your turn to die is often compared to games surrounding death and murder like danganronpa, zero escape, and ace attorney. while it's true that the premise isn't new, i feel like yttd is much more successful than its predecessors. in fact, yttd is genuinely one of the best games i've ever played, and there are many reasons why i think so. (essay incoming)
1) every choice feels like a moral quandary
yttd toys with your emotions and makes you feel the weight of your choices. there are multiple paths the game could take, depending on whose death you voted for, and that looms over your head constantly. even knowing that some deaths were unavoidable, it still makes you feel like you could have prevented it. honestly, parts of this game can be slightly traumatizing for the player. but i loved that aspect of it. i felt incredibly guilty for even playing the game because it kept making me feel like i was hurting people, which is an attest to the incredible writing and intention behind yttd.
2) the characters are traumatised by their situation and every death feels real
unlike danganronpa, in which some executions can feel too fantastical or even meaningless, and some characters a little flat, the cast of yttd is so rich and their bonds so palpable that even with characters that die early, you can genuinely feel the void left by their deaths. their spirits live on through the remaining characters' trauma and grief, and dead characters remain relevant to the plot throughout the rest of the story. (i'd argue that in danganronpa, a lot of the characters that die early become irrelevant and/or are forgotten pretty quick.) it helps that the cast is smaller in yttd, allowing you to get invested in them a little more, but they are also just written better, in my opinion. which brings me to my next point...
3) it's impossible to not love these characters
as i just mentioned, it's easy to get invested in the cast of yttd, but you don't really understand just how much you'll grow to love these characters until you play the game. the more i got pulled into the story, the more attached i became. i felt immediately attached to keiji, joe, and gin, but i didn't realise how much i'd come to love the entire cast. sou and ranmaru, and everyone else too... to the point where i felt my real life would be ruined if they died. all in all, i felt a unique intensity for these characters that was missing from the other death games i've played.
4) the horror elements are genuinely scary despite being made in rpgmaker
yttd was made in rpgmaker. and while rpgmaker horror games (such as ib or yume nikki) are limited in what they can accomplish graphically, in yttd's case i think it acts as a strength. yttd does not rely on gruesome cutscenes with high production value to shock the player. instead, it evokes subtle horror through situations, using limited graphics to its advantage by combining it with excellent juxtaposition of music, sounds, and clever writing to generate a sense of fear and foreboding. the stress and anxiety i felt was very real and i was a little nervous playing it in the dark.
5) the story and gameplay mechanics don't feel formulaic
yttd's gameplay is actually quite varied. at its base level, the player solves point-and-click puzzles while they explore and investigate (quite similar to ace attorney), then participates in "the main game" where, after a "discussion," they make a vote to sentence someone to their death. however, this never feels repetitive, as there are so many plot twists that occur throughout the game that make it wildly unpredictable. furthermore, game mechanics are repurposed in engaging ways. the "discussions" (in which players extract statements from characters to have a debate) aren't just used during a vote but can pop-up in the middle of an investigation, and later become a method of team combat against monsters. new mechanics are added to the game as you progress through each chapter, but not in a way that overcomplicates things. it always feels playable and easy to follow. to add to that point, the mini-games in yttd don't feel obtrusive and are actually fun...aside from memory dance
6) the art direction is just as strong as its predecessors
despite being made in rpgmaker, the art is amazing. all of the character sprites and CGs are stylish and beautifully drawn without feeling out of place against a pixel backdrop. the character designs are also really good, retaining whimsicality without being too over-the-top. while some characters in danganronpa suffer from same-face syndrome, yttd does not run into that problem, as all of its characters carry distinct qualities without being one-note. the steam version of the game comes with a lengthy artbook with all the character designs and bts sketches, it is amazing so def check it out but only after you reach chapter 3 (it has spoilers!)
7) the low budget music is actually good???
to top it off, the music is unbelievably catchy. the entire ost was made using garageband loops which is ridiculous. i had no idea that those loops were actually good. i'm usually very picky about music so it's kind of embarrassing that i was impressed by a bunch of garageband assets. just goes to show that a game does not need a high budget to have an impact on people.
overall...
your turn to die completely surpasses all expectations of the death game genre, surprising players with its quality despite being available to play for free on web browser. it puts us through emotional turmoil as we are forced to kill off characters we love, an all-too-familiar feeling for fans of danganronpa, but yttd somehow multiplies that emotion tenfold.
surely this game is for masochists. but this isn't to say that yttd is filled with only pain and despair. there are moments of joy along the way, lots of genuinely funny and cute moments that really make the losses hit even harder. i cried for real. it's crazy this game was made by one person, shout out to nankidai for your genius and dedication.
