The final image after completing a walkthrough of Open Roads.

Open Roads Walkthrough

The final image after completing a walkthrough of Open Roads.

Open Roads takes you on an impromptu road trip to solve a family mystery and rebuild protagonist Tess' relationship with her mother. I'll walk you through completing the entire game while gathering every achievement.

Open Roads complete walkthrough

In this guide, I'll explain everything you need to know while playing each chapter of Open Roads. This includes the locations of all story items, all objects providing lore, and every achievement.

Open Roads Chapter 1 Helen's House walkthrough

This section covers every room in the first chapter of the game, Helen's House.

Packing Tess's room

The game begins with Tess holding a photograph. Flip the photo to read the message on the back before packing it away.

The first photograph found in Tess' room during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Turn to face the bookshelf at the end of the bed. There are three items to pack here—the geode, Mr. Bunny, and a birthday card, which can be opened and read.

The three items to be picked up from Tess' bookshelf in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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There are two objects hidden on the right side of the bed. The first of these is a pen near the foot of the bed.

The hidden pen in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The second hidden item is Hip Hippo, which is underneath the head of the bed.

The location of Hip Hippo in the Open Roads chapter one walkthrough.
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Head along the wall to a small cabinet with a corkboard above it. Everything but the cup will be packed here. The items circled in yellow can be read or flipped through, while those in blue can only be looked at.

Tess' nightstand and corkboard items in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Take a moment to look at the shirt on the desk chair. It won't be packed but gives background information on Tess' life.

The work shirt on the back of Tess' chair during the first chapter of our Ocean Roads walkthrough.
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From there, turn to the desk. Begin by packing everything on top of it, from the calendar to the nail polish, small erasers, and coffee mug. The plane ticket, invoice, and newspaper clipping can be read, but only the invoice and clipping will be packed.

The items on top of Tess' desk in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The desk's top drawer contains an eraser, chapstick, nail polish, and a pamphlet. Read the pamphlet and pack it all up.

The top drawer of Tess' desk in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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In the middle drawer, read and pack the report card.

The Report Card in Tess' desk in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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In the final drawer, read the Webscribe book and pack it and the hairclips.

The bottom drawer of Tess' desk in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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After finishing the desk, go to the closet and open the doors. There is a yearbook that you need to flip through and pack up.

Tess' closet in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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If you want another clue about Tess' story, open the trash can by the dresser. It contains four items, the most important being an article on dementia.

Opening Tess' trashcan during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Next, grab the bird poster off the wall the luggage is leaning against.

One of the posters in Tess' room in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The top of the dresser is next. It has two DVDs to inspect, plus two erasers and a note to pack.

The top of Tess' dresser in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The dresser's top drawer contains a friendship bracelet and a dead Ipet. Pack both of them.

The top drawer of Tess' dresser in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The middle drawer contains another birthday card to read and pack.

The birthday card in Tess' dresser during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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A photo is hidden on the upper right side of the dresser. Make sure to flip, read, and pack it up as well.

The photo on Tess' dresser during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The area to the right contains a few boxes and a chair. Grab the hairbrush, power strip, and the poster on the wall.

The area next to the boxes in Tess's room in the first part of the Open Roads walkthrough.
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A cutscene will begin once you've grabbed every item in Tess' room. You'll also be given the "A Lot to Unpack" achievement. Afterward, interact with the bedroom door to head to the next area.

Leaving Tess' room in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The basement

The basement is the next area you'll explore in the house. In the first room, you'll want to interact with a fedora and a book to learn more about Tess' family.

The important first room basement items in the chapter 1 walkthrough of Open Roads.
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In the next room, there is a small note on the second shelf with information about Opal's father.

A small note in the second room of the basement during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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There is a table with tools on the opposite side of the room. Most of the items on the table can be interacted with. However, you'll want to interact with the small ID card to get another interaction with Tess' mom.

The ID card on the basement table during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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This is everything of importance in the basement. Head up the stairs to get to the kitchen.

The kitchen

When entering the kitchen, interact with the writing on the doorframe.

Reading the writing on the doorframe during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Interact with the soda can on the kitchen table to hear Tess' thoughts.

The soda and the ashtray on the kitchen table in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The cabinet above the stove contains two cereal boxes. Interacting with the blue one makes Tess sing its jingle.

Cereal in the kitchen in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Finally, the kitchen fridge has a wedding invitation and two photos to look at.

The kitchen fridge in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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When you're done in the kitchen, open both the freezer and fridge doors.

Getting the Born in a Barn achievement during an Open Roads walkthrough.
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Leave both open and exit the kitchen to get the "Born in a Barn" achievement.

The dining room

A cracked plate on the dining table starts another interaction between Tess and her mom.

