Mourn us or mock us
One thing that makes video games so great is the fact that death--a permanent end in the real world--is but a fleeting moment in a game. Because you're immortal in these virtual worlds, you're free to die and respawn however you so choose. Are you a soldier seeking a glorious death? Pit yourself against an endless horde of enemies on the highest difficulty. Always wanted to go out as a noble sacrifice? Stay behind in the enemy base to give your teammates the time to capture a flag. Trying to make a statement for pacifism? Refuse to fight back against your virtual aggressors.
7. Leaping to your death in an FPS
The object is to slay others, not yourself. But in the heat of a particularly impressive multi-kill, sometimes you just lose it. It being your pride, because you just sent your character sailing off a cliff or into the molten hot magma of a lava pit. Was it the sheer excitement that made you jump? Strafe shooting without watching where you were going? A desperate subconscious effort to escape the absurdity of war? Who knows--all you can say for certain is that your sharp-shooting hot streak has come to a most inglorious end.
6. Being beaten by a button-masher in a fighting game
It's not like they're going to change it up. Spammers in fighting games have a very simple M.O.: find one particularly exploitable normal or special move, then repeat it ad nauseam until they win. You could argue that projectile spamming or bread-and-butter combos are a quintessential part of any 2D fighter, and you'd be right. But there's a difference between consciously keeping your opponent locked down with a barrage of fireballs, and chucking out plasma because it's all you know how to do.
5. Tripping over environmental hazards in a hack-'n'-slash
When you're playing a game like Diablo or Torchlight, you're in pursuit of a simple two-step feedback loop. Step 1: Click enemies. Step 2: Get loot. Elements like skill trees, companions, and lore are simply icing on the cake. You're mainly interested in becoming the most efficient killing machine possible--because when the monster death toll rises, your profits and stat bonuses go up.
4. Being slain by a braindead jungle creep in a MOBA
MOBAs are so intense, fun, and addicting because they pit player against player. Unlike a bot, there's no telling what your opponent is capable of--their next move might be just what you were expecting, or the complete opposite. But the creeps that populate the lanes are far more knowable, following a programmed set of rules and never straying from those directives. The neutral creeps that populate the jungle are even more docile, refusing to leave their designated area and totally ignoring your hero until you attack. You'd think that would make dying to jungle creeps virtually impossible.
3. Mistakenly assuming you were supposed to lose in an RPG
Consarn it, this fight is difficult. There's no way the designers intended for you to beat this boss, because no matter what you try, your opponent's health bar simply refuses to drop. So to move things along, you'll just lay down arms and let the enemy wail on you. Now let's see where the story takes us next, and--oh. You're just lying dead on the ground, because this is a Game Over screen.
2. Getting boxed in by a tower rush in an RTS
Scouting is such a huge part of strategy games for a reason: when you know what's coming, you can prepare. But why bother? This is bronze league, and you've already got enough to worry about--managing your build order, upping your APM--without sending a lone worker on a reconnaissance mission all over the map. Your opponent is probably thinking the same exact thing, opting to focus on a basic opening and worry about army composition later. But as you move to expand your base, a horrifying realization sets in, and despair overwhelms your entire being.
1. Dying to the first enemy of a platformer
There are so many ways it can happen. You forgot which button was jump. You were running too fast. You hit a block and bounced right into harm's way. You tried to jump on their head, but mistimed it. Your reaction speed sucks. But no matter how you slice it, nothing could be more embarrassing than running headfirst into the very first baddie of a 2D sidescroller. This was the easiest possible test that the game could throw your way, and you failed--hard.
