Heartworm: How to Manage Your Dog During Therapy
A veterinary guide offers practical advice for keeping your dog mentally stimulated but physically calm during the delicate period of heartworm treatment.
The analog camera is Sam's only weapon
In Heartworm, combat is entirely camera-based: you aim in first-person over the shoulder, hold down to reload, and shoot when the crosshair turns red. No guns or knives like in the survival horror games the game is openly inspired by (Silent Hill, Resident Evil) — here, film is the real ammunition, and must be handled with the same respect.
The flash without film is free, use it to stun
Pressing the shutter button without aiming first activates a flash that doesn't consume film: it's used to stun enemies or illuminate a dark area. It's a counterintuitive trick but invaluable in tight corridors, where you might want to gain a few seconds of advantage before reloading for a proper sprint.
Combine items before throwing them into the chest
The inventory is limited to six slots (expandable to eight), and the chests scattered around the house are useful for freeing up space without losing anything. Before packing them away, however, it's a good idea to check whether two items combine with each other—antiseptic and bandage, for example, become a single first aid kit, which is more efficient to carry than two separate items.
Save manually before the Tape Keeper to avoid missing an ending
The final boss, the Tape Keeper, must be fought by photographing the lanterns that appear in the arena and then the Tape Keeper himself when he's stunned. Heartworm has three different endings, and the only way to see them all without starting over is to create a manual save immediately before this fight. Also be aware of auto-saving while exploring: some players report items already collected reappearing after a reload, so it's worth checking your inventory after each reload.
