In this Lucid Cats monster guide, I cover all 8 monsters, their behavior, what triggers them, their damage, spawn chances, and the main ways I can survive them. I also cover the basic lucidity and monster spawn mechanics, security cameras, and some of the most dangerous monster combinations.
All Monsters & Survival Guide
Before working through each monster, there are a few basic mechanics that I found useful to understand. Knowing how lucidity, looking mechanics, security cameras, and monster spawning work makes it much easier to deal with the different monsters.
The Basics
My lucidity works as my health and goes from 100 down to 0. Monster attacks drain it, and when it reaches 0, I drop out of the dream and start spectating. I can press E to switch between players.
Lucidity barely drains on its own, so monsters are the main threat. I can also buy lucidity upgrades from the shop to reduce the damage I take.
Many monsters react when I look at them. The game counts me as looking at a monster when it is near the center of my screen, there are no walls between us, and I am within about 8 meters of it. Eyes and Flower Eye use a longer range of about 15 meters.
Looking at a monster from further away does not count.
Security Cameras
I can also use the security cameras on the laptop to watch certain monsters. Watching a monster through a camera counts as looking at it for Eyes, Flower Eye, Jaw, and Ghost Cat.
It does not count for Mask, Smiley, or Dance Cat, so I can safely watch those monsters through the cameras.
General Rules
- Doors do not stop monsters. They push doors open as they move through them. Monsters also need a clear line to me to deal damage.
- After a monster knocks someone out, it ignores everyone for 10 seconds. I can use this time to get away before it becomes active again.
- Monsters eventually leave, but only when nobody is looking at them. Getting hit also makes noise, which can attract the Listener.
How Monsters Spawn
The Night
A night runs from 12 AM to 6 AM and takes about 7 minutes in real time. No monsters appear before 1 AM.
New monsters arrive every hour until 5 AM, so I find more monsters as the night continues. Monsters always spawn in rooms where there are no players.
Monster Tiers
Each monster has a danger tier from 1 to 3. During the first nights, I mostly encounter tier 1 monsters. Tier 2 and tier 3 monsters become much more common as the run continues.
I never face two copies of the same monster at the same time, and there can never be more than 6 monsters alive at once. Monsters also stay around for less time during the first few nights.
Chance of Each Monster Appearing
The following are the chances of each monster appearing on a given night when playing solo.
| Monster | Night 1 | Night 3 | Night 5 | Night 10 | Night 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes | 36% | 41% | 47% | 54% | 60% |
| Flower Eye | 32% | 41% | 52% | 70% | 81% |
| Smiley | 36% | 41% | 47% | 54% | 60% |
| Mask | 37% | 41% | 47% | 54% | 60% |
| Jaw | 16% | 24% | 45% | 66% | 73% |
| Dance Cat | 16% | 24% | 44% | 66% | 72% |
| Ghost Cat | 19% | 25% | 40% | 67% | 74% |
| Listener | 13% | 21% | 37% | 67% | 73% |
| Average monsters per night | 2 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 5 | 5.5 |
More players mean more monsters. For example, with 4 players on night 1, each tier 1 monster appears about half the time.
Quick Reference
| Monster | Tier | What sets it off | Damage | Golden rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eyes | 1 | Nobody looking at it | 30 | Keep your eyes on it |
| Flower Eye | 1 | Nobody looking at it | 15, very fast | Keep your eyes on it |
| Smiley | 1 | You look at it | 30 | Freeze and hold its gaze |
| Mask | 1 | You look at it | 30 | Don’t look, or run |
| Jaw | 2 | Walking past its doorway | 35 | Check doorframes first |
| Dance Cat | 2 | You look at it | 30 | Dance in place and hold its gaze |
| Ghost Cat | 3 | You look at it | 25 | Don’t turn around |
| Listener | 3 | Noise | 100 | Freeze and stay silent |
Eyes (Tier 1)
How it Behaves
Eyes stays completely frozen while someone is looking at it. This includes both players and security cameras. As soon as nobody is watching, it rushes towards the closest player. It is the fastest monster in the game.
It always knows where the closest player is, so hiding does not help. The first time it finds me, it waits at a distance until I have seen it. It does not attack before that.
Eyes also does not trigger the chase warning, so I can easily miss it if I am not paying attention.
How to Survive
Once I spot Eyes, I keep it in view while backing away. In co-op, one player can keep watching it while the others continue working. Anyone looking at it freezes it for everyone.
I can also point a security camera at it to keep it frozen. After about a minute and a half, it disappears the next time everyone looks away instead of attacking.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 1
Damage: 30 per hit (4 hits to knock me out)
Speed: The fastest monster in the game
Triggered by: Nobody looking at it
Sticks around for: About 1.5 minutes
Flower Eye (Tier 1)
How it Behaves
Flower Eye follows the same rules as Eyes. It stays frozen while someone is watching it, either through a player or a camera, and rushes towards the closest player when nobody is looking.
