A Mortician's Tale

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 599 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
A Mortician's Tale Game Cover
An approachable and thought-provoking meditation on life's only certainty.
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In "A Mortician's Tale," players step into the role of a mortician, managing a funeral home and learning about the death industry. Prepare cadavers, attend funerals, and interact with various characters while gaining insight into the industry's current state and future. The game features realistic procedures, engaging narratives, and a unique perspective on death and mourning.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Windows
  • Mobile Platform
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 599 reviews
story80 positive mentions
replayability8 negative mentions
  • The game handles the subject of death sensitively and thoughtfully, providing a unique perspective on the funeral industry.
  • The art style and music create a calming atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
  • The game offers educational insights into the processes of embalming and cremation, as well as cultural practices surrounding death.
  • The game is very short, typically taking less than an hour to complete, which many players feel does not justify the price.
  • Gameplay is repetitive and lacks challenge, as players are guided through each step without the opportunity to make mistakes or choices.
  • The narrative feels rushed and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more depth and engagement with the characters and story.
  • story293 mentions

    The story of "A Mortician's Tale" is a heartfelt exploration of the death care industry, primarily conveyed through emails that provide insight into the protagonist's experiences and the challenges faced by small funeral homes. While many players found the narrative touching and educational, they also noted its brevity and lack of depth, with some expressing a desire for a more developed storyline and greater player agency. Overall, the game is seen as more of an interactive story than a traditional game, leaving players wanting more from both the narrative and gameplay.

    • “A beautiful, heartfelt, heartwarming, and occasionally harrowing story, delivered in a simple, beautiful, wonderful way.”
    • “The story covered a variety of topics related to death care, including embalming and cremation; the challenges of planning funerals for those who died suddenly or unexpectedly, or for those whose families had a difficult relationship; and the importance of treating a person's body with respect even though they are no longer living.”
    • “Even though this game takes about an hour to complete, the story really sticks with you and you’ll start to empathize with the characters and the struggles they go through.”
    • “The story also seems to end quite abruptly.”
    • “The game lacks a proper story, or if what happens in the 40 minutes constitutes as a story, it's been gutted of almost everything that would make a decent story.”
    • “Just as you are getting into the story, it ends.”
  • gameplay160 mentions

    The gameplay in "A Mortician's Tale" is characterized as minimal, repetitive, and largely tutorial-like, with many players noting that it feels more like an interactive story than a traditional game. While the simple point-and-click mechanics serve to convey the game's themes around death and the funeral industry, they often lack depth and challenge, leading to a short experience of around 30 to 60 minutes. Overall, the game is appreciated for its narrative and educational aspects, but many reviewers feel it is overpriced given the limited gameplay.

    • “The gameplay was very straightforward and heavily story-based, which I think was appropriate considering the subject matter.”
    • “The brilliance of a mortician's tale lies in its simple click-based simulation gameplay.”
    • “The relaxed gameplay, haunting score, and beautiful graphics bring you fully into the life of a mortician for the entire game.”
    • “The gameplay is minimal and repetitive, except for the optional, extremely hard minesweeper-type puzzle.”
    • “There is a lack of gameplay which makes it feel like a very long tutorial, not a game.”
    • “The actual gameplay itself is pretty boring; it's just clicking at different spots on the screen when the game tells you to and requires no actual thought.”
  • graphics85 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, minimalist art style that effectively complements its themes surrounding death and mortuary work. Many reviewers appreciate the cute and cozy aesthetic, which creates a calming atmosphere, while the simplistic visuals are seen as intentional, aligning with the game's educational purpose. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's emotional impact and storytelling, despite some critiques regarding the repetitiveness of gameplay.

    • “The art style is charming and the worldbuilding is excellent for such a short game - I feel genuine affection for characters that I spent less than an hour with.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the music is relaxing, and the story is brilliant.”
    • “The relaxed gameplay, haunting score, and beautiful graphics bring you fully into the life of a mortician for the entire game.”
    • “It was short and sweet; the graphics were pretty blobby looking.”
    • “The graphics aren't quite what I expected, but the order of the good death is something I support with a full heart.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game is overly simple - from the graphics to the email-driven story.”
  • music82 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and beautiful qualities, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere and emotional depth of the experience. Many players found the soundtrack to be a highlight, describing it as soothing, reflective, and fitting for the game's themes, although some noted it could be forgettable or repetitive. Overall, the combination of lovely music and charming art style contributes significantly to the game's appeal, despite some criticisms regarding its brevity.

    • “The music was calming, the art was cute and satisfying, and I loved reading all of the emails.”
    • “The music, the graphics, characters, and the whole plot were amazing.”
    • “The music grasps the atmosphere of the game in a relaxing way and evokes emotion and a sense of respect for the dead and grieving.”
    • “I know also that you can purchase the soundtrack to this game, but I can't even recall what the soundtrack sounded like, so either it was too quiet on my end or it was forgettable.”
    • “The music is extremely boring and honestly disappointing.”
    • “The overall game took me about a half hour, if that, to complete, and the music was always the same, so the whole game felt very repetitive and perhaps dreary.”
  • emotional61 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its heartfelt storytelling and ability to evoke strong feelings, with many players reporting that it made them cry and reflect on personal experiences with death and grief. Despite its short length, the game is described as touching, informative, and capable of leaving a lasting emotional impression, often resonating deeply with players' own life experiences. However, some reviews note that while the game aims for emotional depth, it may not fully achieve it for all players, with a few feeling that the emotional impact was limited due to its brevity and simplicity.

