Tales & Tactics

About

"Tales & Tactics" is a single-player roguelike strategy game with squad-based autobattler elements, offering a relaxed pace for players to learn the mechanics and strategize. The game features a complex unlock system that allows for depth and challenge at one's own pace, and follows the story of a hero on their journey to victory in the Grand Tournament.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,610 reviews

gameplay118 positive mentions

optimization4 negative mentions

Fun and engaging gameplay that combines elements of auto-battlers and roguelikes.
Great variety of units, traits, and items that allow for diverse strategies and builds.
Relaxing single-player experience without the pressure of PvP, making it accessible for casual play.

Balancing issues with certain traits and units, leading to some being overpowered or underwhelming.
Repetitive events and encounters can make runs feel stale after a few playthroughs.
UI and graphics could use improvement for better clarity and overall aesthetic appeal.

gameplay
324 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
3%
The gameplay of this auto-battler combines familiar mechanics from titles like Teamfight Tactics and Slay the Spire, offering a fun and engaging loop with a variety of unlockable traits, units, and strategies that keep each run fresh. While the game is accessible for newcomers, some players may find the depth lacking compared to other entries in the genre, and the gameplay can become repetitive after unlocking all features. Overall, it provides a solid experience with a good balance of challenge and enjoyment, making it a worthwhile choice for fans of both single-player and multiplayer auto-battlers.
- “No regrets, the gameplay loop is a lot of fun and there are plenty of unlocks, achievements, and PvP levels to give you an excuse to keep playing.”
- “The myriad combinations and strategies available ensure that every single run feels like a unique adventure, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging.”
- “Tales & Tactics has that addictive mix of gameplay that is easy to learn but hard to master.”
- “On the downside, after unlocking all the gameplay features, the events can start to feel a bit repetitive.”
- “What this results in is a lack of engagement with what is ostensibly the primary gameplay of an autobattler.”
- “In this one, I can't help but feel like the devs saw mechanics from other games they liked and wanted to implement, but didn't really grasp how or why they worked the way they did.”
graphics
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the charming art style and cute character designs, while others criticize the visuals as bland, functional, or reminiscent of mobile games. Many users note issues with performance, such as freezing and low frame rates, and express a desire for improved polish and clarity in the UI and overall graphic design. Despite these concerns, the engaging gameplay and content are often seen as compensating for the graphical shortcomings.
- “The gameplay and the visuals are quite pleasing, and the devs seem to really care about the game (which is always a plus).”
- “The game has pleasing visuals too, of a far higher quality than one often finds while sifting for gems.”
- “It has a fun meta-progression system, the theme and the writing are very well done, I love the way certain people 'butt in' to the story sometimes, graphics are cute, it's a big win.”
- “My choice is either constant freezing or reducing the graphic fidelity to something so blurry, I'd rather play with my window after rain.”
- “Confusing chaos can be fun but a few bad design decisions would have made the game almost unplayable with how muddy the visuals are.”
- “This has the graphics of a mobile game yet my PC hasn't gotten this hot in years...”
replayability
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
51%
3%
The game is praised for its high replayability, offering a wealth of content, diverse characters, and various gameplay modes, including single-player, challenge, and asynchronous multiplayer options. Players appreciate the depth of strategies and customization available, which enhances the overall experience and encourages multiple playthroughs. However, some users note that replayability may diminish after a certain number of hours due to limited unit selection and a desire for more variability in encounters and items.
- “Overall, Tales & Tactics offers tons of content, customization options, and replayability.”
- “This replayability is one of the game’s strongest suits, providing endless hours of entertainment.”
- “With such a large variety of approaches that are impactful from your first combat to the end of a run, the replayability of Tales & Tactics is a massive step above other games in the genre.”
- “There's a ton there to experiment with and learn to master right now, but it loses replayability after about 12 or so hours due to limited unit selection.”
- “I will say the gameplay loop isn't much longer than 5-15 hours, so beware if you care about replayability.”
- “It does lack long-term replayability right now.”
story
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
84%
4%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the character backstories and engaging dialogue, while others find it linear and lacking depth. Many reviewers express a desire for more content, such as an endless mode or expansions, to enhance the narrative experience. Overall, the storytelling is seen as charming but simplistic, with a need for greater variety and engagement to keep players invested.
- “The story is really engrossing, there are no typos, and each character has their own major backstory, and each interaction has a full set of dialogue, along with rivals and friends that you make during each run.”
- “It's a breath of fresh air from League of Legends' TFT; this is different. I love the story aspect to each run, keeping even the vanilla playthrough very enjoyable. There doesn't seem to be a crazy meta that is required to run to do well. Excited to see what is to come.”
- “The depth of gameplay is great; it's accessible for newer players, and the learning curve is shorter than most other autobattlers because the storytelling aspect frames everything so well.”
- “There is no overall story to keep you engaged, so you have to enjoy doing runs, just like Slay the Spire.”
- “The art is terrible and so is the 'story'.”
- “Every story segment in the Slay the Spire-like quest path has the exact same pattern to it.”
optimization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
79%
12%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on lower-end systems. While some users noted improvements since early access, others reported frame rate drops and UI problems that detracted from the experience. Despite these challenges, many still find the game enjoyable and believe it has potential, urging developers to address the optimization concerns.
