First-Run Orientation

How to Play House of The Locust on Roblox: Beginner Guide & Controls

How to play House of The Locust on Roblox: the controls panel (hold V on PC, hold L2 on console), the first-run objective, the three EXIT unlocks, the drawer Key search, and the build-specific puzzle step.

Quick answer

First-Run Objective & Survival Contract

The objective in House of The Locust is to survive the house and clear the green EXIT shutter, which needs three separate unlocks: the Key in the mechanical keyhole, the Keycard at the KEYCARD NEEDED box, and the Wire Cutter at the WIRECUTTER NEEDED box. Pick up the Flashlight at spawn, search randomised drawers and cupboards for the Key, collect the Keycard, and solve the house puzzle to release the Wire Cutter while crouching to dampen footstep audio. The game is still labelled pre-alpha and has been pushed repeatedly through September 2026, so the puzzle step and the Keycard's location have changed between versions — the details below are tagged with the build they came from. In current pre-alpha builds, players have not found active promo codes, permanent character upgrade trees, or player combat weapons; survival centers on stealth, route awareness, and stamina pacing.

Target: Escaped BadgeRoblox Badge Win Rate: ~2%Pre-Alpha Status: 0 Active CodesChecked: September 2026

Controls

Which Keys Do What — and Where the Real List Is

The build answers this itself. Read the prompt the game ships with rather than a key list copied from an older walkthrough.

The authoritative list

Hold V on PC, Hold L2 on Console

Holding V on PC (L2 on console) opens the game's own controls panel over the run, listing the movement the current build ships with. That panel is the authority rather than this page: this is a pre-alpha build and its bindings are one of the things still moving, so no key list is printed here. The two complete current-build runs documented on this site (2026-09-01 and 2026-09-19) both read the panel instead of a quoted key.

Movement and jumping stay with the Roblox client itself — W, A, S, D or the arrow keys to move, Space to jump, the mouse to look, and Esc for the Roblox menu. Anything the developer adds on top of that, such as sprint, crouch or slide, is what the panel exists to show you.

What the panel covers

The Movement Set in Current Builds

Sprint — drains the stamina bar. Keep it for a chase; footsteps are the loudest thing you carry.
Crouch — dampens footstep noise. Community tests report it shortens the distance The Locust hears you from; treat that as reported, not measured.
Slide — gets you under low openings, including the vent you spawn in.

Not stated anywhere: the listing publishes no keybind list, and older builds have moved bindings. A key quoted from a walkthrough recorded before September 2026 may no longer be correct.

First-run route

5-Step First-Run Sequence from Spawn to Exit

Follow this sequence to understand the puzzle structure and escape requirements without wandering aimlessly into The Locust.

Step 1: Spawn & LightingSurvival Aid

Grab the Flashlight & Pace Your Stamina

You spawn in a dim starting room. Immediately take the Flashlight from the table or credenza. Darkness in the house makes spotting puzzle objects difficult without it, but leaving the light continuously turned on increases your visibility across open sightlines. Walk rather than sprint when scouting; save 100% of your sprint stamina for fleeing if The Locust approaches.

Step 2: House PuzzlePuzzle Objects → Wire Cutter

Solve the House Puzzle to Release the Wire Cutter

The Wire Cutter does not spawn on open shelves. It appears when the house puzzle is solved, and the puzzle itself has changed between builds:

Observed 2026-09-01: a shape room holds three transparent rolling balls containing a triangle, a square and a circle. Push each ball onto its matching floor socket; when the third locks in, the Wire Cutter spawns in the room for pickup.
Older builds and guides: find the red, yellow and blue puzzle pieces and place each on its matching coloured pad until the tool is released.
The pieces are moved by body contact rather than carried, so the delivery route across doorways and stairs is where runs are usually lost. Whether a filled socket stays filled after you die is not settled by the footage we checked.

