Reaper Madness

Reaper Madness is a 24-hour RPG in which players take on the roles of Grim Reapers. It’s their job to help the dead move on to whatever awaits them in the afterlife. Most of the time, this is a pretty simple thing—you just walk up to the soon-to-be deceased, snatch their soul, and then try not to stare too much or hurl when they get corpsified. Sometimes, though, the dead don’t want to move on, and it’s up to you to persuade them that their time on earth is through. Even simple jobs can become difficult if the Reaper gets too involved with the client before he or she dies; some people you just wish you could let live.

Aside from the whole “being an (un)living incarnation of death” thing, Reapers have other problems to contend with. First off, there’s the whole “dying” thing to deal with; some people have existential crises about that sort of thing. Even Reapers who can accept death often have problems adjusting. Dying is a lot like moving to a new city. Suddenly you’re all alone in a strange new situation without any of your old friends and safety nets to help you out. To top it off, Reapers have the same drives and desires as the living—they get hungry, thirsty, and horny just like the rest of us. Since Reaping isn’t a paying gig, that means a new Reaper has to find some way to make money if they don’t want to be miserable.

The Reaper Madness download includes both the original 24-hour version of the game and a revised version that went through a bit of editing and improvement after I'd gotten some sleep.