Death and Taxes Game Review

The thing that ties all of our lives together, yet we know the least about, is probably death. No one really knows for sure what happens when we die. Some folks believe in an afterlife, others think we come back as something else, some are convinced we just vanish into nothingness, and then there’s that whole idea of our souls being snatched up by some creepy god. But no one’s come back from the other side to tell us what actually goes down when the heart stops beating.

Some people find that idea terrifying, others find it oddly comforting. Some think about it all the time, some try to ignore it. Everyone’s got their own take, and honestly, we might never get the answers.

Fate’s Quota: Meet Your Goals or Get Fired

But enough about that—let’s talk about something a little less heavy! I loved papers, Please. The deskwork was fine but having to decide the fates of people at my checkpoint, including my own family. It’s a great game, no doubt.

With that in mind, you’d think I’d stay away from Death and Taxes, but nope—I jumped right in. It’s a bureaucratic simulator, kind of like Papers, please, but it’s got some Reigns-style quick decision-making too. You play as a grim reaper, sorting through paperwork to decide who lives and who dies. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. You’ve got to make tough choices, and your decisions aren’t just about “nice person lives, bad person dies.”

Every day, you’ve got to meet a quota and also hit a secondary objective, like “kill all the politicians” or “spare all the criminals.” If you fail, you get yelled at by your boss, Fate, and lose out on pay for the day. The game goes on for four weeks, with each day having you pick the fates of the mortals, check how your choices impacted things, and then face your performance review. You can mess up a few times but push it too far and you’ll get fired. I learned that the hard way after a few tries.

If you want to, you can skip the secondary objectives and just deal with a smaller paycheck. Sometimes, it’s better to not follow them if you don’t want to end up destroying humanity by accident. Every choice you make impacts four hidden stats: environment, living conditions, health, and peace. Make good choices, and things improve behind the scenes. Make bad ones, and you could be screwing everything up for good.

While the game does touch on heavy themes like life and death, it’s actually pretty light-hearted and darkly humorous. You’re dealing with people’s fates, but there’s also a talking cat that sabotages you and a pirate you can chat with. The tone’s definitely more quirky than existential.

And speaking of that pirate—his name is Mortimer, and he’s a lot. Every time you buy something, he’s got to tell you some random pirate story, like how he wrestled a kraken or stole mirrors from a lighthouse. They’re all super pirate-y, but after hearing them for the hundredth time, they get kind of old. Some of the storylines repeat with only slight changes based on the people you spare or kill, and while some things shift, you’ll still be hearing the same beats over and over.

The Final Verdict: Not Deep, But Definitely Fun

Also, the game doesn’t have the same depth as Papers, please. You’re mostly making a simple choice: live or die. The tasks and people change a little each time you play, but your job stays the same. Which is totally fine! Death and Taxes does its thing: a quick, breezy experience that’s great for a few playthroughs. I went through it four times while prepping for this review, and I got most of the endings. It’s light, quick, and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

If you’re into games about managing stuff and making decisions, it’s definitely worth checking out. It’s got a great soundtrack, solid writing, and a fun atmosphere. I don’t think I’ll be coming back for another round anytime soon, but it was a fun experience while it lasted.

If you like this review and want to see more, you can click here.  My snapchat is Cara_lynn97. Twitter and Instagram are the same. I stream on twitch multiple days a week! Be sure to follow me to see the live playthroughs of games and anything else I might do and post online.