Summary
Life is all about choices, some of which have no real impact on the future, but inUntil Dawn, making the wrong ones can have catastrophic results.Until Dawnallows players to decide the fate of the eight playable characters by employing a choice-based mechanic inspired by a branch of scientific study known as chaos theory, whereby certain events have a direct influence on others at a later date.
InUntil Dawn, the worst obtainable ending requires all eight characters to be dead before the game’s climax. As a result, a helicopter will descend upon the burning lodge and report no signs of survivors. In the best-case scenario, however, everyone lives.Making certain choices in earlier chapterscan lock someone out of the game’s best ending by dooming another character, so it’s important to know whatnotto do. Here are somechoices to avoid to guarantee the best ending (everyone lives) inUntil Dawn.
9Opening The Trap Door (As Ashley)
Opening The Door Will Result In A Wendigo Decapitating Ashley
In Chapter 9, after Mike leaves for the Sanitorium, he leaves Sam, Ashley, Chris (determinant), and Emily (determinant) behind in the “safe room” of the lodge’s basement. Sam takes charge and suggests they go after Mike, so the group uses the sewage tunnel as a passageway to the mines. Ashley trails behind after hearing Jessica’s voice calling to her and comes to a crossroads where she can either investigate the voice or rejoin the group. In order to collect all the totems inUntil Dawn, Ashley needs to investigate.
However,Ashley does not need to interact with the trap door that’s rattling in the large opening. She can simply walk past it. In fact, players shouldn’t even unlatch it — it should be ignored altogether. On this route, completionists should ensure to go around the corner to find the totem sitting there for a chance atfinding all the collectibles. If Ashley opens the trap door, the Wendigo will jump out and decapitate her.
8Shooting Emily (As Mike)
Shooting Emily As Mike Gurantees Her Death
It sounds fairly self-explanatory that for everyone to survive inUntil Dawn, it probably isn’t helpful to have an itchy trigger finger. However, the game cleverly deceives players by making them believe that Emily is infected if she gets bitten by the Wendigo in Chapter 8. It’s a tricky decision to make, as the truth isn’t revealed until after the fact, so players can be led to think that sacrificing the one for the sake of the many is the way to go.
Not only is it horrific to imagine Mike shooting his ex-girlfriend, but it’s also entirely unnecessary. As Ashley discovers shortly after via the Stranger’s journal, Wendigo bites are harmless, meaning that Emily’s bite mark is nothing more than a flesh wound. As such, not shooting Emily will allow her tolive to see another day.
7Killing Animals (As Anyone)
Several Characters Suffer Greatly If Animals Are Attacked
No one should go around shooting squirrels or attacking deer, butUntil Dawnplays dirty by building tension just enough to make QTEs feel entirely necessary. But as the game states in one of the opening segments of the game, during Jess and Mike’s snowball fight,sometimes the best choice is to do nothing. If there’s a squirrel chomping on a nut, a bird preening itself or a pack of deer closing in,players should not hurt them.
It can be indicated early on that harming nature is a big no-no going forward. If Jess hits the bird with a snowball, she and Mike narrowly evade impalement from a falling icicle. If Chris shoots the squirrel in Chapter 1, Sam is attacked by a crow and cannot successfully hide from the Psycho later on, and attacking the deer as Matt will lead to an ambush that causes him to lose his footing and potentially fall to his death (if the QTEs are missed).
6Choosing To Shoot Ashley (As Chris)
Ashley Will Hesitate To Let Chris Inside During Chapter 8
In Chapter 6, Chris and Ashley find themselves in one of Jigsaw’s traps (not really), and Chris is faced with the difficult decision of shooting himself or Ashley before both of them are presumably sliced to shreds by overhead saws. Here’s where the game gets tricky, since it ultimately doesn’t matter who Chris chooses — both of them still live. However,if Chris chooses to shoot Ashley, their relationship falls to zero, andAshley won’t forget the betrayal. Later on, in Chapter 8, Chris and the Stranger venture out to the shed to check on Josh. When they find him missing, the Stranger is instantly killed by the Wendigo, forcing Chris to retreat to the lodge.
