Note that many of these examples can overlap with Game Over.
Reviews
Well, it's a good thing they don't just let me die in peace or anything. I fucking disintegrate and it tells me 'my struggles were in vain.' Not just this struggle. ALL my struggles. Y'know, some of us do this for enjoyment, alright? This is our escape. Who wrote this game, Nietzsche?
—JonTron on Conan for the Commodore 64
McDowell lectures Hamill with the exacting precision and terrible viciousness that only a man who looks like Sting from the future can muster. At the end of the berating, Hamill is stripped of his commission. Ever the gentleman, Hamill offers a farewell handshake, but McDowell has to be all McDowelly about it... Jesus, is this a tactical space fighter or a disappointed mother-in-law simulator?
YOU'RE DEAD. YOUR FRIENDS ARE DEAD. YOUR FAMILY'S DEAD. YOUR FUCKING PETS ARE BEING SKINNED ALIVE. YOUR MOM'S A FUCKING WHORE. YOU SUCK AT LIFE. THE WHOLE WORLD HATES YOU. YOU'RE GOING TO HELL. LIVE WITH IT. GAME OVER.
— The Angry Video Game Nerd plays Friday the 13th for NES (It's also the Game Over screen for The Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures)
Games
YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE DEAD. GAME OVER
— Friday the 13th for the Nintendo Entertainment System (occurs if all six Camp Counsellors are killed. Notably, this was the one parodied by the above Angry Video Game Nerd quote)
JASON WIPED OUT THE KIDS. GAME OVER
— Friday The 13th for the Nintendo Entertainment System (the lesser-known second Game Over to the above, which occurs if Jason finds and kills all of the kids at Camp Crystal Lake before the Counsellors can destroy him.)
Due to your bungling mismanagement, the city has dropped into irretrievable debt. A delegation of citizens gently escort you from your office.
—SimCity 2000
Your death remained unnoticed by billions, but in reality it affected every other human being. The cities grew. Pollution increased, the skies filled with dirt. Big money won. Fascist governments prospered on greed and persecution. The world expected and received war. War on a global scale. The nuclear threat was evident. All hope was lost... Millions burned in the fire...
Your failure to destroy the DCMS Compound has sealed our fate.
For generations your name will be remembered with shame.
For generations your name will be remembered with shame.
—BattleTech for the Sega Genesis
Your defeat has brought chaos to the Federation. Your cowardice and betrayal shall be known throughout the stars. Your decaying corpse will be an object for ridicule and scorn. Disgrace will follow your family for centuries. Once adored and worshipped by all, your rotting flesh will serve as the price of failure. Oh, the horrible pain of defeat...
—The Game Over sequence from Death Duel
And just like that, the case came to an end. I ran away from the courtroom... and wandered the streets alone. I never saw Maya again. De Killer is a man of his word, so I'm sure he released her as promised. I heard the verdict of Ms. Andrews' trial a few days later. She was found guilty, of course. The "miracle" never happened. Maybe it was never meant to. Because a "miracle" is something that doesn't exist.
—Phoenix Wright, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice For All (bad ending).
All we had to do was follow the damn train, CJ!
— Big Smoke, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, "Wrong Side of the Tracks"
"Michael did not reach enlightenment."
— Failure message for "Did Somebody Say Yoga?", Grand Theft Auto V
"In the end... the future refused to change."
— Text at the end of Day Of Lavos
, Chrono Trigger (DS version)
, Chrono Trigger (DS version)The Rebel Flagship is within range of the Federation Base. All is lost, they've won.
"Hurry, destroy it! If you do not, the tragedy of Vasteel will be repeated! Itnote contains the same evil potential as Vasteel! It will lead to calamity and to mass death and destruction! Please, destroy it! Please..."
—The Guardian, Thunder Force V bad ending, despite the Vambrace being too crippled to self-destruct
As proof of one's life, there exists the danger of death. This proof exists as a flame, painfully burning one's life away. Yet though a life crumbles to dust, time moves ever onward. He who had been your proof, your life itself... the answer has been lost, never to be found again.
