History Main / PressStartToGameOver

* In {{chess}}, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fool%27s_mate Fool's mate]] ends the game in two moves, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholar%27s_mate Scholar's mate]] in four.

* In the Kongregate Game ''Don't Shit Your Pants'', you normally type in "play" to start the game. But instead, you can type "shit" to immediately soil yourself. There's an achievement for that.

* ''{{Karateka}}'': At the beginning, get into a fighting stance, then stand back up. You fall off the ledge. Game over.

This can be deliberate through a KaizoTrap, SchmuckBait like a suicidal dialogue option or PressXToDie, or an [[HarderThanHard "Impossible"]] difficulty level. It can also be accidental, due to a GameBreakingBug, bad starting positions in RandomlyGeneratedLevels, or simply taking an action that the [[UnwinnableByMistake designers never accounted for]].

A specialized intersection of TheComputerIsACheatingBastard and NonstandardGameOver, these are games that can be lost on the very first turn or two, or very shortly after you begin a level.

Note that it's ''always'' possible for extremely contrived stupidity to result in a player death - we're not interested in mundane cases like failing to properly jump or steer your vehicle around elementary obstacles during the tutorial level [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything unless the designer thought to put in]] a special HaveANiceDeath message for it. In the same vein, {{unwinnable}} user-created content isn't worth mentioning unless the deaths are funny or interesting.

* The dark colors of ''VideoGame/AnotherWorld's'' first screen, in which the protagonist suddenly appears in a body of water inhabited by an unseen, tentacled monster, does not make it at all clear that the best choice of action is to immediately swim upward to safety. If you don't move quickly enough, you'll be killed within the first ten seconds of game play.

This can be deliberate through a KaizoTrap, SchmuckBait like a suicidal dialogue option or PressXToDie, or an [[HarderThanHard "Impossible"]] difficulty level. It can also be accidental, due to a GameBreakingBug, bad starting positions in RandomlyGeneratedLevels, or simply taking an action that the [[UnwinnableByMistake designers never accounted for]] (or sometimes an [[UnwinnableByInsanity obscure sequence of actions]]).

Note that it's ''always'' possible for extremely contrived stupidity to result in a player death - we're not interested in mundane cases like failing to properly jump or steer your vehicle around elementary obstacles during the tutorial level; we're looking for cases with a special HaveANiceDeath message [[TheDevTeamThinksOfEverything explicitly programmed for it]]. In the same vein, Unwinnable user-created content isn't worth mentioning unless the deaths are funny or interesting.

-->--''SpaceQuestII''

This can be deliberate through a KaizoTrap, SchmuckBait like a suicidal dialogue option or PressXToDie, or an [[HarderThanHard "Impossible"]] difficulty level. It can also be accidental, due to a GameBreakingBug, bad starting positions in RandomlyGeneratedLevels, or simply UnwinnableByInsanity, by doing something the designers never accounted for.

Extremely contrived stupidity such as deliberately refusing to jump or steer your vehicle doesn't count unless a special HaveANiceDeath was explicitly programmed for it. In the same vein, UnwinnableByDesign user-created content should not be included unless some effort went into making it funny or interesting.

* Spoofed in ''FoxTrot'': after convincing Paige to play ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' and a week long set of strips setting up the game, Jason [[KillerGameMaster kills all of Paige's characters in the very first turn]] via a trap that causes [[ROcksFallEveryoneDies the cave to collapse in the entrance]]. (possibly a reference to the aforementioned ''TombOfHorrors'')

* In ''KaizoMarioWorld 2'', you begin the game at the introduction screen with a Thwomp bearing down.

A specialized intersection of TheComputerIsACheatingBastard and NonStandardGameOver, these are games that can be lost on the very first turn or two, or very shortly after you begin a level.

* ''SlouchingTowardsBedlam'' lets you jump out the window as your first command.

* In ''{{Elite}}'' and its FanRemake ''{{Oolite}}'', beginning players must dock with space stations manually until they can afford to buy a docking computer for their ship. The catch is that all orbital space stations rotate, making said docking a hair-raising experience at best the first time it is attempted. Engaging pirates before being upgraded with advanced weapons, armor, scanners, or fuel injectors also tends to lead to disastrous results.

This can be deliberate through a KaizoTrap, SchmuckBait like a suicidal dialogue option or PressXToDie, or an [[HarderThanHard "Impossible"]] difficulty level. It can also be accidental, due to a bug, bad starting positions in RandomlyGeneratedLevels, or simply UnwinnableByInsanity, by doing something the designers never accounted for.

This can be deliberate through a KaizoTrap, SchmuckBait like a suicidal dialogue option or PressXToDie, or an [[HarderThanHard "Impossible"]] difficulty level. It can also be accidental, due to an IncrediblyObviousBug, bad starting positions in RandomlyGeneratedLevels, or simply UnwinnableByInsanity, by doing something the designers never accounted for.

* In ''SuperPaperMario'', repeatedly declining Merlon's offer at the start of the game will result in a NonStandardGameOver.

* Subverted in ''{{Bastion}}''. If you fall off the path in the opening level the LemonyNarrator will say "...and then he fell to his death....only foolin'" before [[PlayerCharacter The Kid]] lands nearby and takes damage from the fall as would happen at every other point in the game.

* The ''DungeonsAndDragons'' module ''TombOfHorrors'' places its first inescapable DeathTrap at the entrance door, so a lot of parties die by {{TPK}} before they even manage to enter the dungeon.

* In ''{{Traveller}}'', character generation is done in stages. The first part of each stage is rolling to see if your character is still alive. Yep, your character can die before the game even starts.