What to know
- The Shadow Puppets trophy/achievement is found in The Backstage DLC of Little Nightmares 3.
- You must gather five Shadow Puppets into a tight group before attacking.
- The best opportunity comes after obtaining the Circular Key.
- Defeating all five enemies simultaneously unlocks the trophy immediately.
If you’re aiming for 100% completion in Little Nightmares – The Backstage DLC, the Shadow Puppets trophy is one of the easier missable achievements once you know where it appears. The challenge is not defeating the enemies themselves but ensuring that all five Shadow Puppets are close enough together to be destroyed by the same attack. Missing the timing can leave you with fewer than five enemies defeated, forcing you to reload a checkpoint or replay the section.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Trophy Name | Shadow Puppets |
| Game | Little Nightmares 3 |
| DLC | The Backstage |
| Requirement | Defeat 5 Shadow Puppets at the same time |
| Best Location | Area reached after obtaining the Circular Key |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Missable | Yes |
| Estimated Time | 2–5 Minutes |
Where the trophy opportunity appears
The trophy opportunity becomes available shortly after obtaining the Circular Key. As you continue through the backstage-themed section, you will enter a room where multiple Shadow Puppets emerge and begin pursuing the players.
This room provides enough space to safely kite the enemies around while waiting for all five Shadow Puppets to gather together. Rather than attacking immediately, focus on controlling their movement and keeping the group intact.
How to unlock the Shadow Puppets trophy
Step 1
Progress through The Backstage DLC until you obtain the Circular Key.
Step 2
Continue forward until you reach the encounter involving multiple Shadow Puppets.
Step 3
Do not attack any of the enemies when they first appear. Eliminating even one of them early can prevent the trophy from unlocking.
Step 4
Run around the room and allow all five Shadow Puppets to follow you. Your goal is to bring them as close together as possible.
Step 5
Keep adjusting your position until the enemies form a tight cluster. If one enemy falls behind, continue moving and wait for it to catch up.
Step 6
Once all five Shadow Puppets are grouped together, use your attack source to destroy the entire cluster simultaneously.
Step 7
If all five enemies are defeated in the same attack, the Shadow Puppets trophy/achievement will unlock immediately.
Tips for grouping the enemies efficiently
Many players fail the achievement because they attack too early. Patience is the key. Allow the enemies enough time to bunch together naturally before attempting the final attack.
Playing cooperatively can make the trophy even easier. One player can focus on positioning while the other watches the enemy group and confirms when all five Shadow Puppets are close enough together.
If the group becomes separated, simply continue running around the room until they reform into a single cluster. There is no need to rush the process.
Common mistakes that prevent the trophy from unlocking
| Mistake | Result |
|---|---|
| Defeating a Shadow Puppet early | Fewer than five enemies remain |
| Attacking before enemies are grouped | Not all enemies die simultaneously |
| Letting enemies spread out | Some survive the attack |
| Miscounting the enemies | Trophy does not trigger |
| Rushing the encounter | Increased chance of failure |
Why this trophy is considered missable
Unlike story-related achievements that unlock automatically, Shadow Puppets requires a very specific action during a particular enemy encounter. Players who defeat the enemies normally may finish the section without realizing a trophy opportunity existed.
Fortunately, the requirement is straightforward once you know what to do: gather all five Shadow Puppets together and eliminate them with a single attack.
The safest strategy is to focus entirely on enemy positioning rather than combat. Circle the room, keep the enemies chasing you, and wait until all five are nearly overlapping. Once the group is tightly packed, perform the attack and the trophy should unlock instantly.
Because the encounter occurs shortly after obtaining the Circular Key, many players use this section as a dedicated trophy stop before progressing further through The Backstage DLC.
