Death and Progress

Death and Progress is a horror adventure game developed using RPG Maker, where a female protagonist awakens in a mysterious facility suffering from amnesia, with no memory of her identity or how she arrived. Surrounded by deadly traps and intricate puzzles across three distinct stages, she must repeatedly die—only to be revived by a strange machine—to progress, uncovering hidden solutions, replaying levels for clues, and navigating towards one of four possible endings in this anime-styled fantasy horror narrative filled with tension and exploration.

Death and Progress: Review

Introduction

Imagine a game where failure isn’t just inevitable—it’s the only path forward. In Death and Progress, death isn’t a setback; it’s the engine of advancement, a macabre cycle that propels both the protagonist and the player through a labyrinth of traps and revelations. Released in 2019 as a compact indie horror experience, this RPG Maker title has carved out a niche legacy among fans of Japanese-style horror adventures, echoing the unsettling ingenuity of classics like The Witch’s House and Ib. Drawing from the theme of “Cycle” in its origins as an Extra Credits Game Jam entry, the game transforms repetition and mortality into profound gameplay and narrative tools. My thesis: Death and Progress is a masterful microcosm of indie horror innovation, where the mechanics of dying not only solve puzzles but also unpack themes of amnesia, resilience, and the human cost of progress, cementing its place as an essential, if underappreciated, artifact in the RPG Maker horror renaissance.

Development History & Context

Death and Progress emerged from the fertile ground of the indie game jam scene, a testament to the power of small-scale creativity in the late 2010s. Developed and published single-handedly by ShenTzu Games—likely the solo endeavor of creator ShenTzu, as evidenced by personal devlogs and direct community interactions—the game began as a submission to Extra Credits Game Jam #3 in March 2019. The jam’s theme, “Cycle,” inspired its core loop of death and revival, transforming a simple prototype into a full-fledged title. What started as a short, web-playable experiment on itch.io quickly evolved after positive feedback, with ShenTzu pausing other projects like Neo Edda to expand it into a commercial release.

Built using RPG Maker (specifically MV, per fandom wiki notations), the game leveraged the engine’s strengths in rapid prototyping for 2D adventure games while navigating its constraints. RPG Maker’s tile-based mapping and event scripting allowed for intricate puzzle designs but limited graphical fidelity and performance, resulting in a fixed/flip-screen perspective with anime-inspired sprites. This choice aligned with the era’s indie landscape, where RPG Maker had become a hotbed for horror titles following the success of freeware hits like Yume Nikki (2004) and its spiritual successors. By 2019, the platform was seeing a surge in accessible horror experiences on Steam and itch.io, fueled by platforms like YouTube Let’s Plays that amplified obscure gems. ShenTzu’s vision—a “light horror” puzzle game emphasizing psychological tension over jumpscares—fit neatly into this wave, alongside contemporaries like Corpse Party remakes and Ao Oni.

Technological limitations of RPG Maker, such as basic scripting and low-poly assets, shaped the game’s scope: three stages, replayable levels, and multiple endings without sprawling open worlds. The 2019 release on Windows (via Steam and itch.io) came amid a booming indie market post-Undertale (2015), where narrative-driven horrors thrived on affordability ($2.99 price point) and word-of-mouth. ShenTzu’s devlogs reveal iterative updates—bug fixes in April 2019, a full demo in May, new assets and trailers in June-July—highlighting a bootstrapped process. Commercially, it bypassed traditional publishers, relying on Steam wishlists and itch.io donations, embodying the democratized indie ethos of the time. In a landscape dominated by AAA blockbusters like Resident Evil 2 Remake, Death and Progress stood as a quiet rebellion: proof that solo devs could craft intimate, cycle-driven horrors with minimal resources.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its heart, Death and Progress is a tale of fragmented identity and inexorable cycles, unfolding through the eyes of an unnamed female protagonist who awakens in a sterile, trap-laden facility with total amnesia—a classic trope that ShenTzu elevates into existential dread. The plot is sparse yet haunting: stripped of memories, she navigates a nightmarish gauntlet where death traps abound, from crushing mechanisms and spiked pits to gas chambers and self-inflicted demises. A mysterious revival machine ensures each death is temporary, looping her back to checkpoints and forcing her to confront her own corpse as a grim breadcrumb trail. Dialogue is minimal, delivered via terse, introspective text boxes that hint at her growing awareness: fragmented thoughts like “Who am I?” evolve into realizations about the facility’s purpose—a sadistic testing ground where progress demands sacrifice.

