The Creature

The Creature is a dangerous monster that follows the player across the island of Eden. The Creature has no official name, but is unofficially being discussed by players in a thread on the Steam Forums. Also, a post from one of the developers mentions that the Creature's AI originated from a pet cat named Milo.

The Creature

On the hunt...

Fending off the creature with a makeshift torch

AI

The Creature spawns on a hotspot/location trigger system. In other words, it is not traveling around on the island . It will appear near the player in "hotspots" (locations of interest such as near important plants the player needs to finish the story) along with random locations. Running, falling, swimming , and other loud activity that one might think attracts a predator does not cause the Creature to spawn.

However, when the Creature does spawn, it acts very much like a predator. It will slowly stalk towards the player, and if spotted, it will growl menacingly and swipe at the player with big, powerful claws that will kill with two hits. When the Creature has spotted the player, turning away from the Creature or running from it will cause it to give chase. The Creature moves at a higher speed than the player.

This is the large graphic overlay seen on your screen when the Creature spawns after you use a mental stimulant or the Brain Emphasis Drug. This graphic turns red when the creature sees you.

If the Creature has lost sight of the player, it will walk away and despawn. Occasionally the Creature will frantically search the area near where it last spotted the player (particularly if the chase led to a camp) and does not despawn, in which case the player needs to remain out of the Creatures line of sight but move far enough away. Moving far enough away from the Creature will cause it to despawn, making travel safe again. Because of the spawn mechanics of the Creature, getting up and sprinting in the direction that it despawned will not cause it to respawn.

The simplest and most effective way of getting rid of the Creature (even if it has already seen the player) is to immediately duck behind an object such as a tree that blocks direct line-of-sight to the Creature. More often than not, the Creature will circle the object the player has chosen to hide behind, so making sure that they are able to move around the hiding place is important. Thick trees, head-statues, pillars, and rocks are perfect for this. The Creature can't see the player for as long as the object is between the player and the Creature's eyes. If the player stays out of view of the Creature long enough, it will give up and run off. This is done much easier with a mental stimulant or the Brain Emphasis Drug, as the player's head will turn to face the Creature while crouching and not moving the mouse.

Notes

The following notes are subject to change and are largely based on speculation and experience.

• The Creature is invincible. All attacks are ineffective.
• Two hits from the Creature will kill the player. The first one knocks the player down. Clicking repeatedly to skip the animation will allow the player to get back on their feet faster.
• The time of day does not affect how often the Creature spawns. Daytime is just as dangerous as nighttime. The Creature spawns much more often in the late game.
• Occasionally, the Creature will spawn immediately after despawning.
• The Creature will detect the player more easily if they are running.
• As long as the Creature hasn't spotted the player already (slow heartbeat), hiding in bushes or tall grass is one of the easiest ways to get rid of it. If the player has been spotted, waiting for the Creature to turn its back and then moving to a bush or some tall grass should allow the player to escape the Creature.
• In some cases while travelling and immediately after hearing the heartbeat, turning 180 degrees and running in the opposite direction will cause the Creature to despawn due to the increased distance between it and the player. However, the Creature may respawn behind the player on random occasions.
• When running away from the Creature, make use of dense trees, etc - the animal is quite wide, and cannot squeeze through small gaps that the player can. Climbing steep slopes is another good way to evade it. The Creature isn't able to climb and has to find another path around the slope.
• It is attracted to fire. Waving a Torch in front of it will cause it to pause and watch the movement of the flame. Throwing the burning object will cause the Creature to turn and look towards it, then sometimes run over to investigate. Due to this fact, burning sticks or torches seem to be more useful against the Creature than conventional weapons such as the knives and axes found throughout the island.
• Throwing items such as rocks at the Creature will cause it to roar and shake its head, this is usually ineffective. But it will sometimes cause the Creature to run away.
• The Creature does not spawn over water. Thus, travelling along the coast is the most effective way to prevent the Creature from spawning close to the player.
• Usage of mental stimulant will help locating the Creature as well as identifying whether or not it can see the player. The Brain Emphasis Drug is a permanent solution. When the Creature spawns, crouch immediately to take advantage of the HUD upgrade from the medicine.
• If the player attempts to run away from the Creature, it will run after and tackle the player. Thus, it is advised to face it and back away if it spots the player. Throwing a burning stick behind it might help distract it long enough to allow the player to hide.
• The Creature can only swim short distances, so swimming across a span of water far enough will help escape it. Using plants that provide extra swimming strength (to prevent drowning) are useful here - Herculean tonic and Muscle Emphasis Drug.
• Hiding or swimming away from the Creature are the most effective forms of evasion. Hiding behind trees, logs, landmarks , large rocks, or the best option - inside camps where the Creature cannot go - are optimum. Tall grass will also work, and will prevent line-of-sight.
• Steam Achievements are available for hitting the Creature with certain objects, such as an apple, a banana, an orange or a tin can.
• Other animals are afraid of the Creature. If the player sees an animal running past them, it's a good bet the Creature isn't too far away, even if the hearbeat can't be heard.
• After taking the cure, the Creature will no longer spawn, allowing the player to explore the island without fear of being attacked.