One of the greatest things about storytelling is the endless combination of the ways it can be told. Created through an infinite amount of choices and directions to move in, the story is only limited by the imagination of those who spin it. With Storyteller, players become the authors, the artists, and the all-powerful puppet master; ready to set the stage for each page. Developed by Daniel Benergui and published by Annurapurna Interactive, this puzzle adventure game will have you building your very own story, complete with everything you can ask for. There are pages full of love and heartbreak, death and resurrection, and who can forget about all the salacious revenge to be had!
Players are not necessarily limited to how they play the characters, but the above prompts must be completed before continuing to the next page. There isn’t a tutorial for players to start off with, and honestly you won’t really need one. With enough experimentation and fiddling around with the moving parts, the gameplay is self-explanatory. There is no hint button or a way to decrease or increase difficulty levels. If players find themselves stuck, it’s recommended to take a quick break and stepping away before coming back to try again. Remember, your brain needs a break every once in a while, too!
The art is adorable and keeps in style with the storybook aesthetic. Game mechanics are simple, but successfully executed for players to learn and navigate through. The different sound effects, although seem minor compared to everything else, are also a great touch to the overall atmosphere while you play. There’s a little bit of every genre and narrative in Storyteller so if someone doesn’t like romance novels, play a few more chapters and it’s going to change to a murder mystery. If murderous butlers are not your fancy either, there are also fantastical themed chapters. Complete with knights in shining army and supernatural beings.
Stories start off simple with about 3-5 slides to fill in. As players continue through the chapters, these will become more difficult, requiring more slides to fill, more characters to include, and more complex plotlines. However, as the stories become more intricate, this also opens the opportunity up for more ways on how to complete the chapter’s objectives. Perfect for those who want to go back and try replaying their stories a little differently.
Available on Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, and Mac, this is a great game to play on the go or to help you wind down after a long day. Players can jump out or back in at any time and the game auto-saves so no need to worry about losing all your hard-earned progress. Storyteller is certainly a unique puzzle game that doesn’t heavily rely on mathematics, memory recall, or heavy reading. Instead, the brain is challenged by the player’s own imagination and creativity. So go wild, crazy, power-hungry even! Or not, it’s up to you. After all, these are your stories, and you are the author now.
PROS: Adorable, unique, great for casual gaming, and a terrific and creative way to flex your brain power.
CONS: Not all stories or actions are easy to understand. If someone was unfamiliar with a certain theme or character archetype the story building may not come as intuitively as someone who is familiar.
SCORE: 8.5/10
Storyteller is available for Nintendo Switch and PC/Mac via Steam. For more information, visit Annapurna Interactive and follow Storyteller on Twitter.
Related: Reviews by Vivian Chen
Video games have always been a huge influence in my life and have definitely shaped me to who I am today . Some of my best memories growing up were the many adventures and stories I was able to experience and become immersed in. If my hands aren't either covered in clay, typing, editing, creating, or helping shoving food in my mouth, they would either be gripped to a controller, tapping away at the screen of my phone, or clicking away on my PC. I am always up for trying something new because why live just one life when you can live many.
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