Lots of secrets hidden here, there and everywhere inside The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 is truly mind-blowing, but leave it to Supermassive Games to leave you with the crumbs you can find along the way to piece together the story for yourself about what's really going on in their games.
One of those secrets is The Simms Recordings, a series of ten videos that Pari Simms made sometime during her four years as a sleep technician aboard the Cassiopeia. They are available in various episodes of Directive 8020 and give the impression that Simms knew something was wrong.
All Simms recording locations
You meet Pari Simmsof one of the sleep technicians aboard the Cassiopeia, in the opening minutes of Directive 8020, and while she was killed fairly early on as one of the few deaths in the game that cannot be changed by careful selection, her influence can be felt in various ways throughout the rest of the game.

Directive 8020 Preview & Interview: In Space, I Will Absolutely Scream
We spoke with 8020 executive producer Dan McDonald about The Dark Pictures' next spook-filled adventure.
First of all, it is present ten times in the videos that you can find in the game as hidden secrets, referred to as The Simms Recordings. Although you will find a lot of computer technology in the remains of Cassiopeia, search screens in the walls that you can interact with same as other secrets when you find them in the world.
You will see the Corinth logo when your video loads before you are shown a clip from the series videos Simms makes for his mother back on Earth, detailing the days he spends awake while the Cassiopeia science team sleeps four years deep on the flight to Tau Ceti F.
They start off innocently enough as they chat about drinking tea together via video chat, but it soon becomes apparent Simms knows something is wrong with the Cetus mission generally suspecting technical lag or hiccups, hostile fire from enemy planets, and even Corinth CEO LaMarcus Williams himself.
To piece together the story told in The Simms Recordings in Directive 8020, you'll need to find ten videos spread throughout the gamewith logs scattered here and there in six of the game's eight total episodes. Although they start in fairly obvious places, you'll find that towards the end of the game you'll need to do a bit more searching as the video files can often be pretty well hidden how are you going
We've tracked down all ten Simms recording locations in The Dark Pictures Anthology: Directive 8020 below. Also, check out the episode guides for more specific information on other secrets in the episode, or to get a clearer idea of where Simms recording locations are located during gameplay compared to the rest of the game.
Finding all ten Simms recording locations in Directive 8020 unlocks the Dear Mum trophy….
Green tea
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Found in – Episode 2: Best Laid Plans (Cerw Quarters) |
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Summary – Simms sends messages home to his mother with a transmission delay of two hours. |
You can find this recording of Simms on the wall Simms' room in the sleep technician's crew quarters aboard the Cassiopeia, between her desk and the door back to the main crew area.
There is also another secret on the Datapad on the table if you are looking for the eight secrets in the first episode.
Patches
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Found in – Episode 2: Best Laid Plans (Ship Shape) |
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Summary – During its journey, Earth repaired Cassiopeia with encrypted software updates. |
When you and Simms are going to look into the Medical Bay with the cameras to advance the story and find the ship breach, go at the top left of the window and interact with the video screen on the wall at the top of the stairs. You can see the interaction point quite clearly at the top of the stairs, from where you regain control of Carter.
Red alert
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Found in – Episode 2: Best Laid Plans (Ship shape) |
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Summary – TBD |
When you control Young while she and Eisele go to restore the power and you finally decide which system to shut down to restore power to where they need it, you'll find this recording of Simms near where you start controlling Young. Run behind the panel and look for the video on the right wall.
Sweet dreams
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Found in – Episode 2: Best Laid Plans (Ship Shape) |
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Summary – The static fluid for the return journey is different from the fluid used for the journey there. |
When you play as Eisele, when he disobeys Stafford's orders and investigates Simms and Carter's quarters in the Crew Quarters, a lot 50 Directive 8020 secrets found – 11 of them to be specific, excluding the Simms file. When you have your choice of routes in the Crew Quarters, take the upper stairs to find this Simms recording location on the wall in the hallway.
Sling
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Found in – Episode 3: Preview (Gear Up) |
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Summary – Responses from Andromeda are always delayed by at least two hours. |
This is a Simms Recording found in the “Tool Shed” on the ship while Cooper and Cernan search for a tool that allows you to open locked doors from time to time by canceling them. The instrument itself is on the right, but this Simms recording location is to the left as you enter.
You can also get it in the next scene if you missed it on the way in.
Special permission
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Found in – Episode 3: Preview (Search) |
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Summary – Simms discovered that Williams had a private line to Oracle. |
When you finish exploring the dining room and move the battery between the doors to open the lower floor, you'll find this recording of Simms down the stairs towards the large sign of Cassiopeia.
Go down the first staircase and take a left before continuing the story, effectively turning around the way you came into the room to see this Simms recording location on the wall next to the staircase you just used.
Enemy fire
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Found in – Episode 5: Mr. Williams (Radio Silence) |
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Summary – The ship experienced several near misses on its approach to the planet despite traveling through deep space. |
When attempting to redirect power to the elevator and use diamond electric router on the wall nearby, briefly divert the power before you go left to gain access to the locked door, where on the wall inside you'll find this Simms save location.
Field Agent
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Found in – Episode 6: Hostile Takeover (Detour) |
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Summary – Simms learned that someone on Earth was issuing cover orders to Williams. |
Simms' recording location for episode six comes fairly early on, during a detour scene where you're trying to navigate a crew member through areas to get to Hydroponics and explore the shadows. Who's here depends on who's still alive in your rescue at the time, but in addition to the six different secrets in the area before leaving for hydroponics, you can find the Simms Recording for episode six of Directive 8020 in geoscience laboratory. Defeat the door lock to enter and view the video on the wall inside.
Rabbit hole
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Found in – Episode 8: Come True (redirect) |
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Summary – Simms wasn't sure if the evidence she found pointed to a larger conspiracy or was the result of isolation. |
While avoiding the rogue Eisele in this scene, you'll be diverting power sources quite often. When you're near the one that gives you the option just outside the bathrooms in this scene, switch the power on dressing room door power supply. Once it's open, go inside, remember the creature, and find the video on the wall; in the dressing room.
In peace
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Found in – Episode 8: Come True (The way back) |
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Summary – Simms' connection to Carter and her mother eventually convinced her to stop investigating. |
They exist several secret near this Simms recording location, but you want to work with the recording on the wall just before the door you will have to go through to escape the area. It is right next to Obol, which unlocks a number of secrets about death.

Directive 8020 fixes one of my biggest problems with the Dark Pictures anthology
We won't have to squeeze into my apartment anymore.