Perfect Tides: Complete Walkthrough & Best Ending Guide

Perfect Tides is an adventure game created by the artist and animator Meredith Gran, best known for the webcomic Octopus Pie. It’s a bildungsroman about a teenage girl in the year 2000, and it is heartbreaking, hilarious, and gorgeous. But you already knew that, or you wouldn’t be typing ‘Perfect Tides Guide’ or ‘Perfect Tides Walkthrough’ into Google.

I heard about this game the wrong way around — through its sequel, Perfect Tides: Station to Station, which launched earlier this year. However, I couldn’t find any definitive, straightforward guides for the first game online, at least one that would help me achieve the best ending. So I figured I would write one! Here goes…

Perfect Tides Walkthrough

SPRING

• Enter the campground office, grab the gardening brochure from the rack, and the inner tube from the desk.
• Open Mara’s inventory (move the mouse to the top of the screen), grab the inner tube, press OK, then use it on Mara.
• Use the inflated inner tube on Mara’s wagon
• Interact with the wagon and take it home.
• Pick up the groceries and take them inside
• Open the fridge and put the groceries away
• In Mara’s room, interact with the PC and connect to the internet
• Leave Mara’s room, talk to Mara’s mam and get the package slip
• Leave Mara’s house, walk down one screen, right one screen, and up one screen to reach the post office. 
• Give the package slip to Mrs. Peters at the Post Office window to receive a parcel
• Head up the alley to the left of the Post Office, and continue up a screen, past Billy’s, and you’ll reach the abandoned hotel, The Tides.
• Pick up the beer bottle on the floor.
• Head left from the hotel to reach a fancy house on the beach.
• Head inside the house and ask Simon ‘Want to do something today?’
• You’ll make dinner plans with Simon, but he wants you to bring a snack.
• Go back to Mara’s house and give the package to her mam to receive bubble wrap.
• Leave Mara’s house, head down one screen to the dock, then left a screen back to the area from the opening.
• Speak to the old lady on the bench, and she’ll give you a bag of pea pods.
• Walk up the alley between the two buildings, then head left at the screen to reach the downtown area.
• Speak to Mikey, the town layabout — he wants something cool.
• Open Mara’s inventory and use the bubble wrap with the beer to create a beer coozy.
• Offer the beer coozy to Mikey. He’ll give Mara a bag of chips, and the day will turn to night.
• Head right two screens to return to Mara’s home. Head inside and interact with the oven.
• Open Mara’s inventory, place the pea pods on the tray, then exit the interaction.
• Leave Mara’s house, head up by two screens to Simon’s house, then head left a screen.
• Pick up the sandy squash left of the helipad.
• Head right one screen to Simon’s house, go inside, sit at the table, and offer Simon the peas. He has lost a floppy disk.
• Walk up a screen to the beach, and then left to reach the fire pit. Talk to Lily.
• The next morning, go to Mara’s room and start the computer, then send an IM to STaggle
• Leave the house, head up the path to Simon’s house, and then go left three screens to the entrance to the woods. Select the wagon in Mara’s inventory and interact with the forest floor to gather soil.
• Select the squash seeds in Mara’s inventory and plant them in the soil.
• Talk to Mara’s mam and say, ‘Yeah, School! Cowabunga!’
• Head inside the ‘Stationary’ store, look at the menu, and then talk to Sabrina to buy a sandwich.
• Walk one screen to the right to arrive at Beltagh High School. 
• Head inside and look at each locker until you find Mara’s, then open it and take the notebook and pen. 
• Open Mara’s inventory and read the notebook to find a guide to developing film.
• Talk to the shop clerk, Daniel, and offer him the bag of chips from Mara’s inventory.
• Talk to Daniel again and buy the markers for $5
• Open Mara’s inventory and use the egg sandwich on Mara to eat half of it 
• Enter the classroom and sit down
• Outside the school, talk to the Mohawk kid, then try to leave the scene. You’ll be prompted to come back — do it!
• Now leave the scene to the left and talk to Mara’s mam. Choose to go home straight away. 
• Leave the house and walk down one screen.
• Talk to Jackson on the dock about the job
• Walk right one screen, then up to reach the post office.
• Walk up the alley to the left of the post office to reach Billy’s.
• Talk to Billy, then head down two screens, and you’ll find Simon at the docks. Talk to him.
• Walk left and then up to reach Mara’s house.
• Head inside and into Mara’s room, then interact with the computer and send a message to STaggle.

