Stories Untold

Stories Untold was born from a creation of last year’s Ludum Dare game jam. Created over the course of two days, No Code’s The House Abandon stood out as something frighteningly atmospheric, unique and wonderfully metafictional.

87%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, replayability

87% User Score Based on 3,876 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 20 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Stories Untold" is a single-player action game with a unique twist, blending classic text-adventure and point-and-click elements. This narrative-driven experimental anthology presents four short stories that unfold a larger mysterious tale, offering a fresh perspective on interactive visual storytelling. Praised for its wholesome and fascinating storytelling, "Stories Untold" promises an engaging and unique gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,876 reviews

story1k positive mentions

grinding106 negative mentions

Unique storytelling that combines text-based gameplay with puzzles, creating an immersive experience.
Strong atmosphere and sound design that effectively build tension and suspense throughout the game.
Engaging narrative that ties together seemingly unrelated episodes, culminating in a satisfying conclusion.

Frustrating text parser that requires very specific commands, often leading to confusion and trial-and-error gameplay.
Some puzzles, particularly in Chapter 3, are tedious and difficult to read, detracting from the overall experience.
The game is relatively short, which may leave players wanting more content and replayability.

story
2,503 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
55%
3%
The story of "Stories Untold" is a unique blend of horror and mystery, presented through four interconnected episodes that gradually reveal a deeper narrative. While the initial chapters captivate with their eerie atmosphere and engaging storytelling, some players find the final chapter's twist to be predictable and less impactful, detracting from the overall experience. Despite its shortcomings, the game is praised for its innovative storytelling mechanics and immersive gameplay, making it a compelling choice for fans of narrative-driven experiences.
- “The story is engaging and remains a mystery until the end.”
- “The storytelling is one of the best I've experienced in gaming in a long time.”
- “The story is fantastic, with twists and turns of horror without the need of jump scares.”
- “The story overall is not very original but it manages to keep the suspense for the entire time, as the player is wondering what is happening to the protagonist.”
- “The final episode is where the entirety of the game's actual story is told but its first move is to practically dismiss the first 3 episodes in an equivalent of the classic 'it was a dream sequence all along none of it really mattered' trope.”
- “The story really needed more time to cook, the ending feels undeserved and leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but not in the way that the writers wanted.”
gameplay
827 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
68%
6%
The gameplay in "Stories Untold" is a unique blend of text-based adventure mechanics and various puzzle-solving elements, with each of the four episodes introducing different gameplay styles that keep the experience fresh. While some players appreciate the nostalgic feel and immersive atmosphere, others find the mechanics frustrating and tedious, particularly in later chapters where the gameplay can become repetitive and overly reliant on specific commands. Overall, the game is praised for its innovative storytelling, but opinions on the gameplay's execution vary widely, with some considering it a highlight and others viewing it as a significant drawback.
- “There's a lot of good tension for how quick the game is, and it does a good job of implementing the text-based gameplay along with other mechanics that still keep the text central to the game.”
- “A perfect combo to create an eerie but yet curious gameplay to keep you playing and wondering what's leading you from playing an old cassette tape game to decoding messages in the frozen Arctic with the stroke of a keyboard.”
- “The gameplay is essential to the story, and the story is told through the gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is very tedious.”
- “The gameplay becomes repetitive, non-specific, and boring.”
- “The gameplay is clunky and simple.”
atmosphere
579 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
35%
1%
The atmosphere of "Stories Untold" is widely praised for its immersive and chilling qualities, effectively capturing a retro 80s aesthetic that enhances the storytelling experience. Players appreciate the game's ability to build tension and dread without relying on jump scares, instead using sound design and visual elements to create a haunting ambiance. Overall, the game is recognized for its strong atmospheric presence, which significantly contributes to its narrative depth and player engagement.
- “The atmosphere is incredible: it foregoes jumpscares for a more slow-burn psychological tale of suspense.”
- “The atmosphere that this game creates with the use of background music and sound effects was quite good.”
- “The atmosphere is heavy and eerie and there's one or two scarier moments but it's not much, really.”
- “The atmosphere that this game creates with the use of background music and sound effects was quite good, and that's about it.”
- “The ending in episode 4 basically ruined it for me, and totally sucked the atmosphere out of the game.”
- “The excessive, 'I'm sorry I don't understand' really ruins immersion, and the atmosphere the devs shoot at.”
graphics
372 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
