Life is Strange: Complete Season Walkthrough & Choices Guide
A spoiler-light guide to the whole first season of Life is Strange: how Max's rewind works, what happens in each of the five episodes and which choices matter, how optional photos and achievements work, and which version to play.
Researched September 2026 — current as of the original 2015 release (Episode 1 free since July 2016) and the 2022 Remastered Collection. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.
Episode 1 ("Chrysalis") is free on Steam. Episodes 2–5 are sold as the rest of the season (Complete Season / season pass). The Life is Strange Remastered Collection (February 2022) is a separate purchase. It bundles this game with Before the Storm and adds improved visuals, animation and facial capture. The story and choices are the same in both.
Quick Start
- Rewinding is free. Hold the rewind button to go back, see a conversation play out differently, and choose again. There's no meter or penalty, so use it freely before you lock in a choice.
- Rewind keeps what you learned and what you're holding. Anything you find or learn stays with Max after a rewind. Many puzzles work this way: learn a fact, rewind, then use it in the same conversation.
- Choices are saved when the scene moves on. Once you leave the area or the chapter continues, you can't rewind back past the choice. The butterfly icon in the top corner tells you a choice will have consequences.
- Look at everything. Examining items adds journal entries and unlocks optional dialogue. Max's journal (and her phone's texts) fills in a lot of story you'd otherwise miss.
- There are 10 optional photos per episode (50 total). They're easy to walk past and some are only available briefly. Look for the camera prompt.
- Don't reload over and over for a "perfect" run. The final choice decides the ending, not your earlier choices. Earlier choices change scenes, dialogue and who lives, so play it straight the first time.
- Collectible Mode (from the main menu, once you've finished a chapter) lets you replay chapters to pick up missed photos without changing your main save.
- Content warning: The season deals with suicide, sexual exploitation, drug use and gun violence, especially Episodes 2, 4 and 5.
Core Mechanics
| Mechanic |
How it works |
Tip |
| Rewind |
Hold the rewind input to go back in time. Max stays in place while the world rewinds around her |
Rewind after a conversation to try other answers. You'll often learn information that opens new options |
| Consequence choices |
Two-option choices, marked by the butterfly |
After picking, rewind and try the other option to hear Max's thoughts, then decide |
| Exploration |
Inspect objects, read notes, check phones and computers |
Walls, bulletin boards and trash cans often hold clues and photo spots |
| Puzzles |
Usually "learn it, rewind, use it" or physical fetch puzzles |
If you're stuck, look for an object you haven't interacted with |
| Journal and phone |
Tracks relationships, notes, texts and choices |
Read texts after big scenes; characters react to your decisions |
| Optional photos |
10 per episode |
Some are only there during a scripted moment and disappear afterwards |
| Rewind limits |
Some key moments disable rewinding, or it fails when Max is exhausted |
These are the scenes where your dialogue choices really count |
Controls can be viewed and remapped in the Options menu. The game plays well on a controller.
Episode Walkthrough Outline
Spoilers are kept to setup and choice points. The consequences are left for you to find out.
Episode 1: Chrysalis (released January 30, 2015)
Max Caulfield, a photography student back in her hometown of Arcadia Bay, has a vision of a tornado. In the Blackwell Academy bathroom she sees Nathan Prescott shoot a blue-haired girl, and finds out she can rewind time to stop it. The girl turns out to be Chloe Price, her childhood best friend. Chloe is searching for her missing friend, Rachel Amber.
Big choices in Episode 1:
- Report Nathan to Principal Wells, or keep quiet.
- When David Madsen confronts Kate Marsh in the parking lot: step in, or take a photo of it.
- After Victoria gets paint on her outfit outside the dorms: mock her, or comfort her.
- When David finds Chloe's weed in her room: take the blame, let Chloe take it, or stay hidden.
Smaller choices worth knowing: warn Alyssa about the football, water Max's plant (Lisa), remove the offensive picture near Kate's door, and free the bird at Chloe's house.
Tips: Make sure you're done exploring Max's dorm and the campus before moving on. The Blackwell sections have lots of optional conversations that set up later episodes. Watering Max's plant is a small choice that pays off.
Episode 2: Out of Time (March 24, 2015)
Max and Chloe test the limits of Max's power at the Two Whales diner and the junkyard. Meanwhile, Kate Marsh is falling apart after a humiliating video goes viral around campus.
Big choices and moments:
- How you support Kate earlier in the episode: whether you encourage her to go to the police, and whether you answer her call.
- The junkyard shooting tests with Chloe, and a tense confrontation with Frank.
- The rooftop scene. Rewind is unavailable here. Whether you reach Kate depends on your dialogue and on what you learned about her beforehand, such as the things in her dorm room and your earlier conversations. Before you head up, explore her room and pay attention to what matters to her.
- Afterwards, in the principal's office, you choose who to blame: Nathan, Mr. Jefferson, or David.
Episode 3: Chaos Theory (May 19, 2015)
Max and Chloe break into Blackwell at night to look for evidence about Rachel. Their investigation leads to Frank Bowers and Rachel's secrets. By the end, Max finds she can travel back through photographs, and one jump creates a very different timeline.
Big choices and moments:
- In the principal's office: whether Chloe takes money from the handicapped fund.
- Chloe's dare: kiss her, or don't.
- When Chloe and David argue at the Price house: side with Chloe, or with David.
