All Secrets in Directive 8020 — The Detailed Guide

TL;DR

• There are 50 regular Secrets, 10 Simms Recordings, and 5 O Death secrets in Directive 8020.
• Secrets are spread across all 8 episodes aboard the Cassiopeia.
• Most secrets are close to where you already explore — slow down and look around.
• You can recover missed secrets using Turning Points — no full replay needed.
• Collecting all 5 O Death secrets unlocks a special Curator scene and teaser trailer for the next Dark Pictures game.
• The in-game Secrets menu and Turning Points tracker show exactly how many you have per episode.

What Are Secrets in Directive 8020?

Directive 8020 is the latest entry in The Dark Pictures Anthology by Supermassive Games. Like previous games in the series, it hides collectible objects throughout its world. These are called Secrets.

Secrets are physical objects and interactive items scattered around the Cassiopeia. They are things like tablets, books, posters, monitors, and personal items belonging to the crew. Each one adds detail to the story — giving you a better picture of who these people are and what went wrong on this mission.

Simms Recordings are a separate set of ten video logs made by Pari Simms. She recorded them during the four years the science crew slept while the ship traveled to Tau Ceti F. Watching all ten builds a clear and unsettling picture of what Simms suspected was happening.

O Death secrets are a hidden fifth category. They do not appear until you find a special Obol coin late in the game. Once you have it, five hidden secrets become available across previous episodes. Collecting all five unlocks a full Curator scene and a teaser for Supermassive’s next game.

In total, you are looking at 65 collectibles across the whole game. This guide breaks them all down episode by episode so you do not miss a thing.

How to Track Secrets in Directive 8020

Directive 8020 makes tracking easier than any previous Dark Pictures game. Pause the game and open the Turning Points menu. From there, select any episode or sub-chapter and the game shows you exactly how many secrets are in that section and how many you have found.

You can also open the Secrets page directly from the menu. This lets you browse by character or category — for example, viewing all secrets tied to the Sleep Crew. Any secret you have already found is marked off automatically.

If you miss something, you do not need to restart the game. Just rewind to the correct Turning Point, explore the area again, and collect what you missed. Explorer Mode makes this even easier with unlimited replays. Once you pick up a secret, it registers to your profile permanently.

All Secrets in Directive 8020 — Episode 1: Little Star

Episode 1 takes place in the Crew Quarters and the Medical Bay. There are 8 regular secrets in the Crew Quarters section, along with secrets and recordings in the Medical area. This is the first big exploration zone, so take your time here before pushing forward.

Crew Quarters Secrets

As soon as you take control of Tomas Carter, do not rush toward the objective. The Crew Quarters is packed with items. Here is what to look for:

• Stalemate — Interact with the chessboard on the table right next to where you start.

• Countdown — Turn right from the chessboard and interact with the calendar on the wall. This is also the calendar used to solve the Carter’s PC puzzle in Episode 2. For a deeper look at that, see our guide on how to find the key code to Carter’s PC in Directive 8020.

• Nightshift — Go through the open door on your right into the sleeping quarters. A datapad on the desk holds this secret.

• Balance — Head across the hall to the opposite room and interact with the bonsai tree on the left.

• Daddy in Space — In the same room as Balance, interact with the tablet on the bed in the back.

• Mission Summary — Head up the stairs to the next level and turn left. Interact with the display panel or poster at the far end of the hallway.

• Pioneers — Turn around from Mission Summary and keep left. There is a monitor on the wall showing a video. Interact with it to unlock this secret.

• Myths Retold — Head into the washroom to the right of the main objective. There is a book by the sinks. Open it fully — partial interaction will not count it.

The first Simms Recording, “Green Tea,” is also here. After collecting Nightshift, look at the wall to the left of the door you came through. There is a monitor to interact with. Watch the video to unlock it.

Medical Bay Secrets

Note: you reach the Medical Bay if you chose to reject The Oracle’s system reboot when given the option. If you consulted Oracle instead, this path plays out differently. For more on that decision, see our guide on whether to consult or reboot Oracle in Directive 8020.

• Brave New World — Once inside the Medical Bay, stick to the left wall. Near the far end on the left is a poster to interact with.

• The Goldilocks Planet — After lifting the lockdown, look to the right of the main door before going through. A window opens as you approach. Use the Utility Strap through the window to unlock the side room. Head inside and interact with the tablet on the desk.

The Simms Recording “Patches” is also in Medical. After getting the Goldilocks Planet secret, exit the side room and find the stairs on the opposite side. Head up and interact with the monitor at the top to watch the video.

There is also an O Death secret in Episode 1’s Medical section — but you cannot collect it until you have the Obol coin from Episode 8. Return here later via Turning Points. In the Medical Reception area, circle behind the large circular reception desk in the center of the room and look on the floor for Simms’ Personal Log.

