How to save everyone in Until Dawn remake

Attempting to keep Until Dawn’s characters alive can be incredibly hard if you don’t realize which moments matter most to their survival (or demise).

Here is how to save everyone and get the best ending in Until Dawn remake.

Until Dawn (2024): Save everyone guide

You achieve the best ending in Until Dawn remake when all eight friends survive the night. There is no real threat of danger until Chapter 4 – Malevolence, where QTEs determine whether Jess will survive or not. But it isn’t until Emily and Matt make it to the fire tower that the challenge truly begins. Tasked to survive until dawn, you must succeed QTEs, select the right decision, and make sure your relationships are in a good enough place that they won’t get you killed.

Remember that nature must always remain in the balance. Don’t attack any animals or throw objects at them. The only thing worth attacking is the Wendigo. Harming animals will only result in a character death. So, don’t get any funny ideas when you see an opportunity to shoot a squirrel or lob a snowball at a bird.

Finally, we highly recommend you drop the Motion Sensor Sensitivity setting to 40. The controller is particularly sensitive and will jolt at the vibration when you’re not supposed to move. If it catches you by surprise, this is enough to have you fail the Don’t Move sections. You could be as still as possible—even rest your controller on your leg or table—and the motion sensor still picks up movement from the vibrations. 40 will remove this unnecessary movement and be more accurate to your shaking hand.

This will show you how to save every character in chronological order when their possible deaths can occur.

How to save Jess in Until Dawn (2024)

Chapters: 4 – Malevolence / 10 – Repentance

Jess is the first character you need to save in Until Dawn. There is quite a big gap between Jess and the next possible death in Until Dawn—Chris. Jess gets taken by a Wendigo, and it’s down to Mike to save her at the beginning of Chapter 4 – Malevolence. The aim of the game is to get to her as quickly as possible. Jess will die if you take too long. We recommend you complete all quick route QTEs to ensure Jess gets out of the situation alive.

We won’t see Jess until she meets up with Matt in Chapter 10 – Repentance. Playing as Matt, you mustn’t leave Jess’s side. Instead, choose to Hide Together twice, and succeed the Don’t Move sequences to save both characters.

How to save Chris in Until Dawn

Chapters: 5 – Dread / 6 – Psychosis / 8 – Revelations / 9 – Despair

Similar to Matt, your relationship with Ashley dictates whether you live or die. You must choose to Save Ashley on every occasion where she “could die” in the maniac’s games. Choose to save Ashley over Josh in Chapter 5 – Dread and later shoot yourself in Chapter 6 – Psychosis. This will bring Chris and Ashley together (as Josh intended) and secure his fate when fleeing the Wendigos.

Now, you only need to survive the Wendigo encounter after the Flamethrower Guy gets killed. Chris will knock at the cabin and Ashley will let him in. If you fail to bring these two characters together, Ashley will have a go at playing God and let Chris die by not opening the door.

Finally, choose to Reassure Chris when you’re playing as Ashley in Chapter 9 – Despair. This will ensure Chris doesn’t stray too far from the group and avoid any possibility that Chris could die at the hands of a Wendigo.

How to save Ashley in Until Dawn (2024)

Chapter: 9 – Despair

There’s only one time Ashley can die in Until Dawn and that’s if she investigates the sound in Chapter 9 – Despair. This happens after you close the manhole cover and get split from the rest of the group. Make sure you choose to Rejoin Group to avoid coming face-to-face with a Wendigo by opening the hatch door. This voice is confirmed as a Wendigo pretending to be Jess. She reveals this in her credits dialogue (if Jess survives).

How to save Matt in Until Dawn

Chapters: 5 – Dread / 6 – Psychosis / 10 – Repentance

Matt is one of those frustrating characters that seems impossible to save. You think you’re doing everything right by siding with Em, but it turns out this is the wrong thing to do. Siding and trying to save Em will only get Matt killed. While there are multiple paths you can go down to keep Matt safe, we will recommend steps that ensure Matt and Emily’s relationship stays intact, and both survive to see dawn.

