How to Play Animal Hospital — Controls and Mechanics

How to Play Animal Hospital — Controls & Mechanics

Basic Controls

The Reception Area

This is where patients arrive. You have:

• A reception window to view patients
• A shutter to block or admit patients
• A camera to take polaroid photos
• A details stamper to stamp patient information
• CCTV monitors to check surveillance footage

Patient Screening Process

Step 1: Visual Inspection

Look at the patient for 4-5 seconds. Watch for:

• Twitching or limb spasms
• Extra eyes (three eyes instead of two)
• Hollow face (empty eye sockets)
• Wide eyes and creepy smile
• Human teeth on an animal

Step 2: Photo Check

Take a photo and wait for it to develop on the desk. Check for:

• Different eyes or ears than the patient
• Completely wrong animal in photo
• Static or unnatural expressions
• Cursed photos (bloodshot eyes) — don't pick these up!

Step 3: CCTV Check

Check the waiting room camera for anomalies that are invisible in person:

• JPEG artifacts or censored eyes
• Unnatural body proportions
• Patient staring at camera
• Shadowy/void bodies

Treatment Rooms

Once patients are admitted, treat them in the surgery rooms:

• Diagnosis — Use DNA Analysis to identify the condition
• Surgery — Complete the medical procedure before the timer
• Recovery — Wait for the patient to recover and leave

Monsters

Monsters roam the hospital independently and can kill you:

• Skinwalker — The most dangerous. Emerges from admitted anomalies.
• Bed Monster — Hides under beds. Loves Maple Syrup.
• The Stalker — Tall shadowy bunny. Avoid eye contact (-10 Sanity).
• Hiders — Camouflaged in walls/windows. Listen for breathing.

Upgrades and Items

The in-game shop sells upgrades using Animal Coins:

• Faster DNA Analysis
• Faster Patient Recovery
• Extra Check-In Window
• NPC Speed Boosts
• Various consumables (Coffee, Chocolate, Speed Cola)

How to Go Third Person

Animal Hospital defaults to first-person view, but some players prefer third person for better situational awareness. To switch:

1. Scroll to zoom out — Use your mouse scroll wheel to pull the camera back
2. Use the settings menu — Some versions allow toggling view mode in settings
3. Keyboard shortcut — Try pressing V or checking your Roblox camera settings

Third person gives you a wider field of view, making it easier to spot monsters approaching from behind. However, first person provides more precision for anomaly screening and item interaction.

How to Drag Items to Inventory

Picking up items in Animal Hospital requires dragging, not clicking:

If a single click doesn't work, you're probably not dragging. Make sure your inventory isn't full — you need an empty slot to pick up new items.

Visitors and Sitting NPCs

You may notice visitors or sitting people in the hospital who are not patients at the reception window. These are:

• NPCs in the lobby — Decorative or atmospheric; they don't need to be served
• Waiting patients — Patients who have been admitted and are waiting for treatment
• Other players — In co-op, other players may be sitting or standing around

You do not need to serve visitors. Your job is strictly the reception window (screening) and treatment rooms (healing).

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Sources: IGN, Eurogamer, TechWiser, animal-hospital.me