On a visit to your friend's eccentric uncle Darius, who happens to be an inventor, you discover his newest creation — an elevator that takes you into other dimensions! Unfortunately, Darius has been switched with an evil duplicate from an alternate universe, and you must figure out how to rescue him.
This book provides examples of:
- Alternate Self: The real Uncle Darius had either died or was trapped after entering the Transuniversal Transvator to another world, and that the hostile Uncle Darius before you is himself from another dimension. You also found the decapitated head of yourself from another universe, realizing your alternate self had died.
- Alternate Universe: The whole premise of the story. The A storyline has you entering other worlds besides the head hunting one, such as one where everything is upside down.
- And I Must Scream:
- Anyone who wears the Captivator Helmet will be forced to comply and obey any order they're given, but they're still aware of their actions. More than one bad ending have you being trapped by this helmet permanently, but a good ending have it Played for Laughs as you decide to trick your hated teacher into wearing it.
- There's also an ending where you get zombified by insects and obediently allows the insects to devour you alive, despite being conscious the whole time... and nothing you can do about it.
- Bald of Evil: The "alternate" Uncle Darius, who is bald and a sadistic headhunter who wants to collect your cranium, having done so to the real Darius.
- Cats Are Mean: Uncle Darius' cat Sapphire in one dimension.
- Department of Redundancy Department: Jamie describes her Uncle Darius as "Extremely extreme".
- Eaten Alive: You risk getting devoured alive by sentient, intelligent insects inhabiting one of the 'verses.
- Evil Elevator: The very premise of the book. The Transuniversal Transvator is a malfunctioning elevator which traverses dimensions - and drags you to an adventure out of this world.
- Gravity Screw: One of the 'verses has gravity running in reverse, where you step out of the elevator and instantly flips around to walk on the ceiling.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: Evil Darius comes from a universe where this is a normal casual sport.
- Living Toys: One of the 'verses where "Kids are Illegal" is populated by toys, all of which are alive and sentient.
- Mad Scientist: Uncle Darius is a non-villainous example, but his inventions going haywire kickstarts the plot. Evil Darius from an alternate 'verse is a more straightforward example whose machines and inventions are created to help him hunt heads.
- Mirror Universe: Many of the 'verses the elevator leads are reversed from our reality. From one where animals are sentient and humans are kept in zoos, and another where bugs are attracted to bug sprays.
- My Little Panzer: One of the alternate 'verse where everything is in reverse is filled with hostile toys designed to hurt children, and are used to punish instead of reward kids. You end up getting killed by hostile toys in one bad ending.
- Neck Snap: One of the bad endings have Evil Uncle Darius twisting your neck after declaring "he likes the sound of breaking bones".
- Never Trust a Title: The titular elevator does take you somewhere; you use it to travel to other dimensions.
- Off with His Head!: Early on, Evil Darius presents the decapitated head of another version of you. And in at least seven bad endings you end up being decapitated, either by Evil Darius or your hated Science Teacher.
- Professor Guinea Pig: Uncle Darius, who tests the Transuniversal Transvator on himself before confirming it's safe to ride. Which got him stranded in another 'verse before bringing back an evil version of himself.
- Shout-Out: On the cover, Darius looks like Doc Brown.
- Talking Animal: Uncle Darius' cat can talk. And he's not the only one, as you found out after entering one of the alternate 'verses and realizing it to be full of talking animals.
- Too Dumb to Live: You — a 12-year-old kid — choosing to fight a whole team of headhunters, alone, ends as realistically as you'd expect.