SUMMER

• Use Simon’s laptop to talk to Staggle.
• Leave Simon’s house and walk down two screens to Mara’s home, then left two screens to the downtown area.
• Look at Mikey’s wares on the blanket, and you’ll notice a workout DVD. You need something rare to trade for it.
• Head right one screen to the construction area and pick up the blue screwdriver on the concrete.
• Head right one screen to Mara’s house and go inside. Interact with the oven to receive dried pea seeds.
• Interact with the game controller and watch the 3D cutscene.
• Walk up one screen to the post office and hand the letter you wrote to the clerk.
• Walk up the alley to th left of the post office, then up another screen to reach The Tides.
• Walk left a screen to Simon’s house, then left two more screens to reach the TRL film crew.
• Talk to the guy in the red cap — you need to make a good sign to get on TV.
• Walk to the right and talk to Simon at the helipad.
• When the helicopter leaves, go up the path to the water, and then walk right one screen.
• Open Mara’s inventory and show the sign you made to the guy in the red cap.
• Leave Mara’s house and walk up two screens to the beachfront, then left four screens to reach the entrance to the woods. Head up into the woods, and you’ll reach a campsite.
• Leave Mara’s house and head up two screens to Simon’s place. Talk to Dean Bhatt, and then take Dean inside to the party.
• Talk to Simon (in a white shirt and blue jeans), then interact with the door Dean went through to reach the pool area. Talk to Dean in the pool.
• Grab one of Mitch’s books from the stack in the foreground, then open Mara’s inventory and use it on Mara to read it. 
• Head back inside and use the book on Mitch to have him sign it.
• Leave Simon’s house, head down two screens to Mara’s house, then left two screens to the downtown area.
• Offer the book to Mikey, and he will give you the Tae Bo Tape. Select the dialogue option ‘Tae Bo Violence’ to receive carrot seeds.
• Head right two screens back to Mara’s house and plant the carrot seeds in the soil. 
• Now head inside Mara’s house, watch the cutscene, then use the Tae Bo Tape on the VCR.
• It’s now nighttime — check Tim’s door (he’s asleep) and then walk into the bathroom left of it. 
• Use the Blue Screwdriver on the small panel under the sink to crawl into Tim’s room. 
• Interact with the PC to eject the disc, and note that it says ‘water’ on it.
• Now, interact with the router on the floor. Inside the circle, hover Mara’s hand over the loose cable until you grab it, then ‘use’ the cable on the router to plug it in.
• Interact with the PC monitor and use the password ‘water’.
• ‘Go to the admin settings’, and then switch user PTSkyes to ‘General Access’.
• Interact with the crawl space and return to the bathroom, then head out to the living room and talk to Mara’s mam.
• The next morning, head outside, open Mara’s inventory, and use the pea seeds on the soil.
• Head back inside and tell Mara’s mam that you’re ready to leave.
• On the mainland, enter the stationary store and speak to Justin, then follow him out the back door.
• Head back inside the store and to the ferry stop where Mara’s mam is waiting. Speak to her to end this chapter.

