Adventure Islands is one of the most prolific mobile game developers of this decade. However, the studio has been laying low for the past few years, leaving many to lament its absence. Luckily, it has now made a comeback with Total Party Kill, and boy what a comeback it is!
This outstanding puzzler/platformer feels like it combines all the best elements of Adventure Islands’ other hits. The platforming challenges of Tiny Dangerous Dungeons, the mechanics from Heart Star as well as Duke Dashington are all here, with some innovations of its own added into the mix.
Total Party Kill Gameplay
At first glance, you might think this is just a watered down version of Trine, and that’s totally understandable. The similarities are clearly there: You’ll be controlling a party of 3 characters: A Knight, a Wizard, and an Archer, each with their own abilities. But then the unique mechanic of Total Party Kill presents itself: As its title suggests, this game requires you to purposefully kill off your characters in order to make it to the end of the dungeon.
Total Party Kill is an extremely smart puzzler
Utilizing this innovative mechanic, and your creativity, you’ll have to overcome a wide variety of puzzles. While the early levels are pretty straightforward – designed to give you an idea of what you’re dealing with here – the difficulty quickly ramps up, pushing you to your limits.
In order to overcome these challenges, you’ll have to make the most use out of your characters. For example, there’s one stage that requires you to use the Wizard to freeze the Archer, and then have the Knight knock him through a bed of spikes to create a platform for you to jump on and get to the door.
The best part about Total Party Kill is that it’ll continue to surprise you right as you thought you’d seen everything. Honestly, it’s a wonder that Adventure Islands has managed to squeeze out so many different mechanics out of such a simple move set. The sheer creativity on offer here is just astounding.
All in all, our only complaint with Total Party Kill is that there isn’t more of it. It’s the perfect mobile game: You can enjoy it during the few minutes of free time you have between classes or waiting for the bus, or you can sit down and immerse yourself in it for hours. If you haven’t got this game already, it’s highly recommended that you do so right now!