Navigating the post-pandemic ruins of the United States requires more than just good aim. In the world of the Cordyceps fungus, silence is often more lethal than a gunshot, and a brick might be more valuable than a handful of bullets. This walkthrough provides a detailed roadmap through the main campaign of the remake and remastered editions, ensuring you manage your resources wisely while uncovering every piece of lore scattered across the overgrown landscapes.

Core Survival Mechanics and Combat Tips

Before diving into specific chapters, mastering the fundamental mechanics is essential for survival, especially on higher difficulty settings where resources like tape and alcohol are painfully scarce.

The Power of Stealth

Moving while crouched significantly reduces the noise you make. On standard difficulties, Listen Mode allows you to visualize enemy silhouettes through walls, but on Grounded difficulty, this feature is disabled. Always prioritize silent takedowns from behind. This preserves your ammunition for unavoidable firefights and prevents you from being swarmed.

Crafting and Resource Management

Items should be crafted based on your immediate needs, but certain priorities exist. Health kits and Molotov cocktails share the same resources (alcohol and rags). Generally, it is safer to keep one health kit on hand, but Molotovs are indispensable against Bloaters and groups of Infected. Similarly, Shivs are vital for opening locked doors that contain high-tier loot, so always try to keep at least one Shiv in your inventory rather than using them all for stealth kills.

Bricks and Bottles

Never underestimate the environment. A brick can be used to stun a Clicker, allowing for a quick melee kill or a grapple. Throwing a bottle into a corner can lure enemies away from your path, facilitating a clean escape without firing a single shot.

Enemy Types and Countermeasures

Understanding the behavior of your adversaries is the difference between life and death.

  • Runners (Stage 1): These enemies still have their sight. They move fast and attack in packs. Use melee to save ammo if there are only one or two, but don't let them surround you.
  • Stalkers (Stage 2): Rare but dangerous, they hide and wait for an opening. They have limited sight and hearing. Using the bow is often the best way to pick them off before they ambush you.
  • Clickers (Stage 3): Completely blind but possess acute hearing. You must move at the slowest possible crouch speed to bypass them. If caught, you need a Shiv to defend yourself; otherwise, it is an instant game over.
  • Bloaters (Stage 4): Massive, armored, and capable of throwing spore bombs. Fire is their primary weakness. Use Molotovs or the Flamethrower to strip their armor before finishing them with high-caliber rounds.
  • Human Factions: Unlike the Infected, humans use cover, communicate, and try to flank you. Smoke bombs are excellent for breaking their line of sight or creating an opening to move between cover.

Comprehensive Chapter Walkthrough

1. Hometown

The prologue is largely cinematic but sets the mechanical stage. Follow the linear path through the house and into the town. When the chaos erupts, focus on staying behind your companions and following the prompts. There are no collectibles in this section, so focus entirely on the narrative beats.

2. The Quarantine Zone

Twenty years later, the game truly begins. This chapter introduces basic movement and the first few collectibles.

  • Beyond the Wall: Once you retrieve your gear, you will encounter your first Infected. Practice stealth here. Look for the first Firefly Pendent on a corpse in the crawlspace.
  • The Slums: This area introduces human combat. Focus on using bricks to stun enemies and conserving your 9mm ammo. Robert’s men are aggressive; stay low and use the tall grass and crates.

3. The Outskirts

This is where the atmosphere shifts to survival horror.

  • Outside: The rainy trek toward the Capitol Building is linear. Be sure to check the destroyed office buildings for supplements.
  • Downtown: You will encounter your first Clicker in the Goldstone Building. Use the environment to lure it away from the exit.
  • Museum: A scripted sequence will separate the group. You will face multiple Clickers in a tight space. Use stealth and slow movement. This is a great place to find your first Workbench to upgrade your pistol or hunting rifle.
  • Capitol Building: After a major narrative event, you will face a large group of FEDRA soldiers. Use the flanking paths on the left and right sides of the main hall to get behind them.

4. Bill's Town

Bill’s territory is filled with traps.

  • The Woods: Watch for tripwires. You can trigger them by throwing bricks or bottles at the proximity mines.
  • Safehouse: Meet Bill and gear up. He provides the blueprint for the Nail Bomb—an incredibly effective defensive tool.
  • Graveyard: This is a heavy stealth section. Move through the gardens quietly to avoid the groups of Clickers and Runners.
  • High School Escape: This culminates in your first Bloater boss fight in the gym. Keep your distance, use Nail Bombs, and target the glowing pustules on its body. Once the Bloater falls, clear the remaining Runners to escape via the truck.

5. Pittsburgh

One of the longest and most combat-heavy chapters in the game.

