Death and Taxes

Effort has been taken with the descriptions of the people to kill, but overwhelmingly the humour didn't land for me, and I found it incredibly boring.

Death and Taxes fails on all fronts because its narrative is at odds with its gameplay. You're supposed to be making tough choices about life and death while working under specific parameters, but you are punished for working within those parameters so there's actually no satisfying payoff for making any tough choices. In fact, the game actually berates you for doing so. It was a very poor execution of a very interesting idea.

The moment-to-moment gameplay is frustratingly unrefined. The whole game follows a daily cycle where you navigate to your desk, complete your daily work, go to your boss, check in with them, then navigate to your room to sleep to begin the next day cycle. The interface for going to these different locations is an awful elevator ride that barely works with mouse controls. You have a phone at your desk where you get news updates about the impacts of your choices, which was great, but a great deal of the narrative is delivered through checking in with your boss. Since the navigation between locations was awful, the stretches of time where you have to keep checking in with your boss even when they aren't even there felt very tedious.

To core gameplay takes place at your desk which is also plagued with poor interface choices. You select a document with a person's info on it with Live/Die checkboxes on the bottom. You then select a pen and either tick off the Live or Die checkbox. All documents need a Live or Die checkmark in order to continue. Doesn't sound too bad, right? Wrong. The checkboxes are at the bottom of the pages so if you have a paper near the bottom of your screen, click it, then grab your pen to check off a box you'll find the boxes are off the edge of your screen so you'll have to click the paper again, move it up, click it again, select your pen, then hit the checkbox. If you've checked off enough papers to meet your death quota you'll still have to shuffle through what's left to check all the Live boxes. What a frustratingly cumbersome control scheme for what should have been something simple. Meanwhile, as you shuffle the papers around you'll be clicking through things and interacting with any other trinkets on your desk, cluttering up things even more. Very frustrating.

Overall I think this game would be a lot better if it dropped almost everything that takes place away from the desk. Cut the boss character out of the game (the cat segment showed how unnecessary he was anyway). Remove the "Live" checkbox from documents and get rid of the pen tool. There's a good game hidden under all this clutter.

Very poor. Unlike Papers Please, we get very little feedback from the actions. The text can be somewhat funny sometimes, but there are no real tough choices. Horribly repetitive and shallow.

I randomly learnt about this one on a Facebook group (yes, really...) and immediately got intrigued as HECK by its concept and theme, so I bought and played it on a whim! And while some aspects of it left me a taaad disappointed, I still had a good time!

Death and Taxes (love that name!) is a short visual novel-like adventure game in which you must choose who gets to live or pass away - and you must either do so by following your boss's suggestions and orders... or making your own choices through your personal values, or what you consider best for a healthy society! The choices you make do have an immediate effect, as each person biting the dust will have positive or negative effects on the world you are indirectly ruling - either through natural or manmade disasters. And, said disasters, among other things, will raise various meters (such as economy, health, etc.!) and eventually influence not only the victims you'll get next, but which branch tree and ending you'll get! This is by far the thing I liked the most about DaT: having your choices matter make for a replayable, engaging experience as you plan things long term, choose which strategy you value for the immediate and long term, try to stop dreadful things from happening... it's neat! And thanks to the game being only a few hours long - even shorter on replays through New Game+ - it's breezy to reach whichever outcome you're interested in!

The truly standout part about DaT though, is how well it's presented! The soundtrack is moody, featuring slow-paced jazz that emulates the best in elevator music (I promise this is a compliment), and fits the aesthetic extremely well! And speaking of which, I love the game's looks too! Its striking use of monochrone, and semi-grainy textures makes for a game that truly looks... noire, and straight out of the early 20th century! The mood created through this - and the excellent voice acting - makes the whole thing oddly relaxing, which fits the rather office-like nature of the gameplay - even if it's not as boring as it seems!

