Tails Noir Preludes

About

Tails Noir Preludes is a single player role playing game with mystery and thriller themes. It was developed by Eggnut and was released on February 2, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Tails Noir Preludes" is a narrative-driven game that explores the formative moments of four characters through interactive vignettes. Your choices in conversations and actions shape your character traits and impact the characters around you, with branching dialogues and randomized events offering multiple paths and outcomes. With a focus on deep and meaningful storytelling, players can track their choices in a branching tree and discover the various scenarios that unfold. This prequel to "Tails Noir" features twice the word count and invites players to reflect on the choices that define us.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

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94%

Audience ScoreBased on 202 reviews

story51 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features beautiful pixel art and stunning visuals that enhance the storytelling experience.
The character development is deep and engaging, providing insights into their motivations and backgrounds, making the narrative emotionally impactful.
The branching choices add replayability and allow players to explore different outcomes, making each playthrough feel unique.

Some players found the gameplay to be simplistic and lacking in depth, with minimal puzzles and interactions.
The stories, while well-written, can feel disjointed and may not fully connect to each other, leaving some players wanting more coherence.
Despite the promise of meaningful choices, many players felt that the outcomes were ultimately predetermined, reducing the impact of their decisions.

story
203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
73%
2%
The story of "Tails: The Backbone Preludes" is a character-driven exploration of identity, ambition, and loss, featuring four interconnected narratives that delve into the lives of characters from the original game. While the writing and worldbuilding are praised for their depth and emotional resonance, many players note that the choices made throughout the game have limited impact on the overall plot, leading to a linear experience despite the promise of branching paths. Overall, the game is seen as a visually stunning and engaging prequel that enhances the original's narrative, though some storylines feel underdeveloped and the conclusion leaves lingering questions.
- “The result is a character-driven experience that trades crime intrigue for intimate storytelling, offering an exploration of identity, ambition, loss, and the quiet tragedies that shape who people become.”
- “The story is fantastic (and genuinely made me cry at some points); the music is great, but the art is just breathtaking!”
- “The touching story is brought to life through characters that feel as real as they are complex, with raw emotions that will have you feeling a range of emotions, from happiness to sadness.”
- “Unfortunately, the game is not a sequel to the story, but a prequel.”
- “Most seem to think the first half was excellent with gorgeous pixel art and a compelling world, with tons of potential for stories to be told, and then many (me included) thought it completely fumbled the second half with ridiculous plot twists and a really, really dumb story and an ending that wasn't warranted or earned.”
- “Despite the summary of the game in the store mentioning there are branching choices, they do little if anything at all to change elements or the outcome of each character's story, and each story is linear.”
music
63 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
32%
5%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its exceptional quality, blending noir jazz with ambient textures to create an emotionally resonant soundscape that enhances the overall atmosphere and narrative. Many reviewers noted that the soundtrack is a significant improvement over the previous installment, effectively capturing the game's tone and immersing players in its world. Overall, the combination of beautiful pixel art and a captivating soundtrack contributes to a deeply engaging gaming experience.
- “Composer Danshin returns with a soundtrack that blends noir jazz with ambient textures, creating a soundscape that feels both nostalgic and restless.”
- “The music is an integral part of the game, enhancing the atmosphere and emotions of the story.”
- “The beautifully crafted pixel art sets the mood perfectly, while the soundtrack perfectly complements the gripping narrative.”
- “The music went from 'rubbish' in the first game to 'average' in this one.”
- “If you are playing for the soundtrack, you might be a tad disappointed.”
- “Standard backbone art and music style, not enough scenery I think!”
emotional
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Tails Noir Preludes" is praised for its deeply emotional narrative that explores the inner lives of its anthropomorphic characters, creating a haunting portrayal of a flawed yet relatable city. The game effectively uses visual design, music, and well-crafted dialogue to evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy to sadness, making it a compelling experience that resonates with players. The interconnected stories, particularly those of characters like Howard and Eli, enhance the emotional weight, especially for those familiar with the original game, resulting in a powerful and immersive emotional journey.
- “Each tale offers a different emotional rhythm, yet together they create a haunting portrait of a city and its people—flawed, yearning, and beautifully human beneath their animal faces.”
- “Beautifully written, artfully presented, and emotionally sincere, Tails Noir Preludes is a powerful reminder that even in a world of shadows and corruption, the most compelling mysteries are the ones that lie within.”
- “The touching story is brought to life through characters that feel as real as they are complex, with raw emotions that will have you feeling a range of emotions, from happiness to sadness.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
38%
8%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their meticulous pixel art and dynamic lighting, creating an emotionally resonant atmosphere that enhances the storytelling. Players appreciate the art style's ability to convey contrasting tones and the depth it adds to the narrative, while the combination of visuals and music is noted as a standout feature. Overall, the game's visuals are considered a significant improvement over its predecessor, maintaining a high standard of quality and creativity.
- “Eggnut’s signature art style—meticulous pixel art layered with dynamic lighting—imbues every frame with depth and life.”
- “The visual design is not merely aesthetic but emotional, using color and light to convey tone: the soft warmth of a living room contrasts with the cold sterility of a laboratory, while the deep shadows of a bar hint at secrets better left unspoken.”
- “Tails, just like Backbone, exceeds flawlessly in its visual and atmosphere department, pushing the boundaries for how modern pixel style graphics can be presented.”
- “And if you have never played the other game from the series, it may appear quite shocking at times despite the cute, cozy (and amazingly done) art style this game is shipped with; this creates a great contrast on the first playthrough and is why this game can have its 'scary' moments.”
