What the Stage Select Gate Does
After meeting progression requirements (typically clearing corresponding floors once), the lobby exposes a Stage Select Gate for Chapter 1. From it you can:
- Replay any unlocked Level 1–10 floor individually.
- Farm Zeni on floors you execute flawlessly — Level 9 and 10 pay highest among hotel content.
- Practice safe-code search routes without replaying earlier tutorial floors.
- Introduce friends to specific mechanics (Level 5 TVs, Level 4 dolls) in private servers.
Stage Select does not carry over in-run items between selections — each pick starts a fresh procedural seed.
Unlock Requirements
Each stage slot unlocks after your account clears that floor through normal progression at least once. Community-verified order:
- Levels 1–6 unlock sequentially through base game.
- Levels 7–9 unlock through extended hotel progression (Level 9 added April 2026).
- Level 10 unlocks after its first clear — often the last Stage Select slot before Chapter 2 focus.
Chapter 2 and School of Nightmares use separate lobby selectors — not the Chapter 1 Stage Select gate.
Farming and Practice Tips
Popular Stage Select routes:
- Level 2 repeats — Fast Zeni for onigiri if you memorize corner-paper sweep patterns.
- Level 9 farming — Highest standard hotel payout; pair with our Level 9 rescue guide.
- Level 5 ritual drills — TV code practice without Level 1–4 preamble in private lobbies.
Never paste Stage Select run codes into public chat — HUD digits differ per player even on the same server.
July 2026 Story Context
The July 1, 2026 patch emphasized the trapped-child narrative across Level 9 and lobby signage — hide-and-seek that once felt playful now drives rescue objectives. Stage Select lets veterans re-experience those rooms without grinding Level 1–8 each time.
A separate July update added a lobby item to startle other players — cosmetic social feature, not a progression unlock. Check our Events page for dated patch notes.