Storyteller video review

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JC

Reviews by Joshua Cleveland
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Cute little narrative puzzler so short it feels like only an introductory chapter

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Storyteller is a charming-looking game that garnered quite the pre-release buzz and even drew the attention of veteran publisher Annapurna Interactive. That’s a big deal in the indie game market, but did developer Daniel Benmergui rewrite the book on how to make narrative puzzle games, or did it end up being a tale best left untold? The answer is: a little of both. Storyteller is unique and an absolute blast to play, but it’s so short and limited in scope that it barely scratches the surfaces of its gameplay possibilities before ending so abruptly you’ll be left wondering if it’s really over. As much as I enjoyed it while it lasted, I was left wanting more in just about every way: more characters, more settings, more actions, more chapters. (This is the perfect game to be opened up to the modding community. I’d love to be able to stage my own story in this way!)

I could spend many words describing how Storyteller works, but more so than most games, this one is so visual that it’s better suited to the “show don’t tell” principle, so check out my video review of this fun but all-too-brief little adventure.

Hot take

75^%

If you want a cute little puzzle game that’s fun for the whole family, Storyteller is a good choice, though at a couple hours long it ends just when things should be starting to pick up.

Pros

Prop-based contextual narrative puzzles are clever and amusing
Most of the fun comes from experimenting
Cute visuals, attention-grabbing animations and a charming score

Cons

Gameplay is the same thing over and again, with very little character or setting variety
No cohesive story ever forms from the different scenarios
Entirely too short with a jarring, anticlimactic ending

Joshua played his own copy of Storyteller on PC.