8 Terrifying Game Overs That Make Dying Even Worse

Dying really sucks, doesn't it? Costing us anywhere from 5 seconds to 5 hours of gameplay, death in video games range from a little "Be better" slap on the wrist to potentially having to redo entire dungeons, chapters, or in the case of roguelikes, the entire playthrough.

Because death in video games isn't devastating enough, there are some instances of brutal untimely demises that are so horrifying that they make the sting of failure hurt a whole lot more. Not only do we fear death as a time-waster, but also as an unnecessarily stressful, blood pressure-raising, horrifying experience.

Many of these games we played as children, and in hindsight, it's no wonder we still look back on them and remember the game over screens invading our dreams at night.

Video games that don't neatly bury you in a flower-covered grave often present you with intensely gory massacres that are difficult to watch, tense jumpscares that set your heart racing, or chillingly silent deaths that feel far too real.

Maybe this was gaming's way of encouraging us to get good - to avoid experiencing these dramatic sequences, we would have to hone our skills and become masters of the craft to avoid death at all costs.

Or maybe gaming is just an a**hole.

Those suffering from aquaphobia may cringe when they recall the stressful underwater levels in classic games such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario 64.

Whether it’s being trapped in a nonsensical labyrinth or dealing with bloodthirsty aquatic inhabitants, water levels in video games tend to be pretty scary in general, but it is the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis that contained such a panic-inducing drowning sequence that made children everywhere reset back to cosy Green Hill Zone.

If our blue hedgehog has been underwater too long in the likes of the Labyrinth Zone, the usually positive and upbeat electronic soundtrack will instantly shift to a harrowing countdown, getting louder and faster as the last remnants of oxygen disappear from Sonic’s body.

There are a few seconds of panic for you to try to escape, but those unlucky enough to be stuck will face a deathly silent second of peace before Sonic sinks to the bottom of the water, mouth agape, his lungs filling with water.

Traumatic.