1) every choice feels like a moral quandary
yttd toys with your emotions and makes you feel the weight of your choices. there are multiple paths the game could take, depending on whose death you voted for, and that looms over your head constantly. even knowing that some deaths were unavoidable, it still makes you feel like you could have prevented it. honestly, parts of this game can be slightly traumatizing for the player. but i loved that aspect of it. i felt incredibly guilty for even playing the game because it kept making me feel like i was hurting people, which is an attest to the incredible writing and intention behind yttd.
2) the characters are traumatised by their situation and every death feels real
unlike danganronpa, in which some executions can feel too fantastical or even meaningless, and some characters a little flat, the cast of yttd is so rich and their bonds so palpable that even with characters that die early, you can genuinely feel the void left by their deaths. their spirits live on through the remaining characters' trauma and grief, and dead characters remain relevant to the plot throughout the rest of the story. (i'd argue that in danganronpa, a lot of the characters that die early become irrelevant and/or are forgotten pretty quick.) it helps that the cast is smaller in yttd, allowing you to get invested in them a little more, but they are also just written better, in my opinion. which brings me to my next point...
3) it's impossible to not love these characters
as i just mentioned, it's easy to get invested in the cast of yttd, but you don't really understand just how much you'll grow to love these characters until you play the game. the more i got pulled into the story, the more attached i became. i felt immediately attached to keiji, joe, and gin, but i didn't realise how much i'd come to love the entire cast. sou and ranmaru, and everyone else too... to the point where i felt my real life would be ruined if they died. all in all, i felt a unique intensity for these characters that was missing from the other death games i've played.
4) the horror elements are genuinely scary despite being made in rpgmaker
yttd was made in rpgmaker. and while rpgmaker horror games (such as ib or yume nikki) are limited in what they can accomplish graphically, in yttd's case i think it acts as a strength. yttd does not rely on gruesome cutscenes with high production value to shock the player. instead, it evokes subtle horror through situations, using limited graphics to its advantage by combining it with excellent juxtaposition of music, sounds, and clever writing to generate a sense of fear and foreboding. the stress and anxiety i felt was very real and i was a little nervous playing it in the dark.
5) the story and gameplay mechanics don't feel formulaic
yttd's gameplay is actually quite varied. at its base level, the player solves point-and-click puzzles while they explore and investigate (quite similar to ace attorney), then participates in "the main game" where, after a "discussion," they make a vote to sentence someone to their death. however, this never feels repetitive, as there are so many plot twists that occur throughout the game that make it wildly unpredictable. furthermore, game mechanics are repurposed in engaging ways. the "discussions" (in which players extract statements from characters to have a debate) aren't just used during a vote but can pop-up in the middle of an investigation, and later become a method of team combat against monsters. new mechanics are added to the game as you progress through each chapter, but not in a way that overcomplicates things. it always feels playable and easy to follow. to add to that point, the mini-games in yttd don't feel obtrusive and are actually fun...
6) the art direction is just as strong as its predecessors
despite being made in rpgmaker, the art is amazing. all of the character sprites and CGs are stylish and beautifully drawn without feeling out of place against a pixel backdrop. the character designs are also really good, retaining whimsicality without being too over-the-top. while some characters in danganronpa suffer from same-face syndrome, yttd does not run into that problem, as all of its characters carry distinct qualities without being one-note. the steam version of the game comes with a lengthy artbook with all the character designs and bts sketches, it is amazing so def check it out but only after you reach chapter 3 (it has spoilers!)
7) the low budget music is actually good???
to top it off, the music is unbelievably catchy. the entire ost was made using garageband loops which is ridiculous. i had no idea that those loops were actually good. i'm usually very picky about music so it's kind of embarrassing that i was impressed by a bunch of garageband assets. just goes to show that a game does not need a high budget to have an impact on people.
overall...
your turn to die completely surpasses all expectations of the death game genre, surprising players with its quality despite being available to play for free on web browser. it puts us through emotional turmoil as we are forced to kill off characters we love, an all-too-familiar feeling for fans of danganronpa, but yttd somehow multiplies that emotion tenfold.
surely this game is for masochists. but this isn't to say that yttd is filled with only pain and despair. there are moments of joy along the way, lots of genuinely funny and cute moments that really make the losses hit even harder. i cried for real. it's crazy this game was made by one person, shout out to nankidai for your genius and dedication.