Play Through Guide (Eps. 1-4)

This is not an achievement guide, this guide explains basic game play / how to get certain outcomes. It is only as accurate as the last update, if the devs change dialogue options or add additional traits, it may become inaccurate; also spoilers!

Introduction to Scarlet Hollow

Welcome to the town of Twin Pea...oops I meant,...Gravity Fal......um, I mean

Scarlet Hollow! where the super-natural meets coal mining!

The town is set in the mountains of North Carolina and has moved past its glory days. Its current state of decline and decay is when you decide to visit. Your cousin Tabitha Scarlet has invited you to attend the funeral of your aunt Pearlanne Scarlet (whom you never met). There is apparently a curse on the Scarlet family and by extension the town named after them.

Your adventure truly begins after you get off the bus and are introduced to the palatial Scarlet manor, which like the town has seen much better days.....


The story is told in a visual novel format, all interaction is through written dialogue choices which are expanded based on the traits you choose at the beginning of the game.




Also Thanks to Kurozora Konoi, cymatile, Chillaxing and gruedragon for double checking the guide's accuracy.


***********Please keep in mind, this guide is a Work in Progress (WIP), the devs have made updates which change how portions of the story play out, the majority of the current guide does not yet reflect all those changes. Don't get frustrated with the guide if your individual play-through does not mirror the events sequentially.*************

Your Personality Traits

There are 7 defining personality traits available to choose from during character creation. After you pick your name and hometown you pick 2 of the following (UNLESS you choose Hardcore Mode, then you can pick 3, but be warned it may prevent use of a trait during a critical moment):

STRONG: (Powerful Build) pretty self explanatory, move heavy objects, physical intimidation; **Essential to save Duke and Gretchen in ep. 1.

MYSTICAL: gives you some additional info on supernatural events.

TALK TO ANIMALS: self explanatory; almost totally worth it just to talk to Gretchen the dog and Dustin the opossum.

STREET WISE: Lie easily/detect lies; not totally dissimilar to KEEN EYE the way its used but you also get to pick locks. **Essential to enter the forbidden wing of the mansion ep.1.

KEEN EYE: pick up on subtle hints and clues; like STREET WISE this opens up a lot of dialogue options/choices. **Essential to save Rosalina in ep. 2 without her getting injured.

HOT: self-explanatory; people think you are very attractive; makes relationships available much easier to achieve. **Essential if you want to free Reese without sacrificing Dr. Kelly in ep.4.

BOOK SMART: gives you expanded info/options for selective topics/subjects. **Essential to defeat the ghost in ep. 3 without sacrificing years of your's or Tabby's life.

_____________________________________________________________

it appears KEEN EYE, STREET WISE and TALK TO ANIMALS give you the most additional options for dialogue/choices, but STRONG, HOT, BOOK SMART and MYSTICAL allow extra info/choices at certain crucial points; personally some dialogue choices seem unnecessary as you can pretty much figure out the info by the sounds and artwork (they did a good job conveying the scene and setting the tone) however your character in the game may not have the information without the trait to identify it.

So far the most "successful" play through (fewest deaths or bad occurrences) was a result of choosing STRONG and BOOKSMART. This choice allows you to save Duke and Gretchen (episode 1); leave no one behind in the mine (episode 2); defeat the spirit without sacrificing anything (episode 3); keep both Reese and Dr. Kelly alive (episode 4) although whether or not Reese is better off tranq'd and sedated is another question.

_____________________________________________________________

I suspect the developers will emphasize one trait for each episode as the most advantageous; so far it appears:

Episode 1: STRONG; STREEWISE is also helpful but unless you prioritize entering the forbidden wing of the manor, not essential

Episode 2: KEEN EYE; STREETWISE is a very close second in this episode.

Episode 3: BOOKSMART; MYSTICAL is also very useful for backstory information, but does not seem to assist as much as you would have expected in this episode which prominently features spirits and the supernatural.

Episode 4: HOT allows you to free REESE (seems to require romancing him) without Dr. KELLY being killed. Although its hard to say if that's altogether better than returning him to "normal" and allowing the good doctor to keep him alive but a virtual prisoner.

Cast of Characters

Good games have a variety of main characters and Scarlet Hollow is no exception (In order of appearance).

BUS RIDER: this unidentified annoying individual is attempting to make you feel uncomfortable however he gives you some basic info on the town of Scarlet Hollow and gives you some runny boiled peanuts. STRONG trait will have you eat them immediately; while saving them allows some funny interactions with other characters; the town mayor will also take them as a campaign contribution in episode 3 (alternatively THE GOAT will accept the offering of runny peanuts in ep.4).

TABITHA SCARLET: your endearing host and loving cousin.....who is about as charming as a mountain lion biting your hand off. She knows more about the town and its happenings than she lets on, but she is also suppressing stress and depression which weighs heavily on her. Try not to judge her too harshly early on; although eating her ice cream and putting a dead mouse in her mac-and-cheese may be appealing to vindictive players....

DUSTIN: possum residing in the guest room dresser at Scarlet manor; will give you some helpful info if you talk to him.

FROU FROU: the Scarlet manor cat; Gretchen's nemesis; also seems to hate everyone.

GRETCHEN: An elderly but adorable pug; constant companion of STELLA and if talk to animals is one of your traits a decent source of information and conversation as well.

STELLA RICHMOND: Cryptid hunter and YouTuber, your primary companion and early love interest if you so choose; she carries around a truck full of emotional baggage but presents a fun outgoing exterior. She acts as your guide and friend throughout episodes 1-3 so far. She also makes delicious snacks.

WINNIE: owns the diner, aunt of Avery. Friendly and outgoing, makes the best biscuits in the state.

AVERY: friend of STELLA's, works at the local diner and picks up bits of information from any who enter; possible romance choice. It is recommended you include AVERY in the ghost hunting for episode 3.

DUKE CALLOWAY: local farmer who patrols the woods with his shotgun looking for wild animals eating his chickens; He's friendly with STELLA but is not a fan of her videos.

