How to get the best ending in The Quarry & save all the teenagers

Eleni Thomas
The Quarry

Getting the best ending in The Quarry and saving all the teenagers requires you to make some vital decisions that dramatically alter the course of the story. Here’s how you can get the best ending.

Touted as a spiritual successor to the much beloved Until Dawn, The Quarry follows a group of teenagers working at Hackett’s Quarry summer camp. When they are forced to stay an extra night due, the teens quickly realize there is more than meets the eye to Hackett’s Quarry.

When chaos ensues, the player must navigate their way through action packed sequences and important decisions in an effort to help the teenagers make it to morning. While not each and every moment is integral to achieving the best ending possible in The Quarry, each of the 10 chapters in the game include moments that do have lasting effects on the ending. 

The Quarry characters
The calm before the slaughter in The Quarry.

Of course, the obvious thing to do in order to ensure things travel as smoothly as possible is to successfully make all quick time events that pop up. There is never a situation where failing them is the right move so be ready for them at all times. 

Looking out for as many collectibles and clues as possible is also important to achieving the best ending possible. Evidence is what will help the councilors be freed of any criminal intent during the epilogue of the game. Dialogue choices and larger decisions can all impact the outcome of the game. 

Without further ado, let’s dive into the important moments and items from each chapter and what actions need to be taken in order to ensure your playthrough is on the right track and you get the best ending in The Quarry.

How to get the best ending in The Quarry

Prologue tips & tricks

Don’t aggravate the police officer when he arrives

When the police officer eventually finds Laura and Max stuck in their cars, his aloof and accusatory nature will most likely set off major alarm bells. While the initial temptations to act defensive and secretive will be strong, it’s much better to be honest and compliant with him.

Do this and he will be more trusting of you, as he will immediately see through the lies and as a result be much more intimidating throughout the conversation.

Help Max out of the basement after he gets attacked 

Laura having the choice to save or leave Max
The first big decision in the games come when Laura can either save or leave Max

The other important decision to make in the prologue comes in its final moments. When arriving at the camp, Laura and Max will open up the basement after Laura believes she saw a person trapped inside. When the two enter, the player controls Laura and will be able to investigate the basement before Max is attacked by something and is bleeding heavily. 

When given the choice to save or leave Max, make sure Laura saves her boyfriend and drags him out before the cop reappears and knocks Laura out with an injection.

Chapter 1 tips & tricks

Steal the Rotor Arm instead of breaking the fuel line

It wouldn’t be a teenage horror game without a goofy jock, and unfortunately the character of Jacob lives up to that cliche in spades in The Quarry. In an attempt to spend an extra night with his summer fling and fellow camp counsellor Emma, Jacob sabotages the minivan and essentially is the sole blame for everything that happens in the game. 

Jacob opening up the car engine to sabotage it
Jacob’s choice to sabotage the car is really what kick starts a chain of bad events for the teenagers in The Quarry.

Players are given a decision to either steal the rotor arm or break the fuel line. Choose to steal the rotor arm and Jacob will have the chance to hold on to it and keep it with him throughout the whole game that can then be used to explain the situation later on.

Evidence Piece: The Empty Vial 

Later on in the chapter, players take control of Abi when she and Emma are getting the last of their bags. During this sequence, the first piece of evidence can be found.

When walking past all the cabins to find Emma, head over to the giant tree in the middle of the grounds. Interacting with the tree will trigger Abi to reach up and grab the empty vial.

Chapter 2 tips & tricks

None of the decisions in Chapter 2 directly impact the result of the game, so you don’t need to worry about it too much for getting the best ending in The Quarry.

A few things will impact moments later on, but at no point will anything you do or say directly affect if a character lives or dies later on. The only thing to keep an eye out for is evidence collection.

Evidence Piece: Torn Bags

At the beginning of the Chapter, Emma and Jacob raid the store for party supplies. When they break into the storage room out the back, head over to the right corner. Emma will notice some torn up bags and even express her concern over the state they are in to Jacob moments later. This item is the second piece of evidence in the game.

Chapter 3 tips & tricks

Make Abi go back and save Nick 

Nick and Abi find themselves alone in the woods at the beginning of Chapter 3. When things take a turn for the worst, Nick will get attacked by a creature. As Abi, make sure to help Nick after he is attacked to keep moving towards the best ending.

Make sure Jacob hangs onto the Rotor Arm

While taking a dip in the lake with Emma, Jacob will accidentally drop the rotor arm into the water. When he hears Abi scream in the distance, players are given the choice to go after her or dive back underwater to grab it.

Choose to go after the rotor arm. When Jacob gets stuck in the debris, pick the untangle option and he will resurface, evidence in hand and injury free.

