Begin with The Fallen → Joan → Medusa and the Catacombs gate, then continue through the first Death encounter toward the castle. After that, track Smash, Aerial Rush and Double Jump as progression checkpoints rather than clearing every side room immediately. The route below follows a credited completed recording; optional endings and the Eleanor branch are marked separately.
A completed route to follow, chapter by chapter
| Recording chapter | Your progression check | Open the source |
|---|---|---|
| Paris Streets | Defeat The Fallen, gain Arcane Whip, then work toward Joan at Prison Tower and the Holy Light route. | 0:06:06 ↗ |
| Holy Innocents’ Cemetery | Continue the guardian-key search and defeat Medusa. Check that the three-key gate can now be opened. | 0:55:39 ↗ |
| Catacombs of Paris | Descend, open local shortcuts, continue after the first Death encounter, and reach the Ferryman on the way out. | 1:30:08 ↗ |
| Main Hall | Continue past the bridge / Isaac encounter into castle exploration. Keep track of Library and Clock Tower branches. | 2:20:00 ↗ |
| Library | Follow the recorded Library chapter, including its return paths; the Observatory / The Occultist is the Aerial Rush checkpoint. | 3:11:44 ↗ |
| Clock Tower | Compare the Eastern Access Shaft mechanism and The Builder route for Smash. Revisit the relevant branch if the ability is missing. | 3:47:06 ↗ |
| Notre-Dame | Check The Artist and Library prerequisites before entering the painting. Resolve the organ route, defeat the later Death and finish Double Jump. | 4:38:14 ↗ |
| Library backtracking | Use the new traversal options to complete the return shown in the recording. | 5:46:27 ↗ |
| Clock Tower finale | Continue the later Isaac route; distinguish it from the earlier bridge encounter and trap. | 5:54:25 ↗ |
| Master’s Quarters | Proceed toward Dracula for the normal-ending route, or prepare the additional true-ending branch first. | 6:17:42 ↗ |
Chapter boundaries group long stretches of exploration and return trips. They are useful places to resume the footage, not an instruction to postpone a required ability until its region appears in this table. If an obstacle blocks you, use the unlock checks below.
Starts in Paris Streets at 0:06:06. Use the table timestamps for later chapters. The recording includes return trips and reaches the normal ending; the additional true-ending route is linked separately.
BeardBear · Full Game Walkthrough · Player loads when you choose Play.Watch on YouTube ↗Opening route: guardian keys and the first Death
- Follow the opening Paris Streets route to The Fallen. After the fight, confirm the Arcane Whip tutorial and use the new anchor interactions to continue.
- Work toward Prison Tower and Joan. Complete the following ability tutorial rather than assuming the Arcana card alone grants Holy Light.
- Continue to Holy Innocents’ Cemetery and the Medusa route. Check your collected keys before returning to the gate into the Catacombs.
- Descend into the Catacombs and open the local shortcut paths as you go. Green wall markings help identify the descent; use the continuous recording when a vertical room is confusing.
- Continue after the first Death encounter. The story expects this loss. Climb the Collapsed Path of Orpheus and follow the right-hand route at the top to the blue wharf doorway.
- Meet the Ferryman and check his destination menu. The fast-travel guide keeps the exact wharf and mirror operations together.
The first three guardians are all needed for their keys; the sequence here is the one shown by the linked recordings. Death in the Catacombs does not award Double Jump. That belongs to a later fight and a separate tutorial in Notre-Dame.
The opening Catacombs chapter continues down this large stairway after the guardian-key route. Match the room geometry and green wall banner; the frame does not depict a Double Jump unlock or the later Death battle.
Gameplay capture: BeardBear · 90:23 in the original video ↗ · Game © KONAMI / Evil Empire. Not our own recorded playthrough.Ability checkpoints for the castle route
| Checkpoint | Where to check | What opens next |
|---|---|---|
| Arcane Whip | After The Fallen; confirm its traversal tutorial. | Whip anchors and swing routes in the opening areas. |
| Holy Light | The post-Joan / Prison Tower route. | Chaos Shard interactions; use the actual light tutorial. |
| Smash | Clock Tower’s Eastern Access Shaft mechanism → The Builder → movement tutorial. | Golden-cracked floors and the sculpture branch for The Artist. The shaft puzzle does not require already owning Smash. |
| Aerial Rush | Library’s Planetarium puzzles → Observatory → The Occultist. | Mid-air dash routes and the prerequisite chain toward Notre-Dame. |
| Double Jump | Notre-Dame’s organ / later Death route → separate movement tutorial. | Higher return paths and improved control through late traversal challenges. |
For Notre-Dame, check both branches: obtain The Artist / Masterpiece through the Smash-dependent sculpture route, and finish the Library progression that supplies Brauner’s Paintbrush. Return to Gallery of Eternal Night, equip Masterpiece and interact with the painting. The Double Jump prerequisite table covers this junction in detail.
These movement interactions and Arcana spells are different systems. A card reward, a tutorial, and an equipped spell can each require a separate action. Read the tutorial that appears and test the movement before leaving its room.
Boss order: separate repeat encounters and detours
The independent CGInferno recording shows The Fallen, Joan and Medusa before the first Death, then an early Isaac encounter and Talos. Its later chapters distinguish Carmilla, The Artist, the second Death and another Isaac encounter. Use those names to identify your stage, rather than counting every appearance as a new mandatory boss.
Compare the first Death at 16:46 ↗ with the later Death at 55:39 ↗. The Double Jump route concerns the later encounter. The compilation also includes alternate outcomes and optional fights, so its entire chapter list is not a mandatory checklist.
Return trips and optional branches
| Your goal | Take this branch | When to return |
|---|---|---|
| Open a golden floor | Smash unlock and input | Once The Builder’s route and its tutorial are complete. |
| Find a high hidden route | Double Jump and Main Hall checks | Return to a marked obstacle with the matching movement ability. |
| Upgrade a spell | Works of Mercy | Equip the relevant card, perform its task and assign the Blessing to a Gift. This is not a substitute for a story key. |
| Rescue Eleanor / obtain The Sage | Four seal challenges → maze route → cemetery conversation | Separate this branch from ordinary mirror travel. The Sage becomes necessary for the Prudence branch of the true ending. |
| Prepare the true ending | Four virtue cards and trials → The Self → final Absolution action | Complete the additional conditions before attempting the desired final outcome. The linked main playthrough documents the normal ending. |
If you cannot tell what to do next
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Sources, route scope and version limits
- BeardBear: full game, normal ending ↗ — completed six-hour recording and chapter sequence
- CGInferno: bosses and endings ↗ — independent encounter order and repeated Death / Isaac comparison
- Chinccw: all traversal abilities ↗ — movement tutorials; Smash and Double Jump already checked in the focused guides
- Gamer Guides: Arcana routes ↗ — Builder, Artist, Occultist, Notre-Dame and additional ending branches
- IGN: fast travel ↗ — Catacombs aftermath and the two travel networks
Checked 19 October 2026 against the credited gameplay and reference guides. Screenshots are credited video captures, not our own playthrough. Default button labels may differ if controls are remapped.
Recordings checked on 19 October 2026. The full-route recording was published on 15 October. No exact game build number is visible in the selected evidence, so this page does not claim build-specific testing, a 100% run or an independently completed playthrough. Selected junctions and tutorials were checked against the original footage; chapter navigation is not a frame-by-frame audit of the entire recording.