Greetings ghouls and ghosts, arkicade here! 

This post is the second post in a series of walkthroughs for the game "A Monster's Insight". For part 2 this'll be a walkthrough for Cor Meum: the second interlocutor.

I'll have to once again reiterate that I recommend you playing through Chapter 2 without this walkthrough, because you still need to get bad endings if you're interested in "secret" bonus content.

You can find the walkthrough for Chapter 1 here

You can find the walkthrough for Chapter 3 here

You can find the walkthrough for the endings guide here

Oh, and also spoiler warning!

!! Important note !!

The following walkthrough has been updated for A Monster's Insight version 1.2. 

If you're using version 1.15, then some ways of obtaining KEYWORDS won't work.

Adjustments to make in settings

I've stated this in the previous walkthrough, but just in case you haven't seen Part 1  and skipped to Part 2, I'll say it here:

If you're in "walkthrough mode" then you should be playing with the "Assist Mode" on.  Playing in Assist Mode does *not* block you from getting any endings (likewise, playing in Challenge Mode doesn't grant you any special secrets either).

You get to choose the Assist Mode at the start of the game. But if you're already halfway through the game you can do the following set-up

• Emotion Hints: ON
• Interlocutor State: ON
• Test Labels: ON
• Insight Timer: OFF

Having Emotion Hints ON is crucial for any subsequent playthrough because it tells you *what stats each option gives you*. I wouldn't recommend using it if you're playing it for the first time, but you're looking for more endings/just can't get past a chapter then I recommend you to enable it.

TWO MINDS

In order to discover that Cor Meum are actually two separate entities (Cor and Meum respectfully), then you have to have a perception greater than 0.

Perception > 0

And when Cor Meum is giving the presentation you must choose:

Use INSIGHT to go into their mind

The answer to this insight section is "two minds". Once you've done this then you've "unlocked" the strategies of PAIN and RAPTURE.

PAIN versus RAPTURE

The first 4 strategies are centered on the PAIN and RAPTURE keywords. To be honest, there isn't a large difference between PAIN (Cor Route) and RAPTURE (Cor Route), the reason that I have them separately is:

1. You can get "PAIN" and "RAPTURE" keywords in different ways so the "beginning" of the Cor route will be different
2. Depending on which one you choose, you're either at an advantage or disadvantage.

Same goes for Meum's routes of PAIN and RAPTURE.

Here's the laydown:

• If you want to focus on Cor, it's better to pursue the RAPTURE strategy over the PAIN strategy
• If you want to focus on Meum, it's better to pursue the PAIN strategy over the RAPTURE strategy

This is because if you pursue the "better" strategy, it opens them up (meaning you can make more mistakes in the stat tests). Otherwise, if you choose the worst strategy, it will close them up and you have to pass all the tests.

Strategy 1: PAIN (Cor route)

This is the unideal route for Cor, but it's still possible to complete it.

GETTING THE KEYWORD

You can get the PAIN keyword in 2 ways.

The first way is when Cor Meum asks:

What is the one thing you wish to change?

You should reply with:

...to be rid of the pain that carries me 

Then you need to pass a reputable test (reputable > 1)

Reputable > 1

And after that you finally have the keyword!

The second way is to respond to the question "What is the one thing you wish to change" with:

...more power to add to what I already have

And then you have to pass a Supreme test.

Supreme > 1

The third way is by passing a perception test:

Perception > 0

Once you do there will be a POINTER, in the form of...

"We want to strain us from any PAIN  possible."

The fourth  way is by asking about "Cor Meum" during The Questioning and by passing a reputable test:

Reputable > 1

You need to click on the word "PAIN" and then you will unlock the keyword!

THE QUESTIONING

When it's The Questioning, ask about "PAIN". Then select the option

Aim for the attention of Cor

PUZZLES ANSWER

The answer to the first tablet is the input: TERROR/terror

This will unlock the door that was previously locked.

The answer to the second tablet is the input: TIME/time

PASSING THE TESTS

This requires you to pass the following tests:

Supreme > 1
Charisma > 2

You need to pass both tests in order to succeed.

Strategy 2: PAIN (Meum route)

This is the ideal route for Meum.

GETTING THE KEYWORD

You can get the PAIN keyword in 2 ways.

The first way is when Cor Meum asks:

What is the one thing you wish to change?

You should reply with:

...to be rid of the pain that carries me 

Then you need to pass a reputable test (reputable > 1)

Reputable > 1 

And after that you finally have the keyword!

The second way is to respond to the question "What is the one thing you wish to change" with:

...more power to add to what I already have

And then you have to pass a Supreme test.

Supreme > 1

The third way is by passing a perception test:

Perception > 0

Once you do there will be a POINTER, in the form of...

"We want to strain us from any PAIN  possible."

You need to click on the word "PAIN" and then you will unlock the keyword!

The fourth  way is by asking about "Cor Meum" during The Questioning and by passing a reputable test:

Reputable > 1

THE QUESTIONING

When it's The Questioning, ask about "PAIN". Then select the option

Choose to focus on Meum

PUZZLES ANSWER

The answer to the first tablet is the input: SCENT/scent

This will unlock the door that was previously locked.

The answer to the second tablet is the input: NASCENT/nascent

PASSING THE TESTS

This requires you to pass the following tests:

Reputable > 2
Charisma < 0

Here is the branching point, this option will determine what stat test you'll need to pass:

If you choose:

Talk to Cor about new "changes"

You need to pass an additional stat test of intellect.

Intellect > 0

If you choose:

Let Meum dispose of Cor

You need to pass an additional stat test of supreme.

Supreme > 0

Strategy 3: RAPTURE (Cor route)

This strategy is based on getting the keyword "RAPTURE". And this is the ideal strategy to use for Cor's route. Also, getting the keyword "RAPTURE" is significantly easier than getting the keyword of "PAIN".