First, you must disagree with Em’s idea to go to the fire tower in Chapter 5 – Dread. Then, make sure you don’t attack the elk with your axe in Chapter 6 – Psychosis. Finally, after the tower has crashed, you are given the choice to save Emily or jump. Take this opportunity to try and save her, but only once. Matt will die if you don’t jump and try to save her twice. So, try to Help Emily once, then immediately Jump to Safety when the option appears for the second time.

Matt will meet up with Jess in the mines in Chapter 10 – Repentance. This is a very short section with even shorter Don’t Move sequences. You must survive two Don’t Move sequences and choose to Hide Together twice. Jess cannot catch up to you if you run. So hide both times and end Matt’s playthrough, keeping Jess and Matt alive at the final hurdle.

How to save Emily in Until Dawn (2024)

Chapters: 6 – Psychosis / 8 – Revelations

Emily is similar to Matt in that her relationship with him matters. However, Em’s level of infatuation for Matt only alters her script in the credits. To keep Emily alive, you must get the flare gun from the fire tower in Chapter 6 – Psychosis. Choose to keep the flare gun rather than hand it to Matt. The flare isn’t necessary to save either character, but it protects Em at a time of need and stops her from getting bit by the pursuing Wendigo in Chapter 8 – Revealations.

When fleeing from the Wendigo after squeezing through the gap down in the mines, you need to Go Left immediately. Interact with the lift as quickly as you can. Going left will skip the Don’t Move sequence. Complete the QTEs and make your way to the conveyor belt. Stay on the conveyor belt and shoot the Wendigo with the flare gun as it comes up behind you. Emily will survive the encounter unscathed.

How to save the wolf in Until Dawn (2024)

Chapter: 9 – Despair

We’re aware the wolf doesn’t count as one of the characters needed for the best ending, but there’s an easy way to ensure this canine friend survives. When you’re playing as Mike, revisiting the Sanatorium, you must complete QTEs as you navigate the jail cell section. Avoiding the Wendigo and shooting those free, you can turn left or go straight. While neither option gets you killed if you keep that persistent Wendigo at bay, going straight only delays progressing to the next section.

By turning left, you can either Block the door or Jump down the hole. You must block the door so the wolf survives. The wolf won’t follow you regardless, but at least your new friend won’t die to the hands of the Wendigo.

How to save Josh in Until Dawn (2024)

Chapter: 10 – Repentance

While Josh doesn’t get saved as such, his survival until the credits roll is imperative to get the good ending where everyone lives. You must find the Scrawled Journal near the water wheel while playing as Sam in Chapter 10 – Repentance. This vital item guarantees Josh won’t die before dawn, making him one of the eight characters you’ve managed to save.

How to save Mike in Until Dawn (2024)

Chapters: 5 – Dread / 10 – Repentance

While Mike cannot die in Chapter 5 – Dread, we’re making a note of it so you don’t accidentally chop off Mike’s fingers. When you’re exploring the Sanatorium and the Morgue, there will be a machine with a waving hand. Don’t interact with the waving hand. This will only turn into a bear trap, putting Mike in a world of pain. His only choice is to take off his fingers and lose the machete he’s holding onto.

Aside from completing QTEs against the Wendigo inside the Sanatorium, Mike’s survival rests in Sam’s hands. You must Save Mike so he doesn’t sacrifice himself by using the lighter to explode the cabin.

How to save Sam in Until Dawn (2024)

Chapter: 10 – Repentance

You must complete back-to-back Don’t Move sequences in the final stand against Hannah and the other Wendigos. Thankfully, there aren’t any QTEs to mess you up, but the Don’t Move sequences are enough to make your body shake, and the hairs at the back of your neck stand. You’ve come so far and failure isn’t an option. You need to survive every Don’t Move as Sam, choose to Save Mike when the option shows on the screen, and continue to Hide until the game automatically forces you to flee the house, taking the Wendigos down in a fiery blaze.

Always choose Hide; otherwise, Mike will die. You need everyone to escape from the house before Sam can leave. She will turn the switch on by herself.

Until Dawn (2024) best ending guide, summarized

Here is all the correct choices summarized for each character so you can unlock the “They All Live” trophy in Until Dawn.