Step 3: Storage SearchEscape Item / Lock Bypass

Search Randomized Cabinets & Cupboards for the Key

Inspect openable cupboards, nightstands, and cabinets throughout the house to locate the House / Room Key. Community walkthroughs report that key and furniture placements are randomized across server instances rather than fixed to a single predictable room. Check storage furniture methodically while listening for entity audio cues.

Exit Role Note: Older guides disagreed about whether the Key is used at the green EXIT gate at all. In the completed run we observed on 2026-09-01 the Key opened a mechanical keyhole lock on the shutter itself, alongside the KEYCARD NEEDED and WIRECUTTER NEEDED boxes — so plan on carrying all three tools to the exit.

Step 4: High-Risk EncounterEscape Item (High Risk)

Evade The Locust & Secure the Keycard

Sources disagree on this item, so treat it as a search with a hint rather than a fixed spawn. In the full run observed on 2026-09-01 the Electronic Keycard rested on a round wooden table, reached by following red glowing floor arrows; older community guides report it carried by or dropped near The Locust entity. If you do go after the creature, the risk is lethal:

Listen for insect chittering, low drone, and intensifying heartbeat audio cues indicating The Locust is near.
Crouch to dampen footstep noise and hug corners or doorway shadows to break line of sight.
Never confront The Locust in open corridors. Observe its patrol path from behind solid cover, then retrieve the Keycard when a safe opening appears.

Step 5: Exit GateFinal Escape Sequence

Navigate Quietly to the Green EXIT Gate

With your acquired tools, move quietly to the green EXIT gate. Interact with the electronic terminal using the Keycard, cut the chain-link fence barrier using the Wire Cutter, and use the Key if prompted by your current build. Crossing into the exit zone triggers the escape cutscene and awards the rare Escaped Roblox badge.

Item taxonomy

Distinguish Puzzle Objects, Escape Items & Survival Aids

New players often confuse puzzle items with final exit requirements. Understand what each object does before wandering the house.

Category A

Puzzle Objects

Shapes (or coloured cubes in older builds)

Physical objects scattered around the house, moved by pushing rather than picking up. They are not used on the EXIT gate directly: solving the puzzle room is what releases the Wire Cutter. In the two complete runs we reviewed (2026-09-01 and 2026-09-19) the puzzle is a shape-matching room holding a triangle, a square and a circle; older builds and guides use red, yellow and blue cube-and-pad puzzles.

Source: Rooms & corridors
Action: Push each shape onto its matching socket

Category B

Escape Items

Wire Cutter, Keycard, Key

The required tools to open locked barriers. Both complete runs we reviewed show the same three-unlock EXIT: the Wire Cutter cuts the red wire, the Keycard clears the card reader, and the Key opens the door itself. Older guides disputed whether the Key belonged at the exit or on interior doors, and report the Keycard carried by The Locust instead of lying in the house.

Source: Puzzle room drop, house surfaces & drawers, EXIT locks
Action: Bring directly to exit / locks

Category C

Survival Aids

Flashlight, Medkit

Utilities that keep you alive during your run. The Flashlight illuminates pitch-black corridors to locate puzzle pieces and doors, and the slide action gets you through low openings such as the vent you spawn in. The Medkit restores health, though direct monster contact during pursuit is reported lethal.

Source: Starting spawn table, bathroom cabinets
Action: Pulse light; heal situational damage

Pre-Alpha boundary

Verified Mechanics vs Features Not Recorded in Pre-Alpha

Avoid spending your first run looking for features, menus, or shortcuts that are not currently documented in Roblox House of The Locust.

Observed in Current Build:

Round-based survival horror loop with a single green EXIT gate.
Patrolling hostile entity (The Locust) with sound and heartbeat cues.
House puzzle that releases the Wire Cutter: a shape-matching room in the two 2026-09 runs we reviewed, coloured cube-and-pad puzzles in older builds.
Randomized cabinet searches for the physical Key.
Keycard placement depends on the build: it lay in the house in both 2026-09 complete runs, and it is reported carried by The Locust in older builds and community walkthroughs.
Permanent Roblox badge: Escaped (~2% win rate).

