One switch is an ending trap, one releases a trap (and another ending) and one might have something useful inside. Maybe…

And… here we go! Once again, it’s off to rescue a Princess from a demon’s well-guarded castle, but this time, I’m dying laughing thanks to the game I’m playing tossing many unexpected curve balls my way. Welcome to Reventure ($9.99), Pixellato’s fun and intense side-scrolling homage to among other games, The Legend of Zelda series, but with 100 endings to discover.

Most are abrupt surprises that send your character back to square one within a few minutes of play, but time is weirdly and intentionally presented here, so an outcome may send your hero into the distant future or later the same day. It all depends on the ending you get, and it’s very possible to drop a few hours here just exploring and figuring out the seemingly simple map that holds a lot of secrets (and quite a few traps). While that may sound boring to some, it makes for some downright hilarious moments based on your choices. That said, the game can also be (also intentionally) confusing to those who expect a straightforward speedrun or other type of one-note platformer.

Don’t be a cheater and look up the endings online, as a good deal of fun will be lost.[/caption]

As you play, it becomes quite apparent that the game has interesting (and logical, by its logic, at least) rules to at least some things, such as carrying too much weight (a bad ending) not having a chicken helper (another bad ending). and not having a way to escape some situations (a few more endings). I accidentally found the princess on one play early on, but (duh!) my curiosity in one area while escorting her from the castle fused the two of us together, creating a new character (and netting an ending in the process, of course). The game keeps a list of your attempts and the vague clues you’ll find from time to time (which reveal more endings!). If you’re planning to find some others (or run into them in your travels), the game lets you do so, so think both inside as well as outside the box as you go.

You can also spawn assorted variants of the hero and use them as skins for future plays or continue with that hero (or a relative, or a chicken, or whatever), starting off in the same house you began in. At least that Legendary Sword eventually moves to the easiest spot in the game so you don’t have to go get it unless you’re also getting that chicken for its flight power in some runs where it helps. Amusingly, a few old strategies will cause other endings on some occasions (you’ll discover on using it too many times that a certain cannon has a 5% failure rate), while you can net other endings by simple mistakes (I accidentally stabbed a boulder with my sword, only to find out it was sentient! (or is it sapient? Ending get!)

Nope, no Princess here. She’s not too far away, though. I think…

There are also color options available if you look carefully, a less intense casual mode that eliminates some of the gorier demises, and a few other features. As noted earlier, this is a pretty packed game here if you’re willing to spend the time. Granted, that element of surprise may keep some impatient ones from discovering every secret, but it’s their call if they want to spoil what’s here by a simple poke at the internet for a few seconds. They’ll be missing a lot with a fast solution, that’s for sure. Me, I’m in the middle of a run, know where the Princess is and after many attempts, think I have a clear path out of the castle. Well. let’s just see how many endings I get before I get her out. I have the feeling a few more endings await and I don’t mind at all even though I’m quite a ways through most of them…

One of these days we’ll get that Princess. Very likely soon, as I have a backlog to tackle. Oh, get this game, by the way. It’s great stuff and something that will surprise you often if you let it.

Score: A (90%)

-Review code provided by the publisher