Alan Wake 2: Best Chapter Order Explained

Alan Wake 2 does an excellent job of making things far more confusing than they need to be (in a good way). It merges the narratives from the first installment and the worldscape of Remedy Entertainment’s other masterpieces to create a singular world with tons to explore.

At least, I found myself putting things together from games like Control and Quantum Break to see if I could even gather an inkling of understanding.

To make things a little more interesting, however, the team decided to split the chapters in Alan Wake 2 so they could be played by both protagonists, Alan and Saga.

It’s almost as though the devs really wanted to make things just a little more confusing. Anything for the plot! That also means that many players consider there to be a preferred chapter order for Alan Wake 2.

How to Switch Chapters in Alan Wake 2

Before I jump into what the best chapter order for Alan Wake 2 is, you need to know how to actually go about changing them.

After having completed Initiation 3, you’ll be able to freely switch between Saga and Alan by approaching Ahti’s janitor bucket and switching realities. The janitor rooms are basically safe havens where you’re also able to stash away equipment and even save the game.

Personally, I’d recommend switching between characters as often as possible to make sure you’ve got the entire story down. I also recommend switching between characters if you come across a hard puzzle that you’ve been staring at for far too long. It’s incredible what a little time away can do for the brain.

Best Chapter Order for Alan Wake 2

The chapters in Alan Wake 2 are split between Saga’s Return chapters and Wake’s Initiation chapters. Between the two, 18 total chapters explain everything that’s going on both in Alan’s head and in Bright Falls. Because the game allows you to switch between chapters, there can be some context lost as you move forward.

The best order to journey through each of these chapters to get the best grip on the story is the following:

1. Return 1 – The Invitation (Saga)
   • This follows Saga Anderson and Alex Casey when they first arrive at Bright Falls to investigate the murder of a former FBI agent. As Saga continues investigating, she comes across a manuscript that connects to the case.
2. Return 2 – The Heart (Saga)
   • Here, Saga examines the murder victim and discovers an overlap where the Dark Place has managed to intertwine with the real world.
3. Initiation 1 – Late Night (Alan)
   • This is the first chapter we see that stars the titular Alan Wake. We see him trying to come to terms with the fact that his demons from the first game have not left him.
4. Initiation 2 – Casey (Alan)
   • Alan follows his own trail of clues before running into his fictionalized version of Alex Casey, the main character in his book series.
5. Initiation 3 – Haunting (Alan)
   • Here, Alan tries to navigate the Dark Place.
6. Return 3 – Local Girl (Saga)
   • Saga goes through Bright Falls and discovers her strange past and connection to it, especially with the Koskela brothers.
7. Initiation 4 – We Sing (Alan)
   • Alan continues journeying through the Dark Place and goes through a musical experience.
8. Initiation 5 – Room 665 (Alan)
   • This chapter is primarily about Alan exploring the Oceanview Hotel.
9. Return 4 – No Chance (Saga)
   • This chapter follows Saga, Alan, and Casey being attacked by the Cult of the Tree.
10. Return 5 – Old Gods (Saga)
    • Saga discovers her strange connection to the Anderson Brithers after visiting them at the Valhalla Nursing Home.
11. Initiation 6 – Return (Alan)
    • After having discovered the Return manuscript, Alan heads to Parliament Tower in an effort to seek more information.
12. Return 6 – Scratch (Saga)
    • This is the chapter in which Saga gives Alan the Clicker, which ultimately is what truly moves the game forward.
13. Initiation 7 – Masks (Alan)
    • Here, Mr. Door and Alan confront one another on the set of In Between With Mr. Door.
14. Initiation 8 – Zane’s Film (Alan)
    • This chapter explores Alan’s final draft of Initiation and cutting through Poet’s Cinema.
15. Return 7 – Summoning (Saga)
    • In this chapter, Saga and various other characters try to extract Alan from the Dark Place at Cauldron Lake.
16. Initiation 9 – Gone (Alan)
    • This chapter follows Alan trying to get Scratch, and leads to the end of the game.
17. Return 8 – Deerfest (Saga)
    • Here, Alan tries to stop Scratch by going from Cauldron Lake to Bright Falls.
18. Return 9 – Come Home (Saga)
    • The final chapter of the game follows Saga as she finds herself now trapped in both her own Mind Place and the Dark Place.
19. New Game Plus – The Final Draft

Both Alan’s and Saga’s stories are occurring at the same time. So, despite the chapters being playable in any order, it’s best to alternate frequently to get the best understanding of what’s happening. Otherwise, some context and references are likely to get lost.

For more chapter-based guides, check out our Escape From Tarkov 1.0 – How To Start Every Story Chapter Quests and Dispatch – Chapter 4: Which game is hiding the bomb?