Typically, dying in a video game isn’t a big deal. It might come with a consequence, like losing your items, or having to start at your last checkpoint, but a new video game is taking dying to a whole new level. If you get killed while playing Upsilon Circuit, you’re dead … for good! Death in this game means that you can never play again. The creators of this game are calling this characteristic “perma-permadeath”, which will give gamers a new outlook on their life in the game.
The game allows eight players to battle at a time. The eight players are split off into two teams of four, where they face obstacles and combat enemies. If a player dies, a spectator is randomly selected to replace them. Spectators can also pay to send aid to the players they are rooting for, very reminiscent of how The Hunger Games are played. “We’re monetizing trolling” says co-creator Calvin Goble of the Robot Loves Kitty studio. “What I’m hoping happens is that the experience evolves and that the people who live longest will respect their one life, be more cautious and careful,” he says.
Because only eight players can play at a time, being chosen as a contestant in the game makes it a hot commodity. On top of the limited selection of players, the fact that life can come to an end permanently will make the players value their mortality a little more. Not only are players facing a limited lifetime, but so is the game itself. Creators are planning on only releasing the game for a year. A release date has not yet been released.