[Guide] Until Then beginner: first playthrough tips without spoilers

Until Then guide for beginners: this guide helps you start your first playthrough without missing key clues, messages or scenes. The goal is not to optimize everything. It is to read the game with a clear method.

Key points

• Until Then is a narrative adventure game developed by Polychroma Games and published by Maximum Entertainment.
• The Steam page lists the PC release date as June 25, 2024, with French interface and subtitles.
• Nintendo’s official page lists the Switch release date as June 26, 2025 and a file size of about 3 GB.
• The game uses smartphone messages, social media and everyday minigames as narrative systems.

Until Then is a narrative visual novel developed by Polychroma Games and published by Maximum Entertainment. It is available on PC, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S depending on official storefronts. For more jeu.video coverage, browse our articles, jeu.video news and latest posts.

Useful links: the official website and the Steam page.

Until Then Guide: Key Takeaways

• Check the phone whenever it becomes available.
• Read dialogue slowly during emotional scenes.
• Watch the gauge or tempo before each minigame.
• Answer by context, not by a fixed idea of the right choice.
• Use shorter sessions if you want to remember relationships clearly.

Until Then Guide: Set Up Your First Session

Until Then is not an action game. Your priority is reading comfort. Start when you have thirty to forty minutes free. Keep sound on if possible. Music and silence help you notice shifts in tone.

1. Adjust brightness so dark scenes and rain stay readable.
2. Choose a language you can read quickly.
3. Test controls during the first simple interactions.
4. Do not skip the opening conversations.
5. After a strong scene, always check the phone.

A good start also depends on pace. If you play late, pause after each major scene. Read the latest message again before continuing. This habit keeps friends, places and memories clear. It also makes choices feel more natural.

Use the Phone in Until Then Without Getting Lost

The phone is the game’s central tool. Official pages describe messages, social media, emails and smartphone content. Treat it as a real scene, not a side menu.

Open recent conversations first. Then track names that come back. A plain message can prepare an important scene. Posts and comments also add depth to Mark’s friendships.

• Read active conversations before leaving a location.
• Check posts about Mark, school or friends.
• Track names that appear in several apps.
• Pick replies that fit the previous scene.
• After a reveal, reread a few older messages.

Do not clear the phone like a task list. Read one app, then return to the current scene. This rhythm keeps the story readable. It also gives more weight to Mark’s silences.

Handle Dialogue: Read Intentions First

In Until Then, the best answer is not always the kindest one. The story deals with tense friendships, silence and uncertain memories. Before choosing, ask what the scene is showing: discomfort, fatigue, humor, avoidance or a need for help.

Answer the context. If someone avoids a subject, a direct line may feel wrong. If the scene is urgent, a joke may break the tone. You do not need a perfect route. Stay consistent.

Beat Minigames in This Until Then Guide

Minigames echo ordinary actions: music, transport, fairground games and street food. Official pages mention piano, jeepney and fishballs. They are not only about score. They place you in Mark’s rhythm.

1. Look at the indicator area first.
2. Check whether the challenge uses rhythm or precision.
3. Accept early mistakes.
4. Use short, clean inputs on controller.
5. After the minigame, remember the linked scene.

If one minigame blocks you, do not restart too fast. Watch one full attempt. Find the moment when the interface asks for action. This Until Then guide mainly helps you place your attention.

Explore Locations With a Method

Until Then is a side-scrolling adventure. Its environments are inspired by the Philippines according to official descriptions. Important details can sit in backgrounds, sounds, posters, people or objects.

• Walk to both ends of an area when possible.
• Look at signs, screens and objects before the main objective.
• Talk to visible characters when an option appears.
• Slow down after a change in music or lighting.
• Do not rush transitions.

A busy place can look decorative. It often shows Mark’s place in the group. Watch who talks, who waits and who stays aside. These small clues make later scenes easier to read.

Choices, Endings and Achievements

Steam lists achievements and tags tied to multiple endings. For a first run, do not turn every choice into math. Play Mark with a clear personal logic. Your answers should follow what you understand about the characters.

Play naturally first. Return later for achievements or variants. Avoid external searches during discovery. A detailed walkthrough can spoil the mystery, memory and disappearances.

The main mistake is trying to control everything. Until Then works through doubt. Accept some uncertainty. Only note what returns often: names, lines, places, messages, absences and reactions.

After the Credits: Prepare Without Spoilers

Maximum Entertainment confirmed that Until Then reached Nintendo Switch on June 26, 2025. The press release also confirms PC and PlayStation 5 availability. Steam lists the PC release date as June 25, 2024.

Before a second playthrough, make a simple summary. Who did Mark help? What did his friends avoid saying? Which messages felt strange? Which scenes seemed repeated? That method is better than a spoiler list.

In short, succeeding in Until Then is not about winning every scene. It is about reading messages, silences, places and minigames. With this method, your first playthrough will be clearer and more memorable.