There Is Nothing There has three distinct endings: Abandonment, Submission, and the secret 'true' ending, Transcendence. Achieving each outcome depends entirely on a series of critical choices and hidden discoveries you make while exploring the oppressive, shifting corridors of the house. While the two standard endings are determined by a single late-game decision, the true ending requires meticulous effort from the very beginning.
This guide breaks down the exact requirements for all endings in There Is Nothing There, ensuring you can unlock every piece of its fractured narrative.
The Two Standard Endings: Abandonment vs. Submission
Your first playthrough will almost certainly result in one of two conclusions. They represent the core conflict of the game: do you flee from the incomprehensible force within the house, or do you surrender to it? The branching point for these two fates is the final confrontation in the basement, after you have assembled the key and descended the final staircase. Here, the entity will give you a direct choice, and your answer seals your fate.
How to Get the "Abandonment" Ending
This is the ending of escape, but not of peace. It is achieved by consistently defying the entity's influence and ultimately choosing to run. It represents a rejection of the house's truth, saving your life at the cost of your sanity.
- Resist Influence: Throughout the game, when faced with dialogue choices during hallucinatory sequences, choose the options that express doubt, fear, or rejection.
- Refuse the Final Ritual: In the basement, when the entity commands you to complete the ritual, select the dialogue option to "Refuse" or "Fight back."
- Flee the House: This triggers a final sequence where you must escape the house as it collapses into chaos. Successfully reach the front door to trigger the ending cutscene.
The outcome: You escape with your life, but the experience leaves you shattered. The final scenes imply you are perpetually haunted, forever looking over your shoulder, with the entity's presence now a permanent fixture in your mind. The cycle within the house remains unbroken.
How to Get the "Submission" Ending
This path represents a total surrender of the self. Instead of fighting the entity, you embrace it, allowing your consciousness to be consumed. This is often considered the 'bad' ending, though its bleakness is matched by the hollow victory of Abandonment.
- Embrace Influence: During the game's psychological events, choose dialogue options that show curiosity, acceptance, or a desire for understanding. Lean into the madness.
- Perform the Final Ritual: When you reach the basement, the entity will again command you. This time, choose to "Obey" or "Complete the ritual."
- Accept the Gift: Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the ritualistic actions.
The outcome: Your physical body collapses as your consciousness is absorbed by the entity. You become another voice in the chorus, another memory fueling the house's power. The game ends with the implication that you are now a part of the trap, waiting for the next victim.
There Is Nothing There in-game screenshot
Unlocking the Secret "Transcendence" Ending
The third and final ending is the most difficult and obscure, requiring you to complete a hidden set of objectives throughout the entire game. It is not about rejecting or accepting the entity, but about understanding it. This path provides a true conclusion to the game's mystery, but it demands careful observation and a specific, neutral approach to the entity's whispers.
To unlock the third option in the final confrontation, you must complete these four steps before entering the basement for the final time.
Step 1: Find All Three Hidden Glyphs
These symbols are etched into the house itself and are easily missed. You must interact with each one.
- Glyph of Inquiry: Located in the main floor study. Interact with the fireplace and examine the bricks. One is loose. Clicking it reveals the glyph hidden in the cavity behind it.
- Glyph of Passage: Found in the attic. After gaining access, go to the far corner with the pile of old sheets. Look down at the floorboards; the glyph is faintly carved into the wood, partially obscured by dust.
- Glyph of Time: This is inside the grandfather clock in the main hall. You must solve the clock's riddle by setting its hands to 12:00 Midnight. The clock face will open, revealing the third glyph etched on the inner mechanism.
Step 2: Collect the Four Memory Fragments
These are missable items that provide context for the entity's origins. They are not just lore; they are keys. You must have all four in your inventory.
| Fragment | Location |
|---|---|
| Faded Photograph | In the master bedroom, inside the locked jewelry box on the vanity. The key is in the adjacent bathroom. |
| Child's Drawing | Pinned to a corkboard in the child's bedroom, hidden behind a torn poster. |
| Tarnished Locket | On the small table in the greenhouse, half-buried in the soil of a dead potted plant. |
| Music Box Dancer | In the music room, after solving the piano key puzzle, a secret compartment opens containing the dancer. |
There Is Nothing There in-game screenshot
Step 3: Maintain Neutrality with the Entity
This is the most subtle requirement. Throughout the game, the entity will whisper to you, presenting dialogue choices. You must consistently avoid the extremes of pure rejection (which leads to Abandonment) or pure acceptance (which leads to Submission). Always pick the middle-path option—the one that questions, asks for clarity, or expresses uncertainty. An example would be choosing "Who are you?" instead of "Get out of my head!" or "I understand."
Step 4: The Final Confrontation - A Third Option
If you have found all three glyphs, collected all four memory fragments, and consistently chosen the neutral dialogue path, a new possibility will emerge in the basement. When the entity commands you, a third dialogue option will appear:
"Confront the Source."
Selecting this option triggers the Transcendence ending. Instead of fighting or submitting, you use the knowledge you've gathered to understand the entity's nature—a being of pure solitude, a consciousness trapped by grief. You don't destroy it or join it; you integrate with it, breaking the cycle of fear and consumption. The house dissolves, and your consciousness expands beyond the physical realm, achieving a strange and profound peace.
There Is Nothing There in-game screenshot
What Do The Endings Mean?
The narrative of There Is Nothing There is a powerful allegory for trauma, grief, and existential dread. Each ending provides a different lens through which to view this struggle.
- Abandonment is the path of avoidance. The protagonist escapes the source of their trauma (the house) but can never truly leave it behind. They are free but forever haunted, suggesting that running from one's demons is not a solution.
- Submission is the path of self-destruction. Overwhelmed by the force of their trauma, the protagonist gives in completely, losing their identity in the process. It's a grim warning about letting pain consume you until nothing else is left.
- Transcendence is the path of understanding and integration. It argues that the only way to truly overcome a profound trauma is to face it, understand its origins, and integrate that knowledge into a new state of being. It is not a 'happy' ending in the traditional sense, but it is the only one that offers true finality and breaks the cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a "good" ending in There Is Nothing There? Not in a conventional sense. The Transcendence ending is the most complete and conclusive, offering a sense of resolution and understanding that the others lack. However, all three endings are tonally bleak and steeped in psychological horror.
Can you miss the items for the Transcendence ending? Yes. Both the glyphs and the memory fragments are permanently missable. If you advance the story past the point where their location becomes inaccessible (for example, after a structural change in the house), you will be locked out of the true ending for that playthrough.
Does combat affect the endings? There is no combat in There Is Nothing There. The game's outcome is determined entirely by exploration, puzzle-solving, and the narrative choices you make in dialogue.
How long does it take to get all endings? A single playthrough to get either the Abandonment or Submission ending takes roughly 3-4 hours. You can easily get both from a single late-game save. A dedicated run for the Transcendence ending will take longer, around 5-6 hours, due to the thorough exploration required. Seeing everything the game has to offer takes about 10 hours.
A Final Thought
The true horror of There Is Nothing There isn't in its jump scares, but in the philosophical weight of its conclusions. The game forces you to consider not just how you would survive, but what survival is even worth. By rewarding the most inquisitive players with the Transcendence ending, it makes a powerful statement: the only way out is through.