Siblings are the worst. Seriously. One minute they’re touching your stuff, and the next, you’re reading a sketchy internet incantation to make them vanish. That’s how Max: The Curse of Brotherhood kicks off, and honestly, it’s one of the most relatable—if slightly dark—hooks in modern platforming history. Developed by Press Play and released back in the early Xbox One era, this game basically took the "magic marker" gimmick from the Wii's Max & the Magic Marker and turned it into a cinematic, physics-heavy adventure that looks a lot like a Pixar movie but plays like a brutal trial-by-fire.
Most people missed it. It launched during that awkward transitional phase of the console wars, and while it eventually migrated to PS4, Switch, and PC, it remains a "hidden gem" in a sea of flashier titles. But here’s the thing: the physics engine in this game is still more satisfying than half the stuff coming out today.
The Magic Marker Mechanics (and Why They Actually Work)
You play as Max, a kid who immediately regrets wishing his little brother, Felix, into a dimension filled with monsters and a crotchety old villain named Mustacho. To get him back, you’re granted a giant orange marker by a mysterious old lady. This isn't just a gimmick. In Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, the marker is your primary tool for environmental manipulation.
You aren't just jumping; you’re drawing.
The game is divided into specific nodes where your marker can interact with the world. Depending on the color of the ink you’ve unlocked, you can raise pillars of earth, grow thick vines to swing on, create branches to walk across, or shoot jets of water to propel yourself through the air. It’s a puzzle-platformer at its core. Unlike Scribblenauts, where you have infinite creativity, Max gives you specific tools and asks you to find the "correct" physical solution under pressure.
I remember one specific sequence in the lava caves. You have to draw a branch, then draw a vine attached to that branch, then use a water spout to push that vine toward you so you can catch it. If your drawing is slightly off—if the arc of the branch is too shallow—you won't have the momentum to clear the gap. It feels tactile. It feels like you’re actually "building" your way through the level rather than just following a scripted path.
💡 You might also like: Why Batman Arkham City Still Matters More Than Any Other Superhero Game
The Difficulty Spike Nobody Warns You About
Don't let the bright colors fool you. This game is mean.
It’s a "cinematic platformer," a genre popularized by games like Limbo or Another World. This means death is frequent, sudden, and often hilarious. Max can’t take a hit. If a giant beast catches him, it's over. If he falls too far, it's over. The chase sequences are particularly sweat-inducing. You’ll be sliding down a crumbling ruin at sixty miles per hour, and the game expects you to pull out your marker, slow down time, and draw a perfect vine in a split second.
It requires a level of dexterity that some players find frustrating. Press Play didn't design this to be a "baby’s first platformer." The physics are unforgiving. If you create an earth pillar while standing slightly too far to the left, Max might tumble off into a pit of spikes. It’s that precision—or lack thereof—that defines the experience.
Visuals That Aged Surprisingly Well
Looking at Max: The Curse of Brotherhood today, specifically on a PC or a modern Xbox, it’s shocking how well the art style holds up. It uses a 2.5D perspective, meaning the world is fully 3D but you move on a 2D plane. The lighting in the desert levels and the bioluminescence in the deep caves create a sense of scale that most indie platformers can't match.
The character animations are bouncy and expressive. Max huffs and puffs. He looks genuinely terrified when a giant hand reaches out from the darkness to grab him. It’s that attention to detail—the way the dust kicks up or the way water ripples when you blast it—that makes the world feel lived-in. It isn't just a series of floating platforms; it's a coherent, hostile world.
📖 Related: Will My Computer Play It? What People Get Wrong About System Requirements
Why the Game Struggled (and Why You Should Care Now)
So, if it’s so good, why isn't there a Max 3?
Timing was the biggest enemy. When it launched on Xbox One in late 2013, the console was struggling with its identity. People wanted "next-gen" powerhouses, not a physics-puzzler about a kid with a marker. Furthermore, the developer, Press Play, was eventually closed by Microsoft in 2016 (though later reformed as Flashbulb Games). This left the IP in a bit of a limbo state for a while.
Another factor is the control scheme. On a mouse or a touch screen (Switch), drawing feels natural. On a controller, you use the trigger to activate the marker and the analog stick to draw. It takes about an hour for your brain to click with it. Some critics at the time felt it was clunky, but honestly? You’ve just got to get used to the rhythm. Once you stop trying to "game" the system and start thinking about the physics of the vines and branches, it becomes second nature.
Comparing Max to Modern Peers
If you look at recent hits like Ori and the Blind Forest or It Takes Two, you can see the DNA of games like Max. It occupies a space between the hardcore precision of Celeste and the atmospheric storytelling of Inside.
- Environmental Interaction: Max does this better than most. Most platformers give you a double jump and call it a day. Here, the environment is a puzzle piece you have to manipulate.
- Pacing: The game knows when to slow down. You'll have a 10-minute stretch of quiet, logic-based puzzles followed by a 30-second heart-pounding escape.
- The "Aha!" Moment: There is nothing quite like realizing you can combine two different marker powers to bypass a massive obstacle. It makes you feel smart.
Common Misconceptions About Max: The Curse of Brotherhood
People often think this is a sequel to a game they need to have played. You don't. While it technically follows Max & the Magic Marker, the story is a total reboot. You don't need to know anything about the previous handheld title to jump in here.
👉 See also: First Name in Country Crossword: Why These Clues Trip You Up
Another mistake is assuming the game is short. While a speedrunner can blast through it in under two hours, a first-time player is looking at about 7 to 9 hours of gameplay. That’s a beefy runtime for a puzzle-platformer, especially considering the variety of environments. You go from lush forests to scorching deserts, ancient temples, and murky swamps. Each biome introduces a new way to use your marker, keeping the gameplay from getting stale.
What You Should Do If You're Starting Today
If you’re picking this up on the Switch or Game Pass, keep a few things in mind to avoid smashing your controller.
First, the "slow-motion" effect when you pull out your marker isn't infinite. Use it to aim, but don't dawdle. Second, pay attention to the white glowing spots. Those are your anchor points. If you try to draw a vine where there isn't a node, nothing happens. It sounds simple, but in the heat of a chase, you’ll forget.
Lastly, look for the "Eyes of Mustacho." These are the game's primary collectibles. They’re hidden everywhere—behind waterfalls, at the top of precarious cliffs, tucked away in dark corners. Finding them isn't just for completionists; it actually helps you understand the limits of the physics engine. You’ll have to pull off some truly creative stunts to reach some of them.
Tactical Tips for Success:
- Vines and Momentum: You can cut a vine while Max is swinging on it to launch him forward. This is essential for clearing long gaps.
- Earth Pillars as Shields: Don't just use them to go up. You can use them to block fireballs or trap enemies.
- Water Jet Logic: The water jets follow the path you draw. If you draw a loop, the water will travel in that loop. Use this to move objects around corners.
Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a reminder of a time when developers were taking weird, creative risks with physics. It’s not a perfect game—the late-game puzzles can be frustratingly precise and the story is pretty standard "save the sibling" fare—but the core loop of drawing your way out of trouble is still fantastic.
It deserves a spot in your library if you have any love for the genre. Go grab it, try not to get Max killed too many times, and remember: never, ever read random spells you find on the internet.
Next Steps for Players:
- Check Availability: The game is frequently on sale for under $5 on the Xbox Store and Steam.
- Focus on the Physics: If you get stuck, stop thinking like a gamer and start thinking like an architect. How can a branch support that rock?
- Explore the DLC/Extras: While there isn't much in the way of traditional DLC, the "Challenge" modes in some versions offer a great way to test your marker skills once the story is done.