Dumb Ways to Die

About

Dumb Ways to Die is a single player casual puzzle game with a comedy theme. It was developed by PlaySide and was released on September 30, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Dumb Ways to Die" is a minigame collection featuring 82 challenges that require quick reflexes and smart decision-making to prevent characters' comical deaths. The game aims to promote railway safety while providing entertainment. Players can collect characters, achieve high scores, and unlock the viral music video that inspired the game. The minigames include tasks such as extinguishing fires, avoiding obstacles, and escaping dangerous situations.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,995 reviews

humor781 positive mentions

monetization1.1k negative mentions

monetization
1,187 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
96%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism from users, with many expressing frustration over the excessive number of ads that interrupt gameplay. Players report that ads appear frequently, often after every round or even during gameplay, making the experience feel more like an advertisement platform than a game. While some users acknowledge the need for ads to support the developers, the overwhelming consensus is that the current ad frequency is excessive and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Unique, little to no ads (to my recollection), and most importantly - urges everyone to take the safety pledge!”
- “I love this game; there are no ads and I can play it offline or when there's no internet. I recommend this game; it is so funny!”
- “Great gameplay, near no ads, and there's a great moral behind this game.”
- “The amount of ads ruins the game entirely; this would be a 100% 5 stars, however the ads I can't express how long and annoying they are.”
- “You spend more time stuck in the ads than you do in actual gameplay.”
- “It's a great game but the ads really ruin it.”
humor
782 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Dumb Ways to Die" is widely praised for its lighthearted and absurd take on death, with players finding the various silly and unexpected ways characters meet their demise to be both hilarious and entertaining. Many reviews highlight the game's charming graphics, funny animations, and catchy music, contributing to its addictive nature. Overall, the game is seen as a fun and humorous experience that effectively combines comedy with a cautionary message about safety.
- “I enjoy the game for what it is... lighthearted, hilarious, silly, and oddly enough, death-ridden fun!”
- “This game is absolutely hilarious!”
- “It's funny and I like how you have to get a certain amount of points to unlock a new character.”
- “This game tries to be funny, but most of the jokes fall flat.”
- “The humor in this game feels forced and often misses the mark.”
- “I expected more laughs, but the comedic elements just didn't resonate with me.”
music
225 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
57%
3%
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy and nostalgic qualities, particularly the "Dumb Ways to Die" theme song, which many players fondly remember from their childhood. However, numerous users report technical issues, such as the game failing to load and only playing the music on a black screen, leading to frustration. Additionally, some players express disappointment over the removal of the original song and the presence of overlapping or glitchy music, which detracts from the overall experience.
- “The music mixed with the odd tasks really makes it fun.”
- “I love the song so much it's stuck in my head because after all there are so many dumb ways to die... dumb ways to die.”
- “I love this game and the song; they are both so good. I love it so much!”
- “I wanted to play for nostalgia but the game will open to the start screen and then when I press start it's a black screen and the music keeps playing, then it either crashes or I have to close it because it's taking too long.”
- “I can't even play the game... I used to love it but now it keeps crashing at the loading screen and if I get past that it loads into a black screen and just plays the music...”
- “Whenever I hit start, the screen just goes black and the background music just plays.”
stability
97 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
2%
95%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous users reporting frequent glitches, freezes, and crashes that disrupt gameplay. Many players express frustration over how these technical problems lead to unfair losses and hinder their overall enjoyment, indicating that the game's current state is far from optimal. While some users still find the game fun, the overwhelming consensus is that it requires urgent fixes to address its stability problems.
- “Yeah, this is great! I love the game; no glitches, no bugs—it's great! I'll never delete the game.”
- “This game is so fun, and there are no glitches whatsoever. Not even 1 percent laggy!”
- “This game is amazing! I think it is accessible to everyone, and there's no glitches or lagging.”
- “It freezes a lot; whenever I start the game, it glitches out and the whole screen turns staticky, and I end up dying because it freezes in between levels.”
- “I love the game, but it always kicks me out or glitches, and the next thing you know, I'm dead.”
- “Every time I press start, it glitches and the game crashes.”
graphics
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
27%
5%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charm, clarity, and humor, with many users appreciating the cute character designs and smooth animations. While some players noted occasional issues with performance on older devices, the overall consensus is that the visuals enhance the gameplay experience, making it engaging and entertaining. However, a few reviews mentioned dissatisfaction with the graphics quality, indicating a mixed reception among users with varying device capabilities.
- “Amazing fast-paced gameplay with a charming art style, funny animations, and a good message; just overall a great game.”
- “I love the graphics in this game.”
- “This game is hilarious and has such good graphics.”
- “I swiped rapidly yet the graphics showed that I was swiping so slowly.”
- “This game is actually really bad; the graphics are bad and really hard if you have an old-style phone because it doesn't register taps. Just don't download this trash.”
- “Horrible graphics; I was playing the one with the bear and the screen glitched out. It's not my tablet because it's brand new, and the game goes way too fast.”
gameplay
