After a relatively long hiatus, Supermassive Games returns with a new title in the Dark Pictures anthology, the sci-fi horror Directive 8020. The Dark Pictures games are filled with collectibles and secrets, and Directive 8020 is certainly no exception. While you can find them yourself, it’s best to use a detailed guide, as finding most of the secrets requires constantly deviating from story paths and markers, searching for passwords and combinations for electronic locks.
In fact, unlike previous Dark Pictures games, tracking secrets in Directive 8020 is much easier. If you pause the game and go to the “Turning Points” section, you can see how many secrets and notes are contained in each episode. By opening each episode and watching its scenes in order, you can also see how many secrets and notes are contained in those specific chapters.
You can also go to the “Secrets” tab in the same pause menu. There you’ll find numerous sections. If you click on one of them, for example, “On Duty,” you’ll see all the secrets associated with that section. There are 60 secrets to collect in total: 50 regular secrets and 10 Simms’ notes. They’re all in the same section, but marked with different icons in the “Turning Points” menu.
Additionally, there are five “O Death” secrets—an unmarked section with a “lock” that remains locked until the game’s completion. But once you find the first such secret in Episode 8, the ancient obol coin, you can return to previous episodes and collect four more. The “O Death” secrets are connected to the game’s main mystery—a bonus cutscene featuring the Guardian, a regular in the Dark Pictures series, as well as a teaser for future games in the anthology.
Below, we’ll break down the locations of all the secrets by episode and subchapters (scenes, moments) so you can follow the game and collect everything in chronological order. However, keep in mind that with the new branching storyline, you might end up on the wrong path, which could disrupt the order of your progress. Finally, we’ll cover all the secrets in “O Death.”
Episode 1: Little Star
Crew cabins
Secret – 1/8 – Stalemate
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : chessboard.
As soon as you first take control of Thomas Carter, look to the left. There’s a chessboard on the table there: interact with it to unlock a secret.
Secret – 2/8 – Countdown
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : calendar.
From the chessboard described above, walk forward a little and turn right to examine the wall with a calendar hanging on it. Interact with the calendar to unlock the secret.
Secret – 3/8 – Night Shift
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : data tablet .
Turn around and you’ll see an open door to the right, leading to one of the living quarters (Simms). On the table to the right is a data tablet. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Secret – 1/1 Simms’ Green Tea Recordings
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Turn around and look at the doorway you just passed through. To the left of the door is a wall monitor . Interact with it to play a cutscene and unlock Simms’ first recording.
The Secret – 4/8 – Balance
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : bonsai.
Now, proceed through the main room with the chessboard to Carter’s cabin across the hall. Once inside, look to the left to find a small table with a bonsai tree. Interact with it to unlock another secret.
Secret – 5/8 – Daddy in Space
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : data tablet.
In the same room, on the bed in the back, there will be another data tablet that you will need to interact with to add a new secret to the menu.
Secret – 6/8 – Mission Overview
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : poster.
Now go into the next room and up the stairs. At the top, turn left. At the end of the hallway, you’ll see a poster on the wall. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Secret – 7/8 – Pioneers
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : video.
Turn around from where you found the previous collectible (the poster) and keep left. You’ll come to a wall monitor with something you can interact with. Do so, and a cutscene will play, revealing another secret.
The Secret – 8/8 – A New Reading of Myths
- Secret category : “Cassiopeia”.
- Type : book .
Now move forward and turn toward the room to the right of the main objective marker. You’ll find yourself in a bathroom. As you enter, look to the left: you’ll see a book on the counter next to the sink. Interact with the book to unlock the secret.
Medical bay
IMPORTANT! To access the medical bay, you must decline the Oracle’s offer to reboot the system.
Secret – 1/2 – Brave New World
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : poster.
After taking control of Thomas Carter in the medical bay, stick to the left wall. At the end of the area, on the left side, you’ll see a poster you can interact with. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Secret – 2/2 – The Right Planet
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : data tablet.
After the restrictions are lifted, head to the medical desk at the reception desk. Before entering through the door, note that the window to the right of the door will open as you approach, revealing a room. Look through the opened window and use your tech bracelet to interact with the lock by the door to unlock it and open the room. Now, go through the door by the reception desk and turn into the room on the right. There will be a tablet on the desk with data you need to examine. Interact with the tablet to unlock the secret.