DITCHLINGS: creepy creatures that herald terrible events; the more there are, the worse things will be.

SAM WAYNE (SamHain): Former coal miner and previous love interest of TABITHA; may or may not be a revenant or spectre of some sort; he is very concerned about your involvement in the happenings in Scarlet Hollow. He claims to be your friend, yet stalks you. Always wears a veil over his face. He is also romance-able if you are interested in tall dark and spooky; technically he is still "alive", so maybe it wouldn't be necrophilia...

SYBIL FORSYTH: Owns the local general store and tea room; local alternative healer and expert on supernatural affairs; thought to be a witch by many in town; definitely knows more about the events in Scarlet Hollow but only tells you what she wants you to know at the moment and no more.

KANEEKA FORSYTH: Daughter of SYBIL, resident goth and de facto manager of the general store; studied to be a veterinarian but returned to the family after her father died. She believes there is a rational explanation for everything. Possible romance option.

MYLES FORSYTH: brother of KANEEKA and clerk of the general store; juvenile delinquent and addicted to his phone.

OSCAR GUTIERREZ: Resident librarian and father of ROSALINA; Enjoys reading and researching; possible romance option.

PIXEL: the house cat of OSCAR and ROSALINA. friend of GRETCHEN. likes to shred paper during spare time.

Dr. JOAN KELLY: mother of REESE, town doctor; seems rather controlling and anti-social. also a romance-able character.

THE MINERS: They work the coal mines, eat at the diner and have a host of info, gossip and rumors available upon request. May be planning to unionize the coal mine.

ROSALINA GUTIERREZ: Daughter of OSCAR; hangs out with older teens, mad at her father for making them live in a back room of the library, doesn't believe her house is haunted.

THE TEENS: (Alexis, Becka, Zane) They hangout in the mines and will back talk any adult who tells them otherwise.

JANEY: She cleans the manor (sort of) and is the wife of DANIEL the local pastor.

BO CALLOWAY: son of DUKE, a big healthy North Carolina farm boy.

MAYOR JIMMY: Current mayor and lover of boiled peanuts; does not like GRETCHEN and the feeling is mutual.

PASTOR DANIEL: husband to JANEY, local religious leader, not popular with the town, tends to creep people out; apparently claims to speak with animals.

REESE KELLY: friend of STELLA and KANEEKA; very sickly, isolated by his mother Dr. Kelly, also paints creepy art. possible romance option.

THE POLICE: (Sheriff Huggby, Deputy Franklin and Deputy Dereksen) may or may not meet you in episodes 1 and 2; also may or may not suspect you of murder & child endangerment; Deputy Franklin is on the security detail of MAYOR JIMMY and takes his job a little too seriously.

THE RESONANT: (Charlie Shaw JR.) Ghost or spirit trapped under the house behind city hall/library. His family was forced out of town after being blamed by Enoch Scarlet for the deaths of 160 people; murdered by the love of his life Edwardine Scarlet (your great grandmother). Holds a grudge against all Scarlets for some strange reason.

The GOAT: ep. 4 resident of the greenhouse at Scarlet Manor; apparently placed there by Tabitha; the GOAT seems content with the situation.

RODRIGUEZ THE RAT: mine worker loyal to TABITHA, being used as a double agent to disrupt the unionization plan of the workers.

TULIP: young daughter of DANIEL and JANEY, may be able to speak to animals as well.

SCRAPS & THE "DOG MILITIA": the former mayor and local dogs who are fighting back against the Ditchling threat to animals. Friends of GRETCHEN and PIXEL.



Note: For anyone asking; Even though she is just your cousin.... and it is the backwoods of the Carolinas.... there is no option, and according to the devs, no planned option to romance Tabitha.

Episode 1 - MONDAY

All the episodes are mostly a linear railroad with any branch offs returning to the main line fairly quickly. This is a basic breakdown of what happens:

Locations
BUS: Dialogue proceeds almost regardless of your choices; STREETWISE, MYSTICAL and STRONG will catch the BUS RIDER off guard; STRONG also eats the boiled peanuts right away, not really a problem as its a fairly minor plot device in the story so far. BOOKSMART, HOT and KEEN EYE will offer some additional dialogue to "help" the BUS RIDER but ultimately its not your problem.

BUS STOP (Scarlet Hollow) you meet TABITHA and she takes you to the manor; not much here although HOT, STRONG, KEEN EYE, STREET WISE and MYSTICAL will give you some options to ease your way into your cousins good graces or not.

SCARLET MANOR: TABITHA gives you a quick tour and leaves you to it. STREET WISE is essential to enter the forbidden wing and STRONG is essential to enter the piano room in the forbidden wing. TALK TO ANIMALS is useful for meeting DUSTIN and FROU FROU if you so desire. you can make a PB&J in the kitchen or steal your cousin's food as desired. Vindictive players can also eat her ice cream and mac and cheese (or put the dead mouse in the mac and cheese box)

SCARLET HOLLOW: You meet GRETCHEN and STELLA and she takes you to the diner; HOT allows you to start romancing STELLA and TALK TO ANIMALS will start getting info from GRETCHEN.

DINER: you meet AVERY and some townsfolk; various traits give some info but nothing you do really changes much at this location. HOT will allow you to focus on AVERY

THE WOODS: STELLA leads you here and you meet DUKE; you can threaten (STRONG) or warn DUKE (MYSTICAL) but the outcome is the same regardless. HOT allows you and STELLA to share a moment before the DITCHLING hunt begins.

DUKE will arrive after you come upon the chicken's body in the woods; once the Ditchling shows up, Choosing go for the flashlight saves DUKE but sacrifices GRETCHEN, diving for GRETCHEN saves her but sacrifices DUKE. STRONG is the only way to save both DUKE and GRETCHEN.
Sacrificing DUKE does not seem to affect the story until episode 3 & 4 where DUKE will give you some info on the DITCHLINGS and his family. Sacrificing GRETCHEN loses all possible story content for TALK TO ANIMALS with her if you chose that trait. MYSTICAL allows you to understand the DITCHLINGS speech and get some info on them. STRONG also allows you to punch a DITCHLING if you so desire.

