Permadeath (run-based)
The roguelike framing of permadeath: death ends the current run and returns the player to a fresh start, usually within minutes. Unlike campaign permadeath, the loss is expected and rapid iteration is the point — runs are short, randomized, and death is the loop's natural punctuation rather than a catastrophe. Designers use it to make every decision carry weight while keeping the real-time cost of failure low. It pairs almost universally with procedural generation (fresh content each run) and meta-progression (permanent unlocks that soften repeated failure). The key tuning question is what persists: pure roguelikes keep nothing, while modern roguelites let currency, unlocks, or story continue across deaths — Hades goes furthest, making death itself a narrative beat. Pitfall: if early-run content becomes rote before players reach the new stuff, the loop stales.
- Dev effort: Small
- Timing: Real-time or turn-based
- Common in: roguelike