Gather ’round the campfire, slasher fans, and welcome both new and returning players to the bone-chilling world of Until Dawn!
Whether you’re slipping back into the snowy nightmare for a nostalgic revisit or experiencing this heart-pounding slasher game for the first time, thanks to the shiny new remake, you’re in for a wickedly good time.
With a star-studded cast and a story full of twists sharper than a freshly whetted machete, Until Dawn plunges you into a night of terror, choice-making, and screaming at your screen with just one goal – make it until dawn.
But keeping the cast of plucky teenagers alive requires more than just good intentions. You’ll need nerves of steel, razor-sharp reflexes, and a knack for making life-or-death decisions in a heartbeat… oh, and you’ll also need this guide.
Spoiler Warning: Before diving into this guide, be warned – much like a horror movie villain lurking behind a shower curtain, massive spoilers are ahead.
So, if you’d rather stay in the dark, now’s your chance to run… or hide. But if you’re ready to brave the full terror of trying to keep all your favourite (and less favourite) characters from biting the dust, keep reading and prepare for a survival masterclass!
Prologue: The Calm Before The Slash
The prologue to Until Dawn sets the scene for the game and teaches players the ropes. And while the stakes couldn’t be higher, players can afford to take a breather here because none of your choices really matter.
But don’t get too comfortable because that’s just how all good horror stories start, and from here on out, it’s butterfly-effect chaos.
Chapter 1: Don’t Be Nosy And Don’t Shoot The Wildlife
Pretty early on in Chapter 1, players will arrive at a cable car station and see a phone poking out of a backpack.
Don’t answer it! Zipping the bag back up is your first minor victory in the “mind your own business” category.
Chris will also get some shooting practice, which quickly becomes the first real test: don’t shoot the squirrel! Nothing says “final girl/boy material,” like not blasting adorable wildlife.
When you get to the part where Ashley is spying on Emily and Mike through a telescope, you have a choice to make. If you let Matt have a peek, he’ll see something he won’t like.
So, should you let him look? Of course! This is horror – there’s no room for blissful ignorance here.
Finally, a bird lands nearby when Mike and Jess are having a playful snowball fight. Don’t hit it!
Just take a breath and let the timer run out. In horror, birds are either messengers of doom or distractions. Either way, don’t mess with them.
Chapter 2: Brooding Tensions And Mine Mishaps
When Mike and Matt run into each other at the lodge, you’ll have the chance to get confrontational, but while we all love some drama, keep it cool!
Passive aggression works better in horror – save your energy for the monsters; you’ll need it.
Pretty soon after, Emily and Jessica get into it. When this happens, make sure you side with your girlfriend, Emily.
The sooner you sort out your love life, the sooner you can focus on not getting murdered.
Also, in this chapter, Jessica falls into a mine (as one does). Make sure you help her out by jumping into the mine after her.
After all, gallantry is the hallmark of surviving a slasher film.
Finally, when you’re down in the basement with Sam and Josh, make sure to explore properly. You’ll find a baseball bat near the boiler.
Make sure you look at it because, in any good horror, it’s always wise to arm yourself early.
Chapter 3: Flirting, Deer, And Near-Death Experiences
Along the path, there will be several chances to flirt with Jessica, and we all know there can be no slasher genre without teenage love, so make sure you take all of them.
Then, when you come face to face with a deer that’s dying in front of you, be ready to comfort it.
And to end this chapter off strong, Jessica will need you to be her knight in shining armour… again.
Make sure you help the poor girl when she trips on the porch, and you’ll be rewarded with some fireside romance – because nothing heats up a freezing cabin like terror and near-death experiences.
Chapter 4: Rescue Mission Time
Surprise, surprise – Jessica is in danger again. To save her, choose risky paths during quick-time events.
And be warned – if your thumbs aren’t fast enough, she’s toast, so remember: Risk Shortcut, Jump Down, Jump, Risk Slide Down.
Go fast, but go careful – because slow and steady only wins the slasher race if you’re hiding in a closet.
Then, when you find yourself face to face with a seemingly impossible choice: kill your best friend or the girl you like, remember bros before hoes and choose to kill Josh with the spinning saw.
Chapter 5: Bear Traps And New Best Friends
If you care about keeping all of your fingers, don’t interact with the hand that you find in the sanatorium morgue.
It’s also worth remembering that dogs are man’s best friend, and wolves are just dogs, right?
When you come face to face with the wolf, it will bark at you, and you’re about to do something that feels wrong – kick it.
But don’t worry; you’ll make it up to him by finding a large chest containing bones and giving one to him – instant forgiveness!
It’s always wise to agree with your girlfriend. When they arrive at the cable car station, Matt and Emily learn of a nearby fire tower that could help.
