The Outer Worlds companions won’t just come to you in story missions like some RPGs. You need to go out of your way to recruit them. There are six of them too: Parvati, Nyoka, SAM, Vicar Max, Ellie, and Felix. It’s possible to miss some of them so here is how to recruit all of the companions in The Outer Worlds and all the companion locations. Finding everyone will net you the “One for All” trophy or achievement.
How to recruit Parvati in The Outer Worlds
Parvati may be a bit on the slower side, but she’s got a heart of gold and has the ability to boost your Persuade, Lockpick, and Engineering skills.
Parvati companion location
Parvati is the easiest companion because you can’t miss her. You get to recruit her on Terra 2 when you meet Reed Tobson while trying to get your ship’s power situation settled.
Parvati companion quest
You can’t miss the quest as this is part of the main storyline. Just make sure you don’t tell her to buzz off once you get your ship after you choose who gets power.
How to recruit Vicar Max in The Outer Worlds
Vicar Max is another companion who seems a little uptight but can help you in combat. He can raise your Hack, Intimidate, and Science by being in your party.
Vicar Max companion location
Vicar Max is one of the earlier companions you can recruit. You can recruit him on Terra 2, the first planet you touch down on. His quest is in Edgewater in the church-like structure, which you can see in the map. Talk to the man behind the desk.
Vicar Max companion quest
His mission is called The Illustrated Manual. Once you talk to him, you get a quest that tasks you within finding a certain book. To find the book, go to the part marked on the map.
You’ll see a cave. Walk inside and you will also see a safe. Lockpick the safe and you’ll get the blasphemous book Vicar wants. Take it back to him and you can take him aboard the Unreliable if you’d like.
How to recruit Felix in The Outer Worlds
Felix is a bit of a dork but he’s got heart. He is also “highly personable” and he “gets along well with anyone who is not of the jackass persuasion.” By being in your party, he can raise your Persuade, Sneak, and Lockpick skills.
Felix companion location
Felix Millstone is hard to miss in The Outer Worlds. He is hanging out on the Groundbreaker, the ship you go to when you see Gladys after you do the power mission on Terra 2. You first see him right as you step off your ship on the Groundbreaker, but he’s getting in trouble by the cops. Once you’re done talking to Gladys and Udom Bedford, he will be by your ship, begging to join you.
Felix companion quest
You don’t have to do a quest to recruit Felix. He just pesters you as you’re about to board your ship. Way to look desperate, pal. You don’t have to recruit him but if you pick the nicer dialogue options, he will jump aboard.
How to recruit SAM in The Outer Worlds
SAM may have been a cleaning robot but now it is ready to murder for you. You can’t customize its loadout like you can with the other crew members. It boosts your Intimidate, Hack, and Science skills.
SAM companion location
SAM is a robotic companion you get recruit in The Outer Worlds. It is actually on your ship just up the stairs. The cleaning robot is the room right in front of you as you climb the two flights of stairs right near the entrance to your ship. It has red lights so that should catch your eye.
SAM companion quest
The Cleaning Machine quest activates once you inspect the robot in the room with red lighting at the top of the stairs. You are then instructed to speak to Ada, your virtual assistant in the ship. You then have to go to the captain’s quarters, which is just one flight up from Ada and one flight down from Sam. Check the terminal and you’ll see “[Search Term: SAM]” which you should click. You’ll then have to find an Acid Steeper on Terra 2 from the Roseway landing pad.
Head to the Roseway landing pad (which you have to unlock first by listening to the distress signal from Gladys) on Terra 2 and go to the building in the above picture. Make your way in by going through the door and sitting through the loading screen. The green Acid Steeper should be on your map but if not, here is where it is and what it looks like.
Once you get it, run back to the ship and then go install it in SAM. Just be warned. If you have a Flaw that makes you weak against robots, it will trigger with SAM around.
How to recruit Nyoka in The Outer Worlds
Nyoka is a fiesty, pink-haired person who has a huge gun she’ll shoot when commanded to. She can raise your Lie, Medical, and Sneak skills by being in your party.
Nyoka companion location
Nyoka is another companion you recruit in the game and she’s hard to miss. She will be on in Stellar Bay on Monarch in the Yacht Club bar. Since she is part of the main story, the game will guide you to her.
Nyoka companion quest
Passion Pills is Nyoka’s mission and is part of the critical path as you try to find the information broker. Once you meet her in the aforementioned bar, you get tasked with getting her Caffenoid pills. Head to the dispensary on your map in town. You’ll meet Abigail Edwards but she can’t give you Caffenoid. So you can either go lockpick (you need to have a level 25 Hack skill) the upstairs door, pickpocket Abigail, or go visit Dr. William’s corpse outside of the city walls in the graveyard to get his key.
If you go find Dr. Williams, who will be marked on your map if you have the quest active, you’ll get the Dispensary Room Supply Key. Go grab the Caffenoid and then head back to Nyoka at the bar. Just tell her to join along and she will because of those sweet drugs.
How to recruit Ellie in The Outer Worlds
Ellie is a medic but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t kick some alien butt. She helps raise your Medical, Engineering, and Lie skills by being in your party.
Ellie companion location
Ellie is also on the Groundbreaker. She’s near the sick bay in the Medical Bay, which you can see in the above picture. You can go recruit her as soon as you land on the Groundbreaker.
Ellie companion quest
Worst Contact is the name of Ellie’s quest. Ellie wants you to check on her friend Jessie Doyle, who is in the restricted medical area through the doors behind the receptionist in that room. You should get the Holographic Shroud and its appropriate ID cartridge. You get the Holographic Shroud from Phineas Welles once you choose who gets power on Terra 2. Then you have to find the Mardet ID Cartridge on the Groundbreaker, which is right past the security gate checkpoint on a crate to the left (as noted in the above picture of the map and the picture below of the actual item).
Now you can go visit Jessie without having to sneak around. She should show up on your map if you have the quest active. Go talk to the intercom and tell her that Ellie sent you. Be nice to her and she will open the door and that will send you to Udom Bedford, the Board’s lackey on the ship. He will also be marked with an objective marker.
Make your way over to him to settle Jessie’s debt. You can pay off her debt for her for 1,994 bits, which shouldn’t be that much if you sell some items to the vending machines and do some missions. If you can’t afford it and your Persuade is high enough, you can convince him to have her work for him. Once you’re done, you can go speak to Ellie and you can let her board your ship if you’d like.
