Tails of Iron

Backed by a stunning art style and the voice of Geralt of Rivia, Tails of Iron is an excellent action-adventure RPG that offers a challenging yet satisfying Souls-inspired experience in a captivating medieval world.

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In "Tails of Iron," players assume the role of Redgi, a young rat king, in a hand-drawn RPG where they'll face challenging battles and moral choices. The game now includes two free expansions: "Bright Fir Forest" with new quests, weapons, armors, and cosmetics, and "Bloody Whiskers," which adds a post-game questline and additional content. As Redgi, players must protect their kingdom from emerging threats and make crucial decisions that impact the story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 6,050 reviews

story1,072 positive mentions

grinding140 negative mentions

Beautiful art style and engaging story that draws players in.
Challenging yet rewarding combat mechanics that encourage learning enemy patterns.
Great narration by Doug Cockle, adding depth and charm to the experience.

Frequent backtracking and mandatory side quests can feel tedious and repetitive.
Combat can be frustrating due to inconsistent hitboxes and lack of i-frames during dodges.
Short playtime for the price, with some players feeling it lacks replayability.

story
2,965 mentions
36 % positive mentions
60 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story of "Tails of Iron" is engaging and charming, narrated by Doug Cockle, known for his role as Geralt of Rivia, which adds depth to the experience. While the narrative follows a classic revenge tale of a young rat prince reclaiming his kingdom, it is often hindered by mandatory side quests that require repetitive backtracking, making the pacing feel tedious at times. Overall, the story is well-executed and enjoyable, though it lacks complexity and can feel somewhat generic, with many players appreciating its whimsical yet dark tone.
- “The narration is also top notch, the voice of Doug Cockle (Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher series) is a welcome addition and brings a healthy dose of gravitas to the story beats.”
- “The story is charming and the narrator is great, along with the art direction.”
- “The story is simple but is really well told and does a great job in pushing the game forward.”
- “The story is pretty much linear despite having a map that looks like it encourages going off the rails and exploring, and be prepared for a lot of backtracking as every main quest will force you to return to the throne before telling you where to go next without an option to instantly return, so you end up having to run back and forth usually for no reason and with no new quests showing up so it seems the game is artificially being prolonged.”
- “The need to perform numerous side quests one at a time with repetitive backtracking in the same areas is very tedious.”
graphics
1,219 mentions
66 % positive mentions
32 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Tails of Iron" are widely praised for their charming, hand-drawn art style that evokes a storybook aesthetic, with detailed environments and cute character designs. Many reviewers highlight the game's unique visual character, which combines medieval themes with a whimsical yet gritty atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience. While some minor graphical bugs were noted, the overall presentation, including the art direction and sound design, received high marks, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The presentation is incredible right out of the gate, the hand-drawn art style evokes a storybook feel and looks amazing in motion.”
- “The art style is gorgeous (hand-drawn but the animations flow very naturally and not at all 'stick-figure-y', if you get what I mean?) and everything looks like it jumped right out of a fable book.”
- “The artwork is beautifully drawn and meticulously detailed.”
- “The graphics are nice, but this feels like a tedious mobile game.”
- “However, the game can not keep the same quality in the visuals in every area.”
- “A real shame because the artwork/gfx and story pull you in but the combat is just frustrating as hell.”
gameplay
1,045 mentions
39 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Tails of Iron" is characterized by its challenging yet rewarding combat mechanics, which emphasize timing through parry and dodge systems. While many players appreciate the engaging combat and charming art style, some criticize the repetitive nature of encounters, clunky controls, and issues with hitboxes, leading to a mixed reception overall. The game offers a straightforward gameplay loop that can become tedious, but it is generally seen as fun and accessible, especially for fans of the souls-like genre.
- “The gameplay is challenging and rewarding with basic yet time-sensitive combat.”
- “Amazing gameplay, simple, yet it has enough depth to keep you entertained.”
- “The gameplay is fun and deliberate, and the art/sound is very well done.”
- “The gameplay unfortunately is the meat of the game though, and that became quickly more irritating than fun, worsening as the difficulty of the areas went up.”
- “The combat mechanics are very simple, but some bosses are completely unreadable.”
- “The game tries to drag out the gameplay as much as possible; some animations or dialogues are drawn out to the point of impossibility.”
music
539 mentions
