Welcome to Life is Strange: Double Exposure, the latest installment in Deck Nine Games' narrative-driven adventure series. You'll step into the shoes of Max Caulfield once again, but this time you're investigating the murder of your friend, Rachel Amber. This third-person, story-rich experience throws you into a world of branching choices and intricate narratives, where your decisions have real consequences. With a focus on atmospheric exploration and a killer soundtrack, it's a game for anyone who loves a good mystery with emotional depth.
This guide is here to help you navigate the complexities of Double Exposure. We'll cover everything you need to know to achieve those tricky Steam Achievements, uncover all the hidden secrets scattered throughout the game, and make sure you see the different story outcomes. Whether you're aiming for a perfect playthrough or just want to understand the narrative threads, we've got your back.
Info
Life is Strange: Double Exposure is the 5th entry in the series. Learn about its development, previous titles, and guide updates.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure follows Life is Strange (Season 1), Life is Strange Before the Storm, Life is Strange 2, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, and Life is Strange True Colors. Deck Nine, who previously developed Before the Storm and True Colors, is the developer. Dontnod developed Life is Strange 1, Captain Spirit, and Life is Strange 2.
This guide contains information about all chapters, how to obtain certain Trophies and Achievements, and lists of where to find certain Polaroids and how to unlock Snapshots.
Version Updates
- 3.0: Fixed some spelling mistakes, added photos to Polaroid and Snapshot lists.
- 2.0: Added guide to Chapters 3, 4, and 5, list for Polaroids and Snapshots, and information on what trophy unlocks during certain parts of the story.
- 1.0: Guide intros, recap of Life is Strange 1, guide for Early Access Chapters 1 and 2, and trophy list.
Controls and Gameplay
Navigate the world of Life is Strange: Double Exposure with our comprehensive guide to controls, Max's powers (Shifting, Pulsing), making decisions, finding collectibles, and saving your game.
This guide covers the controls and gameplay mechanics for Life is Strange: Double Exposure, detailing movement, interaction, general actions, powers, menu navigation, photography, and object inspection.
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Move | |
| Turn Camera | |
| Run | |
| Run Toggle |
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Look | |
| Talk/Inspect | |
| Interact | |
| SnapShot/back | |
| Toggle Dynamic Dialogue Choices |
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Read | |
| Skip Cinematics | |
| View Objectives | |
| HotSpot Ping |
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Shift | |
| Pulse | |
| Entanglement | + |
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Open player Menu | |
| Pause | |
| Tab Left | |
| Tab Right | |
| Switch Apps Left | |
| Switch Apps Right | |
| Navigate Up | |
| Navigate Down | |
| Navigate Left | |
| Navigate Right |
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Rotate Camera | |
| Zoom in | |
| Zoom Out | |
| Repose/hide UI | |
| Take Photo | |
| Double Exposure | |
| Discard photo | |
| Confirm Photo |
| Action | Button |
|---|---|
| Rotate | |
| Reset Rotation | |
| Zoom In | |
| Zoom Out | |
| Read/interact | |
| Exit Inspection |
Gameplay
Shifting: This is Max’s new power, allowing her to shift between two timelines where things are slightly different. The blue orb represents the Original timeline, while the Orange orb represents the new timeline.
Pulsing: Allows you to see objects and people in the other timeline, listen in to conversations, and shows safe and discreet shifting points.
Decisions: Throughout the game, you will make major and minor decisions that affect the narrative. Major Choices freeze the scene with two options displayed. Minor Choices occur during exploration, such as dialogue options or signing up for alerts.
Collectibles: The main collectibles are Polaroids found by Shifting between timelines. Picking up a photo reveals what happened during the time it was taken. There are 7 collectibles in the first two chapters.
Saving and Restarting: The game features autosave only; there is no manual save option. Exiting mid-scene restarts the scene from the beginning, preserving previous choices. You can revisit completed scenes via the chapter select. Choosing to "replay" a scene does not save choices, mainly for achievements or exploring dialogue. Choosing to "begin play-through permanently from that scene" sets all future choices in stone until you return to chapter select. It is recommended to save to a different file if using this option to avoid losing progress.
Recap First Game
A detailed recap of the first game in Life is Strange: Double Exposure, covering Episode 1: Chrysalis, key events, character interactions, and player choices.
- 1Max awakens in a storm, sees a tornado, and rewinds time back to class.
- 2She interacts with Mark Jefferson and Victoria, and talks to Kate about school events.
- 3In the bathroom, Max witnesses Nathan threaten a blue-haired girl with a gun. Nathan accidentally fires, and Max discovers her rewind ability.
- 4Max uses her power to answer Jefferson's question and saves the girl by pulling the fire alarm, leading to an interrogation by the principal.
