Empty Home
The default bad ending — don't call Clyde and arrive at Night 13 with less than $250. The pet dies and the station goes quiet.
| Requirement | Let your Pet die to save Clyde |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Story |
How to unlock: Let your Pet die to save Clyde
Difficulty: Story
The ending you get by not doing the other two. It requires no particular effort, which is exactly why most first playthroughs land here.
The actual condition
Don't call Clyde after Shift 12, and arrive at Night 13 with less than $250. The pet doesn't get its surgery, it dies, and the station goes quiet.
There's no separate action to take — this is what happens when the True Ending's economic requirement isn't met and you didn't fall back on calling Clyde.
⚠️ Critical: killing Clyde Dawson at any point voids all three ending achievements, including this one. The branch has to resolve properly for anything to register.
If you're here by accident
Most players hit Empty Home on their first run without meaning to. Two ways out on the next attempt:
- Save the $250 — pay the $40 pet medicine when prompted, skip the Arsenal purchases, and take True Ending.
- Call Clyde — if the money clearly isn't coming together by Shift 12, Grave Decision at least keeps the pet alive.
If you're here on purpose
Collecting all three endings requires multiple saves, since the Shift 12 choice is binary. Empty Home is usually the one people mop up last.
Related: All Endings · Money Guide · full list in All 10 Achievements.