Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink

Another competent puzzler from Artifex Mundi, with improvements in the right places. Puzzles that are demanding yet fair, and a fantastic steampunk aesthetic. Next time, more story and more Matthew, please!

82%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

replayability, grinding

91% User Score Based on 504 reviews

Critic Score 70%Based on 6 reviews

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About

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is a single player casual action adventure game with fantasy, mystery, kids and science fiction themes. It was developed by Artifex Mundi and was released on April 24, 2014. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink" is a captivating steampunk-genre hidden object puzzle adventure game, where Agent Evangeline Glass investigates the mysterious disappearance of her friend and colleague, Dr. Ambrose Ink. Dr. Ink had been investigating a series of strange earthquakes causing cities to crumble, leading him to Hochwald and the Barber family castle. The game features action elements such as espionage, monster battles, and even hang-gliding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink screenshot

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91%

Audience ScoreBased on 504 reviews

story143 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

Beautifully crafted steampunk visuals and immersive soundtrack enhance the gaming experience.
Puzzles are varied and engaging, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly difficult.
The game remains enjoyable and replayable, with a charming story and well-developed characters.

The game is relatively short, with a playtime of around 3-4 hours, which may not justify the full price.
Some puzzles can feel repetitive or overly simplistic, lacking the depth found in other titles.
The story feels rushed towards the end, leaving some plot points unresolved and characters underdeveloped.