(START OF SPOILERS)
If there's one genuine shortcoming I have with Death and Taxes, it's how some of the writing in handled? I do like most of the dialogue in the game, but a big enough chunk of it is riddled with what I can only describe as... pretentions? Mean? I am far from being competent in reading analysis, but much of the dialogue from Fate by the end of the game struck me as overly drawn out and monotone - which I guess fits from a antagonistic perspective, but it honestly got really annoying to listen to, and that's... not really something you really want in a narrative-driven experience, do you? This applies to other NPCs who are just as irritating, but Fate definitely has it the worst. It doesn'T help that the game as a whole kinda just... doesn't have much of a message, really. There's some good food for thought, but this somewhat poor dialogue makes it kinda bounce off me, and I don't think it has much to say even besides that - kind of a missed oppotunity really! Again, I really do wanna highlight there's some good, even funny dialogue in there, but this issues really bothered me personally, and is why the rating's a bit lower than it should >.<
(END OF SPOILERS)

And to be fair, even if I do enjoy the gameplay loop, it is still a bit samey by the end, even if that issues isn't as large as it could've been, thanks to the underlying mechanics and the game's short length. I do also think the shop mechanic - which is supposed to encourage following your superior's desires - is a bit underdeveloped, only offering you cosmetics and the occasional upgrade, making it mostly useless >.<

But all and all, this is definitely enjoyable! Death and Taxes also goes for a reasonably low price, so I do think it's worth the investment! If nothing else, for the immaculate vibes alone <3 Even if there's not that much to it narratively, admiteddly...

I enjoyed the game. It was a little confusing at the start, but it was a fun ride after.

First three hours of this game is a tutorial and at the end of it you will have the most horrible ending anyway. At the start the only indicator of your actions is the phone, which still has very abstract formulations and which quickly becomes boring to read. When the indicators appear half the game has passed and you still don't have time to clean all the mess and you still losing. Three hours is too much for a gameloop and some how game you zero time to make up for mistakes that you did.

It's just tedious in a not really fun way, but the idea is interesting.

very fun game. i accidentally doomed humanity on my first run oopsies. will def be replaying this game

This is one of the coolest choice games I've ever played. The game has a rich story and deciding who gets to live is a very tricky endeavour but it also makes the the choices that much interesting. There is also a cat in this game that you get directives at one point of the game and it is really cute. The character customisation is unique and the objects that we can buy and put on our desk is also very whimsical and fun.

I am sorry, but it is quite mediocre.
The concept is good, but everything else is quite amateur, form the voice acting to the art, etc.
If you are interested it not a bad experience, but it is better to buy it with a discount.

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would, nice Palette cleanser!

Short, sweet, and quirky. In this game your choices definitely have consequences and you can watch those play out in real time. There are some game mechanics that make replaying it a bit easier if you want to try for a different ending, but It did feel a bit too slow for me to play it through more than 2x - so if you're a completionist or achievement hunter, you may find it a bit tedious.

It pains me to do this because I do appreciate the novelty and effort that goes into a game like Death and Taxes, but I have to warn potential buyers about what they're getting into.

Because if you're like me, you've heard this game be compared to Papers, Please. But this comparison isn't entirely earned. You see, in Papers, Please, you actually had to work. Not that it was fun work, but it was work none the less. You were on the clock and had to perform tasks with a certain amount of skill or else reap the consequences. And that's what made it a game.

But in Death and Taxes your work is to interpret its vague language and attempt to manipulate its choice system into giving you an ending that you might find suitable. But what is your motivation for this? What are the stakes? With no motivation I find myself with little reason to attempt to decipher the coded language in order to save its fictional world from the inevitable: apocalypse.

And so it came and so the game ended. And unfortunately, I felt nothing. I really wanted to feel something. But the people in this game aren't real. I don't have the choice to end anyone's life. And the thought of it is too absurd to entertain. So I just hoped there would be a game I could play in there. But there wasn't.

I enjoyed the Game very much. Through out my playtrough i realized that there is a lot of passion and love in this game. I do recommend this game.

My friend gifted me this game. This game is a more chill version of Papers, Please. It's very beautifully drawn, and I love checking the phone once in a while to see what chaos I am causing in the world. The voice lines are a cherry on the top.

I loved it! Never has paperwork been so exhilarating. And I completed an ending in a day.

I think I might be a sociopath because I had way too much fun playing this game.

It’s all fun and games until your boss yells at you for killing too many people

a bit repetive but i think its because the route im doing love the design and how the story progress

A really fun hyperfixation. So cool. I really love the replayability for different outcomes and also I'm still listening to the soundtracks, even tho the last time I played was a year ago.
Amazing experience

this game is good and funny, but gets really boring when you are hunting all the achievements

Simple but fun, intriguing story and plenty of replayability.