Jacob on the edge of the pier looking down at the lake
It is important to make sure Jacob doesn’t drop or lose the rotor arm throughout the game.

The decision to dive in is also the way to find the next piece of evidence in the game. When diving down, Jacob will see a bloated corpse in the water that he will later bring up with the others.

Let Jacob’s captor pour blood on his face

After climbing out of the lake and running through the woods to find Emma, Jacob is captured by an unknown man. When struggling against his captor, Jacob will be given the prompt to throw dirt in his face. Ignore this and instead let the mysterious figure pour a vial of blood onto Jacob’s face and leave him be.

Take the shortcuts to reach Nick and shoot 

When Abi returns to the others without Nick, Ryan will go out with the shotgun in search of him. On his journey to reach Nick, players will be given the option to take short cuts or go around the long way. Pick the shortcuts and don’t miss the QTE prompts. When Ryan does find Nick, shoot the man dragging him away to free Nick and bring him back to the others.

Chapter 4 tips & tricks

Look after Nick and don’t shoot at the bushes

At the beginning of the Chapter, make Ryan put pressure on Nick’s wound and ensure the bleeding is minimized. Shortly after, a rustling in the bushes will get the attention of the teenagers. Ryan will be given the prompt to shoot at the sound. Don’t, as it is Jacob returning from the woods.

Ensure Emma gets to safety

Emma’ section in Chapter 4 has many factors that need to be done correctly in order to get her out alive, and get her out bite free. 

When she gets to the treehouse, choose to rummage through the bag first. This will give her the chance to put some actual clothes on but will also equip her with a taser and some bear spray. Once she has done this, the creature will appear. Choose to taser the creature and then take a photo of it when prompted. This is the next piece of evidence.

After this, a QTE chase sequence is initiated. Make sure to get all the prompts right and then when cornered, hit the creature with the bear spray. Once Emma is back in the treehouse, climb up the trap door. When reeling in the zip-line, make sure to do so slowly and quietly. Emma will then be able to jump on and flee safely.

Emma holding on to a zip line
Making sure Emma survives this encounter unscathed is essential to get everyone else out alive.

Make Dylan give the gun away

And lastly for Chapter 4, the only thing that is important when playing as Dylan during this chapter is to give up the gun when prompted. 

Chapter 5 tips & tricks

Evidence Piece: Claw Marks

Almost halfway through to getting the best ending in The Quarry now. When walking to the Radio Hut as Dylan, ignore Ryan’s request to go in immediately and instead look to the left. Interact with the claw marks to the gather the next piece of evidence.

Survive the Radio Hut and cutting off Dylan’s Hand

All the major decisions for season 5 come from Ryan and Dylan’s adventure to the radio hut. Firstly, make sure Ryan doesn’t shoot at the ceiling when prompted to do so as this does not help.

Most importantly however, make sure that when Dylan is attacked, Ryan stops the infection from spreading. This can be down by either shooting it with the shotgun or cutting it off with the chainsaw.

Ryan looking over at the workbench
If Ryan doesn’t cut off or shoot off Dylan’s hand, he might not survive the night.

Chapter 6 tips & tricks

Evidence Piece: Camera memory card

When Jacob discovers that Emma is not with the others, he will head over to the island in search of her. When walking over, go up the wooden platform and take the longer route presented. Jacob can find a camera on the floor and will remove its memory card and in turn, gathering the next piece of evidence. 

All these bits of evidence stack up if you want to get the best ending in The Quarry.

Helping Jacob survive his encounter with the creatures

When going after Emma, Jacob runs into lots of trouble that can even lead to his death. Firstly, pass all the QTEs when the initial chase sequence is triggered. When given the option to run or hide, pick the hide option. Thanks to the blood that was poured on his face earlier, the creature won’t be able to find him.

After this however, Jacob will then run into a bear trap. Make sure to pry it open instead of trying to yank his leg out.

Make Abi shoot Nick

Abi aiming down the shotgun at Nick
While shooting Nick might seem like a bad idea, not doing so will result in Abi’s death.

The only other big decision comes right at the end of the chapter. Regardless of dialogue choices made by Abi, Nick will become extremely agitated and aggressive. When given the option to shoot him or not, make sure Abi takes the shot. If not, Nick will kill her.

Chapter 7 tips & tricks

After disappearing for most of the game, Laura and Max return in Chapter 7. In the flashback sequences, the decisions made when controlling Laura can make or break the chance to get the best ending possible.

Freeing Laura and Max without shooting Travis Hackett

First things first, make sure to explore Laura’s cell when given the chance. In the back left corner of the area there is a loose brick she can interact with. Above the bed, there is a small spoon-like item. Grab it and use it to pry the brick free as this will be important later in the chapter.

