As a spiritual successor to Until Dawn, The Quarry is a horror game in which the in-game decisions made lead to branching paths with different endings. To be more precise, there are over 180 possibilities. With interactive gameplay, it's very easy to mess up and unintentionally get one of the characters axed off, thus locking out the Best Ending.
The prologue of The Quarry introduces two characters: Laura and Max. Getting the best ending involves keeping both of these characters alive. While some players may find it easier to keep Laura from dying, Max can be trickier because his fate is determined by both Laura and Dylan. If these two characters die, then Max can't be saved.
Spoilers for chapters 5, 7, 9, and 10 for The Quarry are below.
Should You Leave or Save Max?
Although the prologue opens with Max and Laura, these characters won't be seen until a bit further into The Quarry.
Select Take the Wrenches to break into the bunker and advance the story. After Laura sees the bloodied collar and the bones of a dead animal, the game will prompt players to start heading back.
It's at this point Max will get attacked by a creature. Laura is then given the decision to either Help Max or Leave Max. The end of the prologue has Max getting dragged back into the bunker (whether Laura tried to save him or not), and Laura getting sedated by Hackett.
Ironically, whatever players choose here will not affect the outcome of the story. However, the dialogue between Laura and Max when they're reunited will be different depending on what was chosen. Thus, leaving Max in the prologue won't result in his death, but instead, make him understandably bitter towards Laura for leaving.
Requirements to Save Max
While players will see Laura and Max again, Max is kept out of the picture for most of the game. Unfortunately, taking Max out of the spotlight doesn't guarantee his survival.
There are four chapters players will need to make the right QTE in if they want to keep him alive. Choosing the wrong decisions in any of these will set off a chain of events that will get Max killed.
Chapter 5
Avoid shooting the ceiling of the radio tower to keep Kaitlyn, Abi, and Nick safe. Then, once Dylan is attacked by the creature, select Desperate and then use the Chainsaw to hack off Dylan's hand to prevent him from turning into a werewolf. Dylan needs to stay alive for Kaitlyn and Ryan.
Chapter 7
Unlike the prologue, Laura's decisions in this chapter will have consequences. When speaking to Travis, choose Compliant and later, Do not call for help. Once Laura escapes the cell, inspect the locker on the third floor to get the syringe.
Return to the cell and hide the syringe. The next choice Laura should make is to not grab the gun. This will lead to Laura sedating Travis instead of shooting him.
Failing to get the syringe results in Laura shooting Travis, which leads to her death and by extension, Max's death, in a later chapter.
Chapter 9
When Laura, now transformed, is attacking Travis, there will be a QTE that will result in Ryan shooting Laura, or shooting Chris, who comes charging into the room after Ryan.
Shoot Chris to break Laura and Max's curse. As long as the syringe was used in Chapter 7, then Laura won't get stabbed by Travis after she turns back to normal. This is the final key to saving Max.
Chapter 10
Not breaking the curse back in Chapter 9 means Max will remain a werewolf. Playing Max in Chapter 10 is pretty straightforward, so wander around the forest to look for Laura, and eventually, he'll wind up at the docks.
Players can either jump in the water and swim, or they can choose to Stay. To keep Max alive, do NOT jump in the water. Walking through the forest guarantees Max's survival. If he tries to swim, he'll get his throat ripped out by Caleb, making all that effort in keeping him alive through other characters for nothing.
If Max isn't killed by Caleb, he'll be reunited with Laura.
The Quarry is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.