Escape Tales: The Awakening

Escape Tales: The Awakening is a narrative puzzle game that is newly adapted to the digital form, being originally known as an escape-room card game. Whilst I am not aware of the original card game, this new game format seems to work well, but I did find the puzzles quite difficult. This type of game is perfect for the spooky season with its dark undertones, but I do think this game mostly suits puzzle aficionados as opposed to horror lovers. [b] [u]Pros[/u] [/b] [list] [*] Digitalised format of a popular card game [*] Creepy ambience and descriptions [*] Different endings and playstyles [*] Handy hint system if you get stuck. [/list] [b] [u]Cons[/u] [/b] [list] [*] Puzzle difficulty (may be a pro for some!) [/list] [h1]Story[/h1] You play as Sam, a mourning husband after his wife has recently passed. To make matters worse, your only daughter has also fallen ill and is in a coma. Sam decides to do what all horror protagonists do, and to try and evoke the supernatural to get his daughter back. He obtains the book of rituals and begins performing an awakening ritual to try and wake his loved one. I am sure this will go down smoothly! https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3355645071 Along the way through different rooms, titbits of information is provided about Sam and the details of his wife’s passing. The entire narrative is coated in spookiness with each sentence having an eerie aura about it. The rooms themselves are creepy and off-putting which helped me visualise the descriptions of Sam’s surroundings. The story is nothing special, but it did scratch my Halloween-novel itch that I had. Perhaps I am not the right audience for this type of game as I wanted more of the narrative and choose-your-own-path gameplay, rather than the myriad of puzzles one after the other, but it is best to keep in mind that it is based off an escape room game. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Gameplay is very simple, you read text from the side of the screen and select the option at the bottom (sometimes a choice) to proceed. You will then find yourself in a small room where you can click on various sections along the rooms border to further explore the area. Each area is colour coded such as green for things to do/unexplored, blue for puzzle and grey for the area is complete/exhausted. You also have a limited amount of stamina slots which are used to explore different areas. If you run out, you can always meditate to recover some more but if you do it too often, it can negatively affect your ending. Therefore it is best to pick where you want to explore quite carefully. Most times, you will need to explore various parts of the room to pick up all the necessary clues to complete the puzzle. There is an ingame little notebook and pen/highlighter which you can use to type any relevant notes or clues. You can also draw which is handy in some puzzles where you may need to trace a line or draw out a specific sequence. The puzzles will end with a digit code which can be deduced from the unique puzzles. They started off okay but got quite complicated quickly. You must read environmental clues to deduce what to do, but if you are stuck, there is a handy hint option to help guide you, or even give you the full solution if you keep clicking on it. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3356147309 Having the inbuilt notebook reminded me of some more old-school games and I really enjoyed that. Being able to resize the different puzzle clues and format them on my screen like I would in a tabletop game on a bench was something new and fun. Once you have completed the necessary puzzles and find the portal to exit, you have the option of remaining in the room to continue exploring, or you can leave. Note that you cannot return to any of the past rooms so it is best to make the most of your time in each. [h1]Technical & Stats [/h1] [quote][b]This game was played using a mouse only, and with the following PC specs.:[/b] AMD Ryzen R5 7600x 5.4 GHz 32GB DDR5 5200 CL36 RAM Radeon RX 6800 XT 2560x1440 resolution NVMe 3.0 SSD Windows 10[/quote] [b]Replayability value:[/b] Yes, for different endings and routes. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] Escape Tales: The Awakening is a unique little horror-themed puzzle game that is sure to keep puzzle enthusiasts busy for a few hours. I recommend this for puzzle lovers who don’t mind a bit of a spooky theme, especially those who are aware of the original board game. [quote] If you would like to see more reviews written by me, please follow my curator page and help support my work [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34936724/] Cookie Reviews[/url]. [/quote]

