Tales of Cosmos

About

"Tales of Cosmos" is a 2D point-and-click adventure game set in a vast open world planetary system, where you play as animal astronauts Perseus and Gagayev. After getting stranded on an uncharted planet, you must build your own spaceship, recruit local lifeforms, and solve puzzles to unravel a cosmic mystery. The game features old-school gameplay, oddball humor, and beautiful hand-drawn graphics.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 30 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

The game features charming characters and beautiful artwork, creating an engaging atmosphere.
Puzzles are generally logical and enjoyable, providing a satisfying challenge without being overly frustrating.
The music and sound design contribute to a relaxing and immersive experience, enhancing the overall mood of the game.

Many puzzles can feel far-fetched and unintuitive, often requiring a guide to progress.
Character movement is slow, and the need to backtrack between planets can become tedious.
The game lacks clear direction at times, making it difficult to understand overarching goals or what to do next.

graphics
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
27%
18%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their unique and engaging art style, which combines elements of cuteness with a sense of existential dread, creating a distinct atmosphere. While the artwork is considered beautiful and suitable for less powerful PCs, some users noted issues with limited animation and occasional glitches that affected the visuals. Overall, the aesthetic is well-received, though some players found the color palette to be somewhat dull.
- “I like the concept, the graphics, and the relaxing music.”
- “Chalk it up to Eastern European influences, or maybe a hint of film noir, but the aesthetic is truly engrossing and adds just the right amount of dread to the otherwise low-key game.”
- “The artwork is simple yet beautiful.”
- “Occasionally the graphics would glitch and just turn black; the inventory screen and main screen still worked, but all the sprites and background just vanished.”
- “Ideal for beginners in PC gaming or even for someone like me that doesn’t have a powerful PC with a huge graphics card and gaming hardware.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
50%
38%
The music in the game is highly praised for its atmospheric quality, described as a soundscape that shifts between moody electronic and abstract instrumentation, creating a relaxing yet foreboding ambiance. It enhances the overall experience without being intrusive, contributing to a distinct atmosphere that players find both engaging and essential to the game's mood.
- “The music deserves special mention, as it’s more of a soundscape than a soundtrack.”
- “It’s always present, though frequently shifts from moody electronic to abstract instrumentation, from droning to rhythmic, and then back again; all very slow, and quiet, foreboding yet reassuring, like the lapping of water at the shore, the music comes in waves, then gently fades out again into the drone of space.”
- “Music is of the sort you never really notice until you stop moving to end the game - but I just know I'd miss it if I turned it off, so it's very suited to the game.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
The game's story is characterized by its light-hearted and charming nature, inviting players to engage without overwhelming them with complex backstory or lore. While the narrative lacks a rigid structure and can sometimes leave players uncertain about their next steps, it offers a delightful experience reminiscent of classic LucasArts games, making it suitable for those seeking a whimsical escape. However, some players find the plot to be somewhat short and not particularly compelling, with puzzles that may not always feel intuitive.
- “They present you with a world that is charming and alluring, but not demanding or dull, stories that invite you to participate, but not overpower you with backstory or lore, and characters that are open-ended enough to invite your empathy, yet distinct enough for you to care about guiding them through their plight.”
- “If I may add: this game is perfect if you can't sleep and if you are looking forward to getting lost in a magical, charming 1-hour bedtime/space-time story-like game.”
- “Although I generally praise the game’s lack of a rigid plot or narrative, one disadvantage is that there are times in the game where your path forward is not entirely clear, mostly because there’s just not much in the way of guidance.”
- “The puzzles were not intuitive and the plot was not compelling.”
- “And I don't know why the game makes me feel this way; there's nothing overt in it that would lead to this mood. The game is genuinely innocent, the characters are upbeat, and even the story is light-hearted.”
gameplay
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
20%
40%
Gameplay in "Tales of Cosmos" is criticized for its lack of engaging mechanics and slow character movement, leading to a sense of meaninglessness as players combine items in nonsensical ways. While some appreciate the variety and fluidity of gameplay, many feel it suffers from outdated adventure genre pitfalls, with illogical puzzles and artificially extended distances between planets. Overall, the gameplay experience is seen as inconsistent and frustrating.
- “It's a nice way to add variety to the game, while also keeping the mechanics quick and easy.”
- “+ fluent gameplay”
- “I judge games by their gameplay, and Tales of Cosmos fails miserably, falling into all the bad habits of the old adventure genre, with bizarre solutions that no human being could ever guess.”
- “It feels like planets were placed a fair distance away from each other to artificially extend gameplay.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its charming and humorous personality, reminiscent of classic LucasArts titles. Players find the humor in both the character interactions and puzzle solutions, often leading to laugh-out-loud moments, while the overall art style enhances the comedic experience.
- “The game has personality and is charming and funny, which counts for something.”
- “It's just like the old LucasArts games; if you are looking for a decent story, good art, and humor, this is it!”
- “Most of the puzzles seemed pretty clear to me; a good few solutions were laugh-out-loud funny, and the freedom to amble about in space makes this a great little chilling-out title.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the slow traversal between planets and satellites in search of necessary items, which can lead to frustration and a sense of monotony. While the game starts off engaging, it quickly becomes repetitive and unintuitive, diminishing the overall experience.
- “First, the bad - slowly flying around to various planets and satellites becomes tedious as the items you need are always spread out and there is a lot of flying around trying to figure out what you have missed.”
- “The game started out being interesting but quickly grew tedious.”
- “However, it does feel a bit tedious and unintuitive at times.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique blend of "cute existential dread," enhanced by distinct music, artwork, and lovable characters. While it has some flaws, it offers a calm yet fascinating environment that complements its engaging puzzles, making it a recommended experience for fans of short point-and-click adventures.
- “The music, artwork, characters, and environments have a very distinct atmosphere that I can only describe as 'cute existential dread.'”
- “Although it has its flaws (like no log or diary to keep track of what puzzle/quest is on which planet), I would fully recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a short point-and-click adventure with interesting puzzles, lovable characters, and a calm (yet fascinating) atmosphere.”
- “+ Atmospheric music that does not annoy you.”
- “The music, artwork, characters, and environments have a very distinct atmosphere that I can only describe as 'cute existential dread'.”
- “Although it has its flaws (like no log or diary to keep track of what puzzle/quest is on which planet), I would fully recommend this game to anyone who enjoys a short point and click adventure with interesting puzzles, lovable characters, and a calm (yet fascinating) atmosphere.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While "Tales of Cosmos" offers a charming and creatively confident experience, it is marred by minor glitches and occasional lack of direction, which may affect overall stability.
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users unanimously agree that the game offers high replayability, making it enjoyable to play multiple times.
- “This game is totally replayable.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes makes each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
- “I love how different strategies can lead to completely different experiences every time I play.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game engaging, as the challenging puzzles evoke feelings of frustration and self-doubt, yet ultimately provide a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment when solved.
- “The puzzles are great; they made me feel so challenged at times, but it was fun trying to figure out what I was supposed to do.”
- “This game took me on an emotional rollercoaster, making me laugh, cry, and feel deeply connected to the characters.”
- “The story resonated with me on a personal level, evoking feelings I didn't expect to experience while playing.”