Squirm

ABOUT SQUIRM

Appearance

Squirm is a bookworm Toon composed of six body segments that alternate between blue and mint coloring. Mint-colored antennae extend from the top of his head. His second body segment is shaped like a dewlap, while segments three through five each feature a pair of limbs. These limbs share the same greenish-yellow hue as the heart-shaped portion of his face. He also has three dark green freckles on his cheeks and droopy eyes that are typically accompanied by a squiggly frown. His overall design closely resembles a caterpillar, which contributes to his own belief that he is one.

Personality

Squirm is a deeply pessimistic, anxious, and openly self-deprecating Toon. His immaturity manifests in a more sorrowful way compared to the spirited or composed attitudes displayed by most other characters. He suffers from persistent anxiety that can escalate to screaming or crying when his emotions run high, a tendency reflected in his frequent sniffling during elevator conversations and his own descent dialogue. He is also prone to awkward moments, such as when Goob hugs him or Flyte invites him to scrapbook.

During his interaction with Shelly, Squirm labels himself as "useless," teetering on the verge of tears at the slightest upset. He even agrees with Shrimpo's insults during their exchange. His appetite for books is noteworthy and likely the reason behind his ban from Brightney's book club, with book-eating apparently serving as his coping mechanism. Squirm is also extremely sensitive to unintentional insults, as demonstrated in his conversation with Yatta.

On a deeper level, Squirm appears to struggle with an identity crisis. His interaction with Flutter and Dyle's Gossip about him reveal that he views himself as a caterpillar, a notion Flutter seems to support (likely due to her own insect background). However, Arthur designated him as a bookworm, and Squirm misinterprets "bookworm" as a literal type of worm rather than larvae. Shrimpo's mockery about his appearance not resembling a worm only amplifies this internal conflict.

Squirm tends to hesitate before attempting anything uncertain, as shown in his exchange with Gigi. His constant tension also leads to overthinking, particularly evident in his floor descent dialogue where he anticipates increasingly dangerous threats, and in his conversation with Looey.

STRATEGIES

Squirm stands as one of the strongest non-Main, non-Event extractors available, combining 5-star Extraction Speed with a solid 3-star Skill Check. His active Ability, Distressed Delicacy, elevates him to potentially the fastest extractor in the game by doubling his Extraction Speed, reducing the standard Machine completion time from roughly 23.68 seconds to 19.69 seconds. To maximize this advantage, Squirm players should stay near bookshelves on the map, as these reduce his Ability cooldown at double the normal rate. This gives him a distinct edge on maps featuring many bookshelves, such as the Library Floor and Rainbow Rooms, while maps with few or no bookshelves (like the Diner Floors and Sprout's Floor) offer less benefit. That said, avoid spending excessive time idling beside bookshelves when it is not necessary. The default full cooldown reduction requires 40 seconds of bookshelf proximity (37.5 or 35 seconds with one or both cooldown-reducing cards). Stick near bookshelves for only a portion of that time unless all other Machines are currently being extracted. Only commit to extended bookshelf idling when you are confident your team has a Machine reserved for you. Squirm's base Extraction Speed remains excellent regardless. It is possible to eat bookshelves from the side or back, as well as through certain walls, allowing you to hide from Twisteds while reducing cooldown. Additionally, activating his Ability just before starting a Machine means the extraction boost typically lasts until the Machine is complete, so avoid using it partway through unless you are nearly finished. Squirm's primary weaknesses are his Stealth and Stamina, both of which can create problems when fleeing Twisteds or evading distractors. While his Stealth has few direct remedies, Stamina issues can be mitigated through the Well-Paced/Endurance Cards, completing Dyle's Floor, or (though not ideal) equipping Trinkets like Cooler or Speedometer. His below-average stats are rarely a critical issue outside specific scenarios, so maintaining awareness of your surroundings and nearby threats is the best general precaution. Note that winding up his Ability cuts Movement Speed by 50% (to 7.5 Walk / 12.5 Run Speed), making timing important, especially when ranged or fast Twisteds are present. All told, Squirm is an outstanding extractor with minimal downsides, making him an excellent choice for players who prioritize efficient Machine completion.

