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The Dark Pictures anthology rounds off its first season with The Devil in Me, an enticing horror set in a recreation of H. H Holmes' 'Murder House.' As past and present horrors collide, players will likely be attempting to keep the cast alive through all the dangers and death opportunities.
The five main characters of The Devil in Me become caught up in a serial killer's terrifying antics in pursuit of documentary footage, ensuring there will be plenty of life-or-death decisions to be made before the end of the game.
Starting Tips
Quick Time Events (QTEs) are a staple of The Dark Pictures Anthology, all of which are used for gameplay immersion and pivotal choices depending on player success. There are four standard QTEs that have appeared in previous Dark Pictures episodes, listed as:
- Button Tap – Press the indicated face button input on the controller within the time limit
- Button Mash – Rapidly press the indicated face button within the time limit
- Aimed Hit – Use the right toggle stick to aim at the desired target, and then hit/fire with the right trigger button when the reticle turns red
- Heartbeat – Press the indicated face button in time with the on-screen heartbeat pattern
Two new QTEs have been introduced to The Devil in Me, similar to mechanics found in The Quarry and Until Dawn. The first is the Hide QTE, which requires characters to quickly run to a hiding place and stay hidden until threats pass.
The Devil in Me comes with multiple accessibility modes, so if players are having difficulty with hitting QTEs as intended, they can go to Game Settings and alter the mechanics for their preferred playstyle. It should be noted this guide assumes all settings are default, so there may be some changes between this guide and gameplay as a result.
The second QTE involves Balance, where players use the right toggle stick to counter-balance characters as they walk along narrow beams. All required QTEs are given a tutorial in the opening few chapters with zero risk, so it is recommended new players practice and take note of the game mechanics.
Not all choices in The Dark Pictures Anthology lead to pivotal decisions or character deaths, so some variation between this guide and player choices may occur while still managing to keep all required characters alive. However, completing as many QTE sequences as possible (unless otherwise stated) is the easiest way to keep the cast alive during the game.
Furthermore, The Devil in Me comes with a scene selection that players can use if they screw up QTEs or choices. Simply returning to the main menu and restarting the chapter under a new save will grant players more chances to beat QTEs they missed the first time.
Introduction Choices
The Devil in Me begins in 1893, where players control a recently-wedded Marie with her husband Jeff as the two make plans to stay in a local hotel in Chicago. This serves as the tutorial, where players can get a feel for dialogue options, choices (AKA bearings) that branch off the story, and QTEs.
As players get used to the controls and choices, it should be noted that Jeff and Marie are destined to die no matter what players choose. Nothing in the tutorial ultimately leads to their deaths, but there is a bonus trophy awarded if Jeff and Marie watch each other die.
These false protagonists serve as a precursor for the main story, and any bad choices made during the prologue here will have a future impact beyond a later artifact that the main protagonists find.
Taking Control of the Group
After the five documentary crew members are introduced with indifferent attitudes, players take control of Charlie leading Mark to a lighthouse for good photography moments. There are a few bonus pieces of information and brief jumpscares that can be found by exploring nearby dilapidated buildings, but the journey to the lookout point is mostly-event free.
Once this is achieved, a few scenes play out where the cast meets a mysterious client, Granthem Du'Met, before arriving at the island. Control passes over to Kate, who can find more secrets and collectibles while she and Jamie try to sneak around the island in search of the story.
After finding a disused train car and fixing the fusebox, Kate and Jamie can access the higher reaches of the island. It's here they spy a particular individual in yellow overalls and, shortly afterward, a girl in the Murder Hotel, both of whom factor into the story later on.
Inside the hotel, each character gets their section of play time when their general backstories and connections are revealed. After a tense dinner with the crew (and a potential hidden trophy depending on Charlie's behavior), players can begin making their first moves for protecting Erin.
Take the Inhaler
When Erin is playable once again, she uses her directional microphone to try and locate some peculiar sounds from the walls. After backtracking through weirdly changing corridors in darkness, Erin gets locked in a room with all the lights going out.
The gameplay transfers to Jamie attempting to repair the breakers to restore power, but when it returns to Erin, she is panicking. A shadowy figure presents an inhaler for her to use, and players must take the inhaler instead of attacking.
This leads to a briefly tense scene where the mysterious man brandishes a knife but only cuts off a bit of Erin's hair. Now that Erin has the inhaler, she can survive her asthma attack and keep on fighting to survive the night.
The inhaler is a vital tool for Erin, so it must be used at opportunities when Erin is feeling breathless to keep her alive later on in the game. This occurs when entering notably dusty rooms while playing as Erin, as signified by a visual pulsing pattern that appears onscreen.
Hide, Don't Run
The other cast members will be trying to navigate the maze-like hotel corridors and side rooms before getting separated, but players will face another life-or-death choice when gameplay returns to Erin. After Erin explores the vicinity, she will find herself at the Silver Ash Institute.
This room has medical animatronics and an important interaction with Jamie's phone, but after a few minutes of exploring, a dangerous Du'Met will be heard approaching. A prompt appears where Erin has to decide whether she hides away or tries running away.
Running will result in Erin getting caught and meeting a grisly end after getting stabbed in the eye. Hiding will keep Erin safe, barring a few QTEs, depending on the difficulty setting.
