Amanda the Adventurer
A horror series about a sinister children's show and missing children.
Amanda the Adventurer is a puzzle horror video game series made by MANGLEDmaw Games and released by DreadXP. It takes some inspiration from the children's TV show Dora the Explorer. The story follows Riley Park, who tries to solve the dark mystery behind a fictional kids' program also called *Amanda the Adventurer*. The series began as a game jam project in April 2022 called the Pilot Episode. After DreadXP picked it up, it became a full game in April 2023. The series grew into a trilogy: *Amanda the Adventurer 2* came out in October 2024, and *Amanda the Adventurer 3* followed in November 2025.
**Gameplay** Across all six games, including demos, players solve puzzles and find VHS tapes that hold episodes of the children's show. While watching these tapes, players can talk to Amanda and her sheep friend Wooly, and these interactions can change the game world and lead to different endings. Players control Riley Park, a character without a specified gender, who is looking into the mystery of the show and the shady company Hameln Entertainment. Hidden tapes unlock secret endings, and every choice the player makes can affect how the story ends.
**Plot**
*Amanda the Adventurer (2023)* Riley Park gets a letter from their late Aunt Kate, who left them her house in Kensdale, Ohio, and mentions a VHS tape in the attic. When Riley arrives, they go up to the attic and find a tape of *Amanda the Adventurer*. The show started as a live-action public-access program before Hameln Entertainment bought it and turned it into a computer-animated cartoon. During its run, parents grew worried about the show getting darker, and several children went missing, which led Kate to investigate.
As Riley plays the tape, they meet Amanda and her shy but friendly sheep sidekick Wooly. Both characters can talk directly to Riley. By solving puzzles, Riley uncovers more tapes, including secret ones that hint at Hameln's sinister plans and behind-the-scenes footage about the show and its missing creator, Sam Colton, who used his adopted daughter Rebecca to play Amanda.
If Riley types the wrong answer in the tape "Everything Rots!" or refuses to help a kitten in "What's a Family?", a gray skeleton-like version of Amanda breaks through the trapdoor and attacks Riley, killing them. If Riley answers correctly in "Everything Rots!" and saves the kitten, the TV turns off. Riley then
- Developer
- MANGLEDmaw Games
- Publisher
- DreadXP
- First Release
- April 2022 (Pilot Episode game jam entry)
- Full Game Release
- April 2023
- Genre
- Puzzle and horror
- Number of Games
- 6 (including demos)
- Protagonist
- Riley Park
Lore & Background
The series follows Riley Park, a non-gender-specific character who inherits a house from their deceased Aunt Kate in Kensdale, Ohio. In the attic, Riley finds VHS tapes of the children's show Amanda the Adventurer, which began as a public-access live action show before being acquired by Hameln Entertainment and turned into a computer-animated cartoon. Parents became concerned about the show's increasingly dark content, with several children going missing, leading Kate to investigate. Riley interacts with the show's protagonist Amanda and her sheep companion Wooly, solving puzzles and finding more tapes that reveal Hameln's darker intentions and the missing creator Sam Colton, who had his adopted daughter Rebecca portray Amanda.
Reader's Guide
The Amanda the Adventurer series is significant for its blend of puzzle gameplay and horror, drawing inspiration from children's television while exploring themes of missing children, corporate malfeasance, and supernatural entities. The series uses VHS tapes as a central mechanic, allowing players to interact with characters on screen and affect the game environment and endings. The trilogy structure, with releases in 2023, 2024, and 2025, builds a cohesive narrative about Riley Park's investigation into Hameln Entertainment and the fate of the missing children. The series' legacy lies in its innovative use of interactive video within a horror context, and its detailed lore involving the Colton Anomaly and Shepherd entities. The multiple endings and secret tapes encourage replayability, while the story's dark commentary on media influence and child safety resonates with audiences.
Did You Know?
- The series was partially inspired by the children's television series Dora the Explorer.
- The Pilot Episode was created for a game jam in April 2022.
- The series includes 6 games total, counting demos.
- The character Wooly is revealed to be Marcus Moutman, a Hameln employee.
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