58 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its quality and integration into the gameplay, particularly the use of diegetic music played by NPCs that enhances immersion. While some tracks are memorable and fit the game's atmosphere well, others are considered forgettable or sparse, leading to a desire for a more robust soundtrack during gameplay. Overall, the sound design complements the visuals and narrative, contributing to a charming and engaging experience.
- “Sound and audio woven brilliantly into this game with the soundtrack doing different genres whilst being its own thing and the audio works really well with this game world.”
- “The music was great and I still love Jay's little radio and the music it would play when running around with them.”
- “The ambiance of the various dungeons and outdoor areas, combined with the little music tracks played by various bards throughout the game, create a relaxing atmosphere in an otherwise grim little world.”
- “There is no atmospheric music or any music at all.”
- “The music is forgettable and nothing really worth speaking of, which is a shame.”
- “Music - it fits but nothing stands out, or helps to immerse you in the game in any memorable or significant way; you won't remember any of the sounds of this game after you're done.”
atmosphere
190 mentions
71 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful art style, engaging world-building, and effective use of music and narration, creating a charming yet gritty experience reminiscent of beloved fantasy tales. While many players find the ambiance captivating and immersive, some note that gameplay issues, such as tedious backtracking and a lack of polish, can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game's atmosphere stands out as a significant highlight, drawing players into its richly crafted environments and storytelling.
- “The story has heart and the atmosphere, art, and sound are wonderful.”
- “The artwork is astounding and coherent throughout the levels; it's very inspiring to see the level of detail and parallax effect within a 2D environment. Every town and area has a distinct atmosphere complemented beautifully with the music.”
- “The audio and atmosphere of the game really shine as they choose a fantastic score and really delve into their world building.”
- “Overall I get the feeling that the devs might have focused way too much on aesthetics and atmosphere and forgot to polish the game and make it fun to play. I haven't gotten to the point of dropping it completely, but the more I go on, the more I feel that moment getting closer.”
- “Ultimately, the reason to play this game is the charming atmosphere because it was very easy (I played on normal, so I can't vouch for bloody whiskers), but the shallow combat and the side quests that you're forced to do to progress don't make me want to play again, and there's not a whole lot of depth.”
- “Great graphics and atmosphere, but the game itself is janky and awful. Glad I bought it on sale.”
grinding
150 mentions
4 % positive mentions
3 % neutral mentions
93 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that grinding in the game is often perceived as tedious and repetitive, primarily due to excessive backtracking and a reliance on similar side quests that lack meaningful rewards. While some players found the gameplay enjoyable and not overly grindy, many expressed frustration with the monotonous nature of quests and combat, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the game suffers from a design that feels artificially prolonged through repetitive tasks rather than engaging gameplay.
- “Great game, fun to play, does not stress you out and easy completion with no grinding required.”
- “No grinding or exploring required.”
- “+ no grinding for levels”
- “The 'side quests' are incredibly tedious, repetitive content clearly designed to pad out the game's length.”
- “You might spend 2 hours grinding literally the same room, which you have to keep running back to over and over (because you can only have one quest at a time), to get enough currency to progress the story.”
- “The game looked like so much fun but turned out to be so tedious and boring.”
humor
144 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever puns, whimsical character names, and engaging narrative, often delivered by the charismatic voice of Geralt's actor, Doug Cockle. Players appreciate the blend of lightheartedness with darker themes, as well as numerous pop culture references that enhance the overall experience. While some found the humor hit-or-miss, the majority agree it adds significant charm and enjoyment to the gameplay.
- “The humor really lifts the story to greater heights, highly recommended if you're looking for a short and fun adventure.”
- “There's also a plethora of references to history, other franchises, and general nerd culture: found myself chuckling quite a bunch of times after seeing names of enemies or locations - or even recognizing parallels in certain situations.”
- “It's the kind of game where you'll start with dreams of epic battles and end up laughing at the sight of a mouse with an oversized hammer outrunning massive frogs.”
replayability
38 mentions
8 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
26 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has low replayability, primarily offering only different difficulty levels as a means to replay. Many reviewers noted its short runtime of 7-12 hours and a linear structure that limits exploration and replay value, making it feel repetitive after the initial playthrough. While some players may find value in achieving completionist goals or enjoying the atmosphere, the consensus suggests waiting for a sale due to the lack of substantial replay options.