In my fading consciousness, a single doubt remained. Were the allied forces really late, or...? Then, right before the end, I thought I saw countless white angels circling down from an endless heaven.
These brave youths fought to change the world for the better, yet now their unfulfilled dreams lie dead with them on the battlefield... Was their sacrifice in vain? What were they fighting for all along? And what of the light...?
The school's faculty members inform the students that a murder has taken place on school grounds. The faculty members instruct all students to remain at school and cooperate with the police to catch the killer. The police arrive at school and begin their investigation. The police quickly discovered a corpse on school grounds, and were also able to locate a weapon that had been used for murder. As the suspect of a crime, Yandere-chan was required to give her biometric information to the police. The police quickly linked the murder weapon to Yandere-chan and arrested her.
Yandere-chan will never be able to confess her love for Senpai.
Yandere-chan will never be able to confess her love for Senpai.
Kreel watches the demise of the two would-be heroes in his "Gauntlet of Pain". He laughs as the Warhawk erupts into flame on his closed-circuit monitor in his dining room. Then he realizes that he is choking to death on a chicken bone from the meal he was eating. Kreel has died. You were indirectly responsible, but no, you have not won Warhawk. The best is yet to come. Try again.
As planned, the explosion sent the parasitic organisms responsible for the zombie outbreak high into the stratosphere. The contamination spread far beyond the quarantined area, turning the once isolated incident into a national epidemic. Soon, the whole of the United States fell victim to a rash of zombie outbreaks.
—Dead Rising, Ending F
The military rescue of Fortune City was unable to find any living survivors of the Fortune City outbreak. The incident came to be known as the "Greene Outbreak".
—Dead Rising 2, Ending F
I won’t let that happen. I’m still determined to keep that from happening, and I’ll use any means necessary. Still, what if the people’s decision is inevitable, like she said? What if I’ve chosen the wrong solution? These thoughts... Sometimes I feel they’re suffocating me...
—Nepgear, Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, Conquest Ending
In the years that follow, many stories are told of the hideous fate inflicted on the Judas Captain. None are fully true, for no living tongue has the words to so precisely convey such depths of suffering.
It is also more accurately said that somewhere in the Second Empire of Hands stands an ivory shrine, established in gratitude. It soon ceases to be visited, and is quickly lost to the weeds."
"You fade away into history. When the moment comes, it is a blessing."
It is also more accurately said that somewhere in the Second Empire of Hands stands an ivory shrine, established in gratitude. It soon ceases to be visited, and is quickly lost to the weeds."
"You fade away into history. When the moment comes, it is a blessing."
Game Note: You were warned not to return to London
—Sunless Sea, making good on its threats
Your journey is over
You disappear into the teeming slums of Naples. Perhaps you purchase a ticket below, and live out your life in London. Perhaps you're knifed for the price of a meal. Perhaps the Sun kills you: the citizens of Fallen London are terribly fragile, up here beneath the sky. In any case, you are a captain no longer.
You disappear into the teeming slums of Naples. Perhaps you purchase a ticket below, and live out your life in London. Perhaps you're knifed for the price of a meal. Perhaps the Sun kills you: the citizens of Fallen London are terribly fragile, up here beneath the sky. In any case, you are a captain no longer.
—Sunless Sea, if you get stranded in Naples
A brave end
Blue Prophets cry the names of those about to die. This morning, the name they cried was yours. At noon, your Chief Engineer begins to pace the deck, chanting in the tongues of the Elder Continent. He refuses to return below. At four o'clock by the ship's chronometer, the ship begins to speak to you. It apologises for what will happen next. Only you can hear it. At seven o'clock, the engine bursts like a heart. The hull shatters. You are lost in the tides of the Mountain's Blood, stained and avid. Your bones will grow in the muds of the river's shore.
