Neighbours from Hell is a slapstick puzzle-strategy game about sneaking through Mr. Rottweiler’s house, collecting household items, setting pranks, avoiding detection, and raising the TV show’s viewer rating. The original was developed by JoWood/JoWooD Vienna; current PC and mobile listings are published or distributed through HandyGames/THQ Nordic.
Content warning: Neighbours from Hell includes Teen-level comic mischief, mild/cartoon violence, crude humor, and suggestive themes. This guide keeps those themes non-graphic and focuses on play.
This guide is for the original Neighbours from Hell. It is not a full Neighbours from Hell 2 guide, not a Neighbours back From Hell remaster route, and not a GameCube/Xbox route chart. Exact episode solutions are outside this beginner scope.
Essential Tips
1. Watch the Neighbour Before You Move
The route is the puzzle board.
Mr. Rottweiler follows routines through the house. Before grabbing every object, watch where he goes, which room he leaves empty, and how long each stop lasts. A good prank plan starts with knowing when a room is safe.
2. Collect With a Purpose
Most useful items have a matching target.
Drawers, cabinets, fridges, bins, bags, and room props can all hold prank items. Do not just pick things up at random and hope. Ask what each item could logically change: a tool might sabotage furniture, a bathroom item might affect a bathroom routine, and a kitchen item might belong with a kitchen target.
3. Learn Which Rooms Are Safe
Early episodes give you room to study.
The first season starts with a smaller house layout, then later seasons open more rooms and longer routes. Use the early episodes to learn the rhythm of entering, grabbing, leaving, and hiding before the later house layout adds stricter timing.
4. Hide Before You Celebrate
A prank is not complete if you get caught setting up the next one.
Wardrobes and later hiding places are part of the route, not panic buttons. After placing a prank, leave yourself enough time to hide or move to a safe room before the neighbour returns.
5. Respect Pets and Noisy Rooms
The parrot and dog can ruin clean timing.
Some hazards alert the neighbour even if he is not in the room. When an episode introduces an animal or noisy obstacle, slow down and use sneakier movement instead of treating the room like an empty shortcut.
6. Chain Pranks for Better Ratings
Minimum completion and 100% performance are different goals.
Episodes have pass requirements, but high ratings usually come from setting up every available prank and timing them cleanly. If you only want to pass, focus on the required count. If you want a full rating, route the whole episode after you understand the neighbour’s loop.
7. Let the Animation Confirm the Setup
The game teaches through reactions.
When a prank triggers, watch what happened and where the neighbour goes next. His reaction often tells you whether you opened a safe window, changed his route, or created a new risk.
8. Separate PC, Console, Mobile, and Remaster Advice
A solution for one version can be wrong in another.
The original PC game, mobile Season 1 releases, GameCube/Xbox versions, and Neighbours back From Hell do not all present the same structure. Before following an exact route, confirm the platform, episode name, item names, and available rooms match your copy.
9. Use Walkthroughs as Last-Step Checks
Exact routes spoil the puzzle quickly.
If you are stuck, look for the concept first: missed item, wrong target, unsafe timing, forgotten hiding place, pet alert, or version mismatch. Save step-by-step routes for cleanup, 100% ratings, or an episode that has stopped being fun to solve.
How to Think Through a Level
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Where does the neighbour go next? | Timing decides whether a room is safe |
| What items can I collect before he returns? | Efficient collection reduces repeated risky trips |
| Which item obviously matches which target? | Most pranks are object-pair puzzles |
| Where can I hide after setup? | A clean prank still fails if Woody is spotted |
| Does a pet or noise hazard watch this room? | Later rooms punish normal walking or careless entries |
| Do I need to pass or get 100%? | Minimum routes and full-rating routes are different |
| Is this the same platform as the guide I am reading? | Console, mobile, and remaster versions can change routes |
When a level feels tangled, reset your plan into three passes. First, observe the routine without trying to solve everything. Second, collect obvious items from safe rooms. Third, place pranks in the order that leaves Woody closest to a safe exit or hiding place.
Version Notes
| Version | Use This Guide For | Be Careful With |
|---|---|---|
| Original PC / Steam compilation | General stealth, item, rating, and room-flow habits | Steam entitlement and compatibility can differ |
| Android / iOS Season 1 | Same broad 14-episode prank loop | Ads, unlock/IAP behavior, controls, and save behavior may differ |
| GameCube / Xbox | Broad concepts only | These are not straight PC ports and can change levels/items |
| Nintendo DS title | Do not treat as the original | It contains sequel material rather than the original PC game |
| Neighbours back From Hell | Broad concepts only | It is a 2020 HD remaster/compilation with different presentation and package scope |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not run before learning the route - Getting somewhere faster does not help if the neighbour’s next stop is the room you just entered.
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Do not ignore the rating goal - Passing an episode and routing every prank for a full viewer rating are separate objectives.
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Do not carry items without testing logic - If an object has no obvious target yet, keep looking for the room or routine that explains it.
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Do not forget your hiding exit - Place a prank only when you know where Woody can safely go afterward.
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Do not treat pets like decoration - Animal alerts can pull the neighbour toward you and break an otherwise clean setup.
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Do not mix walkthroughs across versions - PC, console, mobile, and remaster advice can disagree on names, items, levels, and mechanics.
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Do not chase 100% on the first blind pass - Learn the level, then optimize the full prank chain after the route makes sense.
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Do not assume every prank triggers instantly - Some count only when the neighbour reaches the sabotaged object or completes a reaction.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Observation | Learn the neighbour’s routine before moving aggressively |
| Items | Match each collected object to a plausible prank target |
| Stealth | Plan the hiding place or exit before setting the prank |
| Pets | Sneak and reroute around alert hazards |
| Ratings | Pass requirements and 100% routes need different planning |
| Versions | Confirm PC, mobile, console, or remaster scope before using exact routes |
| Spoilers | Prefer concept hints before step-by-step episode solutions |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Neighbours from Hell.
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