A Juggler’s Tale Review

In a Jugglers Tale, players will take on the role of Abby as she traverses various biomes to escape the evil circus ringmaster. Getting from A to B isn’t always easy for abby as she is hindered by the strings that allow her to move.

Review Adapted from Video Review with the same Language Below

See, Abby is a puppet, and part of a larger story being told by the Storyteller to a group of patrons at a local bar. As the Storyteller narrates the story of abbey, players will work through various puzzles, use environments to fight bosses, and so much more. This is a game of taking chances, experimentation, and at times, being patient.

To tell the story here would be a disservice to the game – this game is all about story, and to even give up an ounce of what might happen would be a travesty for those looking to play. So let’s steer clear of that, outside of saying it is absolutely fabulous.

Let’s take a look at the games graphics. In short, they are phenomenal. The detailed scenes that players run through are so beautiful to look at, I stopped from time-to-time just look at what was around me. Everything looks like it can be interacted with, so the development team has nicely used the colour red to indicate items that can be interacted with. But rarely does something look out of place, and even when the thing you need ot interact with is in plain site, it still fits the scene and keeps you immersed in the moment. And I absolutely loved that about this experience.

The audio is equally fantastic. Natural sounds will often giveway to musical overtures that are fantastic in and of themselves. Layer that with the fantastic story telling of the storyteller, and the experience could not be more immersive. Despite obviously borrowing from other franchises, A Jugglers Tale still feels unique and different enough to warrant a play.

And borrowing it does. While not as scary as Little Nightmares, the similarities will not go unnoticed. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because A Jugglers Tale still carves out its own path, delivers it’s own story, and creates its own unique puzzles. While I found that moments of Little Nightmares frustratingly difficult, A Jugglers Tale takes a more lenient path. While sometimes hidden at an initial glance, taking your time with each puzzle and dying a handful of times will ultimately bring you closer to the puzzle. While there are minor platforming issues that I felt unfairly made me die, ultimately the game is paced really well. In fact, if you knew exactly how to finish every puzzle, the game would take about an hour and a half. Even when you factor in thinking, dying, and puzzle solving, I never spent more than 2 to 2.5 hours playing this. And that’s the perfect length.

Ultimately, A Jugglers Tale doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. It’s a great story played out over 5 acts, but it’s not too long, or draws on too long, to become tiresome. Puzzle elements are rarely used more than once, and when they are, there is always a unique new twist to figure out.

At the end of the day, I highly recommend A Jugglers Tale. The story alone is worth your time, and if you like to solve light puzzles that will never frustrate you into quitting, than this is the experience for you!