story
389 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
57%
6%
The story of "Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink" is generally viewed as simplistic and somewhat clichéd, often serving primarily as a backdrop for the puzzles rather than a compelling narrative. While some players appreciated the steampunk setting and found the plot engaging enough to keep them interested, many criticized it for being rushed, lacking depth, and featuring underdeveloped characters. Overall, the game offers a light, enjoyable experience, but those seeking a rich storyline may find it lacking.
- “The story is engaging, which is an attribute that can be hard to find.”
- “I loved the theme and the story.”
- “The story is very engaging and the art style is crisp.”
- “The story is boring, and I think the main villain is somewhat of a Germany WWII allegory.”
- “The story barely matters, and what keeps this game going is its strong steampunk setting.”
- “However, the story, or lack thereof, and general progression of the game felt hurried and jumbled together like so many disconnected puzzle pieces; it left me wondering when the characters were going to be fleshed out and dissected or when the plot would even be marginally explained.”
graphics
187 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
33%
2%
The graphics in "Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink" are widely praised for their stunning steampunk aesthetic, featuring beautifully crafted artwork and vibrant colors that enhance the immersive experience. Players appreciate the attention to detail in the visuals, which are described as sharp, clean, and artistically pleasing, contributing significantly to the game's overall atmosphere. While some reviews note minor issues with character animations, the general consensus is that the graphics are a standout feature, making the game visually appealing and enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “Every detail, from its exquisitely crafted steampunk visuals to the immersive soundtrack and flawless voice acting, draws you into a world both intricate and enchanting.”
- “The graphics look gorgeous on the Steam Deck.”
- “Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is an extremely well-crafted hidden object adventure set in a steampunk world, featuring beautiful graphics, a good soundtrack, and strong voice acting.”
- “Just like most other games from this sorry-ass company, the story is brain-dead, inappropriate for kids (it wasn't promised as such, though) with annoying music and mediocre artwork.”
- “The graphics are as always on these games very artistic and amazing in their own way.”
- “The graphics and storyline are ok, but this isn't much of a 'hidden object game'.”
gameplay
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
73%
3%
The gameplay is primarily a linear point-and-click experience featuring hidden object puzzles, enhanced by the presence of a mechanical crow named Matthew, who assists players in retrieving out-of-reach items. While the game offers a charming steampunk aesthetic and solid mechanics, many players noted its relatively short duration of around 3-5 hours, with some feeling that the gameplay lacks depth and challenge typical of the genre. Overall, it provides a visually appealing and enjoyable experience, particularly for fans of hidden object games, despite some criticisms regarding its simplicity and linearity.
- “The gameplay is great and the main reason it's one of the best hidden object games; the animation is consistent all the way through, as well as it's got a bigger variety of puzzles than most hidden object games.”
- “I love Matthew, the mechanical crow, as the 'helper' character. He adds a unique touch to the gameplay by helping you reach objects that are out of reach.”
- “While the game isn't particularly long, it is otherwise hard to criticize - the story moves along reasonably well, the gameplay is solid throughout, and the puzzles all flow fairly well and make sense.”
- “The gameplay is pretty linear and you can get help in any situation (depending on the currently chosen difficulty), but it's okay in this game as it follows the story.”
- “However, genre aficionados might find the gameplay a bit too simple.”
- “The various mechanical insects to spot and collect are barely concealed at all, the hidden object scenes are pretty but blunt, and the mini-games are on the bland, simple side.”
music
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
45%
8%
The music in the game is generally described as atmospheric and fitting, enhancing the overall experience with its calming and immersive qualities. While many players appreciate the beautiful and relaxing soundtrack, some note that it can be repetitive and not particularly memorable. Overall, the music complements the game's steampunk aesthetic and contributes positively to the gameplay, despite a few criticisms regarding its repetitiveness.
- “Every detail, from its exquisitely crafted steampunk visuals to the immersive soundtrack and flawless voice acting, draws you into a world both intricate and enchanting.”
- “The music is calm and relaxing and adds to the enjoyment.”
- “The background music adds to the atmosphere of mystery, helping you feel you're in a foreign region or time, and the voice acting of main characters is sufficient to avoid breaking the immersion.”
- “Steampunk theme is fun, though the tick-tock music is annoying.”
- “Music could be better, though, with most tunes being repetitive and rather annoying.”
- “But the story is lacking, the music is boring and loops awkwardly.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
19%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive steampunk setting, enhanced by beautiful graphics, atmospheric music, and effective voice acting. Players appreciate the detailed art style and the ability to feel enveloped in a mysterious world, although some note that the experience may take a little time to fully engage. Overall, the combination of visuals, sound, and narrative creates a captivating environment that draws players in.
- “Immersive steampunk atmosphere.”
- “The background music adds to the atmosphere of mystery, helping you feel you're in a foreign region or time, and the voice acting of main characters is sufficient to avoid breaking the immersion.”
- “The steampunk-clockwork world has a really good atmosphere and many neat details, such as the 'church of science.'”
- “Above all our common expectations, Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink covers a narration and a period so dark, yet envelops it with fair music and an atmosphere straight out of fables.”
- “The atmosphere and graphical content is pretty incredible for such a short game.”
- “The atmosphere is alright and will carry you for the few 4-6 hours you might play this game (don't miss the prequel chapter available once finishing the game).”
replayability
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it memorable and enjoyable, many note a lack of significant replay value due to easy puzzles and linear progression. Although there are a few replayable mini-games and achievements to pursue, the short playtime and limited variance in gameplay diminish the incentive to replay.
- “Despite its age, Clockwork Tales remains utterly memorable and endlessly replayable.”
- “Replayability is encouraged due to the existence of achievements such as: complete the game in expert mode, find all hidden bugs, and don't misclick in any HOG segments.”
- “This is the collector's edition of the game and comes with the bonus chapter (a short prequel to the main story), replayable puzzles and hidden object scenes, wallpapers, soundtrack, and collectible 'steambugs' that are sprinkled throughout the game.”
- “There's also not a lot of replayability.”
- “Don't expect to get a lot of replayability as once you solve a puzzle, you know how.”
- “Due to the linear progression and lack of variance in how to move forward, the game has fairly little replayability, but the initial experience can be quite fun.”
humor
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of amusing voice acting, with some performances being hilariously bad, and clever references that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, particularly in the context of the steampunk theme and entertaining puzzles, making for a fun and engaging atmosphere. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the gameplay, despite some inconsistencies in voice quality.
- “Those games always had poor voice acting, but some of the villager voices in Clockwork Tales are hilariously terrible.”
- “The bonus aftergame was especially fun because of the four statues; I like that kind of humor.”
- “This game is exactly what you'd expect from Artifex Mundi - an entertaining story, fun puzzles, some funny references, and some cute animals throughout!”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have mixed feelings about grinding in the game, with some finding certain puzzles tedious and repetitive, particularly those requiring trial and error. While many puzzles are imaginative and enjoyable, a few are described as mind-numbingly tedious, leading some players to skip them. Overall, the game offers a balance of challenging puzzles and engaging storytelling, but players should not expect extensive gameplay beyond a few hours, even with achievement grinding.
- “About 3.6 hours of gameplay, the rest is AFK card farming.”
- “Near the end of the game, I was getting a bit sick of them and did skip a few of the more tedious trial/error ones.”
- “Some puzzles (the dollhouse, reflecting mirrors) were fun, and others (rolling balls, guide the pin) were just mind-numbingly tedious.”
character development
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
Character development in the game is largely criticized as superficial and lacking depth, with a linear plot that fails to provide meaningful growth for characters, including a shallow villain stereotype. While the story, art, and character design are praised, they do not compensate for the overall lack of character progression.
- “Great story, beautiful art, and pleasant character design.”
- “Aside from the puzzles, the adventure game elements were fairly intuitive, there wasn't too much backtracking, the story was decent enough, the art was good, the character designs and voice acting were well done, and there was even a bit of humor thrown into the dialogue.”
- “It is a fairly simple, linear plot with no character development.”
- “The villain is a ridiculously shallow stereotype and there's no real character development.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, with users reporting no significant glitches or bugs during gameplay. However, some players noted minor issues with certain puzzles being buggy, while hidden-object scenes required pixel-hunting by design. Voice acting and art quality received mixed feedback, but did not detract from the overall stability experience.
- “There were no glitches or bugs; the art is fine (no pixel-hunting was required except in the hidden-object scenes, which by definition is what you're doing), and the voice acting was passable.”
- “A casual WWII steampunk game, and just like the rest of the games from the same developers, it features good puzzles, nice music, no glitches or bugs, easy achievements, and good cards.”
- “Also, some of the puzzles were buggy.”
- “There were no glitches or bugs, the art is fine (no pixel-hunting was required except in the hidden-object scenes in which by definition that is what you're doing) and the voice-acting was passable.”
- “[h1][b]glitches / bugs[/b][/h1] none.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be brief yet heartwarming, effectively evoking feelings of warmth and connection.
- “This game made me feel a deep connection to the characters; their struggles felt so real.”
- “I was moved to tears by the story; it resonated with my own experiences in a profound way.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on my own life.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The game's optimization is generally satisfactory, delivering performance that fits well within its genre without being jarring or detracting from the overall experience. While not exceptional, it maintains a level of quality that allows players to remain immersed.
- “Now I'm not saying these are award-winning performances, but they're not jarring nor do they sound out of place given the material, and they don't pull me out of the experience as they would in other games.”
- “Intriguing though brief... within this specific genre, the game provides quite satisfactory performance.”

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

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5h Median play time

5h Average play time

3-7h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is a casual action adventure game with fantasy, mystery, kids and science fiction themes.

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, iPhone, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink.

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink was released on April 24, 2014.

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink was developed by Artifex Mundi.

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink is a single player game.

Similar games include Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden, Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek, Mind Snares: Alice's Journey, Dark Arcana: The Carnival, Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride and others.

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