Project Songbird Walkthrough – Act 1

Project Songbird is a cinematic first-person horror story set deep in the woods of West Virginia. You play as Dakota, a struggling musician dealing with musician’s block, who retreats to a remote cabin to try and finish a new album… but things start to feel off pretty quickly. In this part of the walkthrough we go through Act 1 of this game and discover the things Dakota wants to forget.

---

---

Prologue

Once you have control, head into the bedroom and check the PC on the desk.

Speak to Conner Rush, the game’s creator, and click “Yes” when you are ready. Go through the changes and adjust the game as you best see fit. Read the final message from Conner and the Content warnings and start the game. You can now watch the establishing cutscene. Once you have control of Dakota, you can check the window. Writer’s Note: I will be noting everything you can check in the game, but not everything does something significant – a lot of things just give you a bit of context about Dakota and her life.

You can check the framed photos on top of the wardrobe. Seems like Dakota has (had?) a sibling.

You can check the Concert Poster on the wall. And the canvas painting next to it.

You can check the guitar at the foot of the bed. She will comment how her dad taught her but she learnt most of it herself.

You can read the song review on the PC. She hates the review.

You can check the Silver Record on the wall. She comments how its proof she can write songs. You can check the closet, but there is nothing there. Head out of the room through the main door. Once outside, check the cigarette pack on the table on the right.

You can check the canvas paintings in the hallway and inside the toilet, but there is nothing of interest there. In the living room, check out the cello on the left.

You can also play a record from the selection.

Check the framed photo on the table next to the record player.

If you check the bike above the record player, you will learn that Dakota is in Pittsburgh. Check the vintage camera on the coffee table and the green bong next to it.

In the kitchen, you can make and drink coffee.

Head back to the bedroom and pick up the phone from the bedside table and call Rob back now.

The context is that Dakota is Neon Songbird and she isn’t writing the same songs as before, because something horrible has happened. Rob, her manager, suggests she go out to a cabin for a month and rediscover her old self and a new Neon Songbird album. You will soon a pretty a ominous warning about the game.

Act 1

Day 1

Head to the boat and pick up the box.

Follow the path and crouch under the fallen log once you get to it.

Go up the steps and past the fence to see the cabin in the distance. Open the door and place the box on the table.

You can also check Dakota’s journal now (Pressing D Pad Up on controller). You can put music on us by using the record player. Around the corner you can find a flashlight on the table.

Head outside and Dakota will comment how there is no service here. Turn to the right and pick up the painkillers from the wooden mailbox.

You can find a welcome note on the wooden bench on the left.

You can pick up a radio from the picnic table on the yard.

There is a coded note nearby on the table.

Pick up the scrap metal next from the table.

If you run to the back of the house, you will find a blue clean water filter on the table next to the supplies.

You can inspect a old truck and will find a boarded up path.

Go to the wood chopping block and make some firewood.

This will end day 1.

Day 2

Dakota will now want to make a scratch track. Check the guitars first. Pick any of the options you feel like. I did since I have no understanding of music.

The bass next.

Drums and then finally, Keyboard. Dakota hated the track and wanted to go out for a walk. Go to the left of the house and you will see a green hose.

You will see path here to the left.

Following the path will make your field recorder beep, meaning there is a recordable sound here. But I couldn’t record anything right now. You can equip the Field Recorder by holding down the inventory button (Triangle on PS5) and selecting the field recorder.

Up ahead is a sign and chain link fence. There is a radio tower on the right. Follow the path through and break down the boards with the axe in Dakota’s backpack.

Crouch under the tower and you can climb to the top.

At the top, you can’t open the box as the cover seems to be screwed on. On the left you can find some scrap metal on the railing.

There’s nothing else to do here so head back down. Heading out back to the woods, you can find a dead end path on the right. It’s a path that’s kind of rocky or atleast surrounded by rocks. Go back to the cabin and the other path that was boarded up earlier.

Break down these boards too and go through. This path will lead you to the Tucker Country Methodist Church.

You cannot use the axe on the padlock. But you can pick up the 9MM bullet from atop the blue drum. Turn around and take the path going left and then turn left again to find two fallen logs. Crouch under them and pass through, keep going till you reach the broken bridge. If you instead head up, you will find a flower field and more scrap metal.

Here, pick up the scrap metal and then aim the Field Recorder at the bridge and record the sound of the water.

Follow this path through and you will find more scrap metal.You will see a painting under the tree. Inspect it.

You will hear a sound coming from the cabin. Head back to the cabin, you will find the door open but no one else. Make your way down the path straight across from the cabin, its marked Pump House.

You are blue and red taps here that Dakota says you shouldn’t mess with. There are instructions here on how to change the filter.

We already picked up the filter. Anyway head back out the door and you will see a workbench.

Here you can upgrade weapons – at the moment you only have the axe. Behind you is another bench where you can pick up a monkey wrench and more scrap metal.

Go back into the pump house and pick up the bucket.

Head back to the Spigot and use it in conjunction with the bucket. This will end Day 2.

Night 2

When you wake up in the middle of the night, pick up the flashlight and the battery from the table.

Turn it on and head outside. Go to the back of the house to get spooled by a bunch of crows to end the night.

Day 3

Dakota needs to fix the water situation now. Head back to the pump house. First turn the blue valve off.

