Side Effects Ending Explained: What Happens When You Take the Wrong Pill?

If you have recently been obsessed with high-stakes gambling games like Buckshot Roulette, you need to check out the latest indie sensation making waves: Side Effects. Imagine a medical nightmare version of Russian Roulette, where instead of a shotgun, you are facing a table full of mystery pills and a terrifying, grinning opponent.

In this clinical game of life and death, there are only two outcomes: a cure, or the morgue. Today, we are breaking down the Side Effects Ending, analyzing what happens when your luck finally runs out.

The Gameplay: A Lethal Clinical Trial

Before we discuss the ending, we have to understand how we get there. Set in a dark, cyberpunk-style medical facility, you and a grotesque opponent take turns swallowing pills dispensed from a tube.

• Red Pills / Placebo with side effects: These damage your health (represented by hearts).
• Green Pills / Cure: These heal you.
• The Items: As seen in the gameplay footage, survival relies on using items like Handcuffs (to skip the opponent's turn), Saws (to amplify effects), Scanners (to see the pill type), and Inverters (to flip a pill from poison to cure).

Every turn is a calculation of probability, and every mistake brings you closer to the ultimate Side Effects Ending.

The Side Effects Ending Breakdown

Based on the gameplay footage, the game offers two starkly different conclusions.

1. The Victory: A Grim "Discharge"

When you successfully deplete the health of your opponent (that creepy, long-necked patient), you trigger the victory state.

The video shows a brutal scene: the opponent slumps onto the table, lifeless. Often, mechanical arms or a heavy industrial device will descend to administer the "final dose" or remove the subject. The screen declares you a survivor. However, the atmosphere remains oppressive—you haven't escaped the system; you’ve simply survived the trial longer than the guy across from you.

2. The Defeat (The Bad Ending): The Morgue Awaits

This is the Side Effects Ending that most players are curious about. What happens when you swallow that final lethal pill?

As shown in the video, when your hearts hit zero, the perspective shifts dramatically:

• The Cold Slab: The first-person view fades. You are no longer at the table. Instead, the scene cuts to a cold, steel surface—likely a morgue slab or a body bag.
• The Toe Tag: In a classic horror trope, your run ends with your character becoming just another statistic.
• The Autopsy Report: The game generates a polarized-style photo summary (as seen at the end of the clip). It features a picture of your character (or the opponent mocking you) stamped with a big "LOST". It lists your final stats:
  • Pills Taken
  • Rounds Survived
  • Side Effects Triggered

It is a chilling ending that emphasizes the theme of the game: in this facility, you are just a disposable test subject.

How to Avoid the Bad Ending

To avoid seeing the "Lost" screen, you need more than just luck. Based on high-level gameplay, here are a few tips:

1. Master the Items: The "Centrifuge" or inverter items are game-changers. Being able to turn a lethal pill into a healing one is the only way to survive deep runs.
2. Count the Pills: Just like counting shells in Buckshot Roulette, you need to track the probability of the next pill being bad.
3. Don't be Greedy: Sometimes, healing is more important than dealing damage.

Conclusion

The Side Effects Ending perfectly captures the vibe of medical horror. Whether you are watching your opponent get disposed of or staring at your own death stats on a polaroid, the game delivers a dark, satirical punch.

Which ending have you reached so far? What is your record for "Rounds Survived"? If you haven't played it yet, take a seat at the table—but be careful, these side effects are permanent.