If you've been to a secluded, overnight camp, you know just how creepy things can get. Something about an endless expanse of forest, a lake with unknown depths, and the detachment from the rest of the world can amp up your fear meter. So, if you want to recreate the experience of being isolated from the rest of the world, The Quarry has you covered. In it, you play as nine camp counselors who find themselves not entirely accidentally stranded at Hackett's Quarry Summer Camp. Unsurprisingly, spookiness ensues, and you must guide these characters to the safety of the morning sun. Or, you know, not.

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The Quarry allows you to make life-altering (and potentially life-ending) decisions for its cast. But that doesn't mean they're entirely subject to your will. Their personalities are their own, so that's why we are ranking all the playable characters in this list.

9 Max

woods prologue

Don't let the game's cover fool you. You only play as Max once, depending on your previous choices. Even though his actor, Skyler Gisondo, gets high-billing in the intro sequence, Max fulfills a supporting role to his girlfriend, Laura, who has much more focus and time dedicated to her. Even without much tangible presence in the game, the first few minutes you spend with Max leave the impression of a fun, if dismissive, guy who wants to have a good summer with his girlfriend.

8 Jacob

jacob closeup chapter 1

Jacob appears to be the stereotypical jock, but don't let that fool you; he has a surprisingly soft, if insecure, side. Sadly, that doesn't change the fact that his selfish actions get the group stuck in the first place. Jacob had a summer fling with fellow counselor Emma, who broke up with him before the game started. That's why Jacob sabotaged the van hoping that one more night at camp might help them reconcile. Even if he wasn't in a deadly, paranormal situation, such a short-sighted decision would never end well.

Poor decision-making aside, Jacob is not a terrible guy, though his selfishness got the best of him in the worst possible moment. He cares about his friends enough that he charges through the woods in nothing but underwear when he hears Abigail scream. His frat-boy persona can be grating, but beneath the bravado is someone who wants the people around him to be happy.

7 Nick

Nick agreeing to party in The Quarry

Unfortunately, you won't see much of Nick as he has fewer playable chapters. Regardless, he's a kind, soft-spoken guy who walks the line between dreamy athletic type and deeply awkward youth with a crush he doesn't know what to do with. Speaking of which, Abigail is the character he spends the most time with, though it's up to you whether they finally act on their feelings or not.

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Around halfway through the game, Nick's personality shifts dramatically enough that every character, and you, knows something is deeply wrong. How could someone previously defined by their careful, quiet nature change so suddenly? Though you won't play as him very much, Nick is crucial to the plot and to unraveling the mystery of what's happening at Hackett's Quarry.

6 Emma

emma mountebank chapter four

Emma is a complicated character to get a good read on. At first glance, she's the pretty, popular blonde who seems vapid and maybe mildly annoying, though her relationship with Abigail reveals her underlying warmth. Emma is an influencer, and in one section, you play as her as she dramatically vlogs her exploration of a very spooky area. Even with no cell service, Emma uses her phone camera as a lifeline to mitigate her fear and give her the illusion of distance from her situation.

While she's ultimately concerned with her friend's happiness, she also seems uncannily adept at manipulation and can be a little flippant toward the feelings of others, Jacob especially. But, she's generally likable and good-natured, playing against the stereotypical queen bee appearance to create a flawed but likable character.

5 Abigail

Abigail in The Quarry facing the camera

Abigail, or Abi, is a sweet-natured, kind girl who does not initially seem equipped to deal with the threats in the forest. An introverted, artistic type, Abi seems to bring out the best in all her friends, acting as the heart of the group. Wearing her heart on her sleeve doesn't mean she's helpless; she can hold her own when the time calls for it. But that timid, vulnerable nature makes you want to keep her safe from all harm. You're in good company since Abi seems to awaken a protective streak in every one of her friends.​​​​​​​

Highlighting her kindness are her relationships with Nick, a fellow counselor with which she shares a mutual, un-acted upon crush, and Emma, the almost stereotypically popular girl who considers Abi her best friend at camp. ​​​​​​​

4 Dylan

dylan lenivy

The PA announcer at Camp Hackett, Dylan, has a flair for talking fast and cracking jokes, some of dubious quality. Playful and easy to like, Dylan is great at easing tension for you as much as his friends. Abigail may be the heart of the group, but Dylan is the connecting tissue with his supportive and easygoing nature.

Dylan lends the game some much-needed levity in its most extreme moments. Even when panicking, Dylan has the uncanny ability to diffuse stressful situations. An awkward, rambling statement or joke can make even the game's tensest moments bearable. At least for a few minutes, anyway.

3 Laura

Laura The Quarry Siobhan

You may recognize Laura as the face of The Quarry, prominently displayed on the mosaic of faces on the cover. Confident and curious, it's Laura's actions that spur the game into motion. Though her excellent qualities, like her desire to help others and her loyalty to her boyfriend, Max, far outweigh her bad ones, it's impossible to get through the game's prologue without cursing her awful, and unavoidable, decision-making.

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Wandering through a dark, eerie forest after swerving to miss a mysterious something on the road while your boyfriend attempts to fix the car is simply a terrible idea. Laura is right to be wary of the creepy, cryptic cop who helps them get back on the road and insists the couple go to a motel instead of the camp. Or, she would be, if ignoring that admittedly aggressive request hadn't led to her and Max's disappearances. Still, Laura is a compelling character that you'll be glad to meet again.

2 Ryan

ryan closeup

Ryan, the camp's attractive, mysterious sailing instructor, is the closest we get to a true "main" character in a game with multiple perspectives. While he's noted to be a bit of a loner and is pointedly introduced with headphones on, oblivious to the world around him, it's clear that Ryan cares about his friends deeply, and he's not afraid to put his neck on the line for them.

Level-headed and thoughtful, with a love of paranormal stories that contrast with his insistence on rational explanations for the strange things happening around him and his friends, Ryan is immediately likable and only gets better. In the span of a single night, he grows from a detached loner to a skilled leader, one that you will want to keep alive at almost any cost.

1 Kaitlyn

Brenda Song stars as Kaitlyn in The Quarry

If there's one person you want at your side in a spine-chilling supernatural situation, it's Kaitlyn. Not only is she extremely capable and versatile in almost every survival situation, but she's also an expert marksman that puts both Nick and Jacob to shame - and she knows her way around a tourniquet. Kaitlyn, like Ryan, is one of the de-facto leaders of the survivors, as she's able to quickly adapt to anything the night throws at them while ushering her group to safety over and over again. When the chips are down, Kaitlyn does not play around.

It would be one thing if Kaitlyn was just incredibly competent and reliable, but no. Personality-wise, there's a lot to like between her mask of quick-witted, sarcastic quips and the lengths she will go to help her friends. It's easy to see why the group defers to her judgement. Even among a stacked cast, Kaitlyn stands out.

Next: The Quarry Review: Hackett’s Quarry? You Barely Know Me!