A Mortician's Tale

About

A Mortician's Tale is a single player casual role playing game. It was developed by Laundry Bear Games and was released on October 18, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

A Mortician's Tale is a narrative-driven death positive video game where you play as a mortician tasked with running a funeral home—preparing the cadavers of the deceased (via embalming or cremation), attending their funerals and listening to their loved ones' stories, and running the business.

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,213 reviews

story168 positive mentions

gameplay44 negative mentions

Touches on death and grief with sensitivity, providing insightful and thought-provoking narratives about funerals and mourning processes.
Features a calming and appropriate art style with soothing music, creating a meditative and respectful atmosphere.
Educational by nature, offering players information about mortuary work, funeral industry practices, and alternative funeral options.

Extremely short gameplay lasting about 30 minutes to an hour, with no replay value and limited interactivity.
Gameplay is very simplistic and repetitive, often feeling like an extended tutorial with hand-holding and no player decisions.
Some players found the story shallow or abrupt, with limited depth or development beyond the initial setup.

story
648 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
70%
4%
The story of "A Mortician's Tale" is a short, gentle, and emotionally impactful exploration of death, grief, and funeral industry practices, primarily told through in-game emails and simple interactions. While praised for its thoughtful themes, respectful tone, and educational insight into mortuary work, it is noted as brief, linear, and lacking player agency or deep character development. Many find it a touching, meaningful experience worth playing once, especially on sale, though its minimal gameplay and abrupt ending limit its overall narrative depth and replay value.
- “The story is the main draw, told both through the tasks you're assigned and people you're helping lay to rest, as well as email conversations with your boss and co-workers at the funeral home.”
- “A mortician's tale tells the story of the daily life of a funeral home employee, exploring themes such as death, mourning, and the ethics of the funeral industry.”
- “A beautiful, heartfelt, heartwarming, and occasionally harrowing story, delivered in a simple, beautiful, wonderful way.”
- “The story is extremely jumpy and leaps from the start of your career to the end way too quickly.”
- “What little story there is, grows rapidly into a hamfisted big business bad story, which ends abruptly.”
- “The story told by a mortician's tale kicks off promisingly before drowning in its own shallowness and the occasional borderline cringe-worthy writing.”
gameplay
321 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
74%
14%
The gameplay in A Mortician's Tale is extremely simple, largely consisting of guided, repetitive tasks like preparing bodies and reading emails, with no real challenge, choices, or fail states. While the mechanics serve an educational and contemplative purpose, many reviewers find the gameplay minimal, short (around 30–60 minutes), and lacking in depth or engagement, making it feel more like an interactive story or tutorial than a traditional game. The experience is best appreciated by those interested in narrative and themes surrounding death rather than those seeking substantial or varied gameplay.
- “The gameplay centers on preparing the deceased, and the game introduces you to various funeral options—open casket, closed casket, and cremation—while walking you through the steps required for each.”
- “The gameplay is satisfying and easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions for each service, which is helpful if you ever forget a step.”
- “The gameplay is nice and simple: you just prepare bodies for their funerals, and it is quite educational on what actually goes into preparing corpses like embalming and cremation.”
- “The gameplay loop consists mainly of reading some emails, preparing the body for the service, and attending the service. There is almost no gameplay choices in this game.”
- “There's only one correct way to prepare each deceased, you cannot make decisions, and the game doesn't allow any mistakes and will tell you each step you must make in the preparations – the only saving grace is that it's pretty educational when it comes to the job of a mortician, but it's not very engaging gameplay which is what a game should be.”
- “The gameplay is basically a simple instruction following, there is no real gameplay. It was educational about funerals in general and some issues in the funeral industry, but the gameplay and content was a bit lacking.”
graphics
159 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
52%
3%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their charming, cute, and minimalist art style with a calming purple palette, creating a cozy and respectful atmosphere around a morbid subject. While visually appealing and fitting the tone, some find the graphics simple or underdeveloped, lacking detail or realism, yet intentionally avoiding graphic content to maintain a soothing and educational experience. Overall, the aesthetics and art direction are key strengths, though the visual simplicity may not satisfy those seeking more detailed or immersive visuals.
- “The graphics are very good, pretty cozy with a nice soft look especially for its designs of characters, scenery; it also has a very good use of the color purple.”
- “Okay now that I have told you this, A Mortician's Tale is a beautiful short, quite relaxing point-and-click visual novel game and quite educational as well, with a very good story, very good graphics and good characters. I recommend this game if you're interested in the mortuary process; then this could be the game for you. Also, here's hoping that they make a sequel.”
- “The art style is simple but impactful, the music is quiet but moving, and the attention to detail and accuracy was highly appreciated.”
- “I wasn't quite prepared for how opinionated the game was going to be, and I wasn't quite prepared for the graphical difference between the game's cover art (which I loved to pieces) and the in-game graphics (which I disliked enough that it pulled me out of the game somewhat).”
- “To boot, the graphics are dull and the whole concept is executed without any notion of fun whatsoever.”
- “It was short and sweet; graphics were pretty blobby looking.”
music
149 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
48%
2%
The music in "A Mortician's Tale" is widely praised for its calming, soothing, and atmospheric qualities that perfectly complement the game's somber yet comforting theme. While largely considered beautiful and fitting, some find the soundtrack limited or repetitive, though many appreciate its role in creating a reflective and emotionally moving experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a standout and integral part of the game's unique, thoughtful ambiance.
- “I would suggest wearing headphones, the music fits the game very well and provides great atmosphere.”
- “The music was perfectly chosen, and I can honestly say this game made me both think and feel—I actually cried at the end!”
- “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.”
emotional
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a short but deeply touching and emotionally evocative experience, thoughtfully exploring themes of death and the funeral industry with warmth and sensitivity. Many players found it heartfelt and moving, often citing moments that brought them to tears and provoked genuine reflection. While simplistic in gameplay, its emotional impact and educational insight resonate strongly, creating a meaningful narrative journey that stays with players.
