Ambidextro - Brain-Splitting Platformer

• DEVELOPER: Majorariatto
• PUBLISHER: Majorariatto
• PLATFORMS: PC
• GENRE: Precision platformer
• RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2025
• STARTING PRICE: 7,99 €
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

Ambidextro is a daring new game from Majorariatto, the Spanish indie studio behind Majotori and pureya – so expect something wild. Dubbed “a multiplayer game for one player,” it forces you to control two characters at once, one with each hand, across 100 tough, single-screen levels. With its retro dark fantasy style and dungeon synth soundtrack, this precision platformer isn’t just a game, it’s a brain-twisting coordination challenge unlike anything else.

Dual Control, Singular Pain

The setup sounds simple: a witch kidnaps the prince and princess, forcing you, the royal wizard, to split into two halves to rescue them. Now you control both at once: Left (yellow robe) with WASD and Right (purple robe) with arrow keys. Each level is a single-screen obstacle course of spikes, traps, and tricky jumps. Your mission is to guide both wizards to the exit before time runs out (20 seconds by default, or adjustable to 30).

The early levels are simple, jump Left over a pit, hop Right onto a ledge, but the challenge ramps up fast. By level 10, you’re dodging moving platforms with one wizard while nailing trampoline jumps with the other. Soon, you’ll face quantum platforms (solid or not at random), vanishing blocks, and leaps where both wizards must land in perfect sync or it’s game over. Tight controls demand pixel-perfect timing, making this a precision platformer at its finest. Quick restarts keep the pace, and after too many fails, the game offers to skip the level.

The game gets hard fast. At first, you learn to move each hand separately. But the real challenge is thinking about two paths, two dangers, and two timers at the same time. Winning feels amazing, finally beating a level after 20 tries is a great feeling. But losing hurts, especially when one small mistake, like bouncing wrong on a trampoline, kills both characters.

100 Levels of Skill-Breaking Tension

After playing a while, your shoulders might ache and your brain feel tired – that’s how intense it is. You can make it easier with settings like more time or different controls, but this isn’t a relaxed game. It’s made to test your skills, and it loves being tough. Progression is linear through 100 levels and there are no shortcuts. You can also earn achievements for finishing all levels or beating time limits. Right now, there’s no way to make or share custom levels, but the main game offers plenty of tough, rewarding challenges on its own.

Ambidextro leans hard into its retro aesthetic. The crisp 2D pixel art is evocative, yellow and purple wizards stand out against dark, medieval backdrops of stone and shadow. It’s minimalist yet effective, channeling NES-era charm with modern polish. Animations are smooth, prioritizing precision over flash. The soundtrack is a dungeon synth standout, with synthy chords and eerie melodies that amplify tension without overwhelming the gameplay. True to its retro ethos, there’s no voice acting.

However, the difficulty spikes can feel brutal and unforgiving, often catching you off guard. Short play sessions are ideal, but marathon runs can be mentally and physically exhausting. Surprisingly, this game might just work in multiplayer. Yes, it’s designed as a single-player experience, but grab a friend, and you can tackle it together. Coordination makes some sections far easier and faster than going solo.

You shouldn’t sleep on this game

Ambidextro is a niche platformer that doesn’t just test your reflexes, it rewires your brain. At $7.99, it’s a razor-sharp brutal ride, though its “torture museum” vibe won’t win over casual players. But for fans of precision platformers, or anyone hungry for a truly unique challenge, it’s a must-play game, cementing Majorariatto’s talent for crafting clever indies.

Review copy provided by the publisher

4.2