It is slightly slower than Eyes, but it attacks much faster. If it reaches me, it can take my lucidity from full to zero in about 3 seconds.
Like Eyes, it always knows where the closest player is. The first time it finds me, it waits at a distance until I have seen it. It also has no chase warning.
Flower Eye becomes more common each night and eventually becomes the most frequent monster during long runs.
How to Survive
I use the same strategy as Eyes. I spot it, keep it in view, and back away. I never let it reach me, even for a moment.
Cameras and teammates can also keep it frozen while I deal with other things.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 1
Damage: 15 per hit, but very fast (knocks me out in about 3 seconds)
Speed: Very fast
Triggered by: Nobody looking at it
Sticks around for: About 1.5 minutes
Smiley (Tier 1)
How it Behaves
Smiley wanders around harmlessly until I look at it. When I do, it locks me into a staredown and the message “Keep your eyes steady” appears on my screen.
I get a short moment to prepare. I then have to stay still for 5 seconds while keeping my view on Smiley.
If I win, Smiley walks away and disappears shortly after. If I lose, it hunts me down, moves faster than I can sprint, and keeps hitting me until it cannot reach me for a while.
After a staredown, whether I win or lose, Smiley and Dance Cat cannot challenge me again for about half a minute.
How to Survive
When the message appears, I stop moving, take my hands off the movement keys, and keep my crosshair on Smiley.
If I do not want to deal with it, I avoid looking at it up close. From further away, it is safe.
While I am locked into the staredown, I cannot look around, so I need to watch out for Eyes or Flower Eye behind me.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 1
Damage: 30 per hit (4 hits to knock me out)
Speed: Slow while wandering, faster than me when it hunts me down
Triggered by: Looking at it
Challenge: Stay still and hold its gaze for 5 seconds
Sticks around for: About 1.5 minutes
Mask (Tier 1)
How it Behaves
Mask wanders around without bothering me, but if I look at it up close, it starts chasing me.
It is slower than my sprint. If I look away, it continues chasing for a couple of seconds as long as it can still see me. Breaking its line of sight ends the chase immediately.
Security cameras do not count as looking at Mask, so I can safely watch it on the laptop.
How to Survive
I avoid looking at Mask up close. From further away, I can watch it safely.
If it starts chasing me, I look away and sprint. I am faster as long as I have enough stamina.
I can also run around a corner to break its line of sight and end the chase. I still need to watch out for Jaw, which can be waiting around the corner.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 1
Damage: 30 per hit (4 hits to knock me out)
Speed: Slower than my sprint
Triggered by: Looking at it up close (cameras don’t count)
Sticks around for: About 1.5 minutes
Jaw (Tier 2)
How it Behaves
Jaw is an ambush predator. It picks a doorway far away from every player and hides beside the frame on the inside of the room. It waits there for someone to walk through.
If I walk right past its doorway, it lunges and bites almost instantly. Its bite deals 35 damage, which is the strongest hit in the game after the Listener.
Jaw only bites once during each ambush before leaving to find another doorway. It also gives up quickly if I get away or out of its sight.
If nobody walks past for a while, it moves to another doorway. If someone watches it from a distance or through a camera, it teleports to another doorway as soon as nobody is looking.
How to Survive
I peek through doorways from a distance before walking through them, especially when I am running.
If I spot Jaw waiting beside a doorway, I take another route or keep looking at it until it leaves.
If it bites me, I get out of its sight. It will not bite again during that ambush.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 2
Damage: 35 per bite (3 bites to knock me out), one bite per ambush
Speed: Quick lunge, but gives up fast
Triggered by: Walking past its doorway
Sticks around for: About 1 minute
Dance Cat (Tier 2)
How it Behaves
Dance Cat roams over a much wider area than the other monsters, so it tends to find me. When I look at it, it challenges me to a dance-off and “DANCE!” appears on my screen.
I get a short moment to start dancing. I then have to keep dancing for 5 seconds while looking at it. Any dance works.
Moving cancels the dance, so I have to stay in place while dancing. If I win, Dance Cat walks away and disappears shortly after. If I lose, it hunts me down, moves faster than I can sprint, and keeps hitting me until it cannot reach me for a while.
After any dance-off, whether I win or lose, Dance Cat and Smiley cannot challenge me again for about half a minute.
Controls
- B: Start or stop dancing (uses my last selected dance)
- 1-5: Pick a dance and start it straight away
How to Survive
When the message appears, I hit a number key, stay still, and keep my crosshair on Dance Cat.
Dancing makes noise, so if the Listener is nearby, I avoid looking at Dance Cat at all.
