We've all been there: the dreaded Game Over screen. Dying in video games is a routine event.
Whether it's a "passed out" mechanic in a cozy game or the infinite safety net of a checkpoint, we're used to death being a temporary setback, a simple opportunity to reload and try again. But what if that familiar safety net vanished? What if the character you spent hours building—the hero of your story—simply died, and the world kept turning without them? In honor of Halloween, we're counting down seven games where death is truly final. These are the games where you can die, and your journey ends, but the game's story ruthlessly marches on.
To be clear, this list will not contain story spoilers. These are not games where main characters die as a part of the plot; rather, they are games where your death is a genuine possibility, and the outcome may not be what you expect.
ZombiU
ZombiU was one of the original Wii U exclusives and one of the handful of games that fully doubled down on the Wii U GamePad. It was a zombie horror survival game, as the name implies, but the unique gameplay came from having to multitask as you attempted to survive. Inventory management, puzzle solving, and other interactive elements of the game were done through the GamePad, which required players to take their eyes off of the main screen—where the real danger lay. Zombies are everywhere, and since time doesn't stop when interacting with something, players had to manage their tasks quickly while also literally watching their back. The moment a zombie appeared on screen and you were too slow to react, your character's fate was sealed.
Of course, in a universe filled with zombies, your typical zombie rules apply, and that means death is actually a new beginning for you... a new zombified beginning.
After dying, the game will then shift its focus to a new main character, once again starting from scratch. The goals remain the same, but without anything you collected along the way, things become much more difficult. The bright side is your previous character does remain in the world as a zombie, and killing them allows you to loot the body to obtain what you once lost. This is the cycle the game follows from start to finish, putting a unique twist on the way horror survival titles are typically handled. You are going to die, but planning ahead will ultimately lead to at least one survivor's success—success that has been paved using the bodies of all those who came before.
Although ZombiU is long gone, the game has been ported to modern platforms under the title Zombi. Adjustments have been made to account for the lack of a physical GamePad, but the core game remains the same.
Phantasy Star II
The game takes place on an alien planet where the main character is haunted by dreams of a demon almost every night. In this dream, he watches the monster strike at a young girl over and over again, yet he is unable to do anything to help—he can't even speak. Just as the fate of the girl is sealed, he wakes up in the morning. Alone in his dark room, the protagonist can still feel the loneliness and despair left behind by his dream, but unfortunately, he has bigger issues to worry about. This is a world where a being known as the Mother Brain controls nearly everything.
Unlike the Phantasy Star of today, which consists mainly of MMOs (Phantasy Star Online, Universe, Online 2) and action RPGs with online elements (Portable, Portable 2, Zero, Nova), the classic Phantasy Star was a standard turn-based, single-player RPG. You set out on an adventure across a sci-fi world, met characters who would ultimately join your party, and battled against some (sometimes horrifying) monsters. Those familiar with the genre know exactly what they are getting into, but with one exception—you can die.
Unless you know the game inside and out, your party members will fall, and that includes the player-named protagonist. In my case, I named my character Ben—after myself. So imagine my surprise when a random encounter enemy slaughtered "me," and I was gone. Titles such as Final Fantasy let you revive your characters or rest at an inn to heal, while Dragon Quest goes the route of needing to visit the church to pray your fallen back to life. In Phantasy Star II, however, this isn't possible. Your character is dead. YOU are dead. The only thing left to do now is to create a clone to replace you.
Story-wise, that clone will be "you" or your dead party members, but it is still a clone. By the end of the adventure, countless clones will have carried on what the originals once started, and there is next to no way around this. The originals have failed and never saw the story's conclusion. Little kid me couldn't handle this.
Armored Core 2
Armored Core 2 was the first major revision in the Armored Core series. After releasing multiple games that built off the original Armored Core, FromSoftware stepped things up for the PlayStation 2 and brought the series into the new generation. Sharper graphics, a new story set on Mars, and tons of customization options—it was everything that made the classics so great, but now even better! But there was one surprising feature included that played with the immersion the story was going for.
In Armored Core 2, players take on the role of a Raven—a mercenary for hire. They pilot their giant mechs, known as ACs, for money and even battle against other pilots in the arena for an added bonus. The protagonist is meant to be you, the player, with missions presented in a way that allows you to choose which jobs you want to take on. So, you do just that.
You take the jobs, pay for repairs on your AC, replace your spent ammo, and use the earned cash to buy bigger and better parts. This is, in a way, a simulation of what it would be like to be a mercenary for hire. Of course, as it is a FromSoftware title, it isn't the easiest game in the world, and there will be countless failures. Sometimes simply bringing the wrong weapons is enough to seal your fate, or having parts that are not as compatible as you once thought. Enemies will dance around you, shoot you down, and that's the end of the mission. And possibly you!
It turns out failing enough missions in Armored Core 2 will actually result in your death! The game plays a cutscene where your life flashes before your eyes, and you are replaced by another pilot. Your story is done... except, you get to keep playing.
While it doesn't fundamentally change the game, it's a weird feeling knowing the character you were "role-playing" as has died, and you are now taking on the role of someone new. This is something not typically seen in games of this nature and is still something that may surprise new players to this day. On the other hand, it does fit Armored Core 2's grim world and story, so maybe it would be even stranger if you couldn't die?
The Sims
Being a game about life, The Sims is one of the few games where characters will come and go from start to "finish." Players can either create their own Sim and live out their own fantasy life or take control of any of the many pre-established families. From there, players have the option to allow the passage of time, which will ultimately age their Sims, or keep the world frozen in a "forever now." Obviously, a day and night cycle will still occur, but time will not advance, and the Sims will live forever... until something happens, that is.
