Twisted Squirm

Twisted Squirm retains the general silhouette of his Toon counterpart but exhibits several striking differences. His color palette is noticeably washed out and desaturated. He hangs from the ceiling inside a cracked, light green chrysalis that is both coated and filled with Ichor, suspended by strands of the same dark substance. In place of his original arms, he now sports sharp Ichor-formed claws, and his antennae have grown significantly longer with Ichor coating their tips. His eyes display the characteristic Twisted traits: red sclerae, black irises, and red pupils. Notably, Twisted Squirm appears perpetually sorrowful, with a watery, glistening quality to his eyes and an expression of visible remorse whenever he successfully strikes a Toon. During Blackout events, his eyes emit a red glow, which makes him easier to spot on the ceiling.

Unlike every other Twisted in the game, Twisted Squirm positions himself on the ceiling rather than roaming the ground. Players who wander too close will trigger him, causing him to reach down and seize them. To break free, the player must rapidly alternate between left and right inputs (A and D keys or arrow keys on PC). Failing the quick-time event results in losing 1 health, after which Twisted Squirm relocates to a new position elsewhere on the map. His new location can be tracked by following a trail of dust particles drifting along the ceiling in the direction he traveled.

For players with sharp observation skills or fast clicking ability, Twisted Squirm is relatively manageable. His grab attack can be countered through rapid alternating clicks, functioning similarly to Treadmill Machine Skill Checks. Console players may find this more challenging since it requires vigorous joystick movement, though with practice it becomes second nature.

If rapid clicking is not your strong suit, keeping your camera angled upward (while still watching for other Twisteds and distractors) is a solid preventive measure when you know he is present on the Floor. Spotting him early lets you simply reverse direction or find an alternate route. Pay extra attention near doorways, as they can obstruct your upward view and leave you vulnerable to a surprise grab.

When Twisted Squirm positions himself directly above a high-rarity Item, a Machine, or a critical pathway, you may need to accept the risk or have a teammate with better Stealth stats draw him away. If you spot him, communicate his location to your team immediately. Triggering him forces a relocation (though he will also move on his own after enough time), and he produces an audible sound when doing so.

While serving as a distractor on a Floor where Twisted Squirm is present, make a habit of periodically glancing at the ceiling to adjust your pathing. Getting grabbed during a distraction run is extremely dangerous because other Twisteds will continue pursuing you during the grab animation, potentially landing hits or eliminating you. A teammate with higher Stealth could volunteer to trigger Twisted Squirm and force him to reposition, but this carries significant risk if that teammate is at 1 Heart or is playing as Cosmo.

Certain abilities interact favorably with his grab mechanic. Connie's Haunting Escape and Goob's Hug! can both activate while a player is seized, making them valuable tools for rescue situations. Additionally, Twisted Squirm cannot initiate a grab if you quickly break his line of sight, similar to how ranged Twisteds function. If you stumble into his range, immediately turn back. Using a Smoke Bomb right away will also discourage him from completing his pounce.

On Floors with exceptionally tall ceilings, such as the outdoor section of Sprout's Floor or the fossil area of Shelly's Floor, locating him can be difficult, particularly during Blackouts. However, as long as you can reliably complete the quick-time event clicks, this is a manageable challenge.

Keep in mind that during Blackouts, his eyes glow red, so spotting him remains feasible even in low visibility, though you may still be caught off guard.

Completing 100% Research on Twisted Squirm unlocks:

• When Twisted Squirm spawns near or above a bookshelf, he will consume all the books inside it, mirroring a behavior associated with his Toon counterpart.
• Twisted Squirm is the first and currently only Twisted that exclusively occupies the ceiling and never touches the ground. Because of this, he has unique walking and running animations in Roleplay Mode.
• He is not the first Twisted with unique movement animations in Roleplay Mode, as most stationary Twisteds also feature custom movement.
• Twisted Squirm is the first and currently only Twisted built entirely on the reworked Twisted AI code introduced in v0.15.1, enabling him to utilize a broader range of abilities, mechanics, and behavioral patterns.
• His eyes produce a unique glow effect during Blackouts, designed to help players detect him since Toon-produced light typically does not reach the upper portions of maps. This also makes him the first Twisted whose eyes glow during a Blackout.
• He is the second Rare Twisted classified as stationary, following Twisted Blot. However, since Twisted Squirm burrows and repositions around the map, Blot technically remains the only Rare Twisted that stays completely stationary for an entire Floor (excluding his hands). Both are also the most recently added base-game Rare Twisteds.
• Twisted Squirm is the first and currently only Twisted whose official render is depicted upside down, reflecting his ceiling-based gameplay mechanic.
• After a certain period without spotting a Toon, Twisted Squirm will automatically relocate to a different position.
• A known bug exists where if Twisted Squirm attempts to grab a player who moves just barely out of reach, he can become stuck. However, moving far enough away or breaking his line of sight will cause him to reset to his original position.
• Despite his body hanging upside down, his tears still flow downward toward his cheeks rather than toward his forehead. Since Ichor is a non-Newtonian fluid, his tears may be partially congealed or less fluid than normal.
• The quick-time event difficulty escalates with repeated captures. Players start with a requirement of 20 clicks, with each subsequent grab adding 5 more clicks to the threshold.
• When a Toon is caught by Twisted Squirm, they display their hurt expression and assume a rough T-pose as if their arms are being restrained. Pebble and Coal are exceptions, as they lack arms or wings and only show their hurt face.
• Twisted Squirm is one of the few non-Main Character Twisteds with custom sound effects. He actually has the most custom sounds among non-Main Twisteds, surpassing even some Main Character Twisteds.
• If a player gets grabbed by Twisted Squirm while entering the elevator, the quick-time event ends early and he despawns once the doors close.