Tales from Candleforth
- April 30, 2024
- Under the Bed Games
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games StoreIn "Tales from Candleforth," players explore a collection of fairy tales with a dark twist, as a forbidden book's text bleeds into the stories and alters them. The first tale follows Sarah, a 16-year-old apothecary owner, as she discovers her family's occult secrets and powers to uncover the truth about her missing grandmother. The game features challenging puzzles and a journey through a world of mystery and horror.
PC
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a stunning hand-drawn art style and a captivating atmosphere that blends cozy and spooky elements, making it a perfect autumn experience.
- Puzzles are well-designed, offering a good mix of challenge without being overly frustrating, and many players found them rewarding to solve.
- The story is intriguing and filled with dark, folk horror themes, which many players appreciated for its depth and creativity.
- Several puzzles lack clear instructions or hints, leading to confusion and frustration for players who felt they had to rely on walkthroughs to progress.
- The narrative is criticized for being underdeveloped and lacking cohesion, with some players feeling the ending was abrupt and unsatisfying.
- Technical issues such as crashes and grammatical errors in the text detracted from the overall experience for some players.
- story56 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as dark, witchy, and captivating, with a strong atmosphere enhanced by beautiful art and sound design. However, many players felt that the narrative lacked depth and coherence, particularly towards the end, leading to confusion and an abrupt conclusion. While the story has engaging elements and potential for further exploration, it is often criticized for being underdeveloped and leaving players wanting more.
“The story was captivating; I would love to play a second chapter <3”
“This game hooked me with its art, but its story and folk horror completely captivated me.”
“It features a compelling story, well-balanced difficulty, remarkable art, and immersive music that keeps you engaged in the atmosphere.”
“I lost the plot towards the end of the game, and so the ending didn't make much sense.”
“The script itself was very lacking, with very little narrative for it being a story that is being told to the audience, especially as the girl solves puzzles.”
“The plot twist at the end didn't make much sense.”
- graphics50 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and beautiful hand-drawn art style, which effectively creates a spooky atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers appreciate the intricate visuals and how they complement the game's puzzles and music, contributing to a cozy yet creepy vibe. However, some players noted that while the graphics are stunning, they occasionally struggled to fully appreciate them due to gameplay issues.
“The handmade 2D graphics are just beautiful and really draw you into the spooky world!”
“The gorgeous art style and the promise of a spooky time is what drew me in, and the soundtrack and the puzzles made me finish it all in one sitting.”
“Tales from Candleforth is a clever horror-puzzle game with an insanely good-looking hand-drawn aesthetic.”
“Quite an original idea and graphical style, but sadly, I didn't enjoy the experience very much.”
“There's something about the art style, the music, the slow pace!”
“Beautifully crafted, with original twists in the artwork.”
- music30 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmospheric experience, perfectly complementing the beautiful art style and engaging storytelling. Reviewers highlight the immersive sound design and dark ambient tones, which contribute to a captivating and sometimes creepy ambiance that keeps players enthralled. Overall, the combination of music, art, and design creates a cohesive and memorable experience that resonates with players.
“The setting, music, and art are all perfect and come together to create an amazing experience.”
“It features a compelling story, well-balanced difficulty, remarkable art, and immersive music that keeps you engaged in the atmosphere.”
“Its music hypnotizes and its art leaves you enthralled in front of the screen.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“While the art is stunning, the music feels out of place and doesn't enhance the experience.”
“The soundtrack is forgettable and doesn't contribute to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
- atmosphere19 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 26 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its surreal and oppressive qualities, enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn art and immersive music that effectively complement the storytelling. Reviewers note that the combination of these elements creates a tense and engaging experience, although some mention minor issues with text errors that slightly detract from the overall mood. Overall, the atmosphere is described as captivating, creepy, and evocative, making it a standout feature of the game.
“I love the atmosphere of the game; the art style is super beautiful and the music goes very well with it.”
“I had been looking forward to the release of this one, with its promise of a sinister tale and beautiful hand-drawn moody atmosphere, and it did not disappoint.”
“It features a compelling story, well-balanced difficulty, remarkable art, and immersive music that keeps you engaged in the atmosphere.”
“I will be looking forward to any future releases in this same style, although I must say, they probably should hire a translator next time as a lot of the text moments were riddled with typos and grammatical errors. It didn't completely take me out of it, but it made for a few humorous moments in an atmosphere designed to be tense and foreboding.”
“It starts being a bit enigmatic right at the beginning, but then the atmosphere of the game starts to thicken and becomes so oppressive it feels like it's grabbing your neck.”
“- the atmosphere the combination of art, music, design, and storytelling creates.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay features challenging and enjoyable puzzles enhanced by innovative escape room mechanics, which many players find engaging and visually impressive. However, some users have expressed frustration with certain aspects of the gameplay, indicating a mixed experience overall.
“The puzzles are challenging but super fun, and the escape room mechanics add a cool twist.”
“I have just played for a very short time, but I can say that the visuals are incredible and the puzzle mechanics seen so far are very ingenious.”
“Escape room mechanics.”
“I found the gameplay profoundly frustrating.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game often arises from unintentional moments caused by typos and grammatical errors in the text, which, while detracting slightly from the intended tense atmosphere, provide some amusing instances. Overall, players appreciate the humor but suggest that improved translation could enhance the experience.
“The game has a unique way of blending humor into tense situations, creating some genuinely funny moments that caught me off guard.”
“I found myself laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and clever puns sprinkled throughout the game.”
“The humor is perfectly timed, providing a refreshing break from the intense gameplay and keeping the experience enjoyable.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for lacking depth, with users noting that the main character's unique feature of having two different colored eyes does not contribute meaningfully to their overall design or narrative significance.
“There is also no value to the character designs; the main character has two different colored eyes, which raises questions but ultimately feels superficial.”
