Cliché Adventure

Cliché Adventure is a top-down action-adventure game set in a fantasy world, featuring an open environment with five unique regions connected by a hub world. Players can explore overworlds, cave systems, and temples in single-player or co-op mode, battling six main bosses and twenty mini-bosses while collecting the five Doodads of Destiny to unlock the final boss fight. The game includes a museum mechanic where frozen monsters can be collected to unlock a golden hero sword, and a New Game+ mode for replaying with upgraded gear.

Cliché Adventure: Review

Introduction

In the pantheon of indie games, few titles embrace their own absurdity with such gleeful abandon as Cliché Adventure. Released on August 2, 2021, this $2.99 Steam exclusive from solo developer Taylor Robinson is a love letter to the most overused tropes of fantasy RPGs. It’s a game where the hero is literally named Protagonist, his villainous brother is named Antagonist, and the kidnapped princess is, of course, Princess Damsel. Yet, beneath this self-aware satire lies a surprisingly ambitious open-world action-adventure that channels the spirit of 80s dungeon crawlers while adding modern twists. Despite its niche status and modest critical reception, Cliché Adventure deserves recognition as a charming, if flawed, experiment in blending nostalgia with meta-humor. This review will dissect its development, dissect its mechanics and narrative, and evaluate its place in gaming history.

Development History & Context

Cliché Adventure is the brainchild of Taylor Robinson, a solo developer working within the constraints of the GameMaker engine—a tool known for empowering small teams to create polished, 2D experiences. Released during a transformative period for indie games (post-2020, where Steam’s market was saturated with low-budget projects), the game emerged as an unorthodox contender. Its development was likely fueled by a dual vision: to pay homage to classic top-down adventures like The Legend of Zelda and Gauntlet while satirizing their most predictable elements.

Technologically, GameMaker allowed Robinson to implement the game’s diagonal-down perspective and direct control interface without the overhead of AAA engines. This choice enabled a pixel-art aesthetic that evokes 16-bit classics but lacks the visual polish of contemporaries like Hollow Knight. The release date of August 2021 positioned the game amid a flood of indie RPGs, but its unique blend of co-op, local PvP, and museum-collecting mechanics set it apart. Remarkably, Robinson handled all aspects—from programming to publishing—reflecting a modern trend of solo developers leveraging Steam’s ecosystem to reach global audiences. The absence of a publisher allowed for creative freedom but also limited marketing reach, contributing to its obscurity.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The narrative of Cliché Adventure is a masterclass in self-parody. As Protag, players embark on a quest to rescue Princess Damsel from her brother, the “vile wizard Antag,” whose only distinguishing trait beyond evil is being “much more handsome and talented.” This setup is delivered with fourth-wall-breaking flair: the opening monologue explicitly questions if the player might “give up” to binge-watch a fictional anime (Super Plump Ninjas #5), acknowledging the tedium of repetitive questing. The game’s meta-humor extends to its dialogue, which lampoons RPG tropes through characters like a princess who might “friend-zone” the hero and a brother who taunts about his superior talents.

Thematicly, the game explores the futility of heroism through its “Doodads of Destiny”—five MacGuffins required to confront Antag. Collecting these doodads mirrors the mindless fetch quests that plague many RPGs, but the game frames this as a deliberate commentary on genre expectations. The museum mechanic, where players freeze and catalog monsters, adds a layer of absurdity: collecting “one of each” creature to unlock a “fabulous golden hero sword” that “one-shots anything” satirizes completionism. Even the final boss fight, where Antag throws princesses at the player, is a surreal twist on “save the damsel” tropes. The narrative’s strength lies in its willingness to be ridiculous, using clichés not just as content but as a lens to critique gaming conventions.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Cliché Adventure’s core loop is an open-world dungeon crawl with remarkable structural flexibility. Five distinct regions—each comprising an overworld, cave system, and temple—are accessible from a hub world. Temples can be completed in any order, a design choice that echoes The Legend of Zelda but lacks the organic interconnectedness of that series. Exploration is rewarding, with 20 mini-bosses and six main bosses offering incremental challenge. Combat is straightforward top-down action: slash, dodge, and use spells like “ice” (for freezing monsters) or “blast” (later patched for accuracy). However, the combat lacks depth, with enemies often serving as damage sponges rather than strategic foes.

Progression revolves around gold for respawns and gear upgrades, though a community thread highlights a flaw: limited gold sources can bottleneck late-game progression. The museum system adds a compelling collectathon layer, encouraging players to hunt down every monster. The “reset switch” in the graveyard is a clever meta-feature, allowing NG+ runs with retained upgrades—a rarity in indie titles. Multiplayer options (local co-op, split-screen PvP) are functional but underutilized; the shared-screen co-op works well for casual play but lacks the polish of dedicated co-op games like It Takes Two. UI is minimalist but functional, with a direct control scheme that prioritizes accessibility over complexity.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Cliché Adventure’s world is a pastiche of fantasy clichés: sacred temples, eerie graveyards, and monster-filled caves. Each region feels distinct in theme but visually repetitive due to the pixel-art style. The art direction leans into retro charm, with environments that evoke 8-bit classics but lack the detail of modern indies. Character designs are intentionally generic—Protag in his heroic tunic, Antag in his dark robes—reinforcing the game’s satirical tone. Sound design is sparse but effective, with upbeat chiptunes for exploration and dramatic themes for boss fights. The absence of voice acting is noticeable, but the written dialogue compensates with witty, self-aware lines.

Atmosphere is built through juxtaposition: the whimsical hub world contrasts with the grim temples, and the humorous narrative contrasts with punishing boss fights. This tonal dissonance creates an unique identity—part parody, part homage. The ice spell’s visual effect (freezing enemies in crystal) is a standout, turning mundane combat into a playful spectacle. While the world isn’t expansive, its interconnectedness (temple gates linked to the hub) provides a satisfying sense of discovery. The museum, in particular, is a triumph of world-building, turning monster-hunting into a meaningful, thematically resonant activity.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, Cliché Adventure flew under the radar of major critics. Metacritic and OpenCritic show no aggregated scores, and IGN’s “Best Games of 2021” list omits it entirely. Its Steam page boasts only one user review—a negative one citing connectivity issues (“Not connected to Steam”). Community discussions on Steam reveal a small but dedicated fanbase, with players praising the co-op and museum mechanics while questioning late-game balance. The game’s price point ($2.99) and niche appeal limited commercial impact, but its legacy lies in its influence on the indie scene.

Robinson’s use of GameMaker demonstrated how solo developers could create feature-rich experiences, inspiring others to experiment with open-world design in constrained engines. The museum system, in particular, foreshadowed the collectivania trend seen in games like Tunic. Though not a commercial hit, Cliché Adventure preserved the spirit of 80s dungeon crawlers for a new generation, proving that humor could elevate low-budget production. Its legacy is thus twofold: a cult classic for its self-aware charm and a case study in indie sustainability.

Conclusion

Cliché Adventure is a paradox: a game that wears its flaws as badges of honor. Its narrative satire and museum mechanic are brilliant, while its combat and visual polish are mediocre. For $2.99, it offers a delightful, if brief, journey through a world that winks at every RPG trope it emulates. Taylor Robinson’s solo effort is a testament to the power of indie development—proof that passion can trump polish. While it may not dethrone genre giants, its legacy as a charming, self-aware curiosity ensures it won’t be forgotten. In a gaming landscape often obsessed with realism and spectacle, Cliché Adventure reminds us that sometimes, the greatest adventure is one that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Verdict: A flawed but endearing satire worth exploring for fans of retro RPGs and meta-humor.