Mentula Macanus: Apocolocyntosis

I genuinely have no interest in playing through some dude's Google search results for 'classical literature and history' and 'bad porn scripts'.

That this is highly regarded is a testament to the lack of quality in the genre.

This game has the greatest ending I've ever seen!

Yes, we all know that this game displays a depth of knowledge about the culture, politics, and architecture of ancient Rome that rivals that of I Claudius or The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. We all know that.

What you might not know, is that Apocolocyntosis has the most epic, bad-ass, awesome ending I have ever seen. It's truly inspired. Promise me right now that you will play this game until you reach the end!

With any other game, I would be worried that I've over-hyped the ending for you and I might have ruined it for you by setting your expectations too high, but I don't think that's possible with Apocolocyntosis.

From beginning to end, this game is surprisingly debauched in a fun, ribald sort of way. There was way too much graphic gay sex for my taste, but I guess there's no accounting for taste...

The puzzles can be frustrating at times, but don't let that ruin the fun. Just use a walkthrough if you need to because you MUST play this one all the way through to the end!

Brace yourself for adventure, absurdity, and pumpkins.

Mentula Macanus is an absurdist epic that requires extensive mapping and saving, can be frustrating and sparsely implemented at times, but ultimately never fails to delight your inner highbrow with the ridiculous and paradoxical.

Puzzles and story are somewhat linear; the real meat is in its brilliant black humor and totally unexpected moments of profundity. The most rewarding moments leave you truly flabbergasted by obscure references that you didn't think anyone else could possibly understand. Not many games have made me laugh out loud, but this one did.

Play this for its humor, not its puzzles; take your time with it and allow it to exercise your patience; and above all don't take it seriously - you will be richly rewarded.