HomeVideo GamesPAX EAST 2023 | "Amanda the Adventurer"

PAX EAST 2023 | "Amanda the Adventurer"

PAX EAST 2023 | "Amanda the Adventurer"

Were children’s television shows more disturbing than we remember? Thinking back to stuff like H.R. Pufnstuf and The Great Space Coaster, the characters showcased there were legit creepy. It’s this aspect that makes MANGLEDmaw Games’s Amanda the Adventure the kind of thing that would’ve gotten past any family advisory board back in the day. But when rewatching the old footage, perhaps maybe they shouldn’t have?

The PAX East demo showcased at Dread XP offered a small taste of what to expect from the entire game. You’re in an attic, surrounded by toys from your past. Towards the end of the attic is a TV/VHS player, with a lone video tape. Putting it in, a “classic” episode of Amanda the Adventurer starts playing. Our titular character is teaching viewers how to bake an apple pie, with her cohost Wooly sheepishly sharing his worries about sharp objects and hot ovens.

While watching the video, some interactive elements start to happen. You type in answers to what can be used to cut apples, and even share with Amanda your favorite kind of pie. But once it’s over, a new puzzle element begins, where a toy oven sits in front of you with ingredients. After putting the right pieces together and setting the proper time and temperature, you’re greeted with another video tape.

It’s when you watch the other tape where the real soul (or lack of one) is revealed. The tape stutters, Wooly is hurt, and there’s a lot of blood. That’s when something loud starts knocking at the attic door. And what popped out left me shouting plenty of panicky obscenities!

Thankfully, that’s where the demo ended. Unfortunately, even with me being terrified, it still makes me want to see what happens next. This is the kind of horror I absolutely love, where something lighthearted from one’s childhood transforms into something dark and terrifying. My only hope is that Wooly is okay. (Will I be able to hug the poor sheep sometime in this game?)

Amanda the Adventure has no set release date. But once it hits the airwaves, I’m certain there will be many cries from its observers. Whether they’re tears of joy or horror remains to be seen…

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The J-POP king of America, Evan has been bringing the hottest sounds of the Land of the Rising Sun to the English-speaking public since his college radio days. He's also an expert in the gaming, anime, & manga realms, never afraid to get critical when the times call for it. Born & bred in Boston, he achieved his biggest dream yet by making the big move to Tokyo, Japan in Summer 2023! For personal inquiries, contact Evan at evan@b3crew.com. For press/band inquiries, write to us at thebastards@bostonbastardbrigade.com. (Drawing by AFLM of Wicked Anime)