The Quarry: How to Save Ryan

Adiba Chowdhury
By Adiba Chowdhury
9 Min Read
Credit: Supermassive Games

Ryan is one of the two main characters needed alive to achieve the game’s true ending. Keep reading to learn how to save the most responsible counselor in The Quarry.

Portrayed by the incredibly talented Justice Smith, Ryan Erzahler is one of the nine main characters in The Quarry. Ryan’s character is presented as the sensible type. Despite being quiet and broody, multiple characters like Kaitlyn and Dylan seem to have a crush on him. Moreover, Ryan also happens to be Chris Hackett’s favorite counselor.

Read More: The Quarry: How to Save Laura

So, you may be wondering how to save the most seemingly popular character in The Quarry. With most of his friends relying on him to take charge, Ryan is almost always responsible for making difficult choices. In this guide, we will discuss how you can save Ryan from dying in The Quarry.

Save Ryan in The Quarry

In The Quarry, you’re more likely to die from being shot at than being mauled by werewolves. But that’s not the case for Ryan, as he’s almost always the one holding the gun. So, more than worrying about dying, you have to worry about accidentally killing other characters when playing as Ryan.

With that being said, there are still many ways everyone’s favorite counselor can die, and not in a painless way. The easiest way to get Ryan killed is by wasting ammo. If you keep shooting in the direction of every suspicious noise, you won’t have any ammo left when you actually need it. To avoid encountering a situation like this, it is best to refrain Ryan from shooting unless you can clearly see your target.

Moreover, Ryan probably has the most challenging Quick Time Events (QTE) after Emma and Kaitlyn. And failing them can sometimes lead to pretty gruesome deaths. Furthermore, Ryan is probably the only character who cannot be saved in Chapter 10 due to failing a QTE in as early as Chapter 3.

So using a Death Rewind can potentially set you back by over 7 hours of gameplay. You can read our extensive guide on how the Death Rewind system works to understand what we mean. Below are all the decisions you should take from each chapter to ensure Ryan’s survival.

Chapter 3

This is the very first chapter where you get to play the game as Ryan. And right off the bat, you will be put in a very stressful situation. Ryan doesn’t face any death encounters during this chapter, but you’ll need to pass a series of QTEs to ensure he has what he needs to survive in the endgame.

As Ryan, you’ll need to be proactive and rush to help Nick. Ryan will need to acquire a vial from the hunter in this chapter, and the only way to get your hands on it is by unlocking the Finders Keepers story path. Make the following decisions when Abigail comes running to you asking for help:

  • Worried
  • Assertive
  • Shortcut
  • Shortcut
  • Shout
  • Shoot

Shooting the hunter will cause him to drop a vial containing werewolf blood. You must have this item with you to ensure Ryan’s survival in Chapter 10.

Chapter 4

Although this chapter does not have a direct death encounter for Ryan, you can still pave the way for his untimely death by wasting ammo. So, when the situation presents itself, don’t shoot. Instead, take the following actions when playing as Ryan:

  • Apply Pressure
  • Smash
  • Dismissive
  • Call Out
  • Don’t Shoot
  • Don’t Shoot
  • Questioning
  • Let Go

If you choose to shoot at the rustling bushes by the firepit, you’ll not only be wasting ammo but also end up killing Jacob – who is another main character in The Quarry.

Chapter 6

Yet another chapter where Ryan doesn’t face a death encounter but might die later for wasting ammo. When you’re at the radio tower with Dylan, you should not shoot at the roof nor use the shotgun to blow up Dylan’s hand. Instead, take the following actions:

  • Interested
  • Concerned
  • Apologetic
  • Don’t Shoot
  • Aggressive
  • Confident
  • Calm
  • Desperate
  • Chainsaw
  • Uncertain

Shooting at the roof does absolutely nothing except waste ammo. And when Dylan gets bitten, the only way to make sure that the infection doesn’t spread is by sawing off his hand with a chainsaw. Using the shotgun here will not make a clean cut and the infection will spread regardless.

Chapter 9

Here is when things really start to get hairy for Ryan. However, we are confident that you were able to keep Ryan alive up until this point. That’s because this is the chapter where he faces his first and many possible death encounters.

As Ryan and Laura get found out for eavesdropping on the Hackett family, a struggle will ensue between Constance and Laura. Here, Laura can kill either Constance or fall without blowing her head off. No matter the result, Bobby will always stab Ryan. At that moment, choose to keep the knife in to prevent Ryan from bleeding out to death.

A chase sequence will soon start between Bobby and Ryan, requiring you to pass a bunch of QTEs. When you enter a room with a giant hole in the wall, hide inside it and pass the Don’t Breathe challenge. Bobby will eventually find you and drop you from the building. To prevent dying from all the injuries, Accept Laura’s offer to bite Ryan so that he benefits from the healing powers of werewolves.

When Ryan, Laura, and werewolf Chris fall down the hole, the chance of using your shotgun will finally come. This is the moment you’ve been saving up your bullets for until now. You need to be very careful in completing this skill check, as failing to shoot Chris will cause him to smash Ryan’s face with his very shotgun.

Alternatively, Ryan might bleed to death right after killing Chris if he refused Laura’s offer. Moreover, Ryan can also die as a direct consequence of failing to unlock the Above The Law story path in the Prologue chapter or shooting Travis in Chapter 7 when playing as Laura.

If Travis is on bad terms with Laura, he will go on a murderous rampage, causing him to stab Laura first and then blow Ryan’s head off. But, if you manage to keep everything in order, he will agree to work with you and even seek your help lifting his family curse.

Chapter 10

If you want to keep Ryan alive in the final chapter of The Quarry, then you must pass all the QTEs. Failing even one could cause his death, so you must be very careful. When Silas attacks your vehicle, take control of the wheels to keep it from crashing. Otherwise, the car crash will kill Ryan and Travis on the spot.

Then, right before the final confrontation with the White Wolf, Ryan will offer you the wolf blood he acquired back in Chapter 3. Choose to give the vial to Ryan, which will result in him applying the blood on his face. The wolf’s blood will protect him against the monster even if you choose to spare it.

Read More: The Quarry: All Paths Explained

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By Adiba Chowdhury Deputy Evergreen Editor
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Adiba Chowdhury is the Deputy Editor of the Evergreen section at GameRiv. Adiba is an avid gamer, artist, and anime lover. She expresses her love for RPGs, JRPGs, and Action Adventure games by writing about evergreen titles with lasting impressions for GameRiv.