Scarf Endings Explained: How To Unlock The Secret Ending

There are two Scarf endings to experience and while one of them is easy to get to, the secret ending is a little more difficult. Scarf’s minimalist take on storytelling prefers to leave most of the story to the player’s interpretation. Observant players will notice throughout the game hints that what they have been told might not be the truth and this will be confirmed in the games different endings.

Both endings feature vastly different conclusions to Hyke’s journey and achieving the “good” ending relies solely on the amount of exploring and collecting the player completed during their playtime, but what are the two different endings and how do you unlock them? Here's our guide on how to unlock both of the Scarf endings and what they both mean.

So, this is a SPOILER WARNING for anyone who has not yet reached the end of the game.

• Reading this before you've beaten the game? Check our guide on how long is Scarf to know what playtime to expect

How To Unlock Each Ending

Click to enlarge

Scarf features a number of collectibles that are spread across the three worlds that you explore. One of these collectables are “Inks”, shards of darkness that when collected reveal short animations narrated by Hyke discussing the true nature of the Nomads you are hunting.

If you do not manage to find enough inks you receive the “bad” ending to the game. Collecting six of the inks enables you to unlock the “true” ending. Collecting the other three won’t change the ending, but each ink unlocks a little more backstory so collecting them all will give you a better picture of the story of the game. Not managed to find all of the inks? You'll want our Scarf Inks guide to find all of the locations.

Now for the two Scarf endings explained. Again, spoiler warning if you haven't beaten the game yet yourself.

Scarf Ending Explained

Click to enlarge

In the first ending, it is revealed that you are not the hero of the story. Mother has simply been using you like a puppet and created you to hunt down the Nomads. The threads taken from Mother granted the Nomads their freedom, but without them, they are powerless and will become slaves and food - just before this we see Scarf absorbing the energy of a baby Nomad and we realise the balls of light we have been feeding Scarf have been baby Nomads the whole time. 

Once returned to full strength, Mother uses her powers to reabsorb and trap Hyke. She states that Hyke will remain her prisoner until she needs to use him again as a weapon against the Nomads. In a final scene, we are shown that no matter where the seeds of life appear there will always be the spark of rebellion giving some hope that the Nomads may one day gain their freedom.

Scarf Secret Ending Explained

Click to enlarge

In the "true" ending, Hyke uses the power of the darkness he has collected to destroy Mother. Her power is then shared between all Nomads granting them freedom from her slavery. As the game ends we see several Nomads using the threads to open new portals to worlds we have not seen.

With the Mother destroyed, Hyke is finally free. He is no longer just a weapon and is free to carve his own destiny. We see that he has been granted the same power and freedom as the other Nomads. In the final scene, we see him setting out with the other Nomads to the new worlds. In a closing voiceover, Hyke contemplates the importance of rebellion in the face of slavery.

Now you know all about the Scarf endings, why not read our Scarf review to see what we thought of the game?