Death By Scrolling: The Game That Admits Our Digital Mindset Is Hell

I stumbled upon news of a new game by Ron Gilbert, the legendary mind behind classics like Maniac Mansion and Monkey Island. The title alone grabbed me: “Death By Scrolling.” A pixel-art, auto-scrolling roguelike hell simulation. And honestly? It sounds less like a game and more like a brutally honest mirror reflecting our modern digital existence.

We’ve all been there, haven’t we? That endless scroll. The hypnotic pull of the feed. Whether it’s Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or even just news sites, we’re constantly chasing that next hit of information, that next dopamine rush. It’s a compulsion, a habit, a mindset that has subtly, insidiously, taken over our lives. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve picked up my phone for “just a second” and found myself twenty minutes deep into a rabbit hole of memes, outrage, or perfectly curated lives. It’s a digital quicksand, and we’re all sinking.

Gilbert’s game, by its very premise, seems to acknowledge this digital purgatory we’ve built for ourselves. A roguelike, where death is inevitable, and you’re constantly moving forward, unable to stop, just like the endless stream of content. It’s a hell simulation, because let’s be real, sometimes it feels like hell. The anxiety, the FOMO, the constant comparison, the outrage bait – it’s a relentless assault on our peace of mind. We scroll past tragedies and triumphs with equal speed, our empathy dulled by the sheer volume of information. It’s a bizarre paradox: more connected than ever, yet often feeling more isolated and overwhelmed.

The “auto-scrolling” aspect is particularly poignant. We’re not always actively choosing to scroll; sometimes, it feels like we’re being pulled along, passive participants in a digital current. Our attention, our most valuable commodity, is being relentlessly harvested, and we’re often too numb to notice. It’s a subtle form of control, a constant nudge to consume more, to engage more, to be more online. And for what? A fleeting sense of connection, a momentary distraction from the real world?

This game, in its pixelated, retro glory, might just be the wake-up call we need. It’s a satirical take, yes, but satire often holds the most uncomfortable truths. It forces us to confront the absurdity of our habits, the very mindset that keeps us tethered to our screens. It’s a reminder that while technology offers incredible possibilities, it also demands a conscious effort to maintain our humanity, our focus, and our sanity.

So, while I’m excited to play “Death By Scrolling” for the sheer Ron Gilbert genius of it, I’m also bracing myself for the uncomfortable self-reflection it’s bound to provoke. Maybe, just maybe, a game about digital hell can help us find our way back to digital heaven – or at least, a more balanced reality. It’s time to reclaim our attention, to break free from the endless scroll, and to cultivate a mindset that prioritizes presence over pixels.