Don't Touch the Snail is an anti-cozy game that takes permadeath to the next level - Engadget

"If the titular snail ever catches up to you, it's game over forever. The gameplay takes place on your desktop as a persistent snail chases the mouse cursor. You can only remain idle for so long before the snail catches up, so the game involves moving the cursor whenever that ornery gastropod gets close. If it ever succeeds in its grim mission, you can never play the game again."

"You can open it, but the snail will now be friendly and won't follow the cursor around. You'll also be able to decorate it when the skins you've acquired. The game also has achievements, so really make sure you don't blow it right off the bat or those will be locked."

"The fail state is recorded locally on the computer and also via the company's backend, just in case some people try to get around things by clearing out local data. It's in a beta build right now, with a leaderboard that chronicles the most successful living and dead players."

"It looks like the top player was able to move that mouse around for over 46 hours before the snail performed its dark dance of death. I am not sure how those atop that leaderboard were able to get some sleep. Maybe they passed off to a roommate in shifts. Don't Touch the Snail is coming to Steam on May 29, which is only two weeks away. We don't have a price, but it's expected to be low given the nature of the game. Reports have indicated it'll cost $1."

A dark idle clicker centers on a persistent snail that chases the mouse cursor on the desktop. Remaining idle too long allows the snail to catch up, ending the game permanently. The game is framed as anti-cozy because survival depends on continuous cursor movement. Opening the game changes the snail’s behavior so it becomes friendly and stops following the cursor. Skins and decorations can be applied after unlocking them. Achievements exist, and failing early can lock them. The fail state is recorded locally and also through the company’s backend to prevent bypassing by clearing local data. A beta build includes a leaderboard of living and dead players, with long survival times reported. The game is scheduled for Steam release on May 29, with an expected low price around $1.

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