One of the main features in Lies of P is being able to lie or be honest with everyone around you. It’s literally in the game’s title! But is this actually a game where choices matter or is it just another case where a creative mechanic has its huge potential thrown out of the window? Time to find that out.
The following article contains some details for later portions of the game, so read at your own risk.
How Lying Works in Lies of P
During various moments in the game, you’re given the choice to lie or tell the truth. This is unique to you since no other puppet can lie due to their programming. You’ll lie the first time to enter Hotel Krat at the beginning of the game, but nothing bad happens if you tell you’re a puppet here. But this is one of the few instances where it doesn’t really matter.
Some mini-quests will have different rewards and consequences depending on your lies. The truths or lies are never marked, so you have to read each dialogue carefully to know which one is which. Most lies are usually in the right, but they can be changed around sometimes, so keep your eyes open for that.
Certain responses may trigger special messages on the screen (such as “Your springs are moving” or “The Ergo is whispering”), with a small particle effect surrounding you. This indicates your progress toward humanity (by lying) or being a full puppet (telling the truth) and leads to your character eventually changing shape.
The problem is that the game doesn’t show your “progress” at any point, so it’s up to you to keep track of that. The first big change happens once you defeat the King of Puppets halfway through the game. You may start looking more like a human or more like a puppet, depending on your choices. It will eventually happen again next to the game’s ending.
NPCs might treat you slightly differently as you keep changing, but the changes are merely visual, and you can revert to a previous “shape” at the chair in Geppetto’s office in Hotel Krat.
Additionally, once you get the Portrait of a Boy in his office, its nose will start growing after telling some lies.
Should You Lie in Lies of P?
Lying usually gives you better results, but that’s not always the case. Deceiving Alidoro (the wolf merchant) might get him killed, for example. This would lock you of any of his next selling items, which is borderline catastrophic as he has some of the strongest weapons in the whole game. So, unless you know what you’re doing, try to avoid the most dangerous answers in your first playthrough.
It’s up to you whenever you lie or tell the truth, so you can mostly use your moral compass to determine the best course of action. It won’t affect you much in the early game, at least. Not as much as choosing a path to walk on.
