permadeath
/ˈpɜːrmədɛθ/
CommonA game mechanic where dying is permanent and cannot be undone.
Permadeath raises the stakes completely. It makes players more careful and creates genuine tension. Some people find it thrilling; others find it too punishing.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 30 hours into my permadeath run and I just got one-shot by a random enemy. I'm sick. | Lost a long, invested playthrough to an unexpected death. | reddit, 2023 |
| 02 | can't go back to normal mode after playing with permadeath. the tension just hits different. | Permadeath creates more meaningful gameplay than standard modes. | x, 2024 |
| 03 | roguelikes built their whole identity around permadeath. that's the genre. | Permadeath is a defining feature of the roguelike genre. | reddit, 2022 |
| 04 | I lost my best unit to permadeath and genuinely needed a minute. | The emotional impact of losing a character permanently. | x, 2023 |
Use it when
- A game has a mechanic where dying ends the run permanently.
- Describing a character's death that cannot be reversed through reloading.
- Talking about self-imposed challenge runs with permanent consequences.
Do not use it when
- The game has normal death with checkpoints.
- You mean game over with a continue option.
Variations and related forms
Permadeath vs ironman mode
permadeath
Permadeath is a mechanic built into the game where death ends the run.
VS
ironman-mode
Ironman mode is a setting that disables manual saves, which achieves the same effect but as an opt-in mode.
Origin and context
The concept existed in early video games by necessity, but the term 'permadeath' was popularized by the roguelike community in the 1980s and 1990s as a design philosophy.
- First seen
- 1980s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/permadeathUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0