The Messenger
2018
- platform
- adventure
- indie
- arcade
- action
- comedy
- single player
The story
As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan's survival. Leveraging players expectations as a core game design ingredient, The Messenger is first presented as an 8-bit action platformer with a simple story, that unravels into an epic time traveling tale, eventually revealing itself as a 16-bit Metroidvania game packed with replay value and deadpan humor.
What it’s like
Bright 8-bit pixel art in saturated blues, reds and sunset oranges, with chunky sprites and clean, readable silhouettes, and a chiptune soundtrack that shifts from brisk NES-style pulses to richer, fuller arrangements once the game reveals its scale. The mood starts as earnest retro adventure and turns playful and self-aware, with dry, deadpan jokes landing between bouts of precise platforming through bamboo forests, shrines, and fiery caverns. Quick, responsive movement and a tight, bouncy rhythm of jumps and sword combos make it feel physical in the hands, while the pacing settles into a backtracking, exploratory flow as the map opens up. Intensity is moderate: stylised combat with cartoonish enemies, some demons and creatures, no gore, and the stakes stay light even when the story gets dramatic. Brief bursts of frustration come from demanding jumps and tough boss encounters rather than from fear or cruelty. Best for players who love challenging retro platforming, enjoy a playful genre-bending story, and want a replayable, humorous action adventure with a nostalgic sense of style.
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