Like every Dark Pictures game, the headline question for Directive 8020 is: can you save everyone?Yes — but the route is unforgiving. Below is the full per-episode survival matrix. Cross-reference each chapter against the relevant walkthrough page for moment-to-moment inputs.
Per-character per-episode matrix
| Episode | Brianna | Akin | Thomas | Naomi | Riley |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP 1 | Survives | +1 trust (defend) | +1 trust (stay together) | Stable | Stable |
| EP 2 | Look down at reveal | Stable | Stable | Stable | +1 (send Riley up ridge) |
| EP 3 | Pass interrogation | Scan first | Scan last (test) | Scan second | Scan third |
| EP 4 | Triage Naomi → Riley → Akin | Side with crew | Pass surge QTE | Stable | Stable |
| EP 5 | Stealth — no vault | Stable | Stable | Loadlifter QTE | Loadlifter QTE |
| EP 6 | Believe premonitions | Listen | Stable | Stable | Stable |
| EP 7 | Stay with ship | Defend Akin | Trust Thomas | Defence wave | Defence wave |
| EP 8 | Choose Reveal | Survives | Survives | Survives | Survives |
Critical do-not-fail moments
- Episode 4 — Power surge. Three-stage rhythm QTE; failing stage 2 kills Thomas immediately.
- Episode 5 — Loadlifter chain. Five inputs with no margin. Single fail = Naomi or Riley dies.
- Episode 7 — Defensive waves. Each protagonist defends a door. Any character below +1 trust will fail their wave.
- Episode 8 — Final QTE. Pick 'Reveal' as the dialogue option, then clear the boss chain to lock Ending A.
Pre-route checklist
- Disable Movie Night mode for the run — multi-player splits the inputs and complicates the QTE chains.
- Use a wired controller for Episode 5; latency murders the loadlifter chain.
- Aim for +2 trust where possible — +1 is the floor, +2 gives you a 1-input safety margin in Ep 7.
- Scan all 17 premonitions; missing pre-warnings causes Ep 8 to play blind.
FAQ
Can you save everyone in Directive 8020?
Yes. All five playable characters can survive into the finale. The full route requires +1 trust with each character by Episode 7, success on every lethal QTE in Episodes 4–5 and 'Reveal' as the final dialogue choice.
Is the save-everyone route hard?
Episode 5's loadlifter QTE chain is the hardest single check. Most blind playthroughs lose Naomi or Riley there. Practise the input rhythm before attempting the route.
Does saving everyone unlock a trophy?
Yes — the 'Crew Manifest' trophy unlocks for finishing the campaign with all five protagonists alive. It also gates Ending A.