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Tadpole Treble

Tadpole Treble is an enjoyable, well presented rhythm game, with a wonderful composition mode, full of great moments and creative level design, with fairly good replay value. Its extent falls short, and there's room for making the rhythm aspect more engaging, but neither of those flaws overshadows its overall amusing and memorable experience.
Tadpole Treble Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
atmosphere, grinding
96% User Score Based on 253 reviews
Critic Score 87%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

LinuxPCWii UMac OSWiiWindows
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Tadpole Treble Game Cover

About

Tadpole Treble is a single player arcade role playing game. It was developed by BitFinity and was released on September 2, 2016. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"Tadpole Treble" is a charming and engaging adventure game where you play as Baton, a tadpole navigating through musical levels to the rhythm of an outstanding soundtrack. The game is praised for its unique gameplay, seamless synchronization with music, and abundant charm and personality. Reviewers describe it as a must-have game with simple yet fun gameplay and a sweet, terrifying, and delightful experience.

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Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
Tadpole Treble screenshot
+7
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96%
Audience ScoreBased on 253 reviews
music149 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • Charming graphics and adorable characters create a delightful atmosphere.
  • Catchy and diverse soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • Unique gameplay mechanics that combine rhythm and obstacle dodging, providing a fresh take on the genre.
  • The game is relatively short, with a main story that can be completed in about 1-2 hours.
  • Some controls can feel clunky, especially when navigating through dense obstacles.
  • The composition mode has limitations that make sharing levels cumbersome and less user-friendly.
  • music
    378 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Tadpole Treble" is widely praised for its originality, catchiness, and diverse styles, making it a standout feature of the game. Players appreciate the integration of music into gameplay, where they navigate a musical staff while dodging notes, creating a unique rhythm experience. The soundtrack, composed by Matthew Taranto, is noted for its charm and memorability, with many players expressing a desire to replay levels just to enjoy the music again.

    • “The soundtrack is cracked and you can make your own levels with your own bops after you play through the short but sweet story.”
    • “The music is fantastic and there's a nice wide margin between passing a level and doing well, so I could focus on unlocking everything and only get better at the levels I like best.”
    • “Tadpole Treble is the epitome of what an aesthetic and music-focused game should be; simple gameplay made fun by good game design and an outstanding soundtrack.”
    • “My only negative points are that the music the composition mode creates is kinda low-quality and the starting resolution is really low.”
    • “In short, I didn't enjoy playing the game, especially not the music.”
    • “Rewards require that you make 0 mistakes, so it's very frustrating having to sit through long stretches of boring music just to attempt one annoying part.”
  • gameplay
    78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay in "Tadpole Treble" is a unique blend of rhythm and auto-runner mechanics, where players dodge musical notes while collecting items, creating a fun and engaging experience. While the controls are simple and accessible, some players noted a lack of clarity in the game's mechanics and a reliance on music synchronization that can be inconsistent. Overall, the charming visuals, catchy soundtrack, and varied level design contribute to a delightful gameplay experience that balances simplicity with depth, making it enjoyable for both casual and more experienced gamers.

    • “This game's simple charm, groovy soundtrack, and solid gameplay makes for a great rhythm-game-like romp.”
    • “The gameplay is solid, with a good difficulty curve.”
    • “An original, creative, and fun rhythm game - the music is catchy, the art is gorgeous, and the score-chasing gameplay is addictive and fun.”
    • “The gameplay loop isn't perfect, and no one was asking it to be.”
    • “I did have to look up several things because the game isn't exactly forthcoming about its mechanics.”
    • “If based on presentation alone, Tadpole Treble is a joyful experience; however, the gameplay is a bit too simplistic to pull in the major rhythm game fans.”
  • graphics
    50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming, hand-drawn art style that evokes a sense of nostalgia and creativity. Players appreciate the colorful visuals and quirky aesthetics, which complement the engaging gameplay and memorable soundtrack. While some minor graphical issues were noted, the overall presentation is considered delightful and adds significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “Every frame is hand-drawn in a colorful, quirky art style.”
    • “The graphics in and of themselves made me feel I was a kid again, with literally every single thing in the game being drawn by hand and the overall atmosphere feeling like an old educational game but with music instead of the ABCs.”
    • “The cartoonish, hand-drawn art style of the game is also very nice and charming.”
    • “There are some graphical issues in the stage select screen, and the final boss is very unintuitive if you're playing it for the first time.”
    • “My only gripes are lack of any graphics options, the screen scrolling gets pretty jerky sometimes, and the editor is a tad cumbersome (and rather limited if you want to share levels via QR codes).”
    • “The graphics in of itself made me feel I was a kid again with literally every single thing in the game being drawn by hand and the overall atmosphere feeling like an old educational game but with music instead of the ABC's.”
  • story
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story, while short and simple, follows a charming narrative of a tadpole's quest to return home, enhanced by engaging level design and a delightful soundtrack. Players can complete the main story in about 1-3 hours, but the game offers additional challenges and unlockables that extend replayability. Despite some minor issues with presentation, the overall storytelling is heartwarming and effectively conveyed through gameplay and comic-style visuals.

