After playing the demo a while back, I was keen to get hold of Backbone (since changed to Tails Noir), by Raw Fury. At some point. As part of Game Pass, I snagged it months ago, then realised I’d never play it, so blitzed it this weekend and made a Backbone/Tails Noir walkthrough.

There are no manual saves in the game, and it’s easy to miss some achievements. It’s impossible to get it all in one go, but considering my first playthrough was only two and a half hours, repeat plays don’t take long. Unless you’re writing a walkthrough…

This Backbone/Tails Noir walkthrough is 100% complete, and I’ve listed the achievements at the end. As mentioned, you can’t finish everything in one playthrough, so the guide below is an example. Most conversations don’t affect the overall outcome, so I’ve kept this simple. The rule of thumb? Talk to everyone, inspect everything, and if you’re after a particular achievement, look at the list at the bottom.

Act 1: Prologue

Walk to the desk and pick up the dirty dish. Exit the room to the left and take the photo chemicals next to the sink. Place the dish in the sink. Go into the bathroom and read the toilet books (read them all). Return to the previous room and place the chemicals on the noticeboard. Answer the door. Go through all the questions, then exit the office to the right.

Granville

Walk right and talk to the beaver, Anatoly, outside the cinema. After showing him the photo, walk to The Bite club and speak to Hank, the bouncer (you can’t get in yet). Now walk right and head into the alley. Speak with Larry to find out about Johnny, the squirrel. Head back to your apartment until you reach Furman & Sons and talk to the squirrel in the leather jacket. Ask for his help getting into the club, then return to Hank to gain access.

Approach and speak to Renee to get her business card. Talk to the other patrons (optional) until you get to Clarissa. She’ll eventually kick you out of the club, so head back to Larry. Now leave the alley and take a right. Crawl past the cop (Ctrl) and make your way to Bo. Look in the bin to get a ticket to the Bite, then talk to Sid. 

I sided with Sid and got Bo to move by saying he’s illegally selling adult mags. After some convincing, Bo leaves. Go back to Sid, then back to Bo’s stand and climb it, then head left along the rooftops until you reach The Bite. Go inside.

The Bite

In the dressing room, walk left and hit Ctrl to stay in the shadows. Wait for the rat to walk past, watch his patterns and head left to the Private Room without being seen. Go inside. Look at the painting to reveal a tie and use it to unlock a secret lift. Before entering, wall right and take the herbs (Monkeybutt).

In the next room, walk right and use the intercom. Call the kitchen and order a pizza, then immediately crawl to the right. Hit the mixer to distract the other kitchen worker and keep going right. Look at the note on the locker and match up the images (dragging and dropping with the mouse) to give the number sequence 0451. Enter the code on the door.

You’ll now be in darkness. Sprint left until you see a light switch. Hit it to identify Jeremy Green (sniff the body). After hearing footsteps, hide in the container (a little right of the body). Once safe, take the turnkey to the left. Sprint back right and go upstairs. Back in the room, take the lift, then right to escape (and puke up your guts).

Act 2: Connection

At the park, you can select any answer you feel is appropriate. After drinking, walk right until Gopnik catches up for a beating. Renee ‘rescues’ you. Once revived, talk to her. After the chat, walk left and turn the kettle on (I made hibiscus tea). Explore the apartment until the kettle boils, then call your mum, Mrs Green and Anatoly. Say whatever you like to all of them. Speak with Renee once more, then head off to Gastown.

Gastown

Walk right and give cigarettes to the rich kids for the Enabler achievement. When the truck arrives, go into the liquor shop. You can talk with Louis and either reassure him or berate him for the Tonic for the Soul or Bad Medicine achievement (you can only do one per playthrough). Interact with the tuna repeatedly until it explodes for the Trout Talker achievement, then walk right into the storage area. Sniff and inspect the flesh, then quiz Louis (either be nice or mean).  

Exit, take a left, go to the book store, read all the books (for the Blurb Herder achievement), then walk right to the phonebox to call Renee with an update. Afterwards, go back to Anatoly to head to the next area.

Blue Falls Building

Talk to the concierge, then head up the lift. Knock on the first door to hand over the cigars, then exit to the left up the fire escape. Follow the stairs and go to the balcony with the umbrella. Collect it, then go back and use it on the ladder. Follow to the left, down the ladder and inspect the window. Afterwards, take the putty knife and enter through the window. Inspect everything in the room, talk to the kids, and then look through the door on the left. Leave the room to meet up with Renee. Read through the notes and conclude that the person you’re after is the Science Minister. Finish talking to Renee, tuck her in, and then sleep.

West End

Walk to the far left and go inside the building. Take the lift to the 5th floor, read the books, knock on the door, and then up to the 8th floor. Talk to Luxie, then back to the 5th floor and knock on the door to speak to Beverley. Back to the lift and go to the 1st floor. Beverley will enter, so after talking to her, go back up to the 5th floor and knock on the door to speak to Henry. Let him hold your badge. After speaking, leave the building, run to the right to the red door, and speak with Samson. Explore the room, talk your way out of getting your throat cut, go to the Yumi Mart, and use the phone to speak to Renee. Talk to the women next to you, then walk right towards an alley leading to the factory.

The Factory

Crawl to the right, avoiding the guard, until you reach Florence. Speak with Florence, and you’ll end up in Rose’s apartment. Go into the bedroom and attempt to login to the computer. Look around this room and at each plant, then the flower book. Enter multiple passwords to get the reset.

