Prestige Challenges: every objective players have reported, and how they finished them
Find the objective that matches your challenge card, follow its conditions, and check what to do when it won’t count. How the timer, the perk-point cost and the reset work is on the prestige page.
What matters for most of them
A bear-hug execution never counts. Give yourself open ground and come in from behind.
Almost every execution and one-hit objective needs Bloodthirst at tier 3.
Do scare objectives against real players. NPCs often don’t register.
Some objectives are for the civilian side. Killing priority targets as Michael does nothing for them.
Finishers and one-shots, played through
DO THIS FOR THESE PROFILE PRESTIGE CHALLENGES | Halloween: The Game
EvansTacos
The finisher setup and pickaxe one-shots on police officers, played through as Michael.
Which challenge counter are you checking?
Prestige, Progressive and story challenges use different tracks
In your menu
What advances it
Where to go
Prestige Challenge
The objective drawn when you start that track’s prestige. Profile attempts have a 24-hour timer.
Matching an action is only the first check. Make sure the correct track, character and weapon are selected, then compare that challenge’s counter after one match.
How big each ask is
Every objective with a number, smallest first. Fifteen is the most common ask. Profile challenges run against a 24-hour timer, so the big ones need a plan before you start.
Tap an objective to open its walkthrough. On wider screens, bar length compares the counts; the side is also written beside each objective.
Executions and finishers
Most of these fail for the same reason. When there isn't enough room around the target, the game swaps the finisher for a bear-hug execution, and the bear hug never counts. Fight in open ground and come in from behind.
Kill 15 special targets with the weapon's finisher execution. The finisher animation itself has to play; a regular execution doesn't count.
How to do it
1Stalk the target to tier 3 and fill Bloodthirst to tier 3.
2Hit them until they are on 25% health or less. A resident at that point often walks with a hand on their hip.
3Get them into open ground. Walk away so they start moving off, swing and miss to terrify them, or bump or push them. Grabbing them and letting them struggle free also works.
4Come up directly behind them, with clear space around you both, and press execute (E on PC).
If it won’t count: If you got a bear hug, there wasn't enough room. It pays execution points but adds nothing to the challenge. Stalking to tier 3 and wounding the target is not enough on its own: move away from walls, furniture and doorways and try again from behind.
Kill terrified victims with thrown hatchets
30 neededMichael sideComes up on: Profile
What it asks
Kill 30 terrified victims by throwing the hatchet.
How to do it
1Get Bloodthirst to level 3 before you start throwing.
2Terrify the victim, then leave them alone. Nothing else can damage them before the throw.
3Throw. The hatchet has to do the whole kill by itself.
It is slow. Three or four a match is a good result, so plan on eight to ten matches for all 30.
If it won’t count: Wounding the victim first, even with one swing, is the usual reason a hatchet kill doesn't count.
Kill priority targets with the knife, unnoticed
In-game text: “Execute an unaware priority target 15 times”
15 neededMichael sideComes up on: Knife, prestige 1
What it asks
Grab and execute 15 priority targets who never know you are there. Every one has to be an execution.
How to do it
1Hide in a closet near a priority target's route.
2Break a window to draw the target past the closet.
3Come out of the closet for a surprise grab, which doesn't alert them, and execute.
Solo private matches are the easiest place to farm it. Public lobbies spot you far more often.
Expect it to take a couple of hours or more.
Since Patch 1.0.3, civilians break free from grabs more easily at Stalk tiers 0 to 2, so an ambush on a target you haven't stalked is more likely to slip.
If it won’t count: The target has to stay unaware right up to the grab. If they spotted you, even briefly, that kill won't count.
Bloodthirsty grab executions on unaware, terrified victims
15 neededMichael sideComes up on: Profile, Killer
What it asks
Do a bloodthirsty grab weapon execution on an unaware, terrified victim, 15 times.
How to do it
1Pick a victim standing in open ground, well clear of walls, furniture and props.
2Grab them before they notice you, and execute.
It also comes up as a Killer prestige challenge. The method is the same.
If it won’t count: Standing even slightly too close to scenery turns the execution into the bear hug. You still get the weapon-execution points, but the challenge doesn't move.
Hiding-spot executions
15 neededMichael sideComes up on: Killer
What it asks
Execute 15 victims while they are inside a hiding spot.
How to do it
1Scare a victim until they run and hide in a closet.
2Get into the closet with them. The execute option appears from inside, and that is the only place it works.
If it won’t count: Players get the prompt at different stalk levels: some at tier 3, some at tier 1, some without stalking at all. If it doesn't show, stalk the victim to at least tier 1 and make sure Bloodthirst is at level 1 or higher, then try again.
Pitchfork finisher executions
In-game text: “Execute a victim with the pitchfork's finisher execution 15 times”
15 neededMichael sideComes up on: Profile, Pitchfork objective
What it asks
Use the Pitchfork's finisher execution on 15 victims. Match the finisher action, not just an execution with the weapon equipped.