I also make sure not to confuse Dance Cat with Ghost Cat. They look very similar but react very differently.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 2
Damage: 30 per hit (4 hits to knock me out)
Speed: Slow while wandering, faster than me when it hunts me down
Triggered by: Looking at it
Challenge: Dance in place for 5 seconds while looking at it
Sticks around for: About 1 minute
Ghost Cat (Tier 3)
How it Behaves
Ghost Cat is a stalker. When it spots me, it quietly follows me and stays a few meters behind while watching.
It will never attack unless I look at it. If I turn around and look at it, it starts chasing me, but it is slow.
It gives up if I get far enough away or break its line of sight for a moment. Up close, it becomes dangerous because its first hit lands almost instantly if it reaches me.
If a teammate looks at it up close, Ghost Cat goes after them instead. Watching it through a security camera also stops it from following me.
Ghost Cat or Dance Cat?
Both cats look very similar and both react when I look at them, but their reactions are different. Dance Cat challenges me to a dance-off, while Ghost Cat chases me. I need to learn to tell them apart.
How to Survive
If I think Ghost Cat is behind me, I do not turn around. As long as I do not look at it, it is harmless.
If I do look at it, I simply walk away. It is slow and gives up quickly.
In co-op, I can also ask a teammate to check the cameras. A camera watching Ghost Cat stops it from stalking.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 3
Damage: 25 per hit (4 hits to knock me out)
Speed: Slow
Triggered by: Looking at it
Sticks around for: About 1 minute
Listener (Tier 3)
How it Behaves
The Listener is blind and hunts by sound. Its strike deals 100 damage, which is enough to knock me out in one hit unless I have damage reduction upgrades.
The Listener works in three stages.
Wandering: It walks around slowly. If it hears a noise, or I get very close to it even silently, it stops and snaps its head. This head snap is my warning.
Listening: After stopping, it gives me 1 second to freeze. After that, any noise I make within about 8 meters makes it lunge at me extremely fast.
Investigating: If it hears something far away, it walks towards the sound. While investigating, there is no warning. Any noise within about 8 meters triggers the lunge immediately.
Continuous noises such as walking or talking have to last a split second to trigger it. One-off noises like a meow or getting hit trigger it instantly. If I bump into it, it notices me no matter how quiet I am.
What It Can Hear
Sounds only carry half as far through walls.
| Noise | How far it carries |
|---|---|
| Standing still | Silent |
| Walking | Only up close |
| Dancing | Medium range |
| Getting hit | Medium range |
| Sprinting | Far |
| Voice chat | Very far when shouting, much less when whispering |
| Meowing, loud objects (phone, piano) | Loud, and instant |
How to Survive
When the Listener snaps its head, I freeze immediately. I stop moving and stop talking.
I walk instead of sprinting when it is nearby. I also whisper or mute my mic because the Listener can hear voice chat.
I avoid meowing near it and do not grab noisy objects. I also keep my distance because it can only kill me when it is close.
If it stopped recently, it can stop again without giving me the warning, so I stay careful.
At a Glance
Danger: Tier 3
Damage: 100 (one hit from full lucidity)
Speed: Slow, but its lunge is extremely fast
Triggered by: Noise within about 8 meters
Sticks around for: About 1.5 minutes
Tips and Deadly Combos
General Tips
- I use the laptop’s enemy tracker to see monsters as red dots on the map. This helps me plan routes around the Listener and see where monsters are heading.
- Security cameras can freeze Eyes and Flower Eye, make Jaw change doorways, and stop Ghost Cat from stalking. Having a teammate watch the cameras can be a huge help.
- After a staredown or dance-off, Smiley and Dance Cat cannot challenge me again for about half a minute, so I can look at them freely during this time.
- Voice chat counts as noise for the Listener, so I keep it quiet when it is nearby.
- When a monster knocks someone out, it ignores everyone for 10 seconds. I use this time to get away.
Deadly Combos
Eyes / Flower Eye + Mask
One monster wants to be watched while the other does not. Mask only reacts up close, while I can keep Eyes or Flower Eye frozen from further away.
I keep my distance from Mask and watch Eyes or Flower Eye from there. Even if Mask is in view, it will not react.
Smiley + Eyes / Flower Eye
A staredown keeps my view locked on Smiley, which gives any Eyes or Flower Eye behind me time to move. In co-op, I have another player cover my back.
Dance Cat + Listener
Dancing makes noise. If the Listener is nearby and listening, winning the dance-off can get me killed. I avoid looking at Dance Cat when the Listener is nearby.
Any Monster + Listener
Getting hit makes noise and triggers the Listener instantly. Taking a hit from another monster near the Listener can end my night immediately.
Mask + Jaw
Running from Mask through doorways can lead me straight into Jaw’s ambush. I check the doorframes even when I am being chased.
I hope this guide helps to survive a few more nights.