Permadeath
What is permadeath? When a character's death is final, from Rogue and roguelikes to FTL, XCOM-style squads and Until Dawn.
Permadeath means death is final: a character who dies cannot be used again, and in many games the run or save file ends with it, so you start again from the beginning rather than reloading. It defines the roguelike.
Examples
Each game links to the source that describes it using the mechanic.
- Rogue
- FTL: Faster Than Light
- Minecraft
- Until Dawn, made with Decima
Related terms: Save scumming, Meta-progression, Procedural generation, New Game Plus.
Genres: Roguelike, Roguelite, Survival horror.
In our stories: Why roguelikes are called roguelikes.
Sources
Checked .
- Permadeath — Wikipedia
- Permadeath — GameDesign.gg
- Permadeath within Video Game Design — Design The Game