Slay the Princess was one of the few sleeper hits from 2023, and it became one of the best indie games of that year. Now, The Pristine Cut, has been released a year later, adding a bunch of new content. This expansion, which reportedly brin around 35% more content, improves older routes while adding new routes entirely.
With the addition of three new princesses to discover in this horror visual novel, players can earn new Achievements and explore everything this update has to offer. Here’s an explanation on how to unlock all the new routes in Slay the Princess — The Pristine Cut.
How to unlock the Happily Ever After route
One of the three new princesses players can unlock in The Pristine Cut is through the Happily Ever After route, which you can access through The Damsel rout. Once you start a new game, here’s which dialogue options to choose to get to The Damsel:
- [Silently continue to the cabin.]
- [Proceed into the cabin.]
- [Enter the basement.]
- I’m here to save you!
- I’ll see what I can do. [Examine the chains.]
- And if there isn’t a key … do you have any other ideas?
- [Return to the bottom of the stairs.]
- [Save the Princess.]
- [Approach the locked door.]
- [Warn her.]
- [Resist.]
Once you’ve gotten this far, you’ll reach Chapter II: The Damsel route. From this point on, you’ll want to rescue her once again by choosing these options:
- [Proceed to the cabin.]
- [Proceed into the cabin.]
- [Enter the basement.]
- [Rescue the Princess.]
Now, there are two ways to get to the Happily Ever After route. One is through unlocking the Voice of the Paranoid, and the other is the Voice of the Opportunist.
To get the Voice of the Paranoid, when the Princess asks “… What do we do now?” You’ll choose the option We leave. And then we have our whole lives to figure out what we do next. Now you can continue by opening the door and telling the Princess you won’t slay her. End it by choosing the option starting with All we need to be happy is each other, then finally the one saying Trust me.
If you’d rather get the Voice of the Opportunist, choose the (Explore) What do you want to do? option. Keep pressing her by saying (Explore) I want you to tell me what you want. and then (Explore) But what would make you happy? If you keep asking about what would make her happy, you’ll eventually see the option starting with Okay. Clearly something is happening here.
Now you’ll be in the Epilogue: Happily Ever After route. There are a few different endings to this route, all of which depend on what you do when there’s only one flame left.
How to unlock The Princess and the Dragon route
Another route players can access through Slay the Princess – The Pristine Cut is called The Princess and the Dragon. This is accessible through The Spectre route. Here’s how to start it:
- [Silently continue to the cabin.]
- [Proceed into the cabin.]
- (Explore) [Take the blade.]
- [Continue down the stairs.]
- [Steel your nerves and step forward.]
- [Slay the Princess.]
- Of course it is. She’s dead.
- [Leave.]
- I was kind of hoping I’d get a better ending for saving the world.
- Hell no, do you have any idea how to get us the heck out of here?
- Anything to get out of this hell.
Once you’ve started Chapter II: The Spectre, your next task is to get possessed by the Princess. You can then stab yourself to slay the Princess, which triggers The Princess and the Dragon route:
- [Proceed to the cabin.]
- [Proceed into the cabin.]
- (Explore) [Take the blade.]
- [Enter the basement.]
From here, you can access the new route in two different ways. You can either have the Harsh or the Gentle Princess. For the Harsh Princess, immediately attempt to slay her, ask what she wants from you, and then allow her to possess you. Once possessed, slay the Princess.
Otherwise, to get the Gentle Princess, just chat and see how things play out instead of lashing out. Ask what she wants from you, then have her possess you. Finally, slay her once you’re possessed.
No matter which path you take, you’ll now be on the new route. Depending on whether she’s Harsh or Gentle, you’ll get different choices and endings.
How to unlock The Cage route
The final new route in The Pristine Cut of Slay the Princess is called The Cage, which is available by unlocking The Prisoner route first. These are the choices you must make to get to The Prisoner:
- [Silently continue to the cabin.]
- [Proceed into the cabin.]
- (Explore) [Take the blade.]
- [Continue down the stairs.]
- [Steel your nerves and step forward.]
- [Drop the blade.]
- Okay, we’ve talked enough.
- I’m getting you out of here. [Examine the chains.]
- And if there isn’t a key…do you have any ideas?
- [Return to the bottom of the stairs.]
- [Save the Princess.]
- [Approach the locked door.]
- [Warn her.]
- [Resist.]
Once you’ve reached Chapter II: The Prisoner, you can make it to The Cage route by having the Princess slay herself as you leave the basement without her. Start by picking these options:
- [Proceed to the cabin.]
- [Proceed into the cabin.]
- (Explore) [Take the blade.]
- [Enter the basement.]
- [Sit with her.]
- [Sit where you were told to sit.]
- (Explore) What would you have me do?
- Okay. I’m trusting you. [Give her the knife.]
- [Look away] or [Watch in uneasy silence.]
- [Leave the basement to claim your reward.]
At this point, the exit door is shut, and you can attempt to open the door for your reward with no luck. Choose the top option saying Let us out of here, and from here, you can enter The Cage route through three different Voices.
To get the Voice of the Broken, choose the option I don’t want to die again (you’ll get the Restless Thoughts Achievement for that), then select Is there really no other way? Now you can give the knife to the Voice of the Skeptic, leading you to The Cage route.
For the Voice of the Cheated, just say I don’t want to die again and refuse to kill yourself by saying Sorry, but we’re not doing that. Finally, to get the Voice of the Paranoid, simply ask What do you suggest then? and then slay yourself.
You should now find yourself in Chapter III: The Cage, which has its own unique endings and Achievement possibilities.
