On the surface, Storyteller is a very simple and straightforward puzzle game. Players are given a library of characters and scenes and tasked with the challenge of putting them together to tell stories with themes of love, betrayal and vengeance. There are heroes villains and monarchs, as well as dragons, vampires and werewolves with storylines that are loosely based on literary classics such as Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, Dracula, Sleeping Beauty and so forth. You know how the story goes, except this time you are the author.

It’s seemingly charming and experimental; it feels like something that hasn’t been done before. You are given a blank canvas and asked to complete a story based on a simple prompt. It’s not much different than an editor assigning you a pitch based on headline or topic. It’s deconstructed literature. As a writer, what is there not to love here?

Upon gameplay, that affinity grew deeper. I studied storyboarding in undergrad and am studying logic in preparation for grad school, so I welcomed a game that would help me play off existing skills while developing new ones – or so I thought. As soon as I got into the groove of things, the game ended abruptly and I couldn’t tell if I was left wanting more, or if I had already gotten everything the game had to offer. Still, it is better to have played and completed than to have never played at all.

The Good

Storyteller delivers on its promise and name. The game is rich with stories that are told in a tongue-in-cheek way that stays true to their origins while allowing for personal experimentation. The interface is designed to resemble an actual book and gameplay is soothing, with its simple drag and drop style. It feels good to see storylines literally click into place and the eureka moment when you finally get the sequencing right. Some of the tropes are really funny and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the outcomes. The way Storyteller progresses in complexity also provides a nice challenge. I was irritatingly stuck on a few stories, until I remembered an element or reaction from a previous chapter that acts as a hint.

The Bad

While many of the stories are based on existing literature, some of the themes can feel a little off-putting at time. I found myself skipping over certain stories and chapters, such as Oedipus in which a character must marry their mother. I found myself growing tired of having my characters have elicit affairs or drink and feed each other poison after a while. I only came back to complete these stories chapters to “beat” the game. I assumed the lock at the end of the chapters was to signify the unlocking of an entirely new set of stories, only to find that it actually marks the end of the game. Seeing the credits roll by immediately after left me feeling unfulfilled. It feels more like a demo or proof-of-concept than an actual, fully realized game.

What Surprised Me

Initially, I did feel the game was a bit elementary. Like, literally something I would play on the computers at an after-school program. However, I found myself coming back again and again to challenge myself. There are few games that challenge you intrinsically as opposed to externally, so I appreciated that. I also loved the addition of “bonus” stories, which are additional missions that can be completed by re-arranging characters or scenes for an alternate outcome. I also love how panels change immediately when you change certain elements, and how the characters seem to speak for themselves. For example, a character won’t poison themselves or another without a clear motive and will show confusion when you attempt to do so. And while the Duke may pick up a gun and plot a murder, the King will stare at it in admiration and the Duchess will simply turn her head and refuse to acknowledge the weapon – that is, of course, without a proper motive. Motive plays such a strong element in the game, which feels intelligent.    

What Was Predictable

Once you get into the groove of things, most of the stories do feel rather predictable. It almost makes it seem like the developers assumed they are smarter than the players, and that we would be stumped for days trying to figure things out. When in reality, you become a master at the game by recognizing patterns and applying them in different ways. Once you are able to properly predict an outcome, the game does lose some of the original complexity it did in the beginning stages. I would have loved to see more original storytelling, or even mixing in some more modern tropes to take a break from all the vintage literary themes.

Bottom Line

Visuals: 7.5

The graphics are exceedingly elementary by today’s standards, but the simplicity actually works in its favor. The game never overthinks itself in design or strategy, and neither should the player. The animations that accompany the different interactions between scenes, characters and sequence are what stand out the most. This is key, considering they are often the biggest clues to solving the puzzles. The character designs have a paper doll feel to them, which can be soothing in a world of Ai and hyperrealism. While the eyes get a bit of a break, the mind is stimulated and engaged. My absolute favorite visual from this game is the crown you win when you complete all the stories, and how the book then displays a shadow of the crown on all the pages.

Sound: 5.5

The game’s soundtrack is composed by award-winning Argentianian composer Zypce and provides a notable soundscape that pairs well with the pondering involved to solve each puzzle. However, it’s not necessarily essential to gameplay. Besides the sound of flipping pages and moving panels around, there isn’t much sound design. There are some sounds that act as audio hints to go with the visual clues earlier, nonetheless, this is where the game falls flat. Perhaps not to any fault of its own, but even Tetris had a memorable soundtrack.

Playability: 7

The simple gameface definitely works in Storyteller’s favor. I felt the game was easy to play and the controls were simple enough. I played the PC version on Steam, and immediately wished I was on a Surface Pro or iPad tablet instead. It felt a little too simple for PC, which makes sense that the game is also available on Nintendo Switch. This is a great game to take on the road or play outside of the house on your downtime. Sitting in front of a PC almost demands too much attention and makes some of the controls feel basic. Still, everything from the page design to the panel design adds to the element of holding, writing and reading a storybook that you are creating page by page.

Story: 8.5

f there is one thing the game delivers on, it’s stories. The gamut of influences runs from Shakespeare to supernatural myths. It was fun seeing how many original stories you could recognize based on simple, deconstructed themes. I also appreciated the twists you could apply to classics, by creating new endings or switching characters around. Some stories are also so simple that you have to smile and so bizarre that you have to laugh. While Storyteller does not tell a story of its own, or even offer continuity of story among different characters, it does do a fantastic job of bringing new life to literature.

Replay Value: 2.5

I wanted to give this category a C+ or at least a C-, that was, until I reached the end of the game. The entire game can be completed so quickly and ends so abruptly, that I don’t see why I would replay it at all, unless it was to satisfy my own personal creative needs and storytelling desires. I could see if the game becomes open-ended and allows you to tell different stories you get points or ratings or any general feedback from. But once the missions are complete and the crown is collected, there is really no compelling reason to go back and play again. I had some fun flipping the pages and seeing the crown’s shadow fall on the pages and even translated the game into different texts such as Arabic, which made it resemble a Quran, so to speak. However, this was just me finding things to do and I realized that the fun was essentially over.

Overall Grade: 6.5

While the game satisfied my creativity and curiosity in unexpected (and at times, frustrating) ways, I’m not sure if it satisfied my needs and desires as a gamer. I was able to finish the game within a few hours over the span of a few days, which felt jarring considering the fact that it took 15 years to develop and comes with a $15.99 price tag. I’m definitely hoping there will be some expansion in the form of DLC or “story packs.” Storyteller can even expand to classic films or pop culture moments. Since a new style of puzzle gameplay has emerged, I sincerely recommend that Anampura Studios continue to build on this. Even if all good stories must come to an end, the potential is endless for developers to deliver a happily ever after that carries over for years to come.

Storyteller is available on Steam on Nintendo Switch