All key decisions, QTEs, and hidden connections explained—here’s how to get every crew member through alive.
Directive 8020 is ruthless if you are not paying attention. Small dialogue choices, missed QTEs, or the wrong priorities can quickly cost lives. One important thing up front: Two characters cannot be saved. They always die over the course of the story. Everyone else depends directly on your choices and timing. We show you what to watch out for.
The most important survival rules
To keep the crew alive, you need to internalize two things:
- Quick-time events (QTEs) are not optional. Many scenes decide life or death on the spot. A single mistake can cost a character their digital life. Play QTEs carefully and do not rush.
- Dialogue choices and chats shape the characters. This is especially important for Cooper. If you play her as more rebellious and playful, you open up crucial survival paths later. If you play her as strictly rational, you lock yourself out of options. In dialogue, make sure you think long-term instead of simply choosing what seems logical in the moment.
- And remember: The game often rewards trust and controlled patience more than aggressive choices.
In dialogue, also make sure you play the characters as follows:
- Tomas Carter: Careful
- Josef Cernan: Philosophical
- Samantha Cooper: Playful
- Laura Eisele: Compassionate
- Nolan Stafford: Understanding
- Brianna Young: Loyal
Episode 1: Setting the first pieces in motion
For the Oracle decision, you should authorize it. This avoids extra stress and unnecessary risks during the escape that follows. When you head out for the EVA, you will face quick-time events where you need to save Simms in time (guide).
Shortly afterward, you flee from the infected Simms. If you complete the QTEs, Carter can send a warning to the crew. That information indirectly helps other characters survive later. If you fail, Carter dies earlier, which costs you that advantage.
Episode 2: Trust pays off
This is where one of the game’s most important hidden connections comes into play:
During the conversation between Stafford and Mitchell, choose trust. If you doubt him instead, Anders will be monitored later and cannot step in during a crucial scene. That ultimately leads to Williams’ death.
For the power decision, you need to shut down the landing computer, not the fire suppression system. It seems riskier at first, but it is the safer path. You can control the crash later; losing fire suppression causes major problems in Episode 5.
Episode 3: Timing and attention
Right at the start of the chapter, you need to save Cernan from Williams (guide). You can read exactly how to do that in the linked guide.
During the crash: Stafford must stay seated and strapped in. Do not try to restart the computer if you shut it down earlier. Doing so leads directly to death.
When Williams wakes up, react immediately: The injection QTE determines whether he remains stable.
At the end of the episode, there is an often-overlooked point: Find Carter’s smartband. You can read exactly where it is hidden in our Directive 8020 trophy guide under the tip for the “Lost and Found” trophy. This warning gives the crew important information about the threat and leads to better decisions later on.
Episode 4: Focus instead of decisions
There are no major decisions or branching paths here, but you still cannot afford to make a mistake. Pass every QTE and stay alert. Even if Young is injured at the end, she survives. The scene looks dramatic, but it is not a game over for her.
Episode 5: The decisive character moment
This is where the way you played Cooper pays off: She has to help Anders sedate Williams. This only works if her rebellious side is strong enough. If you played her too rationally earlier, she refuses to help and Williams dies shortly afterward.
Next comes the fire scene: Your decision from Episode 2 now determines the right sequence. If fire suppression is active, save Anders first. The sprinklers will take care of Mitchell. If you disabled fire suppression, you need to save Mitchell directly. Anders still survives that way, but he is injured.
Episode 6: Stay calm
This episode is mainly about not acting too quickly. When you aim at Williams, do not fire. Lower the weapon and give the scanner time. That is the only way he survives.
During the doppelgänger test, you need to read the situation correctly. Choose to run the test and follow the clues. The newcomer is actually the real person. If you react incorrectly, you lose a character immediately.
Episode 7: The right path pays off
The search for Anders is a classic trap. Take the right-hand path to the cave with the stalactites. Only there will you find the real Anders. The left path leads you to a doppelgänger, and the real person is left behind.
After that, more QTEs await. If you make no mistakes here, the entire remaining crew will make it through.
Episode 8: The finale
Young’s final choice only affects the ending, not survival. If you want the best possible story outcome, choose humanity.
The evacuations matter more: Make absolutely sure you take Williams with you on the shuttle. If you leave him behind, he is guaranteed to die. When Mitchell asks to be let in, open the door. He is not a doppelgänger. If you hesitate here or make the wrong call, you lose him right before the end.
