The “Butterfly Effect” is a concept that gets played with in media pretty frequently. Not only did it spawn a franchise of films, but even franchises such as the Final Fantasy series have taken time-travel stories and utilized elements of it. 1000 Deaths takes the idea of choice and “cause and effect” and puts it in a platformer, but is it good? Well, let’s talk about that!

1000 Deaths is a platformer that plays around with gravity. In each level, you’ll solve various objectives. You might be collecting TVs or simply getting to the end of the level. Regardless, you’ll be utilizing various gravity mechanics like levels that loop around each other, or gravity-switching arrows. The levels have varying difficulties, but a few of them can really test your platforming skills.

The plot sort of revolves around four characters and follows their stories through their lives. At various points in their lives, you can make choices that lead to different branching levels and story paths. Of course, to see everything, you’ll have to go back to previous levels and make different choices.

The storyline in 1000 Deaths isn’t that impressive. The main draw is the Arcade mode, which has 45+ levels with a variety of platforming challenges. The storyline, however, really served to help me adjust to the platforming mechanics. It also helped to showcase how various challenges worked.

Certain hazards are hard to navigate with depth perception, and if you get hit once by a hazard, you have to start the level over. There are no hearts or health bars here, folks. Hardcore platforming enthusiasts will probably like that, but I found the controls to be a little floaty and the depth-perception issue to be annoying.

It also doesn’t help that while 1000 Deaths has a colorful, 90s-esque visual style, it is also very garish and abstract. The surreal visuals start interesting, but I couldn’t play longer than an hour or so at a time without my chronic migraines starting to kick up. Some folks may not have that problem, but it is something to make note of anyway.

Overall, 1000 Deaths is a decent enough platformer. The choice mechanics in the story mode are interesting, and the Arcade mode boasts a variety of challenges. However, I think games like Demon Turf, Ruffy and the Riverside, and A Hat in Time are better examples of solid Indie platformers.

A PC Review Copy of 1000 Deaths was provided by Pariah Interactive for the purposes of this review.

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1000 Deaths

$19.99 USD (placeholder for now)

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• Adult-Swim Aesthetic
• Unique Premise
• Interesting Platforming

Cons

• High Difficulty Ceiling
• Floaty controls
• Bland-ish story
• Backgrounds are harsh for people with migraines.