As of posting this guide, I'd say it's ~95% complete. I decided to post it just in case I struggle to find the last few collectibles, that way the community could potentially step in and help out. I still need to:

• Find 1 note.
  
• Find 1 doll.
  
• Proofread and clean up the guide.

Estimated difficulty: 2.5/10.

Estimated 100% time: TBD. My guess is 5-10 hours.

Offline/online achievements: 17 offline / 0 online.

Number of playthroughs: 1 + clean up

Glitched achievements: 1. "Kaiso". This is currently bugged in a way that's good for us. The counter for this achievement will go up every time you find a note. That means you can find 22 notes in one playthrough, then start a new game and collect those same 22 notes to earn the achievement. I'll still list every possible note location in case this gets patched.

Missable Achievements: 5. "Jiei", "Chiryo", "Kaiso", "Jinsei", "Okiku". It's worth noting that dolls you collect are permanently collected. If you miss one, you'll just need to find that specific doll on your next run. Also, read the bug info about collecting notes above.

Note (1/44) - Amidst Majestic, Impenetrable Mountains
As soon as you take control of the character, enter the first building of the game to spot this on the desk inside.











Story related. This will unlock shortly after crossing a wooden bridge and entering the town for the first time.


Note (2/44) - I Lost the Backyard...
As soon as you enter the town, this will be on your right, directly next to the save point.











Story related. This will unlock after defeating the first enemy of the game. It might unlock for running away, but I can't confirm that.


Doll (1/20)
After running away from the spider enemies, you'll enter a grocery store. This doll can be found on the counter. You have to melee the doll to break it.











Note (3/44) - Nankofuraku's Only Landmark Was...
After exiting the grocery store, continue through the town until you arrive at a small construction site, where you'll have to deal with a humanoid enemy with a knife. From where you enter this area, you can find a ladder to your left that leads to a Bolt Cutter item. On the same walkway will be the note.











Note (4/44) - Attention
At the end of the construction zone will be a metal gate you can pass through to progress and a vault door to its left that we'll enter later. The note is to the left of the vault door.











Note (5/44) - SHA_RD (1)
Inside a locker in the same room you find the Pistol in.











Note (6/44) - Laundry Rules Do Not...
Inside the laundromat, where you get the Pearl Key. Very hard to miss.











Doll (2/20)
After entering Warehouse 2, make your way all the way to the back to find a shelf with a fuse on it. Facing the fuse, turn to your right and look on top of a different shelf.











Doll (3/20)
On a pipe inside the construction zone. An easy way to find this doll is to return to the vault door, turn around 180 degrees and walk straight to the far end.











Note (7/44) - To The Locals, This...
After the cutscene where you talk to the small boy, walk a few feet forward to come to a fork in the road. Take the left path and you'll spot this on a bench.











Doll (4/20)
From the last note, pass through the building on your immediate right. As you exit, you should spot an ominous red whirlwind thing of evil above the next building. Continue behind this building and you'll run into a dangerous enemy that can damage you by screaming near you. Kill it, then check the roof of the left building.











Note (8/44) - You Were Gorgeous, Your...
Return to the red whirlwind thing of evil building and go inside. Go upstairs to find a red portal you can enter. Once you do, go downstairs to find the note.











Doll (5/20)
From the last note, go through the front door and look on the roof above the doorway.











Note (9/44) - SHA_RD (2)
Continue through this linear zone and you'll find this just before a giant clock face.











Note (10/44) - Election Campaign of I...
Return to where you found note 7 and enter the gates to the left of it. Follow the path down and you'll spot the boy again. Continue past him a few more feet and he'll appear again on a swing. Instead of approaching him on the swing, follow the buildings to your right and you'll be able to enter the one on the end. The note is immediately inside.











Story related. Pass by the kid on the swing and follow the path into the building at the end to trigger the first boss of the game. I'll keep details on how to beat him spoiler tagged, but for anyone struggling: during the first phase, you need to shoot the 4 eyes above him. Each one takes 3 pistol shots. In phase 2, you simply need to run away and drop down the hole at the end.


Note (11/44) - Undoubtedly, He Had Violated...
On the floor in front of you, immediately after escaping the Two-Faced Stranger.











Doll (6/20)
After leaving the dojo, you'll be back on the path that led to the boss. Wrap back around the path and enter the cemetery.











Note (12/44) - The Old Inscription On...
Return to the evil red whirlwind house and go through the wooden gate to the left of it. Turn left and the path will split left past a small rock, and right under a tori gate. Pass under the tori gate and the note will be on your left.











Note (13/44) - At the Moment When...
Continue past the previous note and go through another wooden gate. Kill the spider enemy, then enter the yard on the left and approach the dead body to trigger a flashback sequence. Follow the path behind the building to spot this in front of a pile of burning bodies.











Note (14/44) - On April 18, 1978...
This will be on the floor in front of you, immediately after finishing the flashback sequence.

Doll (7/20)
In the first doorway on your right, not even 2 steps from the previous note. You can't shoot it through the doorway for whatever reason, you'll need to physically enter the room.