Next, make sure to explore every part of the police station when Travis leaves and Laura is freed from her handcuffs. Head up to the second floor to find a pile of syringes and grab one. While on the second floor also look around the rooms to find the piece of evidence for Chapter 7, the Cease and Desist letter.

Laura on the floor with a syringe in hard
Stabbing Travis with the syringe instead of shooting him is the only way to get the best ending in The Quarry.

Return to Laura’s cell and hide the syringe inside the loose brick before resting. When Travis returns, let him explain and talk and be as friendly as possible. When given the prompt to grab the gun, avoid it. Instead, use the syringe on him when faking sick to knock him out. Grab Max and the two will escape safely.

Chapter 8 tips & tricks

Evidence Piece: Scarred Flesh

This piece of evidence is found when travelling through the old caves as Laura. When her and Ryan arrive at the platforms, the flesh can be found right before the cave in warning.

Free Jacob without messing up 

When Laura and Ryan reunite with Jacob, ignore the initial prompt given to Ryan to open Jacob’s cage. It is electrified and this will only alert the Hackett family upstairs. Also make sure Laura doesn’t shoot.

Jacob will explain the way to free him is by rerouting the power at the circuit breakers. Make sure Ryan agrees to do this and flips the switches in the correct order. Getting it wrong will mean Jacob is stuck there and will lead to his death later on. The correct order of the switches is: breaker 1, breaker 2, breaker 2 and then finally breaker 3.

Chapter 9 tips & tricks

Getting Ryan and Laura out of the Hackett House

When Constance Hackett tries to take the gun off Laura, button mash to make sure she is unable to. Laura will then kill Constance and this will trigger a mad scramble to escape the house.

As Ryan, make sure to keep the knife in place when Bobby stabs him. When given the chance to hide, choose to hide under the bed. Successfully hold Ryan’s breath when Bobby returns and avoid stabbing him to make it through this sequence correctly.

When reunited with Laura, let her bite Ryan. While this infects him, it will also save his life in the long run. 

Laura will be pursued by Jedediah Hackett. Hide in the bathroom and hold her breath successfully to avoid being caught. When he does find her and the prompt comes up to run or kill him, choose to have Laura kill him.

Ryan aiming the shotgun at Chris
While Ryan expresses throughout the game how he does not want to kill Chris, it’s the only way to save all the teens

Later on, Ryan will finally have the chance to kill Chris Hackett. Take the shot and kill him, otherwise Laura will be killed.

Evidence piece: Kaylee’s Letter

When roaming around as Ryan after Laura flees, head over to the nightstand and pick up the letter found atop it. This is the evidence piece for Chapter 9.

Protect Kaitlyn at the scrapyard 

When Dylan is moving the car around, a werewolf will appear and try to attack Kaitlyn. Sound the horn on the machinery to get its attention and then successfully hit all the QTE that appear. If you don’t help Kaitlyn she will be killed in the sequence.

Chapter 10 tips & tricks

Make sure Max says on the island

After being freed of the curse, Max will roam around the island looking for Laura. He will eventually arrive at the port and will be given the choice to swim to shore or remain where he is. Choose to stay put, otherwise he will be killed immediately when arriving to shore.

Help Kaitlyn survive the attack and kill Caleb Hackett 

Once Kaitlyn and Dylan arrive back to the Lodge, they will immediately prepare for a looming attack by the creature chasing them. There are a few key decisions here that must be made to ensure both Dylan and Kaitlyn survive so you can get the best ending in The Quarry.

When the creature attacks, choose to run up the attic and then across the beam. Once Kaitlyn lands down below, there are two ways to successfully finish off this sequence.

If the stuffed bear from the beginning of the game is still around, Kaitlyn can choose to run and hide with Dylan and use this to distract the creature. Alternatively, Kaitlyn can choose to investigate, which will prompt her to grab the silver bullet from Emma and Abi and shoot the creature. 

Make it to Silas and break the curse

When driving to find Silas, Emma, Travis and Ryan will be attacked. When Travis is briefly knocked out, make sure Emma grabs the steering wheel to keep them on the road.

Cutscene of Travis, Ryan and Laura
While Laura may hesitate to kill Silas, doing so will finally break the curse and you can get the best ending in The Quarry.

Finally, when given the option to kill or spare Silas, have Laura break the curse by shooting the creature. This will mean any characters who remain infected will be cured and freed. And that’s how you end up getting the best ending in The Quarry.

If this guide is followed correctly, all the teenagers will be alive and during the epilogue, it will revealed that they avoided any criminal charges over the events that took place.

You can read Dexerto’s full review of The Quarry here.