FALL

• Talk to Jackson.
• Walk up between the cabins to the next screen, then up two more screens to the helipad. Head left one more screen, and pick up the red floppy disk stuck in the sand. 
• Head down two screens, then right two screens to reach the Whitefish residence. 
• Go to Mara’s bedroom, open her inventory, and put the floppy disk in the computer. 
• Interact with the monitor to check the forums, work on your writing, and then check out the disk.
• Interact with the tower to eject the disk when you’re finished.
• Leave your room and the house, then head north two screens to Simon’s house and go inside.
• Talk to depressed Simon, and then open your inventory and give him the floppy disk.
• Leave Simon’s house, head down two screens to Mara’s house, left one screen to the construction site, and down one screen back to the ferry dock.
• Talk to Paul and select ‘Back to work’.
• Talk to the girl with dark hair, Amanda, and she’ll invite you to a party.
• Before you go with the group, talk to Paul, and then open your inventory and give him half of your egg sandwich.
• Talk to Amanda again and select ‘Yup!’ to enter Jason’s car.
• Now inside The House, talk to Amanda and pay for a cappuccino.
• Sit down on the couch in the foreground and speak to Robert.
• Now head through the exit door and speak to Jason in the smoking area.
• Head back inside and talk to Jason, then speak to Amanda twice.
• Head right by one screen, then up one screen to the Whitefish Residence.
• Before you go inside, pick the squash from the soil.
• Head inside, go to Mara’s room, and then use her computer.
• In the morning, open Mara’s inventory and give the squash to her mother.
• Head outside and pick the grown carrots from the soil, then walk down one screen and talk to Amanda on the dock. 
• Go up one screen, left two screens, and up one screen to the bustle of the market.
• Talk to everyone you can, and then open Mara’s inventory and use Mara’s carrots on the table.
• Walk up a screen to the beach, and the day will turn to night. Head right one screen and then up towards the beach to find the party. 
• Give Robert the beer bottle after putting your hood up.
• Walk right one screen to the other side of the beach, then down four screens to the dock, then one screen to the right to reach the boat area and begin a cutscene. 
• Talk to Amanda, then interact with the vacant seat to sit down next to Jason
• Head up one screen to the post office, then up another to Billy’s, and another to reach The Tides. Take Jason’s hand when prompted.
• Walk down three screens and talk to Amanda and Robert.
• Walk left one screen and then up a screen to reach the Whitefish Residence. Go inside and interact with Mara’s computer to end the night.
• Leave Mara’s house, walk down one screen, then left one screen to reach the boat dock, talk to Amanda, and ‘ride the River Styx to hell’.
• Speak to Sabrina inside the ‘Stationary’ store to get a Crunch bar.
• Walk right one screen and exhaust the dialogue with Dean & Christina for a funny scene.
• Head inside the school, talk to Justin, and ask him about the rumour.
• Interact with your locker to receive a birthday card, then walk outside and talk to Jason to make plans for the evening
• Walk back inside the school and talk to Daniel at the Lion’s Lair desk, then enter the classroom on the left and talk to your classmates.
• Sit on the closest chair to the door, then interact with the Dark Room door.
• Speak to your classmates, then interact with the top drawer at the back middle of the room to collect the film stock.
• Open Mara’s inventory, click the eye button, then click the notebook to read the instructions for developing film. (picture below). You have to interact with the table on the right to begin the puzzle.

• Pro Tip: You can mess this up really easily — the first thing to know is that the three bottles at the back are all different solutions. Secondly, once you’ve measured the solution into the measuring flask, you need to deposit it into the black receptacle in the bottom left. The basic workflow, once you’ve put your film in the tank, is as follows: bottle to measuring flask > water to measuring flask > measuring flask to development tank > timer > dump the tank solution into the sink > repeat. Once you’ve done this three times, rinse the black tank under water, then remove the film and hang it.
• Follow the instructions to develop the film, leave the Dark Room and the classroom, then sit down with Daniel.
• Walk one screen to the right to end up in Robert’s basement.
• Pick up the VCR Remote and sit down next to Jason.
• Walk out of the classroom, speak to Daniel, open Mara’s inventory, and give Lily — the girl with black hair — the Crunch Bar.
• Leave school and walk left one screen, then talk to Timothy.
• Back in Mara’s house, use the computer, and then leave your room and talk to your mam. Interact with the room at the back of the kitchen to get the guitar.
• Leave the bedroom and open Mara’s inventory. Use the VCR remote on the TV to get an achievement.
• Go to Mara’s room, then use the guitar on Jason
• When you’re on the beach, head right one screen, then down one screen to reach Simon’s place. Head inside and talk to Simon.
• Talk to Jason when he’s sitting down, then use the laptop on the table when he leaves.
• Go outside and talk to Jason, then head two screens down back to Mara’s house. Harvest the peas before you go inside, use them on Mara to try them, and then go to your room to end the chapter.

