The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles

The Book of Unwritten Chronicels: The Critter Chronicles is a prequel to The Book of Unwritten Chronicles that looks fantastic but has a very high level of frustration that is not every fan of point-and-click adventure games

66%Game Brain Score

story, humor

stability, grinding

81% User Score Based on 249 reviews

Critic Score 75%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

"The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles" is a prequel to the original game, following the adventures of Nate Bonnett and his sidekick, Critter. Players can choose to play as either character and meet new faces in the fantasy world of Aventasia. With improved graphics and two difficulty levels, this point-and-click game offers a thrilling and humorous experience for both new and returning players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles screenshot

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 250 reviews

story43 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

The game features a great set of comical characters and humorous dialogue, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
The puzzles are challenging yet not overly difficult, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
The artwork is colorful and charming, contributing to the overall whimsical atmosphere of the game.

The game suffers from bugs, including crashes at certain points, which can hinder progress and frustrate players.
Some puzzles are convoluted and rely on trial and error, leading to moments of frustration rather than logical problem-solving.
The story feels less engaging compared to the original game, with a smaller scope and fewer interesting locations to explore.

story
121 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
62%
2%
The story of "The Book of Unwritten Tales: Critter Chronicles" serves as a prequel, focusing on the humorous and charming relationship between Nate and Critter, though it is generally considered shorter and less impactful than the main series. While some players appreciate the lighthearted narrative and character development, others criticize it for being simplistic and lacking depth, with puzzles that often detract from the storytelling experience. Overall, the game is seen as a fun side story for fans of the franchise, but it may not stand alone as a compelling narrative.
- “This is a really great game to play in between the Book of Unwritten Tales 1 & 2. It tells you the story of how Critter and Nate met, and it's insanely cute. Again, a lot of puns, great and tricky puzzles, and amazing game style. Shorter than 1 & 2, but it really doesn't feel that way and has great depth to the story. Very enjoyable and would definitely recommend playing between the two!”
- “The story is entertaining and keeps you interested for the duration. It's funny, looks good, and also has a nice story plus memorable characters.”
- “The critter chronicles tell the story of how adventurer Nate Bonnett and Critter, his hairy sidekick, first met, all set before their appearance in Wilbur’s and Ivo’s adventure in the Book of Unwritten Tales.”
- “The story isn't telling a grand arc; it's only really showing you the events that brought two of the bout's main characters together.”
- “The actual point-and-click mechanics are about as tedious as the genre gets: lots of convoluted puzzles that amount to little more than busy-work because they could only think up so much story, and by golly, they want to stretch the paltry thing out as long as possible.”
- “The storyline can be pretty humorous at times, but the story felt a little weaker compared to the original.”
humor
93 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this point-and-click adventure game is generally well-received, featuring a mix of clever dialogue, pop culture references, and charming characters that evoke laughter. While many players find it funny and engaging, some note a decline in humor compared to earlier installments in the series, with a few moments feeling less impactful. Overall, the game maintains a lighthearted tone with plenty of humorous scenarios, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- “The critter chronicles offers more of the same humor and charm that made the original so fun.”
- “It's funny, clever, wholesome, and the characters are so charismatic (the voice acting is fantastic) that you can't help but root for them.”
- “Awesome story, great dialogue and the humor is outstandingly funny.”
graphics
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
32%
9%
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their vibrant colors and detailed artwork, contributing to a charming and immersive atmosphere. While some reviewers note occasional glitches and performance issues, the overall visual presentation is considered appealing, with improvements over its predecessor. However, the graphics are not deemed groundbreaking, and some players express a desire for even better visuals in future iterations.
- “Wonderful artwork, some really awesome, detailed rooms.”
- “Much of the artwork flows like an oil painting plus the animations give it an extra level of depth and personality.”
- “Perfect storyline, voices, graphics (top notch); it is really, really funny but clever funny; I highly recommend this...”
- “The only real gameplay annoyance I encountered, besides one crash and a few graphical glitches, was a bad puzzle sequence in the fourth chapter.”
- “Upon reaching the final part of the lock, the graphics start breaking up and the same part of the lock simply won't go higher, thus making it impossible to proceed to the rest of the story!”
- “The graphics go blurry halfway through.”
gameplay
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The gameplay has been criticized for its trial-and-error mechanics, tedious puzzles, and linear progression, which can lead to frustration and a sense of busywork. While some players appreciate the smooth mechanics and graphics, many feel that the gameplay lacks depth and is overly reliant on arbitrary tasks, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a mixed bag, with some enjoyment derived from the story and characters rather than the mechanics themselves.
- “In addition, graphics are great and gameplay is very smooth.”
- “Puzzles and gameplay elements are there to enhance the story and characters.”
- “Solid 8 hours of gameplay and a nice tie-in between stories.”
- “Gameplay gets tedious - it's easy to miss things and get stuck for ages.”
- “The actual point-and-click mechanics are about as tedious as the genre gets: lots of convoluted puzzles that amount to little more than busy work because they could only think up so much story, and by golly, they want to stretch the paltry thing out as long as possible.”