STELLA's HOUSE: regardless of who you sacrificed or didn't, or if the police or DUKE, drove you back, you arrive at STELLA's house; this is the first branch off you can choose; either go back to the manor or go with STELLA to SYBIL's house.

SCARLET MANOR: Choosing the manor allows you to speak with SAM WAYNE for the first time and have a small conversation with TABITHA.

SYBIL's HOUSE: going to SYBIL's gives you story content and you meet KANEEKA. If you want to progress STELLA's romance or start KANEEKA's, in this episode you need to go to SYBIL's and then stay at STELLA's house afterwards rather than go back to the manor. Either choice ends the episode with you in whichever guest room you decided to stay at.

Episode 1 MONDAY- Alternate route

This section is for the updates by the devs based on fan feedback (which is why its labeled alternate route). it allows you to walk the "path less traveled" (Choosing this route changes the dynamic of uncovering the mystery, specifically reduced interaction with AVERY, STELLA, KANEEKA and GRETCHEN. The beginning plays out essentially the same until you reach:

SCARLET HOLLOW: You meet GRETCHEN and STELLA as normal but now you can diverge by refusing her offer of hanging out together. You then have the option of going to the LIBRARY, GENERAL STORE or back to the SCARLET MANOR. Hanging out with STELLA and GRETCHEN at the DINER plays out in the Episode 1 MONDAY section.

GENERAL STORE: Here you can meet KANEEKA for the first time and chit-chat, flirt or remain stand-offish with her.

LIBRARY: Here you can meet OSCAR, ROSALINA, PIXEL, ALEXIS and BECKA. This meeting allows you to view the dynamic of the teens and ROSALINA and how OSCAR's parenting is dealing with it. You can pick up a little information on the town and get to know OSCAR a bit (and your first chance to pet PIXEL).

When you've concluded your meet and greet you then proceed to:

SCARLET MANOR ROAD TO SCARLET MANOR: While enroute back to the manor you encounter the elusive Carolina mountain lion. After a short scuffle or running away, DUKE arrives and scares off the lion. You then accompany him (whether you want to or not) through the woods. You share a moment of calm (and beer and/or jerky) before running into STELLA, while DUKE rebuffs her "investigation" you run into her again when discovering Bertie the chicken (alternatively you may be able to leave DUKE and accompany STELLA as per the normal route at this point). You do have the option of speaking to TABITHA on your cell phone when she calls or ignoring her call (you can of course just text her later also)

The crisis event plays out as before and you can continue the investigation or flee the woods.

Depending on your choices you eventually end up at STELLA's House with or without a ride from DUKE or the POLICE depending on your choices. You then can choose to continue to SYBIL's House or the SCARLET MANOR as before unless you called TABITHA, in which case she arrives and takes you to the manor whether you like it or not.

SYBIL's HOUSE: going to SYBIL's plays out as before, the only minor difference is that KANEEKA now recognizes you if you visited the GENERAL STORE while in SCARLET HOLLOW. As before you have the option of staying at STELLA's or returning to the Manor.

Episode 2 - TUESDAY

The episode starts off with you either in bed in the guest room at Scarlet Manor or the guest room at Stella's house depending on if you did the sleepover with Stella or walked back to see Tabitha in episode 1.

If you chose to stay at STELLA's, TABITHA comes by and has a small argument with you about staying out of trouble, then you and STELLA head to the library to research DITCHLINGS.

If you chose to stay at the manor, you will have some more time to explore the place before going to meet up with STELLA. going into the garden to explore will reveal SAM WAYNE's footprints and "residue" left at the scene; talking to DUSTIN and his mother can reveal someone or something (possibly Sam Wayne or maybe the goat) is staying in the greenhouse in the garden, but you don't have the option to enter it yet.

SCARLET HOLLOW: you and STELLA meet SYBIL and AVERY in town on the way to the Library. you can choose to tell AVERY what happened and talk further in the diner over tea. (NOTE: if you drink ANY tea while in Scarlet Hollow it is likely made by Sybil, it will prevent you from refusing her drugged tea in ep.4);

SYBIL doesn't have much to add at this point and deflects most of your questions. If you choose not to talk to AVERY or didn't go to the diner, it appears you may not be able to invite AVERY to the ghost hunt in episode 3. you can also go to the general store and meet MYLES, and/or steal some chips if you choose.

CITY HALL/LIBRARY: you meet STELLA, KANEEKA, OSCAR and PIXEL here. BOOKSMART is obviously relevant in the library but not essential to gather info. Basically the story points you at the coal mine which is the next location. TALK TO ANIMALS will give you the heads up from PIXEL that the house behind the library is haunted; also you can creep out everyone by confirming you can in fact TALK TO ANIMALS.

REESE'S HOUSE (Scarlet Hollow Memorial Hospital) After completing your research you arrive here to check in on REESE and meet his mother; STREET WISE and MYSTICAL give you a little info but nothing really happens here except you are all invited to dinner tomorrow evening. afterwards you choose to ride with KANEEKA or walk with STELLA to the COAL MINE. Riding with KANEEKA allows you to start romancing her and will give you some info on why STELLA hates riding in cars; walking with STELLA allows you to continue to romance her.

COAL MINE: you are volunteered to interrogate the miners and have the option of going straight to TABITHA or talking to the miners. talking to the miners will give you some info on SAM WAYNE and gossip on his relationship to TABITHA; you also meet SAM WAYNE again, STRONG gives you the option of fighting him and STREET WISE removes the veil covering his face if you so desire. If you have STREET WISE you can interrogate all three groups of miners without getting caught by TABITHA or you can talk to the first two groups then speak with TABITHA in her office for roughly the same information.

If you have STREET WISE during the second group of miners interrogation, you can gain an additional option to speak with ISAACS the miner for more info in episode 3.