Note (15/44) - The Fall the Young...
Return to the split path where you found note 12 and take the left path this time. You'll find this on a bench at the end.











Story related. This will unlock after slotting the 2 stone items and passing through the newly opened gate.


Doll (8/20)
After passing through the gate that the foxes unlock, you'll be in a swamp-like area. Follow the path until you spot a red woman standing near a shrine on your left. Just behind the stone fox on the right is a staircase you can climb to find some supplies and a building you can enter. The doll is inside. This might not show up until after you gain the ability to switch between realms.











Doll (9/20)
From the previous doll, continue onwards until you spot the red woman on a bridge to your left. Instead of going towards her, keep running straight to the end of the path.











Note (16/44) - Today our Daughter, Kario...
While passing through the destroyed village, you'll eventually enter the first safe room of the area. The note is directly across from the save point.











After interacting with a mirror and watching a flashback, you'll be given a neat little broach. Exit the building and you'll get a tooltip on how to switch between dimensions. Do so to unlock the achievement.


Note (17/44) - Just as a Music...
As soon as you switch realms, you should notice two wall of vines with eyeballs on them blocking your path. One is a shortcut back to the start of this zone (where the red woman was), and one is progression. When you remove the wall blocking progression, pass through the wooden doorway and immediately wrap around it to the left. The note is on the side of the building.











Note (18/44) - Do Not Disturb What... (1)
From the previous note, continue onwards. You'll climb a hill that eventually leads to a fork in the road. Left leads to a walled off doorway that you need to find more eyeballs for, and right leads to a wooden pathway. Go right and follow the path until you reach a large platform with the note in plain sight.











Doll (10/20)
Facing the previous note, turn to your right and press up against the guardrail to spot this doll off in the distance. You can also just walk right up to it.











Story related. This will unlock after shooting all of the eyes and passing through the metal gate that was blocked on the opposite path of the forked road.


Doll (11/20)
After crossing a river, you'll come across a large yellow building. Immediately go right to get behind this building, where you'll need to deal with 2 flying enemies. Once you do, go to the end of the path they were on to find the doll.











Note (19/44) - Book "Red Agate I"...
Head to the front of the building now and head inside. As soon as you do, turn left and enter the first door you see, which will be labelled "Library". Go through the next door, then immediately look to your right.











Note (20/44) - The Fall of the...
In the same room as the previous note, in the top left corner.











Doll (12/20)
Exit the Library and head right. Don't go up the staircase you come across. Continue past it, then enter the first door on your left (Room no. 11). Deal with the humanoid enemy, then look between the two beds.











Note (21/44) - Personal Diary (Do Not...
Exit room 11, then enter room 13. This will be on the table with the TV.











Doll (13/20)
Head upstairs now and we'll start by going left. Enter the women's restroom and look behind the sinks.











Doll (14/20)
Exit the bathroom and continue left, then climb onto the roof. Keeping your eyes on the left side, cross to the far end of the roof to spot the doll just past the chain-link fence. You can't shoot this one for some reason. You need to press up as close as you can and melee it.











Doll (15/20)
After using a key to unlock the pathway to the Main Hospital Block, go across the long white hall and enter the first door you see. Once through, enter the first door on your left labelled "Canteen", where you can find the doll in the kitchen area.











Note (22/44) - Our Director is Wasting...
Exit the canteen from the door you came in from and continue down the hallway until you run into two enemies at an intersection in the hall. Deal with them, then position yourself at the intersection. To your right should be a staircase to the 2nd floor. Go past the staircase and through the double doors at the end of the hall, then run to the far side of this hall and enter the very last room on the right labelled "Laboratory". Inside will be the note on a desk.

Note (23/44) - Archive Note They Made...
Return to the staircase at the intersection and head up to the 2nd floor. Start by turning left and going through the Archive door that's immediately to your right. The note is sneakily tucked into the crate by the red spider lilies.











Doll (16/20)
To the immediate left of the previous note.











Note (24/44) - Seven Lucky Gods The...
Exit the Archive room and continue right through the double doors. Head to the end of this hallway and enter the Conference Room on your right.











Note (25/44) - Hoshi's Note Oh, How...
Exit the Conference Room and enter the door directly across from you labelled "Medical Stuff Room". The note will be straight ahead on a table.











Note (26/44) - Do Not Disturb What... (2)
Return to the stairwell we took to reach the 2nd floor, and head up to the 3rd floor. This is a small safe room with the note in plain sight by the stairs.











Note (27/44) - Circular Clarification No. 83-7/Regulation...
Head back down the stairs, turn right, and go through the Staff Only door. As soon as you do, enter the door labelled "Security Post" on your left. The note is inside.











Note (28/44) - Note From Iwamura's Office...
Exit the Security Post from the door you came in from, then hook around the hallway into the Director's Office. The note is on the table inside.











Doll (17/20)
After making your way to the Pool area, enter the Women's Locker Room, deal with the enemies inside, then go to where the lockers are located. The doll will be on top of a locker to the left of the exit door (directly to the left of my head in the picture below).











