Kojima Productions and 505 Games brought the Director's Cut to PC on 30 March 2022, adding the Buddy Bot, the Maser Gun, the Cargo Catapult, support skeletons, a firing range and the Ruined Factory missions on top of the 2019 original. You are Sam Porter Bridges, hauling cargo across a broken United Cities of America and switching each facility onto the Chiral Network one delivery at a time. Weight distribution, terrain reading and route planning carry more of the game than shooting does, which is still the most argued about design decision of its year.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Capital Knot City | Weight and balance basics | Heavy Hauler | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Port Knot City | BT encounters and Timefall mastery | Heavy Hauler | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Lake Knot City | Chiral Network connection + gear | Speed Runner Porter or Heavy Hauler | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | South Knot City | Build optimization | Speed Runner Porter | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Mountain Knot City | Min-max | Speed Runner Porter or Combat Porter | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Capital Knot City)
The eastern hub and the base Bridges actually operates from after Central Knot City is lost. It sets the pattern for every knot: an incinerator, a private room, a terminal with standard orders, and a five star connection to grind toward.
Level/Difficulty: Episodes 1 to 2, Eastern region Key Rewards: The first cargo orders, the Bridges suit, the initial Chiral Network link
What to Do in Capital Knot City
- Learn Weight and balance. Cargo stacks on Sam's back with a real centre of gravity, and the two shoulder triggers brace him left or right when a slope or a river current starts to tip the load. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Heavy Hauler as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Scan the ground with the Odradek before every departure. The colour coding shows which slopes Sam can descend without falling, and reading it properly saves more time than any piece of gear.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Bola Gun or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Weight and balance fundamentals
- Heavy Hauler selected and functional
- Capital Knot City main content cleared
- Ready for Port Knot City
Phase 2: Early Game (Port Knot City)
A harbour city reached across water rather than land, and the point where the eastern chapter closes and the map opens up properly. The delivery there involves the game's first real BT set piece.
Level/Difficulty: Episode 2, Eastern region Key Rewards: Story progression west, the BB pod arc, first large scale BT confrontation
What to Do in Port Knot City
- Work on BT encounters and Timefall. Timefall rain ages whatever it lands on, and it brings out BTs, which the Odradek scanner on Sam's shoulder detects by unfolding and clicking faster as they close. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Bola Gun if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Boots are consumable. Carry at least two spare pairs on long routes, check durability at every rest, and stash extras in postboxes you built along your regular paths.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Lake Knot City.
- Consider whether Speed Runner Porter might suit your playstyle better than Heavy Hauler.
Phase 2 Checklist
- BT encounters and Timefall integrated into gameplay
- Bola Gun acquired
- Port Knot City fully cleared
- Ready for Lake Knot City
Phase 3: Mid Game (Lake Knot City)
The first central region city and the practical start of the open middle of the game. From here the map fans out to the Wind Farm, the Distribution Center and the long chain of preppers who supply the best blueprints.
Level/Difficulty: Episode 3, Central region Key Rewards: Central region Chiral Network access, vehicle blueprints, the road building network start
What to Do in Lake Knot City
- Master Chiral Network connection. Every facility has to be linked to the Chiral Network before its terrain, its blueprints and other players' structures appear in your game. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Odradek Scanner. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Cargo goes on the back in the order you set. Putting the fragile and the heaviest containers low and centred keeps the balance manageable, and the auto arrange option at a terminal does this better than manual stacking.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Social Strand structures for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Chiral Network connection mastered
- Odradek Scanner acquired or in progress
- Lake Knot City fully cleared
- Ready for South Knot City
Phase 4: Late Game (South Knot City)
A southern city surrounded by BT heavy ground and MULE territory, which makes the approach harder than the delivery. It is also where the story turns from logistics toward the people running the network.
Level/Difficulty: Episode 3 onward, Central region Key Rewards: Major story beats, dense BT crossings, high value standard orders
What to Do in South Knot City
- Finalize your build. You should be running Speed Runner Porter or Heavy Hauler with optimized gear.
- Odradek Scanner should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Cryptobiotes restore blood, and blood is ammunition for every hematic weapon and grenade. Eat them on sight rather than saving them, since the blood gauge also drains from injuries and Timefall.
- Portable Chiral Constructor building optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Mountain Knot City.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Odradek Scanner upgraded to max
- South Knot City fully cleared
- Ready for Mountain Knot City
Phase 5: Endgame (Mountain Knot City)
The highest and most punishing knot, sitting past snowfields where vehicles are useless and Timefall never really stops. It is the region that justifies building a zip line network instead of walking.
Level/Difficulty: Episodes 5 to 6, mountain region Key Rewards: All terrain skeleton, the mountain prepper chain, the best zip line anchor points in the game
What to Do in Mountain Knot City
- Mountain Knot City tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Never leave a corpse. A dead MULE or terrorist has to be carried to an incinerator, because a body left alone becomes a BT and then a voidout crater that permanently scars the map.
- The endgame loop: run Mountain Knot City, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Combat Porter for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Portable Chiral Constructor building mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Mountain Knot City fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Treating this as a shooter and killing MULEs, which produces bodies that have to be hauled to an incinerator or they cause a voidout crater in that exact spot.
- Overloading past the carry limit on the assumption that slower is fine, when a single fall on a rock field damages containers and drops the delivery grade below three stars.
- Building structures immediately next to a facility where the terminal already covers everything, wasting chiral bandwidth that a mid route generator or zip line would use better.
- Ignoring the Buddy Bot and support skeleton added in the Director's Cut, then repeating the original game's early grind on foot with no carry assistance.
- Sprinting through BT territory instead of crouching and holding breath, which alerts them, triggers a tar grab and turns a two minute crossing into a boss fight.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Scan the ground with the Odradek before every departure. The colour coding shows which slopes Sam can descend without falling, and reading it properly saves more time than any piece of gear.
- Boots are consumable. Carry at least two spare pairs on long routes, check durability at every rest, and stash extras in postboxes you built along your regular paths.
- Cargo goes on the back in the order you set. Putting the fragile and the heaviest containers low and centred keeps the balance manageable, and the auto arrange option at a terminal does this better than manual stacking.
- Cryptobiotes restore blood, and blood is ammunition for every hematic weapon and grenade. Eat them on sight rather than saving them, since the blood gauge also drains from injuries and Timefall.
- Never leave a corpse. A dead MULE or terrorist has to be carried to an incinerator, because a body left alone becomes a BT and then a voidout crater that permanently scars the map.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Guides
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Overview
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Best Builds
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Tier List
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Beginner's Guide
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Tips & Tricks
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Weapons Guide
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Combat Guide
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Boss Guide
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Maps & Locations
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Crafting Guide
- DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT Classes & Characters
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