Prologue: “Last Year”

Platform: PS5 / PC
Playable Character: Beth Washington
Setting: Washington Lodge & Blackwood Mountain Forest
Time Period: One year before the main events
Collectibles Available: 1 Totem, 2 New Interactables

Overview

The Prologue of the Until Dawn Remake serves as both the narrative setup and a gameplay tutorial. Set one year before the main story, it follows Beth Washington as she searches for her twin sister Hannah, who has fled the Washington Lodge after being humiliated by a cruel prank. The Prologue introduces core mechanics such as player choices, Quick Time Events (QTEs), the Don’t Move mechanic, and collectible discovery. Regardless of player decisions, the Prologue always ends the same way but the specific choices made here can affect trophy eligibility and set the tone for the therapist sessions that follow.

Collectibles Summary

Note

The two New Interactables in the Prologue count toward the “It’s Shining” trophy, which requires all 10 Interactables to be found in a single playthrough. They do not appear in the collectible menu and the only way to track progress is through the PSN trophy percentage system.

Walkthrough

Don’t Move Tutorial

The game opens outside the Washington Lodge on Blackwood Mountain. While taking out trash, Beth notices movement in the forest. This is the first Don’t Move sequence of the game. When prompted, hold your controller completely still. The game will introduce a vibration/rumble during this segment to try and trick you into moving. If you succeed, the deer lingers a moment longer before running away. If you fail, the deer bolts immediately.

Trophy Alert: "Blackwood Country"

To earn “Blackwood Country” you must successfully keep still during this deer encounter. You also need to avoid shooting the squirrel in Episode 1 and avoid hitting the deer in Episode 6. Some reported that they didn’t hurt any animals, helped/fed the wolf but failed this Don’t Move sequence and didn’t get the trophy.

Cutscene – The Set Up

A group of friends – Mike, Jessica, Emily, Matt and Ashley – are plotting a prank on Hannah Washington, who has a well-known crush on Mike. They leave a note for her on a laptop and wait for Hannah to take the bait… 

Taking Control of Beth – Inside the Lodge

After the cutscene, you gain control of Beth inside the lodge’s kitchen area. Chris is sleeping on a sofa to the left and Josh is passed out on a sofa to the right, next to an empty liquor bottle.

You can now freely explore the kitchen. Objects that can be interacted with will have a visible glint or shimmer. Use the left analog stick to move Beth.

Collectible #1 – The Death Totem #1

Go outside (through the double doors on the left), go down the stairs and keep walking along the snowy path. Before you reach a small broken fence at the end, you will find a totem lying on the ground. It has a subtle glow to help you spot it.

Pick it up with R2 (or the equivalent PC input) and rotate it with the right analog stick. Look for a small hole or lit section on the totem – align it to trigger a brief vision cutscene showing a possible future death.

This is Death Totem #1, a black totem that shows a premonition of how a character may die. In this case, it depicts a vision of the fate of Hannah and Beth. Death Totems throughout the game show possible deaths, but they are not set in stone, your choices can alter these outcomes (though not in this case, as the Prologue’s ending is fixed).

About Totems

There are 36 Totems in the Remake across six categories: Death (black), Guidance (yellow), Loss (brown), Danger (red), Fortune (white), and Hunger (green — new to the Remake). Each reveals a short vision. Collecting all 36 unlocks the “An Omen?” trophy and gradually pieces together “The Events of the Past” cutscene, viewable from the totem menu.

Collectible #2 – New Interactable: Camera

Now go back inside and walk behind the fireplace. In the small room behind it, you will find a camera sitting on a table. Interact with it to register this as one of the 10 New Interactables added in the Remake.

Collectible #3 – New Interactable: Laptop

Return to the kitchen island. There is a laptop sitting on the counter. Interact with it to register the second Interactable.

Important

If you walk past the laptop and head toward the double doors to the right without interacting with it, a cutscene will trigger automatically where Beth goes back to the laptop and opens it on her own. It is unclear whether this auto-trigger counts toward the “It’s Shining” trophy, so it is best to manually interact with the laptop before moving toward the doors.

You can also examine a note on the counter addressed to Hannah, and look at Josh passed out nearby. These are optional observations with no collectible value.

After exploring the kitchen, interact with the double doors to trigger a cutscene.

Sidebar Text

You can enable “Sidebar Text” in the settings menu (accessed via the pause screen) to display a readable text box whenever you pick up written documents. This is helpful for letters and notes later in the game that may be difficult to read otherwise.

Cutscene – Prank

After a playable section as Beth, the game is back to our group of pranksters. They successfully lure Hannah upstairs under the pretense that Mike wants to spend time alone with her. When Hannah begins to undress, the group reveals themselves, laughing. Humiliated, Hannah runs out of the lodge and into the freezing forest.

