1000 Deaths Review
1000 Deaths is a Pee-Wee’s Playhouse acid trip.
1000 Deaths. Credit: Pariah Interactive
1000 Deaths feels like what would happen if you fed Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Super Mario Galaxy, and ayahuasca in a blender, then left the result sitting in the sun to ferment before swimming in it. This 3D platformer from Pariah Interactive splits its time between challenging, gravity-bending levels and a branching narrative about colorful weirdos making life-altering decisions, creating something truly memorable.
1000 Deaths. Credit: Pariah Interactive
The game follows four strange characters through their entire lives, from childhood to death, as they navigate major life choices, spurred by the regrets of Vayu, a snouted, sharp-toothed creature with floating arms, who wonders what would have happened if she had followed her best friend Maxie, a flaming-red axolotl, when she went off to chase her dreams in Jollywood. You explore each character’s “headspace” as a retro television with legs and antenna—because of course you do—where you complete platforming challenges to unlock the crucial life decisions. Each of the decisions opens up a narrative branch that lets you guide characters like Vayu or Maxie. What if Vayu ran for mayor? What if robot Boga decided to chase his dream as a model kit building streamer? It’s incredibly goofy, but there's genuine heart underneath all the weirdness.
1000 Deaths. Credit: Pariah Interactive
The platforming reminds me of Super Mario Galaxy, where the center of gravity shifts between platforms. You'll run along curved walls to flip your sense of up and down, dash across spinning platforms, and navigate through twisty, bendy spaces. Each level is bite-sized, typically lasting anywhere from a few seconds to a minute once you understand the gimmick, but they pack surprising challenge into those short bursts.
Some platforming challenges border on unfair territory. In one particularly infuriating level, platforms disappear when you trip triggers, requiring either perfect knowledge of what would happen or expert use of "coyote time,” that brief window where you can still jump after leaving a platform, even when you're technically in mid-air. Some of these moments turn enjoyable challenges into exercises in frustration. The camera system doesn’t help matters, as wrestling with its angles while dealing with gravity shifts can be an obstacle in itself.
1000 Deaths. Credit: Pariah Interactive
What really sets 1000 Deaths apart is its completely bonkers visual identity. The game is a garishly colored acid trip world populated by walking hands, sentient squiggles, mysterious eyeball-headed beings in purple suits, and talking egg yolks. The video vignettes mixing claymation, 3D, and 2D animation styles create an aesthetic that's part Adult Swim cartoon, part experimental art project. It's visually arresting.
Performance varied wildly during my time playing the game on my Steam Deck. The platforming levels maintained smooth framerates, but the narrative exploration sections occasionally dipped as low as 10-15 fps. Thankfully, the story sections don’t require perfect input timing, so the game was still playable.
1000 Deaths. Credit: Pariah Interactive
The story mode with branching narrative leads to 12 different endings across three episodes. An arcade mode provides direct access to the nearly 50 platforming levels. It took me around 5 hours to see all the endings, though it could be a shorter experience for players who don’t get stuck on certain levels like I did.
1000 Deaths succeeds as an experimental piece; its mind-bending platforming and surreal weirdness create something memorable. I just wish it didn’t have so many frustrating bits.
1000 Deaths is available now on Steam.
Overall Score: 6/10
Played on: Steam Deck
