Every Side Story In Split Fiction, Ranked

Split Fiction uses much longer levels than It Takes Two, trying to use each section to tell a cohesive story built around a more complex gameplay mechanic rather than the pick up and play feel of its predecessor. For these more bite sized experiences, you’ll want to check out the Side Stories.

These stories, hidden across Split Fiction’s levels, take you to smaller ‘drafts’ of stories by Mio and Zoe for shorter adventures. There are 12 in total, with three each in chapters 2-5, and this is our ranking based on how well they fit that theme, how different the gameplay is, and how much fun they are to play together.

12

Gameshow

These Side Stories seem designed to be a break from the action provided by the main chapters, but Gameshow is the furthest thing you could get from that. The premise, that Zoe and Mio must toss a bomb between themselves in order to defuse it, is solid enough, but doesn’t really pair well with a ‘gameshow’ vibe to begin with. Add in an unnecessary difficulty spike and a gratingly annoying host, and while it’s not terrible, it is the least enjoyable Side Story Split Fiction has to offer.

11

Kites

Conversely, Kites is a little too simplistic. In it, Zoe and Mio must glide through wind tunnels to reach the next platform, then do it again. The courses aren’t very interesting, when you die it starts you way to close to the tunnel you just missed (which throws off your control), and there’s no co-operative elements whatsoever.

10

Mountain Hike

Similar to Kites, Mountain Hikes is not a Side Story you really do together. You do it, together. Meeting giants is neat, and very Zoe, but wall-running and platforming is the bulk of the main game with very little added here. It’s only saved from dropping lower because it doesn’t have the annoyances that come with failure in Kites or Gameshow.

9

Train Heist

Not to speak ill of Mio’s work as a struggling writer going through a tough time, but a lot of her work seems kinda samey. You start in one place, and you must get to another, despite some generic danger. Of all of those, Train Heist feels the least fleshed out (you don’t even really pull of a heist so much as a chase) and uses a lot of the gameplay we see in Neon Revenge, the game’s second full chapter. Even the side scrolling fighting comes back in Final Dawn. She has better versions of this trope in other Side Stories.

8

The Legend of the Sandfish

The first Side Story you get is a solid introduction to how they work. One minute you’re wandering through a cyberpunk city armed with a laser sword, the next you’re riding giant fish skeletons in the desert. It highlights the clash between Mio and Zoe’s styles, and is a great intro to that split in their fiction styles. Hey, I just got it!

However, in part because it’s a tutorial, it’s a little simple. There’s some minor teamwork with making echoes in the sand, but that brings up another issue – as a clear Dune parody, it feels more like it belongs to Mio’s sci-fi heart than Zoe’s fluffy fantasy sagas. A good start, but better stories await.

7

Space Escape

Another one of Mio’s ‘get to this place in time’ stories, Space Escape manages to make the tension feel more real in the silence. Drifting through space out of oxygen, this Side Story uses the grappling hook mechanic of the base game in a far more interesting way, manipulating the momentum of zero gravity.

With a range of interesting platform challenges, teamwork throughout to find oxygen tankers, and ending with a puzzle to solve together, it has all the ingredients you want in a Side Story, even if it’s a little shallow.

6

Collapsing Star

Collapsing Star combines the best elements of Space Escape and Train Heist, seeing the pair push through a space station while shielding behind different barriers. It’s atmospheric and spectacular, with clear goals and generous checkpoints, and the best execution of the repeated trope we see from Mio of escaping impending danger by running in one direction really, really fast.

It’s only a little lower because of a lack of difference from Mio’s actual chapters and limited co-op functionality, with the only real slice of teamwork being that a mistake from one player can cost both of them their lives. Good for stakes, not great for maintaining your relationship with the person sitting next to you on the couch.

5

Farmlife

A Side Story courtesy of young Zoe here, this level sees you play as two pigs wandering a farm in search of apples – and if they’re tough to find, we’ve got you covered. It’s pretty simple, but so joyous, and channels the silliness of It Takes Two, offering a clear separation from the action-packed nature of the full game.

Of course, whether it loses or gains points for its strange ending will be up to you, but bouncing around as pigs and seeing the colourful farmscape is enough of a reason for Farmlife to be one of Split Fiction’s most memorable Side Stories.

4

Birthday Cake

Young Mio also contributed a story to Split Fiction, in the form of the final one we find in the game – Birthday Cake. In it, we control teeth making their way to a sugary funland of cartoonish platforming. This is fun enough itself, with much bouncier mechanics than the more realistic physics of Split Fiction’s regular platforming, but the true gem is the finale.

After lighting the birthday candles, we suddenly find ourselves in a terrifying dentist’s office, trying to survive. This is one of Split Fiction’s best boss battles, and far shorter than the main chapter ones that can drag, and involves a neat slice of teamwork too, making this Side Story one of the game’s best.

3

Slopes of War

Slopes of War absolutely rips. A shameless SXX Tricky parody, all you’re doing is pulling off tricks and grinds while hitting ramps and building a high score. If you die, you get right back on the board with just a minor hit to your score, always keeping things fun and fresh.

The only reason it has to settle for third place here is the theme. Nothing about this is a Side Story – it’s just an SSX Tricky parody, complete with a score bar. I can believe Mio wrote a snowboarding story, but it sacrifices the presentation of this being a story to just make it a video game. A great video game, but not one particularly true to its gimmick.

2

Moon Market

The Zoe-est Side Story in Split Fiction, Moon Market has you running around an enchanted marketplace looking for three lost ghost cats. While fetching the kitties is engaging enough on its own, the real magic here is in the market itself. You can play with balloons, wander around storefronts, and drink potions, which is where Moon Market comes to life.

It captures the magic of storytelling and offers so many mechanics in such a short space of time without feeling overwhelming, and feels distinct from the fantasy we see in Zoe’s main chapters. The only thing keeping it off first place is just how well our number one Side Story understood the brief.

1

Notebook

Just as Slopes of War lost points for not really being a story, Notebook gains them and then some. While not every Side Story could look like this – then it wouldn’t be special – seeing the story written out like this on the page, with edits and scribbles and new narrative directions perfectly captures the idea that these Side Stories are meant to be works of fiction special to the women at the heart of the game.

It’s the one Side Story you look at and could imagine it being a full indie game made in its spirit, and that’s the sort of standalone value these experiences can offer. Side Stories are a key part of what makes Split Fiction tick, and none of them sum up why better than Notebook.