Getting Started in South Hell

South Hell is a Roblox survival-escape horror experience by S00NR. Servers hold up to 24 players. You spawn in a locked school basement, hunt four colored keys, and try to open the glowing EXIT DOOR while Cartman (HE) patrols the halls. Ike, a darkness entity, punishes careless flashlight use. This getting-started guide covers your first session end to end so you stop dying to basics.

If you want the complete route after this primer, jump to the Full Walkthrough. For exact key rooms, use Key Locations. For chase discipline, read Survive Cartman. Bindings and interact tips live on Controls.

What you need before you join

Headphones are strongly recommended. Cartman can react to microphone and environmental noise; running is loud. Enable voice chat only if your group coordinates with it — random talking can paint a target on your lobby. Expect a BETA feel with active bugfixes; check Updates when something feels off after a patch.

Optional early power: redeem codes in Shop → Codes. Reported working strings include RELEASE (500 Cash) and SOUTHHELL (250 Cash). Full list and steps: Codes and How to Redeem. Game passes such as NightVisionGoggles (~99 Robux) and Boombox (~199 Robux) are covered under Game Passes.

Video guide

Spawn: the school basement

You wake downstairs. Treat the basement as home base. The glowing EXIT DOOR with four colored padlocks is your win condition, but you cannot open it until you hold Blue, Yellow, Red, and Green keys. The basement and the red-lit maintenance room act as safe rooms — Cartman cannot enter if the door is closed. Never leave those doors open behind you.

Crowbar first

Find the crowbar between the green electrical cabinet and the toilet. Pick it up, then pry five boards by pressing E on each. Without the crowbar path, large parts of the school stay blocked and you waste lives wandering dead ends. Memorize this grab on every respawn so you are never stuck waiting for someone else to clear boards.

Three lives and Kenny respawns

You have three lives. When Cartman catches you, you drop any carried key at the place you fell, then respawn in the basement with the classic line: “Oh my God, they killed Kenny!” Teammates can recover your dropped key, or you can run back after you respawn. Dying three times ends your escape attempt for that round — play conservatively when you are on your last life and carrying a rare key.

Safe rooms, lockers, and noise

• Basement and red-lit maintenance room: close the door; HE stays out.
• Green lockers marked HIDING PLACE: press E, then click the shrinking circles to stay hidden. Miss the QTE and you get yanked out.
• Walk near HE. Sprint only when you have a clear line to a safe door or when the endgame RUN alert forces a dash.
• Do not shine the flashlight at Ike. Ike is tied to darkness; lighting him up is asking to die.

Carry a flashlight and spare batteries when you can. Other useful items include Bear Trap, Alarm Clock (decoy for roughly ten seconds), Fried Chicken (bait), and Cash for shop purchases. Tool rankings live on the Survival Tools Tier List.

First-hour objective order

1. Crowbar → pry five boards.
2. Learn the path back to basement from the main hallway.
3. Listen for the locker jingle that signals a key inside a locker.
4. Collect keys in any order your lobby agrees on — Blue (4TH GRADE green lockers), Yellow (LOCKER ROOM lower locker, Ike scare), Red (just outside NURSE), Green (COMPUTER LAB).
5. After each key, bank it toward the EXIT DOOR padlocks; do not tour the whole school while holding every key if HE is aggressive.
6. On 4/4 keys, expect a RUN alert: Cartman shouts for the keys and nowhere is safe. Sprint to the basement exit and press E to Escape.
7. If the door jams, switch to the Jammed Exit plan: find crank parts on the floor and follow the objective.

Team habits that save runs

Call out which key you are taking. Split Blue/Yellow versus Red/Green so two pairs cover opposite wings. One player can sit near the basement as a recovery runner for dropped keys. Use Alarm Clock decoys to break line of sight when HE is glued to a hallway. Save Bear Traps for choke points near nurse or locker room rather than wasting them in empty corridors.

Solo players should prioritize learning one wing at a time. Clear Blue and Red first if you struggle with Ike’s Yellow scare, then return for Yellow and Green when you have a flashlight discipline plan. Always know the nearest safe door before you open a noisy locker.

Badges and next reading

Early badges include Welcome to South Hell, Gotcha Hippie, I Escaped!, Untouchable, and Nothing But Net — details on Badges. After your first escape, deepen routing with the Full Walkthrough, polish chase tech on Survive Cartman, and bookmark the Guides Hub for every sibling page.

Master the basement loop, respect noise, close safe doors, and treat keys like temporary cargo. South Hell rewards players who move with intent — this getting-started page is your checklist until muscle memory takes over.