History WMG / UntilDawn

As another viewer of MatPat's video I decieded to look into various forms of depressions and lo and behold we have a winner. Those with Psychotic Depression experience hallucinations (visual, auditory, smell, and touch), isolation, intense guilt, anger, mood swings, and personal inadequacy. All of which Josh has. The reason he keeps getting stronger doses is due to how bad his depression is but Dr. Hill amongst many others aren't able to grasp this because of the false life he lives. Thus he is unable to receive the treatment he needs.

** [[spoiler: Confirmed by ''VideoGame/TheInpatient''.]]
** Interestingly, it seems that the police aren't trying to hide the existence of the Wendigos as part of [[TheMasquerade a Masquerade]], so much as they're trying to hide [[spoiler:the actions of some older members of their police force that are shown in ''VideoGame/TheInpatient'', where officers began killing innocent people at the Blackwood Sanatorium, apparently out of terror and desperation]]. With outside observers now involved, and considering how strange [[spoiler:Hannah's]] remains will look even after being burned, it's likely that this will fall apart in the wake of the game.

** That's exactly what the Wendigo Spirit does. At least, it does cause the people to resort to cannibalism. Which then causes the transformation. The spirit possesses it's host, causes an insatiable craving for human flesh, and once the host succumbs to cannibalism the spirit starts the transformation within it's host's body. I believe the state of the mountain and it's surroundings, and the weather are the reason so much was never found. Most everything to be found was [[spoiler: in the mines]], That were deemed too dangerous, so they definitely wouldn't have been searching down there.

- Mike; [[spoiler: for shooting Emily or even attempting to.]]

- Ashley; [[spoiler: for letting Chris get killed by a wendigo.]]

- Matt; [[spoiler: for the “attempted murder” of Emily, since Emily tells the police that he left her to die if he had a bad relationship with her despite Matt attempting to save her.]]
* [[spoiler: There is legally no duty to rescue, so unless she blames him for causing the tower to fall in the first place, there would be no legal liability for him.]]
- Sam; [[spoiler: for blowing her friends up in the lodge.]]

*** I think it's safe to say that Mike and Jessica would be done as well. Ashley saw Mike and Emily together, so what would stop her from telling Jessica what she saw. Especially if you played her to let Matt see what was going on. Mike relationships don't seem to last very long (not including Emily really, since it's obvious [[spoiler: they still had an ongoing relationship even after the official breakup]] but, didn't want to answer to her any more.) Chris and Ashley are likely the only two that would make it work. They already spent all of their time together. Plus, [[spoiler: Josh was right as it seems, that a traumatic event would push the two to admit their feelings for one another.]] They're a perfect calm for each other, and that's probably what they both would need after such an event.

* His goal is to ensure that [[spoiler: Josh]] is properly conditioned to play his part in the scenario. Zoology handles [[spoiler: The Wendigos.]]

* If Chris and Josh both survive, then [[spoiler:Chris would likely end up hunting and capturing/killing, or being killed by, the Wendigo version of Josh]] in this scenario.
** This, most certainly, if Chris was able to recognize Josh in the same manner that [[spoiler: Josh does Hanndigo]], he would for sure die by the hands of him.

At first it bugged me that no one reacted to the visions of the totems as well as that in some flashbacks the information is based on something the characters themselves didn't witness or know about. But then I thought about what that could mean. First with the totems. Did you ever notice that it's the screen that zooms in? The reason for this is obvious, but it is also important because it implies that it is us specifically being shown and not the controlled character. Now think about some of the flashbacks. Mike apparently has knowledge of the [[spoiler: wendigo crawling along the cave ceiling]] despite the fact that neither he nor Jess witnessed that. [[spoiler: Both Hannah and Josh apparently recognize each other to the point that it is the closest you can get to saving him,]] and yet the information needed for that outcome is found by Sam and Mike. But look at the way these scenes happen. The camera, us, zoom in on the corresponding face and then the flashbacks occur. But what if these are not flashbacks but some type of information transfer. At these points they need the information to be properly informed and we are literally giving it to them. This might not make the most sense but honestly it does seem to explain things which seem like plot holes.
* [[spoiler:Yes, Sam finds the pertinent information to "save" Josh, but she does try to tell him about it before they get separated again. He probably put two and two together and recognized Hannah from the information Sam gave him.]]
* Not sure about the flashbacks because they can be different for example, If Mike chooses to not to jump down in[[spoiler: mines with Jessica when she falls, you'll never see Hanndigo]] behind him. Instead, you will see a flashback of when [[spoiler: Mike looked through the telescope and Hannah appeared in view]] as you hit the button to back out. But, the totem's are definitely for the players and not something the teens can see themselves. Otherwise it'd make no sense considering some of the teens get totems that show another character, whom they either don't see the rest of the game or wind up dead before they do. Thought this would explain something that certainly makes no sense.
* Well, we already know from [[spoiler: the Wendigos]] that there are spirits on the mountain... maybe you, the player, are a benevolent one?