How to do it
1Equip the Pitchfork and compare the exact requirement on your active card.
2Wound and terrify the victim, then approach from behind in open space and look for the finisher prompt.
3Perform the finisher and check whether the game counter advances before repeating the setup.
If it won’t count: A bloodthirsty grab execution and a finisher are different actions. If the right finisher still earns no credit, check the game counter and tracking problems before spending more matches on it.
One-hit kills
The objective says one hit, but a single swing almost never does it. What counts is a fast two-hit combo at Bloodthirst 3.
One-hit kills with the pickaxe or wood axe
In-game text: “Kill someone with the wood axe in one hit 20 times”
20 neededMichael sideComes up on: Wood axe (prestige 2), pickaxe
What it asks
Kill 20 people in one hit with the wood axe or pickaxe. A single swing won't do it, even at Bloodthirst 3. A quick two-hit combo at Bloodthirst 3 is what the game counts as one hit.
How to do it
1Equip Shadow Strike, Detection Pulse and Reality Tear, and load a private match on Haddonfield Town Center.
2Kill the three special targets first, stalking each to tier 3. That leaves you at Bloodthirst 3 with five residents left.
3Stalk each resident to tier 3 and terrify them before you attack. A terrified resident shows a red exclamation point and leaves a trail, and takes extra damage.
4Fight in open space. Clipping a wall, a prop or a body lying at an odd angle breaks the one-hit kill.
5Hit twice with light attacks, fast, with no miss and no pause in between. Aim the first hit at the head.
6A One Hit Kill notice on the left of the screen means it counted.
You can come in from behind on an unsuspecting resident, or face to face, using Shadow Strike to stagger them so the combo lands clean. Both work; pick the one you are more comfortable with.
With the pickaxe, police officers go down in one hit far more reliably than residents. Scare residents into calling the police to bring officers to you.
A heavy swing to the head at Bloodthirst 3 with Evil Presence is the other route players try.
At a good pace it is about four matches for 20 kills. The method doesn't click for everyone, so give it a match before committing.
Patch 1.0.3 lowered wood axe and pickaxe damage slightly and slowed their combos. The two-hit combo may need more setup than it used to, so have Bloodthirst 3, the tier-3 stalk and the terrified state all in place before you swing.
If it won’t count: If you never see the One Hit Kill notice, check Bloodthirst is at 3 and the resident is terrified, and that nothing got between your two hits.
Scares
Scares are the objectives most likely to stall, because they register reliably against real players and often not at all against NPCs.
Jump-scare by breaking doors and windows
30 neededMichael sideComes up on: Profile, pickaxe prestige 2
What it asks
Jump-scare 30 residents by breaking the door or window they are behind, with the pickaxe.
How to do it
1Do it against real players. The easiest way is a private match with a friend, taking turns as Michael and scaring each other from behind doors.
2Smash through the door or window instead of Shape Jumping in.
3Watch the civilian on the other side. If they don't react to the break, it doesn't count.
If it won’t count: Against NPCs it often doesn't register at all, even in a private match where your other challenges tracked fine. Some players have had it work by breaking a door while an NPC stands right beside it, so its fear meter fills at once, but real players are the reliable route.
Objectives for the civilian side
Prestiging a civilian, or your profile, can hand you an objective you play as a resident of the town rather than as Michael. Killing priority targets does nothing for these.
2Talk to each resident and tell them to leave during the conversation. The quick command to send them out may not give progress.
3There are five residents a match, so 20 takes at least four matches. Try to get every one out each game.
If it won’t count: Check the target colour and use the conversation rather than the quick command. If the challenge panel disappears or looks reset immediately after a match, back out and reopen it; try restarting if it is still missing. Players have recovered the display this way, but rescues can still undercount. A refreshed panel does not fix lost credit. Check the tracking checks before spending points on another attempt.
Who counts as townsfolk for the Save 20 Townsfolk objective
In-game text: “Successfully convince a priority target to listen to you 15 times”
15 neededCivilian sideComes up on: Civilian
What it asks
Talk to 15 priority targets and get them to listen to you.
How to do it
1Head for the priority targets as soon as the match starts. Every other civilian rushes them too.
2Expect about two a match, so plan on seven or eight matches.
Make very convincing phone calls
50 neededCivilian sideComes up on: Bob, prestige 5
What it asks
Make 50 very convincing phone calls.
How to do it
There is no shortcut. Make every call you can each match.
If it isn't worth your time, let the timer run out. The next attempt is a random draw, so you will usually get a different challenge, though the same one can come back.
Blind Michael
40 neededCivilian sideComes up on: Profile
What it asks
Blind Michael 40 times.
How to do it
Carry items that blind, disorient or stun, such as firecrackers and flashlights, and use them on Michael whenever he is close.
Patch 1.0.3 made every challenge that asks you to blind, disorient or stun Michael easier. Before that it crawled along at a couple of blinds every few matches.
