History VideoGame / TotalDistortion

* BagOfHolding: Your guitar case serves as a handy portable gateway into a dimension purely used for storing items such as multiple guitars, your video camera and, more likely, the metric ton of synthesized sandwiches and drinks that you wasted your food goo experimenting to make. It also doubles as a PO box of sorts, since items you buy from Earth are automatically teleported into it.

* BagOfHolding: Your guitar case serves as a handy portable gateway into a dimension purely used for storing items such as multiple guitars, your video camera and, more likely, the metric ton of synthesized sandwiches and drinks that you wasted your food goo experimenting to make.

--> '''John''': Someone this stupid deserves to die!

* UnwinnableByMistake: If run on modern systems, most of the minigames run faster than players are able to keep up with, some of them with [[TimedMission time limits]]. This means players won't have enough time or reflexes to keep up with them, making the game fit this trope without locking the CPU speed through ''UsefulNotes/DosBox'' or similar emulators.

Taking place within an AlternateHistory setting, mysterious devices have suddenly appeared on Earth that scientists have found to be useful teleporters (albeit dangerous for living beings as it puts the them into a six-week coma). They also noticed that they can teleport to different [[AnotherDimension dimensions]], most of which are [[TheWorldAsMyth based on pop culture]]. You play as a music director whose just recently come into a large sum of money and somehow come up with the insane idea to invade a [[WorldOfChaos dimension of chaos]] based on rock music to [[SurrealMusicVideo shoot music videos out of the weird imagery there]]. However the endeavor is quite risky as you spent most of your money building a tower to transport in and getting the go ahead to transport there which your government has starchly warned will not bring you back if you don't have the funds. What's more there's the matter of the dimension's dangers as well. So your mission? Get in, get the footage needed and hope you come out of this alive and financially sound.

* BookEnds: The game starts with your Media Tower leaving Earth, and ends with a return trip. Similarly, Mr. Red talks to you at both points.

* {{Beatnik}}: Jed, the first [=MacBeatnik=] module, is one of the minigame books in your tower. If you use him, he spouts completely random words in a rhythmic fashion in a parody of beat poetry. The best part is he comes with a warning label.

* TheComputerShallTauntYou: Happens for almost ''every'' puzzle in the game, from a high-pitched voice laughing at you when you run out of time on a stacking minigame, to the game's awards screen calling you a loser if you view it after you die.

* JokeItem: The "Special VidChip" in your inventory. Examining it plays a particularly disturbing video that can't be used in your editor.

* AllThereInTheManual:
** Before you begin the game, there are three optional videos that explain the setting, your base, and your mission.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/totaldistortion_9268.jpg]]

* EpilepticFlashingLights: The Distortion Dimension has some of this, and the TV maze halfway through it cranks it up to very trippy levels, particularly when you first enter.

* CreatorCameo: The game's developers have their own [[FullMotionVideo FMV]] clips in-game, which you can buy and insert into your videos if you wish.

* UnwinnableByMistake: Most of the minigames run faster than players are able to keep up with, some of them with [[TimedMission time limits]]. This means players won't have enough time or reflexes to keep up with them, making the game fit this trope without locking the CPU speed through ''UsefulNotes/DosBox'' or similar emulators.

* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: The newspapers and game show hosts John and Jenna in the intro videos think your character couldn't possibly survive the Distortion Dimension. The game's goal is to prove the world wrong.