Cyberpunk 2077 River Ward Romance Guide

This guide shows how to romance River Ward in Cyberpunk 2077 (CP77) and start a relationship with him. River is a guy you meet during a side questline in Heywood. He is a cop investigating an abduction case and you will help him solve the case. He can be romanced and seduced during his final side quest which leads to a sex scene if you do everything right. The romance will have you go on top of a water tower with a nice view of the city, then female V kisses him and they have a sex scene and spend the night together. The River Romance is a heterosexual relationship and only available when playing a Female character (Female Body Type).

For all other Romances see the complete Cyberpunk 2077 Romance Guide (All Romances).

Important: River is Heterosexual and only likes Girls. He can only be romanced when playing as a female Character (Female Body Type). This Romance is unavailable for Males! As a Male you can still play his quests but he will block your romantic attempts.

Simply put: play all his quests, always accept to help him when he calls or asks in dialogues, rescue Randy, always choose the flirty dialogues and make it clear you are looking for a relationship, always choose the physical “Kiss” options when they come up.

Below are all missions and dialogues in chronological order that lead to the River Ward Romance. Some of these likely have no impact but this is what has been tested and confirmed to work. If you follow these choices exactly then you will get River’s Sex Scene at the end.

Side Job – I Fought The Law:

• This is River’s first Side Quest. At some point after completing Story-related Main Job “Life During Wartime” you will automatically get a call from Elizabeth Peralez which triggers this side job. This happens automatically over the course of the story so don’t worry about it. Once you get her call you can track the quest from the journal, you can’t find or start the quest before then.
• Finish this quest, your choices here don’t matter for the romance.

Side Job – The Hunt:

• After the previous quest, alternate between skipping time in 24-hour increments and driving around until you get a call from River Ward. After the call read his text message “Come Here Please” to start the quest. It can take a few in-game days to get his call.
  • Progression Hint: When you need to use Kiroshi to find the right cabinet, the one you need is in the children’s waiting room that is connected to the central office.
• After Dr. Packard catches you: “Hasn’t let me down yet” > “I wanna see for myself”
• When walking out of the police archive and Johnny shows up: “River’s all right”
• During car Ride: “Sign me up for that beer” (other choices here don’t matter)
  • Progression Hint: After you arrive at the trailer park, when you have to look for clues to help find Randy there are a few things you need to interact with. First the posters in Randy’s Room. Then you have to open the locked cabinet in Randy’s room, the key is found on a shelf next to the orange kitchen table (after you enter Randy’s house turn right). Use the key to open the drawer in Randy’s room. Lastly, scan the laptop under Randy’s bed with L1/LB. Next you need to learn the password to the computer, if you have 9 Intelligence Attribute you can crack it right away. If not, turn on the record player in the hallway. Then talk to River and the correct password choice is “Punch the track title” which refers to Liberum Arbitrium, the name of the album from the record player. Interact with the laptop > read all messages and files (scroll through them until River makes comments about them) > click the “Net” tab and click the red picture on the left > click on all the website tabs that come up > look at the cartoon in the Files section.
• After searching Randy’s laptop for clues you will talk to Joss in her kitchen. Here you must agree to help River (Dialogue: “‘Course”). If you don’t help (say “Can’t, unfortunately”) the questline will fail here and he can no longer be romanced. But you can still reload the previous autosave if this happens. 
  • Progression Hint: When you have to explore the 3 Braindance sequences, first you will be in a school cafeteria. Scan the 2 yellow clues, then press / to advance to the next Braindance sequence. Then you come to a farm sequence, scan all yellow objects here for clues about Randy, then exit the Braindance. The 3rd Braindance is also on the farm, scan all yellow objects here.
• If you found all hints in Braindance, River will drive to the correct farm automatically. If you missed important hints, you must guess. The correct farm is “Edgewood”. –> Important: You have to go to the correct farm to rescue Randy. If you go to the wrong farm or don’t rescue Randy you won’t get the next quest which completely voids the River Ward Romance! So either scan all Braindance clues or guess “Edgewood”.
  • Progression Hint: When you arrive at the barn and have to find a way inside, climb up the ladder on the left of the barn (just run past the turrets), then you can drop in through the roof.
• After rescuing Randy, when talking to River pick the dialogues that show romantic interest in him and that you are looking for a relationship (only available for female characters). Also pick “I’ll help you” > “Just remember you can count on me” –> Important: You must show romantic interest in River, otherwise you will only be friends and not romantic partners. You should agree to help him to get his next quest (if say “Do whatcha gotta do, but count me out” you still get the quest but it might not be as good for the romance).

Side Job – Following The River:

• After the previous quest, skip time by a few in-game days until River sends you a text message called “Need Your Help Again ;)”. Reply to this message with “How about a new record?” > “Been a rollercoaster of a ride lately” > “We could knock a few back together if you want” > “See ya later”.
• Then skip time and drive around until he calls you. Choose “Definitely, be glad” to accept his quest.
• Lastly, kiss River both times the option comes up during this quest. After kissing him on the water tower it will initiate the sex scene (only possible if you’re playing a Female Body Type). Then you spend the night with him. –> Most important choice of all.
  
  
• The morning after, tell him you like being with him to turn this into a relationship.

This concludes the River Romance Guide. By doing this you also earn the “To Protect and Serve” trophy and achievement for having completed River Wards’s questline.

For all other Romances see the complete Cyberpunk 2077 Romance Guide (All Romances).