The Adventure Pals

The Adventure Pals is an action platformer inspired equally by classic platformers and Saturday-morning cartoons. The setup is endearingly absurd: Mr. B is kidnapping old people and turning them into hot dogs, and your Papa is next. You, your pet rock Mr. Rock, and Sparkles the giraffe set out to save him.

Gameplay combines hand-crafted platforming levels with combat-focused arenas and town-based questing. Five distinct worlds each carry their own characters, quests, and challenges — helping a whale regain confidence, taking sides in the battle between toast and dinosaurs, voting in a Pirate election in a sunken city.

Combat uses Sparkles' helicopter-like tongue as a traversal and grappling tool (slow your fall, yank yourself to distant enemies for combo finishers, reach high platforms), with Mr. Rock providing literal stone-faced support and unlocking abilities through the campaign. You level up by defeating enemies, improving health, stab attacks, or rock-smashing.

The story is funny in a Cartoon Network 2010s register — bizarre but lovable cast, hilarious cutscenes, and a tone that takes the absurd premise seriously enough to make the platforming earnest. Solo or co-op for two players. From Massive Monster (Cult of the Lamb's pre-Lamb work), published by Armor Games.