Timestream

For information on Max's rewind ability, see Rewind.

Flowchart of Max's journey through time.

Timestream montages appear whenever Max Caulfield uses her Focus ability on a photo to go back in time and alters a past events and the present event which causes the timeline to be Altered. These timestream sequences consist of moments that happened in the earlier timeline burning and merging into moments of the new timeline. The timestream images were illustrated by French concept artist Florent Auguy.

Alternative/Altered Timeline

Max travels back in time to the day William Price (Chloe Price's father) dies in a car crash. She prevents him from driving his car, creating an alternative timeline very different from the original where William is now alive. A timestream montage shows the events of the original timeline being altered. After either accepting or refusing a serious request made by Chloe in this alternative timeline, Max returns to the day William died and lets events happen as they did in the original timeline. Another timestream montage occurs, depicting the previously shown events reverting back to the original ones.

Original Events	Alternative Events
William's funeral, in 2008.	Chloe on vacation with Joyce Price and William.
Chloe with her backpack.	Chloe with William.
Joyce and David Madsen's marriage.	Joyce and William's marriage anniversary.
Chloe arguing with David on her 16th birthday.	Chloe receiving a car on her 16th birthday.
Rachel Amber and Chloe.	Chloe's car following the accident.
Chloe and Nathan Prescott in the bathroom.	Chloe in her backyard.
Chloe and Max investigating.	Chloe and Max talking.

Dark Room Timeline

In an effort to escape from the Dark Room, Max focuses on a monochrome photo taken by Mark Jefferson. She manages to kick a trolley and damages Jefferson's photos. The timestream montage shows an angry Jefferson looking at a folder.

Original Events	Alternative Events
Jefferson examining the photos.	Jefferson looking at a damaged folder.

San Francisco Timeline

After Max is captured by Jefferson in Episode 5, she uses her diary to travel back to Jefferson's classroom. She texts David Madsen about Jefferson and the Dark Room and then submits her photo to the Everyday Heroes contest. A timestream montage is shown; some events remain the same, but others change dramatically, such as police officers infiltrating the Dark Room and later uncovering Rachel's body, Jefferson and Nathan being arrested, and Max winning the contest and setting off for San Francisco.

Original Events	Alternative Events
Chloe and Nathan in the bathroom.	Chloe and Nathan in the bathroom.
Chloe and Max walking on the train tracks.	Chloe and Max walking on the train tracks.
The Diner Cop eating in the Two Whales Diner.	Police officers raiding the Dark Room.
Kate Marsh walking away from Jefferson.	Jefferson and Nathan arrested.
Max and Kate on the roof.	Police officers uncovering Rachel's body.
Max comforting Chloe in the junkyard.	Max declared the winner of the contest.
Jefferson after killing Chloe.	Max packing for San Francisco.
Jefferson taking photos of Max.	Max entering a taxi to the airport.
Max looking at her diary.	Max entering a taxi, probably to a hotel in San Francisco (since she doesn't have any luggage with her in the gallery).

After arriving at the Zeitgeist Gallery, Max discovers that the storm is still in existence and approaching Arcadia Bay. Determined to save Chloe, Max focuses on her gallery entry, returns to the day it was taken and tears it apart, preventing herself from winning the contest. A timestream montage shows Max putting the torn photo inside her diary, Jefferson burning Max's diary, Max restrained in the Dark Room and Jefferson entering the Dark Room.

Original Events	Alternative Events
Max putting the photo in her diary.	Max declared the winner of the contest.
Jefferson burning Max's diary.	Max entering a taxi to the airport.
Max looking at her burned diary.	Max entering a taxi probably to a hotel in San Francisco (since she doesn't have any luggage with her in the gallery).
Jefferson entering the Dark Room.	Max looking at her gallery entry.

Storm Timeline

Max travels back in time using the photo Warren Graham took of them together. Max convinces Chloe not to search for Nathan Prescott and instead to tell David about Jefferson and the Dark Room. A timestream montage shows Max and Chloe warning David, Jefferson being arrested by David and several other policemen, and Max and Chloe facing the storm together.

Original Events	Alternative Events
Jefferson after killing Chloe.	Max and Chloe warning David.
David and Jefferson fighting.	Police officers arresting Jefferson.
Max on her way to the diner.	Max and Chloe facing the storm.

Sacrifice Chloe Timeline

At the end of the game, Max is faced with her biggest decision so far - save Chloe and let the tornado destroy Arcadia Bay, or sacrifice Chloe in order to save everyone. If the player chooses the latter, Max focuses on the photo of the blue butterfly and travels to the beginning of the game; this time, she doesn't intervene and allows Nathan to shoot Chloe in the stomach. A timestream montage shows David handcuffing Nathan, Nathan interrogated by the police, Jefferson being arrested by the police, Max talking to Joyce Price and David, Max hugging her teddy bear, Joyce giving Max a box with Chloe's belongings, Max looking at polaroids and Max standing near the lighthouse on the cliff. If Max doesn't pick this choice, then these changes will not happen.

Original Events	Alternative Events
Chloe and Nathan in the bathroom.	David handcuffing Nathan.
Nathan headbutting Warren.	Nathan interrogated by the police.
Chloe dancing on her bed.	Police officers arresting Jefferson.
Max and Chloe walking on the train tracks.	Max talking to Joyce and David.
Max and Chloe in the Blackwell swimming pool.	Max hugging her teddy bear.
Max and Chloe taking a selfie.	Joyce giving Chloe's belongings to Max.
Max hugging Chloe.	Max looking at polaroids.
Max hugging Chloe.	Max standing near the lighthouse.