Nothing is worse than the bitter taste of defeat. Players groan in protest whenever their games get the better of them, whether it's dying for the hundredth time in Dark Souls or falling off the map in Fall Guys. Without a doubt, the worst thing about being defeated by a game is seeing that crushing "Game Over" screen.
Game Over screens are one of the oldest video game traditions. While the sight of them usually frustrates the player, a few of them manage to steal a chuckle. Others can even be an interesting gameplay mechanic that cushions the blow of dying over and over again.
Updated on May 14th, 2022, by Jack Pursey: Asking a gamer to pick their favorite Game Over screen is like asking a turkey to pick their favorite dinner plate at Christmas. The all-to-familiar sight of a Game Over screen often coincides with frustration and possible bad language, as players are forced to sit and think about their mistakes until the game finishes loading.
Consequently, great Game Over screens are often ignored, as players usually want to jump straight back into the action. This is a shame, as many studios work hard to make engaging, funny, lore-appropriate, and ultimately memorable Game Over screens that will ease the sting of virtual death. So, to once again shine a spotlight on some of gaming's best Game Over screens, we've updated this list to include a few more entries.
10 Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
In regard to death in Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, the writers at LucasArts backed themselves into a corner from the very beginning of the game. It's immediately set up that the story is set in the past as the protagonist, Guybrush Threepwood, is retelling what happens to Elaine. Therefore, it doesn't make sense for death to be a gameplay mechanic, as the playable character is clearly alive.
As one would expect from LucasArts in the '90s, they handle the potential plot hole in a humorous way by having a Game Over screen that consists of Elaine questioning the validity of the story and Guybrush saying he was just exaggerating the events to keep things interesting.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is another classic game that handles death in this way. The action-adventure game is also presented as a retelling of a story, so when the player dies, the Prince corrects himself, saying things like, "No, no, I did not die in that battle, let me begin again."
9 The Binding of Isaac
The Binding of Isaac's Game Over screen is oddly wholesome, considering it immediately follows the player's demise. The Game Over screen is a handwritten note that – along with a few drawings – instructs whoever finds it to give all of Isaac's belongings to his cat.
The Game Over screen isn't just supposed to cheer players up with a bit of humor; it also provides some helpful information such as the enemy that killed Isaac and the items that he had on him when he died. These are handy things to know in a game from the roguelike genre, and the way that the note smartly crams information onto a single page makes it easy for friends to compare progress.
8 Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is far from a horror game, yet it has one of the most unsettling and ominous Game Over screens of all time.
The classic RPG is fondly remembered for its epic story, which sees Crono traveling through time to prevent Lavos' devastation in hopes of creating a brighter future. However, if players fail in this task, they will be greeted by a grainy, black and white depiction of the planet, which can be viewed as a symbolization of the absence of life that Lavos caused and Crono couldn't prevent. If that wasn't depressing enough, the game rub salt into the wounds with the bleak words, "But... The future refused to change."
7 Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker has one of the most iconic Game Over screens of all time. It may not add anything in terms of gameplay, but the death screen might just be one of the funniest in all of gaming.
Even players who have never picked up a Metal Gear game in their lives can quote the death screen's lines: "Snake! SNAAAAKE!" Love it or hate it, internet meme culture has preserved this one forever.
6 The Legend Of Zelda: Majora's Mask
*The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask doesn't make this list for the Game Over screen itself, but for the surprisingly disturbing cutscene that precedes it, which did a fantastic job of scaring the life out of unsuspecting children in the early 2000s.
The moon in Majora's Mask is one of the creepiest visuals in gaming history. It's hard to focus on adventuring with that face staring down at the player. The timer at the bottom of the screen doesn't help either, only instilling a sense of anxiety in the player.
Usually, when Link dies, he simply drops to the floor, and that's the end of it. If, however, the timer runs out and the moon collides with the clocktower, a cutscene plays. Players watch in horror as the entire town, including Link, are wiped out by flames.
5 Demon's Souls
'YOU DIED. ' This ending screen is short and to the point. Demon's Souls may not have the most iconic Game Over screen, but it does stand out. In Demon Souls, most players tend to die many times over — it's not exactly an easy game.
Seeing 'YOU DIED' the first time may not be that big of a deal, but as the game progresses, it starts to become a taunt. Nothing is more irksome than battling a boss for the eightieth time, getting so close to defeating them, only to see 'YOU DIED' appear at the last possible second. *It's possible that FromSoftware were taking a leaf out of Resident Evil's book with their Game Over screen, as most games in the horror series hit defeated players with the hilariously blunt message "You Are Dead," which is a sad face emoji away from being the most comically patronizing message in all of gaming.
4 Batman: Return To Arkham
Batman: Return To Arkham is a love letter to the comics. Batman's iconic villains are all ready to bring down the caped crusader, and, if they succeed, the player is treated to a series of Game Over screens.
Each villain has a post-credit Game Over screen where they interact with a defeated Batman. These scenes are so interesting that many players opt to lose their battles the first time, just around to see how the villains will react to finally winning.
3 Banjo-Kazooie
Many games don't show the outcome if the hero loses; instead, they simply cut to a Game Over screen, and players have to try again. Banjo-Kazooie is unique in this respect; as if the player fails to save their sister Tooty, they can actually see what becomes of her.
The evil witch Gruntilda succeeds in her plan to steal Tooty's beauty. A monstrous version of her has a bone to pick with the brother who failed to save her.
2 Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door actually has two great Game Over screens. The first is whenever the player is KO'd by the enemy. Mario slumps down center stage, and the curtain draws, almost as if this was a stage mistake, and they're currently working behind the scenes to fix it.
The second interesting Game Over screen comes at the very end. Players are given a choice of whether or not to side with the ultimate evil. If they accept, there's a bleak wrap-up of the story followed by a traditional Game Over screen but with Mario in different gear.
1 Mass Effect 2
Commander Shepard can be a little promiscuous. Throughout the trilogy, the player is given ample opportunity to romance their crew, and many players take full advantage. However, if the player tries to seduce one particular character, it doesn't end well.
Morinth will try and convince the player that because they've died and come back, they will be immune to her condition that kills those with whom she is intimate. This, unfortunately, proves false. If the player goes along with it, they will be treated to a creepy romance scene, followed by a Game Over screen.