Red Dead Redemption missions in order: from Armadillo to Beecher's Hope

John Marston works for federal agents who hold his family, hunting down his old gang. Each part brings a new territory and a new target: Bill Williamson in New Austin, then Mexico, where John chases Bill and Javier Escuella, then Dutch in West Elizabeth. The final missions are quiet ranch life that ends in tragedy.

Red Dead Wiki and alteredgamer both arrive at 57, but count differently. The wiki includes the opening mission "Exodus in America" and treats "Remember My Family" as a stranger. Alteredgamer leaves out "Exodus" and adds "Remember My Family" to the ranch. That is why you will see both 25 and 24 missions for New Austin.

John spends his first days at Bonnie MacFarlane's ranch, then gathers a posse to storm Fort Mercer, where Bill Williamson is holed up. The strands of Marshal Leigh Johnson, swindler Nigel West Dickens, grave robber Seth and the drunk Irish run in parallel and all converge on "The Assault on Fort Mercer". Two missions have hard requirements: "Spare the Rod, Spoil the Bandit" waits for "Old Swindler Blues", and "Exhuming and Other Fine Hobbies" opens after "Wild Horses, Tamed Passions".

In Mexico John plays both sides: he runs errands for Captain Vicente de Santa of Colonel Allende's army while helping the rebels of Luisa Fortuna and Abraham Reyes. Meanwhile the aging legend Landon Ricketts shows him around Chuparosa. "Cowards Die Many Times" only opens after "Must a Savior Die?". The part ends with the assault on Allende's villa in "An Appointed Time".

Back north, John arrives in Blackwater. There are two strands: agent Edgar Ross and professor Harold MacDougal. The finale, "And The Truth Will Set You Free", is the army assault on Dutch's hideout in the Cochinay mountains.

The calmest part: John herds cattle, teaches his son Jack to hunt and rebuilds things with Abigail. Missions come from Abigail, Jack and Uncle. This part ends the story, so take your time with the last mission if you want to keep playing as John.

Spoiler. After "The Last Enemy That Shall Be Destroyed" the game switches to Jack Marston. There are no more story missions, but the world stays open.

• Remember My Family. The game's last stranger: a marker appears in Blackwater and Jack sets out to find retired agent Edgar Ross, via Lake Don Julio and the San Luis River. It ends in a duel.
• Unfinished strangers. Jack can finish most stranger tasks. The exception is "I Know You": all three parts must be done before the story ends.
• The rest of 100%. Challenges, hideouts, gangs and outfits can all be done as Jack. There is also a separate campaign, Undead Nightmare. The full 151-item checklist is in our Red Dead Redemption 100% guide.

Strangers are marked on the map with a question mark and give side stories, often in several parts. Story requirements follow the gamepressure guide; regions follow Red Dead Wiki.

"I Know You" is a series of meetings with the mysterious Strange Man, and the third part takes place near Beecher's Hope. It is not needed for 100%, but it is one of the strangest stories in the game; he also left traces in the RDR2 secrets.