- “At the beginning of early access, the game had some performance problems (with some GPU), but these have long since been fixed.”
- “One or two performance issues but nothing that makes the game unplayable, and definitely tolerable for an early access title.”
- “Game feels complete enough to enjoy with a lot of variety & gives you as much info as you could possibly want on your units/unit performance.”
- “The idea is amazing, but the UI is pretty clunky and the optimization is quite bad.”
- “From UI buttons that don't always function, to having to check options every launch to see what reverted to default this time (seemingly random!), to consumable items that don't work correctly, to disappearing equipment (which appears equipped as a hex icon, but disappears from the inspect menu and doesn't function anymore), to lackluster optimization (30/60 fps capped, with dips and sometimes single digit frames on a mix of low and high settings on a Ryzen 5650/3070 GPU setup)...”
- “I honestly find it hard to give a good opinion on the gameplay because my experience is too tainted by performance.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it immersive and well-crafted, enhancing the overall experience, while others describe it as grating, repetitive, and distracting, leading them to mute the game or play their own music. Many agree that the soundtrack needs improvement, as its current state detracts from the gameplay. Overall, the music is seen as a weak point, overshadowed by the game's other features.
- “The music is fantastic, adding an immersive layer to the experience that enhances every battle and exploration.”
- “It’s clear that a lot of care went into the soundtrack, making it a standout feature of the game.”
- “- I personally enjoy the graphical style, music, and voice acting (even in its limited capacity).”
- “The main music theme (when building your army) is so bad that I had to mute the game.”
- “The music needs an overhaul.”
- “If this doesn't change, I imagine most players will tire of it quickly, mute it, and play their own music instead.”
stability
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
64%
Overall, the game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant bugs and clunky interfaces, particularly in the early access phase. While some users report smooth performance on various platforms, including the Steam Deck, others express frustration with the game's rough edges and unbalanced mechanics. Despite these issues, a few players commend the developers for delivering a relatively bug-free experience in early access.
- “Tales & Tactics runs great, no bugs, and the gameplay is a fantastic scaffolding to be built upon.”
- “Great job by the devs so far for a bug-free early access game as well.”
- “Runs great on my crappy laptop and I'm beginning to get a good grasp of the tactics.”
- “Still buggy, still unbalanced, still weirdly RNG-dependent.”
- “It's fun when it works, but my experience has been buggy as hell.”
- “More than buggy, it's just rough around the edges.”
grinding
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
6%
88%
Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in the game. While some players enjoy the extensive content and strategies that encourage grinding, others find the process tedious and overly time-consuming, particularly criticizing the fast maxing of levels and the repetitive nature of certain mechanics. Overall, the grinding aspect is seen as a double-edged sword, offering both engagement and frustration.
- “After 6 hours, all the in-game level-ups and roguelight elements are maxed. I get that some people don't like grinding, but holy crap, that was fast and it's maxed!”
- “After 6 hours, all the in-game level-ups/roguelike elements are maxed. I get that some people don't like grinding, but holy crap, that was fast and it's maxed?”
- “I just don't care to play a roguelike that wastes my time that way with 90% of the game being boring grinding.”
- “Absolute garbage where progress is gated behind dozens of hours of grinding metaprogression.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its strong sense of humor, featuring witty writing and amusing naming conventions that consistently elicit laughter. Players appreciate the charm and depth of the humor, which enhances the overall experience, particularly in the context of its roguelike auto-battler mechanics.
- “A great roguelike auto-battler with that Yogs sense of humor.”
- “Unlocks such as extra scenarios occurring, and learning the ambitions of the character you were playing for 8 hours, which made me laugh.”
- “I found the writing to be very funny.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a charming and cozy ambiance that evokes classic fantasy party-building experiences, enhanced by engaging melodies and rhythms that create an immersive audio backdrop. Players appreciate the satisfying blend of art and gameplay elements, which together foster a captivating environment that is both enjoyable and adaptable to individual preferences. Overall, the atmosphere is described as inviting and engaging, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The melodies and rhythms perfectly match the game's atmosphere, creating an engaging and enjoyable audio experience that keeps you hooked.”
- “The art, atmosphere, and little rogue-lite auto battler adventures are satisfying and engaging without being overwhelming.”
- “Team 9 created something special here, with elements of classic D&D encounters, TFT without a solved meta, constantly evolving gameplay that can be customized to your difficulty preferences, and a charming and cozy atmosphere that feels like sitting down for a classic fantasy party builder, with the enjoyable auto chess style that is adapted perfectly for solo play.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highlight the emotional depth of the game, noting a strong sense of community that is both heartwarming and poignant. The juxtaposition of wholesome interactions with underlying heartbreak creates a compelling emotional experience.
- “That's the heartbreaking part.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is criticized for its poor execution, with users highlighting a lack of polish in the user interface and sound design, as well as a monotonous narrator. However, some players appreciate the fun character designs, suggesting that while the overall development may be lacking, there are redeeming qualities in the visual aspects.
- “The UI is lacking some major polish, the sound is lackluster, the narrator is just some guy and has no variation in his lines, and the character design is just horrible.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization model of "Tales & Tactics" is viewed positively, as it allows players to enjoy the auto-battler genre in a single-player format without the typical pay-to-win pitfalls associated with many multiplayer games. Users appreciate the game's approach, which avoids the cash grab mentality prevalent in the app store.