Story related. This boss fight can be rather annoying, due to it being able to endlessly summon enemies. I highly recommend making a manual save before sending Hiruki into the drained pool. For people who are struggling with how to defeat the boss: you need to enter the other dimension and locate the 3 shifting rocks with eyes on them. Thankfully, you only need to kill 2 of the 3 eyes. They take about 9 pistol shots, or 3 shotgun shots each.


Note (29/44) - Book "Red Agate II"...
After the cutscene with your father in the hospital, exit the room and you'll get another scene of Hiruki being kidnapped. As soon as it ends, walk a few feet up the hall, walk into the room on your right, and look left.











Note (30/44) - As a Child, Ekaterina...
Directly across the room from the previous note.











Story related. This will unlock after climbing down the cliché staircase in the same room as the previous 2 notes.


Note (31/44) - When I First Descended...
After entering the mines, you'll need to enter the other dimension to get past a sliding rock. You'll enter a room with a grenade launcher to your left, and the note just behind it.











Note (32/44) - Depth 300 M Underground...
From the previous note, crawl through the nearby metal grating and you'll come to a fork in the tracks. Go left and you should immediately spot this note on the floor near another split in the track.











Note (33/44) - -ATTENTION!-
Go back to the original fork in the track and go right. Follow the path through until you reach a door you can enter. The note will be to your right.











Note (34/44) - It is so Tight...
Directly across the room from the previous note.

These next few collectibles are inside a bit of a maze that has a large, invincible enemy patrolling it. Instead of confusing you by trying to give you text directions to each one, I'm just going to post their location within the maze.

Doll (18/20)











Note (35/44) - We Couldn't Get Close...











Note (36/44) - This Place is Killing...
After plugging the two keycards into the terminal, exit the room and enter the vault door not too far ahead. Following the path will lead you to one of the screaming enemies next to a barrel you can shoot to explode it. From that barrel, keep walking straight and you'll find a spider enemy + the note at the dead end.











Note (37/44) - We Decided to Establish...
After filling the generator and taking the elevator down, you'll arrive at a spiral staircase. Start by going up it. The note is at the very top.











Note (38/44) - Contact With All Members...
Go down the stairs this time. Enter the first alcove on your right, then enter the door to your immediate left. The note is between the beds inside.











Note (39/44) - Boundary Severance is an... (1)
Exit the room with the previous note and head left, where you can find another door. Head inside to find a safe room, then turn immediately to your right to spot a very sneaky door tucked behind the filing cabinets. Go inside and through the long hallway to a filing room. This note is on the left side of the room.

Note (40/44) - If Time is Just...
On the opposite side of the same room as the previous note.











Doll (19/20)
Continuing through the mine, you'll get a second cutscene about the rabbit meeting a cat. From this location, there should be a large tori gate to your left. Instead of going that way, go behind the altar where the rabbit story was told and check behind the large rock to your left. You can see the location of the story altar to my left in the image below.











Note (41/44) - Boundary Severance is an...
Continuing deeper, you'll get the 4th part of the story, where the foxes beat the rabbit. Climb the wooden stairs nearby to find the note on the floor at the top. Pretty much impossible to miss.











Note (42/44) - Letter to Haruki Haruki...
From the previous note, pass through the next room and into another set of double doors. As soon as you do, the note will be on the wall to your left.











Note (43/44) - Revelation IV...A Union...
After defeating the worm boss and returning to Haruki's cage, you'll go through a lengthy set of cutscenes. As soon as they end, climb down the stairs nearby and look underneath them.











As far as I can tell, these 3 achievements are for defeating the final boss and watching the ending cutscenes. It's a little strange to me that, as of writing this guide, Reflection has an earn rate of 16.4% compared to Ikigai, which has an earn rate of 17.6%, since Reflection should unlock before that. If there's an extra requirement that I accidentally filled, please inform me!

As far as the boss goes, it's probably the easiest one in the game. You'll need to fight him 3 times, with a small walking section and a few enemies between each fight. You can end each phase with 2 grenade launcher shots. Very simple.


This is a lot easier than it sounds. I finished the game without dying on my first playthrough, and barely had any issues. The only things that can really cause problems are the first two boss fights and the screaming enemies, as there's a lot of hard to avoid AoE damage. Thankfully, the game loves to throw supplies at you, and you should really have a ton stocked up at any given moment.

If you kill every enemy you come across, you should earn this just before you reach the first boss of the game.


Despite there being an actual Medkit item, you just need to use 12 healing items overall. I'm not sure if this is a bug or not.


All you have to do for this one is die. Easy peasy.

Electric Panel
Flip levers 1, 3, 4


Clock Puzzle
Set the large hand to IV, and the small to VI


Mask Puzzle

• Koomote mask in slot 1
  
• Oni Mask in slot 4
  
• Rojo mask in slot 5

Gong Puzzle

• Hit the lower gong twice.
  
• Middle gong three times.
  
• Upper gong twice.

Stamp Puzzle
Iwamura, Hoshi, Kageyama


Gods Puzzle