Knockbacks
30 neededCivilian sideComes up on: Civilian
What it asks
Knock Michael back 30 times.
How to do it
1Run Michael over with the bicycle.
2Thrown items and heavy melee attacks haven't worked for players, so the bicycle is the better bet.
Patch 1.0.3 made every challenge that asks you to knock Michael off his feet easier.
Getting residents out is also the point of a normal match; how the four exits work is on the escapes page, and each civilian’s kit is on the characters pages.
Grinds and quick ones
Big counts or one odd condition. Most of these just take matches.
Kill priority targets
In-game text: “Kill priority target 5 times”
5 neededMichael sideComes up on: Varies
What it asks
Kill priority targets five times. Two matches' worth of targets covers it.
How to do it
1Check the objective is really a Michael one. Some priority-target objectives belong to the civilian side, where talking to a target, or maybe just finding one, is what counts.
2If it is a weapon challenge, have that weapon equipped, then kill every priority target you find.
3After one full match, look at the counter before you keep going.
If it won’t count: This is one of the challenges that often doesn't track. Players have killed dozens of priority targets, restarted the game and tried again after the timer ran out with the counter still at 0, in public and private matches. If yours sits at 0 after a match, stop grinding it.
Destroy noise makers with the pickaxe
20 neededMichael sideComes up on: Profile, axe
What it asks
Destroy a noise maker with the pickaxe 20 times within a day. An axe version asks the same with the axe.
How to do it
1Equip the pickaxe before you queue.
2Skip phones and the bar's jukebox. They don't count as noise makers for this.
Destroy doors
20 neededOtherComes up on: Varies
What it asks
Destroy 20 doors.
How to do it
Break every door you come to. It adds up over a few matches.
Three priority targets in a minute, and five wins
Michael sideComes up on: Varies
What it asks
Two short ones: kill all three priority targets within a minute of each other, or win five games as Michael.
How to do it
1For the minute objective, find and wound all three targets before you kill any, then finish them back to back.
2Five wins is just five wins. Play it straight.
Draws vary a lot. Some are trivial like these, others take a whole evening.
Before you start any of them
Private matches count. Prestige Challenges progress there, and a solo private match is often the easiest place to finish one.
Check your loadout before you queue. A weapon challenge only moves with that weapon equipped, and a match played with the wrong one is wasted.
Check which side the objective is for. Some are played as a civilian, and killing priority targets as Michael does nothing for them; for those, talking to a target, or maybe just finding one, is what counts.
Patch changes that affect these challenges
Challenges that ask you to blind, disorient or stun Michael, or knock him off his feet, are easier to complete.
The wood axe and pickaxe hit slightly softer and combo slightly slower, which matters for one-hit kills.
Civilians escape grabs more easily at Stalk tiers 0 to 2. At Bloodthirst 3, grabs are no longer much harder to escape than intended.
The host of a private match can unlock achievements and trophies again.
Patch 1.0.4 announced a 10,000-point grant for players already playing then. If you still have that balance, it covers two profile prestige attempts at 5,000 each.
If nothing counts after a full match, it may not be your setup. Known tracking problems and what to do about them are under Prestige Challenges not working. A civilian’s long-running challenges, such as Linebacker or Craftswoman, are a different list: Progressive Challenges. To keep your own record of the story-mode challenges while tracking is unreliable, use the challenge tracker.
Questions
What are the Prestige Challenges in Halloween: The Game?
An objective you have to finish to complete a prestige. They range from 5 priority-target kills to 50 phone calls, with 15 the most common ask, plus a few short ones like winning five games as Michael. Profile challenges run against a 24-hour timer.
Why is my Save 20 Townsfolk challenge not counting?
Only residents, marked in blue, count. Priority targets, in yellow, don't. With five residents a match, 20 saves takes at least four matches. Tell each resident to leave while talking to them. If the panel disappears or looks reset after a match, reopen the menus and restart before paying for another attempt. Correct rescues can still undercount; refreshing the panel is not a fix for that tracking bug.
What counts as a one-hit kill?
Not one swing. A fast two-hit light combo at Bloodthirst 3, on a terrified resident stalked to tier 3, with the first hit to the head, counts as one hit. A One Hit Kill notice appears on the left of the screen when it works. Patch 1.0.3 slowed wood axe and pickaxe combos slightly, so have everything set up before you swing.
Do Prestige Challenges work against NPCs and in private matches?
Yes. Private matches count, and most objectives track against NPCs. Scares are the exception: jump-scares register reliably on real players and often not on NPCs, so do those in a private match with a friend.
Why does my execution not count for the challenge?
The bear hug. When there is not enough room, the game replaces the finisher or Bloodthirsty execution with a hug, which pays the points for a weapon execution but does not count toward the challenge. Attack in open space, from directly behind.
Can I skip a Prestige Challenge I do not like?
Not on demand. When the timer runs out the challenge ends and the prestige does not happen, and trying again costs perk points and usually deals a different challenge. The mechanics are on the prestige page.