Check the note on the table again for the order. Replace the blue water filter now.

Look at the valves to the left. Three valves, two are marked clearly with X and Square. The triangle on has parts broken off. Turn X once.

Then the triangle second.

X again. Next turn Square.

Triangle twice now. And Square last. Now turn the blue valve back on again. Go back to the Spigot and turn it on now. Watch the cutscene that follows.

Night 3

You will awaken in the middle of the night again. Head outside. Follow the cloud.

Over the broken bridge and into the clearing. Through the red door. You will end up in an office. Check the noticeboard for some interesting stuff. Head out through the door. Check the first door on the right. It’s a conference room.

Pick up the battery from the table. Nothing else here. Go back out to the hallway and check the door on the left. It’s a kitchen.

Pick up the bullet from the kitchen table. Head back to the hallway now. There is an eye drawn on the far wall. Head towards it. Turn left towards the door with the red light above it. Pick up the scrap metal from the small stool on the right. Go up the stairs and into the mannequin room. You will be in an reception area. In here, pick up the battery from the coffee table. Check the box under the scrawling on the wall.

Its locked. Go back to the left corner of the room. Its on the right of the eye on the wall. Check the room there.

There is a fuse box inside with a fuse missing.

There’s scrap metal on the desk. Pick it up and head back out. Check the door next to the fire alarm.

There is a red door, a work bench and a desk asking for a sacrifice here.

If you have followed this walkthrough you should have enough metal scraps now to upgrade damage on the axe now.

Head back out and turn to the right. Go through the door here. First check the toilets here. There is a bullet on the table. Pick it up and go out. You can try the elevator but its not working. Open the door at the far end. You will be in a maze of office cubicles now. Head to the right side of the room. Go straight up till you see a tv.

On the right is an office. Enter the office and pick up the bullet and the screwdriver from the desk. Exit the room and take the path behind the tv and take the 3^rd right turn through the cubicles. Follow to the end to reach another door leading out of the room.

In this room, on the left there are metal scraps on the shelf. The door at the end of the path is jammed so turn to the right and use the screwdriver on the vent.

Enter the vent and use your camera flash to light the way. Keep going till you reach a 4 way intersection.

Follow the right path to find a painkiller in one of the locked off vents. Follow that path to exit into a storage room. Crouch under the fallen shelf.

Pick up the scrap metal from the shelf on the left. Go around the shelves to find a fuse on the table at the end of the path.

Go around to the right of the room and pick up the photograph on the table before exiting the room.

Make your way back to the cubicles. You will encounter your first enemy here. If you don’t have the axe equipped. Do it now and crouch to avoid detection. Make your way around the enemy and head back the way you came in from – through the door with the red light on. I find it easiest to make a run for it. If you do get caught by the tree monster, just block with R2 and run for it. Make your way to the fuse room. Place the picture on the sacrificial altar.

You need more pictures and you can also use the elevator now. Call it down and get in. Once the elevator stops, get out and head to the right. Through here there are two doors. One marked with a III on the right and one with II on the left. Going through the door marked II, will send you through a loop of the same corridor over and over again. You will see a mannequin marked by a sign that says Make me whole again. Eventually you will find a new door, in which you will find the mannequin’s leg.

Take it back to the mannequin and fix it up. Make the run again this time will open up a new door on the right.

Enter this meeting room to find a bullet on the table. Next turn the radio on. Listen to the message on the radio. There is a box on the table marked TICK TOCK that you can’t open now. There are three clocks in the room. There are also two white boards in the room with the times and the time of day marked.

Set the time on the clock shaped like the sun to 6:45.

7:35 on the one where the birds are perched.

9:45 on the one with the birds flying.

Open the ticktock box and pick up the Mannequin arm now. Place it on the mannequin outside and run through the stairs again. Another door will now appear on the right. Go through it. There is a guillotine valve on the wall on the right with arrows pointing to it that has a piece missing. Go into the next room and pick up the bullet from the shelf. Pick up the cross key from the hook on the wall.

Go back out into the hallway and now you will find there are neon signs all over the place. Check the closet for scrap metal first. Next follow the neon signs up and through the door marked with III. You will be in a room full of mannequins. Make your way through them to find another picture on a table at the end.  Be careful as the tree monster is in the room, there is also a painkiller on the floor.

Once you have it exit back to the central area. Take the door on the left and then the elevator back down. Check the box under the Fragile is the Throat sign now.

You will find the guillotine lever here. Go into the Red door room and place the second picture in the fire. Now take the elevator back up. Head out to the right and then take the left to go down the stairs. Take the first door on the right to find the guillotine. Use the lever and get the head. You have to use it on the mannequin outside. But first pick up one of the green bottles in the room. Throw it down the hall to distract the monster. Alternatively you can kill the monster. Takes a couple of swings if you can time the block. Once you have the head place on the mannequin go down the stairs again. You will find another picture.

Go back up the stairs. Take the elevator back up. Put the final picture into the pyre and step through the red door. Answer the phone on the stool. You will wake up in your apartment. Go into the living room and answer the phone.

Once the call is done, open the front door and head out into the grass. Go through the door on the other side and into Finn’s studio. Listen to the conversation between Finn and Dakota.

Day 4

You will now wake back up in the forest. Make your way back to the cabin. Once there, Act 1 will be completed.

---