20 Videogames About Death and Dying

In our search for videogames that engage with death in interesting ways, we encountered all kinds of thought-provoking explorations of dying, bereavement, and memorialisation. This is a list of the top 20 videogames that we felt contributed the most to contemporary debates about death.

Are there any videogames that you think we have missed? Let us know over on our Twitter account @what_death.

1. Spiritfarer, Thunder Lotus Games

Several anthropomorphic animal souls stand at the prow of the ship with Stella against a lovely, orange sunset.

Souls being ferried to the afterlife in ‘Spiritfarer’

Read Emma Reay’s Reflections on Spiritfarer here.

2. What Remains of Edith Finch, Giant Sparrow

The Finch house surrounded by forest with its tallest tower reaching high into the sky.

The Finch House in ‘What Remains of Edith Finch’

Read Emma Reay’s Reflections on What Remains of Edith Finch here.

3. The Graveyard, Tale of Tales

A black and white image of an old woman walking away from the player through a graveyard.

4. Passage, Jason Roher

Pixel figures of a man as he ages.

5. Gris, Nomada Studios

A screenshot from Gris showing a shattered statue of a woman holding the small, female avatar in her hand. It is rendered in soft blues and lilacs that evoke watercolours.