The Nerdy Type

I’m usually averse to games that make me repeat moments repeatedly. It’s why I have a hard time with roguelikes and lites. But if you add a heaping pile of tongue-in-cheek humor into the mix, it’s a little too easy to grab my attention. For this reason, among many, MultiEnding Heroes has quickly earned a place in my heart. 

MultiEnding Heroes is a game currently in development by NicoDiti. It’s part pixel RPG-esque adventure, part roguelite, part choose-your-own-adventure story, and completely addictive thanks to the endings you need to collect. 

Adventure, rinse, repeat

The concept of MultiEnding Heroes is most similar, in my mind, to one of the old-school choose-your-own-adventure books that I spent so much time reading as a child, and I think that’s why it appeals to me despite the repetitiveness. You set out on an adventure and are given a choice of where to go next at regular intervals, with each different choice leading to a new and potentially bizarre ending. 

Every time you get a new ending, you retain the knowledge of experience gained during the previous attempt. This allows you, playing as the priest, to unlock or upgrade your skills. You can increase how much health you provide with healing spells or unlock new attacks and skills, all of which allow you to do slightly better the next time around. 

There are 50 potential endings to reach, some of which are stranger than others. So far I’ve found myself held captive by a gun-toting goblin who also seems to be a terrible salesperson, watched on passively as the hero died in front of me, and even had to run back into town for a quick toilet break, therefore ending the adventure prematurely.

And all of that in under an hour of playing, so I’ve barely scratched the surface, here.

You also have an inventory, which is just a cardboard box where all of your purchased or found items are collected. Like your knowledge and experience, these items carry over to any runs that you make in future, so collecting things as you go is always worth it. 

Humble beginnings

As with many indie games, this one started as a game jam project back in 2016. With just 48 hours to come up with something that followed a “you’re not the hero” theme, NicoDiti created the original concept for what MultiEnding Heroes has since become. 

With the idea cemented in his mind, the developer went on to add a huge number of endings to discover, improved combat, and added some puzzles as a nod to his love for point-and-click adventures. This last addition is also evident in having the ability to talk to the enemies you’re supposed to be fighting. Doing so doesn’t often get you anywhere, but there are occasional moments when a quick conversation can unlock a whole new ending. 

Characterization is key

I’m not going to lie to you, the characters aren’t exactly lovable, at least not in a traditional sense. They remind me of my daughter on her worst days, full of sass and far too much misplaced confidence, but they’re also weirdly relatable, even if you don’t like them sometimes. They’re just a couple of brash kids who think they’re better than they are, repeatedly getting their asses handed to them in a variety of weird and whacky ways. 

There’s a lot of humor between the two main characters, the hero and the priest. With you playing as the priest, you’re expected to just put up with the sass coming from the hero, but you’re also responsible for his healing. If he gets too arrogant, which he often does, you can always choose to just let him die. You’ll always get the “hero is dead” ending that way, but I have to admit, it’s kind of satisfying to walk away from his corpse after he gets too smug.

There’s also a lot of humor with the enemies you meet along the way, including the previously mentioned pimp goblin with his gun who traps you inside two cages if you try to take his money. If you choose to talk to the enemies, there are some particularly inspired voice lines, but also a lot of begging not to be killed. 

MultiEnding Heroes does not have a full release date yet, but there’s a demo available to download and play via Steam. It might take you a while to unlock all of the different endings that are currently available, but you’ll have a great time earning them.