What Lies in the Multiverse is a 2D puzzle-platformer that really surprised me. Sometimes, when I have a few dollars worth of gold points left over in my Nintendo account, I hop onto the eShop and see what random game I can afford. Usually, I get one-off novelties or hilariously bad shovelware, but this time I actually got a charming little experience I'd recommend people check out.

The gameplay is based around swapping back and forth between different universes to traverse the world and solve puzzles. There are a number of different universes you can see throughout the game, and in addition to providing mechanics for traversal, it's also a lot of fun to see the little stories told exclusively through these universe swaps. You can see lovey-dovey couple in one universe, and then find that they're cruel and violent in another. Or perhaps a bustling city in one will be replaced by a more natural landscape in another. There's a decent variety across the game's runtime and I always look forward to seeing what came next. Plus, collectible artifacts scattered throughout the game encouraged exploration and further expanded on some of these micro-stories.

The plot of the game is nothing mind-blowing, but it did hit on some emotional beats and dark subject matter that I wasn't expecting. There were multiple moments that made me laugh out loud, with witty dialogue, dynamic sprite work, and funny sound cues to really bring up the charm factor. And the little cast of characters you get to know during your journey is very endearing. I will say that a decent amount of dialogue does feel a bit awkward in its phrasing. It looks like this game is originaly from a small indie studio in Chile, so I'm guessing this is just the result of limited resources for translation. It doesn't ruin the experiencd by any means, but it is noticeable.

Overall, this was a very pleasant surprise and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a lovely little story with some laughs, puzzles, and nice artwork.

The charm, humor, and creative exploits of shifting between parallel worlds will keep you riding well enough through this indie title. Even the story begins with enough intrigue and character personality to invest the player. Unfortunately, while shifting from moments of humor to somber morbidity in the latter half of the game, you grow tired of a narrative that feels the need to overcompensate. The game invests too much time trying to reach a dynamic altitude of emotions while mostly missing and dragging its heels along the way. At this point, the development of each character feels stagnant and underwhelming. The conclusion doesn't have much staying power and feels remotely unfinished/unrewarding. The gameplay and level design work well enough, but it's all pretty commonplace. The handful of levels where you lose your ability to shift between worlds are lacking in their execution. It's the game stripping you of some fun with boring puzzles and no abilities to entice creativity. On a positive note, the collectibles and hidden NPC moments are cute and well spread out. Also, the 8-bit artwork/design is solid, and there is legit anticipation for each chapter's feel. In the end I respected the developer's attempt and had some fun at the start with the mechanics and world building. Still, I don't have confidence I'll remember much about this title later down the road.