The strict auto-save system prevents players from reloading a previously saved file to prevent cheating. Deaths are permanent the game's narrative will adapt to these changes and continue forward without them. All eight characters may die by the end of the story, depending on the player's decisions. Players can view the personality and details of the character they are controlling, and his or her relationships with other characters. These choices also influence the story's tone and relationships between characters. Certain choices may unlock a new sequence of events and cause unforeseen consequences. These range from small decisions like picking up a book to moral choices that involve the fates of other characters. The game features a butterfly effect system, in which players have to make choices. One type of QTE involves hiding from a threat by holding the controller as still as possible when a "Don't Move" prompt appears. Action sequences feature mostly quick time events (QTE). An in-game system keeps track of all of the story clues and secrets that players have discovered, even across multiple playthroughs. Players can also collect totems, which give players a precognition of what may happen in the game's narrative. Players control the characters in a linear environment and find clues and items. The gameplay is mainly a combination of cutscenes and third-person exploration. Until Dawn is an interactive drama in which players primarily assume control of eight young adults who have to survive on Blackwood Mountain until they are rescued at dawn. In Until Dawn, players have to make quick decisions that may have unforeseen consequences. Supermassive followed the game with a virtual reality spin-off, Until Dawn: Rush of Blood (2016), and a prequel, The Inpatient (2018), while a spiritual successor, The Quarry, was released in 2022. Critics praised the branching nature of the story, butterfly effect system, world building, characters, and use of quick time events, but criticised the controls. The game received generally positive reviews, and was nominated for multiple year-end accolades.
Although there was little marketing effort from Sony, its sales surpassed expectations. Until Dawn was announced at Gamescom 2012 and released in August 2015. Several noted actors, including Rami Malek, Hayden Panettiere, Meaghan Martin, Brett Dalton, Jordan Fisher, Nichole Bloom, and Peter Stormare, provided motion capture and voice acting. Jason Graves composed the soundtrack and Guerrilla Games' Decima game engine was used for the graphics.
To ensure the game was scary, the team used a galvanic skin response test to measure playtesters' fear levels when playing it. These include the movies Evil Dead II and Poltergeist, and video games Heavy Rain, Resident Evil, and Silent Hill. The development team took inspiration from various sources. The story was written by Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick, who sought to create the video game equivalent of a slasher film. The motion controls were dropped when it became a PlayStation 4 game. The game was originally planned as a first-person game for the PlayStation 3's motion controller PlayStation Move. Players explore the environment from a third-person perspective and find clues that may help solve the mystery. All playable characters can survive or die, depending on the choices made. The game features a butterfly effect system in which players must make choices that may change the story. Players assume control of eight young adults who have to survive on Blackwood Mountain when their lives are threatened. Until Dawn is a 2015 interactive drama horror video game developed by Supermassive Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 4.