How to beat the Lies of P first mini boss

(Image credit: Neowiz)

The Lies of P first mini boss, the puppet policeman in Krat Central Station, is the first major obstacle that players will run into. Despite being a nameless foe and not the game's first real boss fight - that's the Lies of P Parade Master - it's still a deadly challenge and one meant to be the first real test of your abilities before letting you out into the wider world. Dying to it is both very common and very understandable - but if you're sick of getting your ticket punched, here's how to beat the first mini boss in Lies of P, the nameless puppet policeman.

How to beat the first boss in Lies of P

The first miniboss in Lies of P is a test of all the skills you've been taught so far, but it's specifically meant to be countered by three things: patience, perfect parries, and the deadly Fatal Attack. Here's the basics on how to beat this enemy:

Open the door. As you come down the stairs, you should immediately interact with the door opposite before fighting the puppet policeman to open it up. If you die, this'll make it a lot quicker and easier to get back here, so you don't have to fight as many puppets along the way.
Be careful and patient, not aggressive. This is important enough that we put it on our Lies of P tips, and it applies here too. Don't go in flailing - keep your distance, watch for openings, and play defensively, attacking when it's safe. Dodge when you can, block when you can't. And when you're feeling brave…
Use your Fable Arts. Your Lies of P Fable Arts will vary depending on which combat style and weapon you picked at the beginning, but they're always powerful and useful. Make sure you check the details of your weapon to see what your Fable Arts do, and unleash it!
Its weakness is perfect parrying. This boss is probably going to kill you unless you can land a Fatal Attack, and to do that you need to Stagger it first. Perfect Parries are the fastest way to get there, pressing block right at the moment that the enemy's attack lands. Aside from the shoulder charge, most of the boss's attacks are fairly telegraphed and obvious - getting the exact timing right is tricky, but considering how much you need to learn this skill, it's worth practising now.
When staggered, you need to be quick. Once its health bar begins flashing white, you need to land a charged heavy attack (hold R2/RT), and you have about five seconds to do it. Wait for the boss to finish its attack, getting behind it if you can, and then lunge in for the kill.
Go for the Fatal Attack! If you can land the staggered heavy attack above, the boss will fall to one knee. Then you need to get in front of it, face to face, and do a regular attack to do massive damage - probably enough to finish it off.

More Lies of P guides

Lies of P Hotel Door
Lies of P 221b photo location
Lies of P faded whistle
Lies of P Pulse Cells
Lies of P controller not working

Those are the basics, but don't feel bad if it kills you a few times before you claim victory. Lies of P is a difficult game - it's supposed to be - and death and practice is just part of the process. Once slain, it'll drop a key to the main entrance of Krat Central Station, allowing you to leave, as well as the Workshop Union Lightweight Frame, which you can equip in your inventory for increased defensive stats.

You'll also get a supply of over 1500 Ergo - and while that's been a useless resource so far, the moment you leave the station, you'll be able to use it for a very good cause, as it's part of how to level up in Lies of P. If you're not sure what to be levelling up, my guide on Lies of P stats and abilities will help you determine a solid build.

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.