If he makes it there unscathed (provided he fights back against the Wendigo), then Ashley will be waiting to let him in — or not — depending on the choice made in Chapter 6.If Chris chose to shoot Ashley, she will hesitate too long before going for the door, allowing the Wendigo to catch up and decapitate Chris.
5Taking Too Long (As Mike)
After Jessica is snatched through the cabin window in Chapter 4, Mike picks up a rifle and sets off after her. As he races through the woods in a snowstorm, he comes to several forks in the road, where he can decide to take the slower but safer path or the quicker, riskier one.If Mike chooses the slower path,Jessica will be dead before he can make it in time.
Likewise,if Mike chooses the faster routes but fails any of the QTEs, Jessica will perish. It’s best to take all the faster routes and pay close attention to any prompts that pop uo on-screen to ensure Jessica’s safety until Chapter 10.
4Abandoning Jess (As Matt)
Jessica Will Die Instantly If Matt Abandons Her
If Jessica makes it through Chapter 4, she won’t be seen again until Chapter 10, when she can either reunite with Matt (determinant) or trek through the mines alone. Either way, Jessica (and Matt) will find themselves hunted down by the Wendigo, resulting in a short chase sequence that has Matt choosing between abandoning Jessica or hiding together until the threat passes.
Until Dawnhas a lot of ambiguous choices, but this one isn’t as deceptive as it appears.If Matt abandons Jessica, she dies. If they hide together, successfully completing a “Don’t Move” sequence will ensure both of their survival for the remainder of the game.
3Flicking The Switch Too Soon (As Sam)
Everyone Inside The Lodge Dies If Sam Runs To The Switch Too Soon
When the gang (determinant) make it back to the lodge in Chapter 10, they’re being pursued by three Wendigos. This is whereUntil Dawngets extremely frustrating, as any characters who have survived this long can all be killed off in the last 10 minutes if the wrong choices are made. Players control Sam in the most stressful part of the game as she distracts the Wendigos long enough for everyone else to escape.
Sam must complete several “Don’t Move” sequences and choose between saving Mike, Emily, and Ashley, or running for the switch once Mike breaks the light bulb.If Sam runs for the switch immediately, the lodge goes up in flames, killing everyone inside.Players must verify that all the characters have exited the lodgebefore Sam automatically runs for the switch.
2Failing To Find Hannah’s Journal (As Sam)
The Wendigo (Hannah) Will Kill Josh Instantly If Sam Doesn’t Find The Journal
In Chapter 10, Mike and Sam go on the hunt for Josh to retrieve the cable car keys. In one section, they jump down into an underground lake. Sam can wander off to the left immediately after entering andclimb up a small overhang to find Hannah’s journal. In it, Hannah documents her slow descent into madness — and, eventually, cannibalism — that leads to the spirit of the Wendigo being unleashed.
Sam also learns that Hannah devours Beth’s body after months of being trapped underground.If Sam finds the journal, Josh will recognize the Wendigo as Hannah when he is attacked, thus leading her to spare his life.
1Failing Quick Time Events (QTEs)
Characters Can Meet An Untimely Demise If QTEs Are Missed
Until Dawnas a fair share of QTEs, some of which are extremely hard to mess up, but others creep up unexpectedly. In situations such as Matt hanging off the cliff or Emily running along the conveyor belt, the game is lenient with QTEs and allows a few tries to get it right. For these segments, the player would realistically have to actively be trying to get everyone killed to fail them.
However, the opposite happens in sections such as Sam running from the Psycho, where a QTE pops up in the blink of an eye to stifle her flashlight and conceal her hiding spot. If the QTE is missed, Sam is discovered and captured. It’s a split second, so it requires a sharp eye.In most cases, failing QTEs will result in the immediate death of whichever character it concerns.
