History Main / NoCasualtiesRun

* ''{{Pikmin}}'': Sometimes it's not just for bragging rights, but because some players can't bear to [[VideoGameCaringPotential let any of the titular adorable alien critters die.]]

EverybodyLives as a SelfImposedChallenge. This is where you try to make sure there are absolutely minimized, if any, casualties.

** The two pretty much have to go together--every time your undead allies use their weapons, they come a little closer to fading from existence, and the standard solution is to sacrifice one ally to rejuvenate another. The alternative is to have a constant stream of new recruits and leave the old ones just ''barely'' clinging to existence.
* Some of the more recent {{Sonic the Hedgehog}} games have missions such as "Don't injure the townspeople," and "Don't break anything."

* ''DawnOfWar 2'' rewards you with extra experience and compaign points for keeping your squad leaders from being incapacitated. Their retinues, though? Meh, it's Warhammer 40K, what'd you expect?

* You wouldn't expect this in a strategy game, but ''{{Heroes of Might and Magic}} IV'' has one faction, Order, that can reasonably pull this off (at least in terms of protecting itself) by recruiting entirely ranged and spellcasting units and cutting down everything before it gets close. A certain amount of attrition is expected, so by avoiding that attrition one can make one's army unreasonably powerful, killing any enemy stack in a single attack. (Nature can do this too, but it's a lot harder, and Death in particular is completely incapable of it, since the player is expected to simply replenish the losses through reviving both sides' dead.)

* The RTS game ''Blitzkrieg'' inspires this for the player's core units, which are selectable tanks & artillery that gain veterancy and accompany the player as he progresses through the game.
* ''{{Shadowrun}}'' on the SNES offers a completely pointless challenge: The two women runners the player can encounter also happen to be the only runners with any relevance to the plot, and may be made into permanent party members. The challenge then becomes to keep both of their squishy spellcaster asses alive for the rest of the game.

<<|VideogameCulture|>>

* In TheLordoftheRingsOnline, the Tier 2 Challenge for Saruman's fight was to defeat him without anyone reaching zero morale, and within 30 minutes, or else everyone instantly dies.

* In The Lord of the Rings Online, the Tier 2 Challenge for Saruman's fight was to defeat him without anyone reaching zero morale, and within 30 minutes, or else everyone instantly dies.

* In Thelordoftheringsonline, the Tier 2 Challenge for Saruman's fight was to defeat him without anyone reaching zero morale, and within 30 minutes, or else everyone instantly dies.

** Also, some [=NPCs=] will let you know your Pokèmon's feelings towards you depending on how you treated them. Some will even give you rewards for keeping your friends well.

* This is a recognised challenge in the ''{{Oddworld}}'' games, where rescuing absolutely everyone usually nets you the best ending possible. Also inverted in that KILLING everyone gets you an extra-bad ending.

** This is one of the two central tenants to a Nuzlocke Challenge (the other is that you're only allowed to [[MinimalistRun catch the first Pokemon you encounter on each route]]).

EverybodyLives as a SelfImposedChallenge. This is where you try to make sure there are absolutely minimized, if any, casualties. This [[WhatMeasureIsAMook may extend to]] [[MercyRewarded enemies]] for a technical PacifistRun included.

* Many {{RPG}}s, since their nature makes a No Damage Run almost impossible. This is the closest you can get.

** Also, some [=NPCs=] will let you know your Pokèmon's feelings towards you depending on how you treated them.Some will even give you rewards for keeping your friends well.

* ''DeadRising''. There's an achievement; "Saint", for those who save almost all of the characters. Granted, to maximize survivors, you have to go for ending B over ending A, which means you must cut the game short and ignore a good portion of the plot
** Actually, you can get Saint and ending A, by having [[NintendoHard ALL BUT ONE SURVIVOR RESCUED.]] VideoGameCaringPotential UpToEleven.
*** No, that would imply that the players actually care about the TooDumbToLive survivors...

* Higher difficulty levels of ''{{Thief}}'' give an instant game over for killing guards, even if it would be acceptable to kill them at normal difficulty. You're supposed to be a master of stealth, after all. Some players take this further and don't even kill monsters.
* Mandatory non-video game example. The [[TheNthDoctor Ninth Doctor]] gets on in the first series of [[DoctorWho New Who]], against all odds when everything could have easily gone very differently. It's a genuinely pure, positive moment for the dark and brooding Doctor. Then next series [[TheNthDoctor the Tenth Doctor]] gets one for no real reason, saying the exact same line, solving the problem of the week which makes no sense at all, even for a show that runs on {{Timey Wimey Ball}}.
** The same Doctor later gets a much more appropriate and less jarring one.
* Many of the later LegendofZelda games have a death counter on the file select screen, just for this purpose.

** Also, some NPCs will let you know your Pokèmon's feelings towards you depending on how you treated them.Some will even give you rewards for keeping your friends well.

* ''WorldOfWarcraft'' has got one achievement to get your raid through Naxxramas and kill all bosses with no one hitting 0 Hit Points. Whenever one dies, the challenge can only be taken up again the next week after the reset because the casualty will be recorded. Oh, and, deaths against trash mobs count too.

* Theoretically possible in ''{{X-COM}}'', although considering the ridiculously high early-game (and mid-game, and end-game) casualty rate, this is extraordinarily difficult even on Beginner, and flat-out impossible on any difficulty at or above Normal.

* Some players of ''{{Pokemon}}'' will regard the virtual monsters humanely and attempt to keep them from [[NonLethalKO fainting]] at all costs. After the first generation this is rewarded by increasing your Pokemon's friendship with you (or at least keeping it level; letting it faint will kick it down a notch) which affects the power of its Return move if it's learned it, and in some cases allows it to evolve into a more powerful form.

* Mandatory non-video game example. The [[TheNthDoctor Ninth Doctor]] gets on in the first series of [[DoctorWho New Who]], against all aodds when everything could have easily gonevery differently. It's a genuinely pure, positive moment for the dark and brooding Doctor. Then next series [[TheNthDoctor the Tenth Doctor]] gets one for no real reason, saying the exact same line, solving the problem of the week which makes no sense at all, even for a show that runs on {{Timey Wimey Ball}}.

* ''MetalGearSolid'' lets you do this with the enemies, and even awards you for doing so.

* Some players of ''{{Pokemon}}'' will regard the virtual monsters humanely and attempt to keep them from [[NeverSayDie fainting]] at all costs. After the first generation this is rewarded by increasing your Pokemon's friendship with you (or at least keeping it level; letting it faint will kick it down a notch) which affects the power of its Return move if it's learned it, and in some cases allows it to evolve into a more powerful form.