10 Video Games That Make You Think About Death

A game quitting itself forever if you die - total genius, or absolute madness?

By Robert Zak /

The subject of death is a big one, loaded with so much significance that it makes us uncomfortable to talk about in relation to ourselves or those close to us. Sure, we can talk about it philosophically or in the abstract, but on a direct level it's something best kept well away until the need arises. But then along came video games, and added a whole new layer of meaning to 'Death'. Suddenly, we were killing and dying all the time and barely batting an eyelid. Death in games usually means pretty much what we'd want it to in real life; an opportunity for us to experience the same reality again, but change our behaviours so that we can do things a little better this time round. Death is a reset, a crucial part of a player's learning process, and a whole lot less scary than the real deal. There are also games out there that seek to be a bit more ambitious, turning death into an event of consequence that we desperately want to avoid - be it by forcing us to atone for our clumsy actions, permanently killing off characters we've become attached to, or perhaps by taking a moment to commemorate the fact that we've lost one of our brave companions along the way. Here are ten games that have been unafraid to broach the subject of death - whether through story or gameplay mechanics - proving that the medium is a good as any at making us reflect on one of society's greatest taboos.