How to Save Everyone in Directive 8020
A step-by-step guide to keeping all 5 playable characters alive and unlocking the true ending — “Eisele the Humanitarian.”
❌ Carter and Simms Cannot Be Saved — This Is By Design
Many players get confused trying to save Carter and Simms. Please understand: their deaths are scripted story events. No matter what choices you make, both characters will die in their pre-determined scenes. Do not waste time trying to change this. Focus on protecting the 5 playable characters: Osmond, Stafford, Eisele, Cernan, and Cooper.
Character Survival Tracker
5 of 5 playable characters alive
Key Choices by Episode
Episode 1: Little Star(4 key choices)
After the hull breach, how do you respond?
Crew relationship improves. Slower progress but safer outcome.
Faster evacuation but crew loses trust in your judgment.
Stafford relationship penalty
Stafford confronts you about the situation. How do you respond?
Stafford relationship improves significantly. Opens better options in Episode 4.
Stafford +
No significant benefit. Stafford views you as weak under pressure.
Stafford -
After choosing Honor, how do you proceed with the plan?
Maintains crew trust and keeps all options open.
Minor relationship penalty. Crew questions your confidence.
A weapon is found in the Crew Quarters. What do you do?
Opens combat options later. Required for certain endings.
Limits options in Episode 5. May close off some ending paths.
Episode 2: Best Laid Plans(3 key choices)
Stafford proposes a risky plan to reach the engine room.
Stafford relationship improves. Plan succeeds.
Stafford +
Stafford relationship penalty. Slower but potentially safer route.
Stafford -
Dr. Eisele wants to study a sample. Do you allow it?
Unlocks Eisele Scientist path. More information about the alien threat.
Eisele Scientist Destiny progress
Safety first but loses critical intel. Pushes Eisele toward Humanitarian path.
Eisele Humanitarian Destiny progress
You hear a distress call. Someone needs help.
Reveals more of the story. Unlocks a collectible.
Misses a collectible and story context.
Episode 3: The Sample(3 key choices)
Cernan encounters something unusual in the cargo bay.
Crew is alerted but the entity has time to hide.
Keeps Cernan safer
Dangerous but yields more information. Cernan may get injured.
The alien sample is reacting. How do you handle it?
More data gathered. Risk of containment breach increases.
Lose the sample. Some endings become unavailable. Crew is safer.
Stafford and Eisele disagree on the next course of action.
Stafford relationship improves. Eisele feels sidelined.
Stafford + / Eisele -
Eisele relationship improves. Stafford questions your loyalty.
Eisele + / Stafford -
Episode 4: Dragnet(2 key choices)
How do you proceed when you reach junction 13 in the maintenance tunnels?
Safe navigation, both Osmond and Cooper survive.
Cooper relationship +
Risk of detection by the creature.
After the creature falls into the reactor, what do you do?
Crew reunites safely, threat confirmed eliminated.
Unnecessary risk — Osmond may be injured.
Episode 5: Mr. Williams(4 key choices)
Eisele can prepare a sedative for Williams. No prompt, no marker — must manually interact with lab equipment.
⚠ MISSABLE — The game does not prompt this. Actively explore the lab before leaving.
Interact with the lab equipment to prepare the sedative.
Required for keeping Williams alive later. Needed for "Sedate Williams" trophy.
Unlocks sedative option in confrontation
Williams cannot be sedated later, death more likely. Missable trophy.
Williams is exposed as a duplicate. How do you respond during the transformation?
Buys time, opens sedative option. Williams can be neutralized non-lethally.
Keeps Williams alive if sedative prepared
Williams duplicate is eliminated immediately. Clean but loses optional trophy.
Mitchell and Anders are trapped in a fire. Both can be saved — the UI is misleading.
Both NPCs survive. Trophy progress.
Mitchell and Anders survive
One or both NPCs die.
Stafford has a breakdown. Osmond can rally him. Requires Ep1-3 support chain for best effect.
Stafford's 'The Father' Destiny unlocked — required for best ending route.
Stafford Destiny: The Father
Destiny not unlocked. Worse outcomes in Episode 7.
Episode 6: Hostile Takeover(3 key choices)
Two identical Eiseles appear. One is real, one is a mimic. This choice determines your ending.
🔑 Most Critical Choice in the Game
Watch their fear animations when the gun is pointed at them. The newcomer's reaction looks genuinely human and scared. The other's movements are subtly unnatural.
Real Eisele survives. Best ending path maintained. True ending still achievable.
Eisele survives — true ending path open
Real Eisele dies. Locked out of best ending permanently.
Choose a direction outside. The game does NOT warn you — left is a point of no return.
⚠ The game does NOT warn you this is a point of no return. Once you enter the cave, you cannot go back.
Safe path, all crew escapes. Anders survives.
Anders survives
Point of no return. Anders will die. Cannot go back once you enter.
The reactor is overloading — meltdown in 10 minutes. Escape quickly.
All crew escapes before meltdown. No casualties.
Risk of casualties from the meltdown.
Episode 7: Cycle 13 & The Finale(1 key choices)
Eisele must decide the fate of the clone program data. This is the defining moment of the entire game.
⭐ Unlocks True Ending — Eisele the Humanitarian
True ending. Eisele broadcasts the truth to humanity. Cycle ends.
Eisele Destiny: The Humanitarian — True Ending
Science ending. Eisele prioritizes the Growth data. Cycle continues.
Destinies Unlock Checklist
Each playable character has a Destiny that unlocks during specific moments. Unlocking these is required for the best ending route.
| Character | Destiny | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Osmond | The Humanitarian | Make compassionate choices throughout the game. Choose Honor when given the option in Episode 1. |
| Stafford | The Father | Encourage him during his breakdown in Episode 5. Say "Never forget why you started." |
| Eisele | The Humanitarian | Choose to expose the clone program in Episode 8. Requires all prior Eisele-positive choices. |
| Eisele (alt) | The Scientist | Choose to protect the scientific data in Episode 8 instead of exposing the truth. |
| Cernan | TBC | Make choices that prioritize Cernan's safety in Episodes 3 and 7. |
| Cooper | TBC | Authorize weapons in Episode 1 and send backup in Episode 5. |
Once everyone is alive, check out all the possible endings:
View All Endings →