Line #8 Main/IdiosyncraticMenuLabels


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5	[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/ThereIsNoGameWrongDimension https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/there_is_no_game_0.png]]]]
6	[[caption-width-right:350:The highlighted option is [[ShmuckBait quit]], by the way.]]
7	%%
8	This trope is for cases when certain video games retitle basic menu (usually StartScreen) functions like "New Game", "Continue" or "Quit/Exit". It can be done to improve their atmosphere by making them fit the game's setting or just make them more hilarious. However, it's possible to make them confusing for new players if the names are weird enough.
9
10	Related to IdiosyncraticDifficultyLevels and CallAHitPointASmeerp. Compare DialogueTree.
11
12	----
13	!!Examples:
14	[[foldercontrol]]
15
16	[[folder:Action Games]]
17	* ''VideoGame/{{Butcher}}'' doesn't reinvent the menu labels, but it does spice up the prompt that pops up when you want to (re)start (over) the game in a profile that already has a save file in progress (or deleting the save profile), the choices being titled as:
18	** '''No, I Want To Continue/No, Don't Delete It''' (cancellation)
19	** '''Yes, [[PrecisionFStrike Fuck This Shit]]''' (confirmation)
20	[[/folder]]
21
22	[[folder:Adventure Games]]
23	* In ''[[VideoGame/TheSeventhGuest The 11th Hour]]'' the quit function is titled "Exit This Reality"
24	* ''VideoGame/AnonymousAgony'' has "New User", "Log In", and "Log Out" as menu options.
25	* Being a highly cinematic game, ''VideoGame/{{Fahrenheit}}'' titles the "new game" function as "New Movie" and the level select option as "Chapters".
26	* ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry7LoveForSail'' uses "Lemme Outta Here! (Exit)" as its exit button.
27	* ''VideoGame/LimboOfTheLost'' keeps the StartScreen labels normal (Credits, Start, Load and Quit) and instead applies this trope to its pause screen with "Back To Hell" (resume game), "Resurrection" (load game), "Save Your Soul" (save game) and "End is Nigh" (quit).
28	** When the pause menu is accessed during the times saving the game is disabled, the "Save Your Soul" instead becomes "Repent Sinner, Your Soul Cannot Be Saved".
29	* ''VideoGame/PoliceQuestSWAT'' uses "New Career" and "Previous Career" in place of "New Game" and "Resume Game".
30	* ''VideoGame/RoadTripUSA'' has "START ROAD TRIP" as the start game button.
31	* The disc menu for ''Franchise/TheSimpsons'' game ''Virtual Springfield'' has pictures of Homer Simpson with a doughnut next to the menu options, with Homer preparing to eat a doughnut as the picture for "Install", and Homer spitting a doughnut out for "Uninstall". It also has Homer playing bowling ball for "Play" and looking at the clock for "Quit".
32	[[/folder]]
33
34	[[folder:Action-Adventure Games]]
35	* ''VideoGame/{{Blasphemous}}'' titles its Game Start/File Select option as "Pilgrimage". It also titles its BossRush option "Sacred Sorrows", and the NewGamePlus feature within the File Select menu is called "[[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Ascend]]".
36	* With the exception of the PC-exclusive graphical settings section and the text of the difficulty selection, ''VideoGame/TheQuietMan'' almost completely eschews any text whatsoever and depicts its menus solely with symbols.
37	* The main menu for ''VideoGame/{{Turgor}}'' is all single letters and symbols. They are all subtitled with a mouse tooltip, however.
38	* ''VideoGame/VindictiveDrive'' has the usual "Start", but [[https://rpgmaker.net/games/8884/images/68384/ also]] "Fix" for loading and "RQ" for quitting in its StartScreen.
39	[[/folder]]
40
41	[[folder:First Person Shooters]]
42	* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'' {{Game Mod}}s
43	** The ''VideoGame/HalfQuake'' series goes to town with the sadistic theming of their menus. For starters, the usual "New Game" is retitled '''Die''' in this series. It even applies custom labels for stuff like graphics and control options sections, which are titled "eyes" and "fingers" respectively.
44	** ''VideoGame/HalfLifeEchoes'' applies this to its own menus, in accordance with its FramingDevice of the game being one of the G-Man's candidate evaluations. The typical ''Half-Life'' menu options are relabelled as "Resume Observation" (Resume Game), "Begin Observation" (New Game), "Retrieve Data" (Load Game), "Archive Data" (Save Game), "Alter Parameters" (Options), and "Terminate Session" (Quit). This extends to the difficulty selection screen, which states "Select criteria for evaluation" and presents the options of "Relaxed" (Easy), "Conventional" (Normal) and "Stringent" (Hard).
45	* ''VideoGame/KingpinLifeOfCrime'' titles its multiplayer option "[[GangBangers Gang Bang]]".