During the end sequence if you complete all the [=QTEs=] and [[spoiler: allow all of your friends to escape from the lodge with Sam as the last one remaining]], when she runs towards the door you see that the clothed [[spoiler: Wendigo is inches away from getting Sam's head, only for the other remaining one, Hannah, to grab onto it from behind and seemingly pull it down.]] Granted it was fighting its kind the entire time anyways, but maybe it's possible that [[spoiler: Wendigo Hannah was subconsciously aware of her friends, namely Sam (who was one of the only ones not involved in the prank), being in danger, and thus ended up preventing the possible death for Sam as she flicks the light switch.]]
* It's made pretty clear (IMO), that Hannah is advanced [[spoiler: in her Wendigo from]]. The fact that she never [[spoiler: kills Mike herself]] is proof of that and your opinion here as well. The Stranger says that Wendigos retain some of their humanity and based on the actions [[spoiler: of Hanndigo]] this certainly proves to be true from what he said. Even the way she chooses to [[spoiler: kill some of the teens, if not all of them]] shows this too. So it's easy to believe that she was trying to save Sam. The only real argument against it is that she herself can and will kill Sam. Though, you can go back to say that she killed them to have them close to her again. Because she sure seems [[spoiler: to keep Beth]] like she was a valuable possession rather than food.

... is [[spoiler:survival as a Wendigo]]. This ending is only unlockable if you [[spoiler:find Hannah's diary]]. If you do, Josh's fate is automatically sealed; there is no further affects you can make during game play that can alter it. And since you need [[spoiler:to find it]] in order to understand the whole story and confirm that [[spoiler:Hannah is a Wendigo]], the game sort of demands that you ''do'' [[spoiler:find it]] to completely understand its story. So the game ''wants'' the player to [[spoiler:find Hannah's diary, which then automatically "saves" Josh and results in him becoming a Wendigo]]. Additionally, speaking only from the perspective of the horror movies ''Until Dawn'' is made in the style of, there always needs to be ''something'' at the end to suggest that it's not quite over yet, which Josh's post-credit [[spoiler: Wendigo transformation]] scene serves as nicely. If he [[spoiler:gets killed instead of turned]], there's no scene like this for the traditional horror film ending and ''Until Dawn'' is left as an "incomplete" horror film game.

* Not likely with Emily and Matt. The cable car station was set up very recently upon the [[spoiler: first saw trap with Josh, Ashley and Chris.]] And Josh knew that they were out and about because Emily announces that she's going for her bag with Matt. Plus, if you get the DLC with Matt and Emily, you can see that [[spoiler: Josh had set that up for them to find because it was all still pretty fresh.]] I think he sent Jessica and Mike (the two people most responsible for the prank) to the cabin to record them? Considering he made a sex joke at them as they were leaving we know that's what he thought they were going to do.

