Many players will jump through an unbelievable amount of hoops just to see how a video game ends. In the early days, this mostly meant a simple black screen with some text that read, "Thank you for playing. Game Over." One would hardly deem that a reward worthy of all that effort and frustration.
However, sometimes the credits can roll even before the player starts mashing buttons. This isn't just a simple matter of dying because the player remained static. These conclusions only occur if the player makes a specific choice or action, ending the adventure before it even begins.
10 Akalabeth: The World Of Doom
Akalabeth: The World of Doom was Richard Garriott's predecessor to the influential Ultima series of RPGs. In it, players take control of a young squire who aspires to be a knight. While very primitive compared to the titles that would follow, it established many of the common gameplay tropes of the genre, such as the first-person perspective and the act of acquiring food to survive.
Before the adventure even begins, players are asked if they're ready to enter the adventure. Answering "no" will prompt the game to proclaim, "Then Leave and Begone!" before quitting.
9 Karateka
Jordan Mechner is a game designer, filmmaker, and author who made a name for himself with the rotoscoped platforming title Prince of Persia for the Apple II. However, before the interactive Arabian fairytale, Mechner utilized this technique in a more obscure fusion of adventure and martial arts known as Karateka.
As the game starts, the player is at the top of a cliff and must proceed right to face their first opponent. However, the adventure can come to a close by simply pressing left. Players will fall off the cliff and be booted to the Game Over screen.
8 Leisure Suit Larry
Sierra adventure games were infamous for their tendency to kill players for the dumbest and most unfair reasons. In fact, their trial-and-error design is what motivated LucasArts' "no death" philosophy in most of their graphic adventures.
The first Leisure Suit Larry is undoubtedly the title where players can meet their end the fastest. The game begins with the eponymous swinger in front of a bar in a shady part of the city known as Lost Wages. Simply walk on the street, and Larry will pay the ultimate price for not looking both ways.
7 The Magic Candle
Developed by the Californian-based studio Mindcraft, The Magic Candle was an RPG that tasked players with saving the kingdom of Deruvia. The eponymous candle is the only thing that can keep a malevolent force known as Dreax sealed.
Unfortunately, it's melting, and the king has turned to the player character to gather six different heroes and defeat the ambitions of this evil demon. However, before the adventure even begins, the king asks the player, "Wilt thou be that hero and earn our eternal gratitude?" If players answer "no," the game will then end prematurely.
6 Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II starts out with a hopeless fight against four strong black knights. After the heroes are defeated, the benevolent Princess Hilda rescues them and takes them to her rebel base, where the story truly begins.
However, in the PlayStation re-release of the game, the player can get to a much quicker conclusion. If the heroes somehow manage to best the black knights, they'll take off with the money, and the player will be booted back to the title screen as if to say, "Fine! You win! Happy?"
5 Star Trek: Borg
Star Trek: Borg was an interactive movie where players took control of a young Starfleet cadet whose father was killed by the Borg at Wolf 359. The omnipotent being Q gives them a chance to travel back in time and prevent this disastrous event from taking place.
If the player accepts, the two quantum leap into the bodies of two members aboard the ship and attempt to stop the Borg. However, players can deny the trickster's once-in-a-lifetime chance for revenge. Q then chews out the player before snapping his fingers and disappearing into a flash, effectively saying "Game Over" and going back to the Windows screen.
4 Metal Saga
Metal Saga is a post-apocalyptic RPG where players take on the role of a hunter who pilots formidable tanks. However, before the adventure truly starts, the player character's mother voices her disapproval of such a lifestyle and suggests that they take on a more stable and less life-threatening occupation, such as mechanic work.
Players are then given a choice: pursue their dreams of being a hunter or becoming a mechanic. Should they choose the latter, the game will give a snarky epilogue describing all the exciting adventures that they missed out on.
3 Super Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario shifted the series from its RPG format to offer a more traditional platforming adventure. Despite this change, the game has no shortage of story and dialogue options. Before players even take control, Merlon asks Mario to take the heart and save the world.
However, players have the option to decline his request if so inclined. In desperation, Merlon will plead with the mustachioed plumber two more times, accidentally telling him that he's "our very last soap." If Mario refuses the call once more, Merlon will become despondent, and the player will receive a Game Over.
2 Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 was an open-world first-person shooter that took players to the country of Kyrat in the Himalayan countryside. When Ajay Ghale journeys to his homeland to spread his mother's ashes, he is unwittingly thrust into a civil war by the charismatic dictator Pagan Minn.
During an uncomfortable dinner party, Minn requests the player to sit tight and leaves the room. Normally, players would attempt to escape, but if they obey Minn's instructions, he will return to explain Ajay's family history and allow him to plant his mother's ashes like he intended.
1 Luigi's Mansion 3
Luigi's Mansion 3 sees the aforementioned plumber and his friends invited to stay at the luxurious Last Resort Hotel. At first, everything seems to be on the up and up. The staff seem accommodating enough, even if their masks seem a little suspicious. Still, Mario and the gang proceed to their rooms with the intent on getting some R&R.
However, Luigi overhears some screams and goes to investigate. It's here that the ruse is revealed and King Boo chases down the cowardly sibling. Should players fail to outrun the poltergeist, they'll join their friends in the paintings which bind them.