As you may have guessed from the title of this game,
101 Ways to Die is anything but your typical
Lemmings game. That’s not to say that they aren’t similar in concept, however. At its core,
101 Ways to Die really is a
Lemmings clone of sorts. The goal is to use environmental aspects of every puzzle while, at the same time, using specific tools to help solve each stage to a satisfactory level. Of course, there is one major difference. We aren’t dealing with cute little critters in
101 Ways to Die. Oh, no, no! These are basically cloned minions created for the diabolical pleasure of Professor Ernst Splattunfuder to use as Guinea pigs while testing out different ways to pierce, dismember, decapitate, and otherwise cause a very bad day to his creations.
The professor, or better called a mad scientist, created his "Splatts" to run through his death mazes with one goal in mind… to find different ways to kill each and every one of them. Along the way, it is possible to create and set off booby traps and use pre-existing environmental elements to his diabolical advantage. There are plenty of ways to kill Splatts (you guessed it, 101!), including the classics like spikes and fire pits, as well as bombs and jumpers, but also more modern inventions like deadly lasers and scientifically-designed slippery slime. What’s more is that in order to find every way to die, combos play an important role as a gameplay element.
Essentially, the player will be presented with a group of contraptions that he/she can place in the level in a variety of ways nearly anywhere, in some cases. Depending on the level, certain floors and walls are excluded from being able to attach objects to, but the user really has creative freedom in where they can be placed. There is usually more than one way or solution to kill the Splatts, so experimentation is encouraged. Professor Splattunfuder wouldn’t have it any other way. Finding the right combination to effectively accomplish all of the goals can sometimes take a bit of patience, but trial and error will always win out.