Recommended unlock order for Say Cheese endings

Collecting every in-game menu ending is faster when you stop treating each finale as a random restart. The park only gives you a few useful moods per run, so the order you chase them matters as much as the shutter itself.

This site’s Progression page spells out the community-recommended phases. Here is the “why” behind that sequence, and where to dig deeper.

1. Learn the chaos engine — Viral first

Viral teaches the headline loop: photograph fear and fights, watch the park TVs escalate, then keep feeding confrontation until panic goes fully viral. Once you have felt that feedback, every other ending is easier to aim for — including the ones that deliberately avoid chaos.

Do not skip this just because it looks long. One deliberate Viral clear is cheaper than ten confused restarts.

2. Bank the quick / mechanical endings

On fresh runs, knock out short targets without overthinking:

• Cricket — early grass hunt before crowds thicken
• Say Cheese — the smile / pose route
• Breaking News — empty-lawn frames that starve the desk
• TV — keep shooting the park monitor
• Reverse — wide multi-character frames
• Scared — scared-circle close-ups without riding the full riot

These are listed under phase 2 on Progression. Restart between them when a mood is already wrong.

3. Precision portrait — Eyes Closed

Eyes Closed rewards waiting for the blink, not spamming the shutter. A calm subject beats a riot background. Do this after the quick bank so you are not still learning framing basics mid-portrait.

4. Timing endings — Good, Peace, Hat

Good, Peace, and Hat punish impatience. Hat Man is easy to aim and harsh if you are late — miss the arrival and a chaos path can steal the run. Restart rather than forcing a spoiled peaceful attempt. Full notes live on each ending page and in the timing phase on Progression.

5. Save Follow the Money for last

Follow the Money is easier once you recognize the Suit’s early bribe beat and how panic can own every headline. Prioritize the payoff subject before the park tips fully into Viral territory.

Use the wiki as a checklist

• Browse all twelve menu endings on the Endings hub
• Refresh camera habits on Camera beginner
• Skim the cast on Characters when a subject name is unfamiliar

Quality over grind: one intentional run beats five accidental finales.