Tales from the Void

About

Tales from the Void is a single player action adventure game with fantasy and historical themes. It was developed by PortaPlay and was released on May 20, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

Lost in time and space and fighting for survival, it is up to you to save the crew of a World War I submarine in Tales from the Void, a squad-based, atmospheric real time tactics game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

story6 positive mentions

Unique and original story blending World War I submarine history with Lovecraftian sci-fi elements, providing a fresh narrative experience.
Engaging tactical real-time combat with squad-based control and meaningful resource management, offering a challenging and immersive gameplay.
Excellent atmospheric sound design and music that strongly contribute to the game's immersive and eerie void setting.

Clumsy and awkward controls, including camera issues and unit movement, making gameplay frustrating and less enjoyable.
Lack of saving during missions and restrictive resource salvage system limits player flexibility and progression.
Noticeable bugs and technical issues, including AI oddities and UI obstructions, impact the overall playability and user experience.

story
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
77%
8%
The story in "Tales from the Void" is an original and engaging blend of WWI submarine history and sci-fi elements, delivered through captain’s logs and mission briefings that unfold alongside tactical, resource-driven gameplay. While missions and narrative progression are somewhat linear and concise, the story’s humor, choice-driven outcomes, and immersive setting provide a compelling war drama experience with meaningful player decisions. The overall narrative is praised for its uniqueness and integration with gameplay, though some players wished for a longer, deeper exploration.
- “The combination of a 1st World War submarine, its crew, and strange aliens is very original, and all the missions I have been on so far reflect this in an interesting peculiar way.”
- “First off, Tales from the Void delivers an immersive story that unfolds as you play.”
- “The story is told between each campaign mission, where you’ll get to listen to your captain debriefing, either discussing the current resource situation on the submarine or issues with some of the crew.”
- “It is a weird story and not the best I have seen but it isn't bad.”
- “The story can be completed in 5 hours on rookie difficulty, would've loved to see more.”
- “The missions are somewhat linear, and the story progresses as you beat each mission.”
gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay offers a challenging and refreshing blend of RTS-like controls and tactical action, supported by a clear tutorial that helps players adapt quickly. Unique mechanics such as low gravity movement, recoil-based shooting, and a thoughtful dwindling supplies system add depth and tension without being overwhelming. While controls can occasionally feel awkward, the overall mechanics and atmosphere provide a rewarding experience.
- “The gameplay's RTS-like controls threw me off pretty bad at first, but you quickly become accustomed to the game's mechanics via a comprehensive, easy to follow tutorial.”
- “Tales from the Void provides a refreshing take on a real-time strategy action game with unique mechanics.”
- “The dwindling supplies mechanic adds a bit of tension without being suffocating - this is the first time I've enjoyed it in a game.”
- “The gameplay's more RTS-like controls threw me off pretty bad at first, but you quickly become accustomed to the game's mechanics via a comprehensive, easy-to-follow tutorial.”
- “Actually, the rest of the gameplay is awkward too.”
- “Gameplay involves attempting to come to grasp with moving in a low gravity environment while shooting weapons which push one around from recoil.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
44%
The game excels in creating a captivating and immersive atmosphere, blending elements of old-time British charm, sci-fi, and Lovecraftian horror. Its sound design and visuals, though sometimes low-budget, effectively enhance the mysterious, dark, and tense environment. Overall, the atmosphere is widely praised as one of the game's strongest and most memorable features.
- “Can't help getting sucked into the old-time British atmosphere, which is spot on.”
- “The best thing about this game is the atmosphere; the sound effects are spot on, you can hear your marines breathing through their old diving suits and all other sorts of weird sounds.”
- “The graphics, while coming across as a bit low-budget, are turned into an atmospheric advantage, and play very well with the idea of a mysterious and dark void.”
humor
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of dark sci-fi and sarcastic wit, often highlighted by amusing in-game physics like weapon recoil in low gravity causing hilarious accidents. The captain's offbeat, philosophical remarks add to the comedic tone, balancing the darker Lovecraftian themes with a playful, Fallout-like sense of humor. Overall, players find the humor engaging and enjoyable, enhancing the game's unique charm.
- “It's actually pretty funny to see how recoil works in low gravity.”
- “The recoil of weapons creates some hilarious accidents floating around out there on an asteroid.”
- “The story is quite funny and I found myself laughing a few times at the captain's off-topic remarks.”
graphics
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
37%
25%
The graphics in the game are generally modest and not particularly impressive, with some noticing their low-budget appearance especially in menus and cutscenes. However, the art style effectively contributes to a dark, atmospheric, and immersive experience, complementing the game's mysterious theme and overall mood. Many players appreciate the unique visuals for enhancing the ambiance, even if they are not technically breathtaking.
- “The music, sound and visuals all together create this sort of Lovecraftian/Cthulhu vibe that, for me, make this game stand out from others.”
- “This game has beautiful graphics, unique controls, an amazing atmosphere, and definitely a fresh feel.”
- “The graphics are not the best and mediocre at best but in my experience, you do not really notice it once you're playing but in the main menu and in the cutscenes it is quite noticeable.”
- “The graphics, while coming across as a bit low-budget, are turned into an atmospheric advantage, and play very well with the idea of a mysterious & dark void.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The game's music is highly praised for its excellent sound design and fitting atmosphere, skillfully using period-appropriate songs like "Roses of Picardy" to enhance the emotional and immersive experience. Combined with sound and visuals, the music effectively contributes to the game's distinctive lovecraftian and Cthulhu-inspired vibe.
- “The game has been nominated for best audio, which I fully agree with. The sound design in this game is quite good, and the music fits very well with the setting.”
- “For example, one of the songs mentioned in-game is 'Roses of Picardy,' which played heavily during WWI, and even hearing it sung after the war reportedly helped shell-shocked soldiers recover speech and speak again.”
- “The music, sound, and visuals all together create a Lovecraftian/Cthulhu vibe that, for me, make this game stand out from others.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers moderate replayability with three distinct scenarios that provide varied experiences in each playthrough, ensuring a few hours of engaging gameplay.

Skip Critic Reviews

70%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Tales From the Void Review - Creaky Ship, Creakier Game
If you like classic sci-fi adventure schlock, this game may be what you're looking for. You should probably hold off until patches can fix some serious campaign-killing bugs, though.
Techraptor.net
70%

Skip Game Offers

Buy Tales from the Void

5h Median play time

5h Average play time

5-5h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like Tales from the Void

76%781reviews

Abandon Ship

2019

Open World Role Playing

74%612reviews

Abandon Ship

2019

Open World Role Playing

72%1.4kreviews

Pathway

2019

Tactical Role Playing

64%1kreviews

Diluvion

2017

Open World Role Playing

77%2.1kreviews

Between the Stars

2024

Open World Role Playing

More games like Tales from the Void

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Tales from the Void is a action adventure game with fantasy and historical themes.

Tales from the Void is available on PC, Mac OS and Windows.

On average players spend around 5 hours playing Tales from the Void.

Tales from the Void was released on May 20, 2016.

Tales from the Void was developed by PortaPlay.

Tales from the Void has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked Tales from the Void for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Tales from the Void is a single player game.

Similar games include Abandon Ship, Abandon Ship, Pathway, Diluvion, Between the Stars and others.

Tales from the Void

Platforms