Twisted Tale, A

In the '90s, when I was around eight years old, I bought a pirate adventure called The Curse of Monkey Island out of sheer curiosity. At that point, I had no idea how well that game would suit my tastes and how funny, fun, and intriguing the experience of playing it would be. That game marked my life and guided me to a new genre. Other players at the time surely felt the same way. Some eventually became game designers, creating experiences that would pay homage and evoke a sensation similar to that of The Curse of Monkey Island and other beautiful gaming experiences from their childhoods. That is, I suspect, what happened in the case of A Twisted Tale.

The premise is very simple: a girl called Vio finds a Rubik's Cube and, while playing with it, accidentally opens a portal to another dimension. She is sucked into it and finds herself trapped in a new world, which consists of several floating islands connected to each other by frail bridges. In control of Vio, you will talk to strange characters and solve eccentric puzzles to find a way back home.

The controls work straightforwardly: you control the pointer and click around the scenery. Vio will then interact with objects as needed, such as picking them up, observing them, or talking to characters. With a right click of the mouse, you access your inventory, which contains the (sometimes impossible) number of items you have already picked up. You will also have to combine several of them to conquer the various challenges.

Taking inspiration from LucasArts games of the past, A Twisted Tale will present peculiar and original solutions to our protagonist’s problems, some of which can make you feel a bit surprised and sometimes even stuck. However, in the case of this game, none of them are entirely unfair or impossible to deduce—a fine line between too obvious and too difficult.

The eccentric cast of characters is another highlight and nod to the classics. All of them show something distinct or peculiar. Voice acting is provided throughout the whole game, enhancing the overall experience. Unfortunately, though, I didn’t find the voice-overs to be particularly memorable. The exception would be the antique shop owner, who makes for a kind of villain in this first chapter. On trying to trick him into giving Vio her cube back, you go through some frustratingly funny and memorable dialogues, one of the gameplay’s highlights.

It's also in this section, the antique shop, where A Twisted Tale shines and potentially gives players what they signed up for. This area's wide selection of items pays homage to classics like The Curse of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, Orion Burger, and others. This aspect almost feels like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in game form, converting every previously created point-and-click game into one universe where every different story happened. The references will undoubtedly leave at least a smile of nostalgia on classic gamers' faces.

It’s also notable that one person designed, wrote, drew, and embellished the entire game. Eva-Ramona Rohleder, the sole developer of this project, has done an impressive job! Although the vibrant, stylized art can be too simple during cutscenes, it holds up well during the rest of the gameplay. According to the official website, in order to preserve a look similar to '90s adventures, the backgrounds are hand-drawn, while digitally coloured. The music is also very competently produced, adding to the overall atmosphere of playfulness and amusement. 

Overall, A Twisted Tale is an experience that recalls the classics and can quench our thirst for those weird, head-scratching puzzles of yesterday. The solutions can sometimes be frustrating or unexpected, but they are never boring. For this reason, the game is a nice addition to our contemporary roster of adventures and a true stand-out.

The Good

• Creative and original puzzle solutions
• Nostalgic homage to classic adventure games
• Hand-drawn, digitally colored backgrounds maintaining a ’90s adventure aesthetic
• Competent and atmosphere-enhancing music.

The Bad

• Cutscene animations are overly simple
• The voice-overs for certain characters are uninspiring

Our Verdict

Very good

A game of very high quality. Although some aspects might have been executed better, we would recommend this game without hesitation.

A Twisted Tale is an imaginative and enjoyable homage to classic adventure games, offering clever puzzles and a charming aesthetic.