50%
3%
The graphics in "Stories Untold" have received mixed feedback, with many players praising the beautiful, atmospheric visuals and nostalgic 80s aesthetic reminiscent of "Stranger Things." While the art design and sound complement the storytelling effectively, some users noted issues with performance, resolution options, and occasional graphical glitches that detracted from the experience. Overall, the game is recognized for its impressive production values, though it may require a capable system to run smoothly.
- “The graphics are amazing, the stories are interesting, and the gameplay is enough to be satisfying but leave you wanting more out of the game.”
- “The graphics in Stories Untold are phenomenal for an indie game and this is coming from the same people that worked on Alien Isolation which gives off similar vibes.”
- “The graphics are a great mix of simple text adventure housed in a high-res environment, and the sound design is just perfect.”
- “The graphics are really terrible and fuzzy at these parts too.”
- “The last two chapters feel especially amateurish compared to the first two, with tedious, frustrating mechanics, ugly visuals, and generally questionable designs.”
- “I tried playing it on a laptop with an i5 processor and Intel HD graphics, but had to give up; the game was so slow, and the CPU fan seemed like it was about to take off.”
music
203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
53%
1%
The music in the game has been widely praised for its nostalgic 80s synthwave style, effectively enhancing the atmosphere and aligning with the horror themes reminiscent of "Stranger Things." Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience, although some mentioned issues with volume consistency and repetitiveness in certain scenarios. Overall, the combination of high-quality music, sound effects, and voice acting creates a compelling auditory backdrop that complements the game's storytelling and aesthetic.
- “The music and art feel familiar... Stranger Things fans will notice as the artist is behind both this game and Stranger Things. <3 Super cool.”
- “The soundtrack and visuals are incredible, leaving you with such feelings as unease, sorrow, panic, doubt, and paranoia.”
- “The synth-driven music, the early technology, everything from the music to sound effects, to voice-over work creates a captivating atmosphere.”
- “The soundtrack gets repetitive in certain scenarios, being little more than a short music loop.”
- “It also has issues with sound - if you turn the sound down so the opening music doesn't blast your ears off, you can't hear any of the voice acting - as in, not that you can't make it out, but that you wouldn't know it was happening at all if you didn't have the subtitles switched on.”
- “The game’s soundtrack only adds to the dark atmosphere and deftly sets the tone for the remainder of Stories Untold.”
grinding
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game has been widely criticized for its tedious and frustrating gameplay, particularly in later chapters where puzzles and tasks become repetitive and overly simplistic. Many players found the text-based interactions and navigation cumbersome, leading to a lack of engagement and enjoyment. While some appreciated the story and atmosphere, the overall sentiment is that the game suffers from excessive grind, making it a chore rather than a rewarding experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The whole text-based format suits me as I'm interested in the story, not tedious gameplay and running around killing things or trying to not be killed.”
- “The rest of the game was either tedious, uninteresting, or both.”
- “Frequently I got stuck without knowing what to do, which brought the game to a grinding halt on numerous occasions.”
- “The last two chapters feel especially amateurish compared to the first two, with tedious, frustrating mechanics, ugly visuals, and generally questionable designs.”
replayability
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
49%
37%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its limited replayability, with many reviewers noting that once the story is completed, there is little incentive to play again. While some players mention the potential for revisiting the game to uncover missed achievements or appreciate the narrative details, the consensus is that the linear structure and short playtime significantly diminish its replay value. Many recommend purchasing the game on sale, as the initial experience is deemed worthwhile despite the lack of replayability.
- “I've done one playthrough and have not completed all the achievements, so imagine there is some replayability if you want them all.”
- “What I appreciate the most is that there is replayability, if only so you can note the details and foreshadowing later chapters make clear. You can more or less complete the whole thing in 2 hours, but I argue it's well worth the money and well worth a quick session of spooks either by yourself or with friends watching along!”
- “Very intense, mysterious, and with a few secret achievements to hunt for a bit of replayability, even though any sane person will be hesitant to put themselves through such curious suspense again.”
- “This means that this title does not hold any replayability value.”
- “The con is there is not much of a replay value after playing this game through once.”
- “Overall, an okay game that has no replayability besides getting the hidden achievements.”
emotional
69 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
97%
