How to Beat the Town Map in DEVOUR

I have completed The Town map on all three difficulties in cooperative mode and the first two difficulties in single-player mode. It took a considerable amount of time to accomplish this (currently 45 hours of in-game time). I will update this guide once I have completed Nightmare difficulty in single-player mode.

General Information

• Many people believe the map is harder because Sam is the only one who shoots. However, Sam only poses a threat when he is not active, and it typically takes 3-4 shots to eliminate you. Personally, I didn’t find it to be a major issue, but it may vary depending on personal preference.
• At level 4 out of 10 on normal difficulty and 0 out of 10 on hard and nightmare difficulties, a sandstorm begins, which makes it easier to spot Sam. This is the only map where this occurs, so make good use of it. The lightning in The Farm occasionally provides similar visibility advantages, but the sandstorm is consistently helpful.
• After playing extensively on this map and transitioning to The Farm, I noticed that Anna puts up a stronger resistance against UV light compared to Sam (presumably to balance the addition of shooting mechanics).
• The bot’s general movement pattern seems to vary slightly each time you play. So, if you lose, it might simply be a matter of luck. For example, in some games, the bot frequents the church, while in others, it rarely goes there.
• Only four pentagrams are active at a time.
• The placement of the pentagrams is randomized, especially in buildings with multiple floors such as the sheriff’s office, bank, hotel, and saloon. If you are considering changing the order to avoid leaving these locations for last, it is not worth the effort. The number of books you burn each time is much more important.
• I never found the hiding spots on this map particularly useful, as Sam sometimes checks them even if no one is hiding there.
• The longer it takes to calm Sam down, the faster he will activate in subsequent encounters.
• In cooperative mode, Sam activates faster and requires more stuns to calm down.
• The number of stuns required to calm Sam is not fixed and may randomly vary by ±1.
• The number of stuns required to calm Sam does not depend on the difficulty level.
• You can leave one book on the altar where the ghosts cannot steal it. Additionally, you can stack books in the back-left corner of the church, where they are rarely stolen.

Building specifics

• Buildings with a single entrance door increase the chances of being caught by Sam.
• Buildings with multiple entrance doors reduce the chances of being caught if the doors are in the same direction, as you can see him coming from either side. However, if the doors are in different directions, there is a higher risk of being caught since you can’t monitor both entrances simultaneously.
• In the saloon and hotel, you can drop from the balcony by stepping on a chair or box and then onto the table.
• The Stable is located closest to the church and has only one door. If you need to escape, the best solution would be to hide in the general store.
• The General Store is close to the church and has two doors. However, Sam will never approach from the side, which improves your chances of escape. You can either hide in the stable or run in a circle between the two doors.
• If the Bank with the pentagram is on the ground floor, it is even closer to the church than the stable if you use the hole in the ceiling. However, this position increases the chances of being caught. The bank has two doors in different directions, but Sam can also descend from above.
• If the Bank with the pentagram is located below the ground floor, it is one of the worst positions in the game since you have no means of escape if Sam pursues you.
• The Storage building is close to the church (accessible through the hole in the bank’s ceiling) and has two doors in opposite directions. The presence of iron bars further complicates the chances of escape.
• The Hotel with the pentagram on the ground floor is at a moderate distance from the church and has two doors in opposite directions.
• The Hotel with the pentagram above the ground floor is also at a moderate distance from the church. Sam can only approach you from the stairs, but you can easily escape from the balcony.
• The Mine is the furthest building from the church and offers three ways for Sam to reach you, all from the same direction.
• The Sheriff’s Office with the pentagram on the ground floor is at a moderate distance from the church and has two doors, somewhat aligned in the same direction but too close for comfort.
• The Sheriff’s Office with the pentagram above the ground floor is far from the church and has only one door, providing no means of escape.
• The Clothing Shop is at a moderate distance from the church and has two doors.
• The Guns Shop is close to the church and has two doors.
• The Saloon, whether the pentagram is on the ground floor or above it, is close to the church and has one door. You can escape to the balcony in this building.

Setup (before spawning Sam)

• Collect 10 gasoline and bring them to the door of the church.
• Carry matches to as many pentagrams as possible. Additional matches will appear after Sam spawns, so you don’t need to do all of them. Initially, there should be around 7-10 matches.
• Ensure that all doors are open. Pay attention to the direction in which they open, as they might obstruct your movement in certain situations. Losing because of closed doors would be unfortunate.
• Locate all batteries. There should be 4 batteries on normal difficulty, 3 on hard difficulty, and only 2 on nightmare difficulty.
• For cooperative play, place medkits in more accessible locations based on personal preference.
• Once Sam spawns, unlock all boxes and bring all books to their respective pentagrams.

Strategy

It is highly recommended to take refuge in the Hotel or Saloon balcony if you manage to reach it.

• From the balcony, you have a clear view of Sam, making it easy to spot him. Additionally, escaping from the balcony is also convenient.
• These buildings have a central location, so if Sam chases you from there, you have the freedom to run in any direction.
• In the Saloon, it is advisable to wait for Sam on the ground floor. After stunning him, proceed to the next floor as he rarely pursues you there. Another advantageous location is above the bank:
• You can make your escape through the hole and head towards the hotel, which is another favorable spot.
• While it is true that Sam often drops from that area as well, there is a high chance that he will lose track of you. Place the batteries in these areas or near the church, based on personal preference.

Book burning order

To summarize the logic in this section, we can use the following notation: Current level / Stacked books / Books to search for / Books remaining.

At the beginning: 0/0/4/6 From this point, it is recommended to always gather 4 books, as it will become more challenging later on.

After gathering 4 books: 0/4/0/6 Now, let’s explore the outcomes when you burn 4 or 3 books from this point.

For burning 4 books: 4/0/4/2 – In this case, it is advisable to gather all 4 books, following the same logic as before. 4/4/0/2 – Now we have 4 possibilities:

1. 8/0/2/0 – Searching for 2 books on level 8 is risky in single player mode.
2. 7/1/2/0 – This option is obviously better than the first one. You should search for 2 books on level 7.
3. 6/2/2/0 – This strategy is suitable for single player mode and probably the best option for cooperative play. Personally, I don’t prefer combining a level 6 search with a level 4 search in single player mode, as it takes a long time to burn 4 books without interaction speed perks, and there is a high chance that Sam will come for you at higher levels with limited chances of survival.
4. 5/3/1/0 – Burning only 1 book does not make much sense.

It is important to note that these strategies are based on personal preference and the difficulty of the game mode being played.

For 3 books burnt

Continuing from the previous point (3/1/3/3 gather books => 3/4/0/3), let’s analyze the different scenarios:

1. 7/0/3/0 – Gathering 3 books at level 7 is not recommended. It will likely lead to Sam activating before you can complete even one book. This option is inferior to option 2) from the previous point.
2. 6/1/3/0 – This is the better alternative. You will face 1-2 activations, but you will eventually reach a state of 6+4 books. However, it is worth noting that some players may not prefer this approach.
3. 5/2/2/1 – This option is the one I recommend. At this step, there will be at most 1 activation. Afterward, you only need to gather 1 more book at level 7, which is more manageable.
4. 4/3/1/2 – Once again, burning only 1 book at this stage does not offer significant benefits.

Remember that these choices depend on personal preference and the difficulty of the game mode.