Blue Prophets cry the names of those about to die. This morning, the name they cried was yours. At noon, your Chief Engineer begins to pace the deck, chanting in the tongues of the Elder Continent. He refuses to return below. At four o'clock by the ship's chronometer, the ship begins to speak to you. It apologises for what will happen next. Only you can hear it. At seven o'clock, the engine bursts like a heart. The hull shatters. You are lost in the tides of the Mountain's Blood, stained and avid. Your bones will grow in the muds of the river's shore.
—Sunless Sea, unsuccessfully zailing up Adam's Way
Perhaps we Keepers were wrong to put our faith in Mike Dawson. Too many times he has erred, giving the Ancients time to hatch the Behemoth. Once it came into contact with the normal world, the Behemoth grew and grew until it enveloped the planet the humans call "Earth". It sucked the very life force from the planet and renewed the energies of its masters, the Ancients, for another aeon. All is lost. All is lost...
—The Keeper of the Scrolls, Dark Seed II
it's been a while, huh? ... things have gotten pretty bad here. everyone considered a leader disappeared overnight. it's gotten so quiet. there's a bad feeling hanging over everyone. like everyone's just going to die here, trapped in the dark... i bet you're wondering why i'm not the ruler. eh. i'm not cut out for something like that. i like to take it easy, you know? ... that's a joke. this is what happens when people like me take it easy. ... hey, at least things are less crowded. 'cause of all the people you killed. hope that was a good experience for you. ... just kidding. i don't really hope that. go to hell.
—Sans, Undertale, if you fulfil certain Video Game Cruelty Potential criteria
H... hey. So... you're the one who killed all my friends. I just called to tell you. I hate you. Yet... strangely... it's because of you, that I was forced to become a better person. When I first saw you hurting people... I just sat there. Watching you. I felt so guilty knowing I hadn't done anything to stop you. I felt like all I had to do... was hope you would destroy me, too. But when Undyne called, with crazed desperation in her voice... I... I realized I had to do something. Even if it meant everybody would... have to learn the truth about me. It's strange. You know? Even after all the bad things I did. People still treated me as a hero. And then they... asked me to run everything. So I'm trying my best, here. I think I have some good policies, but, y-you know... talking to people still makes me nervous. I'm no Asgore, you know? (...) God, I miss everyone. Now that they're gone, it... it feels so clear what I should have done. What I should have said. Undyne... Asgore... Mettaton... at least Sans is here. He's... he's a good guy. And with him around, I... (sigh) You know. Just daydreaming here, but... I really should have killed you when I had the chance.
—Doctor Alphys, Undertale, if you abort or otherwise fail a Genocide Run at Hotland
The heroes fought valiantly, but they could not stop Dr. Junkenstein and his creations. The castle fell, the defenders were slain, and Junkenstein had his revenge...
—Reinhardt Wilhelm, Overwatch, "Junkenstein's Revenge" mode
This is a tragedy!
—Shmups Skill Test, if you fail a minigame by allowing what you're supposed to protect get destroyed
"Ah, free at last! In this body of flesh and bone...I'm going to rock this world! Nice knowing you, Sketch Turner!"
—Mortus, Comix Zone
The YoRHa force was annihilated...
And Earth went on to become a paradise for the machines.
And Earth went on to become a paradise for the machines.
— NieR: Automata, broken [W]ingsnote
Caution: Handle With Care!
Removal of OS chip will result in death.
Removal of OS chip will result in death.
— NieR: Automata, fa[T]al errornote
Having consumed the mackerel, it didn't take long for the android's bodily fluids to congeal. Muscle rigidity and paralysis soon followed.
"It was good, though." the android thought as consciousness faded. "Exquisite, even. No wonder humans used to eat them..."
"It was good, though." the android thought as consciousness faded. "Exquisite, even. No wonder humans used to eat them..."