    • “This was a very touching story game!”
    • “A beautiful, heartfelt, heartwarming, and occasionally harrowing story, delivered in a simple, beautiful, wonderful way.”
    • “Made me cry, in a good way because it's so clear the people who made the game care and the way they put this together is informative, respectful, incredibly kind, and with love.”
  • replayability14 mentions

    Overall, the game is criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that it offers minimal content and choices, leading to a very short gameplay experience. Players express disappointment in the absence of additional content or meaningful choices that could enhance replay value, making the game's price seem unjustified. Despite some positive aspects, the consensus is that the game does not warrant repeated playthroughs.

    • “Even just offering you choices to say to people at the funerals would have bumped the playtime by hours, given you more to look forward to, added more replay value, and would have made the base price of $10 worth it.”
    • “Not much in the way of replay value unfortunately, but I'm going to give it a positive rating to encourage people to get it when the price drops.”
    • “I've made a full playthrough going through everything and 10 minutes of Tales from the Crypt and a second one speedrunning, and well, there's not a lot of replay value.”
    • “Sadly, this game has no replay value.”
    • “Overall, the game was nice as well as educational, but there was so much potential for more content, and I know I would have been upset paying full price for so little gameplay and no replay value.”
    • “Without replay value, charging $15 for a game is offensive.”
  • atmosphere13 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is described as a unique blend of beauty and calmness, effectively balancing sadness with a comforting aesthetic. While the art and music contribute to a contemplative experience, some players find the repetitive gameplay detracts from the overall impact. Overall, it is praised for its artistic style and thematic depth, creating a reflective space despite its somber subject matter.

    • “As sad as the content is, the game style, music, and atmosphere are comforting and quite beautiful in a way.”
    • “This is such a sweet and atmospheric game.”
    • “A lovely game with gorgeous art, atmospheric music, and an important message.”
    • “The gameplay is repetitive, and although the art and atmosphere are well done, you're already growing bored by the third body/funeral, once you realize it's identical to the others.”
    • “It's almost there, in terms of atmosphere and story, but for me it falls short.”
    • “I liked that the game did not involve challenge (in terms of gameplay or decision making), as incorporating such challenge would have both detracted from the contemplative atmosphere of the game, and potentially created an inappropriate sense of competition.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted for its range, effectively blending sadness and levity, particularly through the character Jen, while eliciting a spectrum of emotions from players. However, some users expressed frustration with certain characters, like Chad, which detracted from their overall enjoyment.

    • “I loved the humor they provided with Jen; I hated Chad but enjoyed the ending so much!”
    • “They are sad, funny, or nonchalant, showcasing the range of reactions people have to death.”
    • “It made me laugh, angry, and cry.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is primarily focused on promoting green burials and the death-positive movement, which may resonate with players who share these values. While the game is marketed accurately, it is more of an advertisement than a traditional game or visual novel.

    • “Be warned that this isn't a game, or even a visual novel so much as it is an advertisement for green burials and the death-positive movement.”
    • “It is definitely advertising green burials, and the death-positive movement, but admittedly, I align with both of those movements, and I'm not sure that folks open to buying the game wouldn't align with those views to some extent.”
    • “Nothing technically wrong with this game, and for the most part, the game advertisement on the store page is fairly accurate.”
  • grinding3 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be manageable due to its straightforward mechanics, though some describe it as unrefined and somewhat tedious, drawing comparisons to older, less polished games. The abundance of reading material adds to the experience, but may also contribute to the feeling of monotony.

    • “Honestly, the gameplay reminds me of an unpolished and tedious version of Amateur Surgeon, a free flash game released years before.”
  • stability2 mentions

    Overall, user experiences with stability are mixed; while some players report smooth performance with no lags or glitches, others have encountered significant issues, including multiple restarts and glitches that hindered gameplay.

    • “Two reasons I'm giving this a do not recommend: 1) I had some glitches and had to restart the game 3 times to get it to function, and I had an issue at the end as well. 2) I played this straight through in 1 hour, including taking breaks to Google different funeral things I read about in the game.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is praised for its smooth performance on PC, with users reporting no lags or glitches, which enhances the overall experience alongside its appealing art and playstyle.

    • “The only reason I am giving this a thumbs up is because the game runs smoothly on my PC with no lags or glitches, and I love the art style as well as the playstyle of the game (point and click).”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that character development in the game is minimal, with players noting a lack of depth and complexity in the characters' growth and arcs.

    • “The character development in this game is surprisingly deep, allowing players to form meaningful connections with the characters.”
    • “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, each facing their own challenges and growing in unique ways.”
    • “The choices you make really impact the character arcs, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
    • “Don't expect any in-depth character development.”
    • “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
    • “Character arcs are predictable and fail to engage the player emotionally.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

61% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

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