Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Bonus Episode: Farewell is a short, intimate side story built around young Max and Chloe, not a systems-heavy challenge run. Most of its value comes from how carefully you explore, how patiently you sit with conversations, and how willing you are to treat small objects as part of the story instead of clutter between cutscenes.
content warning: Farewell uses the series’ Mature rating descriptors and also centers grief, family loss, and emotionally heavy childhood scenes. This guide stays non-graphic and keeps late-story details as light as possible.
If you go in expecting a relaxed treasure hunt, a few simple environment puzzles, and dialogue choices that shape tone more than efficiency, the episode lands much better. The habits below keep you from missing the quiet material that gives Farewell its weight while still helping you move cleanly through the playable parts.
Essential Tips
1. Treat It as a Max Episode, Not a Full Before the Storm Chapter
Farewell plays very differently from the Chloe-led main episodes. You control Max, the setting stays tighter, and the whole episode is more interested in memory, friendship, and small domestic spaces than in the broader momentum of Before the Storm.
That matters because the best approach is slower and more observant. You are not trying to power through backtalk scenes, broad hub areas, or long chains of major decisions. You are trying to notice how room objects, small jokes, and half-finished conversations set the mood before the bigger emotional turn arrives.
2. Check Your Access Before You Start
This episode has long been tied to Deluxe-edition style ownership rather than acting like a separate mainline entry. If you launch Before the Storm and cannot find Farewell right away, stop and confirm that your version actually includes the bonus episode before you lose your place in the mood.
That small setup check prevents a frustrating first session. Farewell works best when you can play it in one sitting, and it is short enough that store or launcher confusion can break the rhythm more than it would in a longer game.
3. Sweep Chloe’s Room Before Advancing the Tape Scene
The opening room is where the episode teaches you how to play. You can inspect keepsakes, test throwaway options, listen to Max and Chloe riff on old items, and pick up a lot of context about where they are in life before the treasure hunt properly starts.
Do not read the room as filler. The board game, candy, cards, school note, and other objects are the point of the first section. Even when an interaction does not alter the route, it helps define the tone of your Max and keeps the later scenes from feeling rushed. Make one deliberate lap of the room before pushing the obvious objective.
4. Play Dialogue for Honesty, Not for Perfect Outcomes
Farewell is full of choices that are emotionally sensitive, but that does not mean every prompt is a hidden test. Some lines are there to let you shape Max’s tone in the moment, not to punish you for missing a single ideal response.
The practical habit is simple: choose the answer that feels natural for the Max you want to play, then keep moving. You will get more out of the episode by staying emotionally present than by trying to reverse-engineer the safest answer to every exchange. That is especially true when Max hesitates around hard truths.
5. Use the Attic Puzzle Like a Real Room Puzzle
The attic section is one of the only places where Farewell asks for more than observation and dialogue. If you get stuck, think physically. Ask what Max can stand on, what can be moved, and what furniture is blocking the path rather than assuming you missed some tiny pickup prompt.
That mindset solves almost the whole sequence. The puzzle is not about obscure logic; it is about stacking enough height to reach the hatch and then rearranging the cramped attic space until the amulet is reachable. If you approach it methodically, it stays calm and readable.
6. Keep Looking for Optional Photos
Farewell is short, which makes its optional photo moments easy to miss if you sprint through objectives. When the scene settles for a second, check whether Max can frame a memory before you trigger the next story beat.
You do not need a collectibles checklist for a first run, but you should stay alert whenever the game gives you a quiet pause in a meaningful spot. Photo opportunities fit naturally with the way Max sees the day, so taking an extra moment for them usually improves the experience even if you are not chasing completion.
7. Pay Attention to the Treasure Hunt Setup
The pirate tape, map, amulet, and telescope are not hard mechanics, but they are easy to muddle if you click past the setup too quickly. Slow down when the girls start reconstructing the plan, because the fun of the sequence comes from following their shared logic rather than brute-forcing the next interaction.
Once you reach the backyard, keep your notes mental and simple: what item you just recovered, what still needs to be attached, and what landmark the telescope is trying to line up. Farewell gives you enough help to solve this cleanly without turning it into a spoiler hunt.
8. Let Quiet Scenes Breathe Before Triggering the Next Prompt
Several of Farewell’s strongest moments happen after an objective is technically complete. You may have already found the object, solved the puzzle, or reached the next room, but the emotional beat still depends on waiting, looking around, or choosing when to speak.
This is where a lot of first runs get thinner than they should. Players see the next interactable and immediately hit it, which keeps the story moving but flattens the atmosphere. After big discoveries, sit for a few seconds, inspect nearby items, and make sure you are done absorbing the scene before advancing.
9. Expect the Final Choices to Be About Tone and Trust
Without spoiling the last stretch, Farewell eventually asks you to handle painful information in a very direct way. The important thing to know in advance is that you are choosing how Max carries that moment, not optimizing toward a combat reward, stat gain, or puzzle shortcut.
That framing makes the ending easier to handle. Think about whether your Max would protect Chloe from immediate pain, speak plainly as soon as possible, or hesitate out of fear. The episode is strongest when you answer from character, because the emotional framing matters more than searching for a universal best line.
10. Finish It in One Calm Sitting if You Can
Farewell is compact enough that it benefits from uninterrupted play. The episode moves from playful exploration to heavier material without much filler, so stopping midway through the attic or treasure hunt can make the closing stretch feel more abrupt than intended.
If you have the time, give yourself one quiet session. Put aside the urge to multitask, do the optional looking around, and let the episode hold together as one memory. That pacing supports both the comedy of the early scenes and the harder turn near the end.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Do not start without confirming ownership access - Farewell has often been bundled through Deluxe-style versions, so menu confusion can waste your first session.
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Do not rush past Chloe’s room interactions - The opening keepsakes establish both the treasure hunt and the emotional texture of the episode.
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Do not assume every line is a fail state - Many dialogue prompts work better when you answer naturally instead of trying to game them.
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Do not overcomplicate the attic - Think in terms of stacking and moving furniture before hunting for a secret item.
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Do not ignore quiet pauses - Some of the best moments happen after the objective is technically complete.
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Do not blow past photo chances - This episode is short, so an extra glance at a meaningful scene goes a long way.
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Do not forget what the current treasure clue is doing - Keep track of the map, amulet, tape, and telescope as one chain.
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Do not chase a single perfect ending formula - The late choices work best when you play Max as a person, not a walkthrough route.
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Do not split the episode across too many sessions - Its pacing is cleaner when the playful beginning and heavier ending stay close together.
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Do not expect challenge-heavy adventure design - Farewell is about attention and emotional timing more than difficulty.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| Setup | Confirm your version actually includes Farewell before starting |
| Expectations | Play it like a short Max memory piece, not a full systems-heavy chapter |
| Exploration | Fully sweep Chloe’s room before pushing the treasure hunt forward |
| Dialogue | Pick lines that feel honest instead of hunting for perfect outcomes |
| Puzzle Play | Solve the attic by stacking and moving objects methodically |
| Photos | Watch for optional camera moments during quiet pauses |
| Treasure Hunt | Keep the map, amulet, tape, and telescope chain clear in your head |
| Ending | Treat the last decisions as tone and trust choices |
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6 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Life is Strange: Before the Storm - Bonus Episode: Farewell.
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