  • Alone and Forsaken: After the ambush, you will face waves of Hunters. Use the verticality of the shops and apartments to keep them guessing. The bookstore is a major combat arena; try to stay on the upper floor to maintain a tactical advantage.
  • Hotel Lobby: Collect the ladder and move up. The basement section is notoriously difficult. To survive the generator sequence, find the key card first (upstairs in the manager's office), then start the generator. Run immediately for the door once the power is on to avoid the Bloater and Stalkers.
  • Financial District: This area rewards aggressive flanking. Use the office cubicles to move unseen and take out the snipers early if possible.
  • Escape the City: You will meet Henry and Sam. The final push involves avoiding a spotlight and a sniper. Move between shadows and time your sprints when the light is facing away.

6. The Suburbs

  • Sewers: A mix of puzzles and intense combat. When the group is split, Ellie and Sam must handle a group of Infected while Joel provides support. The "Ish" lore notes here are some of the best in the game—keep an eye out for them.
  • Suburbs: The chapter ends with a high-stakes sniper encounter. You must reach the house at the end of the street. Move from cover to cover, ignoring the enemies until you reach the sniper's nest. Once you take control of the rifle, protect your allies from the incoming waves and the armored truck.

7. Tommy's Dam

  • Hydroelectric Dam: A breather chapter with some light puzzle-solving involving a generator. When the dam is attacked, use the catwalks for a height advantage.
  • Ranch House: A emotional beat that involves a small skirmish with Hunters. Check the bedrooms for the Firefly Pendent before heading downstairs for the cutscene.

8. The University

  • Go Big Horns: You are on horseback for much of this. Explore the optional dormitories for massive amounts of supplements and parts. Use the Flamethrower (found in the garage early on) for the Infected in the science building.
  • Science Building: The exit path is blocked by Hunters. Use the narrow hallways to funnel them into your traps.

9. Lakeside Resort

  • The Hunt: You play as Ellie. This changes the combat dynamic as you cannot overpower enemies physically. Use your knife for infinite stealth kills and stay mobile during the cabin defense sequence with David.
  • Cabin Resort: During the blizzard, visibility is low. Rely on your ears and the red glows of enemy flashlights. The final encounter in the steakhouse is a game of cat and mouse; stay behind cover and only strike when David’s back is turned.

10. Bus Depot

  • Highway Exit: A rare moment of peace. Make sure to interact with the giraffe for a hidden trophy/moment.
  • Underground Tunnel: This is the ultimate test of your combat skills. Multiple Bloaters and Clickers inhabit the tunnel. If you have enough ammo, fire and explosives are the way to go. If not, the stealth path along the right-hand wall is possible but extremely tight.

11. The Firefly Lab

  • The Hospital: The final combat encounter. The Fireflies are well-armored and use advanced tactics. Use every remaining resource you have—Smoke Bombs, Assault Rifle ammo, and El Diablo rounds. There is no need to save anything now. Reach the pediatric ward on the top floor to conclude the journey.

12. Jackson

  • Epilogue: A short walk through the woods. Follow the path to the final cinematic. No combat or collectibles here.

Left Behind DLC Walkthrough

This prequel/interstitial story alternates between Ellie's time with Riley in a mall and her search for supplies to treat Joel in the present.

  1. Back in a Flash: Focus on exploring the pharmacy and dealing with the few Infected in the snowy mall.
  2. Mallrats: This is lore-heavy. Enjoy the arcade and mask shop sequences. The "Brick Throwing" contest is a fun diversion.
  3. So Close: Ellie must navigate a flooded area with electrical hazards. Watch for Stalkers in the water.
  4. Fun and Games: The merry-go-round and photo booth sections provide a much-needed break before the final push.
  5. The Enemy of My Enemy: This introduces a unique mechanic where you can lure Infected into attacking human Hunters. Throw a bottle at a group of humans while Infected are nearby to let them do the work for you.

Collectible Locations and Checklist

To achieve 100% completion, you must find:

  • Artifacts (141): Notes and maps that flesh out the world.
  • Firefly Pendants (30): Dog tags of fallen rebels, often hanging from trees or hidden in dark corners.
  • Comics (13): Found later in the game (starting from Pittsburgh) for Ellie's collection.
  • Training Manuals (12): Essential for upgrading the effectiveness of your crafted items (e.g., longer-lasting Shivs).
  • Workbenches (11): Locations where you spend "Parts" to upgrade your firearms.

Notable Safe Codes

  • Downtown: 03-43-78
  • The Woods (Bill's Town): 05-17-21
  • Hotel Lobby (Pittsburgh): 22-10-56
  • Suburbs: 08-21-36

Final Survival Advice

Resource management is the heart of the experience. It is often better to take a small amount of damage and use a health kit later than to expend three shotgun shells on a single Runner. Explore every room, read every note, and remember: every encounter has multiple solutions. Whether you choose the path of the ghost or the path of the warrior, your goal is simple—endure and survive.