Until Dawn

Until Dawn is a 2015 interactive drama and survival horror game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 4. Directed by Will Byles and written by Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick, it uses a branching narrative in which every playable character can survive or die. The story follows eight young adults returning to Blackwood Mountain, a year after Hannah and Beth Washington disappeared there. Their reunion at the Washington family’s isolated lodge becomes a night involving a masked attacker, dangerous choices, and supernatural threats rooted in the mountain’s history.

The playable group includes twins Sam Giddings and Josh Washington’s friends Mike Munroe, Jessica Riley, Emily Davis, Matt Taylor, Ashley Brown, and Chris Hartley. Josh, Hannah, and Beth’s brother, invites the group to the lodge after the previous year’s cruel prank contributed to Hannah and Beth fleeing into a snowstorm. Players initially believe the group is being hunted by a figure known as the Psycho. Later revelations connect the mountain to the disappearance of miners after the 1952 collapse of the Sanatorium, where survivors resorted to cannibalism and became wendigos.

Until Dawn is structured around the “butterfly effect,” represented by an in-game system that tracks decisions and identifies changed outcomes. Choices made in dialogue, exploration, quick-time events, and action scenes can alter relationships, determine who discovers information, and decide whether characters live through the night. The game also includes collectible clues that explain the Washington family, the miners, and the wendigo curse. Its recurring psychiatrist sequences feature Dr. Hill, played by Peter Stormare, whose questions adjust certain imagery and fears presented during play.

The game was originally announced as a PlayStation 3 title requiring PlayStation Move, but its development shifted to PlayStation 4 and its final version did not require Move controls. It was built with the Decima engine and used performance capture for its cast. Notable actors include Rami Malek as Josh, Hayden Panettiere as Sam, Brett Dalton as Mike, Meaghan Martin as Jessica, Nichole Sakura as Emily, Jordan Fisher as Matt, Galadriel Stineman as Ashley, and Noah Fleiss as Chris. Until Dawn received a standalone virtual-reality spin-off, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood, in 2016, and the prequel The Inpatient in 2018. A remake developed by Ballistic Moon was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows in 2024, featuring updated visuals, a revised opening, and additional narrative material.