> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.killscreen.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# It all makes sense! Groundhog Day: The Movie was, in fact, a videogame
- URL: https://www.killscreen.com/it-all-makes-sense-groundhog-day-movie-was-fact-videogame/
- Published: 2013-02-01T20:30:19.000Z
- Updated: 2015-11-17T14:41:33.000Z
- Description: I make a point to watch Groundhog Day on the titular holiday, and I bet I’m not alone. This year, accentuate your viewing experience with the knowledge that Bill Murray was trying to level up all along. – – – The wiki tvtropes.org features a persuasive argument for Groundhog Day as a videogame. The
- Author: Jon Irwin
- Tags: News, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2024-07-26 09:39

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/25/84/2584b75d-4bd6-4cce-8259-f1d1c65abbb5/content/images/previously/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/groundhog.jpg)

I make a point to watch *[Groundhog Day](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/?ref%5F=sr%5F1&ref=killscreen.com)* on the titular holiday, and I bet I’m not alone. This year, accentuate your viewing experience with the knowledge that Bill Murray was trying to level up all along.

– – –

The wiki tvtropes.org features a persuasive [argument](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WMG/GroundhogDay?ref=killscreen.com) for *Groundhog Day* as a videogame. The evidence, forthwith:

> The player could end the loop at any time. He just wants to get the “[Good ending](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MultipleEndings?ref=killscreen.com)“, and keeps reloading the game at a save point (or possibly using save states). Like any player, he remembers his mistakes from last time and can try something different this time. Phil isn’t in a timeloop, it’s just the in-game explanation for why he can live the same day over and over and remember all previous iterations. The entire story is a massive case of [Save Scumming](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SaveScumming?ref=killscreen.com).

The conceit makes sense of Phil’s onslaught of self-death midway through the film, too. Dude was just creatively rage-quitting.

> This also explains the sudden burst of suicide. The player was probably frustrated by how hard the game was proving and engaged in a little therapeutic [cruelty](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/VideoGameCrueltyPotential?ref=killscreen.com) by ramming their character into every hazard they could think of.

Happy Groundhog Day \[tomorrow\], one and all.