AnswerExample Game
Can you save Bob in Example Game?
Short answer
Yes. Bob survives if you reach the mill before the second night after taking The Old Mill quest and put out the fire before you chase the arsonist. If you chase the arsonist first, or arrive late, Bob dies and the quest ends without his reward.
How to keep Bob alive
Two things decide whether Bob survives: when you reach the mill, and what you do first when you get there.
The fire starts at dusk on the second night after Mara gives you The Old Mill. Reach the mill before then and the arsonist hasn’t arrived yet, so you can wait inside with Bob and stop the fire as it starts. Arrive later and the mill is already burning.
When the fire starts, grab the bucket by the millstone and put out the flames on the stairs before you do anything else. Bob is trapped on the upper floor, and the stairs are his only way down. The arsonist runs as soon as the fire catches. Let him go: chasing him first gives the fire time to collapse the stairs.
What happens if Bob dies
If Bob dies, The Old Mill still completes, but the miller refuses the reward and the quest ends early. You lose the Miller’s Ring, and Bob’s later side quest, Flour and Ash, never appears. Mara’s Silver Key quest still unlocks either way.
What the outcomes change
| Outcome | How it happens | Reward | Later quests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bob survives | Arrive before the second night, put out the stairs fire first | Miller’s Ring | Flour and Ash unlocks |
| Bob dies | Chase the arsonist first, or arrive after the fire starts | None | Flour and Ash never appears |
Spoiler: Bob in the epilogue
If Bob survived, he runs the rebuilt mill in the epilogue of both endings and mentions your character by name. If he died, the epilogue shows the mill still in ruins.
Version and platform notes
As of patch 1.4.2, this works the same on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Patch 1.4.2 didn’t change The Old Mill, but it did fix a bug where Mara’s follow-up quest failed to start after the mill. See why the Silver Key quest won’t start if that happens to you.
Related questions
Does Bob's fate change the ending?
No. Neither ending changes, but Bob appears in the epilogue only if he survived the mill.
Can you save Bob after the mill burns?
No. Once the mill collapses, Bob's death is final for that save.
Is The Old Mill missable?
Yes. It closes when Act 2 begins and you leave Millbrook on the ferry.
Sources
Example Game is a fictional game made up for testing. This content is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored or specifically approved by Example Studio, and Example Studio is not responsible for it.
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