- “The gameplay is so absolutely linear that you have to know exactly what the developers expect you to click on and in the correct order-- all the time, every time, which kills the game for me.”
music
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
30%
20%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its enchanting soundtrack and fitting composition that complements the story and atmosphere, while others note it as minimal and standard for the fantasy genre. Voice acting is consistently highlighted as a strong point, enhancing the overall experience. Overall, the music is appreciated for its beauty and connection to the original game, though it may not stand out significantly on its own.
- “Great game, flawless artwork, brilliant voice actors, top story, and the same enchanting soundtrack and atmosphere as The Book of Unwritten Tales 1. It's considerably shorter than the first game, but I'd say it was just long enough for the story and content.”
- “Beautiful backdrops, excellent animation, beautiful soundtrack, great voice acting, fun puzzles, lovable characters.”
- “Music is minimal with a few small notes here and there sliced in, and mostly of the standard fantasy affair.”
- “If you had played the original, you will be immediately familiar with the art style, music, and atmosphere of the game.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been reported to have significant stability issues, including frequent freezes, crashes, and graphical glitches, particularly when certain actions are performed or when saved in specific locations. While players enjoy the gameplay, the persistent bugs detract from the overall experience.
- “Good game - however, each time I tie the string to the saltshaker and move towards Nate in the pot, the game freezes. Same kind of glitch with the second book of Unwritten Tales.”
- “The only real gameplay annoyance I encountered, besides one crash and a few graphical glitches, was a bad puzzle sequence in the fourth chapter.”
- “Also buggy, games saved outside the mage tower always crashed.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with convoluted puzzles that feel like busy-work rather than meaningful challenges. The lack of engaging story and character development further exacerbates the monotony, leading to a gameplay experience that many describe as drawn-out and lacking charm. Overall, the grinding mechanics detract significantly from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Gameplay gets tedious - it's easy to miss things and get stuck for ages.”
- “The actual point-and-click mechanics are about as tedious as the genre gets: lots of convoluted puzzles that amount to little more than busy work because they could only think up so much story, and by golly, they want to stretch the paltry thing out as long as possible.”
- “Playing as the critter for such an extended period of time got a bit tedious for me.”
atmosphere
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
20%
20%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stunning artwork, enchanting soundtrack, and immersive world, reminiscent of its predecessor. While the human characters may not stand out as much as the creatures, the beautifully realized environments and atmospheric hotspots enhance the overall experience, making it engaging and familiar for returning players.
- “The game world is beautifully drawn and realized, even though the human characters don’t shine quite as much as their creature counterparts.”
- “The game has atmospheric hotspots that add to the setting and scenery but vanish once explored, leaving only the important hotspots - very helpful.”
- “If you had played the original, you will be immediately familiar with the art style, music, and atmosphere of the game.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The character development in the game is highlighted as a key aspect, particularly for the characters Critter and Nate, making it a significant reason to play. Players find the development engaging and integral to the overall experience, alongside the intuitive puzzles.
- “The puzzles were mostly intuitive, with interesting character development.”
- “I think it's important to play this game for the character development of Critter and Nate, so I still recommend this game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
- “I was disappointed by how predictable the character arcs were; they didn't evolve in any meaningful way.”
- “While the game has potential, the character development is rushed and leaves many storylines unresolved.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with users reporting decent performance when running the Windows version through Proton, despite a poorly functioning Linux port. Overall, while some players find a workaround for better performance, the lack of a stable native Linux version is a significant drawback.
- “I was able to get the Windows version to run using Proton by forcing it to run under Proton in the game's settings. So far, it runs at decent performance; we'll see if I encounter any issues.”
- “The voice acting features some lively performances that could have easily been lifted from a Saturday morning cartoon.”
- “I was able to get the Windows version to run using Proton by forcing it to run under Proton in the game's settings. So far, it runs at decent performance, but I will see if I encounter any issues. Still, thumbs down for a broken Linux port.”
- “The optimization is lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the game's potential, the poor optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional depth, featuring a funny and clever narrative complemented by charismatic characters and excellent voice acting, which collectively evoke a strong sense of connection and support from players. The story is described as wonderful and touching, enhancing the overall emotional experience.
- “It's funny, clever, wholesome, and the characters are so charismatic (the voice acting is fantastic) that you can't help but root for them.”
- “Wonderful and touching story.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
Players note that the game offers enhanced replayability through the inclusion of an expert mode, providing a fresh challenge for those seeking to revisit the experience.
- “The game offers additional replay value with its expert mode, making each playthrough feel fresh and challenging.”
- “Replayability is a key feature, as each decision impacts the story and gameplay, encouraging multiple runs.”
- “The game lacks significant replayability, as once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to go back.”
- “While there are some additional challenges, they don't add enough variety to make me want to replay the game.”
- “The limited choices and outcomes make replaying feel more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”