On Your Tail

About

In "On Your Tail," players step into the shoes of Diana, an amateur writer seeking inspiration in the sunny Borgo Marina. As a phantom thief wreaks havoc, players will investigate crime scenes, gather clues using a chronolens, and recreate the crime through a card-based system, engaging with various character storylines along the way. This looks like a captivating blend of detective work and narrative exploration.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 185 reviews

story62 positive mentions

stability18 negative mentions

The game features immaculate 2D art and a charming style that captures the essence of a nostalgic Italian town.
The world is filled with authentic details and references, creating an immersive experience that makes players feel connected to the setting.
The game offers a variety of engaging mini-games and activities, allowing players to explore and interact with the town and its characters at their own pace.

The story is often criticized for being bland and lacking depth, with many players feeling that the mystery elements are not engaging enough.
Gameplay can be frustrating due to trial-and-error mechanics in puzzles, which can lead to tedious repetition and a lack of logical progression.
Technical issues such as camera control problems, bugs, and slow loading times detract from the overall experience, making it feel less polished.

story
171 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it bland and lacking depth, particularly in its mystery elements, while others appreciate its charm and engaging characters. Many highlight the cozy atmosphere and intriguing backstories, though some express disappointment with pacing and plot resolution. Overall, the narrative is seen as a blend of lighthearted adventure and detective work, with potential for enjoyment despite its flaws.
- “An amazing game containing a fantastic story with a few plot twists along with intriguing backstories, and this goes hand in hand with beautiful locations, adorable characters, cool mechanics, and entertaining minigames.”
- “The cosy atmosphere with occult mysteries sprinkled on top were the cherries on top of a great story packed with lovable and interesting characters, sublimed by a captivating narrative.”
- “The story is so intriguing and keeps you going.”
- “Unfortunately, the story itself is kind of bland.”
- “The story is just a pretend investigation to throw over minigames and puzzles.”
- “The 'game' is extremely rough around the edges, the camera is all over the place and the story is so boring it is hard to believe the writers took this seriously.”
gameplay
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
60%
12%
The gameplay is a mix of engaging detective mechanics and a variety of mini-games, offering a unique experience that blends mystery-solving with slice-of-life elements. However, many players find the core mechanics, particularly the interrogation system, to be tedious and frustrating, often leading to trial and error rather than satisfying problem-solving. While the game showcases beautiful art and a charming atmosphere, it suffers from bugs and pacing issues that detract from the overall experience.
- “Somewhere in between a persona and a vacation simulator with incredible art, models, music, and vibe, and, as if that wasn't enough, an engaging and creative detective mechanic.”
- “The overall investigation and deduction mechanic of the game is well done and played through a super unique turn-based system that depends both on order and the actual environment itself.”
- “The mini-games are fun and the mystery-solving mechanic is great and really gets your brain going; I love the style a lot, it feels a bit like Cluedo... in a good way!”
- “Gameplay is a lot of trial and error, which for the most part is fine because you do kind of figure out and understand what you did wrong, but for the interrogations it just felt pretty annoying having to constantly redo it because of how hard it is to figure them out.”
- “It was colorful, had a creative setting… but apart from the repetitive gameplay (how many times must I snap open and close my pocket watch before finding a difference in the scenery??), the camera is this game’s absolute worst feature.”
- “And the interrogation card game is completely bonkers and so confusing and not gratifying at all, and the clue system is both very necessary and very tedious to use, and the translation is all over the place, sometimes excellent and clever and other times confusing or just wrong, and the story is bonkers and there's so much superfluous side content that never matters and gives no gameplay incentive...”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
51%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to create an immersive atmosphere, featuring a blend of 80s-inspired tracks and ambient sounds that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the seamless transitions between musical pieces as they explore different areas, as well as the nostalgic and dreamlike quality of the main theme. While some songs are not officially listed in the soundtrack, their emotional impact resonates with players, contributing to the game's charm and relaxing vibe.
- “The ambient sounds of the marina, relaxing background tracks, and snippets of catchy music do a great job at breathing life into the world.”
- “Each section of the town has its own musical piece, and going from one point to another has it seamlessly change!”
- “The looping muzak tracks do the job of filling out the atmosphere, while the main theme is this nice dreamlike retro-feeling synth track that sets you in the mood for 'this is going to be like the 80s.'”
- “The 80s summer songs on the radio 'mare blu' make me weep from homesickness - I must find them somehow.”
- “Shame that they aren't listed anywhere on the OST; I would legit put them in my playlists. I don't think they are actual songs (I couldn't find anything by googling the lyrics), but if they were made by the team... god damn.”
- “The looping muzak tracks do the job of filling out the atmosphere, while the main theme is this nice dreamlike retro-feeling synth track that sets you in the mood for 'this is going to be like the 80s.' It's hard to really talk about the soundtrack without spoilers or just saying 'it sets the mood', but I don't regret buying the OST.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
47%
9%
