Modern Tales: Age of Invention

About

Modern Tales: Age of Invention is a single player puzzle game with fantasy, mystery and kids themes. It was developed by Orchid Games and was released on October 19, 2017. It received very positive reviews from players.

Paris, 1900. During the world expo an unknown force kidnaps the brightest minds of the century. To what sinister end? Step into the shoes of Emily Patterson – the daughter of one of the captured scientists – to conduct your own investigation, follow the trail of the captor and thwart his evil plans before the fate of the world is sealed.

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 167 reviews

story51 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

Beautiful and colorful artwork with a vibrant steampunk and early 20th-century setting.
Engaging and enjoyable storyline featuring historical figures like Albert Einstein, Coco Chanel, and Ferdinand Porsche.
Fun, varied, and approachable gameplay with hidden object scenes and puzzles that suit both beginners and casual players.

The game is relatively short with limited replay value and no bonus chapter.
Voice acting is often flat, lifeless, or unconvincing, detracting from immersion.
Some puzzles can be illogical or frustrating, including one notable puzzle that lacks a reset option and requires a guide to solve.

story
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
57%
4%
The story in Modern Tales: Age of Invention is generally regarded as engaging, fun, and well-integrated with the puzzles, featuring a science-themed, historical setting with famous real-life figures like Albert Einstein and Coco Chanel. While it offers a compelling and intriguing plot with a mix of adventure, humor, and light steampunk elements, some find it clichéd, occasionally absurd, and simplistic, with voice acting and writing quality varying. Overall, it provides a satisfying narrative experience, particularly for fans of hidden object games, though it lacks a bonus chapter or sequel continuation.
- “Modern Tales: Age of Invention convinces with a gripping story that lives from its dark atmosphere.”
- “The story revolves around an investigation of a daughter, trying to find her kidnapped father, one of brilliant scientists, who gets intertwined into an evil conspiracy to steal and sell their inventions as weapons.”
- “The side characters are all famous real-life figures that are brilliantly put into the story, making the game interesting.”
- “The story was completely ridiculous - as were some actions.”
- “Story is absurd, and it ends on a mega-absurdity when this science-based hog descends into fantasy (magic staff) to win the day.”
- “This game has many of the same problems other hogs have -- exceedingly silly and contrived story which "abuses" famous people like Albert Einstein, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, and Coco Chanel, mediocre voice acting, some misspellings and mislabeled objects.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
29%
6%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful, vibrant, and colorful art style, with high-quality artwork and visually appealing locations that create an engaging, often cheerful atmosphere. However, some users note issues with lower resolution upon zooming and clunky character animations, though the overall aesthetic and visual presentation remain a strong highlight.
- “The game's artwork is beautifully made, the colors and details are breathtaking.”
- “Great graphics and lots of nice touches that most other titles can't (or don't attempt to) match.”
- “The artwork is much more cheery than usual (I feel like so many hidden object games go with a dark theme), and it had some older adventure game vibes at times.”
- “Graphics quality is fine but the character animations are very clanky.”
- “-music, graphics, puzzles, voice acting- bog-standard, with very little to distinguish them from any other hidden object game on the market.”
- “Poor plot and graphics.”
music
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
42%
10%
The music in the game is generally praised for fitting the atmosphere well, being relaxing, and enhancing the overall experience with well-composed and enjoyable soundtracks. However, some users found the music repetitive and noted issues with volume balance, particularly with certain sound effects being too loud and not individually adjustable. Overall, the music is considered a strong positive, complementing the art and voice acting effectively.
- “Modern Tales: Age of Invention is a classic hidden object game, characterized by wonderful drawings, an exciting story, and very well composed music.”
- “The background music was great, totally awesome; I was hooked by that music and decided not to rush the game just to enjoy it.”
- “+ Voice acting and music are top notch, with music adjusting from happy to somber at the right moments.”
- “The music sound is way too loud overall, and the zooming in & out of scenes sound is really loud and annoying. That particular sound can't be lowered without lowering all other sounds and voices, which is a negative aspect.”
- “The music is nice but repetitive.”