Ensure that when Emily suggests going, you agree with her plan – boyfriend of the year.
This chapter is still not done, so when Sam finds herself in the cinema room with the psycho attacking, make sure you Chuck a vase, then leap over the bed and keep running.
When in the basement, hide and stay put until the psycho grabs you, which is when you’ll grab the baseball bat from earlier, slug him, and escape.
Even now, you’re still not in the clear. But you will be so long as you don’t try to go back through the door you just came through. Instead, go down the hallway and hide. Trust me.
Chapter 6: Elk Etiquette And Fire Tower Fiascos
This chapter has two big choices: life or death.
First, when Matt and Emily are facing off against a herd of elk on a cliff, stay calm and walk slowly.
And whatever you do, don’t swing that axe! The elk aren’t the monsters here.
Then, when you’re at the fire tower, you’ll find a flare gun. Give it to Matt, and let him use it.
Things get genuinely crazy when the fire tower starts sliding down the hill towards the mines. When the moment comes up, whatever you do, don’t try to save Emily.
Yes, I said what I said. Instead, jump to safety. It’s the only way to save both characters.
When you get to the part with the doll house, make sure you check the workbench. You’ll spot a pair of scissors. Make sure you take them. You never know when you might need to scissors something.
Remember that pair of scissors you picked up earlier? Good – because when the psycho attacks, you’ll be ready to stab him.
Then, when Chris and Ashley find themselves strapped to chairs, with saws above their heads and a gun on the table, they choose to shoot no one.
Repeat after me: Shoot. No one.
Chapter 7: Flamethrower Man
If he wasn’t important, I wouldn’t name a chapter after the Flamethrower Man. To that end, when Emily runs from this guy, you’ll have a chance to light a can of spilt oil.
Do not do this. Just move right along.
Oh, and when Chris and Mike drag Josh out to the shed, make sure you disarm Mike – for the good of everyone.
Chapter 8: Once Bitten, Not Dead
When Chris is fighting back to the cabin after the Wendigo kills the Flamethrower Man, make sure you shoot at it every chance you get.
Ashley will open the door for you – because true love is never letting a Wendigo eat your crush.
This is important. Wendigo are not Zombies! Repeat after me! When Emily gets bitten by a Wendigo, don’t panic! It’s not what you think.
Just keep her alive until the group discovers what the bite means. Spoiler: it’s not contagious.
Chapter 9: Barrel-Blasting Fun
If you listened to me previously and made nice with the wolf, when you return to the sanatorium, the wolf will be there to guide you.
Also, you know that two birds, one stone saying, well, two Wendigo and one oil drum is the same thing.
So when the Wendigos attack on the bridge, push that oil drum forward and blow it up. Nothing says survivor like an explosive finale.
In the final moments of the chase, you’ll want to barricade the door and shoot the remaining Wendigo.
Oh, and when you take control of Ashley in the tunnels, stick together. We’ve all watched horror movies, and we know that spitting up never works.
Talking about things that never work, you’ll soon find a trap door. You’ll want to keep this closed. Trust.
Chapter 10: The Grand Finale
This is the final chapter, and trust me, you don’t want everyone to die when it’s so close to dawn.
When you reach the water with Sam and Mike, one of the first things you’ll want to do is hop in and follow the left wall to find another ledge you can climb onto.
Here, you’ll find the final Twins clue. Read it to learn the Wendigo’s true identity – Josh needs to learn this.
Then, when Matt finds Jessica in the mines, make sure you hide when given the option and then move forward. And once again, make sure you two stick together.
Now, it’s the absolute final stretch. Don’t bother locking the door when the Wendigos are closing in on the cabin. The Wendigo simply don’t care about at-home security.
Instead, run to the living room, where things get real. The Hannah Wendigo will kill off a few others, but here’s the trick: when the game tells you to stay still, stay still.
This is where sweaty palms can cost lives.
Finally, when you can save Mike or run – save Mike. And when the option to hide comes up, hide.
Do this a few more times, and your friends will all slip out the door unharmed. Oh, and Josh? Let’s just say his survival is a little… complicated.
And there you have it, brave souls! With these spine-tingling tips in hand, you’ve got a fighting chance to make it through Until Dawn without losing any of your beloved characters to the grim grasp of the Wendigo – or, you know, each other.
Just remember, every decision counts, and sometimes the scariest thing isn’t what’s hiding in the shadows but your own choices.
So, go ahead, fire up that remake, grab some popcorn (and maybe a pillow to scream into), and see if you can outwit the nightmarish forces at play.
If you manage to keep everyone alive, feel free to bask in the glory – but if not, well… let’s just say you won’t be the first one to meet a grisly end in these mountains.
