Episode 1 Walkthrough: The Stalker

Episode 1 of Burrowed Fears — titled The Stalker — is the chapter that hooked most of the community. You play as a student studying at home on an ordinary evening that turns into a nightmare when a stranger appears at your back door. This walkthrough covers every major story beat from the opening study session through the final chase, without skipping the dialogue and choices that make the episode work. Watch the gameplay video above for visual reference, then follow the steps below.

Opening: Studying and Flow State

The episode begins inside your character's house. You are preparing for exams or coursework, and the game establishes a calm, domestic atmosphere before anything goes wrong. Walk to your desk and interact with study materials when prompted. The game may ask you to enter a flow state — a focused studying sequence where you remain at the desk and follow on-screen prompts.

Do not rush this section. The studying phase is deliberate pacing: Burrowed Fears uses quiet moments to make later horror land harder. While you study, pay attention to ambient sounds — a ticking clock, distant traffic, the hum of electronics. Your in-game phone may buzz with messages from friends or family. Read each text; they establish relationships and set up context for later events. If dialogue options appear, respond naturally. Choices here rarely cause instant failure, but they shape the tone of your character's reactions when danger arrives.

Study Phase Tips

• Stay at the desk until the game transitions you out of the study sequence.
• Check your phone whenever it vibrates — early texts foreshadow the pizza order.
• Explore the house briefly if the game allows free movement; familiarizing yourself with room layout helps during the chase.
• Note the location of the back door, front door, and neighbor's house direction.

Ordering Pizza

After the study session, the story advances to evening. Your character decides to order food — typically pizza — because studying worked up an appetite. Interact with your phone or computer to place the order. Follow the prompts exactly: select items, confirm delivery, and wait.

This is a key narrative beat, not filler. The pizza delivery creates a reason for someone to approach your house and gives the stalker a plausible excuse to be on your property. While you wait, the game may let you move around the house again. Use this time to lock doors if the option appears, though the critical locking sequence comes later. Phone messages may update with delivery ETA or friends checking in on your study session.

The Back Door Stalker

The horror centerpiece of Episode 1 arrives when you investigate activity at the back door. You may hear knocking, footsteps on the patio, or see a shadow through the window. The game builds tension through audio before visual confirmation — this is where headphones and high graphics settings matter most.

When you approach the back door, a figure appears — the stalker. Do not open the door. This is the most important survival rule in the entire episode. Opening the door leads to a bad outcome. Instead, back away, lock the door if prompted, and follow the game's next objective. The stalker may pound on the door, try the handle, or circle the house. Stay calm and listen to audio cues that tell you where the threat is moving.

If you need general stalker tactics beyond this episode, read our Survive the Stalker guide. The principles — lock doors, do not engage, run when told — apply directly here.

Inside the House During the Stalker Sequence

• Lock every accessible door — back door first, then interior doors if available.
• Do not investigate the backyard — the stalker is outside; going out makes you vulnerable.
• Watch your phone — text messages may tell you to call someone or move to a specific room.
• Listen for direction — footsteps on the left side of the house mean the stalker moved; use that information when deciding where to run.

Running to the Neighbor

When the situation escalates, the game directs you to flee to a neighbor's house for help. This triggers the episode's main chase sequence. Sprint using your platform's run control — Shift on PC, the run button on mobile — and follow waypoint markers or environmental cues toward the neighbor's property.

The stalker pursues you during this segment. Do not stop to look back unless the game forces a scripted moment. Cut through the path the story provides — typically across the yard, over a fence, or through a side gate. If you stumble or take a wrong turn, you may take damage or trigger a closer encounter, but the episode is designed to be completable on first attempt if you follow the marked route.

Reach the neighbor's door and interact to knock or call for help. A brief cutscene or dialogue exchange follows where your character explains the situation. The neighbor's response wraps up the immediate threat and transitions the story toward the episode ending.

Episode 1 Ending

The ending of Episode 1 resolves the back door stalker encounter but leaves larger questions unanswered — fitting for an episodic horror series. Watch the final cutscene without skipping; it contains story details referenced in Episode 2 and beyond. After the ending screen, you return to the lobby with Episode 2 unlocked or available for selection.

Episode 1 teaches every core mechanic Burrowed Fears uses going forward: phone-based storytelling, dialogue choices, domestic environments turned hostile, and sprint-or-hide survival sequences. Before starting Episode 2, review our Episode 2 Walkthrough and confirm your graphics settings are optimized for the motel chapter's darker environments.