    • “The story is that you're a newly hatched tadpole who is separated from her family and must try to get back home.”
    • “Tadpole Treble is a short, but absolutely adorable game featuring one brave tadpole in her quest to return home, save the world, and not get eaten like a bite-sized frogsicle.”
    • “The music is very catchy, the stages have interesting mechanics, and the storytelling is simple yet effective.”
    • “The only downside to this game is how short the story mode is.”
    • “The story is pretty simplistic: a tadpole trying to get home.”
    • “There is currently no resolution settings, no windowed or virtual fullscreen mode, and for someone like me who doesn't have a widescreen monitor, there are some parts of story elements that get cut off.”
  • replayability
    38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, "Tadpole Treble" offers significant replayability despite its short main campaign of 1-2 hours, thanks to a variety of collectibles, challenges, and a composition mode that allows players to create their own levels. The engaging music and gameplay, along with online leaderboards and unlockable content, ensure that both casual and completionist players will find plenty to enjoy and revisit. While some may find the game brief, its low price and high replay value make it a worthwhile experience.

    • “A great score-chasing premise with online leaderboards, numerous modes including an editor, collectibles, unlockables, secrets, and a memorable soundtrack ensure high replay value.”
    • “The amount of collectibles and challenges gives the game a lot of replayability, as well as the composition mode which lets you make your own music/levels, though it is slightly limited.”
    • “Though completionists will find plenty of replayability in an attempt to get all the extras and top scores, even a casual gamer will get a great experience and enjoy the wonderful tunes this game has to offer.”
    • “On top of that, the level editor adds a virtually limitless amount of content and replayability to that which is already offered in the main campaign.”
  • humor
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of charming, good-natured jokes and heartfelt moments, often enhanced by a whimsical art style and catchy music. Players appreciate the clever writing, which balances lightheartedness with surprising emotional depth, and the inclusion of funny commentary and dev comments adds to the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is described as cute, funny, and filled with delightful details that encourage replayability.

    • “Brawl in the Family combined humor, cuteness, and heart to not merely riff on Nintendo with nerdy jokes, but also capture the spirit of why so many people love it.”
    • “The cartoony aesthetic is cute, the music is excellent (at least one song will get stuck in your head), and the game is full of good-natured humor.”
    • “A short but charming game with an unapologetically goofy sense of humor.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game evokes a strong sense of nostalgia and emotional connection, reminiscent of childhood experiences, with its charming and wholesome atmosphere. While the plot may not be groundbreaking, it successfully fosters heartwarming bonds, even with unconventional characters like a tadpole. The hand-drawn graphics and nostalgic feel enhance the overall emotional impact.

    • “It oozes the same charm and wholesomeness that made Brawl in the Family so endearing.”
    • “The plot isn't anything special, but it's still heartwarming.”
    • “Thank you, Matt and Mike, for making me feel an emotional bond with a tadpole.”
  • atmosphere
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by catchy and fun music, complemented by hand-drawn graphics that evoke a nostalgic, childlike feel reminiscent of old educational games. This combination creates a unique and enjoyable experience that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The music is catchy and fun, creating a great atmosphere.”
    • “The graphics made me feel like a kid again, with everything in the game drawn by hand. The overall atmosphere feels like an old educational game, but with music instead of the ABCs.”
    • “The atmosphere and music are what really make the game special.”
    • “The graphics made me feel like a kid again, with everything in the game being hand-drawn. The overall atmosphere felt like an old educational game, but with music instead of the ABCs.”
    • “The atmosphere is lacking depth and fails to immerse me in the game world. It feels flat and uninspired.”
    • “Despite the potential, the atmosphere feels disconnected and doesn't evoke any real emotions or engagement.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be potentially tedious and challenging, leading some to avoid completing all the challenges altogether.

    • “I have the feeling that completing all the 'challenges' in this game would be extremely difficult and perhaps even tedious, so it's a good thing I don't attempt those.”
    • “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
    • “I find the grind to level up incredibly monotonous, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
  • stability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users noting that it is very buggy, particularly in the level creator feature.

    • “Sad to report that it is very buggy.”
    • “The level creator seems a little bit buggy.”
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87%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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3h Median play time
3h Average play time
2-3h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Tadpole Treble is a arcade role playing game.

Tadpole Treble is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, Linux and others.

On average players spend around 3 hours playing Tadpole Treble.

Tadpole Treble was released on September 2, 2016.

Tadpole Treble was developed by BitFinity.

Tadpole Treble has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its atmosphere.

Tadpole Treble is a single player game.

Similar games include BIT.TRIP Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, Rhythm Doctor, Rayman Legends, BZZZT, Melatonin and others.