Snatcher's Minions
Not to be confused with the Subcon Dwellers.
It's lacking critical information, as well as foundational structures.
Snatcher's Minions are a group of characters in A Hat in Time, serving as the primary interactive NPC of Chapter 3. They reside in the Subcon Forest, and serve Snatcher.
Description
Appearance
All of Snatcher's minions are small, humanoid, hooded figures, defined mostly by their petite figure and high abundance across the whole of Subcon Forest. The typical outfitting of a minion is a tattered purple cloak that covers most of the body and covers the whole of the head apart from the facial area, including covering the mouth. They often sway lightly from side to side, often shivering or twitching slightly as the do so.
Besides their bodies that is the same purple as their cloaks, their most defining trait is a large golden-white luminescence in place of a face inside the hole of the hood. Due to the presence of blacks at the corners of the hood, it grants each minion the look of having cycloptic vision.
There are also minions found hung in the Swamp, which lack the usual luminous facial area but also having a dim sliver on the bottom of the black inner hood, likely the eyelid when a minion is closing their eye. Their bodies are also much more shriveled in appearance, giving the cloak a more airy movement aside from convulsions that occur.
Personality
Minions are prone to being very mischievous in their actions and while speaking to the player, often informing them on dangerous and dubious actions when alone or off the main path of an objective.
In contrary to their overall nature however, they are often very informative to how the gimmicks of the current act work, either telling Hat Kid what to do to help complete her contractual obligations in a straightforward tone or with a good coat of sarcasm.
Other times, they are found in more distant areas where their speaking to the player tends to lead more into commentary onto the area around them. They can also point out the locations of items or further explain the mechanics of the world not found in other places.
In the PC version of the game, hanging minions can be found around the map. Since they are possessed dolls and cannot die, it is presumed that they are either fake (because of the lack of arms and legs under the cloak) or faking being dead to try and scare outsiders.
Origin
Storybook «Forgotten Children» shows that all Snatcher‘s Minions were Subcon Dwellers earlier: Snatcher made bodies and offered a contract to some Dwellers: they‘ll recieve new bodies and will work for him for eternity.
Roles
NPCs
Snatcher's Minions can be found all over the Subcon Forest, mostly inside the Swamp, Burning Forest, Midway and Village as well as areas that are required to visit in order to complete contracts and find the Time Pieces. As stated above, they can commonly be found directing Hat Kid to her current goal, and may also provide hints to how to progress through the area. They also maintain this role for The Finale when they are waiting in the queue line-up.
In Vanessa's Curse (DLC), besides being found throughout the lobby, a unique golden Snatcher's Minion wearing a golden crown can be found. They will give the player tips on playing the mode better.
Objective
In the Act Mail Delivery Service, several new Minions are placed in the level. These will have an icon floating over their head shaped like a envelope. This indicates that Hat Kid must use the rental Scooter Badge that Snatcher gives her to throw letters and packages at them. She must deliver packages to ten of Snatcher's Minions to complete the Act.
Boss
In the fight with Snatcher, one of his attacks gathers the Minions from the audience, and places them into two groups. He then proceeds to spin around, moving the Minions in a circular motion around the arena. This creates a moving obstacle that Hat Kid must jump over.