the gas station.
As soon as the car comes to a stop:
- Open fire immediately.
- Kill the Gnome before it keeps disrupting the entrance.
- Clear the area and continue your shift.
Fourth Appearance
This is easily the most dangerous version of the Gnome.
It returns on a motorcycle and starts speeding through the store, crashing into anything in its way.
Trying to outrun it inside the building usually creates even more problems. Shelves, narrow aisles, and other obstacles can make your escape much harder than simply ending the encounter.
When the motorcycle appears:
- Stay calm.
- Wait for a clear shot.
- Shoot the Gnome as soon as you can.
Getting rid of it quickly makes the rest of the shift much easier to manage.
Gnome Survival Rule:
Every encounter follows the same rule.
See a Gnome. Shoot it immediately.
There’s no benefit to letting it stay alive. Every extra second gives it another chance to make your shift more difficult.
How to Defeat the Demon?
The Demon doesn’t follow the same rules as the other enemies.
You can’t kill it with a gun or any other weapon. This encounter revolves around a special object that only spawns before the Demon arrives.
If you miss that mechanic, you lose the fight.
If the special box isn’t removed in time, the Demon cannot be defeated. Unless you’re prepared before it spawns, restarting the shift may be your only option.
Find the Music Box
Before the Demon appears, a small box with a turning handle spawns somewhere inside the store.
Make sure to find it as soon as possible.
Once you’ve located it:
- Walk up to the box.
- Start turning the handle.
- Keep turning until it completely stops.
Don’t stop halfway through.
While you’re turning the handle, the music keeps playing and speeds up with every melody.
Never allow the box to play three melodies in a row.
When the handle has been fully turned, the box will disappear.
That’s the mechanic that allows you to survive the Demon encounter.
Why the Box Matters
The music box isn’t an optional side objective.
It’s directly connected to the Demon.
If you ignore it or find it too late, then you won’t be able to defeat the creature.
Final Survival Tips:
Every shift in Shift at Midnight can play out differently, but the core survival strategies stay the same.
- Never let doppelgängers slip through your inspection.
- Finish random employer tasks as quickly as possible.
- Treat ventilation as an escape route, not a permanent hiding place.
- Prepare traps before you actually need them.
- Learn how each monster behaves instead of reacting blindly.
- Don’t force every fight. Sometimes escaping is the smarter choice.
Latest Patch Changes
The current version of Shift at Midnight includes several fixes and balance changes:
- Fixed laggy object physics in good ping lobbies that could cause crashes.
- Fixed an issue where players who crashed became stuck on the main menu after rejoining.
- Fixed a soft-lock while talking to customers.
- Fixed Endless Mode not working correctly with six players.
- Fixed players getting stuck on a black screen when entering Shift 10.
- Fixed enemies getting trapped on indestructible barricades.
- Adjusted the health of certain monsters.
These are all the creatures and survival guide currently available in Shift at Midnight.
As the game continues receiving updates, new enemies, mechanics, and balance changes will almost certainly be added. We’ll keep this guide updated whenever new information becomes available.
If you’ve discovered another strategy, found a hidden mechanic, or noticed something that isn’t covered here, share it with other players. A small tip can save someone else’s entire run.
Inspired by: BOSH’s Steam Community guide. Read the original here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3770664554
