How to Play DEVOUR — Rituals, UV Flashlight & Difficulty

DEVOUR is a 1–4 player online co-op horror game (with solo mode) from Straight Back Games, released on Steam in January 2021. Each session is one map, one possessed cult member, and one objective: complete the ritual and banish them — before they sacrifice everyone.

The core loop: ritual → banish

1. Explore the map and gather ritual items. Every map hides the items its ritual needs — gas cans, fuses, bowls of food, rats, bleach, books and more. Items spawn in semi-random locations, so route learning matters.
2. Lure and capture the sacrificial animals. Animals are the primary ritual objective. Drop food near them; while an animal eats, it can be picked up. Picking it up consumes the food. Animals flee if you approach without food — listen for their distressed sounds to track them.
3. Burn the offerings on the altars. Carry animals and fuel to the altars of Azazel and perform the map-specific ritual steps (The Inn’s spider nests, The Carnival’s Fortune Teller machine, and so on).
4. Banish the possessed. Completing the ritual burns away Azazel’s hold and ends the map.

You do not need every hidden item to finish a map — each map also hides a set of 25 cosmetic collectibles (roses, cloth, horseshoes, cherry blossoms…) that unlock robes, and collectibles persist between runs once picked up.

Your only defence: the UV flashlight

You cannot kill the possessed — you can only slow them. The UV flashlight is your lifeline:

• Easy: 100% UV capacity (7.5 s of use), double recharge rate.
• Normal: 100% capacity (7.5 s), recharges fully in 42 s; batteries overcharge to 160% (12 s); 4 batteries spawn on the map.
• Hard: 60% capacity (4.5 s), 51 s recharge; batteries overcharge to 100% (7.5 s); only 3 batteries on the map.

Other difficulty effects: Easy spawns ~25% fewer minions and slows Azazel by ~30% but awards −50% XP; Hard is the opposite. During the Halloween event, the 1.5x XP boost helps offset Easy’s penalty while you learn maps.

Progression that stays with you

• Perks and cult ranks — earned with XP from completed rituals. Ranks and perks persist across sessions, so early grinding on Easy is legitimate progress.
• Robes and outfits — unlocked via hidden collectibles and seasonal events. The Halloween Pumpkin Robe is the current one, available until November 3rd.

Co-op tips

• Never sweep alone late-game. The possessed grows more aggressive as the ritual nears completion; pair up once altars are lit.
• Call out ritual items by room name. Maps have consistent room layouts — “fuse in the basement” beats wandering.
• Downed players can be revived — carry a battery to buy time for the rescue.

Ready to dive deeper? Meet the eight possessed cult members or check what is coming in The Apartments.