History Main / DeletionAsPunishment

* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', Bottles threatens to delete your save file if you talk to him too many times after claiming to know all of the game's basic moves. Gruntilda ''actually does'' erase your save if you overuse certain cheat codes.

* Fail to eject in time during a mission in ''VideoGame/SteelBattalion''? Kiss your save file goodbye!

* The ''Series/{{Alf}}'' game has a trap item that shows the game's backstory and then resets your game if you use it, although it's not sure if this is intentional or just major IdiotProgramming in action; the judging from the quality of the rest of the game suggests the latter option, but the taunting message you get after using said item suggests the former.
* An NPC in ''VideoGame/OracleOfSeasons'' '''really''' hates people who destroy signposts. [[RewardingVandalism This being]] [[KleptomaniacHero a Zelda game]], by the time you talk to him you've probably slaughtered signposts by the dozen, and he responds by sending the game back to the start screen (possibly giving the player a heart attack)... then it goes back to normal [[BraggingRightsReward and you get a ring for it]].

* Fail to eject in an emergency playing the mecha simulator ''VideoGame/SteelBattalion''? Enjoy your erased save file.
* Be wary playing Hardcore Mode in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', as dying in this HarderThanHard mode results in your entire map getting deleted. On a multiplayer Hardcore server, you get permanently banned from the server, which has the same effect on your end.

** After [[spoiler:defeating Asgore for the first time]], a major plot twist happens and you're forced to restart the game. When you do, the first thing you see is a save point... and interacting with it causes [[spoiler:Flowey, now hopped up on the six human [=SOULs=]]] to erase it right in front of your eyes. [[spoiler:He gives it back when you defeat him, though.]]

* Be wary playing Hardcore Mode in ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', as dying in this HarderThanHard mode results in your entire map getting deleted.

[[DidYouActuallyBelieve A lot of games likely won't follow through with it]], but would you, the player, actually take that chance?

* The ''Series/{{Alf}}'' game has a trap item that shows the game's backstory and then resets your game if you use it, although it's not sure if this is intentional or just major IdiotProgramming in action, but judging from the quality of the rest of the game, the latter option seems infinitely more likely.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', after [[spoiler:defeating Asgore for the first time]], a major plot twist happens and you're forced to restart the game. When you do, the first thing you see is a save point... and interacting with it causes [[spoiler:Flowey, now hopped up on the six human [=SOULs=]]] to erase it right in front of your eyes. [[spoiler:He gives it back when you defeat him, though.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'', to get the final ending where Kaine is saved, Nier must choose to have his existence erased, including everyone's memories of him. If you do choose this, the game erases all of your save data, and doesn't even allow you to choose the same ''name'' if you start a new game. It does give you three or four "AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat" warnings, first.
* The ''Series/{{Alf}}'' game has a trap item that resets your game if you use it (not sure whether the game actually has a save system, though).

* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', Bottles threatens to delete your save file if you talk to him too many times in a row. Gruntilda ''actually does'' erase your save if you overuse certain cheat codes.

See also FinalDeathMode, where this trope may come into play should your PlayerCharacter bite it.

* Hardcore in ''{{Terraria}}'' does a similar idea except it deletes your character instead of the world after death. You can [[{{ContinuingIsPainful}} painfully continue]] by creating a new character but the items, mana, life are all lost.

* Present in ''{{VideoGame/Earthbound}}'' as the final routine in the game's well-known CopyProtection. If you make it to the final boss, the game hangs. Resetting the game reveals that your saves are erased!

* Present in {{VideoGame/Earthbound}} as the final routine in the game's well-known CopyProtection. If you make it to the final boss, the game hangs. Resetting the game reveals that your saves are erased!

* The Resettis from ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' will show up to lecture you if you don't save your game properly before quitting and even threaten to delete your save file. They can't actually do it, except in the PAL version of ''City Folk'' if you reset your game 50 times.

* The Resettis from ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'' will show up to lecture you if you don't save your game properly before quitting and even threaten to delete your save file. They can't actually do it, though.
** Mr. Resetti actually can do it in the PAL version of Animal Crossing: City Folk if you reset your game 50 times.

* In ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', Bottles threatens to delete your save file if you talk to him too many times in a row.
** The game ''actually does'' erase your save if you overuse certain cheat codes.

* In ''{{VideoGame/Nier}}'', to get the final ending where Kaine is saved, Nier must choose to have his existence erased, including everyone's memories of him. If you do choose this, the game erases all of your save data, and doesn't even allow you to choose the same ''name'' if you start a new game. It does give you three or four "AreYouSureYouWantToDoThat" warnings, first.
* The {{Alf}} game has a trap item that resets your game if you use it (not sure whether the game actually has a save system though).
* An NPC in OracleOfSeasons ''really'' hates people who destroy signposts. [[RewardingVandalism This being]] [[KleptomaniacHero a Zelda game]], by the time you talk to him you've probably slaughtered signposts by the dozen, and he responds by sending the game back to the start screen (possibly giving the player a heart attack)... then it goes back to normal [[BraggingRightsReward and you get a ring for it]].

* Be wary playing Hardcore Mode in ''{{Minecraft}}'', as dying in this HarderThanHard mode results in your entire map getting deleted.