Secret – 1/1 Simms’ Update Notes
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Exit this office and you’ll see a staircase on the other side of the hall. Climb it and at the top you’ll find a wall monitor you can interact with. Watch the recording to unlock the secret.
Episode 2: Laid-Back Plans
Simple joys of life
Secret – 1/1 – Perfect Copy
- Secret category : “Cassiopeia”.
- Type : video.
Once you take control of Brianna Young, head to Stafford, your current target. Stand next to him and look to your left. Follow the wall to the other end of the room, where you’ll find a monitor attached to the wall that you can interact with. Interact with the monitor to unlock the secret.
Inspecting the ship
Secret – 1/2 – Print on Demand
- Secret category : “Cassiopeia”.
- Type : poster.
As soon as you take control of Brianna Young, look to your left. There’s a poster hanging on the wall in the distance that you need to examine. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Secret – 2/2 – Denial
- Secret category : “Gloomy future”.
- Type : poster.
Once you’ve examined the poster and learned the previous secret, turn around and go to the opposite end of the room in the same area. There’s another poster on the wall to the left. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Secret – 1/1 Simms’ Red Alert Recordings
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
After examining both posters and obtaining the first two secrets in this scene, head to the reactor, which is your primary objective. Before interacting with it, pass by and go up the stairs on the right. There’s a monitor on the wall you can interact with. After watching the cutscene, you’ll receive a new secret.
Bloodhound
Secret – 1/11 – Carter
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : audio diary.
Here you’ll play as Laura Eisley. Once you gain control of her, turn left. You’ll see a monitor on the wall you can interact with.
Secret – 2/11 – Bad Reputation
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : data tablet.
Head to the giant head (monument) in the center of the hall. There are several benches in front of it, and on one of them is a data tablet you need to pick up.
Secret – 3/11 – Glaze
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : cake.
After collecting the previous collectibles, head up to the second floor of the atrium. Interact with the window to remove the roller shutters, then look inside and find another remote control panel that will open the door on the right. Go inside. The first secret you’ll see is a cake on the coffee table in the middle of the room.
Secret – 4/11 – Money is no object
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : data tablet.
Now go to the next coffee table in the same room and pick up the data tablet.
Secret – 5/11 – Vulnerabilities
- Secret category : “Crew”.
- Type : data tablet.
Once you’ve collected the previous four secrets in the main atrium hall, head down to the mission area. The marker points to the locker room. Walk a little deeper into the crew quarters complex until you see a large blank screen ahead and slightly to the right. On one of the benches in front of the screen is a tablet you need to pick up.
Secret – 6/11 – It’s a pity you’re not here
- Secret category : “Gloomy future”.
- Type : data tablet.
Turn away from the previous tablet and go up the stairs you passed earlier. Just beyond the crew rest room doors are some couches, and on one of them lies another data tablet. Interact with the tablet to unlock the secret.
Secret – 7/11 – Professional Chemistry
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : data tablet.
Now go into the living room, and on the wall opposite the entrance you will see another tablet.
Secret – 8/11 – In Father’s Footsteps
- Secret category : “Crew”.
- Type : medal.
From the previous collectible, turn left and exit the living room through the far door. Turn left again and go down. At the base of the stairs, on your left, you’ll find a photo frame lying on the floor. Interact with it and be sure to rotate it to unlock the secret.
The Secret – 9/11 – Paving the Way
- Secret category : “Crew”.
- Type : book.
From the previous secret, go forward a little further and you’ll find a book lying on the floor, right next to some boxes.
Secret – 1/1 Simms’ Sweet Dreams Tapes
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Follow the main marker to the locker room. Once you enter, an interaction prompt will appear on the wall monitor. Turn on the monitor to view Simms’ recording and add the secret to your collection.
Secret – 10/11 – At Any Cost
- Secret category : “Research staff”.
- Type : book.
Interact with the monitor and enter the access code when prompted ( 13576 , you saw it earlier when you were watching Simms through the security cameras ). Afterwards, the message “Task Completed” will appear, but before moving on, look up and to the right. You’ll be able to interact with the remote access panel. Do this to open the cabinets on the right wall. Inside one of them is a book.
The Secret – 11/11 – Promises
- Secret category : “Crew”.
- Type : data tablet.