All Secrets in Directive 8020 — Episode 2: Best Laid Plans

Episode 2 is the biggest secrets haul in the game. The Crew Quarters in Episode 2 alone holds 11 secrets, plus a Simms Recording. This is where Eisele investigates Carter and Simms, and where most players miss items by rushing toward the locked PC. Slow down before entering that code.

Simple Pleasures Node

• Perfect Replica — As Brianna Young, look around the area near Stafford for a video you can interact with.

Ship Shape Node

• In Denial — After the cutscene, head left to find this on the wall.

• Print As Needed — After the same cutscene, head right to find this on the wall.

Sleuth Node — Crew Quarters as Eisele

This is the densest secret area in the game. Eisele investigates the Crew Quarters looking for clues about Carter and Simms. Do not enter Carter’s PC code until you have swept the whole area.

• Carter — Immediately to your left after you take control of Eisele.

• Bad Press — On a bench next to the large statue head.

• Frosted — Head upstairs and use your Utility Strap to lift the lockdown on a room. Inside, there is a cake on the table.

• No Object — In the same upstairs room as Frosted. There is also a datapad on the table.

• Weak Spots — Next to the first locked Main Hall door. Interact with the datapad on the seats.

• Wish You Were Here — When heading toward the Locker Rooms, go up the stairs on the right but do not enter the Crew Lounge. The datapad is up ahead just outside.

• Professional Chemistry — Inside the Crew Lounge, next to the screen showing the Carter and Simms conversation log.

• Father’s Footsteps — Next to the second locked Main Hall door. Pick up the frame and turn it to reveal this secret.

• Paving the Way — Opposite the Locker Room entrance. There is a book to pick up and turn for this secret.

• At Any Cost — Found inside the Locker Room area. Look around carefully on the shelves and benches.

There is also a Simms Recording in this section. Take the upper stairs when given the choice of paths in the Crew Quarters and find the monitor on the wall in the upper hallway.

Once you have collected everything in this area, you are ready to enter Carter’s PC. The code is 2808 (or 0828). Both work. If you need the full explanation of how to find that code, our dedicated guide on the key code to Carter’s PC in Directive 8020 covers every step.

All Secrets in Directive 8020 — Episode 3

Episode 3 introduces the Mess Hall, the Tool Shed, and several new characters’ areas. There are multiple sub-chapters with secrets spread across them.

• Mess Hall Monitor — Progress through the Mess Hall until you reach the larger open area. On the far right, past the digital food and drink menu signs, there is a monitor on the wall. Interact with it.

• Tool Shed Recording — In the Tool Shed, when Cooper and Cernan are searching for the wedge tool. The tool is on the right. The Simms Recording is on the left wall as you enter. You can also grab it on the way back out if you miss it going in.
• Cassiopeia Sign Recording — After moving the battery between doors to open the lower level of the Mess Hall, head down the stairs toward the large Cassiopeia sign on the wall. The Simms Recording is here.

There is also an O Death secret in Episode 3’s Search node. Once you have used the power cell to open the first door and entered the next area, go to the right side of the room and interact with the console panel on the wall to find the Paranoia secret.

All Secrets in Directive 8020 — Episodes 4, 5, and 6

Episodes 4, 5, and 6 spread secrets across increasingly branching areas. Some secrets in these episodes depend on which characters are still alive in your save. If a character has died, certain rooms and paths may not be accessible, which is why using Turning Points to go back is so important for 100% completion.

Episode 5: Mr. Williams

• When Young and Eisele head to restore power, there is a Simms Recording near where you begin controlling Young. Run past the power panel and look for a video screen on the right wall.

Episode 6: Hostile Takeover

This is the most branching episode in the game. There are at least six secrets to find in the area before you leave for Hydroponics, plus a Simms Recording in the Geoscience lab. Use the wedge tool to override the lock on the Geoscience lab door, then interact with the video on the wall inside.

Two important O Death secrets are also unlocked in this area of the game:

• Bloodlines — Go past the table and chairs toward the Atrium doorway. Take the stairs up on your left, which double back into a darker upper area with a locked Crew Lounge door. There is a datapad here.
• O_DTH — In the Radio Silence node of Episode 5, immediately go up the stairs behind you at the start of the section. Head down the dark corridor in the middle of the upper level. Near the entrance to the Cockpit on the left, find a terminal to interact with.

All Secrets in Directive 8020 — Episodes 7 and 8

The final two episodes are the longest in the game and contain several secrets tied directly to story events. There is also a key O Death unlock in Episode 8 that makes all five O Death secrets available for collection.

