Bad End Theater is low-key cruel, and I absolutely adore it. Right from the start, the game tells you there are no good endings. Searching for one is hopeless. And yet, you can’t help but try anyway, clinging to the tiniest sliver of hope, only to be met with disappointment again and again.

The storytelling here is so good. Juggling multiple perspectives, twisting the narrative like a puzzle, and watching as every little decision cascades into disaster. What seems like a justified choice from one character’s view might be a heartbreaking betrayal from another. You’re constantly rethinking everything, piecing together the truth from different angles, and realizing just how much perspective changes everything. Each new bad ending isn’t just another failure - it’s a doorway to even more opportunities.

I cannot recommend Bad End Theater enough. If you love narrative games, intricate choices, and a healthy dose of despair, you’ll love every second of it.

It was a nice experience until the true bad ending (which was perfectly fine imo). After that it went downhill with really bad 4th wall breaking and a general teen fanfiction vibe (developer self-insert included).
I have mixed feelings about this game - it was like a good meal that resulted in an acid reflux. Also, it takes less than 2h to 100% and sells itself as much deeper than it actually is.

This is a short, sweet RenPy visual novel about four characters in a fantasy setting: the Hero, the Maiden, the Underling, and the Overlord. You play the role of "director" and guide them all along a story path of your choosing. Depending on which options you've chosen, you can get up to 41 endings, plus a few secret endings that become available in the endgame.

I had a lovely time playing BAD END THEATER, and I'd recommend picking it up... but there is one caveat: the creator herself.

After I 100% cleared this game, I learned the developer had got herself into some controversy. To spare you the headache, it's more complicated than most controversies of this nature. I don't think the dev is an irredeemable monster or anything, just flawed. With some better communication on her part, she might never have got herself into that mess.

Just, uh, don't cancel me in 10 years because I enjoyed her game. Got it?