- “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.”
- “My favourite part by far was the conversations with the family and friends during the funerals, those moments felt genuinely touching and added a beautiful depth to the game.”
- “A beautiful, heartfelt, heartwarming, and occasionally harrowing story, delivered in a simple, beautiful, wonderful way.”
atmosphere
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The game delivers a calm, somber, and contemplative atmosphere through its subtle, dreamy soundtrack and simple yet beautiful visuals dominated by muted purples and pinks. This peaceful ambiance effectively evokes emotions related to loss and funeral rites, creating a unique, melancholic experience that encourages reflection without challenge or distraction. However, some note that the repetitive gameplay and looping music may diminish the atmosphere's impact over time.
- “As sad as the content is, the game style, music, and atmosphere is comforting and quite beautiful in a way.”
- “The atmosphere provided by quiet piano notes and slightly vibrant purples gives you an aura of calmness, which in perspective I think the creators truly intended players to contemplate how life goes on no matter who you are once you're gone.”
- “The muted purples and pinks combined with a dreamy soundtrack create a calming atmosphere that still looks vibrant and feels just a touch lonely as well, all of which is to say it’s similar to the way planning a funeral feels to the uninitiated.”
- “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.”
- “It has no gameplay but it makes up for it in atmosphere.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
52%
37%
The game offers little to no replayability, with most players completing it in under an hour and finding limited incentive to revisit beyond showing others or pursuing achievements. While its storytelling and educational aspects are praised, many feel the short length and lack of additional content or player choices diminish its value, especially at full price.
- “Replayability is limited, but the thoughtful storytelling and the insight you gain into funeral practices make it absolutely worth playing at least once.”
- “In terms of value for cost, the replay value is limited and the overall game is short–but in hard dollars, it's an inexpensive indie game that I am very glad was made.”
- “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.”
- “It's also hugely overpriced and has zero replayability.”
- “Add to that 0 replayability value and this is simply not worth the money they are asking for it.”
- “Without replay value, charging $15 for a game is offensive.”
humor
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The humor in the game is often described as warm, honest, and occasionally hilarious, successfully balancing dark themes with heartwarming and instructive moments. While many players appreciated the funny and poignant storytelling that elicited a range of emotions, some felt the humor was lacking or insufficient to fully lift the tone. Overall, the humor contributes to a unique, death-positive experience that is both informative and entertaining for those with morbid curiosity.
- “The story part was amazing - the respect showed to everyone, funny stories, interesting facts - I loved reading and learning about everything.”
- “The topic is dark, but the game manages to walk the line and creates a warm and nourishing simulation that is both instructive; humorous at times, heart-breaking at others.”
- “It's a fantastic concept, and Laundry Bear Games did a great job creating a death positive experience that is stylistically pleasing and good-humored with some very poignant moments.”
- “This game is basically Amateur Surgeon if Amateur Surgeon was not funny and cost real-life money to play.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect is characterized by simple mechanics that avoid excessive tedium, though some minigames and gameplay elements are considered tedious and repetitive. The game’s pacing is deliberate, reflecting the repetitive, somber routine of the mortician’s work, which may not appeal to players seeking more dynamic or varied grinding experiences. Overall, it lacks fluff or forced grinding but may feel slow or monotonous to some.
- “Plus, the minigames are really tedious and annoying.”
- “Game-play and story are very tedious and, as others have mentioned, essentially an email reading simulator.”
- “Honestly, the gameplay reminds me of an unpolished and tedious version of Amateur Surgeon, a free flash game released years before.”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization of the game is viewed critically, with some seeing it as a paid cash grab after being a free mobile app, while others note it primarily serves as an advertisement for green burials and the death-positive movement rather than a traditional game experience.
- “A mortician's tale is a free mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as a paid product, as a cash grab from morally bankrupt mobile app developers.”
- “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.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The character development is thoughtful and reflects the game's themes, showcasing a variety of distinct and individualized characters. While the design is clean and simple, the depth of character development is somewhat limited and not highly in-depth.
- “Character design is clean and simple, but with plenty of character and individuality.”
- “Also do not expect in depth character development.”
- “The character development, the harsh reality of bigger companies taking control and taking the respect out of the business, and the different types of people you take care of.”
- “However, I did appreciate the thoughtfulness and character development that went into it.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability appears mixed, with some users experiencing smooth performance without glitches, while others report multiple crashes and glitches requiring restarts. Overall, stability may vary depending on the system or play session.
- “I had some glitches, had to restart the game three times to get it to function and had an issue at the end as well.”
- “The only reason I am giving this a thumbs up is because the game runs smoothly on my PC with no lags or glitches.”
- “I played this straight through in 1 hour including taking breaks to google different funeral things I read about in the game.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly without lags or glitches on the user's PC, contributing positively to the overall experience alongside its art style and gameplay.
- “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).”

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80%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

A Mortician’s Tale Review for PC
Gamespace.com
80%

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2h Median play time

3h Average play time

2-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 11 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

A Mortician's Tale is a casual role playing game.

A Mortician's Tale is available on PC, Mac OS, Phone, iPad and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing A Mortician's Tale.

A Mortician's Tale was released on October 18, 2017.

A Mortician's Tale was developed by Laundry Bear Games.

A Mortician's Tale has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked A Mortician's Tale for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

A Mortician's Tale is a single player game.

Similar games include A Normal Lost Phone, LoveChoice, Tacoma, Always Sometimes Monsters, Gone Home and others.

A Mortician's Tale

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