Shift At Midnight Marionette Guide
The Marionette is a flying ghost entity in Shift At Midnight that can be prevented entirely - or fought if you let it spawn. Here is how to stop it with the music box, and how to survive its attack if you fail.
How to Prevent the Marionette
The music box (Jack-in-the-Box) appears on the shop floor during an entity event. When you find it, hold E to rewind it before the melody plays three times.
Rewind it in time and the Marionette never appears - you skip the fight entirely.
The music box starts appearing from Shift 9 onward.
How to Kill the Marionette
If you fail to rewind the music box in time - or you choose to fight it - the Marionette spawns as a cloaked, floating ghost.
It is not particularly hard to defeat, but you need plenty of ammunition and access to multiple weapons. Stock up before the hunt.
Its behaviour rewards a prepared player: keep your distance, use your strongest purchased weapons, and don't waste the 60-second prep window.
The Last Performance Achievement
Letting the Marionette spawn and defeating it is tied to the Last Performance achievement - the 'death penalty' route if you prefer the fight over the prevention.
Decide per run: skip it with the music box for a clean night, or bait it for the achievement.
FAQ
How do you stop the Marionette in Shift At Midnight?
Find the music box on the shop floor and hold E to rewind it before the melody plays three times.
Can you kill the Marionette?
Yes, if it spawns you can fight it - but you need plenty of ammo and multiple weapons.
Which shift does the Marionette appear?
The music box and Marionette start appearing from Shift 9 onward.
What is the Last Performance achievement?
It unlocks when you face and defeat the Marionette.