History Main / PressStartToGameOver

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'''s Phantom Liberty DLC, you can fail the second mission "Hole in the Sky" by [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere having V running away from the site and Dogtown]] after the tube slide scene, [[PermanentlyMissableContent locking themselves out of all the main missions included in the pack]]. Songbird leaves scathing parting words afterwards, while [[VirtualGhost Johnny Silverhand]] snarkily comments with his approval.

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'''s Phantom Liberty DLC, you can fail the second mission "Hole in the Sky" by [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere having V running away from the site and Dogtown]], [[PermanentlyMissableContent locking themselves out of all the main missions included in the pack]]. Songbird leaves scathing parting words afterwards, while [[VirtualGhost Johnny Silverhand]] snarkily comments with his approval.

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'''s Phantom Liberty DLC, you can fail the second mission "Hole in the Sky" by [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere having V running away from the site]], [[PermanentlyMissableContent locking themselves out of all the missions and Dogtown included in the pack]]. Songbird leaves scathing parting words afterwards, while [[VirtualGhost Johnny Silverhand]] snarkily comments with his approval.

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'''s Phantom Liberty DLC, you can fail the second mission "Hole in the Sky" by [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere having V running away from the site and Dogtown]], [[PermanentlyMissableContent locking themselves out of all the main missions included in the pack]]. Songbird leaves scathing parting words afterwards, while [[VirtualGhost Johnny Silverhand]] snarkily comments with his approval.
-->'''Song "Songbird" So Mi''': Congrats, V. You just killed Rosalind Myers and fucked the NUSA. Pray we don't meet again, and I mean ever.
-->'''Johnny Silverhand''': Still with us? Aught, what the... what happened? Your presidental rescue op - miserable failure. Honestly, though? Good fuckin' riddance.

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'''s Phantom Liberty DLC, you can fail the second mission "Hole in the Sky" by [[ScrewItImOuttaThere having V running away from the site and Dogtown]], [[PermanentlyMissableContent locking themselves out of all the main missions included in the pack]]. Songbird leaves scathing parting words afterwards, while [[VirtualGhost Johnny Silverhand]] snarkily comments with his approval.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Metroid 1}}'', entering the password "ENGAGE RIDLEY MOTHER FUCKER" causes the game to assume you've been playing for over three '''''million''''' consecutive hours, which has adverse effects depending on the release of the game.

* In some versions of ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', it's possible to [[{{Telefrag}} spawn inside a hill]], causing you to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRzusZmAD7g immediately suffocate]]. In the Xbox 360 version, it's possible to spawn underwater. In more typical scenarios, where the RNG is nice enough to not kill you where you stand, it's often still possible to die very quickly. The ingame time starts at dawn, so no monsters will spawn outside of caves for a good ten minutes; but carelessness could cause you to die in a matter of seconds by [[FallDamage stumbling off a cliff or into a ravine]] or, if you're particularly unlucky, falling into an above-ground lava pool with no water nearby.

** Entering the code on the Nintendo [=3DS=] Virtual Console version soft-bricks the console... unless the firmware hasn't been updated since 2016. Then it ''hard-bricks'' the system, making it completely unplayable and unusable.

* In ''VideoGame/HonkaiStarRail'', at the end of the Herta Space Station quest line, you are offered the opportunity to either join Himeko on the Astral Express or stay on the space station. You can turn down Himeko's offer, which cues a NonStandardGameOver where the Trailblazer spends a peaceful life living aboard the Herta Space Station.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' makes it ridiculously easy for veteran players of the franchise to get killed on the [[JustifiedTutorial Great Plateau]] since previous games are much more linear. This includes taking fall damage from falling from the Sheikah tower, accidentally wandering into enemy camps before picking up weapons, and freezing to death on Mount Hylia.
** "Die%" is a speedrun category that's exactly what it sounds like. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZxWRYbbwHk current world record]] is 59 seconds and involves clipping out of the Shrine of Resurrection, climbing up the nearby cliff, and jumping up to die.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':
** In ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'', at the beginning of the game you can try to head directly north to New Vegas from Goodsprings. Just ignore the signs and warnings from the townsfolk that the area is infested with [[BossInMookClothing deathclaws]] and [[WickedWasps cazadores]] and that you should stay away. [[TemptingFate You'll probably make it just fine.]] (Admittedly, this is [[SequenceBreaking actually pretty feasible]] if you've got a Stealth Boy and you hoof it.)
** In ''VideoGame/Fallout4'', take too long getting to the vault (or go the wrong direction) during the prologue, and you get nuked. Game over.

* In ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'', it's possible to suffocate your entire crew [[http://cad-comic.com/comic/merciful/ by opening all of your ship's airlocks]]. There's a special message for doing this during the tutorial.
** In the ''Advanced Edition'', it's possible (though unlikely) while piloting one of the Stealth Cruisers (ships with cloaking and high dodge rating but no shields) to make your very first jump, and then get your oxygen hacked by an enemy (sucking all the air out of your ship), or a drone fires a lucky shot and destroys your weapons (leaving you defenseless) or engines (which tanks your dodge rating, the only way you can avoid enemy fire due to having no shields).

