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Night Shift Phases

Each night shift spans from 7 PM to 6 AM (11 hours). The difficulty and anomaly frequency increase as the night progresses. Understanding these phases helps you prepare mentally and strategically.

Phase 1: Early Shift (7 PM - 10 PM)
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy

The beginning of your shift. Most customers are still normal people getting dinner. Anomalies are rare and usually easy to spot.

Characteristics:

  • 10-20% anomaly rate
  • Simple visual anomalies (wrong colors, obvious distortions)
  • High customer traffic
  • Good time to earn money for Millionaire ending

Strategy:

Use this time to read and memorize the posted rules. Serve confidently - anomalies are obvious. Build your earnings and confidence.

Phase 2: Mid Shift (10 PM - 1 AM)
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: Medium

The shift gets serious. Normal customer traffic decreases while anomaly encounters increase. This is where most players start making mistakes.

Characteristics:

  • 40-50% anomaly rate
  • Mix of obvious and subtle anomalies
  • First behavioral anomalies appear
  • Environmental changes (light flickers, temperature drops)

Strategy:

Start using Third Eye more frequently. Take an extra second to examine each customer. Be alert for behavioral red flags like silent approaches or wrong requests.

Phase 3: Late Shift (1 AM - 4 AM)
Duration: 3 hours
Difficulty: Hard

The darkest hours. The supernatural barrier is weakest. Powerful entities appear and anomaly encounters dominate. Maximum vigilance required.

Characteristics:

  • 70-80% anomaly rate
  • Jin entities and shadow figures appear
  • Complex, well-disguised anomalies
  • Multiple anomalies may appear back-to-back
  • Environmental anomalies increase

Strategy:

Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Use Third Eye liberally but watch the green meter. Take mental breaks between customers to maintain focus.

Phase 4: Pre-Dawn (4 AM - 6 AM)
Duration: 2 hours
Difficulty: Medium-Hard

The final stretch. Anomaly rate decreases slightly as dawn approaches, but fatigue is your enemy. Maintain focus to complete your shift successfully.

Characteristics:

  • 50-60% anomaly rate (decreasing toward dawn)
  • Mix of desperate entities and late-night customers
  • Some rule-specific events may trigger
  • Last chance for secret ending conditions

Strategy:

Don't let your guard down. Many players fail in this phase due to fatigue or overconfidence. Stay methodical with your checks. You're almost there.

Shift Completion (6 AM)

When you survive until 6 AM, the sun rises and your shift ends. Your ending is determined by your performance across all phases:

  • Anomaly detection accuracy
  • Rule compliance record
  • Third Eye usage pattern
  • Total earnings
  • Special encounters triggered

The ending cutscene reveals your fate based on these factors. Some endings have post-shift consequences that affect future runs.

Progressive Difficulty System

Beyond the single-shift progression, the game tracks your overall experience:

First-Time Players

Slightly reduced anomaly frequency to help you learn mechanics.

Experienced Players (5+ Shifts)

Standard difficulty. More complex anomalies appear earlier.

Veterans (20+ Shifts)

Hardest mode. Rare anomalies appear more frequently. New variants may emerge.