Game of pastime, puzzle, adventure, story with strong themes, choices accordingly. PLOT Sam is a desperate father, his wife Jen died a few years ago. His only joy is raising his daughter Lizzie, this helps him leave behind the pain caused by the loss of his dear Jen. But fate is sometimes cruel and his heart is not ready to bear an even greater sorrow: Lizzie due to a mysterious illness ends up in the hospital in a coma. After about 2 months the doctors cannot explain what happened, and if he will come out of this state, they cannot give any hope to poor Sam Driven by anguish and desperation Sam seeks help for his problem, until one day he finds Mark who has experienced a similar situation to his, and managed to awaken his son from the coma. He discovers that there is a mysterious book: "The Book of Rituals" which describes a strange ritual of awakening. This father clings tightly to this last hope and begs Mark to give him this book, but he is warned that there is no joking, it will be very dangerous; In fact this rite will catapult him out of his body and travel to another dimension, the same one where Lizzie is, only in this way will he be able to understand the reasons for her state. It will not be an easy journey, he will have to make the right choices if he wants to wake her up, with the risk of remaining trapped in a loop of memories. After a week he decides to get all the material to do this rite in the secrecy of the cellar, he feels ready to face and overcome all his fears to save the only reason for his life Lizzie......... GAMEPLAY Escape room with a top-down view, there are 8 places to explore, we can decide whether to discover all the hidden secrets, or only the essential ones to continue in the next room. To examine what surrounds us we have a certain number of "Stamina" available, when we finish it we can meditate to accumulate it again, but be careful not to abuse it because it can compromise the plot. While examining clues we will come across many puzzles, few are simple and with reference to figures; the others are quite difficult, cryptic, based on mathematics and some on the algorithm. Fortunately there is a system of partial suggestions up to the solution to avoid getting stuck. The music is melancholic and evokes anxiety, it reflects the loneliness of the protagonist well. It is not a cheerful and carefree game, due to the strong themes contained in the plot it is not suitable for everyone. Difficult puzzles and enigmas for those who love challenges. RECENSIONE in ITALIANO Sam è un padre disperato, sua moglie Jen è morta da qualche anno. La sua unica gioia è crescere sua figlia Lizzie, questo lo aiuta a lasciarsi alle spalle il dolore causato dalla perdita della sua cara Jen. Ma il destino a volte è crudele e il suo cuore non è pronto a sopportare un dispiacere ancora piu grande: Lizzie a causa di una misteriosa malattia finisce all'ospedale in coma. Dopo circa 2 mesi i medici non sanno spiegare cosa sia successo, e se uscirà da questo stato, non riescono a dare nessuna speranza al povero Sam Spinto dall'angoscia e dalla disperazione Sam cerca un aiuto al suo problema, finchè un giorno trova Mark che ha vissuto una situazione simile alla sua , ed è riuscito a risvegliare dal coma suo figlio. Scopre che esiste un libro misterioso: "The Book of Rituals" che descrive uno strano rituale del risveglio. Questo padre si aggrappa con forza a questa ultima speranza e prega Mark di consegnargli questo libro, ma viene avvertito che non cè da scherzare , sarà molto pericoloso; Infatti questo rito lo catapulterà fuori dal suo corpo e viaggerà in un'altra dimensione, la stessa in cui si trova Lizzie , solo così potrà capire le motivazioni del suo stato. Non sarà un viaggio facile dovrà fare le scelte giuste se vuole risvegliarla, con il rischio di rimanere intrappolato in un loop di ricordi . Dopo una settimana decide di procurarsi tutto il materiale per fare questo rito nella segretezza della cantina, si sente pronto ad affrontare e superare tutte le sue paure per salvare l'unica ragione della sua vita Lizzie.... GIOCABILITA' Escape room con una visuale vista dall'alto, ci sono 8 luoghi da esplorare, possiamo decidere se scoprire tutti i segreti nascosti , o solo quelli essenziali per continuare nella stanza successiva. Per esaminare ciò che ci circonda abbiamo a disposizione un certo numero di "Stamina" quando la terminiamo possiamo meditare per accumularla di nuovo , ma attenzione a non abusarne perchè può compromettere la trama. Mentre esaminiamo indizi ci imbatteremo in tanti enigmi, pochi sono semplici e con riferimento a figure; gli altri sono abbastanza difficili ,criptici, basati sulla matematica e qualcuno sull'algoritmo. Fortunatamente cè un sistema di suggerimenti parziali fino alla soluzione per evitare di rimanere bloccati . La musica è malinconica ed evoca inquietudine , rispecchia bene la solitudine del protagonista. Non è un gioco allegro e spensierato, per le tematiche forti contenute nella trama non è adatto a tutti . Enigmi e puzzle difficili per chi ama le sfide. [quote]For more puzzle game reviews, news and everything puzzle-related, follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/25928931-Puzzle-Lovers/]Puzzle Lovers[/url] and check out our [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/puzzlelovers]Steam group[/url].[/quote]