- “The soundtrack fits the game well, although it feels a little repetitive after some time.”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
62%
14%
The gameplay is generally simple and enjoyable, featuring familiar adventure and hidden object mechanics that are accessible and relaxing, especially for casual play or younger audiences. While not highly challenging, it offers enough engagement to support the overall experience despite a basic narrative and ease of play.
- “Fun gameplay with great minigames!”
- “Gameplay is comparable to other Artifex Mundi hidden object puzzle adventure (HOPA) games, which are not too hard to beat, yet not as easy as it seems if you are looking for perfect 100% gameplay.”
- “You'll be given a plot motivation at the start, either at the onset or after a short gameplay tutorial, then set out to solve numerous, seemingly identical adventure game obstacles in order to, usually, rescue someone, defeat a villain, or both.”
- “The only 'downside' for me was the main narrative -- it was poorly delivered but nothing that took away from the gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is comparable to other Artifex Mundi HOPA games, which are not too hard to beat, yet is not as easy as it seems if you are looking for perfect 100% gameplay.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by amusing historical references and a lighthearted tone, including a comical romance with Albert Einstein and numerous funny moments throughout the story. While some voice acting is described as unintentionally hilarious due to its poor quality, this adds to the game's charm with occasional tongue-in-cheek humor. Overall, the humor is well-integrated and contributes positively to the enjoyable atmosphere.
- “I just enjoyed the atmosphere a lot, and there's a little romance plot involving Albert Einstein which is just hilarious to see in a game.”
- “Nice and well-written story with quite some humorous elements.”
- “The voice acting, while not stellar, is perfectly serviceable and there's even a hint of tongue-in-cheek humor here and there.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is highly praised for its dark, gripping tone complemented by fitting music and detailed art. The game's unique setting featuring historical scientists and inventors adds charm and humor, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
- “Modern Tales: Age of Invention convinces with a gripping story that lives from its dark atmosphere.”
- “The background and atmosphere are great.”
- “It's also fun that all the characters are historical scientists/inventors, the graphics are nice and the music fits the atmosphere of the game.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game has a short playtime of 3-4 hours and offers little to no replay value, making it best suited for purchase during a discount rather than at full price.
- “The game is about 3-4 hours long, with no normal replay value, so if you are able to get this for less than $4, it would be a good deal.”
- “Since it's so short and there is little to no replay value, you should get this when it's discounted like I did.”
- “The replay value for the game is low.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits stability issues, including occasional freezes that require alt-tabbing to resolve and a softlock near the end where a repeated cutscene causes the game to freeze. No other technical glitches were reported.
- “I had weird freezes that only stopped when I alt-tabbed from the game.”
- “I am softlocked at the end; when I try to enter the sphere, the game tries to start a cutscene I have already resolved and then freezes.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The optimization received mixed feedback, with users experiencing performance issues and occasional blurry cutscenes. Overall, the game may require improvements to enhance smoothness and visual clarity.
- “While playing I did run into some performance issues.”
- “Negatives: performance issues, voice acting, cutscenes blurry”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users appreciate the well-executed character designs and speaking animations, highlighting that character development is thoughtfully integrated and adds depth to the experience.

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7h Median play time

7h Average play time

7-7h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Modern Tales: Age of Invention is a puzzle game with fantasy, mystery and kids themes.

Modern Tales: Age of Invention is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 7 hours playing Modern Tales: Age of Invention.

Modern Tales: Age of Invention was released on October 19, 2017.

Modern Tales: Age of Invention was developed by Orchid Games.

Modern Tales: Age of Invention has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its replayability.

Modern Tales: Age of Invention is a single player game.

Similar games include Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink, Dark Arcana: The Carnival, Fairy Tale Mysteries: The Puppet Thief, Enigmatis 2: The Mists of Ravenwood, Eventide: Slavic Fable and others.

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