46	* The New Game option in ''VideoGame/{{Painkiller}}'' is titled "Sign The Pact".
47	* The ''[[VideoGame/DoomII Revenant]] [[VideoGame/DesertBus Bus]]'' GameMod for ''VideoGame/DoomII'' by [=MarphitimusBlackimus=] titles its Save menu option "[[NoFairCheating Saving Is Cheating!]]".
48	[[/folder]]
49
50	[[folder:Horror Games]]
51	* ''VideoGame/{{Cardiophobia}}'' has "New Chapter" for Start, "Diary" for Load and "[[ScrewThisImOuttaHere Run Away]]" for Quit.
52	* ''VideoGame/{{Conscript}}'', the upcoming UsefulNotes/WorldWarI SurvivalHorror game with a demo available on Steam, has "Enlist" in place of the "New Game"
53	* Each of the ''VideoGame/FaithTheUnholyTrinity'' instalments have menu items written in Latin that get translated into English whenever they're highlighted. The first game has "Initus" (Begin), "Catechismus" (Instruction), "Additicia" (Extras) and "Abitus" (Exit).
54	* ''VideoGame/{{Korsakovia}}'' has "begin" (no caps) for New Game, "remember" for loading game, "keep" for saving, "adjust" for options and "forget" for quitting.
55	* ''VideoGame/HelloHello'' has "I know..." for starting the game and "See you..." for quitting.
56	* ''VideoGame/{{Manhunt}}'' titles the level select feature as "Select scene", to go by its movie-making theming.
57	* The title screen of ''VideoGame/MsDirector'' has "New Reel" for New Game, "Keep Filming" for Load Game, and "Cut" for Quit. The game menu itself has "Wrap it up" for returning to the title screen.
58	* ''VideoGame/{{Narcosis}}'' has "Commence" for New Game, "Event Log" for Chapter Select and "Power Down" for quitting the game.
59	* ''[[VideoGame/{{Kinder}} Re:Kinder]]'' titles its Start/Load/Quit options as "Play?" (question mark included), "Memory" and "[=ByeBye=]".
60	* ''VideoGame/YumeNikki'' has "Dream Diary" in place for "Load Game".
61	[[/folder]]
62
63	[[folder:Platform Games]]
64	* ''VideoGame/Kirby64TheCrystalShards'':
65	** The pause screen normally has options for "Continue" (continue playing) and "Try Again" (exit level). In [[BossRush Boss Endurance]] mode, "Try Again" is changed to "Accept Defeat".
66	** During the final battle with 02, the "Try Again" option is disabled and instead reads "Tough It Out!"
67	* The main menu buttons in ''VideoGame/TimeFcuk'' all have footnotes that are tangentially related to the theme of the game, but become more and more nonsensical the further you read. The buttons are START[[labelnote:]]taking action by finding flaws in yourself. then finding excuses not to fix them and laying down because you worked so hard, and hey, lets face it, life has no point.[[/labelnote]], CREATE[[labelnote:]]a state of being you no longer have any control over / an ego driven divide between your past and current existence[[/labelnote]], EXPLORE[[labelnote:]]the feeling of abandonment when you no longer acknowledge yourself when you run into yourself on the street.[[/labelnote]], and ENTER[[labelnote:]]at your own risk[[/labelnote]] THE[[labelnote:]]definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results... [[/labelnote]] UNKNOWN[[labelnote:]]quantities of carrot juice may lead to the ability to see the alien that lives behind your bedroom door[[/labelnote]].
68	[[/folder]]
69
70	[[folder:Puzzle Games]]
71	* ''[[VideoGame/TheImpossibleQuiz The Impossible Quiz 2]]'' has "GO GO GO!" as the button for starting the game.
72	* ''VideoGame/ThereIsNoGameWrongDimension'' has its "Start" button as "No Game Here", the "Options" button as "Useless Options", and the "Quit" button as "This Way!", with flashing red arrows pointing to it, as the apparent non-game does ''not'' want the player to play it. Naturally, [[SchmuckBait taking the bait]] nets the player an achievement.
73	* ''VideoGame/{{Timekeepers}}'', a top-down ''VideoGame/{{Lemmings}}''-inspired puzzle game for the Platform/{{Amiga}}, has ''verbose'' main menu option labels, with "Play The Introduction Animation", "Play Timekeepers From The Start" and "Load In A Previous Saved Position".
74	[[/folder]]
75
76	[[folder:Racing Games]]
77	* In the original ''VideoGame/{{Carmageddon}}'', whenever an opponent dares the player to switch starting spots in the grid, an option to refuse the challenge is called "Chicken".
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Role-Playing Games]]
81	* ''VideoGame/ArkandianLegends'' games use "Begin your journey" and "Continue your adventure" for starting or loading a game.
