Flipping Death

Flipping Death, developed by Zoink Games and published by Rising Star Games, is a quirky narrative-driven puzzle-platformer that thrives on its offbeat humor, distinctive art style, and inventive gameplay mechanics. Released on Steam in 2018, the game offers a unique take on the afterlife, casting players as a reluctant stand-in for Death. From its opening moments, Flipping Death presents itself as an unusual and colorful experience, full of dark comedy and whimsical storytelling, and it mostly delivers on that promise through its creative level design and vibrant, personality-filled world.
The story follows Penny Doewood, a young woman who dies under mysterious (and hilariously mundane) circumstances and finds herself in the spectral town of Flatwood Peaks. Through a bizarre clerical mix-up, she temporarily becomes Death, complete with a scythe and the ability to traverse between the world of the dead and the living. This “flipping” mechanic is the game’s central hook, allowing Penny to swap between realms at designated points. In the land of the living, she possesses various characters to solve puzzles, each with their own unique abilities and perspectives. In the world of the dead, she interacts with ghostly figures, gathering clues and advancing the overarching mystery of her own demise.
Gameplay in Flipping Death is primarily puzzle-based, with light platforming elements woven throughout. The puzzles hinge on using the possession mechanic creatively—each living character Penny can possess has a particular trait or skill, often exaggerated for comedic effect. One might vomit uncontrollably, while another can swing from poles with reckless abandon. These abilities become tools to navigate increasingly elaborate objectives, requiring players to piece together the correct sequence of possessions and actions. While the puzzle design is generally clever and encourages experimentation, it can occasionally become obtuse, particularly when a solution hinges on a very specific interaction that feels slightly disconnected from the rest of the logic. However, the game's generous checkpointing and low-pressure pacing make these moments more of a temporary hiccup than a real frustration.
The art style is one of Flipping Death's most immediately striking features. Designed in a distinctive 2.5D, papercraft-like aesthetic, the world looks like a gothic storybook come to life. Characters are elongated, exaggerated, and vibrantly colored, each oozing with personality. The animation style is deliberately jerky and stylized, reminiscent of paper dolls being manipulated on strings, which gives the entire game a handmade feel. This visual identity pairs perfectly with the game’s writing, which is filled with dry wit, silly puns, and absurdist humor. Every line of dialogue feels intentionally weird, and most characters border on caricatures, but that’s exactly the tone the game is going for. The result is a world that feels consistently entertaining to explore, even when you’re retracing your steps or backtracking to complete objectives.
Voice acting is another standout element. Every character is fully voiced, often by a small cast of actors playing multiple roles, and the performances are uniformly excellent. The humor relies heavily on timing and delivery, and the actors bring a great deal of life and charm to even the briefest interactions. Combined with the bouncy, cartoonish soundtrack, the audio design enhances the game’s sense of character and keeps the energy high throughout the journey. This commitment to personality elevates what might otherwise be a standard puzzle-platformer into something memorable and distinct.
Despite all of its strengths, Flipping Death does have some rough edges. The platforming, while serviceable, occasionally feels floaty or imprecise, especially in segments that require tight jumps or quick timing. While platforming isn't the game’s primary focus, there are enough traversal sections to make the somewhat clunky movement noticeable. Additionally, the game’s pacing can feel uneven—some chapters breeze by in under 20 minutes, while others feel more bloated due to backtracking or the need to test multiple characters’ abilities in a trial-and-error manner. These issues don’t break the experience, but they do slightly detract from its otherwise polished presentation.
In terms of content, Flipping Death offers a decently long campaign, spanning several chapters, each with its own self-contained storylines that tie into the larger narrative arc. There's a light collectible element as well—players can uncover ghost cards that flesh out character backstories and offer extra layers of lore. These extras are entirely optional but add an incentive for exploration. However, the game is ultimately a one-and-done experience; once the puzzles are solved and the story complete, there's little reason to return beyond revisiting the humor or visual flair.
Ultimately, Flipping Death is a unique and thoroughly charming game that blends humor, puzzles, and story with a rare sense of personality and creative flair. While it may not appeal to players looking for tight platforming or ultra-challenging puzzles, it excels as a narrative experience that’s both funny and imaginative. Its visual and auditory presentation stand out in a crowded indie landscape, and its core mechanic—the flipping between life and death—offers enough variety to stay interesting across the game’s runtime. For those drawn to quirky storytelling, surreal characters, and inventive world-building, Flipping Death is an offbeat journey worth taking.
Rating: 8/10

Steam User 1

Reviewed last year

Very good puzzle game and funny too!
4/5 Stars from me.
Wait for sale.
Finished in 6.1 hours.
Encountered no bugs and no crashes.
Played on high settings at 1920/1080P at stable 60 fps.
Acer Nitro 15V gaming laptop with Ryzen 7, Geforce RTX 4060, 32 GB ram, SSD and Xbox One Controller.
Steam User 1

Reviewed last year

I loved stick it to the man. This game has the same awesome artwork, reminds me of Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride. The controls on PC are super clunky and I can barely navigate. Really makes it hard to enjoy. Still, super cute game, i may try it with a controller to see if it helps.
Steam User 0