Features Not Recorded in Current Builds:

No Active Codes Recorded: 0 working codes found and no redemption box is currently present in-game.
No Upgrade Menus Observed: No XP bars, talent trees, or stat upgrade shops are documented in current runs.
No Player Weapons Documented: Guides report no offensive tools or combat actions against The Locust; runs rely on evasion.
Randomized Object Spawns: Key items and furniture spots vary between rounds rather than following static blueprint coordinates.
No Shortcut Purchases Observed: Survival relies on exploration, puzzle completion, and stealth rather than bypass purchases.

Troubleshooting

First-Session Roadblocks

Puzzle Piece Not Locking In

Match the shape or colour exactly to the socket it belongs to, and check that you are pushing the object by contact rather than looking for a pickup prompt.

Key Not in First Rooms

Key spawns are randomized across storage cabinets and cupboards throughout the house.

Pursued by The Locust

Break line of sight around doorway corners, crouch in dark rooms, and wait for audio cues to fade.

Avoid

Top Beginner Mistakes

Continuous Flashlight

Leaving the flashlight on alerts The Locust across long sightlines; pulse it briefly to navigate.

Exhausting Stamina

Running with zero stamina leaves you defenseless if The Locust approaches; keep reserve stamina.

Searching for Permanent Upgrades

Codes and coins only buy consumables such as the Flashlight, Tripwire and Medkit. No stat upgrade or skill tree exists, so spend coins on survival items and focus on collecting the escape tools.

FAQ

Beginner First-Run Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play House of The Locust on Roblox?

Join a server (the listing allows up to 50 players), take the Flashlight at spawn, and work the three EXIT unlocks: the Key from the drawers, the Keycard, and the Wire Cutter released by the house puzzle. Sprinting is for chases only — footsteps and a lit flashlight are what give your room away.

What are the controls in House of The Locust?

Hold V on PC (hold L2 on console) and the game's own controls panel opens over the run with the movement the current build ships with, sprint and crouch among them. Movement and jumping stay on the Roblox client defaults. The game's listing does not publish a keybind list and pre-alpha builds have moved bindings, so read the panel in your run rather than a key quoted from an older walkthrough.

What should beginners do first in House of The Locust?

Grab the Flashlight from the starting area, start opening drawers and cupboards for the Key, and avoid sprinting so you keep stamina for when The Locust rotates into your room.

How do you get the Wire Cutter on your first run?

Finish the house puzzle. Both complete runs we reviewed (2026-09-01 and 2026-09-19) use a shape-matching room (triangle, square and circle pushed onto matching sockets) and release the Wire Cutter for pickup; older builds and guides use red, yellow and blue cube-and-pad puzzles.

Where does the Keycard spawn and what are the risks?

It is build-dependent. The completed run observed on 2026-09-01 found the Keycard on a round table reached by following red floor arrows, with no creature risk in the way; older community walkthroughs report it carried by The Locust, which does require tracking it from cover.

Is the Key used at the exit or on doors?

Older guides disagreed on this. In the completed run observed on 2026-09-01 the Key opened a mechanical keyhole lock on the EXIT shutter itself, alongside the KEYCARD NEEDED and WIRECUTTER NEEDED boxes, so carry all three tools to the exit.

Are there codes or permanent upgrades in the game?

There is a code panel and it was observed accepting strings that add coins; the reported strings are listed on our codes page with their rewards and expiry caveat. Coins buy consumables in the lobby shop, not permanent stat upgrades, and no character upgrade system is documented.

Next actions

Continue Your Escape Preparation

Deepen your knowledge with dedicated walkthroughs, item spawn data, and monster evasion guides.

Multiplayer & Co-op

Server size, the private-server field, and how a group splits a run.

Escape Walkthrough

Full sequential 6-step escape walkthrough.

Item Locations

Database of puzzle objects, escape items, and survival aids.

Survival Tips

Stealth mechanics, crouch sound damping, and stamina pacing.

Escape Checklist

Interactive key tool tracker for live runs.

← Explore All Survival Guides