Flare is a thrown emergency-control tool. Current equipment guides report that a direct hit stuns the creature for about five seconds and that the same target has a short no-restun window, often reported as eight seconds. Use that time to reach dry ground, finish one interaction, or create distance. Do not treat the numbers as a permanent first-party rule; check the current item text and effect.
Choose the right moment
Flare is strongest when one creature blocks the only landing or a required mechanism. It is weaker when several monsters occupy different sides, because controlling one target does not clear the whole route.
Before throwing, identify the action you will complete during the window. “Cross to the next stable platform” is a plan. “Throw and then decide” wastes the short effect.
If the creature can be moved with a cheap pebble or Bottle, save Flare. Control is most valuable when route timing or proximity leaves no safe wait.
Aim and throw
Select Flare from the hotbar, face the target, and use the current throw action. On PC, documented thrown items use a click after selection; mobile uses the on-screen action. Confirm Flare—not another supply—is highlighted before spending a use.
Lead a moving creature enough for the projectile to connect, but do not step into water to shorten the throw. A miss is both a lost supply and a delayed crossing. Throw from stable ground and keep the intended escape route visible.
Wait for the stun feedback before moving. A flare landing nearby is not proof of a hit.
Use the control window
Move immediately toward the preselected safe point. Avoid spending the effect on a long search, menu, or discussion. If operating a valve, begin only when the interaction can finish within a practical window and a retreat remains available.
In a party, call the hit so the lead player crosses first and the rest follow with spacing. Do not let every player throw a second Flare at the same target. Current reports describe a restun restriction, and duplicate uses can be wasted.
At the end of the effect, expect movement to resume. Be on dry ground before that happens.
Unlock and refill carefully
Community tool guides report a lobby equipment unlock and a small initial supply, plus separate supply refills. Those details are dated and can change. Read the current EQUIPMENT or SUPPLIES panel for the acquisition type, quantity, currency, and price.
Unlocking the tool, buying more uses, and improving Flare Radius are different transactions. A refill does not guarantee a permanent unlock, and an upgrade does not create new uses.
Do not buy a large supply until you have tested aiming and confirmed that Flare belongs in your active loadout.
Understand Flare Radius
The official pass inventory lists Max Flare Radius and describes it as Flare Radius level 3/3 forever. Community upgrade panels also show a level-based radius path. This establishes the upgrade family, not an exact current hit box for every build.
Radius helps when a near miss is the repeated failure. It does not replace basic aim or solve several monsters spread across the room. Test the base tool against one familiar target before deciding that radius is the limiting factor.
Read the current NOW, NEXT, and price values in the upgrade panel. Older guides report specific stud values, but those should be treated as dated observations rather than a permanent contract.
Compare Flare with distractions
Pebbles, Bottles, and Wind-up Toy change where the creature wants to go. Flare temporarily stops a hit target. A lure can create a longer, cheaper route change when you have space; Flare is better when the threat is already too close or the timing window is short.
In solo play, Flare can protect one difficult crossing. In squads, its value depends on communication and monster count. Rescue Rope may prevent a wipe after a fall, while Flare attempts to prevent the fall. Build the loadout around the team’s repeated problem.
Map-specific use
In Poolrooms, preserve Flare for a late moving hazard or Locked Exit search rather than spending it in Pillar Hall. On Farm, the route is long; use ordinary banner reading for early stages and save control for a machine, chase transition, or blocked late landing. In Bathhouse, a Flare is most useful when a creature occupies the only moving or sinking transfer you must board now.
Memory rooms need visual focus. Resolve creature position before the safe pattern appears, because aiming during the display can make you miss the path.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Flare stun?
Current independent guides report about five seconds on a direct hit, with a short period before the same target can be stunned again. Confirm the current effect because this is not a published first-party rules table.
Is Flare the best first purchase?
Not automatically. Learn pebbles first. Buy Flare when a short emergency control window solves a repeated route failure.
Does Max Flare Radius include the tool?
The official pass inventory describes the radius upgrade and does not state that it unlocks Flare supplies. Treat unlock, refill, and upgrade as separate unless the live panel says otherwise.