After this, control switches to Mark, who finds a creepy diorama of mannequins along with the surviving characters. There are also several photo opportunities here, but the next survival choice occurs with Charlie in the next chapter.
The Grate Escape
Having been separated from the group, Charlie tries to find a way out. In the process, he eventually ends up inside an incinerator as part of a death trap.
The fire lights no matter what, and Charlie can either try to break open the incinerator door or force the grate open. Choose the grate option, where Charlie tries and fails to lift it off.
The game gives the player a chance to change their mind, but persisting with the grate option allows Charlie to force it off and climb into the crawl space. Despite the loud cries of pain from the heat, Charlie manages to survive the flames and will appear in subsequent chapters.
Choose to Kill Kate
Continuing with the morality horror theme, The Devil in Me puts Kate and Erin in a death trap. Assuming the player has made good dialogue choices thus far, the solution to keeping both girls alive may not be obvious.
Jamie has the deciding choice about who she will kill: the asthmatic newfound love interest Erin or the irritating work rival Kate. Choosing to kill Kate will ensure Erin stays alive and reveal that Kate has a way of being saved.
Oxygen returns to Erin's cubicle, but the lack of oxygen in Kate's room reveals a slight leak against the window. This causes Mark to leap to action and knock the window out of its slot, allowing Kate to survive intact.
Following this, there are several exploration sections where secrets to the killer's identity can be discovered. The test choice comes in two parts, beginning at the Director's Suite.
Screwdriver Choice
Once the three girls have found their way into the heart of the operation, Kate and Jamie become playable characters. After Kate examines the blueprints on the wall on the upper level, a cutscene will play.
Here, Jamie offers Kate the screwdriver for defense, and it is this choice that determines who will live in a future level. All players need to do is make sure Jamie keeps the screwdriver.
Another life-or-death choice is presented in a following cutscene after the girls fail to trap Du'Met in the walls. Jamie and Kate become locked in a room with a sliding glass wall; if Jamie presses the button on the wall, then she can reverse it and kill Kate instead.
Jamie will be able to break the glass wall because she still has the screwdriver, so choosing not to press the button will ultimately save both girls.
Players need to remember whether Jamie or Kate has possession of the screwdriver before continuing. While it is possible to have both girls survive if Kate keeps hold of the screwdriver, having Jamie keep it works for simplicity's sake.
Kate's Payback
As Mark and Charlie try to get help, the trio is still attempting to evade Du'Met's unrelenting attacks. During the Chase chapter, a lot of QTEs need to be successfully completed before a life-saving decision is made, so players need to be alert.
Picking head decisions over heart decisions mean more heartbeat QTEs will appear instead of rapid-fire button taps. It is advised to choose what works best for players depending on their playstyle, because missing even one will lead to Kate getting caught by Du'Met.
If this happens, then Kate or Jamie are guaranteed to be killed (Kate by Du'Met, Jamie sacrificing herself). If all of Kate's QTEs are completed successfully, then she will instead see Jamie get caught by Du'Met.
Kate now has the chance to flee and save herself or rescue Jamie. Choosing to save Jamie is the right choice to keep her alive, but there are a few QTEs that need to be completed so that Du'Met doesn't attack.
Barn Run
After exploring the maze, Kate, Jamie, and Erin will suddenly get ambushed by Du'Met again. The trio takes shelter in a nearby barn, with Du'Met picking up an ax in the process.
Erin suggests they run, and Kate can choose to run or climb up to safety. Choose to run with Erin and Jamie, otherwise, Du'Met will kill Erin.
If done successfully, all three of the girls will slide down a steep gully and evade Du'Met. From here, the action switches once again for a few chapters until the surviving gang members reunite at the lighthouse.
Defend Charlie
Mark and Erin's psychological suspicions about various horrors and Charlie have been building up over the entire game, and possibly the player's as well. When they reunite outside the lighthouse, Erin confronts Charlie about this critical matter.
The choice ultimately falls to Mark (and, by extension, the player). In order to keep Charlie alive, Mark needs to give him the benefit of the doubt and not tie him up, otherwise, Charlie will be killed.
This isn't the only pivotal choice that occurs in the Reunion chapter: when Kate enters the lighthouse building, she can find a dog whining in pain. This attracts attention from Du'Met, and a targeting QTE appears.
If Kate completes this QTE before the time runs out, she will kill the dog to keep it quiet. The Happy Ending trophy is still possible, but if you kill the dog, the Happier Ending trophy will now be locked out.
Following this lighthouse chapter, Du'Met appears and fatally wounds a police officer, giving Mark the opportunity to grab a pepper spray canister. All five living protagonists will reunite in time for the tense climax.
Survive the Boat Fight
Out on the lake, Du'Met will appear suddenly in the midst of casual conversation. This final section has a lot of sudden QTEs, and failing them can easily result in characters getting killed right at the final hurdle.
The best way to have everyone survive is beating the first QTE with Charlie, then ensuring all other members jump off the boat when given the opportunity. This will reduce the number of QTEs required to complete the section.
After Mark blinds Du'Met with the pepper spray, there will be a few more sudden QTEs, including one where Mark and Kate jump off the boat before it crashes into a submerged rock.
After this scene, there are no further gameplay decisions or QTEs to complete. All that is left is for the epilogue to play out and the satisfying sound of trophy/achievement pings to finish the best ending in The Devil in Me.
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.