* The ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' series:
** Possible in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI''. The very first real enemy you're introduced to is a WakeUpCallBoss, and your character starts with a worthless sword hilt that does as little damage to the boss as punching it with your bare fist. Trying to fight it this way will likely result in a very prompt death, forcing you to run away and return later once you get your actual StarterEquipment. However, nothing is stopping you from simply CherryTapping it to death during the first encounter if you're skilled enough, and doing so will net you the boss's [[CarryABigStick obscenely large hammer]] for your trouble. [[EasyLevelTrick Or you could just pick Black Firebombs as your starting gift during character creation and use them to kill it incredibly easily]]. Your call.
** In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'':
*** Taking the wrong path at the very beginning of the game will lead you to a tough mini-boss type of enemy before you have even ''gone through character creation'', meaning you're still a FeaturelessProtagonist wearing rags with no way to attack but their bare fists.
*** Or simply not going in a straight line at the very beginning, which leads you to being mauled by roughly 15 wolves. [[NintendoHard This is Dark Souls]].
** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' continues the trend. Exploring off the beaten path in the Cemetery of Ash will eventually lead you to Giant Crystal Lizard which is likely to destroy an unprepared character in a matter of seconds. Yes, remember those weak little guys who always run away from you and give rare materials when killed? ''This'' is what they grow up to be if they manage to avoid getting slaughtered for their loot for long enough.

** Possible in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI''. The very first real enemy you're introduced to is a WakeUpCallBoss, and your character starts unarmed. Trying to fight the boss bare-handed will likely result in a very prompt death, forcing you to run away and return later with better equipment.[[labelnote:Although...]]It is possible to beat this boss on the first encounter, either by returning in NewGamePlus, taking the Black Firebombs at character creation and using them, or just CherryTapping the boss to death with your bare fists.[[/labelnote]]

** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' continues the trend. Exploring off the beaten path in the Cemetery of Ash will eventually lead you to Giant Crystal Lizard which is likely to destroy an unprepared character in a matter of seconds. Yes, remember those weak little guys who always run away from you and give rare materials when killed? ''This'' is what they grow into...

** Roger starts with only [[OneHitPointWonder 1 hit point]] without Black Market upgrades. In Daily struggle missions (which disable Black Market upgrades), if he's the given character and one of the modifiers gives [[CastFromHitPoints Reckless Rush]][[note]]makes you lose 1 HP but give you permanent +10 base damage whenever you dash[[/note]] as a starting item, it's possible to simply dash once and die immediately -- this can even happen by pressing the "dash" key during the "press any key to start" screen, which causes you to dash and die ''right as the game starts''.

These are games that can be lost on the very first turn or two, or very shortly after you begin a level. Maybe even before the game even starts.

* Subverted in ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}''. If you fall off the path in the opening level the LemonyNarrator will say "...and then he fell to his death... [[FissionMailed only foolin']]" before [[PlayerCharacter The Kid]] lands nearby.

* ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' allows you to lose immediately after starting a new game, by choosing to "disband" (destroy) your starting settler unit.
** Alternatively, you might be so unlucky to start near a village... which spawns full stacks of barbarians when you enter it.

** Roger has only [[OneHitPointWonder 1 hit point]] without Black Market upgrades. In Daily struggle missions (which disable Black Market upgrades), if he's the given character and one of the modifiers gives [[CastFromHitPoints Reckless Rush]][[note]]makes you lose 1 HP but give you permanent +10 base damage whenever you dash[[/note]] as a starting item, it's possible to simply dash once and die immediately -- this can even happen before the game starts during the "press any key to start" screen by pressing the "dash" key, which causes you to dash.

* The shortest possible game of ''TabletopGame/{{Chess}}'' is known as the "Fool's Mate". Black wins in just ''two moves'' due to a serious blunder by White:
-->1. f3? e5\\
2. g4?? [=Qh4=][[GameOver #]]

* You can die in the first screen of Alwa’s Awakening by choosing to jump in the water to the left instead of entering the tower on the right.

* ''Akalabeth'', the spiritual precursor to the ''VideoGame/UltimaI'' series of games, begins with your main character in a general store and enough gold to equip him. If you decide not to purchase any food - which is necessary for all movement in the game - your character drops dead from starvation instantly as soon as you leave.

* ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' is NintendoHard as it is, but if you turn off the torch (which many with a basic grip on the mechanics might do to increase the loot obtained) in the tutorial the first fight of the entire game has a chance (which isn't even that low in [[HarderThanHard Stygian Mode]]) to be replaced by the [[BonusBoss Shambler]]. Needless to say, having two unexperienced and unequipped party member at that time makes the fight (which you can't run away from) unwinnable. The game even acknowledges this by mentioning retreat isn't an option in the tutorial in a popup that only shows the first time one of your heroes dies. [[DevelopersForesight The devs]] were ready for the player to party wipe in the tutorial mission.

** In ''VideoGame/DigitalDevilSaga'', entering the BonusBoss fight with the [[VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne Demi-Fiend]] with any sort of immunities equipped on your characters will [[RocksFallEveryoneDies prompt him to use Gaea Rage]] for an unavoidable TotalPartyKill, ''before you even take your first turn.''

* In ''VideoGame/NoiszStarlivht'', the penalty for having your SPC stat at F[[note]]which would require you to play a song where the enemy has a higher Power stat than you, which applies penalties that become more severe the higher the difference in Power there is[[/note]] is that your [[LimitBreak Burst]] ability instead becomes a [[PressXToDie Self-Destruct]] ability that does massive, usually lethal damage to yourself (unless your HP is high enough). One of Sumire's DLC Styles, No Name, makes her automatically activate her Burst at the start of the song and keeps it going for the entire song. Starting a song as Sumire with her No Name Style and an F in SPC will immediately cause a game over right afterwards.