The video game ending is a fickle beast, especially when reaching one can feel like an exhausting, hours-long journey. Many players know the frustration of hearing that a game has multiple endings, but only ever mustering the energy and determination to see one, unwilling or unable to sink the time into another full playthrough. BAD END THEATER cleverly sidesteps this dilemma, offering the player all the endings they could ask for, quickly, creatively, and often hilariously.
Developed by NomnomNami and published by Serenity Forge, BAD END THEATER is a visual novel that lets the player experience all of the optional endings they’d typically miss in other games, without having to resort to YouTube walkthroughs and multiple replays. The structure is deceptively simple: the player chooses between four different characters, The Hero, The Maiden, The Underling, and The Overlord, whose stories are tightly intertwined. They read their tales, admire the game’s charming pixel art, and make binary choices that usually lead to… well, bad endings. Lots of them!
But here’s where it gets interesting. Each completed story unlocks new personality traits for the characters involved. For example, I started with the Damsel (Maiden), only to repeatedly watch her get eaten by a demon (The Underling), no matter what choice I made. Frustrating? At first. But then I realized I could change the demon’s personality, uncheck his “hungry” trait, and return to the Damsel’s story. Suddenly, she lived! This loop of modifying one character to affect another’s path is the real heart of the game.
What begins as a visual novel quickly morphs into a narrative puzzle game. Players aren’t just choosing outcomes; they’re manipulating the entire branching narrative structure. Think Until Dawn or The Quarry, but instead of being bound to a single playthrough, the player has godlike control over the whole decision tree. It’s a brilliant twist on the genre and a standout concept in interactive storytelling.
While I wish the game had more content or a deeper gameplay loop, I admire its creative design and self-aware humor. It feels like a meta-commentary on games themselves, especially those with convoluted “true endings” buried under dozens of hours of repetition. Here, players can see five endings in ten minutes and walk away satisfied. That’s not a lack of depth, it’s intentional design, and it is refreshing.
BAD END THEATER might be more of a thought experiment than a full-length epic gameplay experience, but it nails what it sets out to do. With its clever structure, endearing visuals, and sly tone, it’s a delightful introduction to visual novels, and the first one I’ve ever played. If it can get a skeptical gamer like me interested in an entire genre of games, then maybe that’s not such a bad ending after all.
Score: 7.5/10
A wonderful and unique visual novel that could use a bit more meat on its bones but still leaves a lasting impression.
BAD END THEATER is available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation, macOS, and Android
