Back to the Dawn is one of those games that makes you value every mundane item and look for ways to make the most of it. One such item is the Cheap Key, which many players encounter early in the game.

As a story-driven, detective-style RPG, this acclaimed prison escape sim offers multiple ways to use the seemingly random key. And each comes with its own benefits.

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In this Back to the Dawn guide, I'll explain what the Cheap Key is and what it does in the simplest way possible. I'll also break down its different uses across various missions, so you can decide how you want to use it.

How to Get the Barbershop's 'Cheap Key'

the barbershop location in back to the dawn.

Item

Cheap Key (Bargain Price)

Price

$150

Location

Barbershop (Recreation Yard)

Time

13:00 to 17:30

You can buy the Cheap Key from the Barbershop for $150. The store in question is located to the right of the Gym in the Recreation Yard. In the Barbershop's quest list, the key appears as "Bargain Price" with a description referring to a key no one knows the purpose of.

If you don't have enough money to buy the Cheap Key, remember you can sell unwanted items to the Barbershop. For example, you can forage Mushrooms and Mints from the yard and sell them for a small profit. It's also worth checking trash cans for contraband items, which fetch a good price at the shop.

To access the Barbershop, you'll need to wait until 13:00. Each day after launch, you're sent to the Recreation Yard, where you can roam freely until 17:30.

What to Do with the Cheap Key

two ways to use the cheap key in back to the dawn.

The Cheap Key unlocks a secret room in the Kitchen Cellar known as the liquor storage. You have two options: either give it to Captain Bruce to complete the Missing Key quest and earn Good Conduct, or keep it for yourself to unlock and loot the liquor storage.

Neither approach is necessarily better than the other. As an immersive RPG, Back to the Dawn lets you shape the story your way, making each decision meaningful based on your specific goals.

Give the Cheap Key to Bruce to Complete the 'Missing Key' Quest

back to the dawn's missing key quest.

The conventional way to use the Cheap Key is by giving it to Captain Bruce during the Missing Key quest. Here's how:

  1. Accept the Missing Key quest from Captain Bruce.
  2. Talk to Diego the Alpaca and ask about the missing Kitchen Key.
  3. Convince Diego to reveal what he did with the key. You may need to reconcile with him and raise your friendship level before the interrogation.
  4. Diego will admit he sold the key to the Barbershop.
  5. Buy the key from the Barbershop for $150 and keep it.
  6. Talk to Captain Bruce and give him the key to complete the Missing Key quest.

At the end of the quest, Captain Bruce will ask who stole the key initially. If you tell him it was Diego, you'll gain extra friendship points. But if you avoid snitching on Diego, you'll lose some.

Keep the Cheap Key to Unlock the Kitchen Cellar's Liquor Storage

Another way to use the Cheap Key is to loot the secret room in the Kitchen Cellar with it.

How to Unlock the Kitchen Cellar Fence Gate

  1. Buy the Cheap Key from the Barbershop ($150).
  2. Avoid starting the Missing Key quest altogether.
  3. Use the door in the top left corner of the Cafeteria to enter the secret poker room.
  4. Ask the chef to use the Kitchen bathroom—you'll need to pay $20 to convince him.
  5. Once inside the Kitchen, head to the Kitchen Cellar.
  6. Interact with the fence gate on the left.
  7. Select "Use a Key" and then choose the Cheap Key from your inventory.
  8. Loot the room before your "Free Movement" time ends.

In the Kitchen Cellar storage, you'll find Premium Liquor, one of the valuable items in Back to the Dawn. It boosts your Mind, Max HP, and Base ATK for two hours and makes a popular gift for most characters.

By exploring every corner of the Kitchen, including the Cellar and its secret spots, you can also complete the Gang Quest titled "Prisoner, Cook, Artist, Spy."

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Back to the Dawn Tag Page Cover Art

Back to the Dawn
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RPG
Simulation
Strategy
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Systems
PC-1
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Released
November 3, 2023
Developer(s)
Metal Head Games
Publisher(s)
Spiral Up Games
PC Release Date
November 3, 2023
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
RPG, Simulation, Strategy