- 5In the courtyard, Max discusses school life, Nathan, and Rachel Amber with students and Ms. Grant. She receives a text from Warren about a flash drive.
- 6Victoria and her friends block Max's path to the dorms; Max uses sprinklers and a falling paint bucket to get past, with a choice to photograph or apologize to Victoria.
- 7In the dorms, Max retrieves the flash drive from Dana, dealing with a fight between Dana and Juliet instigated by Victoria. Max can optionally discover and discuss Dana's pregnancy test.
- 8Max helps Alyssa avoid a football and witnesses David harassing Kate, with a choice to intervene or photograph the incident.
- 9In the parking lot, Max talks to Warren about her powers, but Nathan interrupts, confronting her about the bathroom incident. Warren is headbutted by Nathan, who then grabs Max.
- 10Chloe Price arrives in a pickup truck, and she and Max flee the scene.
- 11While driving, Max and Chloe discuss the past five years and Max's powers. Max's camera is broken.
- 12At the Price household, Max explores Chloe's room, finds a CD and a photo of Chloe with Rachel Amber, and learns about Rachel's disappearance six months prior.
- Pay attention to dialogue choices as they affect character relationships and future events.
- Max's rewind ability is clutch for correcting mistakes and exploring different outcomes.
- Optional interactions, like discovering Dana's pregnancy test or intervening with David and Kate, add depth to the narrative.
Recap First Game (2)
Recap Life is Strange: Double Exposure Episode 1, Chrysalis. Max discovers her time-rewind powers after a confrontation in the school bathroom.
- 1Max awakens in a storm, heading towards a lighthouse where she sees a tornado. She then awakens back in Mark Jefferson's class.
- 2During the photo lecture, Victoria bullies Max and Kate. Mr. Jefferson calls out students for their photo entries for the "every day heroes contest."
- 3Max talks to Kate about school events and schedules tea. Mr. Jefferson encourages Max to submit a photo for the contest, recognizing her talent.
- 4In the bathroom, Max tears up her polaroid photo. A butterfly appears, and she takes its picture. Nathan Prescott enters, followed by a blue-haired girl who threatens him with accusations of drug dealing and demands hush money. Nathan accidentally fires a gun at her.
- 5Max's world freezes, and she rewinds time, returning to the photo lecture. She breaks her camera but uses her powers to answer Mr. Jefferson's question correctly.
- 6Max reaches the bathroom earlier in the new timeline and saves the blue-haired girl by pulling the fire alarm. She is questioned by a security guard but is interrupted by the principal. Max can choose to tell the principal that Nathan had a gun or remain silent.
- 7In the courtyard, Max discusses school life, Nathan Prescott, and missing Rachel Amber posters. She receives a text from Warren about a borrowed flash drive.
- 8Victoria and her friends block Max's path to the dorms. Max can set off the sprinklers and cause a paint bucket to fall on Victoria. Max can then either take a picture of Victoria covered in paint or be apologetic.
- 9Max goes to Dana's room in the dorms to retrieve the flash drive. Dana and Juliet are fighting because Victoria told Juliet that Dana was sexting Zachary.
- 10Max finds evidence in Victoria's room exposing the lie and shows it to Juliet. Juliet apologizes. Max gets the flash drive from Dana and can optionally discover a pregnancy test. If Max rewinds and asks about it, Dana reveals she is pregnant and Logan is the father.
- 11Max helps Alyssa avoid being hit by a football in the dorms courtyard.
- 12On the main campus courtyard, David is harassing Kate about her whereabouts. Max can intervene, which Kate appreciates, or take a photo, which Kate chastises her for.
- 13In the parking lot, Max talks to Warren about the flash drive. Nathan appears, questioning Max about the bathroom incident. Depending on Max's previous choice, she either states she told the principal the truth or feigns ignorance. Nathan headbutts Warren and grabs Max. An old pickup truck arrives, driven by the blue-haired girl from the bathroom, who is revealed to be Chloe Price. Chloe opens the passenger door, and she and Max flee.
- 14While driving, Max and Chloe discuss the parking lot incident, Max's time in Seattle, and Blackwell Academy. Chloe questions Max's five-year absence. Max finds her polaroid camera broken. Chloe suggests her stepdad might have tools to fix it.
- 15They arrive at the Price household and go to Chloe's room. Max explores and finds a CD and a picture of Chloe with Rachel Amber under the bed. Chloe yells at Max and takes the photo. They discuss Chloe and Rachel's relationship; Rachel became Chloe's friend after Max left town and Chloe's dad died, and disappeared six months ago. Max plays music and leaves Chloe alone.
- Pay attention to dialogue choices, as they can affect character relationships and future events.
- Exploring the environment can reveal optional interactions and story details.
- Max's rewind ability is clutch for correcting mistakes and exploring different outcomes.
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