Nobody Wants to Die

Nobody Wants to Die is a 2024 adventure video game developed by Polish studio Critical Hit Games and published by Plaion for Windows, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Nobody Wants to Die
Developer(s)	Critical Hit Games
Publisher(s)	Plaion
Platform(s)	Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Release	17 July 2024[1]
Genre(s)	Adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Gameplay

Nobody Wants to Die is an adventure game in a first-person perspective, in which players interact with other characters and investigate crime scenes to gather evidence. Players can interact with and question characters with a choice of multiple dialogue options. Investigation involves the use of several tools to locate items of evidence at a crime scene, including a Reconstructor to visualise recorded footage of events at a scene. Clues are depicted on an evidence board, with the game questioning players to make the correct inferences from items of evidence.^[2]

Plot

The game is set in New York City in the year 2239, in a future where technology has developed a method to provide humans with eternal life by storing a person's consciousness in a memory bank and switching them between bodies. The player assumes the role of James Karra, a detective in the Mortality Department, who is investigating a series of murders perpetrated by a serial killer targeting the elite of the city. When Karra is instructed by his boss to report the latest murder as an accident, he decides to investigate further. The game features multiple endings based on player choices made throughout play.^[3]

Development and release

Nobody Wants to Die was released by Polish Wrocław-based development studio Critical Hit Games,^[4] a twenty-person team that began development of the game in 2018.^[4][5] Co-founder Grzegorz Goleń created the game's concept with art director Andrzej Marszałek in attempt to create a "visually spectacular narrative game", with the development team inspired by cyberpunk film Blade Runner and narrative games including What Remains of Edith Finch, Firewatch, and Observer (video game).^[4] Development of the game was set in the Unreal Engine 5,^[5] with the development team experiencing "stability issues" in changing from Unreal Engine 4 midway through the development cycle.^[4] The game was announced in March 2024 with the release of a narrative trailer,^[6][7] and showcased at the Gamescom Future Games Show on 8 June.^[8] Nobody Wants to Die received a digital release for Windows, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series on 17 July 2024.^[1]

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	75%[9]

Review scores

Publication	Score
Edge	6/10[10]
Eurogamer	4/5[11]
Game Informer	8/10[12]
IGN	7/10[2]
Jeuxvideo.com	14/20[13]
PC Games (DE)	9/10[14]
PCGamesN	8/10[15]
Push Square	7.4/10[16]
RPGFan	80%[17]
VideoGamer.com	8/10[18]

According to review aggregator Metacritic, Nobody Wants to Die received "generally favorable" reviews,^[9] with German publication GamePro and a reader poll of Eurogamer citing the game as one of the best of 2024.^[19][20] Critics praised the game's narrative and worldbuilding, although critiqued its linearity and the simplicity of its puzzles.^{[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]}