Every choice is ridiculous, zany, or crude. Every outcome is inspired by classic science fiction moments. The twist re-contextualizes the entire book. Trial of the Clone by Zach Weinersmith (mind behind the Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal webcomic) is a parody of the Interactive Adventure Genre.

The back of the book reads “Make the right decisions and you’ll prove yourself a hero. Here’s a pro tip for you: Try to make the right decisions.” That advice is more prescient than it seems.

Trial of The Clone

Trial of the Clone is an interactive adventure, which means the book branches in a hundred different directions. To keep things structured, the story is split into 5 acts. At the end of each act, assuming you’re still alive, you’ll get something akin to a fresh start. Which is good, because wherever you go, things tend to only go from bad to worse.

The book tells the story of a perfectly ordinary clone. Your first choice in the game is your occupation. I decided to become a medic. As with any interactive adventure, the book then prompts you to flip a few pages forward to your choice. This is where the author does something clever. Between your choice and your destination, you will see 3-4 illustrations, a teaser for the rest of the book and an invitation to explore every nook and cranny.

The tone of the book is over the top zany. Within three choices, I became a terrible surgeon, fought an old woman, became the chosen one, and faked my way through surgery on the president. Bear in mind, I was trying to make the “right decisions” and based on the other branches I read, my journey was one of the tamer ones. The story doesn’t mind leaning on sci-fi tropes for many of the branched paths and it’s fun to see your character completely botch an off-brand Yoda’s training sequence.

My favorite joke comes in at the start of Act 4. You’re teleported to a secret base, and the book informs you that “if you philosophically believe that a duplicate of you, no matter how accurate, does not count as you, you die here”.

It’s a comedy book, don’t expect deep character development, just enjoy the ride. The book introduces several gameplay mechanics at the front. Inventory, combat, skills. There isn’t much to keep track of, and failure is rewarded just as much as success. Being defeated by ‘Nice man [Level 3]’ may send you somewhere much more fun than if you beat him to a pulp.

The Finale

From here on in this review, we have to talk about spoilers. Big ones.

At the start of act 5, a single conversation flips the book on its head. The loose plot and wacky adventures all take on a real meaning.

The vice president is the one to explain it. Turns out, all those weird, silly choices in the book were a part of a plan. The president needed your character to be silly. He ensured every smart choice you made blew up in your face, and every foolish decision was rewarded. Behind the scenes, unseen figures were working to ensure your every flight of whimsy turned into a spark of genius. A cultivation of the silliest person in the universe. On the back of the book was the clue. The author doesn’t say “Make the smart choice”, he says “Make the right choice”. The book was quietly training you to behave like a goofball.

And then they punish you for it. In the final act, our character must stop their silliness and save the universe. There’s real tension in the final scenes, when you have to choose between dancing a jig and stopping the big bad. The guardrails are gone, you can’t be silly forever. Your character puts up a fight too, a little too set in their silly ways. The final battle isn’t so much a battle against evil as it is an internal war between a clown and a normal, functioning adult. Can you overcome your intrusive thoughts?

Overall

If you’re looking for a quick, silly read, Trial of The Clone delivers. There’s plenty of illustrations to keep the book interesting and the scenarios are not only out of this world, they’re the most improbable sequence of events you’ve ever seen. The twist makes it all memorable, giving the story meaning beyond the jokes. If you want to lean into your ridiculous side, or maybe you’re a fan of the Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal webcomics, give it a read.

But be warned: By the time it’s over, you will be sillier.