GETTING THE KEYWORD

There are 5 ways of getting the keyword "RAPTURE" (versus 2 ways of getting the keyword "PAIN").

The first way is when Cor Meum asks:

What is the one thing you wish to change?

You should reply with:

...joy in my life when there is none

Then you need to pass a reputable test (charisma > 1)

Charisma > 1

And after that you finally have the keyword!

The second way is to pass a perception test

Perception > 0

If you pass this test then you'll get a POINTER which reads as:

Our time and RESOURCES are precious, you are costing us a lot of it...

Click on the pointer "RESOURCES" and you'll unlock it.

The third and fourth ways are as follows:

4. During The Questioning, ask about "Cor" and pass a charisma test: 

Charisma > 1

5. During The Questioning, ask about "Cor Meum" and pass a reputable test: 

Reputable > 1

THE QUESTIONING

When it's The Questioning, ask about "RAPTURE". Then select the option

Aim for the attention of Cor

PUZZLES ANSWER

The answer to the first tablet is the input: TERROR/terror

This will unlock the door that was previously locked.

The answer to the second tablet is the input: TIME/time

PASSING THE TESTS

This requires you to pass the following tests:

Supreme > 1 
Charisma > 2

You need to pass both tests in order to succeed.

Strategy 4: RAPTURE (Meum route)

This strategy is based on getting the keyword "RAPTURE". And this is the ideal strategy to use for Cor's route. Also, getting the keyword "RAPTURE" is significantly easier than getting the keyword of "PAIN".

There are 5 ways of getting the keyword "RAPTURE" (versus 2 ways of getting the keyword "PAIN").

The first way is when Cor Meum asks:

What is the one thing you wish to change?

You should reply with:

...joy in my life when there is none

Then you need to pass a reputable test (charisma > 1)

Charisma > 1

And after that you finally have the keyword!

The second way is to pass a perception test

Perception > 0

If you pass this test then you'll get a POINTER which reads as:

Our time and RESOURCES are precious, you are costing us a lot of it...

Click on the pointer "RESOURCES" and you'll unlock it.

The third and fourth ways are as follows:

4. During The Questioning, ask about "Cor" and pass a charisma test: 

charisma > 1

5. During The Questioning, ask about "Cor Meum" and pass a reputable test: 

reputable > 1

THE QUESTIONING

When it's The Questioning, ask about "RAPTURE". Then select the option

Choose to focus on Meum

PUZZLES ANSWER

The answer to the first tablet is the input: SCENT/scent

This will unlock the door that was previously locked.

The answer to the second tablet is the input: NASCENT/nascent

PASSING THE TESTS

This requires you to pass the following tests:

Reputable > 2 
Charisma < 0 

Here is the branching point, this option will determine what stat test you'll need to pass:

If you choose:

Talk to Cor about new "changes"

You need to pass an additional stat test of intellect.

Intellect > 0

If you choose:

Let Meum dispose of Cor

You need to pass an additional stat test of supreme.

Supreme > 0

Strategy 5: DEATH

This strategy is the only strategy that can be done without the need of perception, you don't even need to discover the fact that Cor Meum are two separate entities.

GETTING THE KEYWORD

You can get this in two ways:

The first way is during The Questioning, you ask about the keyword "PAIN" (in strategies 1 and 2, it describes how to get the "PAIN" keyword. Then you must pass a charisma test:

Charisma > 0

Once it's passed you get the keyword!

The second way is when you choose to "Listen to the presentation" instead of using INSIGHT, you must pass a perception test:

Perception > 0

If you pass this test then you'll get access to the following POINTER:

"DEATH is their only release..."

You must click on the word "DEATH", and then you'll unlock the keyword.

The third way is during The Questioning, you need to ask about "VENA CAVA" (only if you selected "Scout for Information" before the dialogue and chose to go to the river!!).

Then you have to pass an Intellect test:

Intellect > 0

Once you do you get the keyword!

The fourth way is during The Questioning , you need to ask about "COLLECTIVE" (only if you selected "Scout for Information" before the dialogue and chose to go the bar downton!!).

Then, select the following option:

You been anywhere around Moowrongo as of late?

Afterwards, you have to pass an Intellect test:

Intellect > 0

Once you do you get the keyword!

THE QUESTIONING

When it's The Questioning, ask about "DEATH". 

PUZZLES ANSWER

The answer to the first tablet is the input: ROMANCE/romance

This will unlock the door that was previously locked.

The answer to the second tablet is the input: NECROMANCY/necromancy

PASSING THE TESTS

This requires you to pass the following tests:

Knowledge > 1  
Supreme > 1
Reputable < 0

You can afford to fail one of the first 2 tests, but the third one you must pass.

Conclusion

As this was designed during the game jam (and I was responsible for all art, programming and writing), I realize when writing this walkthrough down, I feel as if some strategies here are overshadowed by others (when in reality I want all strategies to be successful). That's the difficult thing about making stat-raising games, taking time to balance stats (make sure they're all equally valuable) and having a variety of viable strategies.

And how you pass these stat checks can vary from playthrough to playthrough, as there are multiple ways of obtaining the stats you need. This fact combined with the "multiple strategy" design means that there are combinations upon combinations as to how a single playthrough can go. And this is only with just 3 interlocutors!

Right now, the patches that I do prioritize game-breaking bugs and typos. But perhaps sometime in the future, I should balance stats more. You can easily tell that Perception is crucial for Cor Meum. But that's why Perception costs a whole 2 points! It's worth twice as much as a normal stat because this is what opens so many doors.

If you've read up until this point, I'd like to sincerely thank you for playing "A Monster's Insight" and reading these devlogs :)