The game's graphics are praised for their vibrant and charming art style, capturing the essence of a quaint Italian seaside town with meticulous details and colorful visuals. While the overall aesthetic is delightful and engaging, some players noted graphical glitches and limited options for customization, which slightly detracted from the experience. Despite these minor issues, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's immersive and heartwarming atmosphere.
- “The visuals are absolutely amazing, and I just love the bright pastels of the world.”
- “The art style is gorgeous, and the characters are relatable in some way. With all the game has to offer, it might be my next indie game that keeps me coming back for more!”
- “I especially enjoy the cute Italian town; it makes for the perfect holiday setting, and the bright and colorful art style matches really well.”
- “Our adventures in this corner of Italy aren't exactly the best looking ones: it suffers from a few graphical glitches here and there like textures not loading in properly, shadows flickering as they cannot decide which resolution to use.”
- “Nonetheless, I would have liked to have more graphical options than choosing between a few anti-aliasing solutions and three different kinds of camera noise.”
- “Another minor nitpick I have encountered is the very basic ultrawide monitor support (I played it on a 21:9 monitor) where each cutscene and unlockable artwork are stretched to the edges of the monitor.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is noted for its enjoyable atmosphere and detective mechanics, but it suffers from significant stability issues, including numerous graphical glitches, sound problems, and bugs that detract from the overall experience. While players can overlook some of these issues for the sake of enjoyment, the game's jankiness and rough edges are a common point of criticism, impacting its overall rating.
- “I really like the vibe and the detective mechanics, but being a new game, it's very buggy.”
- “Overall, an 8 or 9 out of 10 that unfortunately is brought down by jankiness with glitches and poor instructions in places.”
- “A lot of glitches are present during the writing of this review.”
emotional
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a profound emotional experience, evoking feelings akin to mourning a loved one by its conclusion, which many players describe as a testament to its heartfelt storytelling and character development. With outstanding art and writing, it offers a sweet and wholesome journey filled with life lessons, immersive mysteries, and genuine connections that leave a lasting impact despite its minor flaws. Overall, it stands out as a labor of love that resonates deeply with players.
- “It is one of the rare games that put me through so much emotional shock by the end that it feels as though I am mourning the loss of a relative or dear friend.”
- “The way this game made me feel is the true mark of a labor of love, and the hallmark of a brilliant game.”
- “In the end, this game offers a heartfelt and immersive experience that’s hard to forget, even with its flaws.”
grinding
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with some mechanics, such as finding all the cards and managing in-game currency, feeling tedious and time-consuming. While the game offers a variety of activities, including minigames and puzzles, many users express frustration over their repetitiveness and lack of rewarding gameplay incentives. Overall, the potential for grindiness raises concerns about long-term engagement, particularly regarding job mechanics and the economy.
- “Finding all the cards can be a bit grindy, because it is hard to find them all and a lot of items cost money, which can also be a bit of a grind.”
- “One of the main mechanics is quite tedious, especially when you get further into the game.”
- “The minigames, though varied, are sometimes tedious or just downright annoying.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its cozy and vibrant setting in the town of Borgo Marina, characterized by stunning visuals and a captivating narrative. Players appreciate the blend of occult mysteries and charming characters, enhanced by a dreamlike retro soundtrack that effectively sets the mood. Overall, the game's rich atmosphere is a standout feature that significantly contributes to the overall experience.
- “The cosy atmosphere with occult mysteries sprinkled on top were the cherries on top of a great story packed with lovable and interesting characters, sublimed by a captivating narrative.”
- “Nevertheless, the atmosphere coming from the game's visual presentation is all too powerful for me not to forgive those issues.”
- “The town of Borgo Marina is stunning, and the vibrant, stylized houses and streets ooze atmosphere.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
22%
56%
The game's optimization has been criticized for notable technical issues, including stuttering and hitches when loading new areas, which detracts from the overall experience. While some players believe these performance problems can be patched, others feel that poor visual optimization and janky mechanics significantly hinder the game's potential. Despite these flaws, many reviewers noted that they did not completely overshadow their enjoyment of the game.
- “The jank is there, but it seems like engine optimization and things that can get patched out.”
- “Just iron out a few performance issues and it'll be a winner!”
- “The game also has some wonky optimization.”
- “There are, unfortunately, a few technical hitches; while exploring outdoors is fairly seamless, there are notable hitches and stuttering every time you move into a new area and it has to load assets.”
- “A promising premise bogged down by terrible visual optimization and an infuriating base mechanic.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The character development in the game is highly praised for its interesting and unique designs, which significantly contribute to the overall appeal and immersive experience. Reviewers highlight that the character design is a standout feature, enhancing their recommendation of the game.
- “I think I will recommend this game on the strength of its character design, sense of place, and the rare high points of gameplay.”
- “I loved all the character designs; they were interesting.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "On Your Tail" is consistently praised for its cleverness, contributing to a delightful narrative experience alongside memorable characters and a beautifully crafted world.
- “On Your Tail is a delightful narrative-driven game filled with clever humor, memorable characters, and a beautifully crafted world.”