"Shift At Midnight" has quickly become one of Steam's most talked-about indie horror releases, developed solo by Australian creator Bun Muen and published with support from Kwalee.
The co-op detective horror game launched July 22 on Windows via Steam and Xbox with day-one Game Pass inclusion, following a viral demo that racked up thousands of overwhelmingly positive reviews after streamers like Markiplier and CaseOh played it. Since launch, "Shift At Midnight" has held a 90% Very Positive rating on Steam, cementing it as one of the month's standout indie hits.
The game drops up to three players into a 1990s American gas station, tasking them with running the store, spotting disguised doppelgangers among customers, and surviving 13 increasingly chaotic night shifts. Story Mode has three possible endings, and which one players get comes down to two key choices made during the run.
'Shift At Midnight' Ending 1: 'Grave Decision'
Also known as the Grave Decision, this ending happens when players realize by night 12 that they won't hit $250 in savings before the final shift. In that situation, players have the option to call Sheriff Clyde after completing night 12.
Clyde visits the store during the final night at great personal risk to himself, and while he doesn't survive the encounter, his intervention covers the surgery cost and saves the player's pet.
This counts as the sacrifice ending rather than a true failure state, making it the second best outcome available. Players should be careful not to accidentally kill Sheriff Clyde during his earlier visits to the store, since doing so removes the option to call him on Night 12 entirely, locking out this ending and making the True Ending harder to reach without hitting the full $250.
How to Get 'Grave Decision' Ending recap:
- Call Clyde on Night 12 - Yes
- Reach $250 by Night 13 - No
- Clyde Survives - No
- Pet Survives - Yes
'Shift At Midnight' Ending 2: 'Empty Home'
This is the worst possible outcome, triggered when players don't call Sheriff Clyde and also fail to save $250 by Night 13. Clyde survives since he never visits the store on the final night, but the player's pet doesn't survive its surgery.
The store continues operating, but the emotional core of the run fails.
This ending typically results from spending too freely on pet medicine during the early shifts without building up enough of a savings buffer for the final surgery cost.
How to Get 'Empty Home' Ending recap:
- Call Clyde on Night 12 - No
- Reach $250 by Night 13 - No
- Clyde Survives - Yes
- Pet Survives - No
'Shift At Midnight' Ending 3: True Ending
The True Ending is the one worth grinding for, requiring players to avoid calling Sheriff Clyde while still reaching $250 in savings before night 13. Both Clyde and the player's pet survive, giving players the full happy resolution.
Reaching this ending requires consistent, disciplined play across all 13 shifts rather than a single strong final night.
To hit that $250 target, players should search for Tokens at the start of each night before checking the notice board, spin the Token wheel aiming for $10 landings, keep shelves stocked, and serve customers quickly. Completing Store Manager requests like catching shoplifters adds extra bonuses, while upgrading the shopfloor improves customer satisfaction.
Players should avoid shooting human customers at all costs, since doing so docks pay at the end of the shift, and should complete a doppelganger's transaction before eliminating them to collect their money without triggering a penalty.
How to Get True Ending recap:
- Call Clyde on Night 12 - No
- Reach $250 by Night 13 - Yes
- Clyde Survives - Yes
- Pet Survives - Yes