Thematically, the game delves deeply into mortality as a catalyst for growth, mirroring real-world philosophies of trial-by-fire. The “cycle of dying and making progress,” as ShenTzu described in devlogs, isn’t mere gameplay flavor; it’s a metaphor for trauma and resilience. Amnesia symbolizes lost agency, while repeated deaths explore themes of futility and adaptation—each revival erodes her sanity, implied through subtle environmental cues like bloodied remnants or echoing screams. The horror narrative draws from Japanese RPG influences: like Ib‘s gallery of perils or The Witch’s House‘s deceptive innocence, traps aren’t just obstacles but narrative devices revealing the protagonist’s fractured psyche. Four endings, unlocked via death counts and hidden solutions, add replayable depth—ranging from tragic loops of eternal testing to escapes that question if freedom is illusory.

Characters are archetypal yet poignant: the protagonist, with her red-haired, anime-esque design evoking Elfen Lied‘s vulnerability, embodies silent suffering; antagonists are absent, replaced by the facility itself as a faceless oppressor. Dialogue, when present, is sparse and player-driven (skippable via Page Down), fostering immersion in her isolation. Underlying motifs of suicide—puzzles requiring self-harm, warned in content advisories—probe darker themes: the cost of progress in abusive systems, whether personal (mental health cycles) or societal (exploitation). Gore and blood underscore visceral horror, but the true terror lies in psychological repetition, making Death and Progress a thematic standout in indie horror, where death isn’t punishment but a reluctant teacher.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Death and Progress deconstructs traditional adventure gameplay by centering death as a deliberate mechanic, creating a loop that’s equal parts puzzle-solving frustration and triumphant revelation. Core progression revolves around exploration in a 3rd-person (fixed-screen) view, where players navigate grid-based rooms filled with environmental hazards. Puzzles demand creative problem-solving: some traps, like electrified generators, require deliberate death to “deactivate” via revival mechanics; others, such as rolling boulders or arrow volleys, can be dodged with timing or items like pipes for makeshift bridges. The revival system is ingenious—upon dying, the protagonist respawns at the last safe point, often with her body left behind as a clue (e.g., a corpse blocking a path or revealing a hidden switch).

Character progression is minimalistic, befitting RPG Maker’s roots: no leveling or stats, just an inventory accessed via the “I” key for items like shards or keys scavenged from prior runs. Replayability shines in “hidden solutions,” where replaying stages uncovers clues—dying fewer times might unlock secret doors (e.g., lines on doors indicating death tolerances, as noted in player comments). Three stages escalate complexity: the first introduces basic traps in sterile labs; the second adds environmental variety like gaseous voids; the third culminates in multi-layered riddles demanding zero- or low-death runs for optimal endings. Combat is absent, replaced by evasion puzzles, though “always run” toggles (from the main menu) mitigate clunky controls.

Innovations include the death counter as a meta-system—tracking fatalities influences endings and hidden paths, encouraging experimentation (e.g., using a pole to vault spikes or outrunning hazards). Flaws emerge in RPG Maker’s UI: text-heavy dialogues can feel dated, and loading screens (noted in bugs like infinite “Now Loading”) occasionally disrupt flow. Controls are keyboard-only (simple WASD movement), with Page Down for skipping, but no controller support limits accessibility. Overall, the systems foster a tense, cerebral loop: death feels earned, not punitive, turning failure into progress and rewarding patient players with multiple paths— a bold evolution of puzzle-horrors like Antichamber, but grounded in narrative intimacy.