Fundamentally, Escape Tales is a deceptively simple narrative-driven adventure puzzle game which tasks the player with exploring a set of otherworldly locations. If you are familiar with the idea of an escape room, the formula this game overtly draws a lot of inspiration from, you know the drill. Each subsequent location contains several puzzles of various degree of complexity, which when solved, reward the player with either a key item necessary for solving another puzzle or an item significant to the story. While some of the puzzles are rather simple and are quickly solvable, others are less so and expect the player to slow down and analyse all the clues thoroughly. In case a puzzle turns out to be more complex, the game offers hints that can help you get on the right track. If a puzzle turns out to be difficult even after being provided with hints, you can use the auto-solve feature to avoid getting stuck and progress the story. In overall, the puzzles are distinct and don't lack in originality. What I think could have been a bit expanded on is the methods of solving the puzzles. Ultimately, all require you to deduce a correct sequence of numbers from a set of different clues. As far as I know, the game is based on a physical escape room style card game but since I haven't played it, I cannot really tell how well it reflects the gameplay of the original. What is the highlight of the game for me personally, is the game's old-school approach to solving puzzles - the game offers a built-in notebook of sorts, allowing you to write down your own notes as you solve the puzzles. The game actively encourages to use that feature, given the complexity of some of the puzzles. This reminds me of the old days when I used to play video games with a piece of paper to my side, writing down any important info. It's a really nice touch! Keep in mind, though, that the window where you provide the solution to the puzzle is rather large so it may obscure the notes you took while analysing the puzzle. Best to avoid that by writing down the final answer somewhere in the corner of the screen. As far as the story goes, the game tells the tale of a widower who, driven by desperation to find a cure for a mysterious coma his beloved daughter has fallen into, decides to conduct an occult ritual, hoping it might help him save his daughter. As you progress the story, you will unravel more secrets connected with the main character's past. In overall, I feel the story is engaging - the story is delivered in a way reminiscent of a book. The graphics nice and are serviceable. They low key remind me of the nostalgic era of puzzle games made in Flash. My only concern about the graphics is somewhat low resolution of the cards containing clues. Upon enlarging, they get a bit blurry which sometimes make it difficult to discern some details. Besides that little flaw, together with the great audio consisting of spooky yet catchy tunes and ambience in the form of frantic whispers, the aforementioned aspects make for a great immersive experience. Especially due to the audio, I recommend playing with headphones on! As far as I know, the game has several different endings. The one you receive is based on the choice you make and your performance (I believe), so there is a lot to uncover for those who like to replay their games. To sum up, Escape Tales: The Awakening was released just in time for those who are keen on indulging in the spooky vibes explicitly associated with Halloween. If you are into puzzle games and are looking for one that will allow you to casually spend a cold autumn evening while cosily enjoying a cup of warm tea, be sure to grab it.