ABANDONED MINE: When leaving the coal mine you observe ROSALINA entering the abandoned mine. You have the option of calling TABITHA to inform her or following KANEEKA and STELLA to retrieve ROSALINA. I recommend calling TABITHA as you get a chance to bond with her and observe she is affected by the "Scarlet curse" as well. KEEN EYE is essential here if you want to save ROSALINA, Alexis and Becka without ROSALINA being injured. It also seems to affect ROSALINA's relationship with Alexis. You can save all three however ROSALINA will be injured in the escape. I recommend saving all three as ROSALINA and Alexis have roles in the ghost hunt in episode 3 whether she is injured or not. -- curiously if Rosalina is injured and you choose to sacrifice years of your life in ep. 3, you will get the chance to begin romancing the doctor when she is checking on Rosalina's injuries in ep. 4

After you escape from the mine you may encounter TABITHA, the POLICE and OSCAR depending on your choices. you will have a moment to discuss things with STELLA and KANEEKA before driving back to the manor with TABITHA for additional "bonding" talk with TABITHA. FROU FROU then comes in to sleep on the bed with you; TALK TO ANIMALS gives you an interesting perspective on why.

Episode 2 - TUESDAY - Alternate Route

As with the original episode, it starts off with you either in bed in the guest room at Scarlet Manor or the guest room at Stella's house depending on if you did the sleepover with Stella or ended up back at the manor in episode 1.

This route diverges quite a bit from the original if you ended up at SCARLET MANOR.

SCARLET MANOR: After waking up, TABITHA will speak with you about staying out of trouble and remaining at the Manor.

If you choose to stay at the manor you have the option of cleaning up some of the decay and disorder, but be aware TABITHA already asked you not to if you spoke to her about it previously (or you can stand up for yourself and restore your ancestral home, even if only slightly, as any self-respecting Scarlet would!).

Whether or not you clean anything, SYBIL stops by to say hello and depending on your choices in ep. 1, this may be your first encounter with her. She will ask you to accompany her to town and if you do not want to, after escorting her to the front door an unknown force in the Manor will force you out the door and prevent reentry.

Using STREET-WISE to pick the lock results in broken lock-picks and a still secured door, while using STRONG to batter it down injures you slightly and still denies you re-entry. MYSTICAL allows you to realize something definitely does not want you staying at the house (and out of trouble).

SCARLET HOLLOW: If you chose to head to town against TABITHA's wishes, SYBIL will walk with you (you may also run into DR. KELLY out for a morning jog) or if traveling alone, when you walk into town, you will run into SYBIL and AVERY discussing JULIUS TREMAINE's odd absence from the DINER where he is a regular. SYBIL has a short conversation with you but does not divulge much aside from confirming the DITCHLINGS are around.

COAL MINE: Here you stop in to see your cousin hard at work, while you can talk to her about a variety of work issues and a little of her past, eventually its lunchtime. Tabitha will direct you over to the obscurely and covertly designated mine cafeteria (where the only decent entree is the mac & cheese). You will have the chance to meet some of the MINERS, some of whom are wondering what happened to WAYNE (who you also meet briefly again) and get some basic info on what the current gossip is.

Eventually STELLA arrives snooping around for clues and is confronted by TABITHA. A small conversation ensues and ROSALINA is observed heading for the ABANDONED MINE.

ABANDONED MINE: This location plays out to the crisis point just as before as well as the concluding portion of the episode, save yourself, save ROSALINA or save everyone, depending on options and attributes.

Episode 3 - WEDNESDAY

The episode starts off in the guest room back in the manor. you may text both STELLA and KANEEKA or not, thereby following up on each or both romances. You also choose to take a shower or not (you probably need one at this point, just go take a shower).

SCARLET MANOR (Kitchen): you meet JANEY and TABITHA, depending on your actions at the mine you can ask TABITHA followup questions on what is happening. JANEY will introduce herself and mention her husband DANIEL the local church pastor. TABITHA then takes you with her to the General Store for errands.

GENERAL STORE: TABITHA will meet with SYBIL and go to the back room to finish purchasing her "Tea". MYLES is present but will not really interact with you. If you didn't sacrifice DUKE in episode one, he will arrive with his son BO and will update you on what's going on at the edge of town with the DITCHLINGS. If DUKE died in episode one, BO will arrive and speak to you about what happened.

KEEN EYE and STREET SMART allow you to listen in on the conversation between Tabitha and Sybil. Additional info is revealed if you have both attributes, of note is the mention of the goat in the greenhouse at the manor (TALK TO ANIMALS will allow DUSTIN the opossum to give you this info also)

At this point the story branches off into multiple points.

1. Join STELLA for breakfast
2. Meet KANEEKA at her van behind the store
3. Meet up with ISAACS in the alley (only if you used STREET WISE in episode 2 at the coal mine)
4. Meet AVERY at the diner
5. Wait for TABITHA

1. Join STELLA: you arrive at STELLA's house and enjoy a nice breakfast; this option is very useful for romancing STELLA.

2. Meet KANEEKA: very essential for romancing KANEEKA as you have few options to do so up to this point. talk to her about leaving town with you.

3. Meet up with ISAAC: He will give you some story content and you can choose later to tell TABITHA about the unionization threat at the coal mine.

4. Meet AVERY: if romancing AVERY, you need to choose this option and you get some info on things overheard at the diner.

5. Wait for TABITHA: if you want to bond with your cousin this is essential, especially if you do not have BOOKSMART and have not been civil/helpful to her (She will offer to sacrifice years of her life and satisfy the spirit in the ghost hunt if you are bonded enough.). it should be noted if you have been mean spirited to her in the previous episodes (or did not save Alexis/Becka), even after bonding she may not offer to give up years of her life during the ghost hunt. you also get to see her interact with Alexis mother when you leave her hideout house, which can be interesting depending on your actions in the mine.