Finding the Obol Coin in Episode 8

In Episode 8, during the “The Way Back” Turning Point node, you can use a power cell to open a vent. Follow the vent through and complete the puzzle sections inside. At the far end, you will find the last Simms Recording on the wall. Right next to it, on the floor to the left, is the Obol coin. Collect this and the O Death secrets activate across the whole game.

The final regular secret in the game is also near the end of Episode 8. After taking the elevator, proceed forward until you see Cooper heading into the Crew Lounge ahead. Instead of following her, go down the stairs to the right, turn left down the corridor, then climb the stairs up on the left. The final collectible is a datapad on a bench at the top of those stairs. Collecting it triggers a Curator scene.

All 5 O Death Secrets — Curator Locations

Once you have the Obol coin from Episode 8, go back to these five locations using Turning Points to complete the O Death collection:

• Episode 1, Medical — Behind the circular reception desk in Medical Reception. Simms’ Personal Log is on the floor.
• Episode 3, Search node — Right side of the room after the first power cell door. Interact with the console panel on the wall.
• Episode 5, Radio Silence node — Upper corridor near the Cockpit entrance. Interact with the terminal on the left.
• Episode 6 — In the dark upper area near the Crew Lounge. Datapad on the seating.
• Episode 8, Come True node — The Obol coin itself, found at the end of the vent section, is the first O Death trigger.

Once all five are collected, go to the title screen, select Bonus Features, and watch the complete Curator O Death scene plus the teaser trailer for Supermassive’s next game.

All 10 Simms Recordings — Quick Reference

Simms Recordings are wall-mounted video screens showing footage Pari Simms made for her mother back on Earth. Finding all ten unlocks the Dear Mum… trophy. They are spread across six of the eight episodes.

• Green Tea — Episode 1, Crew Quarters. To the left of the sleeping quarters doorway.
• Patches — Episode 1, Medical. Top of the stairs near the camera-viewing window.
• Episode 2 Recording — Crew Quarters as Eisele. Take the upper stairs in the Crew Quarters and look on the wall in the upper hallway.
• Tool Shed Recording — Episode 3. On the left wall inside the Tool Shed.
• Cassiopeia Sign Recording — Episode 3. Bottom of the stairs near the large Cassiopeia sign in the Mess Hall lower level.
• Power Restoration Recording — Episode 5. On the right wall near where you begin controlling Young during the power restoration section.
• Geoscience Lab Recording — Episode 6. Inside the Geoscience lab. Use the wedge tool to override the door and interact with the screen inside.
• Final Recording — Episode 8, The Way Back node. At the end of the vent section, on the wall just before you find the Obol coin.

The remaining two Simms Recordings are found in the middle episodes during exploration segments tied to specific characters. Keep checking the Secrets menu as you play to see which ones you still need per episode.

Tips for Getting All Secrets in Directive 8020

• Pause before entering any code or triggering a cutscene. Several secrets become inaccessible the moment a story event fires. The Crew Quarters in Episode 2 is the clearest example of this.
• Use the Utility Strap on everything. The strap lets you interact with items at a distance and unlock rooms you would otherwise walk past. Many secrets hide behind doors you can only open this way.
• Turn the camera fully around interactables. Sticky notes, books, and datapads often blend into backgrounds. Rotating the camera around a desk or table reveals items you would not spot head-on.
• Check the Turning Points menu often. The in-game tracker tells you exactly how many secrets are in each sub-chapter. If the numbers do not match what you have found, rewind and look again.
• Do not collect the Obol coin on your last episode visit. Make sure you finish the rest of the vent section and episode content before triggering the post-Obol Curator moment.
• In Movie Night co-op, assign one player to hunt secrets. One player can explore while the other watches for threats. This makes the dense areas like Crew Quarters in Episode 2 much more manageable.

If you want to see how long collecting everything will actually take, our guide on how long it takes to beat Directive 8020 covers both the main story length and full completion time.

Do Secrets Affect the Story or Endings?

Regular Secrets do not directly change who lives or dies. They add context, flesh out the lore, and give you a better understanding of what happened aboard the Cassiopeia before the alien threat emerged.

Simms Recordings, however, do more than just fill in the story. They show Simms’ growing unease over four years and connect to decisions made later in the game. The more you understand what Simms knew, the more certain moments in Episodes 5 through 8 land differently.

O Death secrets are purely reward-based. They are optional and have no effect on survival or endings. Their sole purpose is to unlock the Curator scene and the next-game teaser. If you care about trophies or just want to see what Supermassive is building next, they are worth going back for.

For more on the story decisions that actually affect who survives, see our guide on how to save or lose Simms in Directive 8020 Episode 1.

Where to Play Directive 8020

Directive 8020 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. The Secrets system and Turning Points tracker work the same way on all platforms. If you are playing on PC and having performance issues while exploring, our Directive 8020 best PC settings guide will help you get stable frame rates so exploration stays smooth.

Frequently Asked Questions