9 Games Where You Are Dead The Whole Time

A common surprise found in stories is when it’s unveiled that the main character was actually deceased throughout the narrative. This unexpected disclosure frequently changes our perspective about their situation, posing intriguing queries: how were they interacting with others, what did their journey symbolize, is this a tale of supernatural events or simply the fading thoughts of someone near death, and so forth.

It’s somewhat challenging to execute such a maneuver in interactive media, particularly video games that allow characters to be eliminated, yet there are games that successfully pull it off with a touch of ingenuity.

In some instances, the main character might adhere to traditional roles as a ghost or a person on their deathbed, but others may opt for a more imaginative take. Characters could be in a coma, a replica of a deceased person, or perhaps they never truly existed. If you’re open to stories with a touch of the abstract, here are some games where you‘ll encounter this intriguing concept.

Be advised, we’re getting into spoilers for most of the following games.

9. Final Fantasy X

A Ghost By Any Other Name

In Final Fantasy X, whenever Tidus says he’s from the city of Zanarkand, people often give him strange looks. This is because, as the game reveals, the city of Zanarkand was destroyed in a war with Bevelle over a millennium ago. So, how can Tidus be from Zanarkand? The explanation is that both the Zanarkand he remembers and he himself are illusions, brought into existence by the Fayth.

In essence, “Dream Zanarkand” is designed to eternally safeguard the city and its inhabitants, fueled by the energy of Yu Yevon’s core, Sin. Those who depart from the city, such as Jecht and Tidus, are given physical form due to Yu Yevon’s power. However, when the party defeats Yu Yevon in the game’s final battle, that power fades away, leading to the disappearance of Dream Zanarkand and Tidus.

In Final Fantasy X-2, where Shuyin is a character who once lived in Zanarkand, it’s plausible that Tidus was not a real resident of the original Zanarkand. Instead, Tidus might have originated as an incorrect recollection by the Fayth when they were creating their dream world, based on Shuyin’s presence.

8. Killer7

Me, Myself, And I

In Killer7, you frequently switch among the seven characters belonging to the Smith Syndicate: Dan, Coyote, Con, KAEDE, Kevin, Mask, and Garcian, with occasional interludes where you control Harman.

In light of the game’s story being filled with extraordinary supernatural occurrences, it becomes less surprising to consider a team regularly interchanging their positions within the same location. This concept might be casually dismissed as simply “one of their abilities.

In the game’s concluding part, the true nature of the circumstances unfolds more distinctly. With most of the syndicate being eliminated by the Black Smiles, only Garcian remains. When returning to Union Hotel, he experiences vivid visions of an unknown killer slaying each of the Smiths. Upon the rooftop, it dawns on him: he had been the murderer, a young assassin named Emir Parkreiner.

In a flurry of anxiety and confusion, Garcian fumbles through his constant companion, the briefcase, in hope of finding solutions. Instead, he uncovers the firearms belonging to the six other Smiths. It turns out that there never was a “Killer7,” it was merely Garcian utilizing the weapons and abilities of the other Smiths while under Harman’s control. All other members of the group have since perished.

7. Prototype

Are You Who You Think You Are?

At the start of Prototype, Alex Mercer finds himself with almost no recollection of his past. He wouldn’t recognize his name if not for the soldiers threatening him with guns. With his newly acquired powers as a virus-infused monster, he suspects he was a victim of cruel scientific experiments and embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind his existence.

Over time, I came to discover two crucial facts. Initially, I found out that Dr. Alex Mercer was actually the brainchild behind the Blacklight virus, a brilliant bioengineer and virologist employed by Gentek. More shockingly, I later uncovered the heart-wrenching news that Dr. Alex Mercer himself has perished.

When he discovered that people involved in the Blacklight project were being gagged, he grabbed a test tube and attempted to flee, shattering it only when he found himself surrounded.

Following the tragic event where Dr. Mercer was fatally shot, it led to the absorption of his biological matter by the virus, revealing that the character we’ve been managing, “Alex,” had no human existence. Instead, he served as a digital embodiment of the Blacklight virus, which explains why he evolved into the main antagonist in the second installment of the game.

6. Resident Evil Village

Mold Yourself Into Shape

In the opening scene of Resident Evil 7, following Mia’s defeat under the Mold’s control, Ethan is brutally knocked out by Jack and has his head stomped on. Later, he wakes up a few hours later with no apparent injuries except for his hand being reattached with staples by Zoe. This could have been a warning, but it was insignificant compared to the dire situation Ethan was about to face.

In Resident Evil Village, the true nature of Ethan’s predicament becomes clearer. Much like in Resident Evil 7, Ethan endures gruesome injuries, particularly to his hands, but consistently recovers swiftly after being treated with some sort of healing substance. However, it’s important to note that a typical human being cannot regenerate lost limbs using just a liquid solution.

It’s revealed that a ghost of Evelyn shows us: when Jack brutally stomped on Ethan’s head in the seventh instance, he unintentionally took his life. However, since Ethan was already infected with Evelyn’s Mold at that time, he was reconstructed to appear as a regular human. For most of his adventures, Ethan was effectively dead, though it wasn’t immediately apparent.

5. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

You’re Dead, But Who Are “You?”

