Bad Parenting packs multiple story paths into its compact runtime, and finding every ending requires careful attention to dialogue choices and environmental interactions. This walkthrough covers the full game from start to finish, including how to unlock each ending without spoiling the emotional impact of discovering them yourself.
Chapter 1: The Birthday Evening
The game opens with Ron alone in the apartment. Explore every room before your mother arrives — check the fridge, examine the family photos, and interact with the television. These optional interactions establish context that pays off later. When your mother comes home, the conversation plays out automatically. After the argument between your parents, Ron gets sent to his room.
In the bedroom, your mother tells the story of Mr. Red Face. Pay close attention to her exact words — they contain clues about which ending you are heading toward. After she leaves, go to sleep by interacting with the bed.
Chapter 2: The Doll
Ron wakes to find the crooked doll beside his bed. This is where bad parenting starts branching. The doll will ask you several questions — your answers influence the story path. When the doll invites you to the kitchen, follow it. Watch the plate demonstration and the floating objects carefully. The doll then reveals information about your father.
Critical choice point: when the doll tells you your father is gone, you can either accept this or insist on finding him. Accepting leads toward Ending C. Insisting leads toward Endings A and B.
Chapter 3: The Otherworldly Realm
If you chose to find your father, the doll mentions a secret passage in the wardrobe. Your own wardrobe is locked, so head to your parents' bedroom. Open their closet and step through into the otherworldly realm.
The secretary cat will ask for information about your father. You must provide his name (Bruce) and describe his behavior. Be honest — the game tracks your responses and uses them to determine which ending you receive in bad parenting.
After the cat gives you directions, you will encounter other children along the path. Talk to each one. They offer backstory and will ask you to stay with them. This is another branching point:
- Choosing to stay with the children leads to Ending B
- Continuing forward leads to Ending A
Chapter 4: Finding Bruce
If you continued forward, you find your father trembling on a bed. The scene that follows depends on your earlier dialogue choices. After this encounter, the game transitions to the final sequence where your mother finds you in the closet.
The Three Endings
Ending A — The Loop: After your mother finds you and mentions your medication, the story restarts from the beginning. This suggests the events are cyclical, possibly representing Ron's recurring episodes. To get this ending, insist on finding your father and continue past the other children.
Ending B — The Refuge: Ron chooses to stay in the otherworldly realm with the other children rather than return to his dysfunctional home. This ending frames the realm as a sanctuary from bad parenting rather than a threat. Choose to stay when the children ask you.
Ending C — The Acceptance: Ron accepts the doll's explanation that his father is gone and does not pursue the wardrobe passage. The game ends with Ron and the doll in the apartment, suggesting a new and unsettling normal. Accept the doll's statement about your father to reach this ending.
Tips for a Complete Playthrough
Each run of bad parenting takes about 20 to 30 minutes, so experiencing all three endings requires roughly 90 minutes total. On your first playthrough, follow your instincts — the game is designed to feel natural regardless of which path you take. Save the deliberate choice-hunting for subsequent runs.
Pay attention to environmental details that change between playthroughs. The family photos, the contents of the fridge, and certain objects in Ron's room shift subtly depending on which ending you reached previously. These changes suggest the game remembers your choices across sessions.