Mike Edwards' Realm of Impossibility

About

Mike Edwards' Realm of Impossibility is a platformer where you battle snakes, spiders, and other nasties while navigating twisty, brain-bending dungeons. The hero jumps, dodges, and fights through rooms that warp gravity and perspective, inspired by Escher's optical tricks. Combat is straightforward but tense, with weapons and health pickups sprinkled between challenges. A co-op mode lets two players tackle levels together, sharing resources and covering each other in fights. The game leans into its quirky charm with 13 labyrinths containing 129 distinct rooms. Its 1984 release on 8-bit systems like the C64 and Apple II made it a standout for mixing puzzling level design with arcade action. A revamped soundtrack by Dave Warhol and added levels helped it stand out as part of EA’s early catalog. Fans of retro platformers with a puzzle twist often cite its impossible geometry and durable co-op as highlights. It holds an 8.2/10 on the ZX Spectrum at World of Spectrum.

Storyline

The dungeons the hero must traverse make use of visual effects, similar to those found in M. C. Escher's work, to create physically impossible scenarios. These structures serve as a basis for puzzles which must be solved in-between the fighting in order to proceed. The game features a total of 13 dungeons with 129 different rooms. A cooperative mode with another player is also included.