[[WMG: Josh wanted to/willingly [[spoiler: Become a wendigo.]]]]
[[spoiler: When the search effort went to save Josh, they found Josh as a wendigo. However, he was most likely only was in the mine for less than a week, assuming the search effort began immediately after dawn struck. There were also parts of the mines that were completely open and available for him to flee through, assuming everyone survived. When he was dragged away, he was clearly not restrained, as he is found eating a skull. He was likely just left on the ground, and started eating a skull shortly afterward. This either implies he couldn't wait a day to eat, meaning his will power is frankly pathetic, or committed cannibalism deliberately, likely to get revenge, or due to his poor mental state.]]
* Alternatively, his [[spoiler:poor mental state (He "trusts" his delusions) combined with the influence of a dozen of now hostless Wendigo spirits sped up his resorting to cannibalism.]] Kinda explains why the Stranger says not to kill them, eh?
** Worse still, considering [[spoiler: how excessively dominant Makkapitew-inside-Hannah was towards the other wendigos, it's entirely possible that he metaphorically shoved his way to the front of the line after Hannah was blown up in the cabin and claimed Josh. Evidence for this is that Hannah turned ''fast'' after eating Beth, while the miners all took several days to fully change. Josh also exhibits signs of a rapid transformation. If Makkapitew can fast-track his host's transformation and has possessed Josh, then the kids did little more than remove all of his competition from the mountain...]]

[[WMG: [[spoiler: Josh was taking the wrong medication]]]]
This one's from Game Theorists. [[spoiler: Josh actually had schizophrenia, not depression]].

* Josh is seen hallucinating his sisters or Dr. Hill the entire game and near the end, [[spoiler: a Wendigo]]. So not sure how far this could stretch to be true, since he doesn't once acknowledge the player (and the one time he seemingly does is questionable after playing Josh and seeing what he's actually seeing) though it's kind of a neat way to view it as if it were like this.

You never actually ''stopped'' playing Beth after the prologue, she just lost the ability to directly act due to being dead. Now a spirit, she knows about [[spoiler: the Wendigoes haunting the mountains and that Hannah is one of them]], and she's set out to save her friends from the threat. But being a ghost, she can only act through subconscious influence, represented as choosing which options the characters take, or guiding their hands towards certain things. She's the one who receives the totem visions, which is why none of the people who actually pick them up comment on whatever disturbing vision the totems grant.

[[WMG: [[spoiler:Josh wasn't originally going to target Chris...]]]]
* [[spoiler: ...until Chris decided to play a 'killer-in-the-basement' prank on Josh and Sam in the basement in Chapter 2. Though Josh appeared to have took the joke well and even gave his closest friend a high-five for the well-timed prank, it was all an act. Josh was actually appalled with Chris' thoughtless prank considering that his best friend, of all people, should have already known that Josh have lost his twin sisters to a similar prank a year ago, in the exact same building no less, and is still trying to recover from the loss. With this incident in mind, this makes Josh's initially inexplicable motivation to punish Chris over Jessica, Emily, and Mike, appear somewhat more understandable.]]

* Assuming it was at least partially genuine, it also seems more likely and logical, that it was canonically Beth's spirit, not Hannah's communicating. Why? [[spoiler: Hannah is possessed by the wendigo spirit Makkapitew and her body mutated, she's no longer human, but she isn't dead. Its highly unlikely she could break free of the influence or control of the powerful wendigo spirit possessing her long enough to communicate with or warn the group, as she is not the one in control anymore, and not technically being dead her soul is probably still tied to her body anyway. Beth died in the fall, and so unlike Hannah her ghost/spirit is likely free and able to communicate under certain conditions (like the ouija board) if she wishes. The board first says "help" "warning" the spirit is asking for help and trying to warn them, then "sister" in response to who are they speaking too, "yes" (although it says that no matter which sister you choose) then if you choose Beth it spells "Hannah" quickly followed by "killed", possibly warning that Wendigo!Hannah needs to be killed in order to force the Makkapitew, the spirit possessing her, from her body and thus free Hannah? Beth seemed to be responsible caring, altruistic and very protective towards her siblings, and probably others too in life (maybe also in death?) and it would fit her [[TheCaretaker personality. ]] ]]