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
42%
19%
The gameplay is generally praised for being fun, engaging, and well-designed, featuring charming graphics and animations. However, a significant number of users express frustration with the excessive and intrusive ads that disrupt the experience, often occurring during gameplay itself. While some players appreciate the challenge and creativity, many feel that the ad interruptions detract from the overall enjoyment and fluidity of the game.
- “Amazing fast-paced gameplay with a charming art style, funny animations, and a good message; just overall a great game.”
- “The gameplay is so fun and there are no bugs; lastly, no one will have problems with the controls.”
- “Best best best gameplay ever.”
- “Forced ads occur way too often and completely disrupt gameplay.”
- “The game is fun, but there is a very big problem that needs to be fixed: the instructions on what to do in each level are way too fast; they only stay for about 1 second, which makes it very hard to read. If you don't read it, you have no idea what you need to do. I hope this gets fixed in the future to make gameplay easier.”
- “Gameplay ruined by ads.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its creativity and inspiring message, while others criticize it for lacking coherence and meaningful context. Many find the missions enjoyable but question the logic behind certain plot elements, leading to a divided opinion on the overall narrative quality.
- “The plot of the game was very creative.”
- “Love the game sooooo much; it has a great storyline and an inspiring message.”
- “This is not really a good game. I mean, it has no meaning. Like, how is throwing up candy going to make you die? Sure, you'll get sick, but dying is a whole 'nother story. And why would you literally share candy with a bear? I mean, that makes no sense. I guess some of them give you warnings of what not to do, but still, I give it a 1 star.”
- “I played this game once and I chose how to kill myself, and I got hit by a train. True story.”
- “The daily quests are impossible to do.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, often feeling nostalgia and sadness as it reminds them of past experiences and relationships. The game's themes of mortality and the poignant theme song evoke strong feelings, leading to moments of reflection and even tears. Despite some criticisms of updates, the emotional impact remains a significant aspect of the game's appeal.
- “I was just wandering around the Google Play Store and then I found this game I played since I was four. It's been four years since I last played it, and it was my favorite game. I knew so many dumb ways to die, and this game showed me examples of what I shouldn't do. I just love it; it reminds me of all the things I did when I was four. Every time I play this game, it's just so emotional. I'm just saying that you should download this app; it's a really nice game to play. Thank you.”
- “It made me cry coming back to such an old game, but the new update kinda sucks. I liked the original much better, but I still love the game 9 years later.”
- “I played this years ago and I loved it. When I saw it today, it made me cry from nostalgia.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance and minimal issues, others criticize it for poor loading times, inconsistent graphics quality, and a lack of compatibility with lower-end devices. The game's transition to a pay-to-win model and the introduction of frustrating scenarios have further detracted from its original appeal.
- “I love this game, and I'm sure you will too! There is nothing wrong with this game; I have an extremely low-performance device, and there is no lag.”
- “The game runs smoothly, and the animations do not cause many issues.”
- “It is a great game, and it tests your mind and performance.”
- “This was fun in 2014, and I would have rated it 5 stars, but they screwed it up. There are unwinnable scenarios, some have ultra bad controls, and others are okay. Some scenarios rely on random luck, while others require pure skill. It's now a pay-to-win model unlike in 2014, and the performance is terrible. The game chugs while loading scores, and sometimes models are in HD while others are in 360p. Even the new scenarios have both types of models. It's like the original idea was thrown out the window. This game should not be called original.”
- “0 star rating. It says this app is not optimized for your device, which is inappropriate. Everyone likes games, but I hate this game now because of this issue. I have given it a 1-star rating because it was not posting hate.”
- “Annoying apps, bad optimization.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game excessively tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the increased difficulty in unlocking characters and the presence of long, disruptive ads. Many users express a desire for a return to the previous version, which allowed for easier progression, and criticize the current experience as detrimental to overall enjoyment.
- “Hello developers, oh wait, I mean, you actually had me with the old version, but now I realize you made it too grindy. Plus, the addition of ads makes it worse. I say you revert back to the old version where you could get characters more easily. Now you won't even reply with your opinion or some help for this app. Oh, and if you reply, give me a good reason. Sincerely, Fountain.”
- “This game is okay, but it's the broken ads, tedious, unclear, and sometimes glitched minigames that make the game collapse on itself.”
- “They have damaged the core experience of 'Dumb Ways to Die' by copying over games with experience grinding to unlock new content.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers initial fun but quickly loses replay value, with limited mobile options that hinder long-term engagement. Despite some variety, the gameplay is deemed impractical on mobile devices, reducing its overall replayability.
- “There are only 5 games that are playable on mobile. I'm not saying there isn't variety, I'm saying they are literally impossible on mobile.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The character development is praised for its excellent humor and impressive design, contributing to a memorable and engaging experience.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, with each character having a unique backstory that adds depth to the overall narrative.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making choices that truly impact their personalities and relationships.”
- “The humor and character design are top-notch, making each character memorable and engaging.”