Now walk past the monitor where you entered the locker access code. Looking into the far left corner and climbing up a little, you’ll see another remote access switch you can interact with to open more lockers. In one of them, you’ll find another tablet. Interact with the tablet to unlock the secret.
Episode 3: Sample
Equipment
Secret – 1/1 Simms’ Slingshot Recordings
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Walk through most of the area until you reach the tool shed. Once inside, turn left. You’ll see a wall monitor that you need to interact with.
Search
Secret – 1/6 – Words of Encouragement
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : book.
As soon as you take control of Samantha Cooper, look to the right. There’s a book on the table that needs to be picked up. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Secret – 2/6 – Simms
- Secret category : “On duty”.
- Type : audio diary.
Open the window to the next area and go through it. Turn left, and in the far corner, behind some shelves, you’ll find a monitor you can interact with.
Secret – 3/6 – Nutrimito
- Secret category : “Gloomy future”.
- Type : leaflet.
Move forward and jump over the overturned shelf. You’ll see a red button on the wall to the left. Interact with it and enter the code 0402. This will open a compartment containing a secret. You can find the code in the room behind the yellow door in the main dining hall, which can be opened with a keycard.
Secret – 4/6 – The Turning Point
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : data tablet.
After inserting the battery into the story door and opening it, enter the large dining room and immediately turn left. There’s a tablet on the counter that you need to pick up. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Secret – 5/6 – Suitable for flight
- Secret category : “Research staff”.
- Type : data tablet.
From the previous secret tablet, turn right and you’ll see a door that can be opened with a keychain. Do so, and you’ll find another tablet in the back of the bathroom that needs to be picked up.
Secret – 6/6 – A True Friend
- Secret category : “Research staff”.
- Type : data tablet.
Now head to the far end of the large dining room, where there’s a window you can open with your Tech Bracelet. Look through the window to the right to find a table and several chairs. On the table is a secret tablet.
Secret – 1/1 Simms’ Special Dispensation Notes
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Now proceed to the next room, insert the same battery, and exit the large hall. Go down the stairs and turn left. Behind the stairs is a wall monitor. Interact with it to view Simms’ video recording.
Episode 5: Mr. Williams
Medicines
Secret – 1/2 – Charybdis
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : email.
After taking control of Samantha Cooper, turn left and go through the door (this isn’t the main objective). Once through the door, you’ll see a wall monitor hanging on the wall to the right. Interact with the monitor to unlock the secret.
Secret – 2/2 – Terraforming
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : video.
Proceed into the next room, where a cutscene with Anders awaits. As soon as you regain control of Samantha Cooper, turn around and walk behind Anders. In this small space at the back of the room is a monitor you need to turn on—this is your next secret.
Silence
Secret 1/3 – Orbital Oddities
- Secret category : “Cassiopeia”.
- Type : magazine.
After taking control of Joseph Cernan, turn around and head up the stairs. You’ll see a monitor at the top. Interact with it and enter the code 3196 to unlock it. Interact with the monitor again and scroll through several screens. You need to examine all the recordings before the secret will be revealed. The code itself is hidden in the pilot’s office a little further down the hall on the second floor, attached to one of the desks and consisting of letters. All you need to do is match each letter with a number in order and convert it to the numerical value listed above.
Secret 2/3 – To-Do List
- Secret category : “Cassiopeia”.
- Type : data tablet.
Proceed down the long corridor on the second floor, to the right of the monitor with the previous secret. Enter the cockpit and find another data tablet on the right. Interact with the tablet to unlock the secret.
Secret – 1/1 Simms Entry “Enemy Fire”
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Now go back and proceed to the next area. At the fork, turn left and jump over the overturned crate. There’s a control panel on the wall that will allow you to reroute the power. Press E to activate the scanner, and only then can you interact with this panel. Power up the door on the left by simply pressing A, which is the left key. Once the storage room is open, go inside and you’ll find another monitor at the back of the room with Simms’s video recording. Interact with the monitor to unlock the secret.
Secret – 3/3 – Lost Love
- Secret category : “Research staff”.
- Type : photo.
Take one of the two elevators in the hallway and continue through the area. You’ll soon see Samantha Cooper, who will be surprised by something and enter the break room. Before following her, go down the steps to the right of the door. At the bottom, turn left. Move forward and you’ll find a sofa on your left with a photo frame on it. Pick it up and unfold it to reveal a photograph and unlock another secret.
