Sticking to its themes of the butterfly effect, Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes, features a complex and intuitive choice to consequence system. When important decisions are made, players are made aware of it by crows flapping across the screen as their Bearings are updated.
Not every decision needs to be made in the dark though. House of Ashes features premonitions to help guide players toward survival and away from death. These premonitions come in the form of stone tablets that can be found across different scenes and characters, much like a previous game from the same developers, Until Dawn. There are 13 premonitions, one of which is even a prediction for the next game in the series.
The premonition tablets in House of Ashes can be divided into categories. Six of them have lighter frames which give insight into key moments regarding a character’s survival. The other six have darker frames and predict a character’s death.
House of Ashes: Premonition Locations
Light Framed/Survival Premonitions
- Disarmed: This premonition is in “The Raid” chapter, inside one of the first villager’s huts. It can be collected after the first interrogation. It shows Jason being disarmed by Rachel.
- Daylight: This is in “Pazuzu” in the niche next to the first dead soldier Salim comes across. It shows a creature trying to grab Salim’s leg, but sunlight burns its arm.
- Ultraviolet: This is found in “The Temple.” As Rachel, players should find a small room on the opposite side of the chamber. The tablet is in a nook near the Creature Features secret. It shows a monster catching fire in front of Eric.
- Staked: In the chapter “After the Fall,” Jason should follow Nick through a tunnel to a room. The tablet is atop a crate alongside Randolph’s Journal #2. It shows Jason stabbing an undead monster.
- Surrendered: In “After the Fall”/“Slayer,” as Nick, players should follow the tunnel to the room on the left. The tablet is next to Randolph’s Journal #3 and shows Salim surrendering.
- Comrades: This tablet is in “The Enemy of My Enemy.” Salim and Jason work together to navigate several crawlspaces. The tablet is on a wall and shows Salim killing a monster that attacks Jason.
Dark Frames/Death Premonitions
- Arisen: Found in the prologue, “Cursed,” this is likely the first premonition players will find in House of Ashes. As Balathu, players will find it on the ground next to the examinable helmet. It shows an unknown creature rising.
- Squeeze: In “Underworld,” there is a small room near the statue of a hand. The tablet should be grabbed before entering through the main doors as players will not be able to return. This premonition shows Merwin dragged through a small tunnel where his bones are crushed.
- Fallen: In “Pazuzu” as Eric, players should follow Rachel through the tunnels. They should head down the right tunnel at the fork to find this premonition. It shows Rachel and Eric falling and Eric is impaled on a stalagmite.
- Tripwire: This is found in “The Truth”/“Bloodbath” in a burial chamber with Randolph’s Journal #4, a bloodless corpse, and Mary’s corpse. It shows Rachel dying in an explosion while trying to pass through a corridor.
- Thirst: In “The Signal,” this tablet can be found right beside Nick on a stack of crates once players have control of him. It shows a creature choking Nick until his neck snaps.
- Mauled: In “Brothers” after the elevator lowers and players have control of Jason, they’ll find this tablet on the left, facing the elevator, hidden in the shadows. It shows a monster grabbing Salim and crushing his head.
Future Game Premonition
- Hotel: This premonition is found in the chapter “Strange Aeons.” In a chamber, the stone tablet is on a wooden crate. It first shows a lighter before panning out to reveal a mannequin. The fire encompasses the place, burning a character with a possible resemblance to John from Little Hope while another looks on.
There are a few more clues as to the next game in the series once players have defeated House of Ashes. Post-credits, The Curator scolds players and leaves them by saying he will see them next time in a place that’s “more homely” and adds that they will find it “extremely hard to leave.”
Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.