Losing any of the counselors in The Quarry will have some impactful effects on the story.

It’s easy to miss certain plot points in Supermassive games since the butterfly effect is so prominent, but The Quarry seems to appeal to this concept more than other games. If characters die, you may miss out on major parts of the plot and potential gameplay, and you may not even realize how much of the story you’ve lost by the time you’ve finished your first playthrough.

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Some of these plot points include explanations for the events in the story, and missed gameplay can include important moments. Losing any number of characters can alter your story in significant ways, so keeping the nine counselors alive makes a huge difference in your game.

This article contains major plot spoilers in The Quarry

Eventually, you’ll find yourself at the Hackett House, where you’re off to kill Chris Hackett. At this point in the story, all you know is that Kaylee Hackett and Chris Hackett are werewolves. Other than these key details, you’re left in the dark regarding the full extent of the Hackett family’s troubles.

During a confrontation with Chris, Ryan’s death causes a chain reaction to other characters’ deaths. Without these characters, you won’t discover that Caleb started the Harum Scarum fire, releasing Silas, the original werewolf.

Caused by the same chain reaction in the previous entry, if Laura, Ryan, and Travis die, you’ll never get to face Silas. Not only are you missing out on an entire section of gameplay, but you’re also losing one of the most shocking parts of the story.

Finding Silas is a full-circle moment that brings you back to the prologue. Silas will be found in his “Silas The Dog Boy” cage, curled up and evidently suffering. And Laura will be forced to decide whether Silas should die.

You have to play your cards just right to trigger this interaction. Specifically, Jacob will have to escape the Hacketts’ house, and Emma will have to have been turned into a werewolf and then cured.

There’s a very specific sequence of events that have to take place here, and if these two characters die, you’ll never witness this conversation, in which Jacob confesses to selfishly sabotaging the van. As the player, you’re already aware of this fact, but it’s the first time Jacob shares this information with a fellow counselor.

If Kaitlyn and Dylan don’t make it out of the scrapyard, and if Abi and Emma die earlier in the game, no one will be at the lodge later on. And regardless of Abi and Emma’s survival, only Kaitlyn can take on the boss.

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If no one is at the lodge, no one will be there to face off against Caleb, who will remain a werewolf throughout the entire battle. Not only will you skip the fearful moment when he emerges from the painting, but Kaitlyn and Dylan’s extreme potential deaths as well.

There are a few moments when Abi can die in the game, and the first is at werewolf Nick’s hands. If you choose not to shoot him, he’ll transform and kill you. It’s one of the earlier deaths in the game, so the scene itself is intense, but what’s potentially more shocking is what comes after her survival.

Abi is incredibly meek and rarely stands up for herself. She often comes across as a pushover, but if she survives Nick’s transformation, she’ll attempt to challenge Ryan’s skepticism. And she’ll also have the option to criticize Emma later on.

If Emma doesn’t make it beyond the island and is the first werewolf kill in the game, she’ll neither return to her friends nor transform into a werewolf herself. Her werewolf transformation is one of the most terrifying in the story, and there are two places she can change.

If she’s bitten on the island, she’ll turn while sleeping in the car and attack her friends, and if she’s bitten while running to the lodge, she’ll turn in the cellar, killing Abi if she’s made it this far.

There are very specific choices you have to make in order to reunite Laura and Max at the end of the game, and if you managed to kill both of them, you’ll never see them together again.

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Throughout the game, you’ll wonder if Laura and Max will ever be happy again. They’ve been through so much, and their devotion to each other is admirable. Because this reunion is one of the more rare endings, it’s a surprising moment you probably wouldn’t expect if you’ve already played the game.

If all the counselors are dead, there won’t be any consequences for them with the law, no matter how unwarranted they would be. It’s important that you collect as much evidence as possible during your playthrough so that they’ll be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Despite being victims of their circumstances, your playable characters will be to blame for the deaths of the Hacketts. Without evidence to prove otherwise, it’ll be hard to find another explanation for those who have been killed.

If Jacob and Emma are still alive by the end of the game, either of them could have become infected and not been cured earlier. If Jacob has been infected and Emma has been cured, Jacob will transform into a werewolf when they reunite.

If no one ever picked up Emma’s silver bracelet, she’ll die, which will ensure his survival. If either of them has the bracelet, Emma can use it to ward Jacob off, showing how something so seemingly insignificant can be a lifesaver. Similarly, if Emma has been infected and not cured, she’ll try to kill Jacob if they cross paths later.

Next: The Quarry's Playable Characters, Ranked

Erin McKendrick is a List Article Writer for TheGamer. She has a Master's degree in English and writes for a variety of publications. She loves video games and DC Comics.