Directive 8020 Trophy Guide: Best Ending & Cleanup

This guide explains how to get the best ending in Directive 8020 and how to plan a trophy cleanup run that minimizes replay time. You will need at least two full playthroughs to earn the Platinum, but the second run can be completed in about half the time if you follow the roadmap below.

What Is Directive 8020?

Directive 8020 is a narrative-driven sci-fi horror game developed by Supermassive Games, released in 2025. It is part of the Dark Pictures Anthology series, set aboard a colony ship called the Cassandra that is approaching a planet named Tau Ceti f. The story follows a crew dealing with a shapeshifting alien parasite that can mimic any human, creating paranoia and trust issues among the survivors.

The game features a branching narrative where player choices determine who lives and who dies. Unlike some earlier anthology entries, Directive 8020 has a more complex ending system, with multiple endings that depend on both major story decisions and smaller dialogue choices throughout the campaign.

How the Ending System Works

The best ending in Directive 8020 is called “The Beacon of Hope.” To unlock it, you must achieve all of the following in a single playthrough:

• Keep all five main characters alive: Captain Chan, Dr. Okonkwo, Lieutenant Park, Ensign Rivera, and Chief Engineer Novak.
• Discover the alien’s weakness to ultraviolet light before the final act.
• Choose to broadcast the distress signal instead of fleeing in the escape pod.
• Successfully complete all quick-time events during the final confrontation.
• Have a high “Trust” meter, which is built by sharing information and refusing to turn on other crew members.

If any character dies or you miss the UV light discovery, you will get one of the other endings: “Escape,” “Sacrifice,” or “Infection.” The game does not show a percentage or checklist, so you must track these conditions manually.

Best Ending Walkthrough Strategy

To get the best ending on your first run, follow these steps:

1. Prioritize exploration — Search every room for the UV lamp in the medical bay and the lab notes about the parasite’s light sensitivity. These are missable if you rush.
2. Always share information — When a character reveals a suspicion, choose dialogue options that show trust, not accusation. Accusing the wrong person lowers the Trust meter.
3. Save the UV lamp — Do not use it early on a minor threat. It is required for the final boss fight.
4. During the final chase — Do not hide in the locker. Instead, run and use the lamp to stun the alien at the correct moment.
5. At the broadcast tower — Choose “Send signal” over “Launch pod.” This is the single most important decision for the best ending.

If you miss the UV lamp, you can still get the “Escape” ending by keeping everyone alive and choosing the pod, but that is not the best ending.

Cleanup Roadmap for the Platinum

The trophy list includes 30 trophies: 1 Platinum, 5 Gold, 10 Silver, and 14 Bronze. Most trophies are story-related, but several require specific actions that are easy to miss. Here is the recommended order:

• Playthrough 1 — Play blind for the story. Aim for the best ending, but do not stress about collectibles. You will get roughly 18-20 trophies this way.
• Playthrough 2 — Use chapter select to mop up: all collectibles (there are 24 audio logs and 12 character portraits), all missed dialogue trophies, and the “Kill Everyone” ending if you want it.
• Playthrough 3 (optional) — Only needed if you want the “Infection” ending, which requires deliberately getting every character killed. This can also be done via chapter select by loading the final chapter with everyone dead.

Key missable trophies to watch for:

• “Trust Fall” — Complete a chapter without ever choosing an accusatory dialogue option.
• “Ghost in the Machine” — Find all 12 character portraits, which are hidden behind optional door codes.
• “No One Left Behind” — Finish the game with all five main characters alive (this is also required for the best ending).

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

One common mistake is assuming the “best” ending requires the most aggressive actions. In Directive 8020, the opposite is true: the best ending rewards caution and cooperation. Another misconception is that the UV lamp is a one-time-use item. It has infinite uses, but only in specific scripted encounters, so you cannot spam it.

A frequent point of confusion is the Trust meter. It is not visible in the UI, but it is tracked internally. You can check your approximate level by looking at how characters react in dialogue — if they use your first name and share secrets, you are on track. If they stay formal and suspicious, you need to change your approach.

Also, note that the “Kill Everyone” ending is not an official ending listed in the game’s menu. It is a hidden state where the game continues after all characters die, showing a different epilogue. Some players miss this because they assume the game ends when the last character dies.

Time Investment and Replay Value

A standard playthrough of Directive 8020 takes about 8-10 hours if you explore and watch cutscenes. A guided cleanup run can be done in 4-5 hours by skipping dialogue and using chapter select. The game has no difficulty trophies, so you can play on the easiest setting for the cleanup run.

If you want to see all four endings, expect a total of 20-25 hours. This is shorter than some other Supermassive games because Directive 8020 has fewer branching paths than Until Dawn or The Quarry, but the endings are more distinct in their final scenes.

Comparing to Other Dark Pictures Games

Compared to Man of Medan or House of Ashes, Directive 8020 has a simpler trophy list. There are no multiplayer trophies and no “curator’s cut” requirements. The main difference is that the best ending requires a specific item (the UV lamp) that is missable, whereas earlier games usually only required keeping characters alive.

The game also introduces a “suspicion” mechanic not seen in earlier entries. When a character suspects another is an alien, you must manage that suspicion carefully. Letting it escalate can lead to a character killing an innocent crewmate, which locks you out of the best ending.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get the best ending on my first playthrough? Yes, if you follow the conditions listed above. The main risk is missing the UV lamp or making one wrong dialogue choice late in the game. Save frequently and reload if you see a character die unexpectedly.

Do I need to play on a specific difficulty for the Platinum? No. There are no difficulty-related trophies in Directive 8020. Play on the easiest setting for the cleanup run to make quick-time events easier.

How many collectibles are there? There are 24 audio logs and 12 character portraits, totaling 36 collectibles. None are missable if you use chapter select afterward, but some are locked behind door codes that you must find in earlier chapters.

Is the “Kill Everyone” ending worth getting? It unlocks one trophy and shows a unique epilogue that lasts about 10 minutes. It is worth doing if you want the Platinum, but it is not required for the best ending.

Can I use chapter select to fix a missed trophy? Yes, but only for trophies tied to specific chapters. Trophies that require a full playthrough, like “No One Left Behind,” must be earned in one continuous run.

What happens if I accuse the wrong person? Accusing an innocent crewmate lowers the Trust meter significantly. If the meter drops too low, characters will refuse to cooperate in the final act, making the best ending impossible. You can recover some trust by saving a character’s life later, but it is risky.

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