* If Hannah [[spoiler: recognises Josh in the mines and spares him you hear a echoy noise that sounds like a young woman sobbing as he's being dragged off, but Mike is the only human to witness what's happened, and it definitely isn't him. Its also doubtful wendigo have either the ability or emotional capacity to cry, and the wendigo has no reason to mimic a human sound at that time. It sounds wrong too, the one time we definitely hear a Wendigo mimic a human is when its luring Ashley and then while echoey the crying doesn't sound nearly so ghostly...Assuming it was Beth's spirit communicating on the Ouija board, what if its her spirit still lingering around and realising what's going to happen? She's still looking out for and worried for her siblings, but she's powerless to help them. Also as to why you only hear the crying if Josh is spared and not if he is killed, Beth can't save him (or anyone else) but if he dies at least he and Beth can reunite and she'll be back with one of her siblings, if he gets turned into an inhuman monster too, she's lost both of them ]]
** Alternately it could be Hannah.....the sobbing sound we hear sounds less like just crying and more like someone actually sobbing out a word, or trying too at least, (I think it sounds sort of like "help" but not sure) and is heard just after[[spoiler: Josh recognized Hannah and called out to her. So maybe the humanity in a Wendigo doesn't die when they transform and its not so much that the person themselves becomes evil and turns into savage, bloodthirsty monster, and more that the powerful spirit of the wendigo takes over and forcibly mutates and transforms their body while the spirit of the actual person is [[FateWorseThanDeath subdued/forced into submission and held hostage in their still living if altered body]]. Perhaps they can't stop what's happening most of the time because the wendigo spirit is the one in control and simply overpowers them but the possessed/controlled person can briefly break through and even regain limited and very temporary control under certain/specific conditions, (like if memories which hold strong emotions from when they were human get triggered, such as Hannah's bond and love for her siblings for example). Maybe Hannah is still there somewhere, but the spirit of Makkapittu now controls her body and she is trapped inside watching, perhaps sometimes dormant, other times [[AndIMustScream painfully aware and perhaps horrified]], but largely helpless against the supernatural entity that's taken over her and unable to break the control except very briefly.]]
** But, this wouldn't explain why Josh is spared if he recognizes her. If Hannah could gain that much power over the Wendigo spirit then it'd make no sense as why she'd allowed any of the killings to happen. I don't know anything about the cries heard. (I assumed it to be Josh probably whimpering) The Wendigo Spirit transforms the person entirely physically and mentally. Some humanity remains as it's obviously stated by the Flame Thrower Guy and even more so with Hannah because she's fairly advanced compared to the other Wendigos, but I son't think she's dormant.

The Wendigo actually are [[TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken Hunger Spirits from the Shadow]] whose Resonance Essence happens to be Cannibalism; they wander around the mountain and prey on people who find themselves starving (such as [[spoiler:Hannah and the miners]]), using their Influence to get them to eat human flesh, thus making them resonant enough that they can possess and eventually Claim them, resulting in the abominations we see in the game. They cannot see immobile target because this is their Ban, and their Bane is Fire, which is why this is one of the few things that can harm them. Presumably, a Locus exist somewhere in the mountain (possibly in the mine?), which is how the Wendigo escaped from the Shadow in the first place. In addition, this would also explain why nature react so strangely agressive when you are a dick to animals; other Nature spirits exist in this area, and react badly to humans mistreating their source of Essence.

The former Native American inhabitants sealed the Wendigos into the mountain, and prevented them leaving if they got out, along with dissuading people from coming to the mountain, which is why, despite being free, [[spoiler: Wendigo!Hannah,]] never attempted to leave the mountain for more victims, especially as there ''is'' a town nearby, which despite the Wendigo being free, people never really went there, The seal is dependant on someone descended from the tribe at least staying near or on the mountain, as the Stranger was mentioned to have trouble with the Washingtons due to him claiming the mountain was "sacred to his Forefathers", back in the day when the entire tribe was around, nobody came to the mountain, however as the tribe dwindled the aspect that kept people coming to the mountain also weakened, hence the mining operation, and the Washingtons buying the land later, now that The Stranger is dead, people are going to start coming to the mountain, and once the wendigo get new bodies, they will be able leave the mountain and start spreading, as the seal eventually breaks.

