Death by a Thousand Cuts

Death by a Thousand Cuts is a murder mystery game in the age of austerity. A childhood friend commits suicide. When his mother turns to you to help her understand what led to this tragedy, you uncover your friend’s descent into financial anxiety, austerity cuts, job despair and fractured relationships.

The game was created during the “Games for the Many” Jams on 2-3 Dec 2017 by Impertinent Games, Alex Maskill, Ben Cowles, Victor Fleurot of 2084/ & Dan Meththananda.

Context:

The key inspiration for Death by a Thousand Cuts was the combined effect of austerity in terms of low wages, cuts to public services and the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) introduced by then Home Secretary Theresa May in 2012. You can find out more on the MIR and its consequences on keeping relatives apart in this report by journalist Ismail Einashe.