Endeavor
Endeavor is a game about a dwarf trying to uncover an ancient secret. Or maybe it's about exploring, climbing, and swimming. Or perhaps it's about collecting powerups and treasure. Or possibly it's just about killing things. In this platformer-style puzzle adventure flash game, a dwarf who appears to be even smaller than his fellow dwarves falls off of his mountain and into a Magical Land called A'jele. Upon his descent, he is encountered by a deity named Malor, asking him for a little favor. That being to collect all of ten (or eleven if the player feels like being an over achiever) gems so that Malor is given enough power to send the little dwarf back home, which seems to be the only way to ascend.
Tropes used in Endeavor include:
- Big Bad: Malor.
- Collection Sidequest: Can you step on all the flowers?
- Compelling Voice: Malor.
- Fetch Quest: Collecting the gems for Malor.
- Fridge Logic / Fridge Horror: Killing inhabitants give you +1 endurance points. These are probably their souls/life force. Their souls provide you with a bigger endurance bar.
- When the hero discovers he's been helping the villain all along. Fridge Horror ensues.
- Golden Ending: Requires some cleverness.
- It's All Upstairs From Here: Along the way back up to your mountain.
- Metroidvania: The only thing stopping you from exploring is a lack of powerups.
- Mineral MacGuffin: The ten (really eleven) gems.
- Multiple Endings: Pawn, Savage and Hero.
- Our Dwarves Are All the Same: Natch.
- Oxygen Meter: the same bar as the Sprint Meter. Getting the Flippers lets you swim for much longer.
- Power-Up
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Malor.
- Secret Circle of Secrets: The "Deep One"'s following.
- Shout-Out: Possibly one to Shadow of the Colossus, as it also accentuates the sheer massive size of the land of A'jele compared to the dwarf.
- Super Not-Drowning Skills: When you don't have the flippers, all the little dwarf does is float at the top.
- Hub Level: Eventually, Malor's shrine becomes this once you collect all of the gems.
- The Maze: The dreaded underground maze level in which you find a gem and the parachute item.
- Unwitting Pawn: The naive dwarf who collects all ten (or even eleven) gems for Malor and ends up with the Pawn ending.
- Video Game Cruelty Potential: Killing A'jele's inhabitants with the lightning power. If you kill enough inhabitants, then you get the "Savage" ending.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Possibly one from the hero to himself after he just realizes that he's been helping the evil deity back to power all along.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Malor uses this to try to coax the dwarf into restoring his power.