[[WMG: "Dr. Hill" is actually [[spoiler:the spirit of a Wendigo]]]]
While Dr. Hill's actions and his [[spoiler:physical similarity to Josh's real psychiatrist]] make it seem like he's ultimately CreepyGood, all that he ever really does on that side of things is to mercilessly berate him for doing things that he already knows are morally wrong, mostly after he's already done them. [[spoiler:This ''could'' be him beating himself up for harming his friends, but it seems equally likely that it's something else trying to drive him to desperation. To begin with, he seems to be ''mostly okay'' with the idea of the "game" that Josh is playing, just warning that all of his choices will influence the future. Even at that early stage, Josh's conscience would probably be telling him that it was wrong much more explicitly, but that only seems to be setting him up for the consequences. The clear statements that it's wrong only start once it's too late for him to back out without causing irreparable harm anyway, and once he's already locked the cable car]].

[[spoiler:Josh]] was only ever diagnosed with depression, with a popular video by The Game Theorists pointing out that this would be an incorrect diagnosis, given his hallucinations and other symptoms. Although a form of depression (called "Psychotic Depression", for obvious reasons) ''does'' exist that can cause some of his symptoms, the fact that he appears to be receiving only medication for a more typical presentation of the illness suggests that he either didn't mention his hallucinations or, arguably more likely, just ''wasn't having them'' before his [[spoiler:trip back to the Washington Lodge in 2015]].

Although not everyone with schizophrenia or other, related disorders is the same, disordered thoughts (rather than the more widely known hallucinations) are often the main presentation of schizophrenia. Given how well-planned [[spoiler:his "prank" was]] and the fact that nobody else seems to notice any other, more unusual symptoms prior to the events of the game, it's difficult to believe that his thinking was as illogical and disorganized as is typical with those conditions ''before'' the shit really hit the fan. [[spoiler:His belief that his prank would be accepted is obviously delusional, but otherwise, he only begins acting completely irrational well after things have fallen apart and the center has ceased to hold]]. More likely than not, he spent months getting everything together in a cold, calculating manner, [[spoiler:starting out with a more low-key part at its nucleus, like the spirit board and ghost, that would be upsetting but might potentially be forgiven with time. Then, as it gradually became more elaborate and traumatizing (probably when he tried to figure out what the ghost would lead his friends to), he just kept telling himself that it would be okay]].

In the game itself, it's mentioned that [[spoiler:once it's released, the spirit of a Wendigo will circle the mountain, constantly searching for a new host]]. On top of this, it's fairly common for mythological depictions [[spoiler:to include an element where spending too much time in proximity to a Wendigo is enough to turn you into one]]. It's likely that ''all'' of the major characters were experiencing some limited psychological effects from them, which might explain in-universe part of why they're willing to act in very cruel, out of character ways. In one instance, [[spoiler:the spirit of the Makkapitew can physically pass through Sam, which would pretty much ''have'' to be unpleasant at the very least]]. The effect of simply being around one for a few hours, or even of having that sort of close contact, would most likely be extremely subtle in a mentally healthy person under normal circumstances. If someone were having brief intrusive thoughts [[spoiler:about cannibalism, they would probably just find them disturbing, and wouldn't have any reason to mention them. If Chris and Ashley started salivating when "Josh" was cut in half (which is a thing that can happen to normal, sane people who see a cow or deer being butchered, and is often upsetting rather than appealing), or if Mike briefly had a flash of hunger when seeing Jess with her jaw torn off, they probably wouldn't even process that at all given how horrific the experience was, and they ''definitely'' wouldn't come out and share it with anyone]]. For someone who already has some serious issues, though, it's likely that the effect would be more extreme. [[spoiler:While his hallucinations aren't related to cannibalism at first, Josh later descends into visions of gore, wandering through caverns made out of meat]], and if he survives, it seems unlikely that [[spoiler:enough time passed between the events of the majority of the game and his "rescue" for him to have resorted to eating a cadaver out of hunger alone]]. It's more plausible that he was marked from the start.

