Marionette & Jack-in-the-Box music box
From Shift 9 onward, a Jack-in-the-Box can appear during Hunt phases. Rewind it fully and the Marionette never spawns. Let the melody finish three times and you fight a floating puppet — mandatory for the Last Performance achievement, optional for a quieter night.
When the music box appears
Expect the Jack-in-the-Box from Shift 9 in Story Mode. An email or notice warns that a music box has been spotted near the Entity once the spider-adjacent Hunt threat is active. The box sits at floor level somewhere in the gas station — aisles, back room, bathroom clutter, trash piles, and shelf edges are common spots. There is no single fixed tile; sweep low and listen for the louder cue after the July 23 patch.
The July 23 day-one patch also lowered Marionette HP and made the Jack-in-the-Box louder so crews hear it during chaos — see the changelog.
Rewind fully to skip the fight
Hold the interact button until the box fully resets. A complete rewind prevents the Marionette from spawning — the safest choice on first playthroughs, True Ending money runs, or when the Entity fight is already messy.
Commit early on the first song. Half-rewinding then walking away is how accidental summons happen.
Fail the box for Last Performance
To unlock Last Performance, you must kill a Marionette — rewinding does not count. Interact with the box but release before a full reset, then allow the melody to complete three separate times. After the third song, the Marionette spawns.
Ideal timing: soften the main Entity first (around ~20% health), then fail the box so the Marionette arrives as the Entity is leaving. When the Entity drops, the game prompts you to eliminate remaining creatures — that is your Marionette window.
How to kill the Marionette
- It floats — bear traps and ground explosives are poor primary tools. Bring guns, ideally automatic weapons from the Emergency Weapons Arsenal.
- Keep distance — the puppet closes faster as it takes damage; kite aisle loops and storage-room doors.
- Co-op — one player kites while others focus fire; clear the spider Entity before stacking the Marionette.
- Ammo discipline — save a magazine for after the Entity leaves; swapping from the arsenal display mid-fight is fine if you pre-bought weapons.
On death you should see a safety message along the lines of “They are gone. You are now safe,” and Last Performance unlocks. Full achievement list: achievements guide.
Hunt & late-shift gameplay clips
Frequently asked questions
Can the Marionette spawn before Shift 9? Reveal answer.
Community guides treat Shift 9 as the earliest Story appearance. Earlier nights focus on standard Entity hunts without the music-box puppet.
Do ground traps work on the Marionette? Reveal answer.
Unreliably — it floats. Use ranged weapons and movement; save bear traps for grounded threats like the Demented.
Is Last Performance required for True Ending? Reveal answer.
No. Last Performance is a separate achievement. You can rewind every box on a True Ending money run and hunt the Marionette on a later playthrough.