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.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features stunning hand-drawn art and a beautifully creepy atmosphere that immerses players in its world.
- Puzzles are well-designed, offering a good balance of challenge without being overly frustrating, making them enjoyable to solve.
- The story is engaging and filled with dark, whimsical elements that enhance the overall experience, appealing to fans of folk horror.
- The game is quite short, with many players finishing it in around 1.5 to 3 hours, leaving some feeling unsatisfied with the length.
- Several puzzles lack clear instructions or hints, leading to frustration and reliance on walkthroughs to progress.
- There are issues with grammar and spelling in the text, which detracts from the overall polish of the game.
- story41 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 44 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally praised for its captivating and immersive qualities, with many players appreciating its dark, witchy themes and intriguing plot twists. However, some reviews note that the narrative could benefit from further development, as the ending often feels abrupt or unsatisfying. Overall, while the art and atmosphere enhance the storytelling experience, there are mixed feelings about the depth and coherence of the plot.
“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.”
- graphics29 mentions
- 66 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 10 % 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 resonates with players. Many reviewers appreciate the intricate visuals and how they complement the game's music and puzzles, contributing to an engaging experience. However, some players noted that while the graphics are stunning, the overall experience may not fully meet their expectations.
“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!”
- music20 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, perfectly complementing the beautiful art style and engaging storytelling. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is immersive and well-implemented, contributing to a captivating experience that keeps players engaged throughout. Overall, the combination of music, sound effects, and visuals creates a compelling and memorable ambiance that resonates with players.
“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 and sound effects feel very successful, although it can become somewhat repetitive; however, there is the option to easily adjust the volume in the settings.”
“The music hypnotizes, and its art leaves you enthralled in front of the screen.”
“I love the dark ambient of the game, and it feels very well complemented by the music and sound effects.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 15 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its beautiful, hand-drawn art style and immersive music, creating a strong sense of horror and tension. Reviewers highlight the surreal and creepy elements that enhance the experience, making it both engaging and evocative. Despite some minor issues with text clarity, the overall ambiance effectively draws players into its mysterious and foreboding world.
“The atmosphere and animation are great, and it packs some serious horror punches.”
“I loved the surreal atmosphere and ease of replaying through various chapters.”
“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.”
“Reminds me of the bad dream games with the hand-drawn art style and bizarrely creepy atmosphere.”
“It starts off 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.”
“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.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
Gameplay is a mixed experience, with players noting a heavy reliance on dialogue boxes, which can be frustrating, especially for completionists. However, the challenging puzzles and innovative escape room mechanics are praised for adding depth and enjoyment, contributing to an immersive and fluid gameplay experience. Overall, while some aspects may detract from the experience, the engaging puzzle mechanics stand out positively.
“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.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is often unintentional, stemming from typos and grammatical errors in the text, which, while not detracting significantly from the experience, added some amusing moments to an otherwise tense atmosphere. Players express a desire for future releases to improve on this aspect, suggesting that a better translation could enhance the overall comedic effect.
“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.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for lacking depth, with character designs that fail to add meaningful value; for instance, the main character's two different colored eyes are noted as an intriguing but ultimately superficial detail.
“There is also no value to the character designs; the main character has two different colored eyes - very curious about that.”
“The character development feels shallow and uninspired, making it hard to connect with anyone in the story.”
“I expected more depth from the characters, but they all seem one-dimensional and forgettable.”
