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When playing games, it's only natural for us to want our protagonist and group members to survive until the very end. Unfortunately, Supermassive Games' new survival-horror game Until Dawn doesn't always pan out that way. As a matter of fact, due to Until Dawn's obsessive focus on the butterfly effect – that is, the idea that all decisions ultimately cause a chain reaction of minor or major consequences, sparking unforeseen future events – characters often end up dead.

Until Dawn was just released today, and so far the critics' reviews have been positive for the most part. As previously reported, the game is more of an interactive cinematic experience than a traditional title, much like Quantic Dream's Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, and to a more accurate degree, Telltale Games' episodic The Walking Dead series. Bearing those comparisons in mind, the fright-fest mostly features quick-time events, dialogue options, and rudimentary puzzles which can be tackled pretty handily by way of the response-oriented gameplay.

One of Until Dawn's most interesting features lies in its ability to be revisited multiple times, as each playthrough offers up tons of new content. For example, if gamers locate a weapon in a previous chapter, they may be able to wield it once a scene forces them back into the same room. Plus, if a prior decision gets a character killed, players can rectify it during another run in the game. The primary goal is to make the most-informed decision during the initial run, but Until Dawn often puts fans under pressure in the moment. For those of us who want a flawless playthrough, NukemDukem is here to save the day by putting together a video gameplay guide on how to keep all of Until Dawn's party members alive, and get the best ending for the survival-horror title.

Those familiar with NukemDukem might remember our coverage of their Riddler Trophy guides for Batman: Arkham Knight. While their video strategies on YouTube are comprehensive and handy in a pinch, those of us unacquainted with NukemDukem's presentations should be forewarned that story spoilers lie ahead, especially since Until Dawn is mostly an interactive experience.

The real bit of advice begins roughly at the 1:00 minute mark in the above video, and it's all relatively simple. Before following after their friends, players must first lock the door so as to briefly hinder the game's insanely fast monsters from giving chase. Later, whenever told to do so, don't move the controller at all so the creatures don't sense the protagonist's presence. After that, choose to save Mike while he's rigging up a light-switch trap for the beasts by shouting "Hey!", and then the rest of the options to select should be the ones that involve hiding, so that the entire group can sneak out the front door of the cabin.

Once the final cinematic rolls with the heroine incinerating the monsters, gamers can rest easy knowing they've unlocked "The Quicker Man" and "They All Live" trophies, as well as an end credits cut-scene with each character getting interrogated for information on the incident. Of course, the more fun and challenging way to make it to this point would have been to explore Until Dawn's myriad choices as the developer intended. Regardless, NukemDukem has saved those of us in dire need of gameplay direction some time.

Until Dawn is available now exclusively for the PlayStation 4.

Source: NukemDukem