Permadeath: A review of literature

This paper explores existing literature concerning permadeath - the permanent in-game death of a playable character. Research concerning the depiction of death in video games is extensive; however research on the underlying concept of death within the magic circle of a game is scarce. Furthermore, although controversial, permadeath more closely connects with the original death concept than general in-game death as it adopts finality, a key characteristic of death. This is significant when we consider successful video games which have delved into deeper philosophical ideas and the realm of art; a deeper exploration of death, and dying, is within the capabilities of the maturing game industry, and may pave the way for unique in-game (death) experiences. To gain a better understanding of the nature of permadeath this paper draws together existing literature, highlights the difficulty of defining permadeath and death´s meaning beyond penalty, identifies two approaches to permadeath, and suggests a holistic, interdisciplinary approach in future research.