This even seems to be suggested by in-game dialogue. Early on, his response to the answer that rumors of the barn in a postcard being haunted wouldn't be a problem [[spoiler:is to question whether Josh really isn't afraid of the possibility of the supernatural in general (rather than ghosts in particular), and to say that they'll "investigate that" later. That almost seems like he knows that there's an inhuman threat coming that isn't a ghost, especially since he never directly addresses the supernatural in any of his "sessions", beyond giving Josh the possibility to say that he's afraid of zombies]]. If the player later chooses to tell [[spoiler:Dr. Hill that he isn't real, this results in mocking laughter, and in him asking Josh if he can even tell the difference anymore]]. If he were actually [[spoiler:a Wendigo trying to take control of him, then this would be some heavy foreshadowing for events near the endgame, when he says the same thing to the Makkapitew]] which is, unfortunately for him, ''definitely'' there.

** It probably doesn't help that Jessica has permanent brain damage if she survives, on top of the trauma of dealing with the Wendigos, meaning it might be a while before she recovers enough to handle a relationship. However, Matt and Emily might still be an item after the events of ''Until Dawn'', if he was still good to her. Mike's done on all fronts, though, since he almost shot Emily on top of Jessica's trauma. Sam doesn't seem to be the type to entertain that kind of relationship to begin with, and given that it's entirely possible for Jessica to suffer a DeathBySex, she might have been turned off physically intimate relationships entirely.

This even seems to be suggested by in-game dialogue. Early on, his response to the answer that rumors of the barn in a postcard being haunted wouldn't be a problem [[spoiler:is to question whether Josh really isn't afraid of the possibility of the supernatural in general (rather than ghosts in particular), and to say that they'll "investigate that" later. That almost seems like he knows that there's an inhuman threat coming that isn't a ghost, especially since he never directly addresses the supernatural in any of his "sessions", beyond giving Josh the possibility to say that he's afraid of zombies]]. If the player later chooses to tell [[spoiler:Dr. Hill that he isn't real, this results in mocking laughter, and in him asking Josh if he can even tell the difference anymore]]. If he were actually [[spoiler:a Wendigo trying to take control of him, then this would be some heavy foreshadowing for events near the endgame, when he says the same thing to the Makkapitew]] which is, unfortunately for him, ''definitely'' there.

In the game itself, it's mentioned that the [[spoiler:once it's released, the spirit of a Wendigo will circle the mountain, constantly searching for a new host]]. On top of this, it's fairly common for mythological depictions [[spoiler:to include an element where spending too much time in proximity to a Wendigo is enough to turn you into one]]. It's likely that ''all'' of the major characters were experiencing some limited psychological effects from them, which might explain in-universe part of why they're willing to act in very cruel, out of character ways. In one instance, [[spoiler:the spirit of the Makkapitew can physically pass through Sam, which would pretty much ''have'' to be unpleasant at the very least]]. The effect of simply being around one for a few hours, or even of having that sort of close contact, would most likely be extremely subtle in a mentally healthy person under normal circumstances. If someone were having brief intrusive thoughts [[spoiler:about cannibalism, they would probably just find them disturbing, and wouldn't have any reason to mention them. If Chris and Ashley started salivating when "Josh" was cut in half (which is a thing that can happen to normal, sane people who see a cow or deer being butchered, and is often upsetting rather than appealing), or if Mike briefly had a flash of hunger when seeing Jess with her jaw torn off, they probably wouldn't even process that at all given how horrific the experience was, and they ''definitely'' wouldn't come out and share it with anyone]]. For someone who already has some serious issues, though, it's likely that the effect would be more extreme. [[spoiler:While his hallucinations aren't related to cannibalism at first, Josh later descends into visions of gore, wandering through caverns made out of meat]], and if he survives, it seems unlikely that [[spoiler:enough time passed between the events of the majority of the game and his "rescue" for him to have resorted to eating a cadaver out of hunger alone]]. It's more plausible that he was marked from the start.

This even seems to be suggested by in-game dialogue. Early on, his response to the suggestion that [[spoiler:Josh isn't afraid of the possibility of the supernatural (rather than hauntings in particular) and that they'll "investigate that" later seems like he knows that there's an inhuman threat coming that isn't actually a ghost]]. If the player later chooses to tell [[spoiler:Dr. Hill that he isn't real, this results in mocking laughter, and asking in him Josh if he can even tell the difference anymore]]. If he were actually [[spoiler:a Wendigo trying to take control of him, then this would be some heavy foreshadowing for events near the endgame, when he says the same thing to the Makkapitew]] which is, unfortunately for him, ''definitely'' there.