CITY HALL/LIBRARY: Meet MAYOR JIMMY and OSCAR; MAYOR JIMMY will also dispose of the boiled peanuts if you still have them. if you have TALK TO ANIMALS, GRETCHEN and MAYOR JIMMY will have an interesting conversation. TALK TO ANIMALS also gives you the option to mention it to DANIEL the local pastor, he will reveal he can also speak with animals and will give you his card (or he will tell you to meet him later in the week at the church). you briefly meet with OSCAR but no choices affect going to see REESE. You have the option of inviting AVERY and TABITHA to the ghost hunt and I recommend both be invited, although only AVERY is actually necessary for some story exposition during the ghost hunt; its just helpful to have some of TABITHA's input as well for story purposes.

REESE'S HOUSE (Scarlet Hollow Memorial Hospital): meeting REESE and his rather controlling mother; the town doctor. REESE has an unknown medical condition and draws very creepy art. STELLA and KANEEKA remember their school days with him and you can get some info on his life. MYSTICAL allows you to see there is a major problem with REESE, while STREET WISE and KEEN EYE allow you to notice his mother may actually be afraid of REESE and isolating him for the town's protection. you also theorize there is another stone carving in the clinic area based on your compulsion to enter.

During your time in the basement is the first opportunity you will get to flirt with REESE and if you want to pursue him you need to take it, as you have limited chances.

I highly suspect his mother is not evil and may actually be a hidden ally keeping REESE and whatever evil dwells in him subdued. you have multiple options to accuse his mother of intentionally
poisoning or harming him; I recommend you do not do this as it may hamper in some way further investigation at this location in future episodes.

CITY HALL/LIBRARY: even without KEEN EYE or MYSTICAL you can see the DITCHLINGS outside the building as you approach. depending on who you saved from the mine and who else you invited will determine who is at the ghost hunt.

Minimum characters are STELLA, KANEEKA, OSCAR, ZANE, ROSALINA; optional characters will be AVERY, TABITHA, ALEXIS AND GRETCHEN. The more characters at the ghost hunt, will determine how much story content is revealed to you. Having Tabitha there seems to assist in bonding with her and causing her to acknowledge to you what is happening in the town.

BOOKSMART is essential in obtaining the "Best" outcome in this episode by causing the spirit of Charlie Shaw Jr. to leave without sacrificing years of your's or TABITHA's life or leaving Charlie to menace anyone who enters the building. MYSTICAL provides a lot of additional info on what happened to Charlie Shaw and his family but does not seem to affect the outcome of the ghost hunt any other way.

SAM WAYNE will arrive at various points during the ghost hunt, if TABITHA is with you he will only appear sporadically; if you are alone and choose to talk however, SAM WAYNE will guide you and inform you the spirit of Charlie Shaw actually has no power over you and SAM WAYNE will "save" you from having to sacrifice years of your life, but the spirit of Charlie will remain in the library menacing anyone who enters. SYBIL will also appear and she will have an interesting conversation with SAM WAYNE.

If TABITHA accompanies you and you do not have BOOKSMART, then TABITHA will call SYBIL during the ghost hunt, who will rescue you, but SYBIL will request TABITHA sacrifice years of her life to free the spirit of Charlie; you can both still refuse to sacrifice anything but the spirit of Charlie will remain in the library menacing anyone who enters. If you bonded with TABITHA enough she will willingly sacrifice years of her life to save you and everyone else.

There is a way to see if you are "bonded" with TABITHA; when she first enters OSCAR's house KANEEKA will ask "why TABITHA was invited?". Answering "She's my friend" will determine if Tabitha is bonded enough to sacrifice herself; TABITHA will either answer yes we are cousins and friends, or no she's only chaperoning her cousin to keep them out of trouble.

After you leave the City Hall/Library (whether or not the ghost remains) everyone will meet outside, STELLA is very shaken up over the events and if you previously started romancing her and attempted to save her inside the ghost hunt she will text you after you return to the manor.

with everyone else you will have a chance to question them about what happened and plan to link up with them later the next day.

If TABITHA did not come to the ghost hunt, SYBIL will walk you back to the manor (surrounded by DITCHLINGS) and will answer questions about the events of the last three days if you choose. SYBIL seems to know much more about what is going on and deflects any further in-depth questioning. After you return to the manor you can talk to TABITHA and get a little more insight into her relationship with SAM WAYNE and how she sees things.

If TABITHA accompanied you on the ghost hunt SYBIL will tell you to hold your questions until you meet her tomorrow at the tea room. you will ride home with TABITHA and speak to her about the night's events.

Episode 4 (part 1) - THURSDAY

SCARLET MANOR: you awake in your guest room at the manor; KANEEKA texts asking about STELLA, but you get no response from STELLA if you call or text; opening the closet reveals the doll has moved and someone (WAYNE) has been in the closet (heh, you really did have a monster in your closet!). TALK TO ANIMALS allows you to check on DUSTIN informing you of a new resident in the greenhouse. You can take a shower and choose which event or none is bothering you to think about.

Head downstairs and meet TABITHA in the Kitchen for a conversation about the threat of the union at the mines; if she accompanied you to the ghost hunt in ep.3 you can discuss a little more about it;

Depending on your choices Wednesday, TABITHA, may instead leave you a note. This allows you to search the Garden/greenhouse; the door to the greenhouse is locked; STREETWISE will allow you to pick the lock, STRONG will force it open. where you find the mysterious guest in the green house is a goat. Using TALK TO ANIMALS describes he was placed there by Tabitha; if you still have the runny boiled peanuts you could feed them to the goat.....

You can talk to Frou-Frou if you have TALK TO ANIMALS. Grab a PB&J then head to town.

If you included AVERY in ep.3, On the way to town you meet Avery coming up the hill to meet you (Ditchlings can be seen and both you and AVERY do not need KEEN EYE to see them) you have a small conversation and advance AVERY's romance option if you so choose; AVERY also has a curious ideation on the ditchlings incubation...you can invite Avery to go with you to find STELLA or not.

SCARLET HOLLOW: you meet KANEEKA and then decide where to begin searching for STELLA next; when you complete searching each area you are returned to town to pick the next one.
If you were the one who gave up years of your life in Episode 3, you cannot visit all 6 locations while searching for Stella. You can only visit four until you pass out and wake up in the Tea Room; if you have Powerful Build, you can visit five locations.