World-Building, Art & Sound

The world of Death and Progress is a claustrophobic dystopia—a sprawling, unnamed facility blending fantasy horror with sci-fi undertones, where sterile corridors twist into nightmarish arenas of experimentation. Three stages provide varied environments: the initial labs evoke clinical detachment with white tiles and humming machinery; mid-game shifts to industrial decay, riddled with rusted pipes and shadowy vents; the finale descends into visceral chaos, with blood-smeared chambers hinting at untold victims. World-building is subtle, revealed through interactive lore: revival machines suggest a broader experiment on human limits, while replayable levels layer details like scrawled notes or ghostly echoes, building an atmosphere of inescapable cycles. Fantasy elements—ethereal machines granting immortality—infuse the setting with mythic dread, contrasting the protagonist’s fragile humanity.

Art direction channels anime/manga aesthetics, with sprite-based visuals that prioritize mood over polish. The female protagonist’s design—red hair matted with blood, wide-eyed expressions—conveys vulnerability, while fixed-screen flips create disorienting transitions, enhancing trap unpredictability. Assets, updated from jam prototypes (per devlogs), include custom sprites for gore (visceral dismemberments) and environments, though RPG Maker’s limitations yield blocky tiles and occasional glitches (e.g., red-screen bugs in gas areas). These contribute to a raw, intimate horror: the flip-screen isolates tension, making each room a self-contained nightmare.

Sound design amplifies isolation—sparse, eerie ambient tracks (synth hums and distant echoes) build unease without overt scores, letting trap activations (crunching metal, hissing gas) provide auditory punctuation. No voice acting keeps it text-driven, but subtle effects like heartbeat pulses during near-deaths heighten immersion. Together, these elements craft a cohesive experience: the facility feels alive yet oppressive, where art and sound transform simple puzzles into a sensory descent into mortality’s grip.

Reception & Legacy

Upon its August 2019 launch, Death and Progress garnered modest but enthusiastic reception in indie circles, bypassing major critics (MobyGames lists none) to shine via player feedback. On Steam, it boasts a 91% positive rating from 23 reviews, praising its “clever traps” and “intriguing concept” while noting short length (a few hours) as a pro for quick horror fixes. Itch.io comments echo this—22 ratings averaging 4.6/5, with players lauding escalation (“traps were well placed”) and visuals (“love the graphic”), though some reported bugs like loading issues. Commercially, at $2.99, it succeeded as a niche title, bolstered by jam origins and free demos that built hype (e.g., YouTube playthroughs from creators like BoisaoGames).

Critically, its reputation has grown retrospectively in RPG Maker communities, often cited alongside Ib for innovative death mechanics. No Metacritic aggregate exists, but forums and wikis (e.g., RPG Maker Fandom) highlight it as a “completed horror project” with mature themes, influencing jam entries on cycles and mortality. Legacy-wise, it exemplifies 2010s indie horror’s democratization: ShenTzu’s solo success inspired similar low-budget puzzles (e.g., Elevator Ritual or The Witch’s House MV). In the broader industry, it subtly impacted narrative-driven indies like Hades (2020), where death fuels progression, proving RPG Maker’s enduring role in experimental horror. Evolving from jam curiosity to cult favorite, its influence persists in itch.io’s ecosystem, where themes of self-sacrifice echo in modern titles.

Conclusion

Death and Progress distills the essence of indie horror into a taut, cycle-driven experience: a protagonist’s amnesia-fueled odyssey through death traps that brilliantly intertwines mechanics, narrative, and themes of resilient progress. From its jam-born origins to polished puzzles across three evocative stages, ShenTzu’s vision overcomes RPG Maker’s hurdles to deliver genuine innovation—where dying unlocks not just paths, but profound reflections on suffering and escape. Flaws like occasional bugs and brevity pale against its atmospheric depth and replayable endings, making it a standout for puzzle enthusiasts. In video game history, it occupies a vital niche as a blueprint for intimate, mortality-themed indies, earning a definitive verdict: an essential play for anyone seeking horror that progresses through its own darkness. Rating: 8.5/10—a gem that kills to thrill.