— NieR: Automata, aji wo [K]uttanote
By self-destructing at the Bunker, the entire structure ended up exploding in a spectacular fashion. But hey, it sure did look pretty from Earth!
Somewhere in the depths of space, the Commander still floats about with a stern look on her face.
Somewhere in the depths of space, the Commander still floats about with a stern look on her face.
— NieR: Automata, deb[U]nked
2B and 9S chose to abandon their mission, allowing the machines to wreak destruction upon the city ruins and Resistance camp.
The extinction of YoRHa is also surely a matter of time.
The extinction of YoRHa is also surely a matter of time.
— NieR: Automata, a mountain too [H]igh
Some YoRHa units abandoned their mission, the operation failed, and every android met their demise.
...Well, except for the really selfish ones. They were fine.
...Well, except for the really selfish ones. They were fine.
—NieR: Automata, just y[O]u and me
Fed up, 2B left the camp to its fate and decided to...go fishing? Yeah, that's it! Fishing! With a smile on her face, she packed up and headed for the coast.
Ten years later, 2B found herself hunted by both machine lifeforms and YoRHa assassins - a life she seemed to enjoy more than her previous one.
Ten years later, 2B found herself hunted by both machine lifeforms and YoRHa assassins - a life she seemed to enjoy more than her previous one.
—NieR: Automata, [L]one wolf note
"Lord Gohda sent for you?? I pity him..."
—Onikage, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins
"GET OUT OF THE CAR WITH YOUR HANDS UP! You have the right to remain silent; anything you say will be used against you in a court of law! You have the right to an attorney..."
—Car 504, The Getaway: High Speed II
"And so the angry moon fell from the sky, annihilating this world and its many inhabitants. All items and such gained these last three days are lost. You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"
O bitter day! Your ignoble end should have been unthinkable. You have failed your people, your ancestors and your descendants. Now Egypt yearns for another champion to take your place...
What a dark end to so bright a beginning! Your failure dishonors Egypt and your ancestors, and stains the names of descendants yet unborn. You might have joined the elite who achieve immortality in the Field of Reeds. Instead, you will pass unlamented into shadow. Others will come forward to accept the challenge of Pharaoh...
What a dark end to so bright a beginning! Your failure dishonors Egypt and your ancestors, and stains the names of descendants yet unborn. You might have joined the elite who achieve immortality in the Field of Reeds. Instead, you will pass unlamented into shadow. Others will come forward to accept the challenge of Pharaoh...
"Ra...do... th... fourt...th... Raidou the 14th! This is shameful. You have disappointed us. Your abilities are pathetic compared to the ones who preceded you! It was a grave error for you to assume the mantle of the 14th Raidou Kuzunoha... We have no choice, you've slandered the sacred name of Raidou. Begone!"
"Ha ha ha! The world is mine!"
"And on this day, Japan ceased to exist."
"Arstotzka has zero tolerance for delinquency. Your family will be sent back to their village. You are under arrest until your debts are repaid. A replacement inspector will be found easily. Glory to Arstotzka."
"The wasteland has claimed your life. Arroyo attempts to send out others to search for the G.E.C.K., but they die quickly, and the village soon follows."
"You have died. You shall never know what happened to your kidnapped village."
"Your death has sealed the fate of everyone else on Earth. The Enclave triumphs, releasing the FEV virus into the atmosphere. Millions die, and the Earth falls silent again..."
"You have died. You shall never know what happened to your kidnapped village."
"Your death has sealed the fate of everyone else on Earth. The Enclave triumphs, releasing the FEV virus into the atmosphere. Millions die, and the Earth falls silent again..."
— Some game over messages in Fallout 2
THEN THE WORLD WAS COVERED IN DARKNESS.
CORNERIA FELL
The Resistance was at a huge disadvantage.
There was no one to save Sonic from captivity; they had tried to rescue him in a mission, to no avail.
As time went on, the last remaining members of the Resistance fell into despair…
…allowing Dr. Eggman and his forces to overcome them easily.
