All Ending Conditions and Routes#
Endings are the point where every system in Back to the Dawn converges. “Open quest paths, multiple endings, player choices shaping destiny” is a design confirmed by several sources, and among the endings whose trigger conditions can be reliably traced in public material, everything revolves around one core choice: escape before the main quest (obtaining the Mayor’s recording) is complete, or escape after it is complete.
First, the sourcing: the ending trigger conditions on this page come from a guide site’s compilation (a single source), and no complete official ending list has been published — apart from what is explicitly listed below, this site makes no statement about the names or conditions of any other endings, and does not rule out the possibility that others exist. That is not vagueness; it is discipline.
The Ending Branch Map#
Here is the verified trigger logic as a decision table:
| Your action | Ending direction | Key node |
|---|---|---|
| Escape before completing the main quest | The “Hermit” ending | You get out, but the exoneration stops there |
| Escape after completing the main quest | Enter the Broadcast Hall | Fight the Werewolf twin bosses |
| Freely chosen after victory in the Broadcast Hall | The “Justice” ending or the “Emperor” ending | A personal choice between two |
Three layers need to be understood separately: the first is “did you escape at all,” the second is “when did you escape” (deciding what you see), and the third is “what you choose after winning” (deciding what you become). The first two layers are decided by timing, the third by you — a design that splits “physical success at escaping” and “moral completion of the exoneration” into two independent axes of evaluation, which is very much in the spirit of the escape genre.
The Hermit: The Run-First Path#
Trigger Condition#
Escape successfully before completing the main quest (obtaining the Mayor’s recording) to enter the “Hermit” ending.
Key Points of the Route#
The logic of this route is purity first: the chain of evidence stops being a required answer, and the completeness of your escape preparation becomes the only hard metric.
| Preparation dimension | Focused action | Related page |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Lock the line early and push one route hard | Escape Route Planning Overview |
| Supplies | Stock up against the checklist, leave no gaps | Item Acquisition and Crafting |
| Relations | Keep your cover intact and avoid escalating feuds | Relationships and Affinity System |
| Time | The three-phase plan can be compressed, but execution cannot slip | Time Management and Scheduling |
The Mental Ledger of Choosing the Hermit#
This route gives up the narrative closure of “clearing your name” — Thomas gets out of prison, but he does not carry the truth out of Rockfall City. It suits players who want to experience the full escape process first, or who want to scout the ground for a second playthrough. Note that the Hermit is not a failure ending — it is a self-consistent narrative endpoint, and both press and community opinion on the multiple-ending design are positive overall.
The Broadcast Hall: Clear Your Name, Then Run#
Trigger Condition#
Escape after completing the main quest (obtaining the Mayor’s recording) to enter the Broadcast Hall and face the Werewolf twin bosses in combat.
The Preparation Ledger Before the Fight#
This duel is the final test before the ending, and its preparation elements shift from escape supplies to hard combat power:
| Preparation dimension | Key point | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Attributes and skills | Combat-oriented investment has to be planned ahead | See Character Attributes and Skill System; exact numbers are as shown in game |
| Combat system | Head-on turn-based confrontation | See the combat solution in Conflict Response and Risk Control |
| State resources | Supplies and condition before the final battle | Use of recovery channels such as the infirmary is as shown in game |
The specific mechanics, numbers and tactics of the Werewolf twin bosses have not been disclosed item by item by any reliable source, so this site will not fabricate a strategy table. The framing advice we can give is: a twin-boss fight carries more information than a duel, so if your opening-phase attribute planning leans toward combat at all, this route will feel far more comfortable.
Justice and The Emperor: The Final Free Choice#
After defeating the Werewolf twin bosses, the game hands the final choice back to the player: pick freely between the “Justice” ending and the “Emperor” ending. This is a value judgment at the narrative level — after walking the exoneration road to its end, what kind of person do you want to be?
The specific differences in content between the two endings belong to the core spoilers, and this site does not describe them; leaving the choice to you is the best way to open this set of designs. From the achievement angle, the tarot-themed achievement names echo the ending themes (see below and Achievement System and Unlock Conditions).
How the Endings Map to Achievements#
The four verified tarot-themed achievements — “Wheel of Fortune,” “The Fool,” “The High Priestess” and “The Hierophant” — are flagged by guide sources as achievements that are necessarily completed on the main story. The practical implications are worth spelling out:
- Necessarily completed on the main story: it means a normal run through the main story (whichever ending direction you choose) will bag them, and you do not need to change your playstyle for them.
- Tarot theme: consistent with the game’s narrative flavor, and it also hints that the achievement system is organized around narrative nodes rather than execution difficulty.
- The full achievement list is not public: the remaining achievements have not been fully disclosed officially, so this site does not invent a list — go by the actual achievement panel in game.
Route Recommendations by Player Goal#
Here is a guidance table for players with different goals:
| Your goal | Recommended route | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A complete narrative experience on the first playthrough | Clear your name, then run (Broadcast Hall line) | Carries the game’s core narrative and final confrontation |
| Seeing the escape system in full first | Run first (the “Hermit” line) | The purest escape-gameplay experience |
| Collecting across multiple playthroughs | Take the two lines in separate playthroughs | Two protagonists and multiple endings naturally justify replay |
| Achievement-oriented | Follow the main story | All four verified achievements are necessarily completed on the main story |
Quick FAQ#
Can I still get other endings after the Hermit? Endings land at the playthrough level, so switching endings means a new playthrough or starting from an earlier save. The specific save mechanics are as shown in game.
What happens if I have the recording but the escape fails? How a failed escape is handled is a flow mechanic with no reliable source detailing it at present; what can be said for certain is that failure brings information and review material (see the failure and retry section in Escape Route Planning Overview), not a global reset.
Do other endings actually exist? The game advertises multiple ending directions, but existing reliable sources only support the contents of the table above. For the names and conditions of the remaining endings, this site states up front that it will not fabricate them, and waits for credible disclosure from official or community sources.
Related Pages#
- Main Story Flow and Key Choices — the 21-day roadmap leading to each ending
- Achievement System and Unlock Conditions — how to unlock the tarot achievements
- Escape Route Planning Overview — the physical prerequisite for a successful escape