If you gave up years of your life in ep. 3, you cannot visit all 6 locations. Only four are accessible (5 locations if you have STRONG) until you then pass out and wake up in the Tea Room

1. Stella's House (the obvious choice)
2. The Diner
3. The Mines
4. The Church
5. Oscar's house (which house is dependent on your actions in ep. 3)
6. Contact the Police
7. Tea with Sybil

STELLA's HOUSE: You arrive to find the door ajar, feel free to snoop around the house; Only three areas are available Stella's Room, Kitchen and Living room. there is a little bit of info from BOOKSMART and STREETWISE that you can glean from her computer for what her cryptid data is and the fact she still burns a candle for TABITHA, KEEN EYE allows you to see her jacket is missing from the closet, implying she took it, but the Kitchen has the only real clue, that she was here, but left for some reason.

THE DINER: it's currently being used as the Unionization HQ, not much info here as none of the miners, Winnie or AVERY has seen STELLA. you can choose to help or hinder the strike by advising the miner Harrison, but it does not seem to have any real effect at this time.

THE MINES: the entrance is blocked by miners striking, but you can get in to speak to TABITHA if you want (or try to call her); like the diner, no one has seen STELLA; you can get some insight into how TABITHA plans on handling the strike if you go to see her in her office. You also have an opportunity to bond with TABITHA during the conversation; talk to her about hanging out and she will tell you about sharing ice cream when you get back to the manor that evening (unless of course your relationship is currently bad, she may then release all her anger & frustration on you).

THE CHURCH: you meet Pastor DANIEL, you don't need KEEN EYE to see WAYNE in the background by the church keeping an eye on you. ZANE stops in for a quick cameo and if AVERY and KANEEKA accompanied you they will wait by the alpacas and JANEY while you speak to the pastor; his daughter TULIP will be noticed near the woods before you leave and will mention her "imaginary Friends" ("rats" in the walls...) who want her to come and play in the woods by the old dump ("Tetanus Lake", STELLA told you about in ep.1)

OSCAR'S HOUSE: the house will either be the city hall/library house or the house TABITHA offered (the old Maxwell place). you will only be able to revisit the basement from ep. 3 if they are in the city hall / Library.

Depending on your actions at the mine ep.2 , ROSALINA and/or OSCAR are present, and BECKA if you saved her, however Dr. KELLY is only there if Rosalina was injured; as well as AVERY and/or KANEEKA if they are accompanying you.

Not much info is available as no one here has seen STELLA, although OSCAR offers to join the investigation by researching any further seals and weird happenings. You can antagonize Dr. Reese, but as I stated in ep. 2-3 I don't recommend it. DR. REESE can also be romanced at this point, but only if you gave up years of your life in ep. 3.

If OSCAR and ROSALINA are not in the house behind city hall/Library, then you will get a scene prior to leaving town, where PIXEL is being threatened by a Ditchling, but Scraps (the former mayor) and several other dogs have formed a "dog militia" to hunt down ditchlings. You then take PIXEL with you to see OSCAR and ROSALINA. TALK TO ANIMALS can have you ask for help in locating GRETCHEN and/or STELLA (if Gretchen died in ep. 1).

THE POLICE: Checking in with the police is less than helpful, but you will find some info on how bad things are at the edge of town; DUKE and/or BO (depending on your actions in ep.1) will be present demanding action on Big Betty's disappearance; DUKE and/or BO will mention that Julius Tremaine must have stolen Betty and then AVERY and/or DEPUTY DEREKSEN will tell you no one has seen Julius since Tuesday. If the strike is severe, only DEPUTY FRANKLIN is present as SHERIFF HUGGBY AND DEREKSEN went to help monitor the union strikers. it is also mentioned that Julius Tremaine has booby-trapped his property.

TEA ROOM (with SYBIL): if anyone accompanied you, SYBIL will use persuasion to have them leave and take you to the tea room for your tea reading. MYSTICAL/KEEN EYE allows you to see the oddly unnatural persuasion. Apparently drinking ANY tea while in Scarlet Hollow may prevent you from resisting interactions with SYBIL (as well as denying you info at certain points in the story) and you may not be able to prevent your character from attending the tea reading.

I recommend asking all your questions prior to sipping the special tea she has prepared for you (it does not seem to actually make a difference, but it appears she is drugging you so....) You can of course refuse the tea and leave (but only if you didn't drink ANY tea while in SH)

If you drink the tea SYBIL will essentially tell you things are going to get very bad and sooner than later (as if you needed anyone to tell you that info...). She mentions one of the people close to you is an enemy like a "cat" waiting to pounce.

(if you drink the tea and have MYSTICAL, you'll laugh at the response when suggesting she could be the "Cat"). As per her usual behavior, no new info is gained from SYBIL, and you head to REESE's to investigate the next seal.

The option to stop by KANEEKA's room occurs if you refuse to do the tea reading or when you finish the reading. If romancing KANEEKA this is the point of no return for her, ask to spend time with her and confess your love; unfortunately SYBIL stops you from leaving and exerts her influence preventing KANEEKA from going to the clinic with you (all while MILES is glaring at you from the room). If you have not started romancing KANEEKA or not enough, you won't be able to speak to her in her room. if you have KEEN EYE and TALK TO ANIMALS you can meet her "pet".

Episode 4 (Part 2) - THURSDAY

REESE'S HOUSE (Scarlet Hollow Memorial Hospital): the clinic is surrounded by Ditchlings (however a raccoon is present, apparently un-incubated next to one) using various traits accesses the front door and/or the hill by the upper terrace/balcony (SYBIL will actually suggest this to you, you just have to drink her tea); you can try to knock on Reese's window, however no one is there. Once inside you sneak down to the

BASEMENT/MORGUE: and find REESE sleeping on the cadaver examination table. REESE believes you about the hidden seal and distracts the doctor so you can find the fire axe he is certain is in the clinic somewhere. You then search

DR. KELLY'S OFFICE: finding your family's medical records (good back story info), but no fire axe. The search then goes to the

MEDICAL STORAGE ROOM; Dr. KELLY returns and you have to hide in the closet (another opportunity to flirt with REESE occurs). You may or may not get the option to find castor beans (BOOKSMART will reveal immediately what they are and give you the hint you've seen them before;at SYBIL's, unless you drank the tea that is) the doc leaves whether or not you discover what they are or If REESE looks it up later.