Episode 6: Enemy Advance
Bypass
Secret – 1/1 Simms’s “Local Agent” Tapes
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Once you’ve gained control of Commander Nolan Stafford, turn around and head to the executive office. Open the door, and inside, at the back of the room, you’ll see a wall monitor.
Secret – 1/6 – Cernan
- Secret category : “research staff”.
- Type : audio diary.
Return to the previous main room and turn left, going through the next door. Go forward, and on the right, you’ll see a ventilation tunnel you can enter. Inside the ventilation shaft, take the first left turn to reach a locked room. In this room, look left and in the back corner, you’ll find another monitor you need to activate.
Secret – 2/6 – The McNamara Mystery
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : email.
Proceed into the next room from the room with the previous secret. It looks like a storage room. On the right wall, just before another vent, you’ll find a monitor you can interact with.
Secret – 3/6 – Decision Making
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : data tablet.
Continue through the chapter until you use the cameras to find the battery. Your goal is to go through the door to the right of the security camera control panel (where you saw the batteries). Naturally, it’s locked, but there’s a ladder to the left. Go down and through the small gap. You’ll see a door to the scientific data storage facility, but it’s also locked. Use your scanner (press E) to follow the power source. Interact with it and power the door by pressing the appropriate button.
After opening the door, head inside and look for a separate office at the very end . Jump into it through the broken window, and inside, on a crate, you’ll find a tablet you can interact with.
Secret – 4/6 – Meet the Tardigrades
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : video.
Continue through the chapter by collecting the required battery. Continue forward, and once you reach the room where you see Cernan again, look to the right. The astroscience room is there. Open it with your tech bracelet and enter. There’s a monitor on the wall to the left that you can turn on to unlock the secret.
Secret – 5/6 – Stafford
- Secret category : “Crew”.
- Type : audio diary.
Reunite with Cernan and insert the battery into the hole by the door to proceed to the next room. After passing through the small corridor in the next room, turn left. Ahead and to the right, you’ll see a monitor you can and should interact with.
Secret – 6/6 – Faster than Science Fiction
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : data tablet.
Proceed to the center of the same room. On the table in front of the planet hologram, you’ll find a tablet to examine.
Episode 7: Discovery
Search party
Secret – 1/1 – Cracks have appeared
- Secret category : “Cassiopeia”.
- Type : helmet.
Continue through the chapter until you see a rockfall and the short scene that follows. After receiving Anders’ second message, the path ahead will fork. The main path is the passage down on the right. But first, climb up the slope on the left to reach a small dead-end area where a broken helmet lies on the ground. If you reach the point where rocks fall again, nearly crushing Cernan, you’ve gone too far. When examining the helmet, you need to rotate it to expose the broken glass.
Capsule room
Secret – 1/2 – McNamara’s Confession
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : note.
Continue through the chapter until you enter a large room filled with fans and crew capsules . Turn left and follow the passage. Then, at the first opportunity, turn left again and climb the small staircase. Turn left again, and you’ll see a raised staircase. You can interact with it remotely using your Tech Bracelet. Do so, and the staircase will lower. At the top, at the end of the bridge, is a wall monitor that you need to interact with.
Secret – 2/2 – Mitchell
- Secret category : “Crew”.
- Type : audio diary.
Go through the room with the previous secret, drop down, and use the door to enter the next room. You’ll approach an elevator, which will allow you to complete the scene. Before interacting with the elevator, walk past it to see a wall monitor.
Geolaboratory
Secret – 1/1 – Duplication phenomenon
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : data tablet.
Once you take control of Joseph Cernan, turn around and head to the back of the area, where you’ll find a power node. To see it, as always, activate the scanner (press E). Switch the power to the door, then move forward a little and enter the newly opened room on the right.
Once inside, you’ll see a window. Look through it and interact with the lock on the door at the other end. Return to the hallway, switch the wall node again, and jump through the newly opened window on the right. Go to the right side of the room to find a data tablet. Interact with the tablet to unlock the secret.
Episode 8: Not a Dream
Redirection
Secret – 1/1 – See attachment
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : data tablet.
Once you take control of Nolan Stafford, look to the right. You’ll see a data tablet lying on the floor. A little further ahead, at the beginning of the area.