WINTER

• Say ‘Sure’ to Lily to get the copy of GIRLMAG.
• Outside Mara’s house, talk to Timothy, and then pick up the groceries from the wagon and head inside.
• Talk to Mara’s mam, then open the fridge and put the groceries away.
• Leave Mara’s house, then walk left two screens to reach the area with Mikey.
• Inspect the Ken Burns documentary set. You need another rare item to trade for it.
• In the distance, there’s some paper on the floor next to a blue bin. Pick it up.
• Walk right one screen, then down one screen to reach the boat dock. Head into the office where Jackson works.
• Interact with the tape dispenser on the desk to get a sticky ball of tape.
• Walk up one screen, right one screen, down one screen, and right one screen to reach Amanda on the dock.
• Talk to Amanda, and then walk up one screen to the post office. Open Mara’s inventory and use the peas on the post office clerk.
• Head down one screen, left one screen, and up one screen to reach the Whitefish residence. Head to Mara’s room and interact with her computer.
• Leave your room, open the fridge, and make Pop-Tarts for Lily.
• Leave the house and talk to Timothy to begin the supply run.
• Talk to Jason, then head right to find Daniel, and ask him to take you to the Dark Room.
• Interact with the work area, then your notebook in the top right. On the second page are instructions for enlarging and developing your photograph (see picture below). Follow them to a t, and then interact with Daniel to leave the Dark Room

• Leave the school area and talk to Timothy at the dock.
• Once you reach the other side, walk up one screen, right one screen, and up two screens to Simon’s house. Sit on teh couch and talk to him.
• Walk down two screens, enter Mara’s house, go to her bedroom and interact with the computer.
• When you wake up, interact with the computer, then leave the Whitefish residence.
• Walk up three screens to the beach, then left one screen to the campfire, down one screen to the helipad, then left two screens and down one screen to reach the fire department.
• Interact with the door marked ‘Fyre’ to enter the nightclub.
• Pick up the record in the foreground, and then interact with the booth on the left to DJ. Once you’re done, leave the nightclub.
• Walk to Simon’s Place: right one screen, up one screen, right one screen, up one screen, right one screen, down one screen.
• Smash the glass panes and the pot at the back and the two paintings on either side of the room — then smash the coffee table.
• Walk down two screens to Mara’s house, go to your bedroom and use the PC.
• Now on the mainland, speak to the boys and select ‘Let’s Go’.
• Sit on the purple couch and speak to Robert, then go through the exit door at the back of The House.
• Back inside, sit next to Robert to progress the scene, then talk to Jason when he comes back inside.
• Enter the hotel room marked ‘4’ and sit on the bed.
• Choose to ‘Move Closer’ or ‘Stay Where You Are’.
• Interact with Mara’s computer, then leave the room. Interact with the box of ‘Oh!’s’ on the counter to make cereal.
• Head outside, and left two screens.
• Trade your Fleetwood Mac LP with Mikey for the Ken Burns documentaries. Then open Mara’s inventory and combine the brown paper you collected with the documentary set and the photograph you developed.
• Head right one screen, then up two screens, and inspect the note on the door to Simon’s place.
• Go down two screens and head back inside the Whitefish residence. Interact with the door to your mam’s bedroom at the back of the house.
• Talk to Lily in your living room, then walk outside to go party.
• Walk right one screen, down one screen, and right one screen to reach The Tides.
• Interact with the taped doorway, and then talk to Lily.
• Pro Tip: You can drop an .mp3 file titled 02.mp3 in the game’s main folder to change the music during the dance sequence.
• When it’s all over, walk down one screen, and then enter the Whitefish residence.
• Open your inventory and use Simon’s poem on Mara.
• Talk to Mara’s mam, and give her the photograph from your inventory.
• Say that you’re ready for presents, then, when it’s over, go to your room and use your computer.
• Walk outside to finish the game.