While Dr. Hill's actions and his [[spoiler:physical similarity to Josh's real psychiatrist]] make it seem like he's ultimately CreepyGood, all that he ever really does on that side of things is to mercilessly berate him for doing things that he already knows are morally wrong, mostly after he's already done them. [[spoiler:This ''could'' be him beating himself up for harming his friends, but it seems equally likely that it's something else trying to drive him to desperation]].

Although not everyone with schizophrenia or other, related disorders is the same, disordered thoughts (rather than the more widely known hallucinations) are often the main presentation of schizophrenia. Given how well-planned [[spoiler:his "prank" was]] and the fact that nobody else seems to notice any other, more unusual symptoms prior to the events of the game, it's difficult to believe that his thinking was as illogical and disorganized as is typical with those conditions ''before'' the shit really hit the fan. [[spoiler:His belief that his prank would be accepted is obviously delusional, but otherwise, he only begins acting completely irrational well after things have fallen apart and the center has ceased to hold]]. More likely than not, he spent months getting everything together in a cold, calculating manner, [[spoiler:starting out with a more low-key part at its nucleus, like the spirit board and ghost, that would be upsetting but might potentially be forgiven. Then, as it gradually became more elaborate and traumatizing (probably when he tried to figure out what the ghost would lead his friends to), he just kept telling himself that it would be okay]].

This even seems to be suggested by in-game dialogue. If the player chooses to tell [[spoiler:Dr. Hill that he isn't real, this results in his laughing and asking Josh if he can even tell the difference anymore]]. If he were actually [[spoiler:a Wendigo trying to take control of him, then this would be some heavy foreshadowing for events near the endgame, when he says the same thing to the Makkapitew]] which is, unfortunately for him, ''definitely'' there.

[[WMG: "Dr. Hill" is actually [[spoiler:the spirit of a Wendigo]]

[[WMG: "Dr. Hill" is actually [[spoiler:the spirit of a Wendigo]] trying to possess the POV character]]

Although not everyone with schizophrenia or other, related disorders is the same, disordered thoughts (rather than the more widely known hallucinations) are often the main presentation of schizophrenia. Given how well-planned [[spoiler:his "prank" was]] and the fact that nobody else seems to notice any other, more unusual symptoms prior to the events of the game, it's difficult to believe that his thinking was as illogical and disorganized as is typical with those conditions ''before'' the shit really hit the fan. [[spoiler:His belief that his prank would be accepted is obviously delusional, but otherwise, he only begins acting completely irrational well after things have fallen apart and the center has ceased to hold]]. More likely than not, he spent months getting everything together in a cold, calculating manner, [[spoiler:starting out with a more low-key part at its nucleus, like the spirit board and ghost, that would be upsetting but might plausibly be forgiven. Then, as it gradually became more elaborate and traumatizing as he tried to figure out what the ghost ].

[[spoiler:Josh]] was only ever diagnosed with depression, with a popular video by The Game Theorists pointing out that this would be an incorrect diagnosis, given his hallucinations and other symptoms. Although a form of depression (called Psychotic Depression, for obvious reasons) ''does'' exist that can cause some of his symptoms,

The former Native American inhabitants sealed the Wendigos into the mountain, and prevented them leaving if they got out, along with dissuading people from coming to the mountain, which is why, despite being free, [[spoiler: Wendigo!Hannah,]] never attempted to leave the mountain for more victims, especially as there ''is'' a town nearby, which despite the Wendigo being free, people never really went there, The seal is dependant on someone descended from the tribe at least staying near or on the mountain, as the Stranger was mentioned to have trouble with the Washingtons due to him claiming the mountain was "sacred to his Forefathers", back in the day when the entire tribe was around, nobody came to the mountain, however as the tribe dwindled the aspect that kept people coming to the mountain also weakened, hence the mining operation, and the Washingtons buying the land later, now that The Stranger is dead, people are going to start coming to the mountain, and once the wendigo get new bodies, they will be able leave the mountain and start spreading, as the seal eventually breaks.