Secret – 1/1 Simms’s Rabbit Hole Tapes
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Now proceed further until you have to act stealthily. Go downstairs. Reroute the power to the locker room and enter. There’ll be a monitor on the wall with Simms’s video recording—in the same place she was during another scene in an earlier episode. These are different collectibles!
Atrium
Secret – 1/1 – It’s worth fighting for
- Secret category : “Mission Whale”.
- Type : data tablet.
Make your way through the first section and climb up. At the top, turn left. There’s a data tablet on the bench in the corner. Interact with it to unlock the secret.
Dining room
Secret – 1/3 – Accounting
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : magazine.
Once you gain control of Nolan Stafford, instead of turning right toward the dining hall, head forward to the colony’s control room. Proceed through the corridors, and in the final room on the right, you’ll find a monitor you need to interact with.
The Secret – 2/3 – Williams 2.0
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : data tablet.
Once you’ve made it to the other side, head to the Maintenance area. In the second row of servers, you’ll see a tablet sitting on a small box in the back of the room.
Secret – 3/3 – Classified Directives
- Secret category : “Conspiracy”.
- Type : magazine.
Go to another part of the same server room. There’s a monitor with a data log hanging on the wall.
The way back
Secret – 1/1 Simms’s “Pacification” Recordings
- Secret Category : “Simms Notes”.
- Type : video diary entry.
Walk down the hallway and you’ll notice an empty battery slot. Mark this location, move on, and grab the battery from the slot by the door leading to the next room. Go back and insert the battery to open the vent.
Continue down the tunnel and you’ll have to navigate a room with multiple servers. Just look for the different nodes and interact with them. It’s nothing complicated. Eventually, you’ll find a wall monitor with Simms’ final recording.
“O Death!” – 5 Secrets of the Guardian
The Way Back (Episode 8)
The Secret of “O Death!” 1/5 – This Shouldn’t Be Here
- Secret category : “O Death!”
- Type : shell.
In the same room where you found Simms’ final recording in Episode 8, there’s a new secret on the floor next to the monitor… an ancient coin. Pick it up to unlock the “Oh, Death!” secret category. Now you can return to previous episodes to find four more of these same collectibles.
Medical Bay (Episode 1)
The Secret of “O Death!” 2/5 – The Man in the Bowler Hat
- Description : “It’s time to start a new cycle.”
- Secret category : “O Death!”
- Type : data tablet.
Once you find the obol in Episode 8 and unlock the “Oh Death!” secrets category, return to Episode 1 and the chapter in the medical bay. Continue to the very end of the chapter, and in the room where the breakout occurred, you’ll see a round console near the door that ends the scene. Inside, on the floor, is a secret tablet that wasn’t there before.
The Search (Episode 3)
Secret of “O Death!” 3/5 – Paranoia
- Description : “Simms dreamed of a man in a bowler hat.”
- Secret category : “O Death!”
- Type : data tablet.
Once you find the obol in Episode 8 and unlock the “Oh Death!” secret category, return to Episode 3. Progress through the chapter until you reach a large dining room. In the far right corner, you’ll see several signs that look like food and drink menus. A little further on, an interactive monitor has appeared on the wall. Interact with it to unlock the secret and trigger another scene.
Silence (Episode 5)
The Secret of “O Death!” 4/5 – 0_DTH
- Description : “The Oracle’s encrypted files mention a certain ‘Keeper’.”
- Secret category : “O Death!”
- Type : data tablet.
Once you find the obol in Episode 8 and unlock the “Oh Death!” secrets category, proceed to Episode 5. Climb the stairs and head to the cockpit. About three-quarters of the way down the corridor, there’s a monitor on the wall to the left that you can interact with.
The Secret of “O Death!” 5/5 – Reincarnation
- Description : “Cernan dreamed that he was dying in the bodies of different people, and that the same person was always watching him from afar.”
- Secret category : “O Death!”
- Type : data tablet.
Continue through Episode 5 and take the elevator up. Head toward your destination, but instead of going through the door Cooper used, take the nearby stairs down. At the bottom, turn left, then go to the end of the hallway and up the stairs on the left. Upstairs, there’s a couch with the final secret in this category. After picking up this tablet and assuming you’ve found all five previous “Oh Death!” secrets, you’ll trigger a cutscene featuring the Guardian. This is the final secret found in Directive 8020.