First Choice – Wake Josh or Find Others

Hannah’s departure is discovered, and you are presented with your first player choice:

This choice has no meaningful impact on the story – both options lead to the same outcome. Beth heads outside to search for Hannah regardless. This is a Butterfly Effect moment, but it does not branch the narrative. 

Into the Forest — QTE Sequence

A cutscene plays as Beth runs out into the snowy forest after Hannah.

Cell Phone Flashlight

Beth arrives at a section of the forest with footsteps and a fallen tree. She takes out her cell phone. You will be prompted to swipe right on the touchpad to unlock the phone screen and activate the flashlight. 

Once the flashlight is active, you can aim it with the right analog stick while moving Beth with the left analog stick. Get accustomed to this – you will use this dual-stick navigation for flashlights and other light sources throughout the game.

The Deer Encounter (Second)

As you move forward along the path, a deer will appear and startle Beth. This is a scripted moment – simply continue walking forward past it. There is no QTE or Don’t Move prompt here. Beth will come across an old shack. Approach it, open the door and look around using your flashlight. 

You will encounter your first Quick Time Events (QTEs). Follow the on-screen button prompts to navigate the path. Beth will stumble and dodge obstacles as she chases after her sister.

Second Choice – Follow the Path

During the chase, you will be presented with a choice:

Like the first choice, this has no impact on the outcome. Beth reaches Hannah either way. Both Paths converge to the same point. 

Finding Hannah – The Cliff

A cutscene triggers: a mysterious figure – who could that be? – pursues the twins. Hannah and Beth are backed toward the cliff’s edge and slip. Beth manages to grab a branch with one hand and hold Hannah with the other. A stranger (the Flamethrower Man) appears above, reaching his hand out to help.

Final Choice – Drop Hannah or Let Go

You are given a timed decision:

All three outcomes result in the same narrative conclusion – both Hannah and Beth Fall from the cliff and are presumed dead. The only difference is in the specific cutscene animation that plays. 

Trophy Alert: "Fatal Destination"

To earn this trophy, you must complete the Prologue twice (using Chapter Select after finishing the game). On the second playthrough, choose the opposite cliff decision from your first run. This unlocks a special Dr. Hill cutscene and the trophy.

I Know What You Did Last Year

Complete ‘the Prologue’

Dr. Hill Session – First Therapy Session

After the fall, the screen transitions to the office of Dr. Alan J. Hill, a therapist (played by Peter Stormare). This is the first of several analyst sessions that occur between chapters throughout the game. 

Dr. Hill will explain that the past cannot be changed – only future decisions matter. He will eventually present you with a card showing an image of a cottage with a scarecrow. He asks how the picture makes you feel, then asks follow-up questions that drill deeper into your psychological profile. The conversation branches based on your answers and ultimately determines one core fear (isolation, the dark, failure, or the supernatural).

For a casual playthrough, answer however you wish – these choices primarily affect environmental flavor and minor scare tactics in later chapters.

Trophy Alert: "We Need to Talk About Josh"

This trophy requires achieving the best ending for Josh, and setup begins from this very first session. The requirements span the entire game. If you are aiming for this trophy, the recommended Dr. Hill answers across ALL sessions are listed below. These come from confirmed community guides. Additional requirements for the trophy (full game): – Must be a New Game playthrough (Chapter Select does not work). – All characters must survive until the end. – Always choose positive, supportive dialogue when interacting with Josh. – As Sam, high-five Josh in the boiler room (hit the QTE). – As Sam, escape from the Psycho in Episode 5. – Find Hannah’s Journal (Scrawled Journal collectible) in Chapter 10. – See the Chapter 1 and subsequent chapter walkthroughs for episode-specific Josh-related choices.

Tips and Notes

On Choices in the Prologue: None of the narrative choices in the Prologue alter the story. Hannah and Beth’s fate is sealed regardless. The Prologue functions as a tutorial to familiarize you with the game’s decision-making, QTE, and exploration systems before stakes become real in Episode 1.

On the Don’t Move Mechanic: The Don’t Move segments throughout the game require you to hold your controller motionless. On PS5, the DualSense’s gyroscope detects even small movements. For difficult Don’t Move segments, you can place the controller on a flat surface. The Prologue’s deer encounter is one of the easier ones, but it is the only Don’t Move in the game that can be permanently failed without a retry – you cannot replay it via Chapter Select and have it retroactively count for the trophy without replaying the entire game from the start.

Chapter Select Limitation for Interactables: The 10 New Interactables required for the “It’s Shining” trophy must all be collected in a single continuous playthrough. Using Chapter Select to go back for missed Interactables will not count toward this trophy. Plan accordingly and grab the Camera and Laptop in the Prologue on your first full run.