The former Native American inhabitants sealed the Wendigos into the mountain, and prevented them leaving if they got out, along with dissuading people from coming to the mountain, which is why, despite being free, [[spoiler: Wendigo!Hannah,]]] never attempted to leave the mountain for more victims, especially as there ''is'' a town nearby, which despite the Wendigo being free, people never really went there, The seal is dependant on someone descended from the tribe at least staying near or on the mountain, as the Stranger was mentioned to have trouble with the Washingtons due to him claiming the mountain was "sacred to his Forefathers", back in the day when the entire tribe was around, nobody came to the mountain, however as the tribe dwindled the aspect that kept people coming to the mountain also weakened, hence the mining operation, and the Washingtons buying the land later, now that The Stranger is dead, people are going to start coming to the mountain, and once the wendigo get new bodies, they will be able leave the mountain and start spreading, as the seal eventually breaks.

The events after the prologue happen in the afterlife. All the characters were killed in the previous year. Their spirits are stuck on the cursed mountain unable to cope with their deaths and unable to move on. The whole Butterfly effect and all the various outcomes of the game are the various repeats of the hypothetical return to the mountain. The Player is a spirit trying to help them cope with their deaths by showing them all of the possible outcomes. A massive clue to this is the fact that the characters are almost completely unfazed about the cold. In the prologue Hannah almost keels over from the cold after a few minutes, but for the rest of the game none of them are bothered by the cold, except for a few comments when dipping into cold water. Sam in particular should have lost fingers to cold in the climbing sections and should have died of hypothermia due to her skin-tight clothing. Also Sam and Mike should have died of cold after wading through water and then walking around in the mines all wet. All of them keep touching cold metal objects with their bare fingers, none of them needing gloves nor losing skin. In some version Jessica spends hours lying on a cold metal crate in the mine shaft wearing only her underwear. How is she not covered in frostbites when she wakes up again? The only explanation why the freezing weather doesn't kill them all is because they are already dead and it doesn't bother them anymore.

He was going to unleash his worst revenge on Mike and Jessica after he dealt with the others. That's why he sent them to the cabin to get them out of the way long enough. One Josh was done with Chris, Sam, and Ashley at least he would have radioed Jessica and Mike and sounded like they were in trouble to get them rushing back to the main cabin.

Larry Fessenden, who plays the Flamethrower Guy and serves as a co-writer of the game, is a well-known independent film director and producer. He's producing ''Until Dawn'', and you are the director. The game has some of the typical tropes that are associated with Fessenden's Glass Eye Pix, which includes the running gag where Fessenden plays a character who ends up getting killed. Also the Wendigo is also an on-going concept that Fessenden has used in previous films he's directed. Not to mention, the theater in the cabin has movie posters for other Glass Eye Pix productions that Fessenden produced. Essentially, you are the director and the game is the final cut that you're making as you go along, making decisions on how the story plays out.

You never actually ''stopped'' playing Beth after the prologue, she just lost the ability to directly act due to being dead. Now a spirit, she knows about the Wendigoes haunting the mountains and that Hannah is one of them, and she's set out to save her friends from them. But being a ghost, she can only act through subconscious influence, represented as choosing which options the characters take, or guiding their hands towards certain things. She's the one who receives the totem visions, which is why none of the people who actually pick them up comment on whatever disturbing vision the totems grant.

** With their skills, they probably could of made it down the Mountain but something tied them to it. Considering they were trapped their until the mining started opening the mountain up releasing them.

The Wendigo actually are [[TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken Hunger Spirits from the Shadow]] whose Resonance Essence happens to be Cannibalism; they wander around the montain and prey on people who find themselves starving (such as [[spoiler:Hannah and the miners]]), using their Influence to get them to eat human flesh, thus making them resonant enough that they can possess and eventually Claim them, resulting in the abominations we see in the game. They cannot see immobile target because this is their Ban, and their Bane is Fire, which is why this is one of the few things that can harm them. Presumably, a Locus exist somewhere in the montain (possibly in the mine?), which is how the Wendigo escaped from the Shadow in the first place. In addition, this would also explain why nature react so strangely agressive when you are a dick to animals; other Nature spirits exist in this area, and react badly to humans mistreating their source of Essence.