Deadly Premonition 2: How To Make Money & Why You Don't Want To Punch Anyone

Deadly Premonition 2 is a quirky little game, and — which is both a blessing and a curse. You really don’t know what you’re getting into in the early game, and if you make early mistakes, they’re very difficult to recover from. Without getting into spoilers, I’ll just say that it’s very easy to lose all of your cash. If you’re low on money from making a very simple mistake — like punching or attacking any of the NPCs — there are lots of ways to earn cash.

And you’ll need that cash. You literally can’t progress without money later in the game, and if you’re deep in debt, escaping that hole isn’t easy. Completing side-quests is one way to earn cash, but the goals sound so vague! If you’re completely confused and need a few tips to help you earn cash, here’s a few things you really need to know about making money in Deadly Premonition 2.

Why You Need To Be Careful With Your NPCs

In Deadly Premonition 2, you’re strongly discouraged from attacking innocent civilians, and there are times where you’ll really want to beat these weirdos up. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you, because punching an NPC will cost you a hefty $100 fine. And that’s a whole lot of money in Deadly Premonition 2! If you even make one mistake and attack a civilian, you’ll be stuck in debt.

Later in the game, to progress, you’ll need money to pass through gated story moments. These cash-gates are even harder to overcome if you’re in debt — or if you’ve wasted precious cash on fines.

How To Earn Cash | Milestones, Side-Quests & UFOs

There are multiple ways to earn money, but they’re vague and sometimes annoyingly mysterious. It isn’t clear how to earn money in your first few hours on the job as FBI Agent Francis York Morgan.

Use the Job Board in the Police Station to accept side-quests. You’ll get a cash reward for completing these missions.
- The descriptions are very vague. For example, the first mission asks you to “chase off a squirrel” — that means you need to find a squirrel, any squirrel, and tranquilize it.
- Any animal extermination request works the same way. Don’t worry about finding a specific spot or talking to a specific family. Just hunt the animal listed.

There are other ways to earn cash just by playing the game. You’ll earn money for skateboarding milestones; $100 for 10 miles, $200 for 20 miles.
- To do lots of skateboarding and make progress, check your map and skateboard to the marked fast-travel points. Unlock them early and earn some cash while you’re at it!

Some secret tasks can earn money too. While exploring the town, you might come across a UFO / Flying Saucer in the sky! If you see one, shoot it down for some quick bucks. You’ll earn $20~ for shooting these Easter eggs.

Earning cash is an important part of the game that isn’t really explained, and if you really need cash fast, you can also sell all your stuff. I don’t recommend it, but that’s a last-ditch option available to you. Really, I just want to help you avoid an early-game pitfall!