Afterwards… a dark era emerged.
One filled with chaos and devoid of hope… but it didn't have to be this way.
There was no one to save Sonic from captivity; they had tried to rescue him in a mission, to no avail.
As time went on, the last remaining members of the Resistance fell into despair…
…allowing Dr. Eggman and his forces to overcome them easily.
Afterwards… a dark era emerged.
One filled with chaos and devoid of hope… but it didn't have to be this way.
"After crushing Colonel Guile in personal combat and repelling the Allied Nations attack, General Bison grew even more powerful. The nations that once threatened his empire now quickly crumbled beneath the heel of his legions of 'Perfect Soldiers'. His dreams of global domination complete, the Palace Of Bisonopolis was erected high above Shadaloo City, and the cry of 'Pax Bisonica' was forever heard echoing across the globe. United under his savage rule, the world entered a new age of darkness..."
"Guile and his elite team were unable to infiltrate Bison's base and locate the hostages. As the time limit for the ransom arrived, the Allied Nations were forced to pay Bison the 20 billion dollars. For disobeying a direct order, Guile was court-martialled. Hours later, the hostages were released by Bison, and the Allied Nations mission to Shadaloo was considered to be a complete failure and abandoned. Two years later, General M. Bison released an army of 'Perfect Soldiers' on an unsuspecting world..."
— Street Fighter: The Movie (the Bad Ending for Movie Battle mode)
mode)Gasco Army Soldier: There's no one inside…! Not even a corpse…
Lieutenant Muscat: What?! What's going on?
General Merlot: I don't know… but they were, without a doubt, operating this tank… if we did not have those heroes who buried that giant calamity, we would not be alive now…
Lieutenant Muscat: We shall never forget those young, nameless heroes…
Lieutenant Muscat: What?! What's going on?
General Merlot: I don't know… but they were, without a doubt, operating this tank… if we did not have those heroes who buried that giant calamity, we would not be alive now…
Lieutenant Muscat: We shall never forget those young, nameless heroes…
Gasco Army Soldier: Lieutenant Muscat, t-there's no one inside… not even a corpse…
Lieutenant Muscat: T-that can't be! These children… it's because of them that Gasco — no, the entire world — is saved! They were just normal children living peaceful lives… until we subjected them to this cruel conflict… Vanilla… forgive your foolish sister. You all were the true soldiers…
General Merlot: We shall never forget your sacrifice… I swear it on the peace of Gasco!
Lieutenant Muscat: T-that can't be! These children… it's because of them that Gasco — no, the entire world — is saved! They were just normal children living peaceful lives… until we subjected them to this cruel conflict… Vanilla… forgive your foolish sister. You all were the true soldiers…
General Merlot: We shall never forget your sacrifice… I swear it on the peace of Gasco!
Literature
After a few seconds, Sonic starts tapping his foot with impatience, and turns and looks at you. "Hey, smart-bonce", he says, "Are you sure waiting here is a good idea? I'm stuck in Robotnik's clutches, and you want me to hang around and see what happens? You're the brains, so I'll take your advice, but I don't think..." He stops and sniffs the air. "What's that smell?" You can smell it, too; a strange odour that tickles your nostrils and makes you feel sleepy. Sonic is wobbling on his feet, and your eyelids are heavy. As you collapse to the floor, the last thing you see is two robots entering the room. Sonic tries to put up a struggle, but the sleeping gas is too strong and they drag him away. When you wake up, there is no sign of Sonic. You're stuck here, in this room, on your own. It's Game Over for you.
The second Sonic grabs the keycard, slams it into the slot beside the door, and rushes away into the distance. The door slides shut behind him, and the room is quiet. "Oh", Sonic thinks to himself. "Maybe he really was the real, original Sonic, and I am just a duplicate after all. Perhaps it's all for the best. After all, he did look like a hero". There is the sound of a distant explosion, far off in the city. "Yes", thinks Sonic, "I'm sure it was for the best". He waits for something to happen, but nothing does. Sonic's adventure ends here.
