No one likes to die in a video game. It can be incredibly frustrating, especially if players are stuck on a boss they can’t beat. Desperate players will look up strategy guides or videos. They may even try cheating if the game has codes or hidden exploits, like finding ways to gain extra money or EXP in an RPG.
However, there are some games in which players can manipulate death to get ahead. It’s a rare circumstance, but anyone who likes a good game where strategy is involved should check these games out. They’re not easy, but some of the most rewarding games rarely are.
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Hollow Knight: Silksong
The Cocoon Strategy
Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Released
- September 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of the hardest games of 2025, but there is a surefire way to get past bosses with a simple trick. To heal or use special attacks, Hornet will use Silk. Upon death, she will leave a Cocoon behind, along with gathered Rosaries, which are the game’s currency. If players destroy the cocoon, they will get back their Rosaries and fill up their Silk meter.
Players can use this in a boss room as a means of insurance, to have an extra way to restore Silk during the battle if they need healing badly. If they die in the fight, and then come back to try again, they can destroy the cocoon when things get desperate.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
The Trick Is In The Name
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Released
- March 22, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the one modern FromSoftware game that doesn’t have any RPG leveling-up systems. Instead, players can get gear and items to become stronger, plus the game’s overall gimmick can help.
When players die, they can resurrect themselves on the spot. By playing possum for a bit, gamers can use this to their advantage to execute a sneak attack on the enemy who just killed them, or even run away to readjust strategy.
Hades
Entering God Mode
Hades
- Released
- September 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Roguelite
Hades is a tough but fair roguelike, and there is an advantage in the options menu to make it a more accessible game. Players can choose to use God Mode, which will defend players from damage by 20%. Every time players die, this percentage will increase, meaning they will technically become stronger. Players could abuse the system and just keep dying over and over without progressing much, but that wouldn’t be much fun.
Castle Crashers
Keep Up The Rhythm
Castle Crashers
- Released
- August 27, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood and Gore, Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor
- Genre(s)
- Hack and Slash
Castle Crashers is one of the best modern brawlers of the 2000s, and is still worth playing today even though it is over a decade old. Alone or in groups of four, players can fight hordes of enemies with a wide cast of characters.
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In co-op, if an ally falls, players can revive them with a little mini-game. Hitting the heart at the right angle will heal characters more. If a player is on their last legs, they can purposely die and rely on their allies to revive them to gain a health boost.
Borderlands 4
One Last Chance
Borderlands 4
- Released
- September 12, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
The Borderlands series has had a cool mechanic since the first game, which is still present in Borderlands 4. When players lose their health, they will enter a state called “Fight For Your Life.” If players manage to kill an enemy within this window, they will be revived for partial HP. If players are about to die anyway, they could strategically get shot and then blast away until they can revive themselves to get a quick heal.
Super Time Force
Time Bandits
Super Time Force
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 73%
WHERE TO PLAY
Super Time Force is a somewhat modern 2D action platformer akin to Contra, but with a time-based twist. When a character dies, they will leave an echo behind of past actions. Players can rewind time to place a new character to fight alongside this echo, which will still damage enemies. It involves more strategy than a pure run-and-gun game, as players need to use death to their advantage to set traps for enemies.
Final Fantasy 9
Born To Die
Final Fantasy 9
- Released
- July 7, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
The Final Fantasy series has various spells that can sacrifice a character’s life in exchange for healing or destructive powers. One of the best examples is in Final Fantasy 9 via the main character, Zidane. Late in the game, Zidane can learn the Sacrifice ability. By killing himself, he will heal the HP and MP of the other three party members, which is useful in specific circumstances.
Hotel Barcelona
The Phantom Strikes
Hotel Barcelona
- Released
- September 26, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action, Hack and Slash, Roguelike
Hotel Barcelona is a new game by Suda51 and Swery65, two of the most talented Japanese video game auteurs. It’s a 2D roguelike wherein players are trapped within a hotel’s landscape and can only escape upon defeating evil souls.
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Upon death, players will create a Phantom of their last playthrough. Leveling up certain skills will make these auto-playing Phantoms stronger, and thus give players reasons to plan their death around the next run to tackle the level’s boss with a full Phantom force.
Disgaea: Hour Of Darkness
Reincarnate And Become Stronger
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
- Released
- August 27, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, Strategy, RPG
The Disgaea series of tactical RPGs has an interesting mechanic that is technically death-related. While this mechanic has different names between games, there’s a court system that players can use to pass laws, including ones to reincarnate a character. For example, if a character is at level twenty in the first game, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, and players decide to reincarnate them, they will technically die, be resurrected at level one, but have higher stats based on what level they died at.
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant Of The Plume
Power Up Before You Die
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
- Released
- March 17, 2009
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Tri-Ace
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume is a tactical RPG and one of the hardest around. However, it can be made easier if players lean into a core mechanic. The main character, Wylfred, can use the Destiny Plume item to power up an ally. This will make them stronger in battle, but it will kill them afterward, so players have to decide if they want a harder challenge or an easier time through sacrificial characters who cannot be revived.
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