Death in The Sims is very unique. The Grim Reaper will come to collect those who were met with misfortune, but from there, multiple options present themselves. Other Sims can beg the Grim Reaper to leave the fallen Sim alone, and they can even become close to the cloaked figure and become friends with him. For those who are not saved, however, they are turned into an urn or grave marker, and their soul passes on—or does it?
Deceased Sims will continue to haunt their old home, much to both the dismay and comfort of the family that still lives there. Some Sims may get excited by seeing their old loved one, or they could be completely terrified at the thought of it. Meanwhile, the Ghost Sim is free to terrorize the living until their heart's content, and they also get to come and go as they please. However, these Ghost Sims can be revived in some cases or even be turned into full playable characters—The Sims 4 even rewards you with an achievement for doing such. This is what makes the Sims death cycle so unique, as it actually opens up multiple opportunities and isn't simply the end of a single Sim.
So for everyone who removed the ladder from a swimming pool or set a house on fire using rugs by a fireplace, just know that those Sims may not truly be gone forever... Not that it makes your deeds any less horrible. (But yes, we've all done it.)
Heavy Rain
The game follows four protagonists as they investigate a murderer known as the Origami Killer. Throughout the story, children have been kidnapped, and their bodies have been discovered days later after being drowned in rainwater. Origami figures are found alongside the children and are also sent to the kids' parents along with instructions. Fail to follow the instructions? You will never see your child again. This is the exact situation Ethan Mars finds himself in, while the other protagonists also find themselves wrapped up in the investigation.
Throughout the game, the story constantly shifts between each of the major players. Ethan continues to follow the killer's messages; a reporter named Madison Paige digs deeper into the events surrounding the murders and investigates witnesses and key people of interest; while FBI agent Norman Jayden follows the clues himself, and private detective Scott Shelby goes directly for the parents of those who lost a loved one. Although these characters' paths will cross throughout the adventure, their stories are largely independent, but they provide the player with different viewpoints to get to the bottom of the mystery. Each character's actions are important to achieving the true ending, but unfortunately, one wrong move can mean at least one will not make it to the end.
During specific key moments in the game, it is possible to fail an event or make the wrong choice, which will result in the death of either a main character or a major supporting role. This will have major impacts on the overall story, but the game does not end. This is what leads to Heavy Rain's multiple endings and also what allows players to take different approaches with how the story will unfold. Some of these deaths can be quite disturbing, which is expected of a game with such subject matter as kids being drowned in rainwater, with one in particular being something right out of a horror movie. Let's just say you should remember what your own parents taught you growing up...
Romancing SaGa 2
Romancing SaGa 2 is an extremely unique game. Rather than following the story of a single set of characters, the game's plot takes place over multiple generations and features a constant revolving cast. While there are unique characters at key points in the story, most party members are actually "classes" with multiple characters belonging to them. Each character has a name and different colored clothes and hair, but fundamentally, everyone within each class is "the same." And that means they can all die and be replaced with another!
Not only is permadeath something that will be faced throughout Romancing SaGa 2, but it is also something that is actually required to keep advancing the game. The main character is chosen by the player, and that chosen character will be the Emperor or Empress of the kingdom. They will then be used to navigate the massive open-ended world, take on side quests and main stories, and then ultimately pass away and appoint someone else to take over in their place. These generation skips are forced once specific conditions are met, but they can also happen prematurely if the protagonist were to fall in battle. The next chosen successor will inherit the skills and abilities of the previous character, which also means the main character can obtain a wide variety of skills and abilities if different classes are chosen to succeed them. When it comes to the standard party members, however, they follow suit as well, but there are stat and other differences.
While it is inevitable that generations will come and go, it is always a good idea to take care of your party and avoid any unnecessary deaths. This means playing it safe and not taking on anything outside of your skill level, and building a party that will meet all of your current needs. Of course, the 3D remake does allow you to turn off standard permadeath in battle, but the generation skips are a fundamental part of the game that cannot be turned off. No matter what, characters will die, and the story will continue on without them.
Until Dawn
Similar to Heavy Rain, Until Dawn is a heavily story-focused and cinematic experience. It focuses on a group of teenagers who meet up at a cabin for a fun weekend after an unfortunate accident claimed the lives of their friends. This is the first time the group has been together since then, but they are determined to put the past behind them and make the most of their reunion—at least, that was the plan.
The reality of the story is the fact that the group of friends are no longer as close as they once were. Relationships have been shattered, the group's dynamic has completely changed, and some of the characters cannot even stand being around each other. So, in typical horror movie fashion, the group splits up, and their night of horror begins.
Until Dawn questions your every move as a player and challenges you to make the right decisions. You hold the lives of each of the cast members in your hands, and every choice you make will greatly alter the course of the story. Clues are hidden throughout the adventure as to what is really going on, but not everyone will live to see, well, dawn. Sometimes the unsafe route will ultimately buy you the precious seconds needed to save someone, whereas slipping up and failing one of the game's quick-time events will be what leads to that character's death instead. The game doesn't stop at this point, and once again, there are many outcomes the story can arrive at. The true ending is obviously the one where as many characters survive as possible, but at the same time, some sacrifices may be required to actually arrive at that point. This is what makes Until Dawn such a replayable title, and it encourages players to go back for another run even if they know the truth. The game is filled with jumpscares and little details that are often missed the first time through, so the ending will not truly be the ending for most who have experienced it. And the different character combinations of who lives and dies also makes for a unique experience from start to finish—something the developers have used in their future projects as well.
And there you have it! Seven games where the death of the protagonist isn't the end of the story! Did any of these games surprise you, or is there a game you would've loved to see on the list but wasn't included? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!
Happy Halloween everyone!
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