- At Frank's RV: where you throw the bone for his dog, and whether Chloe takes the gun from the RV.
- The photo jump at the end of the episode.
Episode 4: Dark Room (July 28, 2015)
The alternate timeline hits hard. Max has to face what her power has cost. Then the investigation into Rachel speeds up, through Frank, Nathan and the Vortex Club's End of the World party, until it reaches the truth about the Dark Room.
Big choices and moments:
- Alternate-timeline Chloe's request. This is one of the most emotional choices in the series.
- How you handle Frank. Earlier choices, including how you treated him and his dog Pompidou, change whether this confrontation stays calm.
- Chloe's investigation board. You link clues to find out where the investigation goes next. Look closely at every document.
- Whether you stop Warren when he attacks Nathan.
- At the End of the World party: whether you warn Victoria (and whether she believes you).
Episode 5: Polarized (October 20, 2015)
Max has to escape the Dark Room using her power, including jumps through photographs. Then she has to fix a timeline that keeps breaking as the storm reaches Arcadia Bay.
Big choices and moments:
- Conversations in the Dark Room, which reflect whether you warned Victoria in Episode 4.
- Scenes with Warren and Victoria that call back to how you treated them earlier.
- The Two Whales diner in the storm, where conversations with Warren, Joyce and others reflect your season.
- A long nightmare sequence that brings back your whole season.
- The final choice, at the lighthouse.
The endings
There are two endings, and the final choice alone decides which one you get:
- Sacrifice Chloe: Max goes back to the first photo and lets the bathroom shooting happen. The storm never comes.
- Sacrifice Arcadia Bay: Max tears up the photo and stays with Chloe. The storm hits the town.
Earlier choices change the details along the way: who survives until the finale, relationships, and dialogue. They don't unlock a third ending. The sequel Life is Strange: Double Exposure (2024) brings Max back and asks which ending your season had.
Optional Photos and Achievements
- Every episode has 10 optional photos. They're shown in Max's journal as empty slots until you take them. Collecting all 10 in an episode unlocks that episode's photo achievement.
- The rest of the achievements are mostly story progress achievements that you can't miss.
- What makes photos missable: Many are tied to a single scene, a short window during a sequence, or an area you can't return to. If you miss one, finish the chapter and use Collectible Mode afterwards. It lets you replay a chapter just for photos without touching your story save.
- How to spot them: Walk slowly, look along the edges of the scene, and watch for odd or pretty moments (animals, reflections, staged scenes). When a photo is available, the camera prompt appears on the object.
Choosing a Version
| Version |
Pros |
Cons |
| Original (Episode 1 free, Episodes 2–5 paid) |
Cheap entry and a low-cost season. The original art style |
Older facial animation and lip-sync |
| Remastered Collection (2022) |
Better visuals, lighting and animation, with full facial motion capture. Includes Before the Storm |
Costs more. Some players prefer the original's stylised faces |
Before the Storm (2017) is a prequel about Chloe and Rachel. Play it after the first season. It's better once you already know the characters.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing through Blackwell and the Price house. Most of the characterisation and photo opportunities are in the areas you can explore freely.
- Going up to the roof in Episode 2 unprepared. Look through Kate's room and remember what she cares about. You can't rewind there.
- Rewinding without watching both outcomes. Try both sides of a choice and listen to Max's commentary. It's in-game feedback on what she thinks.
- Reloading to make everyone like you. The season is built so choices have costs. Most "bad" outcomes are part of the experience.
- Hunting every photo on your first run. Play the story first, then clean up in Collectible Mode.
- Not checking texts and the journal. They show consequences you'd otherwise miss.
Advanced Tips
- Rewind a conversation to gather information. Several conversations (Chloe's dares, the diner, confrontations) can only be won by finding out a detail, rewinding, and then saying it before the other person does.
- Choices echo in later episodes. Being kind to Kate, Alyssa, Frank's dog, the plant, Warren, and even Victoria changes scenes much later on. Small acts add up.
- Walk slowly, especially in Episode 1. The script has a lot of incidental dialogue that only plays if you stop and listen.
- Compare with other players. At the end of each episode the game shows your choices next to what other players chose. It's worth a look before you start the next episode.
- If you're playing the Remaster, it's sold and installed separately from the original release, so plan on starting a fresh season rather than continuing an old save.
FAQ
Is Life is Strange Episode 1 really free?
Yes. Episode 1 has been free since July 2016. Episodes 2–5 cost money.
How long is the full season?
Each episode takes roughly two to four hours depending on how much you explore. The full season is a long weekend.
Do my choices change the ending?
Only the final choice picks the ending (sacrifice Chloe or sacrifice Arcadia Bay). Earlier choices change scenes, dialogue and outcomes along the way.
Can Kate be saved?
Yes. On the roof in Episode 2 your power doesn't work, so it all comes down to your dialogue and what you learned about her beforehand.
Can I go back for missed photos?
Yes. Collectible Mode lets you replay a finished chapter to collect photos without changing your story progress.
Should I play the original or the Remastered version?
The story and choices are the same. The Remaster looks better and includes Before the Storm. The original is cheaper and Episode 1 is free.
What order should I play the series in?
Life is Strange (2015) → Before the Storm → Life is Strange 2 → True Colors → Double Exposure. Double Exposure continues Max's story directly.
Sources