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[thefoolishbrave]

To the point, I've wondered about having multiple ending in my current dev, however personally, I never really like this to be a thing in games because it keeps me from feeling like there is a TRUE ending. Even when I play a game I like with multiple endings I just end up watching the other endings on YouTube once I beat it myself.

I know games are games but I like feeling the characters I get attached to have a destiny, and that they aren't characters we pull the puppet strings for to adjust their fates to our liking.

When Spike died at the end of Cowboy Bebop, I hated it of course, but it was his true fate. Being able to watch it a second time where he lived would have made it feel... lacking in closure.

However, games continue to get released with multiple endings so I'm wondering how people feel about it? Do you genuinely like it when your character has no "true fate"? Or is it a replayability thing? I guess since this is my creation I feel a bit differently about it, I can decide personally what I want the true ending to be and still create multiple endings if it's something people really love, but I suppose I have to rely on you guys for an idea of that

[Squire Grooktook]

It depends on the type of game, I can kinda go either way.

Games with a more classical narrative structure, where characters have defined personalities and arcs, I think I prefer a definite ending. Multiple endings don't necessarily put me off, though.

In a game with a more open, narrative-lite structure where the player is asked to imagine events and personalities themselves, I think multiple endings feels slightly more intuitive since the player is telling their own story. It's more of a 50/50 choice here.

[Lares Yamoir]

Multiple Endings are good, different routes are better!
In my opinion branching narrative is often times a plus, because games are interactive and not every interaction should lead to the same result.
However, not every game needs this. Multiple endings won't save or break a game, especially if it's focus is more on the mechanics, rather than the narrative.

[litHermit]

I like multiple endings. My character's "true fate" is the one I encounter on my first play-through. It's the one that will have the biggest emotional impact and get stuck in my memory because (usually) my choices led there.

I also watch alternative endings on YouTube, but to me this doesn't diminish the subjective value of the ending I choose, just shows alternative could-have-been's-but-never-will.

I also like definitive endings in stories. It should depend on the story you want to tell whether you should have a single ending or multi. I'd cater to the story and the "point I'm trying to get across" rather than the audience.

[thefoolishbrave]

So far the consensus is like for multiple endings, of course 3 replies is hardly a study but it was enough to broaden my perspective. I do like the idea of the TRUE ending being the real ending, however if I played through a game and the main character died at the end due to my choices and there was an ending where they lived, in my mind I'd probably want and tell myself that is the true ending, so in a way I do feel like it gives less wait to the one I achieved the first time. I guess I always want the happy good ending to be the best one.

On the same ticket I can see what you mean about choices leading to different paths, like I'm not gonna go shoot someone but there is a reality that I could totally have transpire if I did, so in that sense it's kinda cool from a "what if" stand point... In any case, I would probably not focus on multiple endings until I finished a first ending for my game to keep scope in check and all so I suppose time will tell!

[Schoq]

every time you died in a game you explored an alternate ending where the hero didn't make it


makes u think

[DireLogomachist]

I like it if it actually gives me new content.

Forcing me to play through the whole game again just to get a slight tweak to the very end irks me to no end.

[s0]

I never feel like multiple endings in games are actually that meaningful. Usually it's clear what the "canon" ending is, either because the game has a sequel or because the endings are tiered from worst to best, and getting another ending simply feels like a failure to achieve the correct ending, rather than a real alternate story branch. In any case, it really undermines the narrative impact of a "bad" ending when you can just go back and "improve" the outcome imo.

Just my two cents

[ThemsAllTook]

every time you died in a game you explored an alternate ending where the hero didn't make it


makes u think

I've played a couple of games recently where death isn't really a normal game mechanic, but under special circumstances, you can actually die and trigger an early credits sequence. I've liked this a lot. It gives it a lot more impact when it's not something that just casually happens as part of everyday gameplay. I'd mention game names, but that would spoil the surprise.

[ProgramGamer]

I've played one game like that too. Sometimes it happens near an automaton.

[Schoq]

I always liked the lavos game over in chrono trigger

[Superb Joe]

the only time i liked it was in nier automata where it was used to breed familiarity with characters before then allowing the story to progress for a final time by annihilating them

[s0]

hot take: near a tomato is actually a parody of the multiple endings thing

[ProgramGamer]

Gets flashbacks from final ending shmup sequence

[Schoq]

oh I guess this is the thread to brag about how I found the best ending in cave story without looking anything up

[Superb Joe]

hot take: near a tomato is actually a parody of the multiple endings thing

the large amount of joke endings makes me think yeah

[The Armorman]

ESPECIALLY love alternate endings completely dictated by a single arbitrary choice in the mid point or right before the climax of the game.

[Superb Joe]

ESPECIALLY love alternate endings completely dictated by a single arbitrary choice in the mid point or right before the climax of the game.

what about silent hill where it was all completely opaque criteria

[The Armorman]

love because it means you and the goon loser you play videogames with might end up with two different experiences

[truewarrior]

Hmmm i don't mind it. I'm unlikely to play a game over again just to see a different ending, but it's kinda cool that people can get a diff ending depending on how they play.