Fun short game with a lot replayability

This is where the binary nature of Steam reviews really get me. For me personally, this game is incredibly okay for your first play through. But it quickly becomes hell when you're trying to get all the achievements.

The gameplay gets tedious and stale very quickly. Adding to the fact that it took me close to 15 play throughs to get all the achievements. Nitpicking every detail and having to count and make sure all the world parameters while remembering the other stuff that you have to do outside of stamping was just torture at times. Don't even get me started on some of the achievements that require a lot of luck and are very vague, forcing you to do another play through just because you messed it up somehow.

What saddens me is these achievements were made consciously. I mean it's fine if most of the niche, repetitive and annoying things that you have to do are just Easter eggs. But all the achievements are just so unfriendly to achievement hunters, especially for myself who can't stand moving on to the next game if I haven't completed every single achievement in my current game.

Despite all that, I just can't bring myself to give this game a negative review. I'd rate this a 6/10 or 7/10 easily, but the binary nature of this review leaves me no option but to recommend this game.

The sound design is very good, the music is really nice to hear and doesn't get old. The writing is passable, with the character design being somewhat thoughtful but a lot of the times the characters aren't that necessary. The interaction with Fate and getting to know his motivations are deep enough to make things matter. Mortimer is an interesting character. The character customization options are very good.

But the one thing that guides my hand to recommend this game is the passion from the developers. No matter how tired and fed up I am when hunting the achievements, when those credits roll in and you get to know more about the developers, you can just feel the care, love and passion brought into this game. The sense of humor shines through and felt like home. When everything was said and done, I felt a huge wave of relief, but I didn't feel any regret getting this game.

If you're not an achievement hunter, I urge you to please get this game. If you are, I'd still do but get your patience ready cause you're going to need it.

so we're all thirsting over Fate right



(great game, cozy n fun, play it)

*sees Fate* *jaw drops to floor, eyes pop out of sockets accompanied by trumpets, heart beats out of chest, AWOOOOOOOGA sound effect, pulls chain on train whistle that has appeared next to head as steam blows out, slams fists on table, rattling any plates, bowls or silverware, whistles loudly, fireworks shoot from top of head, pants loudly as tongue hangs out of mouth, wipes comically large bead of sweat from forehead, clears throat, straightens tie, combs hair* "Ahem, you look very lovely, boss."

I have loved this game ever since I first saw it. Just like with Papers Please I could easily spend hours on it.

You'll notice I haven't though.

That's because, while I love the story and the innumerable possibilities, I really just want an endless mode; the opportunity to try out more gadgets without having to restart, and I want to make more judgements.

There's been thoughts of creating an endless mode since 2020, but I fear those musings have been forgotten on a shelf somewhere while the devs work on other games, expanding the available platforms and adding more language options. They are working hard and I applaud that.

I just really wish I could sit down and hyperfocus on an endless mode...

Came for the cool art, stayed for the surprisingly moving storyline. Get in loser, we're overthrowing the hegemonic cycle of life and death.

I just played the 5 Days so far, and must say, I LOVE the concept. The music is on point, you really feel the choices you do impact the World, what makes you overthink you choices, and your behavior. I also buyed the Game during Spring sale for 1,79€, and can only say, get the game when you can, but I think even without the Discount, the game is worth every single penny.

I freaking love Death and Taxes. It's deceptively deep and definitely worth a few replays, along with just being a fun time. The other reviews can probably go into more depth, I just had to throw here that I love the game and think it's definitely worth the money, honestly even at full price (though I'm sure sales aren't rare at this point).

a fun and quick game to play. And replayability is there if you want to try and get the various ending types.

Chill game. I feel like a grim reaper and I love the clothing choices. It's so chill and fun to play!

cannot in good conscience recommend this to others. the dialogue and humour was quite a drag, and the philosophical aspect was quite pretentious. there were a lot of characters/dialogue that didn't matter or plot points that just did not go anywhere. loved the demo, but not sure how the full game ended up so boring, and way too tedious to play NG+ for a different ending since you have to click through it all again.

