Playing like a Loser

Abstract

The well-established mechanic within videogames which permits players to “respawn” immediately after an untimely death and try again is often characterized as definitive of the medium. Players become accustomed to the promise, and perhaps inevitability, of their ultimate victory. There are games, however, which do not operate according to this repeat-to-win formula. So-called “endless runners,” for instance, are, in truth, anything but endless. Players begin each play-through knowing that, no matter how many times they play and how proficient they become, they will always lose. Thus, the zombie runner, Into the Dead, requires us to adopt what the environmental philosopher Val Plumwood called a “prey perspective,” an awareness that we are not destined always to be dominant but are, in fact, merely juicy, nourishing food for other beings.