TK Punk Gold Ending Checklist

The Ending Checklist is for players who want the four major TK Punk Gold finales to feel earned instead of accidental. The campaign is only fifty weeks long. Heaven, Earth, and Man goodwill—plus companion bonds, commissions, and Gold Bar survival—all resolve in that window. This page stays spoiler-light: it tracks decision pressure and week gates without pasting full ending scripts. When you want narrative detail, open the Endings Guide and Faction Routes.

What “four endings” means here

Steam and launch materials describe major ending directions shaped by your standing with the Heaven, Earth, and Man factions (often summarised as Heaven / Earth / Man goodwill). Exact scene text differs by path, but the player-facing job is the same: pick a lane early enough, keep the Gold Bar alive, finish critical commissions, and do not let thirteen companion routes erase your faction plan. This checklist measures that job.

Spoiler policy

Safe on this page:

• Faction lane names and goodwill pressure
• Week ranges where commitment matters
• Soft failure signs (cash collapse, neglected lane, shotgun romance)
• Links to systems guides and tools

Parked on other pages:

• Full ending spoilers and scene-by-scene scripts → Endings Guide
• Faction quest order and alliance logic → Faction Routes
• Companion ending crossovers → Bonds and Bond Tracker

Master checklist (copy each run)

Run name / save slot: ____________
Target ending family: Heaven / Earth / Man / undecided
Priority companions (max 3): ____________________
Combat identity: ____________________

Foundation (weeks 1–10)
[ ] Gold Bar income stabilised at least once
[ ] Early commissions understood (not just spam-clicked)
[ ] First prosthetic research line started
[ ] Recruits limited to what you can field and fund
[ ] No permanent "feed every faction equally" habit

Specialisation (weeks 11–25)
[ ] Primary faction lean chosen (even if soft)
[ ] Secondary faction not overfed by accident
[ ] Two companion bonds protected weekly
[ ] Combat kit matches commission difficulty
[ ] One recovery week scheduled after any cash crash

Commitment (weeks 26–40)
[ ] Goodwill actions match target lane most weeks
[ ] Conflicting side content consciously skipped
[ ] Research finishes that matter for finale fights
[ ] Bond scenes do not erase faction weeks
[ ] Ending Guide opened only when ready for spoilers

Closure (weeks 41–50)
[ ] Lane confirmed before spending luxury AP
[ ] Bar still solvent for final commissions
[ ] Priority companion scenes finished or safely deferred
[ ] Achievement chasing postponed if it risks the route
[ ] Final week thesis written before menus

How to score goodwill without spoiling yourself

You do not need exact hidden numbers to stay intentional. Use qualitative markers:

• Clear lean: most faction-related choices point the same direction for several weeks.
• Muddy middle: you keep taking every goodwill event because it is on the map.
• Panic pivot: you suddenly reverse lane after week thirty-five because a trailer or friend spoiled an ending name.

Clear lean is healthy. Muddy middle is the most common soft-lock into a default or compromised finale. Panic pivots sometimes work, but they cost bar income and bonds—budget them with the Week Planner instead of rage-clicking.

Weekly ending audit (five questions)

Ask these before you commit the week’s AP:

1. Does this action fund the Gold Bar, a commission, research, a priority bond, or my target lane?
2. If it is a faction action, does it match Heaven, Earth, or Man intent?
3. If it is a companion scene, is that companion on my protected list?
4. If I skip this, can I recover next week without missing a hard gate?
5. Am I chasing an achievement from Achievements at the cost of the finale?

If you cannot answer question 1, open How to Play TK Punk Gold and Time Management again before spending.

Synergy with combat and builds

Endings still require you to win late commissions. A perfect goodwill sheet with a broken squad is not a plan. Keep prosthetic R&D on a drip schedule, not a final-week binge. Use the Combat Guide and Builds Hub to define a combat identity that survives the closure phase. Bar cash from Bar Management funds that identity; do not assume romance alone carries finale fights.

Companion spillover

Thirteen companions are a feature and a trap. Deep bonds can enrich an ending family, but shotgun affection burns the weeks you needed for Heaven / Earth / Man commitment. Cap active romance targets with the Bond Tracker, read cast context on Roster and Companions Hub, and only expand the list after your lane is stable.

Second-playthrough mode

On a first clear, keep this checklist qualitative. On NG+ or a dedicated ending hunt:

• Lock the target family before week ten.
• Allow yourself deeper spoilers from Endings Guide.
• Use Patch Notes if goodwill timing changed after a Steam update.
• Track achievement outliers separately so they do not hijack the route.

Related pages worth pinning

• Planning: Tools Hub, Week Planner, Bond Tracker
• Systems: Guides Hub, Getting Started, Faction Routes
• People and kits: Players Hub, Tier List Hub
• Meta: Review Hub, Updates Hub, Swimsuit DLC

Finish the campaign with a thesis, not a shrug. Tick the boxes, protect the lane, and let the finale be a consequence of fifty deliberate weeks.