SDL, GNU Compiler Collection, GNU Emacs, mtPaint, CVS, and MinGW/MSYS software

During the span of a five-minute video game, a player encounters an entire lifetime of obstacles and choices. Jason Rohrer conceived of Passage as a kind of memento mori, with a character that begins as a young adult, ages, and dies, all the while moving across the screen from left to right through different phases into the future. Points are earned from rewards in treasure chests, but many of the chests are empty; Rohrer notes that, as in life, “not every pursuit leads to a reward. . . Over time, though, you can learn which pursuits are likely to be rewarding.” Players may seek points alone or in the company of a life partner. Neither way is more correct than the other: travel and treasure gathering are easier for the agile solo player, but couples can earn more points, although they face more obstacles and one will eventually be slowed by grief when the other dies. When a player dies, the game is over; unlike other video games, there are no multiple lives. “Your score looks pretty meaningless hovering there above your little tombstone,” Rohrer notes. “You die only once, at the very end, and you are powerless to stave off this inevitable loss.”