A plate that needs to be inspected during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The living room

The next important objects are in the living room. This has the most so far, with two photos, a box of cigarettes, and several pieces of pottery providing lore.

All of the living room objects in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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The top left piece of pottery has its own story, while the other four share the same conversation.

Living room pottery during the Open Roads chapter 1 walkthrough.
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While in this room, pull an item out of the trash can to get the "Just Checking It Out" achievement.

The trash can in the living room during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The pottery room

The final downstairs room is the pottery room. As you enter the room, interact with the pottery on the right wall to see a conversation between Tess and Opal.

One wall in the pottery room during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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On the left side of the room is a small pottery worktable. One of the tools and the piece of pottery in the center each provide dialogue.

The pottery table in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Head up the stairs opposite the front door to unlock the second floor.

The upstairs rooms

While looking for Aunt August's book, you'll have access to the upper floor of the house. I recommend starting in the room to the right of the staircase. The writing desk is the first object in the room to give you a short cutscene.

Grandma's writing desk in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The second object with a cutscene is a newspaper clipping in the second drawer of the writing desk.

Getting the newspaper clipping out of the writing desk in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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The final object is a drawing on the closet's wall.

The drawing hidden in grandma's closet during the first chapter of the Open Roads walkthrough.
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After leaving this room, head to the room at the opposite end of the hall. It will have yellow walls and an armoire in the back right corner of the room.

Entering the room with the armoire in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Approach the armoire and open its doors to find a hook pole. Interact with it to get a cutscene and unlock access to the attic.

Finding the hook pole in an Open Roads walkthrough.
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Before leaving the room, check the dresser to find a note and a playbill in a drawer on its right side.

The location of a playbill and a note from August in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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You can now pull down the attic stairs when you leave the room.

The entrance to the attic in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Attic

A table on the right side of the attic has three dolls. Interact with one to initiate a conversation between Tess and Opal.

The three creepy dolls on the attic table during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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There are two lore items on the left side of the attic. The first is a bowling trophy, while the second is a wedding dress.

Two attic items in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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In the right corner of the attic is a box covered by the sheet. Remove the sheet to find a small secret compartment.

The box hiding a secret attic in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Now, there will be a suitcase to go through. There are two snapshots on top to look at.

The location of hidden snapshots in a suitcase in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Afterward, remove the sheet from the suitcase to look at the rest of the items.

Items hidden in a suitcase during our Open Roads walkthrough.
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The written letters, notes, and photos give some background information. To advance the story, grab the red diary. It gives you the "Problem Attic" achievement and starts the second chapter of Open Roads.

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Open Roads Chapter 2 Hit the Road Walkthrough

At the start of the road trip, you'll need to use the radio to get the "The Signal" achievement. If you do it later in the ride, you won't get the achievement. Look at the radio and interact with it to get permission from Opal to use it.

Using the car's radio during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Turn the radio to 106.7 and wait. A cutscene with Tess' mom will start, giving you the achievement.

Getting the "The Signal" achievement during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Now open the glove box. There are a few items in there, but the only useful one currently is Tess' phone.

Find Tess' phone in the globe box in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Use it to text both Tess' dad and her best friend Francine.

Texting Tess' dad during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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After sending the texts, turn to face the backseat of the car and open Tess' backpack. This enables a short cutscene between Tess and Opal. After the scene, rapidly open and shut the backpack until Tess' mom gets annoyed to get the "Does This Bug You?" achievement.

Annoying Tess' mom for an achievement in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Once you've got these two achievements, turn to your mom and start a conversation.

Talking to Opal during the second chapter walkthrough for Open Roads.
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Once the conversation ends, your phone will buzz in the glove department. Pick it up.

Getting messages from Tess' dad in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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After the messages, you'll get the "Are We There Yet?" achievement and arrive at the summer home.

Open Roads Chapter 3 Summer Home walkthrough

Select the back doors of the summer van. They will be locked, but your mom will tell you the keys are in your Aunt August's old room. Keep that in mind while you look around.

The locked funky van outside of the summer home in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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On the right side of the house, interact with one of the garden beds to learn more about Tess' Aunt August.

The summer home garden's lore in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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A small doorway to the crawlspace beneath the house is found on the left side of it. Hold the interact button while looking at it to enter it.

The entrance to the summer home's crawlspace in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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The crawlspace

Travel around the crawlspace until you reach the center. There will be a photo and a postcard that can be examined.

Hidden photos in the summer home's crawlspace in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Look at the ceiling in this area to find a hatch leading into the home. Enter it to let Tess and Opal into the house.

A secret passage into the summer home in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Inside the summer home

After entering the summer home, August's room is the first door to your right. The main area of her room has a spirit board, two board games, some tickets, and the key to Opal's old van.

