Amanda the Adventurer 2

Amanda the Adventurer 2 is a fun adventure title that delivers solid puzzles, great performances and a nice mixture of dread and humor, but a few sloppy decisions and a lack of anything substantial in either the gameplay or story areas hold it back. Still, if you can get past those issues (and the first puzzle), there's a nice, quick romp through an eerie library here that's worth checking out. If nothing else, at least the true ending will leave fans properly hooked for more games to come.

I didn't think I needed another Amanda the Adventurer game in my life, but I am so glad Amanda the Adventurer 2 came along, as it successfully takes the core experience from the first game and progresses it further in meaningful ways.

Amanda the Adventurer 2 is a stellar sequel that avoids the "more of the same" trap. It intelligently expands on every single concept from the original, weaving a deeper, more complex mystery with genuinely challenging puzzles and a terrifyingly self-aware antagonist. It’s a must-play for fans of the first game and a strong recommendation for anyone who loves puzzle-horror, escape rooms, or just wants to see a children's cartoon go completely off the rails. MANGLEDmaw Games has created a fantastic bridge to the finale, and we're counting the days until Part 3. – Flare

Amanda the Adventurer 2 builds on the foundations of the first and again offers a short but strong experience. Puzzles seem smarter, with a slightly more polished presentation, along with a deeper dive into the lore. What I love about these games is that they encourage exploration with a bit of brain power. If you’re after a creepy indie horror title with great animations, puzzling and figuring things out, then it will be worth your while. I’ll likely be back in a year for the Xbox review of AtA3!

Amanda the Adventurer 2 is simply more of the same. Unfortunately, also in those aspects that needed improvement. Disappointingly, there's a step backwards in terms of the freedom to solve puzzles, and the horror layer is even less effective than before. Nevertheless, the analog atmosphere continues to impress, the puzzles manage to engage, and the story continues to effectively mess with your head. I had a good time, although I hope that with the third installment, the developers will finally decide to take some bold steps forward, instead of staying in the same safe position in which they were stuck after the success of the first.

Amanda the Adventurer 2 definitely has a distinctive core concept that I have not really seen in any other game—apart from its obvious predecessor. The “horror” could certainly be much more intense, and it would also be helpful if it were easier to get into the main gameplay experience more directly. Aside from that, however, this analog horror puzzle game already gets a lot right simply through its idea alone. I am hopeful that future entries will further refine and expand on this concept.

Amanda the Adventurer 2 is a unique horror experience that brilliantly flips beloved kids’ show tropes into unsettling territory. Its puzzles are occasionally too challenging, and the bugs need attention, but the overall experience is refreshingly creepy. Whether you’re here for the nostalgia, the horror, or the puzzles, Amanda’s adventure will leave a lasting impression. If you’re up for a test of patience and bravery, give it a go. For its bold concept, atmosphere, and nostalgia-tinged horror, Amanda the Adventurer 2 deserves a nod, bugs and all. And so I award it the Thumb Culture Gold Award.

Amanda the Adventurer 2 is an enjoyable sequel that maintains the eerie charm of the original game, even if some puzzles could be frustrating to solve. It’s bigger in scope, it offers more puzzles, and it maintains the clever sense of creativity from the first game, whilst I found myself more invested in both Riley’s investigation and the unsettling origins of the show with each new revelation revealed. It’s just a shame that there are a couple of frustrating puzzles in the mix, with the game giving a bad first impression with its first cryptic conundrum. When you get past that, though? Amanda the Adventurer 2 has plenty of creepy charm and is the perfect puzzler to play this Halloween season.

Amanda the Adventurer 2 is a great horror puzzle game to continue the series. Dripping with atmosphere if a little light on actual scares.