Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit -podgey- ((new)) May 2026

Overview: Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit -Podgey-

Level Type: Custom Level (TR4 Engine - The Times Exclusive) Author: Podgey Theme: Action/Exploration with a touch of Horror/Atmosphere Difficulty: Intermediate

This level is a well-regarded entry in the Tomb Raider custom level community. Known for Podgey’s signature style, it offers a mix of solid combat, tricky platforming, and atmospheric environments. The "Hideous Hermit" serves as the centerpiece boss, but the journey to reach him is filled with traps and puzzles. Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit -Podgey-

Lara’s Arc

Rather than spotlighting Lara’s combat prowess, the narrative emphasizes her investigative side. Her toolkit is intellectual as much as physical: careful observation, archival sleuthing, and an empathy that allows her to read people and places. She negotiates moral complexity, confronting villagers who may have contributed to Podgey’s exile and deciding how to memorialize a place the rest of the world would forget. The climax tests her refusal to reduce every foe to a target — she must choose containment, revelation, or mercy. Overview: Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit -Podgey-

How to Experience the Legend Today

If you want to witness Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit -Podgey- for yourself, you have two options: The Hard Way: Download a Tomb Raider: The

  1. The Hard Way: Download a Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation level editor package (the one from 2003). Search the Wayback Machine for "Podgey’s Levels." Locate the file hermit_grotto_v2.zip (the "v2" fixed a game-breaking bug where the Hermit would clip through the trophy room wall). Install manually. Expect crashes.
  2. The Easy Way: Search YouTube for "Lara Croft vs The Hideous Hermit - full playthrough." Several streamers have braved the level in recent years. Watch for the moment they first see the Hermit waddle into the lantern light. Watch their faces shift from laughter to genuine unease.

The Level Design: A Claustrophobic Nightmare

The custom level, titled The Hermit’s Grotto, is where Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit -Podgey- truly unfolds. Forget the grand vistas of Tomb Raider: Legend. This is a masterclass in oppressive atmosphere born from amateur limitations.

The level consists of exactly seven rooms:

  1. A damp cave entrance with a single burnt-out torch.
  2. A flooded tunnel where Lara must hold her breath (a janky custom script counts down 15 seconds).
  3. A kitchen carved from rock, featuring a "stove" made of three red texture blocks and a hanging cauldron.
  4. The "Trophy Room" – walls lined with the rusted gear of previous explorers. If you look closely at the low-resolution textures, you can see Podgey has pasted actual photos of 1970s hiking equipment.
  5. A narrow winding corridor that forces the camera into a fixed first-person perspective – a shockingly innovative feature for a 2004 fan level.
  6. The Hermit’s Nest – a circular chamber filled with bones, stolen artifacts, and a single flickering lantern.
  7. The Escape Shaft.

The goal is simple: retrieve a golden fertility idol from the Hermit’s nest and escape. The catch? The Hermit is unkillable.