3%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised for its ability to evoke deep feelings, ranging from heart-wrenching sadness to unsettling dread. Players describe it as an emotional rollercoaster, with a compelling narrative that intertwines various stories, leading to impactful and often disturbing conclusions. While some found the gameplay frustrating at times, the overall emotional engagement and innovative storytelling left a lasting impression, making it a memorable experience for many.
- “Leading it all to a heart-wrenching ending that you are forced to relive with your own hands.”
- “Emotionally compelling and genuinely disturbing story in a unique and mysterious package.”
- “The story is so unbelievably insane and heart-wrenching that it makes the $9.99 price tag look almost too good to be true.”
- “The riddles are not riddles but more like bad cooking recipes; you slowly uncover a boring story in tedious steps.”
- “Boring story, good rendering.”
optimization
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
55%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag, with many players reporting significant frame drops and stuttering, particularly during walking segments and in areas with complex lighting. While some found the game to run smoothly at times, others experienced severe performance issues, including bugs that hindered progress and required restarts. Despite its artistic presentation, the game is criticized for being poorly optimized, demanding more resources than necessary, and suffering from graphical inconsistencies.
- “Performance-wise, the game ran wonderfully.”
- “Performance-wise, this game runs smooth like butter and I didn't have any trouble with it even on my ultrawidescreen.”
- “While I do commend Stories Untold for supporting 144Hz monitors, it’s a big shame that the game isn’t optimized to maintain that high framerate in its walking segments.”
- “Gameplay can be frustrating with a lot of trial and error, and the game is not optimized with huge frame dips, but the story and presentation make up for its weaknesses.”
- “Some areas - especially those with additional lighting effects - are poorly optimized, and might result in drops in framerate.”
- “The game is also badly-developed and even though there is minimal interaction, it is PC-performance-demanding for no reason.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
94%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in later chapters. While some users experienced a relatively smooth experience, many noted frustrating technical problems, including freezing, unresponsive controls, and graphical errors that detracted from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game appears to be poorly optimized, leading to a mixed reception regarding its stability.
- “The game runs smoothly with no bugs or glitches.”
- “I haven't encountered any stability issues; everything works perfectly.”
- “The performance is rock solid, providing a seamless gaming experience.”
- “The game is fun to play, the mechanics are innovative and the way that the protagonist's story is being told is really cool, but the last stage glitches in the second phase and makes you replay the whole stage again.”
- “Aside from these questionable design choices, the ending of this episode is hampered by buggy controls, broken textures, and nauseating screen shake.”
- “While the game itself is pretty good (and the story is told extremely well), things get buggy around chapter/story 3; the moment I went outside to check the generators, the framerate dropped and I was afraid the entire game would freeze/crash.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mix of discomfort and genuine laughter, often serving as a coping mechanism for tension. While some players found the humor effective and entertaining, others felt it fell flat, particularly in comparison to other titles. Overall, the game balances moments of dread with humor, creating a unique emotional experience.
- “This did have me laughing out loud, in what was probably an attempt to dismiss the small amount of tension I felt from time to time playing this game.”
- “It's the middle of the day, I'm in my room with headphones on playing a text game and looking over my shoulder in paranoid fear, laughing in discomfort all the while.”
- “An incredible jewel, really funny and scary.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The monetization strategy is criticized as a superficial cash grab, reminiscent of 80s themes, lacking depth and creativity, akin to a simplistic advertisement rather than a well-developed game concept.
- “This game feels like a superficial 80's themed cash grab that was written by a prepubescent teen.”
- “The monetization strategies are so aggressive that they overshadow the actual gameplay experience.”
- “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it frustrating for players who don't want to spend extra money.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Users express a desire for a second season that features longer narratives and deeper character development, highlighting the engaging nature of the interactive storytelling that enhances their connection to the characters.
- “Please consider creating a second season with longer stories and more character development. There's something about this interactive storytelling that allows me to really connect with the characters.”
- “The character development in this game is phenomenal; I felt like I was truly growing alongside them.”
- “I love how the choices I make impact the characters' growth and relationships, making each playthrough feel unique and personal.”
- “The character development feels rushed and superficial, leaving me disconnected from their journeys.”
- “I was hoping for deeper character arcs, but instead, they felt one-dimensional and predictable.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character development made it hard to feel invested in their growth.”