- “The beauty of the graphics can depend on one's choice, but for me, it's perfect.”
- “About it that Backbone had regarding sound, graphics, characters, writing, and so on, even improving some things.”
gameplay
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
70%
8%
The gameplay is characterized by its simplicity and immersion, focusing heavily on dialogue, exploration, and branching choices, which enhance the narrative experience. While some players feel the gameplay mechanics are underdeveloped compared to the first game, the strong writing and character development compensate for this, creating an engaging journey. Overall, the game offers a mix of light interactive elements and compelling storytelling, though some users express a desire for more robust gameplay features in future installments.
- “Gameplay is simple but immersive, revolving primarily around dialogue, exploration, and minor interactive sequences.”
- “Its deep, nuanced narrative and unique stylization accentuated by its immersive gameplay mechanics and beautiful soundscapes foster a riveting gaming journey.”
- “The gameplay follows a narrative adventure with branching choices.”
- “One of the general complaints about Backbone was that it barely had any gameplay... this has even less gameplay.”
- “The gameplay may be a bit too bare bones, but the story more than makes up for it.”
- “Starting with the gameplay, there's a lot of talking.”
replayability
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
47%
20%
The game is highly praised for its replayability, featuring branching paths and impactful choices that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players appreciate the ability to unlock traits and experience different dialogue and events based on their decisions, enhancing the overall narrative experience. Despite its shorter length, the design focuses on replay value, making each run feel fresh and engaging.
- “The variation of the stories and replayability are super dope.”
- “This time around the game is designed more for replayability, with branching paths and choices galore - impactful and non-impactful both.”
- “This game offers an endless amount of replay value considering you are able to make different choices per playthrough, to assign a different personality type at the beginning of the game that shall further unlock hidden pieces of dialogue inside of the game depending on your choices to further immerse yourself inside of the tails experience.”
- “The game is short, a lot shorter than I expected, but that in itself is not a con since this game was built with replayability in mind.”
- “Following the trend of Backbone, the story of each character hardly ends differently depending on your choices, but you get the power to choose how the story is told leading up to that point, and sometimes the scenes might play out slightly differently as a result, which warrants some level of replayability.”
- “However, Tails has more replay value because each choice you make uncovers new dialogue, events, or simply just shows how things might've gone a little differently.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning pixel art, immersive soundtracks, and strong world-building, creating a captivating experience for players. While some reviews note a slight downgrade in atmosphere compared to its predecessor, the overall visual and auditory elements effectively enhance the emotional depth of the story. The combination of beautiful artwork, engaging dialogues, and atmospheric music contributes to a cohesive and memorable gaming experience.
- “Visually, the game is a masterwork of atmosphere and restraint.”
- “The beautiful pixel art and moody soundtrack add to the atmosphere, making it a great experience for players of all kinds.”
- “The music is an integral part of the game, enhancing the atmosphere and emotions of the story.”
- “Nothing stands out, nothing does more than simply provide a mild atmosphere.”
- “But we have good music and this is almost the only thing that brings joy and atmosphere to the game.”
- “The slight downgrade in atmosphere was made up with stellar sound design, of which the original lacked in some regards.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in this prequel is noted for its strong writing and emotional depth, featuring well-designed characters and a complex narrative that tackles difficult themes with empathy. However, some reviewers feel that despite the impressive animations and heartfelt content, the overall impact of the character development may not be sufficient to justify the prequel's existence.
- “Great character design, great background art, great music, and writing that both dares to plumb uncomfortable conversations and philosophy, and also approaches a complex world with a surprising amount of empathy and heartfelt content.”
- “The writing was beautifully done and the character development is full of heart.”
grinding
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express that the grinding aspect of the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
100%
The game demonstrates impressive optimization, running smoothly even on lower-end hardware like the i5-7200u with Intel HD 620, which is surprising given its pixelated graphics and minimal resource demands.
- “First off, performance: for a game made with either a bunch of pixels or a game with minimal amounts of stuff running, I was surprised at how well it performed on an i5-7200U with Intel HD 620.”
- “The game struggles to maintain a stable frame rate, even on mid-range hardware, which is frustrating for players expecting smoother gameplay.”
- “Optimization seems to be an afterthought; the game frequently stutters and lags, making it hard to enjoy the experience.”
- “Despite having decent specs, I encountered numerous performance issues that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, while users report some minor bugs in gameplay, these issues do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “The gameplay can be slightly buggy, but never enough to remove enjoyment.”
- “I frequently encounter crashes that disrupt my gaming experience.”
- “The game has a tendency to freeze during critical moments, which is incredibly frustrating.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Howard's story is highlighted as a standout feature, with users noting that it elicits significant laughter through its funny and awkward conversations. Overall, it is regarded as the most comedic aspect of the game.
- “Howard's story is mostly comedy and is definitely the story that made me laugh the most.”
- “The funny and awkward conversations were so great.”

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78%Critics’ scoreBased on 8 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tails Noir Preludes is a role playing game with mystery and thriller themes.

Tails Noir Preludes is available on PC and Windows.

Tails Noir Preludes was released on February 2, 2023.

Tails Noir Preludes was developed by Eggnut.

Tails Noir Preludes has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Tails Noir Preludes is a single player game.

Similar games include Tails Noir, Backbone, Unavowed, Lacuna, OXENFREE II: Lost Signals and others.

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