The important items in August's room during our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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There is also a small drawing in the closet to look over.

A drawing in August's closet during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The final place to check in August's room is the dresser. The middle drawer has a note to August from her mother.

Exploring August's dresser during the walkthrough of Open Roads.
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The second drawer contains a treasure map and a trowel. We'll come back to digging up the treasure when we leave the house to open the van.

The final dresser drawer in August's room during the walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Before leaving August's room, open the door connecting her room to the outside.

Opening the door from August's room to outside in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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If you try to enter the next room in the hall, Opal will reveal that it is her parents' room and it is jammed shut. She can open it if you find a screwdriver, which is in her van.

The locked door in the summer cabin during a walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Ignore the door for now and head to the bathroom. There is a newspaper clipping on top of the toilet and a photo taped to the mirror. The newspaper clipping gives Tess a cute interaction with her mom, while the photo gives you the "Waiter Skater" achievement.

A newspaper and a photograph found during the walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Before leaving, check the trash can to find a crumpled-up letter.

A letter to Opal from her best friend Lori during our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Now return to the outside area at the front of the house to go through the funky van.

Opal's old van

The van can be opened and entered using the key found in August's room. There are three paper items to check out, plus a glovebox to open

All of the interactable items in the summer home's van in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Opening the glove compartment reveals a letter from Opal's summer fling and the needed screwdriver.

Examining the van's glove department in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Now you're ready to leave the van and dig up August's treasure.

August's buried treasure

When looking at August's map, you'll notice that the treasure is by the doghouse. Head over there to find a suspicious mound of dirt.

The location of August's treasure in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Dig it up to reveal a small, delicate box.

Digging up August's treasure in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Opening it and going through the treasures gives you the "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night(shade)" achievement.

Getting the Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night(shade) achievement in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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If you want to gather more lore, I recommend exploring the common areas of the home next. If you want to progress further in the game, skip ahead to opening the grandparent's room.

The summer home's common areas

The living room's rollerskates and deer heads will give you more background on your mom and aunt.

The important areas of the summer home living room in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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There is a small table on the right side of the kitchen. It has an important postcard and a tiny key.

The key items on the kitchen table in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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The small key is used to open the top right drawer on the desk in the next room. The postcard in the drawer and the note on the desk each initiate conversations with Tess's mom.

The two important desk notes in the walkthrough of Open Roads.
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After gathering these, you've collected all of the lore. It's time to unlock Tess' grandparents' room.

Opal's parents' room

With the screwdriver from the van, unlock the final room in the house.

Unlocking the summer home's final room in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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The right side of the room has bunny slippers, which Tess will talk about. It also has another postcard.

Finding a summer home postcard in grandma's room during a walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Next, turn your attention to the writing desk in the left corner.

Inspecting the locked room's desk in our walkthrough of Open Roads.
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It can be opened using the key from Tess' grandma's diary gathered in the first chapter of the game. The only really important item here is the note in the center. Read it and flip it over to complete the summer house chapter.

Completing the summer house in the walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Head to the front yard. Interact with the gate in front of your car to leave and get the "Going Mobile" achievement.

Leaving the third chapter of the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Open Roads Chapter 4 Motel walkthrough

The first thing to do in the hotel is grab your phone.

Grabbing Tess' phone during the Open Roads chapter four walkthrough.
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I texted both Tess' dad and Francine, but Francine is the only one required for the next achievement. Once you've talked, place the phone in your pocket. The first thing you can text Francine about is the pamphlet in the top center drawer of the dresser.

Texting Francine about the town pamphlet during the Motel part of the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Next, walk over to Opal's suitcase and open it. Select the bottle of pills inside and text Francine about them to get the "Mother's Little Helper" achievement. You can also text her about Opal's shirts on the left side of the suitcase.

Snooping through Opal's suitcase in the chapter four walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Lastly, Francine can be texted about the towels in the bathroom.

Texting Francine about the bathroom towels in the Open Roads chapter four walkthrough.
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When you're done exploring around, open Tess' backpack and start doing homework.

Doing homework during the chapter four walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Opal will return, bringing a burger for Tess. It is in a white styrofoam container next to her homework. Tap it to open it.

Getting the burger in the chapter four Open Roads walkthrough.
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Interact with the burger four or five times to eat it. It is a satisfying experience that gives you the "Clean Plate Club" achievement.

Eating the motel burger in the chapter four walkthrough of Open Roads.
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If you want to finish texting Francine, start by grabbing your phone again. There will be a message from her saying goodnight. However, you can text her one more time about the cocktail napkin Tess' mom left on the TV stand.

A cocktail napkin to text Francine about during the chapter 4 walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Once you've texted Francine all of the weird things, the only thing left to do is finish Tess' homework. This will lead you into a conversation with Aunt August. When the conversation is over, face the left bed and head to sleep to get the "Room Service" achievement.

