A Surreal Dive into Stop Burying Me Alive, Beautiful

In the world of video games, there are some experiences that defy explanation and embrace the bizarre. “Stop Burying Me Alive, Beautiful,” a visual novel, is one such game that proudly wears its enigmatic premise on its sleeve. It is a game that unapologetically immerses you in the absurdity of being buried alive while engaging in a peculiar conversation with your girlfriend and an underground card-playing rat lady.

The game commences with you being buried alive by your girlfriend, who dismisses your protests about still being alive. She astutely points out that your objections are precisely what a dead person might say to avoid being buried. It’s a peculiar introduction, to say the least. If you choose to explore further, you’ll encounter a murky, fungal black screen inhabited by cartoon rats periodically attempting to eat you. You can click to fend them off.

Beneath this surreal scenario, you’ll find yourself in an Alice in Wonderland-style alcove, where a disheveled woman with a rat perched on her shoulder comforts you with the idea that being buried alive isn’t all that bad. She argues that “underground is like, the only place to escape capitalism, plus it’s nice and cool.” This perspective, though bizarre, has a peculiar charm. To add to the strangeness, she offers to play cards with you, and the cards themselves feature rats, including a delightfully festive rodent Joker. There’s also a passing reference to a “rat god.”

As you engage in a round of underground card-playing with this rat lady, you eventually resurface to share your experience with your girlfriend. Unsurprisingly, she’s skeptical of your encounter with an underground card-playing rat lady. Returning to the ratscreen, you must prevent the pesky creatures from nibbling on you, but there’s also an ominous option to “succumb to the dirt,” which leads to an untimely game over.

Starting a new game, you may discover that “drowning in the dirt” can happen within just a couple of dialogue exchanges. Despite the perplexing narrative and often bewildering choices, there’s a sense that the game is offering a personal memoir of sorts, allowing players to navigate its eccentric landscape.

The game is freely available, created by Allie Vera, Destini Islands, robobarbie, and Angela He, and it’s a testament to their creativity and willingness to explore the unconventional. In this digital oddity, you’ll find elements of humor, surrealism, and perhaps even social commentary hidden beneath the surface.

In a gaming landscape where creativity knows no bounds, “Stop Burying Me Alive, Beautiful” stands as an intriguing example of the unexpected.