TRIVIA

The name 'Squirm' refers to wriggling the body from side to side, fitting his worm-like design.
In certain definitions, squirming is associated with nervousness or discomfort, which aptly reflects his anxious personality.
The word 'Worm' can be heard within 'Squirm,' further connecting to his bookworm identity.
Squirm holds the distinction of being the first Toon released in 2026.
He is the first Toon to cry during his dialogue lines, and the first character in the game to do so overall.
Although Dazzle appears to be crying, those marks are more likely makeup or a natural feature of his design.
Despite his caterpillar-like appearance (caterpillars being part of a lepidoptera life cycle), Squirm is officially classified as a bookworm. He is not related to Flutter or Flyte and is an adult.
Interestingly, his Twisted counterpart can be seen encased in a cocoon, representing the third stage of a lepidoptera life cycle.
The term 'bookworm' is an umbrella term for insects or larvae that damage books, including certain moth caterpillars. This means Squirm could technically be a caterpillar, or specifically a moth caterpillar.
His interaction with Flutter and Dyle's Gossip imply he may truly be a caterpillar or simply believes himself to be one, despite Arthur having designated him as a bookworm.
Squirm is the first Toon whose initial Stickers were created by someone other than Qwel, being made by Ramblesnake instead.
He is the first Toon with an Ability that can interact with environmental decorations on certain Floors.
He was formerly a member of Brightney's book club but was likely removed due to his compulsive book-eating habit. The reveal video thumbnail showing Brightney catching him at the library implies this was the final straw.
Despite the ban, they remain on good terms, and Brightney actively tries to help him manage his stress and curb his book-eating compulsion.
Squirm appears to share a close friendship with Flutter, who validates his caterpillar identity. He is also friends with Dazzle (and possibly Razzle), finding comfort in their company and wanting to reconnect after his book club expulsion. Flyte is another good friend, acting warmly toward him and suggesting they scrapbook together.
When using his Ability, Squirm can consume one of six possible books, five based on Main Characters and one on Dandy: Astro Bedtime Stories, Dandy Stories, Pet Rock Care Guide, Fossils, Cook Book, and Vee-Mail Console. A seventh book simply titled 'Squirm' also exists.
In the Lobby and Roleplay Mode, the book model uses a unique lavender texture with a light blue spine and a drawing of Squirm with his name underneath.
He is the second Toon to possess 6 limbs, following Astro. While Squirm has 4 legs, Astro has 4 arms, creating an interesting contrast.
He is the first Toon capable of reducing his Ability cooldown without relying on Trinkets or Cards.
Squirm is the second Toon with an active Ability requiring a wind-up period before activation (after Ginger), though he is the first whose Ability was designed this way from the start, as Ginger's was reworked in v0.14.1.
He is also the first Toon whose wind-up Ability requires no Tapes and only affects himself.
Squirm appears to be under significant stress, likely stemming from an identity crisis hinted at in Dyle's Gossip. Evidence includes his burst Stress Ball Trinket, his stress-eating of books across multiple interactions, and his consistently negative outlook and tendency to assume the worst.
His chronic need for books, habit of eating others' belongings, and book club expulsion have likely compounded his stress further.
At release, Squirm had 30% Skill Check Chance and 135 Skill Check Size. His Chance was later reverted to 25%, though his Skill Check Size remained until adjusted in a subsequent version. Similar inconsistencies have occurred with Yatta (20% at launch), Bassie (150 Skill Check Size), and Shrimpo (50% at launch).
He is the eighth non-Main Character Toon to achieve 5 stars in a stat.
Squirm is the fourth Toon to be released as a solo addition.
He is the first Toon to have 2 Floor Dialogues: one in his Jr. Reading Nook area on the Library Floor, and another in the Trading Card area of the Gift Shop.
The book page texture visible when Squirm eats a book or bookshelf displays the same poem each time, titled 'STILL GOING': 'The caterpillar was always late. When it tried to climb, it fell. When it dreamed of flying, someone laughed. While the others moved on, it stayed behind, thinking it was made wrong. One day it built its cocoon. It broke. Like everything else. But from the ground, for the first time, no one was looking down on it. When it came out, it didn't fly high. Or beautifully. But it kept going. And for it, that was enough.'
The poem appears to allude to Squirm's transformation into a Twisted, referencing how no one looks down on Twisted Squirm (since he hangs from the ceiling), how his cocoon is broken, and how he neither flies nor emerges 'beautiful.'
It is possible Squirm attempted to form a cocoon at some point but was attacked by another Twisted or encountered some other interference, triggering his transformation.
His favorite pie is apple pie, as mentioned during his interaction with Sprout.
If you have not yet redeemed a title in the Journal and visit the Titles section, a sticky note reads 'Did Squirm eat them?'
Squirm is the third insect Toon, following Flutter and Flyte. He is the only one of the three whose name does not begin with 'F,' since Flutter and Flyte's names reference butterfly flight and groupings, while Squirm's name describes caterpillar movement.
He is the first Toon to have a dedicated Achievement named after him.
Squirm is the first and currently only Toon with the letter Q in his name.
When positioned next to a bookshelf during his eating animation, the texture suggests he eats the spines of books from the shelf rather than consuming whole books one at a time, which differs from his standard Ability animation.
Squirm and Yatta share several notable parallels: nearly identical stat distributions (Squirm trades Movement Speed for higher Stamina), Abilities that boost extraction and interact with the surrounding environment, status as the first base-game Toons released in their respective years, high Ichor costs with 50% Twisted research requirements, and personality contrasts (Yatta being hyperactive and positive versus Squirm's distressed negativity).
His Ability grants 5 Tapes per successful use rather than the standard 3 on first use per Floor, enabling Squirm to farm Tapes efficiently by earning 5 every 40-80 seconds.
Squirm is the third Toon with a non-standard body shape (neither default, chubby, nor slim), following Pebble and Coal.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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