Quantic Dream's branching drama puts you in control of three androids, Kara, Connor and Markus, in a Detroit set in 2038. There is no combat build and no gear here: scenes are decided by timed dialogue, quick-time inputs and a flowchart that records every branch you did not open. The PlayStation 4 version arrived on 25 May 2018 and the Steam release followed on 18 June 2020.
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 | Jericho | Per chapter flowchart with locked branches basics | Kara | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Stratford Tower | Timed dialogue and quick-time inputs mastery | Kara | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | The Eden Club | Connor's reconstruction and preconstruction + gear | Connor or Kara | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Zlatko's house | Build optimization | Connor | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Kamski's house | Min-max | Connor or Deviant and empathy first play | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Jericho)
The rusting freighter where deviant androids hide, and the base for every Markus chapter once he finds it. Choices here set the peaceful or violent tone for the rest of the revolution.
Level/Difficulty: Markus route, first half Key Rewards: North, Josh and Simon relationships, plus the weapons cache decision
What to Do in Jericho
- Learn Per chapter flowchart with locked branches. Every chapter ends on a flowchart showing the path you took, the branches you never opened, and the percentage of other players who made each call. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Kara as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Finish one full playthrough without a guide before touching chapter select. The flowchart is far more interesting when you can see which branches you personally closed.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Preconstruction preview or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Per chapter flowchart with locked branches fundamentals
- Kara selected and functional
- Jericho main content cleared
- Ready for Stratford Tower
Phase 2: Early Game (Stratford Tower)
A broadcast centre Markus infiltrates to address the city, and one of the few chapters with a hard fail state. The wording of the broadcast moves public opinion immediately.
Level/Difficulty: Markus route, mid game Key Rewards: Public opinion swing, Simon's fate, a major flowchart fork
What to Do in Stratford Tower
- Work on Timed dialogue and quick-time inputs. Dialogue sits on a ring with a countdown, and letting it run out is itself a choice the game records. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Preconstruction preview if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Scan every object Connor can highlight before starting a conversation. Clue count feeds the mission success probability, and that probability gates dialogue later in the chapter.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to The Eden Club.
- Consider whether Connor might suit your playstyle better than Kara.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Timed dialogue and quick-time inputs integrated into gameplay
- Preconstruction preview acquired
- Stratford Tower fully cleared
- Ready for The Eden Club
Phase 3: Mid Game (The Eden Club)
An android club where Connor and Hank chase a lead. It is short, uncomfortable by design, and contains one of the game's clearest tests of whether Connor is still a machine.
Level/Difficulty: Connor route, mid game Key Rewards: Hank relationship movement, software instability, the Traci branch
What to Do in The Eden Club
- Master Connor's reconstruction and preconstruction. Connor scans a crime scene, tags clues, then scrubs a reconstructed hologram backwards and forwards to work out what happened. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Scene reconstruction. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Software instability is not a corruption bar. Raising it opens deviant branches and improves Hank's opinion of Connor, so choose empathy deliberately rather than by accident.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Stress percentages in tense scenes for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Connor's reconstruction and preconstruction mastered
- Scene reconstruction acquired or in progress
- The Eden Club fully cleared
- Ready for Zlatko's house
Phase 4: Late Game (Zlatko's house)
Kara and Alice take shelter with a collector who is not what he claims to be. Exploring the house rather than trusting the host is what opens the good branches.
Level/Difficulty: Kara route, mid game Key Rewards: Luther joining Kara, plus the escape branches
What to Do in Zlatko's house
- Finalize your build. You should be running Connor or Kara with optimized gear.
- Scene reconstruction should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Hank warms up slowly. Saving him on the rooftop instead of chasing Rupert is the single biggest relationship jump available in the first half of the game.
- Chapter select creates a new timeline optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Kamski's house.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Scene reconstruction upgraded to max
- Zlatko's house fully cleared
- Ready for Kamski's house
Phase 5: Endgame (Kamski's house)
The CyberLife founder's lakeside home, and the setting for the single most discussed choice in the game. Whatever Connor does here reshapes his final chapter.
Level/Difficulty: Connor route, late game Key Rewards: The Kamski test outcome and a large software instability swing
What to Do in Kamski's house
- Kamski's house tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Alice reacts to cold, hunger and fear as separate states. Kara's later branches check those states, so stopping to feed her or find a blanket is mechanically useful, not just a story beat.
- The endgame loop: run Kamski's house, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Deviant and empathy first play for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Chapter select creates a new timeline 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
- Kamski's house fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Treating a failed quick-time input as a game over. Most failures just push the scene down a worse branch, and reloading immediately robs you of the story the game wanted to tell.
- Rushing timed dialogue. The countdown is short enough that reflexive picks are usually the safest sounding and least interesting option on the ring.
- Playing Markus peacefully only in the finale. Public opinion carries across the whole run and the peaceful ending checks all of it, not just the last chapter.
- Ignoring Connor's scan prompts to save time. Skipped clues close conversation branches you will not notice are missing until the flowchart appears.
- Overwriting your first save with chapter select experiments. Branch to a new timeline instead so the ending you earned stays intact.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Finish one full playthrough without a guide before touching chapter select. The flowchart is far more interesting when you can see which branches you personally closed.
- Scan every object Connor can highlight before starting a conversation. Clue count feeds the mission success probability, and that probability gates dialogue later in the chapter.
- Software instability is not a corruption bar. Raising it opens deviant branches and improves Hank's opinion of Connor, so choose empathy deliberately rather than by accident.
- Hank warms up slowly. Saving him on the rooftop instead of chasing Rupert is the single biggest relationship jump available in the first half of the game.
- Alice reacts to cold, hunger and fear as separate states. Kara's later branches check those states, so stopping to feed her or find a blanket is mechanically useful, not just a story beat.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Detroit: Become Human Guides
- Detroit: Become Human Detroit: Become Human Overview
- Detroit: Become Human Best Builds
- Detroit: Become Human Tier List
- Detroit: Become Human Beginner's Guide
- Detroit: Become Human Tips & Tricks
- Detroit: Become Human Weapons Guide
- Detroit: Become Human Combat Guide
- Detroit: Become Human Boss Guide
- Detroit: Become Human Maps & Locations
- Detroit: Become Human Crafting Guide
- Detroit: Become Human Classes & Characters
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