In the opening scene of Ghost Trick, our main character comes to an astonishing understanding: he’s not among the living anymore, but rather a spirit. Noticing a body nearby and overhearing it being referred to as “Sissel,” he surmises that this deceased individual is himself and Sissel is his name.

As it turns out in the narrative, Sissel’s initial assumption was incorrect: the body he had seen wasn’t his own. Instead, it was Yomiel, a man who cannot die, that got up and started moving independently. Later, when Sissel encounters Yomiel, the latter reveals that he doesn’t recognize Sissel or explain how Sissel came to be a spirit.

As a devoted fan, I’ve got to share this fascinating twist: What we thought was a human character named Sissel in Ghost Trick, turns out to be none other than Yomiel’s beloved cat, also named Sissel! Here’s the intriguing part – before our story began, Sissel was struck by a stray bullet. Now, while this might seem like a stretch, in Ghost Trick, the enigma isn’t just about Sissel being deceased; it’s about the mystery of how and why his life was cut short, creating an additional layer of sadness, like a ghostly echo of death itself.

4. Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga

A Ghost In The System

The game Digital Devil Saga is situated in a decaying realm called the Junkyard, inhabited mainly by emotionless soldiers and war-mongers. However, when a demon virus strikes and Sera emerges, even the residents of the Junkyard, including our protagonists, the Embryon, begin to develop feelings and ambitions alongside their newly acquired demonic powers.

In the games, we eventually discover that Junkyard wasn’t a genuine location, but rather an artificial environment crafted by Sera as a means to deal with her struggles. The residents were not real individuals, but instead, replicas of people she was familiar with. Interestingly, the protagonist from the first game, Serph, is actually a duplicate of Serph Sheffield, who was the source of Sera’s pain and the origin of her peculiar powers. Since all the characters in the first game, including Serph and the Embryon, were digital replicas, they could be considered as ghostly duplicates of deceased individuals.

As a gamer, I’ve come to realize that in the sequel, each character seems slightly different from their original versions. This is due to the fact that they were all crafted based on Sera’s single-sided perspective of them. For instance, Serph appears almost devoid of emotions because, truth be told, I believe Sera barely grasps the real Serph.

3. Spiritfarer

Work Through The End

In Spiritfarer, a young woman named Stella wakes up on a floating vessel sailing through a hazy, undefined waterway. Soon, she encounters Charon, the ferryman for souls. Her task is to escort and console the spirits of the deceased during their final moments. Despite the vibrant and cheerful depiction of the afterlife, it’s clear that her role there serves a singular purpose.

Following her task of guiding most of the stray spirits towards the Everdoor and whatever lies beyond, Stella encounters Hades, ruler of the deceased. However, Hades informs her that it’s now time for Stella to make her journey through the Everdoor in the real world too, as she herself is close to death.

The game subtly leaves open the question of whether the events depicted are truly real or merely a dying woman’s vivid dream. It could be that Stella is transporting souls in the realm of the deceased, or it might simply be an intricate fantasy conceived by a woman grappling with unresolved feelings and past regrets on her deathbed.

2. The 7th Guest

Hostage Or Lost Soul?

In The 7th Guest, an unidentified, nameless character stirs within the deserted Stauf Manor. They’re puzzled about their identity and reason for being there, with cryptic glimpses of spectral mansion visitors providing the only clues about the unfolding events. Through the whispers of these visitors, it seems they were all attending a gathering, summoned by the manor’s owner, Henry Stauf, who tasked them with locating an elusive 7th guest and delivering them to him.

As the main character navigates through the mansion’s enigmas and peels back layers of the mystery, they eventually discover that Stauf had entered into an agreement with a malevolent spirit. It seemed he required the soul of the 7th guest to strengthen his dark forces. The identity of this guest is then disclosed: a young lad named Tad, who was forcibly taken to the attic by one of the other guests.

Eventually, the main character discovers that they are actually Tad, who had been killed by Stauf that fateful night and trapped in a limbo-like situation ever since. Now with his newly gained power, Tad is able to save his younger self and bring an end to this cycle, achieving the peace he deserves.

1. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth

Not All There

At the start of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth’s narrative, either Takumi or Ami Aiba encounters an enigmatic being known as an Eater. This digital entity has a peculiar habit of swallowing any data it can reach with its tentacles. Typically, an attack by an Eater induces EDEN Syndrome, causing the victim to fall into a coma due to corrupted mental information. However, in Aiba’s case, the encounter was brief, allowing them to return safely to our world, though their body has now become partially data-infused.

Regrettably, this isn’t a fortunate circumstance where Aiba has some sort of superpower. As the narrative unfolds, we discover that Aiba has fallen into a coma due to EDEN Syndrome. The being we are controlling is actually a discarded consciousness of theirs, given a physical form as a “data body.” They’re not deceased, but they’re also not fully alive.

As the game nears its end, Aiba’s digital form begins to fail, potentially erasing them entirely and leaving their physical body in a persistent coma. Desperate situations lead to Aiba using up all their energy, which could result in their deletion. However, luckily, Alphamon and Aiba’s Digimon manage to create a new copy of Aiba from their memories before they vanish completely.

2025-04-15 16:43