Game: Tell Me Your Story
Genre: Adventure, Casual, Indie
System: Steam (Windows)
Developer | Publisher: RedDeer.Games
Controller Support: No
Price: US $ 9.99 | UK £ 7.19 | EU € 8,19
Release Date: April 26th, 2024
A review code was used with many thanks to RedDeer.Games.
Tell Me Your Story is a 2024 puzzle game developed and released by RedDeer.Games.
Premise
Tell Me Your Story is a love letter to all the loving grandmas out there, with their hugs, kisses, adventures, and stories to tell. Along with Amelia, we are taken on a colorful journey of discovering Grandma Rose’s mysterious past.
Gameplay of Tell Me Your Story
Tell Me Your Story features a variety of puzzles. No instructions are given unless you request a hint. Working out the mechanics of the puzzles is a quest by itself, and in general, it’s not complicated. All of them are classic puzzles, seen hundreds of times in other games, so instinctively, you know what to try.
One of the things I really liked was how logical the puzzles were in the story’s context. The game is divided into four stages – at home and three travel/adventure locations from Grandma Rose’s past. The puzzles are presented in a way that fits seamlessly within the story. For example, in the Home portion of the game, we have arranged boxes, washing and arranging pieces from a tea service; in the travel sections, we have puzzles that have to do with train rides and journeys through the Amazon rainforests and a variety of tea-related puzzles for the Yunnan, China portion of the game. The demo won me over with the porcelain puzzles and the entire game- with the tea puzzles.
Tell Me Your Story gameplay uses only the mouse, and there’s no game controller support as of yet. The simplicity of the controls, coupled with the relative shortness of the gameplay time, makes Tell Me Your Story a great game to play in one sitting. I don’t know about you, but with real-life commitments piling up, I’ve come to really appreciate games played in one sitting.
In Tell Me Your Story, there are no timers or limits. There are three hints for each level, but if you run out, no worries—we can recharge the hints by putting together a broken teacup.
An interesting decision is the way language is presented. None of the characters are voiced, and all the texts in the game are presented as nonsense—the way a child would draw language. On the one hand, that way, Tell Me Your Story transcends language barriers. On the other, it somehow fits perfectly within the idea of the gameplay as a series of vignettes told by a grandmother to a curious grandchild.
Visual Style
Tell Me Your Story is the epitome of a cozy puzzle game. It’s colorful and relaxing, with no timers and as many hints as you need. The designs for all the characters are in a beautiful cartoon style. The color palette is rich and warm at the same time. It heavily reminded me of last year’s Venba, and I mean this in the best possible way. Given how little time we spend with these characters, the characterization might be a little shallow. Still, the developers have done a fantastic job, but I wouldn’t say no to more Tell Me Your Story content down the line.
Tell Me Your Story is so gorgeous visually that most of my screenshots will actually work perfectly as wallpapers. The soundtrack is pleasant and well-fitting with the rest of the game. The credits after the game are in the same style as the rest.
Some Other Notes
Tell Me Your Story has basic audio and display settings. It has Steam achievements but no Trading cards yet.
Conclusion
Tell Me Your Story is a heartwarming homage to our grandparents and their roles in our lives – by loving us and watching and helping us grow, telling us stories, and imparting us with life-learned lessons. This is a game that goes straight to my cozy go-to list of games, with the likes of Unpacking and Minami Lane to pick me up on a rainy day.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
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