Abstract
Problem: How do you craft a powerful ending for a game — especially a nonlinear RPG with player agency and multiple possible outcomes?
Approach: Tim Cain reflects on memorable endings across media (TV's M*A*S*H, Fallout 1) and what made them resonate emotionally, drawing parallels between the creative struggles in different mediums.
Findings: Great endings are hard to create and often require convincing stakeholders who resist bold choices. In games, endings are uniquely powerful because the player is responsible for what they see — unlike passive media. Endings don't need to be locked down at the start of development; they can emerge organically from the setting and characters, but they must be deliberately crafted to leave an emotional impact.
Key insight: The best endings make the audience feel something powerful and unexpected — and in games, that power is amplified because the player owns the consequences of their choices.
The M*A*S*H Moment
Tim opens with a personal memory: the first TV ending that truly hit him was the M*A*S*H season finale (1970s) where Colonel Henry Blake was killed off. The actors themselves weren't told — they filmed the entire episode thinking Blake was simply flying home, and only received the final script page at the last moment. Their shock was real.
Both CBS and 20th Century Fox had to be convinced to allow this ending. They feared audiences wouldn't accept a beloved character dying on a comedy show. Viewers did write angry letters — "the show is supposed to make me laugh, not cry" — but the episode became one of TV's most remembered moments. Tim attributes this to the seasons of character investment that preceded it: killing a beloved character only works when the audience genuinely cares.
Fallout's Ending: "They Don't Open the Door"
Tim is on the record saying he had nothing to do with Fallout 1's iconic ending. His original plan was straightforward: the player returns to the vault, there's a party, balloons, cake — done.
It was Leonard Boyarsky who pitched the darker alternative: when the player returns after defeating the Master or destroying the military base, the vault doesn't open the door. The Overseer explains the player would corrupt the vault and can never return.
Tim had to be convinced. He was the one the buck stopped with. But decades later, he says he's "so glad we picked that ending" — it's perfect for Fallout's setting, where nobody really wins. "There's losers and people who lost less."
Why Game Endings Are Especially Hard
Tim acknowledges endings are difficult in any medium, but games present unique challenges:
- Nonlinear games have multiple stories — depending on player choices, the path to the ending varies enormously
- Multiple endings need to all be powerful — you can't just craft one great ending; every possible conclusion needs to land
- Canonical endings become necessary for sequels — you have to pick which ending "really happened," which is its own design problem (Tim has a separate video on this)
The Player Owns the Ending
The critical difference between games and passive media: the player is responsible for what they see in the ending. A writer chose to kill Colonel Blake. But in Fallout, you killed characters, you made choices that led to consequences. This ownership makes game endings inherently more powerful — and more challenging to design.
Practical Advice
Tim offers concrete guidance for game designers:
- You don't need the ending at the start — design your setting, story, and characters first
- Let it emerge organically — watch what resonates with playtesters, QA, publishers, anyone who touches the game
- Expand what players care about — if a side character resonates, give them more backstory, attach quests
- Craft it deliberately — don't let endings just "happen" after the final boss; make a statement
- Hit them hard — make players think about what they just did, wonder if they could have chosen differently
- Aim for replay — the best endings make players want to go back and try different paths
References
- Tim Cain. YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ15olgEW3Q