Escape Tales: The Awakening to dość wyjątkowy przygodowy projekt, który może zarówno intrygować, jak i napawać pewnymi obawami. Spoglądając na screeny na Steam możemy zastanawiać się czy aby jest to gra właśnie dla mnie. Czytając opis możemy sądzić, że jest to niszowa, niezależna i bardzo zwykła przygodówka jakich wiele. Recenzowana przeze mnie gra udowadnia jednak, że bycie niszą przygodową, i jednocześnie projektem, w którym znajdziemy wiele podgatunków przygodowych, wcale nie oznacza zwykłości i nijakości. Z całym przekonaniem mogą stwierdzić, że Escape Tales: The Awakening nie jest nijaka. To bardzo wyrazista gra, o wyrazistym kierunku fabularnym, trudnych, ale już poruszanych w tym gatunku tematach społecznych, w swoim własnym, bardzo indywidualnym graficznym stylu. Twórcy postawili na fabułę, na opowieść, na klimat, nie stawiając na zachwyty graficzne, których w tym projekcie nie uświadczymy. Ukierunkowali historię tak, by niosła nie tylko przesłanie, ale potrafiła zaciekawiać i dawać do myślenia, jednocześnie postawili przez graczami umysłowe wyzwania, nadając rozrywce zupełnie innego, logicznego wymiaru. Ten nie wszystkim może przypaść do gustu, ale system pomijania zagadek i mini-gier, mówiąc kolokwialnie "załatwia sprawę". Najmocniejszą stronę tegoż tytułu jest trzymająca w niepewności atmosfera, tajemnica i ciekawość, jaką twórcom udało się zbudować. A możliwość dokonywania różnych wyborów, owocujących różnym jej zakończeniem, czyni z niej przygodówkę nie na jeden, a na kilka wieczorów. Warto bowiem poznać wszystkie jest możliwe zakończenia. Można zarzucić grze za mało przygody w przygodówce, a za dużo logiki, często zbyt pokrętnej, by samemu się z nią zmierzyć. Można napisać, tudzież powiedzieć, że jest to gra zbyt krótka i zbyt niezależna, zbyt niezwykła, by móc zaintrygować większe grono graczy. Wydaje się jednak, że twórcy mieli świadomość niezależności swego dzieła, i właśnie w tej indywidualnej, swojej opowieści, we własnym stylu, na własnych zasadach postanowili ją poprowadzić, umiejętnie grając na emocjach. I tak powstała ciekawa mieszanka klasycznego escape roomu z psychologicznym horrorem w klimacie narracyjnego visual novel, dostępnego, trzeba tu zaznaczyć, w polskiej wersji językowej. Pełna recenzja na https://przygodozonabibliotekaprzygodowek.blogspot.com/2024/10/escape-tales-awakening-recenzja-rytua.html Zalety: Fabuła, która potrafi zaciekawić; Decyzje i wybory kształtujące opowieść; Możliwość przejścia gry na kilka sposobów; Graficzny pomysł na siebie; Niezależność projektu; Polska wersja językowa; Klimatyczna ścieżka dźwiękowa Wady: Przekombinowane zagadki (na szczęście można pominąć); Gra nie dla wszystkich; Pewna powtarzalność; Mimo wszystko zbyt krótka

My brain is still steaming after thinking about all those riddles :D If you like escape rooms, then definitely give this game a try!

Przyzwoite zagadki, historia też ok. W sam raz na parę godzin zabawy :) Trochę mi zajęło znalezienie tzw "good ending" :P

This is a excelent game for fans of escape rooms. The soundtrack itself gave a very cool atmosphere, which was not too light at all. The fact that we had to pay attention to the decisions we made added to the thrill. I recommend planning some free time, make a good tea and prepare a piece of paper with a pen to activate your brain cells and have fun at the same time.