Heading to sleep at the end of the chapter four Open Roads walkthrough.
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Open Roads Chapter 5 Crossing Borders walkthrough

The second part of the road trip begins with Tess wanting her phone. First, check her backpack in the backseat for it.

Searching Tess' backpack for her phone in the chapter five walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Then check the glove box.

Tess realizing she's lost her phone during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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This leads to a long conversation between Tess and her mom ending in a fight. When you interact with Opal the first time after, nothing will happen. Try to talk to her a second time to end the car scene. This will give you the "Road Warrior" achievement and start the next chapter.

The car trip after Tess fights with Opal during the fifth chapter of the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Open Roads Chapter 6 Houseboat walkthrough

When you first walk down the pier, you'll see a set of mailboxes. The one in the bottom right corner will start a short scene between Tess and Opal.

Pierre's mailbox in the sixth chapter of our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Afterward, head to the fishing shack.

The fishing shack with lore in the Houseboat chapter of our Open Roads walkthrough.
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When you enter, there is a pink poster on the wall that can be read and talked about with Opal.

A poster calling out Pierre in the sixth chapter of the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Leave the shack. To enter the houseboat, you need to cross a wide gap. Start by mentioning the gap to Opal.

The gap between the pier and the boat in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Luckily, there is a large plank on the right side of the shack that can be used as a bridge.

Using a plank as a bridge in the walkthrough of the final chapter of Open Roads.
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When you cross onto the houseboat, open the first door you see. It will lead into a small hallway with two doors. We'll start with the room on the right, as the one on the left is locked.

The first room to enter in the Houseboat chapter of our Open Roads walkthrough.
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There is a photograph of Tess' grandmother on the headboard as well as a letter written by her.

Important lore items in the first room of the houseboat during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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The navigation area of the ship is further down the hallway. It contains two notes to share with Opal.

The two hidden notes in the Houseboat chapter's navigation room during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Related: How to get the True Ending in Sea of Stars

The stairs in this room are broken. You'll have to exit the houseboat using the door you entered from and walk around its cabin to take a ladder to the lower levels.

Using a ladder to get to the bottom floor of the houseboat during the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Enter the doorway on the right side of this lower level.

The doorway into the houseboat's bottom level in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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The first room on this level contains a single letter on the nightstand.

One of Tess' grandmother's letters in a girls room on the houseboat in the final chapter walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Exit this room and head down the hallway. The boat's kitchen will be the first door on the left.

The hallway leading to the kitchen in the Open Roads chapter six walkthrough.
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There is a ledger on the counter and a newspaper clipping on the fridge.

The important items in the houseboat's kitchen in our Open Roads walkthrough.
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After leaving the kitchen, exit the hallway and turn left to the bar.

The houseboat's bar in the Open Roads chapter six walkthrough.
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There will be a receipt and a set of keys on the counter.

Finding the keys for the locked office during chapter 6 of our Open Roads walkthrough.
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With these keys, head through the nearby door and return to the second floor.

The door used to exit the houseboat's lower floor during the walkthrough of the sixth chapter of Open Roads.
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Use the keys to open the locked door in the upstairs hallway.

Unlocking the office door in our walkthrough of Open Roads chapter six.
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Open the top right drawer of the desk in this room. It will first give you a letter explaining the end of Pierre's relationship with Helen.

Grandma's final letter in the Open Roads walkthrough.
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Beneath the letter, you'll find a small mailbox key.

Finding the mailbox key during the walkthrough of Open Roads.
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Return to the set of mailboxes found at the beginning of the pier. As we discovered previously, the one belonging to Pierre is at the bottom right.

Pierre's mailbox in chapter six of our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Opening it grants you access to a few letters.

Unlocking Pierre's mailbox during chapter six of our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Reading these letters reveals the truth behind Pierre and gives you the "Pier Pressure" achievement. It also places you into the car for the last time.

Open Roads Chapter 7 The Way Home walkthrough

If you've looked over everything in the car previously, all that's left is a final talk with Opal.

The last conversation between Tess and Opal in the final chapter of our Open Roads walkthrough.
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Completing this talk gives you the final achievement, "Road Less Traveled", and ends the game.

Looking for a new cozy game to play? Check out our list of the Best Cozy Nintendo Switch Games of 2023 here on Pro Game Guides.


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The final image after completing a walkthrough of Open Roads.
The final image after completing a walkthrough of Open Roads.
Open Roads Walkthrough - Pro Game Guides
Open Roads Walkthrough - Pro Game Guides
Open Roads Walkthrough - Pro Game Guides
Open Roads Walkthrough - Pro Game Guides