Say Cheese Characters: Who to Photograph for Each Ending
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In Say Cheese, characters matter because of one thing: who you point the camera at. Every one of the 12 endings comes from photographing a specific character, object or moment. This list of Say Cheese characters covers everyone in the park who matters, what they do in the story, and which endings they lead to.
All Say Cheese Characters at a Glance
| Character | Role in the story | Endings |
|---|---|---|
| The journalist (you) | Hired by Big Media, armed only with a camera | All of them |
| The man in the suit | Pays to cause chaos in the park | Follow the Money |
| The crazed square | Shouts at a circle and starts the conflict | Viral |
| The scared circle | Gets frightened by the square | Viral, Scared |
| The rescuing square | Saves two people near the corner | Good |
| The Hat Man | Starts the hat trend | Hat |
| The hat wearers | Follow the Hat Man's style | Hat |
| The protesters | Hold up peace signs | Peace |
| The smiling people | Smile for the camera | Say Cheese |
| The cricket | A tiny creature hiding in the park | Cricket |
| The TV | The screen everyone watches | TV |
Character names here are the descriptions players and community walkthroughs use. The game does not show name tags for most of them.
The Journalist (You)
You are the main character. The official description says you are a journalist hired by "Big Media" to spread chaos and panic throughout the park, so that billions of people stay glued to the news.
- Your only tool is the camera. There is no combat and nothing to collect.
- Every photo you take becomes a headline, and the headlines change how the other characters behave.
- The description leaves the big choice to you: destroy this peaceful society, or try to change fate and bring hope.
The Man in the Suit
The man in the suit is the closest thing Say Cheese has to a villain. At the very start of the story, he pays to cause chaos in the park. Community guides also describe him coming back in later runs, "about to do something dangerous".
His most important moment is the payment itself. Photographing that money changing hands, before the chaos starts, is the route to the final ending, Follow the Money. Our story explained page covers why that matters.
Circles and Squares
Most of the park is made up of circles and squares, and their relationship drives the main story.
| Character | What to watch for | Photo to take |
|---|---|---|
| Crazed square | Shouting at a circle early in the run | Wait for the circle's reaction |
| Scared circle | Recoiling from the square | With the square in frame for Viral, without it for Scared |
| Arguing circles and squares | Growing suspicion and fights | Keep shooting for Viral, or stop for Eyes Closed |
| Rescuing square | Helping two people near the corner | One clean shot of the rescue for Good |
The same characters can lead to opposite endings. Photograph the conflict and the park slides into chaos. Photograph the rescue and it turns wholesome. Put the camera down when the violence begins and you get the Eyes Closed Ending. The walkthrough follows the conflict route step by step.
The Hat Man and the Hat Wearers
The Hat Man only appears on the hat storyline, and he is the reason everyone in the park suddenly wants a hat. Community walkthroughs say to photograph him the moment he shows up, then keep photographing him and everyone wearing a hat. Be slow, and the ending can turn bad.
The official Say Cheese thumbnail above shows the hat trend at its peak: the headline "OOH NICE HAT" on the screen, and a crowd of circles and squares all wearing bowler hats. Our Hat Man page covers him in detail.
Protesters, Smiling People, the Cricket and the TV
A few characters and objects each unlock one ending of their own.
- Protesters. They hold up peace signs. Keep photographing them so the news stays focused on people asking for peace, and you get the Peace Ending.
- Smiling people. Keep taking pictures of people smiling for the Say Cheese Ending. One walkthrough creator expected it to be wholesome and was surprised.
- The cricket. A tiny creature somewhere in the park. Click it, or keep photographing it, for the Cricket Ending, the easiest ending in the game.
- The TV. The screen the park watches. Photograph it again and again for the TV Ending.
Say Cheese Characters FAQ
Who is the main character in Say Cheese? You are: a journalist hired by Big Media, with a camera as your only tool.
Who is the villain in Say Cheese? The man in the suit pays to cause chaos at the start of the story. The final ending, Follow the Money, reveals who is behind it all.
Who is the Hat Man in Say Cheese? He is the key character of the Hat Ending. Photograph him the moment he appears, then keep photographing everyone in a hat.
How many Say Cheese characters are there? The park is mostly circles and squares, plus a handful of special Say Cheese characters, like the man in the suit, the Hat Man and the protesters, who each matter for specific endings.