The Path to TLOU2 100% Completion: A Practical Guide for Survivors

I have walked through the rain-soaked streets of Seattle more times than I can count. Each playthrough of The Last of Us Part II reveals something I missed before: a note pinned to a corkboard, a safe combination scribbled on a torn piece of paper, a collectible trading card tucked behind a dumpster. The game demands patience, and the journey to tlou2 100% completion is not a sprint. It is a deliberate, methodical crawl through one of the most emotionally draining worlds ever built in a video game.

When I first set out to finish everything the game had to offer, I underestimated the sheer volume of content hidden in plain sight. The game does not hold your hand. There is no dotted line pointing toward the next artifact. Instead, the world rewards curiosity and a willingness to backtrack. Every locked door, every workbench with a half-finished weapon upgrade, every piece of paper that looks like set dressing might be a clue toward a puzzle or a new piece of lore. I learned that the hard way after missing a training manual on my first run and having to replay three chapters just to grab it.

What 100% Actually Means in This Game

For most players, tlou2 100% completion means collecting every artifact, every trading card, every coin, every journal entry, and every weapon upgrade. It also means unlocking every skill on both Ellie and Abby’s skill trees, finding all workbench tools, and discovering every optional conversation. The game tracks your progress by chapter, and the menu screen shows a percentage for each category. But there is more to it than a number.

Some players consider a playthrough complete only after they have found every safe combination and opened every locked container. Others push for the platinum trophy, which requires finishing the game on each difficulty setting and completing a New Game Plus run. The difference between a casual completionist run and a true 100% file is the difference between seeing the credits and understanding every corner of the map. I have done both, and the latter takes roughly twice as long.

Building the Right Mindset

Before you start, accept that you will miss things. The game is built around linear chapters with branching paths, and it is easy to walk past a side room that contains a collectible you need. I recommend two things: play through the story once without a guide, absorbing the narrative at its own pace. Then, on a second playthrough, use a checklist. The emotional weight of the story hits harder when you are not constantly glancing at a phone screen to see if you missed a coin.

One trap I fell into early was trying to unlock every skill before the halfway point. The game gates certain upgrades behind story progression and workbench locations. You cannot max out Ellie’s pistol accuracy until you find the right workbench in Seattle Day 2. Trying to force skills early leads to frustration. Instead, focus on collecting pills, supplements, and training manuals as you go, then spend your points when the game lets you. The system is generous enough that you can max both characters by the end of the campaign if you search thoroughly.

The Collectibles That Matter Most

Not all collectibles are created equal. Some unlock lore, some unlock trophies, and some are just there to pad the percentage. Here is what I prioritize when working toward tlou2 100% completion:

Training manuals: These unlock new abilities and are often hidden behind optional puzzles or locked doors. Missing one means you cannot fully upgrade a skill tree.
Artifacts and trading cards: These feed the collectible tracker and many are tied to trophies. Some are incredibly well hidden, like the card inside the bank vault in the Hillcrest chapter.
Safe combinations: Each safe holds either ammo, parts, or a collectible. Finding all combinations is required for the platinum trophy.
Workbench tools: Without every tool, you cannot craft high-tier upgrades. One tool is in a location you can only reach after a story event triggers a collapse.
Journal entries: Ellie’s journal fills in narrative gaps and offers emotional context. These are easy to miss if you rush through dialogue.

I remember spending an hour in the hospital basement during Abby’s section, searching for a single artifact that turned out to be behind a door I had walked past three times. The game uses environmental storytelling to hide its secrets. If a room has a desk with a lamp on it, check under the desk. If a hallway has a locked gate, find the generator. The developers placed rewards behind obstacles that feel natural, not arbitrary.

Difficulty and New Game Plus

One of the biggest hurdles to a full completion is the requirement to finish the game on New Game Plus. That means you have to beat the story at least twice, carrying over your upgrades and collectibles from the first run. On my first New Game Plus playthrough, I focused on finding everything I had missed. The second time, I played on Survivor difficulty to unlock the grounded mode trophy. The combat feels different when you have all upgrades from the start. You can approach encounters with more creativity because you have every weapon and every skill ready.

If you are aiming for the platinum, you also need to complete the permadeath mode. That mode deletes your save if Ellie or Abby dies at any point during the story. I do not recommend combining permadeath with a collectible run. The stress of permadeath makes exploration feel punishing. Do your 100% run on a standard difficulty, then tackle permadeath separately. That approach saved me hours of frustration.

Tools and Resources

There are excellent community-made checklists and video guides that break down every collectible by chapter. I used a spreadsheet on my second playthrough that listed every safe combination, every training manual location, and every trading card. The spreadsheet saved me from replaying chapters multiple times. But I caution against following a guide so rigidly that you stop exploring. Half the joy of reaching tlou2 100% completion is the surprise of finding something you did not know existed.

One trick I learned: use the listen mode frequently. The game highlights interactive objects with a subtle glow when you hold R1. That glow extends to collectibles, locked doors, and workbench tools. I missed several artifacts early on because I forgot to use that ability in dark rooms. Also, pay attention to Ellie’s backpack. When she picks up a collectible, the game adds a small icon to the item in the pause menu. If you see a gap in the collection grid, you know exactly what you are missing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I made plenty of errors on my first attempt. Here are the ones that cost me the most time:

Rushing through dialogue sections. Some collectibles appear only after a conversation triggers a door to unlock or a character to move.
Skipping the prologue. The Jackson house contains several artifacts that are missable if you leave too quickly.
Ignoring the workbench in the stadium. One tool is hidden inside a supply room that you can only access during a specific story beat.
Not backtracking after obtaining a key item. Some safes require a code you find later in the same chapter.
Assuming New Game Plus resets your collectibles. It does not. You keep everything you found, so you can focus on what is missing.

The Reward Beyond the Trophy

When I finally saw that 100% mark on the menu screen, I felt a mix of relief and satisfaction. But the real reward was not the digital badge. It was the deeper understanding of the world. Every note, every photograph, every stray trading card tells a story about the people who lived in Seattle before the outbreak. The game uses its collectibles to build a world that feels lived in and lost. Reaching tlou2 100% completion means you have seen every piece of that world, every quiet moment, every hidden corner.

If you are starting this journey, be patient. The game is long, and the collectibles are numerous. But the process of finding everything forces you to slow down and appreciate the craft. The Last of Us Part II is a masterpiece of environmental design, and the only way to fully see it is to leave no stone unturned. When you finally close that last journal entry or open that last safe, you will know you earned it.