82	* ''VideoGame/{{Crashoclypse}}'' titles the quit function "Go Away".
83	* Some ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' games label the option for starting a new game as "Venture Forth".
84	* ''VideoGame/EternalSenia1'' keeps the opening screen's options normal but adds subtitles to them, through Start (New Adventure), Load (Keep on Finding) and Exit (End of Memory).
85	* ''VideoGame/IronGaia'': "Create Anomaly" for New Game, "Restore Anomaly" for Load Game, "System Shutdown" for Quit
86	* ''VideoGame/{{Off}}'' -- mostly owing to its [[BlindIdiotTranslation unorthodox translation]] -- uses a few unusual terms in place of some battle menu options, namely "Competence" in place of "Skill" and "Abscond" in place of "Flee". Applies to [[VideoGame/{{HOME2013}} some of the fangames related to it too]].
87	* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' has New Game, Load Game and Quit functions be retitled "New Life", "Resume Life" and "The Abyss", respectively.
88	* ''[[VideoGame/IMissTheSunrise Reconstruction Zero: I Miss The Sunrise]]'' has "Awaken New Pilot" for New Game and "Load Saved Pilot" for Load Game.
89	* ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction'':
90	** The game itself has New Story and Continue Story in place of New/Load Game.
91	** The sequel, ''VideoGame/TheDrop'', has New Adventurer, Load Adventurer and Turn Back.
92	* ''VideoGame/RuinaFairyTaleOfTheForgottenRuins'' has "New Story", "Resume Story" (Load), "End" (Exit).
93	* ''VideoGame/SeraphicBlue'': "Birth of Blue" for New Game, "Return to Blue" for Load, "Away from Blue" for Quit
94	* ''VideoGame/SpaceFuneral'' titles ALL of the basic New/Load/Quit functions in its StartScreen as "Blood".
95	* Starting from [[VideoGame/UltimaIII the third mainline instalment]], plenty of ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' games use "Journey Onward" to label either the new game or continue game options. This goes to the spinoffs like the ''VideoGame/UltimaUnderworld'' games as well.
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Simulation Games]]
99	* ''[[VideoGame/{{Mechwarrior}} Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat]]'' titles its quit option "[[GuiltBasedGaming Flee to Windows]]".
100	* The ''VideoGame/StoryOfSeasons'' series uses "write in journal" instead of "save".
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Strategy Games]]
104	* [[VideoGame/EuropaUniversalis Plenty]] [[VideoGame/HeartsOfIron of]] Creator/{{Paradox Interactive}}'s strategy games label the "quit" option in their pause screens as "[[GuiltBasedGaming Surrender]]".
105	* The rather [[RatedMForMoney raunchy]] (and not exactly the most well made) Polish turn-based strategy game ''Rezerwowe Psy'' (the game itself being a deliberate homage to ''Film/ReservoirDogs'' and being filled to brim with [[Creator/QuentinTarantino Tarantino]] references as well as various Polish references) features proverbial menu labels, like "Azyl" (Asylum) for New Game, "Do Nogi" (Haul Ass/On Your Knees) for Load Game, "Do Budy" ((Doggie) Go Home) for Save Game, "Opcyje" ([[FunetikAksent deliberately russianized]] "Opcje") for Options and "Won!" (GetOut) for Exiting the game. Weirdly enough, the game's international [[DolledUpInstallment Dolled Up Rerelease]] ''The Creator/{{Troma}} Project'' (yes, really) went for straightforward menu labels instead.
106	[[/folder]]
107
108	[[folder:Third Person Shooters]]
109	* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' uses a variant on the "Are you sure you want to quit?" prompt. If the player quits the game, the game will display a quote from Max reflecting on his current situation (e.g. "The Valkyr case was anything but closed."), below which the player selects either "But I was too tired to go on" or "[[{{Determinator}} I couldn't stop. I had to push on.]]"
110	[[/folder]]
111
112	[[folder:Other games]]
113	* In ''VisualNovel/DreamDaddy'', the graphics quality options are called "Daddy", "Daddier", and "Daddiest".
114	* Plenty of UsefulNotes/RPGMaker-powered games, such as ''VideoGame/TheGodOfCrawlingEyes'', ''VideoGame/BornUnderTheRain'' and ''VideoGame/StandstillGirl'' commonly use "Shutdown" to title their Quit function.
115	* ''[[VideoGame/{{Quintessence}} Quintessence: The Blighted Venom]]'' has "Destiny Anew" (New Game), "Memories Past" (Load Game) and "Fate Foregone" (Quit).
116	* The erotic-horror visual novel ''See Thru: Need A Friend?'' has Options, Info, and "Play with Me♡" (Play/Start).

Context Main / IdiosyncraticMenuLabels