  • The favourite flower is the daisy.
  • The band is Catieri (look at the poster to the right)
  • Talk to the bird; the third answer is Ignus.

Look at every file on the terminal for the Snoopy Snooper achievement. Once finished at the terminal, speak to Florence to reassure her. Chat with Renee, then with Clarissa. After she leaves, use the phone to call Anatoly and oof to Science City. 

Act 3: Artifact

Talk to the tour guide and ask questions along the way. Once the tour stops, walk to the right and look at the plaque. Time will pass, and the tour will conclude. Enter the lift. Walk right and take the newspaper, then go right out into the garden. Sniff the flowers to the left, then talk to Eddie on the far left and he’ll leave, so go back inside. Check the labs, then go back to where you got the newspaper to read it. Now approach Eddie and threaten him.

When the scene changes, walk right, grab the cable, and use it on Eddie. Talk to Eddie, and each time the conversation stops, look for an item to interact with, so he’ll talk about it. Make sure to threaten Eddie with acid, and you’ll get the Cruel To Be Kind achievement. Leave the room and inspect all items.

After the cutscene, keep walking all the way right until you reach Anatoly. 

Act 4: Apoptosis

Look around the tent, talk to Larry and smell the air and tumour via Larry’s mirror. Leave. Walk to the far left and take the firewood. After the cutscene, head right and talk only to Larry. In the tent, leave once more and head right. Again, don’t talk to anyone and sit on the edge by the water. Then go left and be one with the forest, back to your tent and take a nap. Talk to the bird (Geezer), then the musician for the Me Time achievement.

Explore the container, talk to Clarissa and listen to the conversation. Keep interacting with the container until the vents leak. From the bed, take the pen. Talk to the scientist, return to the container and read the book, remove the bandage, smell it, and reply to Renee. Take the feather. Wet the bandage in the sink, eat the food, take the tray, then tie the wet bandage over your moth like a mask. After Belle enters, leave the container.

Look around the lab and read through the terminal, then leave.

Act V: Epilogue

No walkthrough required – talk to everyone and as Howard, keep walking.

Backbone/Tails Noir 100% Achievement List

You needn’t achieve all of these in one playthrough of Backbone/Tails Noir as they accumulate (pending you don’t restart your game in Act 5 as I did… Still, try to do them all in one go to be sure. 

In my opinion, the trickiest ones that might need a couple of attempts are True Connection, Smell O Vision (smelling the bandage in Larry’s tent is easy to miss), and Blurb Herder – the bookstore in Act 2 is easy to miss. Finally, don’t be tempted to skip through dialogue in Acts 1 and 2 too quickly, as you may cock up the Howard/Wallace/Brollace achievements.

There are no manual saves, so be careful…

Acts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 – unlocked when you complete each act.

Keep the Hope Alive – reassure Florence about Rose in their apartment just after accessing the terminal (Act 2).

Snoopy Snooper – Look through every single file on Rose’s computer (Act 2).

Howard Lotar – Always introduce yourself as Howard/a detective

Wallace Brotor – Always present yourself as Wallace/a journalist

Brollace Howtor – When asked your name, alternate between Howard Lotar and Wallace (Acts 1-2)

Badge of Honor – Let Henry hold your badge (Act 2)

Tonic for the Soul – Reassure Louis in the liquor store (Act 2)

Bad Medicine – Be a bastard to Louis in the liquor store (Act 2)

Trout Talker – Repeatedly interact with the talking trout in the liquor store until it explodes.

Enabler – Buy cigarettes for the kids at the start of Act 2 (make sure this is the first thing you to before the truck arrives).

Sins of Our Fathers – after looking through the keyhole in the Minister’s apartment, tell the kids that the parents are eating flesh.

First Trust – simply trust Renee through your conversation in Act 2.

Not Born Yesterday – don’t trust Renee at the start of Act 2

Geezer Pleaser – Pet the Geezer on the roof of the Minister’s apartment, then talk to it outside the tent in Act 4.

True Connection – Exhaust all options with Renee when investigating documents – aim to get them correct – may take a couple of playthroughs, plus be honest with her.

Smell O Vision –

  • Smell the body in The Bite
  • Flesh out back in the liquor store
  • The Minister’s desk (Act 2)
  • Flowers in the Science City Garden (Act 3)
  • Smell the air and tumour via Larry’s mirror (Act 4)
  • Your bandage in the container (Act 4)

Me Time – Beginning of Act 4, avoid all conversations other than with Larry and the musician.

New Habits Die Easy – Snitch on Joshua – tell Roger about smoking in the woods

Blurb Herder –

  • Howard’s toilet
  • The book store in Gastown (Act 2)
  • The Minister’s bookshelves (Act 2)
  • 5th floor between doors in the apartment (Act 2)
  • The flower book in Rose’s apartment (Act 2).
  • The book in the container (Act 4).

Affirming Flame – Be nice to Eddie in Act 3. With Belle, you need to take off your bandage, wet it, place it on your face, and then feign unconsciousness. When she comes in, be nice (Act 4).

Cruel to be Kind – Threaten Eddie in Act 3 and attempt to use acid on him. Collect the tray, feather, fishing bone, butter and wet bandage, then push it into the vent. Pick the lock and hit Belle with the tray.