Enjoying a game means something different for everybody; for some, it's merely to have a fun time and, for others, it means grinding to finally achieve the best ending. Until Dawn is one of those titles that need multiple playthroughs in order to end the story in the best possible way as sometimes, it's difficult to predict what all choices are going to accumulate to in the end.
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A "best" ending can mean multiple things; for Until Dawn, best means everyone survives (even the characters that are perhaps a bit unfavorable). For those completionists out there that can't get enough of Until Dawn and need to see the entire cast successfully survive the night, here are some tricky decisions that can cost a character's life.
10 Following "Jessica's" Call In The Sewers
As the group tries to reunite with Mike in the sewers, Ashley falls behind and notices a strange noise. After hearing the strange noise, she believes it's Jessica, calling for help. However, it is revealed that the Wendigos, as hunters, learned how to mimic the cries of their prey. Meaning that noise in the sewers was, sure enough, a Wendigo trying to lure poor Ashley to aid her friend.
If Ashley decides to separate from the group to investigate the cries for help, Ashley, and the chance of a perfect ending, both die an unceremonious death.
9 Shooting Emily
After Ashley uncovers that Emily had been bitten by a Wendigo, the group now finds Emily an immediate threat that needs to be taken care of. Mike has the option to shoot Emily; and although it may seem like the right thing to do, it's revealed later that a simple bite doesn't affect a human and that a Wendigo is born from the act of cannibalism instead.
So although the player might feel inclined to take the "safer" route and have Mike eliminate a possible threat to their safe room, in the end, Emily's bite is in fact a red herring that can lead to a meaningless death.
8 Harming Nature
The game makes it a point to let the player know that it's in their best interest to have mother nature on their side. If the player decides against that and harms the poor little animals near the beginning of the game, the consequences will be rather harsh towards the end. Every instance of harming an animal is met with bad karma; however, one of the most impactful ones being with regards to Matt.
When Matt and Emily are cornered by the hoards of elks, it's best to keep that ax Matt has by his side. Although it may feel right to try to defend the couple as it seems as if they're in danger, acting aggressively leads to Matt's immediate death as he falls off the cliff as the elks inch in closer and closer.
7 Being Selfish As Chris
At one point in the game, Chris is faced with a decision: either to shoot Ashley or himself. At this point, it feels like a decision absolutely needs to be made seeing as if the player takes too long, both will meet their ends. However, after it is revealed that this trap was all part of Josh's plan all along, it seems as if neither Chris nor Ashley were in any real danger (at least at this point).
If Chris decides to be selfish and save himself at the cost of Ashley's life, this will cause a butterfly effect to happen in which Ashley refuses to help Chris when he is being pursued by a Wendigo. Although the gun only had blanks, Ashley's hard feelings that lead to Chris' death (and also not a perfect end) are very real.
6 Taking Your Time As Mike
When Jessica is taken by an unknown pursuer, Mike sets off to be her knight in shining armor and to hopefully get her back safe and sound. However, if the player forces Mike to consistently take the "safe" route as opposed to the "quick" one (in addition to failing too many QTEs), not being as urgent as possible with saving Jessica, she will end up dead by the end of this sequence.
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If Mike takes his precious time, by the time he finds Jessica, the unknown enemy has already offed her. If they don't fail a single QTE and consistently stick with the "quick" route, then Mike will find an incredibly wounded, but still barely alive, Jess.
5 Always Agreeing With Emily
Admittedly, Emily isn't one of the most popular characters within the game; and seeing poor Matt being pushed around by his bossy girlfriend can be tough to take sitting down. Good news for players that are frustrated with Emily, as rebelling against her can prove life-saving at one point.
If Matt goes along with Emily's plan to reach the watchtower and use the flare, Matt will immediately shoot the flare gun upon getting it as it was Emily's idea. However, if Matt objects to this, he will keep the flare gun after Emily gives it to him. The flare gun is key to Matt's survival as it ends up being his only line of defense against a Wendigo that tries to drag him away later in that chapter.
4 Abandoning Jess
This one may seem like a no-brainer but when in the moment, sometimes questionable choices can be made. When Matt reunites with Jessica in the mines, she's in bad shape. After being dragged away from her make-out session with Mike, there's no way to prevent her from taking this much damage; however, her survival is still very much possible.
When Matt and Jess are faced with a Wendigo, the player has the choice to make Matt abandon Jessica in favor of their own survival. It's no surprise that abandoning a heavily injured Jess meant sending her to her death; but perhaps it may seem as if Matt may create a diversion when running, luring the Wendigo towards him and away from Jessica. But unfortunately for Jess, it goes after her instead and can even later lead to Matt's death as well.
3 Investigating Ashley's Death
If the player had the unfortunate cutscene of Ashley's death after trying to aid a distressed "Jessica", then they will also have the opportunity to allow Chris to follow suit.
If the player didn't learn from the first lesson with Ashley, they can also send in an unsuspecting Chris to investigate a noise. If the player decides that perhaps things will go better this time, a Wendigo, now mimicking Ashley's voice, sadly lures Chris to his death.
2 Staying On The Conveyor Belt
This particular choice doesn't lead to an immediate death with no way out, but it does open a rather large window for it. If the player keeps Emily on the conveyor belt during her chase with the Wendigo in the mines, she'll be greeted by a large industrial grinder meant for coal or stone. Only avoided by a single QTE, this death for Emily is can be a difficult one to prevent.
1 Not Waiting For Everyone To Exit The Cabin
As daunting as it is, the reality is that no matter how well the player manages to keep the group out of danger, the ending of the game can kill every playable character in one fell swoop.
In the cabin scene at the very end of the game, the group finds themselves trapped inside with a handful of Wendigos. Mike and Sam devise a plan to blow the entire cabin up with the Wendigos inside after one of them accidentally causes a gas pipe to leak.
However, if things the player misses some QTEs or doesn't manage to hold still when prompted, things can go awry. The unfortunate possibility that the group can either get attacked by Wendigos or die within the explosion is a definite means for a restart when trying for the perfect run.