Deaths

Deaths is an experimental 2008 game by Jesse Venbrux built around the wonderfully simple concept of dying. A lot. The game turns failure itself into a central mechanic, presenting a series of challenges where figuring out exactly how not to perish becomes the main objective. Its minimalist design allows the gameplay ideas to take the spotlight, while the short-form structure encourages experimentation rather than lengthy investment. It belongs to that delightful category of indie games that can be explained in a sentence but may still consume an unreasonable amount of your time. After all, once a game starts counting your deaths, pride inevitably demands that the number stop increasing.