Once she leaves you then get down to business in the morgue busting down the wall. If REESE has discovered the poison his mother has been giving him, you will get a small demonstration of what REESE is capable of when he destroys the wall. you then enter the

ABANDONED HOSPITAL WING: Nothing to do here except find the seal, see the vision and then pass out, as to be expected at this point.

BASEMENT/REESE's ROOM: REESE carries you to the basement where you discover he has either decided to stop taking his "meds" or confronted his mother over the poison "medicine" and barricaded you both in the basement to wait her out so you can then escape the clinic.

Another opportunity to flirt with REESE occurs if you want to offer to be his muse for painting here. REESE will start the movie to pass the time and you will notice his erratic and animated behavior, then WAYNE shows up and attempts to break in the shatter proof basement windows. This is the final catalyst for REESE's transformation as without his "medicine" he is unrestrained.

STRONG allows you to flee the basement immediately, but either way REESE heads upstairs to punish his mother for her treatment of him (staying in the basement results in DR. KELLY's death and REESE fleeing). You then play idle judge & jury and these are the choices you can make;

1. Understand that DR. KELLY was poisoning him and secluding REESE out of a mother's love

or

2. side with REESE and punish her for preventing him from living his "life".

WAYNE will eventually enter the clinic and will tussle with REESE (STRONG allows you to get the axe and help either person, but does not result in a conclusion) but the final choice comes down to you giving DR. KELLY the tranquilizer or standing by and allowing REESE to finish her off (either passively- staying in the basement or actively, refusing to give her the tranq - or not picking up the tranq in the first place).

Either the doc will tranq her son and continue "treating" him or REESE kills his mother then WAYNE will force REESE to flee into the woods.

3. The option to call TABITHA in the basement has her come to the clinic to get you (provided you ignore REESE when he tells you to call her off), TABITHA arrives with a loaded shotgun and finishes off REESE (unless you intervene and help Dr. KELLY). Reese's body is then burned outside (or REESE is locked up in the safe room if you intervene).

4. HOT allows you to free REESE and allow DR. KELLY to survive, however REESE will flee into the woods in his transformed state. Although the wisdom of this option will play out in the later episodes. This will also start your romance with REESE and this is the point of no return with him.

(there is technically no "happy" ending at this point and either choice is perspective based.... unless a cure is found in the later episodes.)

Regardless of your choice you start to head back to the Manor.

ROADSIDE: while enroute to the Manor, either Gretchen (if Gretchen survived ep.1) or the "dog militia" comes out of the woods barking and getting your attention or if Tabitha is with you, she will remember where STELLA might be or STELLA may call you and give her location (her call is dependent on previous dialogue choices telling her to "toughen up" in previous episodes and/or if you have a very good relationship with her. If you received a text from her before going to bed in ep. 3 and tried to call/text her in the morning, she'll give you a call)

Either way you then find STELLA sitting by the spot where her parents died in a car crash.

If you choose to romance STELLA this is the point of no-return. romancing her closes off all other possible romances. you can choose to comfort her or give her a (perhaps well-deserved) hard time over not telling anyone where she went. you can then walk her home and stay the night with her; WAYNE will stop by on the porch and speak to you for a moment if you stay at STELLA's; if you don't want to progress STELLA's romance too much or want to meet TABITHA for ice cream at the manor you can still leave without staying the night

If TABITHA came to the clinic to get you, when you both find STELLA, you can rekindle the TABITHA/STELLA loveboat provided you have not romanced Stella.

SCARLET MANOR: If you choose not to sleepover at STELLA's or TABITHA did not pick you up; WAYNE will escort you back to the manor. This scene also allows you to flirt with WAYNE if you so desire; after you arrive, TABITHA will either have a small conversation or you can do your cousin bonding over ice cream, then hit the sack in preparation for the next day's disaster.

if you did not meet TABITHA at the mine office or call her from the clinic you will return to the manor and no one will greet you, you just go to your room where Wayne will be waiting in your bedroom and talk to you in lieu of walking you home.

Episode 5 - Friday

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////// CAUTION AHEAD - UNDER CONSTRUCTION ////////////////////////////
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////




You will be investigating the Scarlet Manor finally and perhaps fully. Stella and Kaneeka will assist while Tabby is dealing with the strike.

You will be looking into "forbidden" areas of the manor and checking on our friendly neighborhood goat (hope you saved the boiled peanuts; or maybe its best you didn't).

Don't forget to say hello to Dustin and Frou-Frou!





and lastly don't forget the many-locked-door in the west wing of the manor, the one with the "prisoner" behind it, you remember, the one who can't escape.......unless of course he's already out.......



//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
///////////////////////// CAUTION AHEAD - UTTER DESTRUCTION ///////////////////////////
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Theories......

Nothing canonical here per se, just hypothesizing....

So Enoch Scarlet made a "deal with the devil" (or you can say the Forsyth family to be accurate).
He sacrificed his brother to attain a benefit- based off the medical records and seal vision found in ep.4.

The accident at the mine was due to negligence....OR was part of the larger sacrifice Enoch was expected to make, placing the blame on Charles Shaw which had his family run out of town (resulting in Charlie Jr. eventually returning to see Edwardine Scarlet and reigniting their love) -based on info in ep.2 at the mine seal and ghost hunt.

Charlie Jr. also made a deal with the Forsyth family, however he did not take into account the full power Enoch exercised thru the "Scarlet Curse" from the deal Enoch had previously made. He did discover the seals existence and had the knowledge it was responsible for the power, however the "Scarlet Curse" compelled Edwardine to kill him- likely at the behest of Enoch. --- based on info in ep.2 ghost hunt.