Sonic follows, keeping behind the robot as it ploughs through the city walls as if they weren't there. Once in the countryside, it speeds up, and Sonic has a hard time running against the rain and wind to keep it in sight. By the time he gets to the Green Hill Zone, there is no Green Hill Zone left. If he thought things were bad when he left, they're non-existent now. There is no sign of any living thing anywhere; everything has been crushed by giant robotic footprints. Sonic can just see the Technobot disappearing over the horizon, heading off to cause more destruction and chaos. Maybe Robotnik will succeed in taking over Mobius this time. All Sonic knows is that all his friends are gone, and there's no way he'll ever learn how to finish Botman now. Sonic's adventure ends here, and he has lost.
Sonic runs up and jumps, not rolling into a ball this time, but reaching out to grab the barrel of the Zap Cannon with both hands. Ow! It's hot, even through his gloves. Sonic hangs on and pulls himself to where it's cooler. Then he looks back at the Technobot, and gasps. While he's been climbing along the cannon, Robotnik has been flying away, and the Egg-O-Matic is now way above the path of the platinum peril. There's no way that Sonic could get back to the Technobot from here, and if he were to fall off, hitting the ground from this height would smash him into a thousand pieces. Above him, the Cannon fires a blast into the dark sky. The barrel begins to get very hot, almost too hot to bear. Robotnik laughs with glee and fires again. The metal is scorching! Sonic must drop off soon. He looks down as the Technobot enters the Green Hill Zone, trampling trees, cliffs, hills and lakes into nothingness. Whatever he does now, it's too late. It's all over for Sonic, and Game Over for you.
Sonic jumps onto the Aerobot and it takes off into the sky, giving him an excellent view of the Technobot's path of destruction through the Green Hill Zone. It is really churning up the place badly; making a complete mess of it all. Nothing slows it down or gets in its way, it's unstoppable. It also moves faster than the Aerobot flies, and soon out-distances the flying machine and its hedgehog passenger. Sonic can only watch as it finishes pulverizing his home, and sets off towards another zone, to cause more havoc there. Whatever Sonic does next, it's not going to save the day. His adventure ends here, and he's blown it.
Sonic produces his Game Gear. "Well", he says, "I've got the control device, but nothing to connect it with..." He looks around the top of the robot, but there's nothing that would work. He slumps against the remains of the Control Panel, and watches helplessly as the giant platinum robot tramples the Green Hill Zone into the Brown Flat Zone. He did his best, but it looks like his best wasn't good enough to save his friends. Sonic's adventure ends here.
The giant robot turns until it's heading towards the cliff. The ground shakes, and Sonic can see rocks and boulders toppling off and rolling down to the bottom. Animals and birds flee from the path of the colossal construction as it approaches. One giant foot lands on the edge of the cliff. The other lifts into the air, hangs on for a moment, and descends — to land on nothing. The Technobot begins to overbalance, falling slowly at first, and then faster and faster. Sonic is carried with it as the vast machine hurtles through the air, carried downward by one enemy that not even Robotnik could beat — Gravity. The knees hit the ground first, and the impact breaks the machine into pieces while it's still falling. The enormous middle section lands next, bouncing back hundreds of metres into the air, so that it's going up while the head section — and Sonic — are still coming down. Sonic hits with a thump that knocks all the wind out of him. The massive head lands nearby and shatters into a kazillion pieces that tinkle and crash and finally lie still. Sonic lies where he is. Everything is oddly quiet, apart from a strange whistling noise. A huge shadow covers Sonic; he looks up to see the remains of the robot's stomach section fall out of the sky onto him, squashing him flat! So close — and yet so far. Sonic saved the Zone and his friends, but he couldn't save himself. A very brave try.
By Medusa's magical power, Alisa and her friends have turned to stone! They can no longer fight back. Alisa's adventure has come to an end...
