Photo Anomalies – Polaroid Detection Guide

Photo Anomalies – Polaroid Detection Guide

Photo anomalies are only visible on the polaroid photo taken of the patient. They cannot be seen by looking at the patient in person or on the CCTV monitors. You must wait for the polaroid to develop on your desk and inspect it carefully.

The polaroid mechanic works like this: a photo is automatically taken when a patient arrives. After a short delay, the developed photo appears on your desk. Pick it up and examine it — if anything looks off, close the shutter.

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How the Polaroid Mechanic Works

1. A patient arrives at the hospital and is placed in a bed or treatment area.
2. A polaroid photo is taken automatically.
3. Wait for the photo to develop on your desk (takes a few seconds).
4. Pick up the photo and inspect it — compare it against what you saw in person.
5. If the photo shows something different from the patient's actual appearance, it's a photo anomaly.
6. Close the shutter immediately to contain the anomaly.

⚠️ Warning: Never pick up a Cursed Photo without being prepared — it costs 10 Sanity just by touching it.

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Quick Reference Table

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Detailed Breakdown

1. Different Eyes

The patient's eyes in the polaroid do not match their real eyes. The color, shape, or number of eyes may differ between the photo and what you see in person.

• Difficulty: Hard
• Detection tip: You must remember what the patient's eyes looked like during the appearance check and compare. Take a mental snapshot during the in-person inspection.
• Common mistake: Not paying attention to the patient's eyes during the appearance phase, making it impossible to compare.

2. Different Ears

The patient's ears in the polaroid are the wrong shape, size, or position compared to their actual ears. This can be subtle depending on the species.

• Difficulty: Medium
• Detection tip: Focus on ear shape and placement when you look at the patient in person, then verify against the photo.

3. Incorrect Photo

The polaroid shows a completely different patient or even an entirely different scene — it's not a photo of the patient in front of you at all.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Detection tip: If the patient in the photo clearly isn't the same species, color, or size as the one you're treating, it's an anomaly.

4. Unnatural Photo

The patient in the photo appears distorted, warped, or in an impossible pose. Their body proportions may be stretched, their limbs bent the wrong way, or their face may be smeared.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Detection tip: Any obvious visual corruption in the photo indicates this anomaly.

5. Static Photo

The polaroid is filled with static interference, like a TV with no signal. The image is obscured by noise, and you may not be able to make out the patient at all.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Detection tip: If the photo is mostly or entirely static, it's an anomaly. No further inspection needed.

6. Cursed Photo

The polaroid shows the patient with bloodshot, glowing eyes that seem to stare directly at you through the photo. This is a dangerous anomaly — picking it up costs 10 Sanity immediately.

• Difficulty: Medium
• Detection tip: Look at the photo before picking it up. If you see bloodshot eyes, close the shutter instead of grabbing it.
• Sanity cost: 10 Sanity if picked up
• Common mistake: Picking up every photo reflexively without looking first. Always visually inspect the photo on the desk before touching it.

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Detection Strategy

Recommended Workflow

1. Complete the in-person appearance check first — this gives you a mental baseline to compare against.
2. Wait for the polaroid to develop on your desk.
3. Look at the photo while it's still on the desk — do NOT pick it up yet.
4. Check for obvious anomalies first — Static Photo, Incorrect Photo, Unnatural Photo (all Easy).
5. If the photo looks normal, carefully compare details — eyes, ears, overall appearance.
6. If anything mismatches the patient you saw in person, close the shutter.
7. Only pick up the photo if you're confident it's clean.

Pro Tips

• Always inspect before picking up. This single habit prevents Cursed Photo Sanity loss.
• The in-person check is your baseline. The better you remember the patient's actual appearance, the easier photo anomalies are to spot.
• Close the shutter from a distance if you suspect a Cursed Photo — no need to touch it.

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Sanity Impact

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Sources: Community wiki research, in-game testing, TechWiser/IGN anomaly guides.