The possibility exists that the Forsyth witches are playing all sides against the middle in an attempt to claim victory, which is why they engineered events to occur as they did; offering desperate people partial information and power; it may even be possible that Sybil is not the grandmother of Kaneeka and Miles but the original witch, extending her unnatural long life by draining the life from the town using the very power she promised to another, she just had to engineer his downfall and tie up all the loose ends....

Enoch is later reported to have "fallen" off a cliff... the demise of the Scarlet family and town slowly begin to follow...likely an unintended consequence of Edwardine revenging herself and Charlie on her father without knowing the exact details of the deal Enoch made with the witch (Forsythe).

The child of the union between Charlie Jr. and Edwardine was reported as a death (possibly a trigger to killing Enoch)...but no doctor or autopsy to document the passing...--- based off the medical records ep.4 and parts of the ghost trial in ep.3.

__________________________________________________________

TABITHA: knows enough about the seals and curse to want you to stay away from them or be with you to keep an eye on you; consistently tries to downplay any supernatural event; Is motivated by a desire to keep the Scarlet legacy going even if its unreasonable/illogical.

SYBIL: Wants you to find the seals, but is very careful in the information she allows you to know; has no problem putting anyone in danger or pain or drugging people against their will; remember she was surprised if you defeated the ghost with Booksmart causing the "unexpected outcome", what outcome did she expect? she also arrives even if no one calls her. She also approached Dr. Kelly with a solution for Reese's "condition", how did she know what he was?

WAYNE: initially wanted to keep you safe away from the seals, however once he realized you could not, he is now helping you to seek them out, while he tries to protect you.

WHAT IS THE "SCARLET CURSE"? More than Likely it was not intended as a curse by Enoch, but caused power to coalesce into his hands, however his untimely death prevented passing on the power to another heir (it appears female descendants may not be able to harness the full power without some additional assistance).

Alternatively Enoch may simply not have had the chance to select his heir (male or female) and pass on the control process prior to his death; Since Enoch or his heir is/was unable to sacrifice any more lives to continue the family's success, the "curse" is collapsing, and by extension the town (I suspect Tabitha understands part of this, which explains some of her actions). Staying in town appears to prevent any Scarlet from giving birth to a male heir or many children for that matter (Assuming Charlie Jr. and Edwadine's child did in fact die as was reported) however they also appear to be very compelled to stay in town regardless of the logic or rationale.

WHAT IS SAM WAYNE? This is the oddest one, he is not a Scarlet (unless perhaps the descendant of Charlie Jr. and Edwardine after all), he was intimately involved with Tabitha and they may have been attempting to have a child together based on her anger in the conversation over the mine collapse in ep.2. Sybil does not seem to control him, but is dismissive of him when asked about him. Wayne is very interested in keeping you alive (not necessarily anyone else though);

based on Wayne's actions and his conversations with Sybil, Wayne understands Sybil is attempting to use you as a pawn in her larger strategy, however he will not directly oppose her unless it appears she is going to sacrifice the MC. While he is currently trying to keep you alive, it is still unclear to what end, he knows you are crucial, but is it to save the town and/or himself? OR condemn the town leaving him (or perhaps his creator) in an advantageous position?

WHAT IS SYBIL'S PART IN ALL THIS? this is the question which if answered would explain her actions and likely the true nature of the Scarlet Curse. Sybil is keeping vital information from you and her ability to influence those around her, often against their will and better judgement, show her as far more than an innocent bystander....and....nothing, I'm sure she's only doing everything in her power to help the main character succeed....Hey, Avery can I get a refill on this tea?

[The Deep Stone Costco]

This is a very helpful guide. However, wanted to also leave a note that Avery uses they/them, not he/him.

[gruedragon]

Continuing as Steam has a limit of 1000 characters per post...

Episode 4: If you were the one who gave up years of your life in Episode 3, you cannot visit all 6 locations while searching for Stella. You can only visit four until you pass out and wake up in the Tea Room; if you have Powerful Build, you can visit five locations.

You can only flirt with Dr. Reese if you gave up years of your life in Episode 3.

You can also meet the dog militia in the upstairs library if you visit Oscar and have Talk to Animals, assuming the ghost was taken care of.

There's a special interaction if you have Talk to Animals and Keen Eye in Kaneeka's room.

[gruedragon]

I have a few more notes after giving this a close read:

Episode 2: Strong isn't needed to save the three girls. Keen Eye allows you to save all three of them without Rosalina getting hurt. Otherwise you can save all three girls with Rosaline getting hurt, or escape with just Rosalina (Rosalina will not get injured but Becca and Alexis will be trapped in the mine).

Episode 3: Keen Eye and/or Street Smart allows you to eavesdrop on Tabitha and Sybil's conversation. You get more information if you have both, including seeing Goat in Episode 4 without having to talk to Dustin and his mom.

[gruedragon]

On Sybil you said she "only tells you what you need to know at the moment and no more". I think it would be more accurate to say she "only tells you what she thinks you need to know..."

[Litvac]

hey, this is a great guide! though as a kind reminder avery uses they/them pronouns and not he/him

[stone.fire.smoke]

yes, the Hot trait allows you to stop Reese from killing his mother at the end of ep. 4 (unless it gets patched/changed); you can still romance him without Hot, but it may make it harder to complete if you don't get the "lock-in" option for his romance by the end of ep.4.

[WolfPaw]

Is there a way to romance Reese without using the "Hot" trait?

[dalethfc]

Yeah,, back To Stella after meeting Isaac.. great stuff

[dalethfc]

Hmm Thanks,, I will try a play through of each.. I found Saving Gretchen was Massive early on. So I have only aided Duke Once, I felt so bad on that run and stopped playing it and started again lol.

[stone.fire.smoke]

Not necessarily; on one of the discussion boards they broke down the math regarding your dialogue choices and spending time with Stella, so depending on all your options, you could still romance Stella even if you don't meet her for breakfast or if you waited for Tabby. Gretchen being alive makes a bigger difference overall than a few choices. also the devs have stated they will allow other romance lock-in points if you miss one of the early ones so far in the episodes.