Tales from Candleforth

About

In "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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 150 reviews

story40 positive mentions

character development1 negative mentions

The game features a beautiful hand-drawn art style and a captivating atmosphere that immerses players in its creepy, folk horror narrative.
Puzzles are generally well-designed, offering a good mix of challenge without being overly frustrating, making them enjoyable to solve.
The story is engaging and well-told, with interesting symbols and themes that resonate with fans of dark, whimsical tales.

The game is quite short, with many players finishing it in around 1.5 to 2 hours, which may leave some feeling unsatisfied.
Several puzzles lack clear instructions or logic, leading to confusion and reliance on walkthroughs, which detracts from the overall experience.
There are issues with grammar and spelling in the text, which can disrupt immersion and indicate a need for better localization and editing.

story
82 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
47%
4%
The game's story is generally praised for its captivating and dark themes, with many players appreciating its intriguing narrative and immersive atmosphere. However, several reviews note that the ending feels abrupt or unsatisfying, and some aspects of the plot could benefit from further development. Overall, while the story is engaging and complemented by beautiful art and music, it leaves some players wanting more clarity and resolution.
- “The story was captivating; I would love to play a second chapter <3”
- “Amazing game with a compelling and intriguing story.”
- “The visual art of this game is delightful, the story is very interesting, and along with the clever puzzles, I am looking forward to delving further into this imaginary world.”
- “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.”
- “While I was very interested in the puzzles and the story, the ending left me a little unsatisfied, and I hope there's more coming in the future.”
graphics
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
27%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful hand-drawn art style and unique, creepy atmosphere, which effectively enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers appreciate the stunning visuals and how they complement the game's music and puzzles, creating an engaging and immersive environment. However, some players noted that while the graphics are interesting, they sometimes struggled to fully appreciate them due to visibility 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.”
- “Reminds me of the bad dream games with the hand-drawn art style and bizarrely creepy atmosphere.”
- “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!”
music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
32%
8%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, perfectly complementing the stunning art style and engaging storytelling. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is immersive and well-implemented, contributing to a captivating experience, although some mention it can feel repetitive at times. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and visuals creates a compelling and cohesive ambiance that keeps players engaged throughout the game.
- “I love the atmosphere of the game, the art style is super beautiful and the music went very well with it.”
- “The setting, music, and art are all perfect and come together to create an amazing experience.”
- “Its music hypnotizes and its art leaves you enthralled in front of the screen.”
- “The music + sound effects: it feels very successful (although if it were to feel somewhat repetitive, there is the possibility of easily adjusting the volume in settings).”
- “There's something about the art style, the music, the slow pace!”
- “I love the dark ambient of the game, and it feels very well surrounded with the music and sound effects.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
26%
12%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful hand-drawn art, immersive music, and a strong sense of horror and mystery, creating a surreal and oppressive experience. Players appreciate the combination of art, design, and storytelling that enhances the eerie and witchy ambiance, making it engaging and evocative. Despite some minor issues with text clarity, the overall atmosphere effectively captivates and maintains tension throughout the gameplay.
- “The atmosphere and animation are great, and it packs some serious horror punches.”
- “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's incredibly atmospheric and evocative.”
- “Reminds me of the bad dream games with the hand-drawn art style and bizarrely creepy 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.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
Gameplay is a mixed experience, with players noting a heavy reliance on reading dialogue boxes, which can be frustrating, especially for completionists. However, the puzzles are praised for their challenge and fun, complemented by engaging escape room mechanics that enhance immersion. Overall, the gameplay is described as fluid and enjoyable, with impressive visuals and clever mechanics.
- “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.”
- “Everything in this game really immerses you into the gameplay experience; literally everything goes along with it.”
- “A sizeable portion of the gameplay is reading through dialogue boxes, especially if you want to play for every achievement.”
- “But I found the gameplay profoundly frustrating.”
- “Without spoiling anything, I was also hoping for there to be a secret ending based on a certain set of mechanics in the game.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
The humor in the game is largely derived from unintentional moments caused by typos and grammatical errors in the text, which, while not detracting from the overall experience, added a lighthearted touch to an otherwise tense atmosphere. Players appreciate this blend of humor and tension, suggesting that future releases could benefit from improved translation to enhance the comedic effect.
- “The humor in this game is brilliantly woven into the narrative, making even the darkest moments feel light-hearted and enjoyable.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the clever dialogue and unexpected jokes that popped up throughout the game.”
- “The quirky characters and their hilarious interactions added a delightful layer of comedy that kept me entertained.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
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.”

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