The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of standalone, cinematic branching horror games where the decisions you make in the game determine the story and the outcome you receive

You cannot manual save in The Dark Pictures Anthologies on PC. The Dark Pictures Anthology use a strict auto-save system to prevent players from reloading to an earlier point to undo decisions.

The game saves your progress automatically at certain checkpoints, particularly when moving between scenes and chapters. This design choice is meant to reinforce the consequences of your choices, as a "wrong" decision or a failed Quick Time Event (QTE) cannot be easily undone

The default keyboard controls for The Dark Pictures Anthology games on PC typically use WASD for movement and the mouse for camera control and interaction. In-game icons and button prompts indicate the correct key to press for specific quick-time events (QTEs), aiming, and other actions.

Universal PC controls:

The following controls are common across games in The Dark Pictures Anthology, though some QTEs and specific interactions will vary by game

Move character: W, A, S, D
Interact: Left mouse button
Camera control: Move mouse
Sprint: Left Shift (can be remapped)
Quick-time event (QTE) controls

The type of QTE will dictate the action required, and an icon on-screen will indicate the correct mouse or keyboard input

Heartbeat challenge: Click the Left mouse button in time with the on-screen icon.

Timed button prompt: Press the corresponding key shown on the screen, typically one of the WASD keys.

Aiming: Move the mouse to position the crosshair within the target area and click the Left mouse button.

Repeated clicks: Click the Left mouse button repeatedly to fill the on-screen circle

Characters can die in The Dark Pictures Anthologies. The game has a branching storyline based on your choices and quick-time event (QTE) performance. It is possible to have all five main characters survive, or to have all of them perish.