- “Replayability is the reason for this.”
- “There is also some sort of replay value if it's either getting all the achievements, or playing through the game on a harder difficulty or just absorbing the atmosphere.”
- “Don't expect massive replay value, but it is fun for the first go-through.”
- “I would say that the replay value is low, as there is one story, it is being told, your hand is being held - that's it.”
- “Unfortunately, the game has no replayability value, because it is strictly linear, offering little exploration on your own.”
- “For gamers like me, this game doesn't have a lot of replay value; once you do everything, there's nothing more to do other than making a new game on a harder difficulty.”
emotional
32 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Tails of Iron" is highlighted by its heartwarming and gut-wrenching narrative, which evokes laughter and tears through its simple yet impactful storytelling. Players appreciate the game's charming art style and relatable characters, often drawing emotional connections to their own experiences with pets. Overall, the game is celebrated for its ability to create a touching experience that resonates deeply with players.
- “Great game, solid experience; made me laugh, made me cry. What more do you want from an indie game?”
- “Absolutely the most gut-wrenching cute game I've ever experienced. I'm a softy for rats, so at times I cried, but I think that goes to show what a little love and a lot of imagination can do to create a beautiful little work of stellar art!”
- “If you ever bonded with an animal friend, you'll immediately understand how emotionally important this is.”
stability
30 mentions
13 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
73 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players reporting a solid performance and no significant bugs, while others encountered frequent glitches, unresponsive controls, and issues with hitboxes. Notably, some users experienced game freezes on specific platforms, while others found minor graphical and audio glitches. Overall, the game appears to be unpolished, particularly in challenging scenarios, but some players enjoyed a smooth experience without major disruptions.
- “Absolutely no glitches I ran into, no stutters, no crashes, etc. It played flawlessly to the end.”
- “I found no game-breaking bugs, no freezes, and no crashes to speak of.”
- “At least the 16:9 with black bars on the side should be stable and bug-free.”
- “The game itself is not bad, but it just doesn't work on my desktop... I can play it on my Steam Deck, but when I try to load the save on my desktop, it just freezes at a black screen.”
- “For starters, the fighting is buggy at best; enemies can and will hit you multiple times with the same attack, they can and will stun lock you and cause you to die from full HP to 0 with 0 iframes, and it feels impossible to learn certain boss patterns due to the reaction time you need to actually get to later phases and not just get stun locked.”
- “I've encountered a few audio glitches; sometimes the enemies will completely mute themselves, the narrator will cut out, or it'll get so bad you have to restart the game.”
character development
22 mentions
64 % positive mentions
18 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some reviews praise the engaging story and fantastic character development, many others criticize the lack of depth in character progression, skills, and leveling. The character design and visuals are consistently highlighted as strong points, but the overall development of characters is seen as insufficient by several players.
- “Super game, fun and strange story, challenging combat, interesting character development, lovable artwork, good music, witcher voice - what's not to like!”
- “The story is very engaging, and the character development is fantastic.”
- “A fun soul-like game with good character design.”
- “There is almost no character development and no experience, leveling, or skills.”
- “- lacks character development.”
- “There is almost no character development and no experience, leveling, or skills.”
optimization
20 mentions
60 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is solid, with users reporting smooth performance and no bugs or glitches. However, there are limited adjustable settings, which some players found frustrating, particularly regarding frame rate stability. While the art style is praised for its charm, opinions on the narration quality vary, with some finding it stellar and others describing it as flat.
- “Cockle's wonderful performance significantly enhances the overall experience and does a lot of heavy lifting.”
- “Not only is the art style refreshingly cute (and does not prepare you for the many massacres you'll commit in the name of ratkind), it is responsive, runs smoothly, and plays like a charm.”
- “- No adjustable video/performance settings other than changing resolution and disabling VSync. I don't care about the fancy bloom (which is way more laggy than it's worth) and parallax; I want a stable framerate.”
- “But it's like the wish version of Geralt - don't know if it was the direction or just a phoned-in performance, but the narration was flat and forgettable.”
- “Performance was solid and I didn't run into any bugs or glitches.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of "Lords of the Fallen" has drawn criticism, with users questioning the effectiveness and relevance of its advertising, suggesting a disconnect between promotional content and the actual game experience.