Reviewed last year

AMAZINGGG 10/10
+super fun and chilled, no rush to complete it
+ hilarious story line and voice acting
+ hints available if you get stuck
+amazing game for the price, although I did get it on sale (still worth it without the sale price)
Steam User 0

Reviewed 5 weeks ago

Flipping Death, developed by Zoink Games and published by Rising Star Games, is a quirky narrative-driven puzzle-platformer that thrives on its offbeat humor, distinctive art style, and inventive gameplay mechanics. Released on Steam in 2018, the game offers a unique take on the afterlife, casting players as a reluctant stand-in for Death. From its opening moments, Flipping Death presents itself as an unusual and colorful experience, full of dark comedy and whimsical storytelling, and it mostly delivers on that promise through its creative level design and vibrant, personality-filled world.
The story follows Penny Doewood, a young woman who dies under mysterious (and hilariously mundane) circumstances and finds herself in the spectral town of Flatwood Peaks. Through a bizarre clerical mix-up, she temporarily becomes Death, complete with a scythe and the ability to traverse between the world of the dead and the living. This “flipping” mechanic is the game’s central hook, allowing Penny to swap between realms at designated points. In the land of the living, she possesses various characters to solve puzzles, each with their own unique abilities and perspectives. In the world of the dead, she interacts with ghostly figures, gathering clues and advancing the overarching mystery of her own demise.
Gameplay in Flipping Death is primarily puzzle-based, with light platforming elements woven throughout. The puzzles hinge on using the possession mechanic creatively—each living character Penny can possess has a particular trait or skill, often exaggerated for comedic effect. One might vomit uncontrollably, while another can swing from poles with reckless abandon. These abilities become tools to navigate increasingly elaborate objectives, requiring players to piece together the correct sequence of possessions and actions. While the puzzle design is generally clever and encourages experimentation, it can occasionally become obtuse, particularly when a solution hinges on a very specific interaction that feels slightly disconnected from the rest of the logic. However, the game's generous checkpointing and low-pressure pacing make these moments more of a temporary hiccup than a real frustration.
The art style is one of Flipping Death's most immediately striking features. Designed in a distinctive 2.5D, papercraft-like aesthetic, the world looks like a gothic storybook come to life. Characters are elongated, exaggerated, and vibrantly colored, each oozing with personality. The animation style is deliberately jerky and stylized, reminiscent of paper dolls being manipulated on strings, which gives the entire game a handmade feel. This visual identity pairs perfectly with the game’s writing, which is filled with dry wit, silly puns, and absurdist humor. Every line of dialogue feels intentionally weird, and most characters border on caricatures, but that’s exactly the tone the game is going for. The result is a world that feels consistently entertaining to explore, even when you’re retracing your steps or backtracking to complete objectives.
Voice acting is another standout element. Every character is fully voiced, often by a small cast of actors playing multiple roles, and the performances are uniformly excellent. The humor relies heavily on timing and delivery, and the actors bring a great deal of life and charm to even the briefest interactions. Combined with the bouncy, cartoonish soundtrack, the audio design enhances the game’s sense of character and keeps the energy high throughout the journey. This commitment to personality elevates what might otherwise be a standard puzzle-platformer into something memorable and distinct.
Despite all of its strengths, Flipping Death does have some rough edges. The platforming, while serviceable, occasionally feels floaty or imprecise, especially in segments that require tight jumps or quick timing. While platforming isn't the game’s primary focus, there are enough traversal sections to make the somewhat clunky movement noticeable. Additionally, the game’s pacing can feel uneven—some chapters breeze by in under 20 minutes, while others feel more bloated due to backtracking or the need to test multiple characters’ abilities in a trial-and-error manner. These issues don’t break the experience, but they do slightly detract from its otherwise polished presentation.
In terms of content, Flipping Death offers a decently long campaign, spanning several chapters, each with its own self-contained storylines that tie into the larger narrative arc. There's a light collectible element as well—players can uncover ghost cards that flesh out character backstories and offer extra layers of lore. These extras are entirely optional but add an incentive for exploration. However, the game is ultimately a one-and-done experience; once the puzzles are solved and the story complete, there's little reason to return beyond revisiting the humor or visual flair.
Ultimately, Flipping Death is a unique and thoroughly charming game that blends humor, puzzles, and story with a rare sense of personality and creative flair. While it may not appeal to players looking for tight platforming or ultra-challenging puzzles, it excels as a narrative experience that’s both funny and imaginative. Its visual and auditory presentation stand out in a crowded indie landscape, and its core mechanic—the flipping between life and death—offers enough variety to stay interesting across the game’s runtime. For those drawn to quirky storytelling, surreal characters, and inventive world-building, Flipping Death is an offbeat journey worth taking.
Rating: 8/10
Steam User 2

Reviewed last year

Very Very Tim Burtonish art
Good job to the developers!
Steam User 1

Reviewed last year

got this game on sale and it was 100% worth it. funny characters an intriguing storyline and unique gameplay. idk what else you could want from a game honestly
Steam User 1

Reviewed last year

It's a great game with a truly unique art style. :) Don't even hesitate and buy it. You'll have a good time playing it

Flipping Death

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