Death and Taxes is a desk job where you take on the role of a grim reaper, and your choices definitely matter. In fact, your choices can affect the ending to the game in multiple different ways, so with the multiple games, and game time lasting around roughly 2ish hours, the game is easily re-playable- and even enjoyable to replay. Will you play by fate's rules, or will you disobey? Humanity is definitely in your hands!
If you enjoyed games like the OG "Papers, Please!" I highly recommend you check this one out. You play as a grim reaper and you have a quota to meet every single day! You have to choose the right amount of people every day after reading their profiles. You mark which ones you want to spare, and which ones you want to kill. Once you place the mark, you can't erase it unless you have the magic eraser thingy which you have to buy with coins! (Because yes, this is a real job and you get paid every day for killing people.)

Not only do you have a desk, you have a phone and several other trinkets. After each passing day, sometimes you will see the news of who you killed pop up on your phone. On the weekends, you can spend time in the bar drinking with other reapers and listening to their stories. There's also a cool shop where you can use your hard earned coins to buy little fidgets and trinkets for your desk, to make desk job life a little less boring!

First, I personally owned this game on my Switch and purchased it for PC because I've played through multiple times, and as I mentioned above, it takes around 2 hours to beat. I really like this game. I do not know why, but it is fun because you need to make sure you are reading everything and being careful to make what you think are the right decisions based off of whether you want to bend the rules by having morals, devise a plan to destroy the planet, follow the rules to a T, OR defy "fate" in your own special way. Just be careful not to get fired ;)

Feels like an actual job, where is the fun in that?

8 out of 10 - Great writing and premise. One of the most original games I've played for sure. However, the pacing grained on me a little bit, as I tried to beat it in one sitting. This is a game best played in small doses, as it can truly seem to feel like a job to get through, ironically enough. I also wish the options for customization affected the gameplay or aesthetics in a more substantial way. Overall, I highly recommend this if you can get it on sale for 10 bucks or less.

It's just fun. The jokes are corny and wonderful. The game play is interesting and varied enough that even though it is the same process, it doesn't get tedious.

It's a lukewarm recommend. Get it on sale. It's a very cute and charming game that takes the Papers, Please concept and does its own thing with it in a way that feels fresh. The art style is lovely, and I really enjoyed the music. The charm, however, wore off when the NPCs' comments to me stopped aligning with what I was actually doing. I was ignoring instructions left and right, but I was told I was a model rule follower. That really took out the weight of disobeying and made me feel like not much matters.

It's a nice little game but a quick play with zero replay value to its name. A good sale purchase.

This game is wonderfully written, phenomenial voice acting, especially from Fate and Cerii, the barkeeper. It's made me start thinking about where I am in life, and I am unsure if that's a good or bad thing, lol. Worth the money, and worth the time, it's a charming lil' thing :3

Au Revoir, lil Reaper

When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade, but don't give them back.
Use them as an ingredient for brewing up spooky scary skeletons to work for your work place that could also potentialy "remove" the humanity from earth.

I accidentaly killed everyone in my first and currently only playthrough. Whoops. Anyway a nice enough little game just be VERY careful about who you trust

amazing game, even whiles i was spoiled on the basic game play from youtube i still thoroughly enjoyed it, the characters are well written despite how little time you spend with most of them

all in all it is a short 10/10 game that that is well worth it, especially if you get it on sale (i personally got it for under £2 with the, as of writing this review, current sale)


thank you devs, this game was amazing

Very fun Papers Please-esc game. Great humor, lovely art, attention to detail and decent replayability. I would highly recommend.

Game have more depth than i was expecting. Dev put actual effort and thought into it which led me having quite a bit of fun. Super recommended for a price,

I enjoyed this. theres an element of dress up, you can light things aflame, you can save the world you can be a squid head guy. you can scribble cause problems, solve issues, and drink milk! a delightful little game! played through twice in one sitting just to see how different choices impact the game!

Great game! If not grinding for achievements, you can easilly beat it in a couple of hours. I liked the humour, the artstyle, the whole thing.

It is fun to play this game over and over again!
I have the objective to get all the achievements, but the story is funny and I really recommend this one!

Very good. Great voice acting and story.

i don't know what it is about Estonia but it seems like the only games with great writing come from that country. this is one of them

with 30 different endings, it doesn't feel as monotonous as I thought it would. Definitely entertaining and I love how each choice has a consequence! Can't wait to continue and try to unlock more endings