Endless Fables 4: Shadow Within

About

In "Endless Fables 4: Shadow Within," players step into the shoes of explorer Emma Skagen as she investigates a mysterious artifact and uncovers a shadowy conspiracy in the Nordic town of Sunward. The game features hidden object puzzles, mini-games, and a thrilling narrative filled with twists and turns. Emma's quest to unravel the truth will lead her to confront her own past and make difficult choices along the way.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Endless Fables 4: Shadow Within screenshot

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 77 reviews

story13 positive mentions

monetization3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and detailed art that appeals to fans of the genre.
It offers a fun and casual hidden object experience, making it suitable for family play and casual gamers.
The puzzles and hidden object scenes are enjoyable, with a good mix of challenge and accessibility.

The story is forgettable and lacks depth, making the overall experience feel rushed and unmemorable.
Voice acting quality is poor, with some characters sounding unnatural and distracting.
The game is relatively short, leading to a feeling of dissatisfaction regarding its value for the price.

story
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
66%
6%
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it bland, poorly told, or confusing, while others appreciated its decent length and references to previous installments. Many noted that the main storyline was enjoyable but felt rushed or lacking in depth, particularly in the bonus chapter, which was often described as silly or farcical. Overall, the narrative is seen as forgettable by some, yet it still manages to engage players with its creative elements and beautiful visuals.
- “The story takes Pamela back to her hometown to find out what happened to her childhood friends.”
- “Pretty good story, with some fun references to previous games in the series for those with a keen eye (and nods to other Artifex Mundi games too).”
- “Beautiful art, great storyline and decent challenging puzzles!”
- “To be honest, I felt like this was the blandest story and gameplay in the whole series.”
- “The story is very poorly told and some of the mechanics are quite repetitive.”
- “Nothing makes sense in this game, neither story nor puzzles.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
The graphics in the game are generally bright, colorful, and imaginative, with decent animations that align with the genre's typical cartoony style. However, there are notable drawbacks, including a lack of resolution options, some uncanny character animations, and a general absence of detail in certain areas. Overall, while the visuals are enjoyable and functional, they do not stand out significantly within the genre.
- “The positives are the bright, colorful, imaginative graphics, and the more than decent animations.”
- “The graphics, cut-scenes, and voice acting are good for this type of game.”
- “As par for the course, the graphics are cartoony, but detailed.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
- “The downsides are the slightly more disjointed than usual plot/dialogue (I mean, by HOG standards it's practically Shakespeare, but objectively it's a little mid...) and the facial graphics/animations on some of the characters which are just... words fail me... like looking at a constipated troll toy, crossed with a wizened, rotting apple somehow given the semblance of life.”
- “Some of the human animations were a bit uncanny and the art style was not the best.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its epic and dramatic quality, while others found it occasionally overpowering the dialogue. Some players appreciated the ability to adjust sound levels, but a few opted to turn off the music entirely due to its repetitiveness or annoyance. Overall, the soundtrack is noted for enhancing the experience, despite some criticisms regarding volume balance and voice acting.
- “The soundtrack has no business being as epic and dramatic as it is.”
- “The story might be even a bit more ridiculous, but the music is really good!”
- “Good scenery and music, gameplay was innovative and enjoyable.”
- “The artwork was once again good and what you're used to when playing those kinds of games, but I had to turn off the music after a while to be able to focus.”
- “Faces are terrible, story is stupid, riddles are weird and dumb (e.g. bark beetle one), very annoying music, items recycled from previous parts.”
- “I have no idea, I turned off the music and listened to Spotify.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is characterized by a straightforward approach, featuring a good mix of basic mechanics and enjoyable hidden object scenes. Players appreciate the reduced difficulty of puzzles compared to other games, alongside innovative elements that enhance the overall experience, complemented by appealing scenery and music.
- “Mechanics-wise, it's a good mix.”
- “Good scenery and music; gameplay was innovative and enjoyable.”
- “Interesting mechanics.”
- “No extravagant mechanics or collectibles.”
- “Jokes aside, the newer game has easier gameplay and puzzles. How do I know?”
- “The gameplay is pretty basic; it has fewer annoying puzzles than other games, which I like, and the hidden object scenes are fun in this one.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing cut-scenes and quirky character interactions, particularly a memorable disguise involving a pink, fluffy sheep cloud that adds a delightful touch. Players find the bonus chapter entertaining, despite its brevity, contributing to an overall lighthearted and comedic experience.
- “The bonus chapter was kind of short, though, but the most hilarious 'disguise' of all time for a pink, fluffy sheep cloud (you'll understand when you see it) made up for it.”
- “Bonus chapter is actually pretty funny.”
- “You watch some ridiculous cutscene where characters talk and crazy things happen; you just can't stop laughing.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a lighthearted and wholesome tone, providing players with a fun experience that doesn't delve into serious themes.
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
"Endless Fables 4: Shadow Within" is criticized for its monetization strategy, as it is perceived as a cash grab by its developers, Artifex Mundi, after being ported from a free mobile app to Steam.
- “Endless Fables 4: Shadow Within is a free mobile app that's been dumped on Steam as a blatant cash grab by the mobile app developers, Artifex Mundi.”
- “The monetization strategy in this game feels exploitative, as it pushes players to spend money to enjoy basic features.”
- “It's frustrating to see a game that could be enjoyable turned into a money-making scheme with constant prompts to purchase in-game items.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
300%
Reviewers highlight that each game offers a captivating journey to unique locations, infused with distinct cultural elements and a rich local atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- “Each new game brought us a journey to new, interesting corners of the planet, offering an intriguing national flavor and an indescribable local atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth and immersion that I expected.”
- “Despite the beautiful graphics, the game fails to create a compelling atmosphere that draws you in.”
- “The world feels lifeless and empty, making it hard to get lost in the experience.”