[code][h3][b][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45030479/]🧩Undecided & Puzzled Reviews🧩[/url][/b]Visit and follow my curator page if you enjoyed this review❤️[/h3][/code] [h2][b]Escape Tales: The Awakening[/b][/h2] Based on the escape room card game of the same name, https://escape-tales.com/awakening but this time, in digital form. At first glance, it reminded me a bit of how Disco Elysium plays. Text on the side, you make choices. I wasn't completely off. It does work like that to some point, but it also integrates puzzles through the use of "polaroid photos" (cards) and more exploration than the former. Keep in mind that it is a text-based game so there will be a lot of reading. The good thing is that it was very well written, and it doesn't feel like the story drags or bores. It was very easy to follow, and it flowed smoothly. The story does touch on some heavy subjects including loss. I'd recommend reading the disclaimer included in the store page, that way triggers can be avoided. The story was also very well written. It kept me wanting to read more and know more even on the not so good parts. It is somewhat rare to see an escape type of game with a good solid story attached to it. This was a very welcomed feature. It is a single player whereas the table-top version can be played from 1 to 4 players. I did end up using a "lifeline" because one of the puzzles had me stumped. 🤣 It includes 8 locations (rooms) that can be fully explored. Each one will have at least 2 puzzles bonus points because the puzzles don't repeat. So, new ones for each room. The game has a nice balance of story rich narrative (text) and puzzle/exploration. During the narrative, you will be prompted to make choices and well, they matter. It has multiple endings based on the choices you've make. So, choose wisely. Or unwisely- you can always be chaotic too. Other gameplay things to note: It has a notepad and a highlighter- no wasting real paper! You can also use hints that the game provides, and they aren't too "hand-holdey". My favorite part though? No.Time.Limit! I like taking my time and I hate using hints This to me was glorious. Another thing, I' m unsure If I can divulge the number of endings but, do know that to me, it felt like infinity. 😉🧩 I honestly didn't know what I was getting into except - a dark supernatural-y game that's based on a table-top of the same name that I hadn't heard of before. I love escape room type games, and recently started loving table-top escape rooms with mystery/detective/crime type of stories. It felt serendipitous to receive this game. Well now I've played the digital and I'm waiting for one of the table-tops too! So I'm crossing my fingers that the devs continue to make more of these because I really REALLY enjoyed playing this game. Way more than I thought I would During my gameplay I encountered a couple of bugs, which you may see if you watch the gameplay video. They didn't really disrupt he game to me. Also, the version I played, is not the final version of the game, so these bugs may not even exist anymore. You can watch my playthrough on my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@undecidednpuzzled You'll also find more reviews and recommendations on my Steam Curator Page, My Instagram and YouTube Channel. Access the links through undecidednpuzzled.com You can also check out my playthrough directly through the link below: Remember to Like, Follow and Subscribe! 🧩❤️❤️ https://youtu.be/hXgwTjVdH8Q

Był taki osobliwy (i prawdę powiedziawszy dość długi) etap w historii przygodówek point-and-click, kiedy twórcy prześcigali się w pomysłach na urozmaicenie rozgrywki i jak najskuteczniejsze utrudnienie graczom szybkiego rozwiązywania łamigłówek. W tychże tytułach aplikowano szeroką gamę systemów zmyślnie testujących umiejętność logicznego myślenia, nawet jeśli poziom trudności większości zagadek wydawał się absurdalnie wręcz wywindowany. I właśnie ludziom, którzy wrzuceni w wir takich pokręconych szarad czuli się znakomicie, jest dedykowana ta gra. Escape Tales: The Awakening bez pudła trafia w niszę point-and-clicków na oldskulową nutę. Tutaj odnajdą się ci, którzy za dzieciaka ćwiczyli układanie kostki Rubika, w liceum mieli rządkami wpisywane piątki z matmy, a na studiach do porannej kawy i papierosa łamali maszyny szyfrujące. Ta gra WYMAGA od odbiorcy podkręcenia mocy przerobowych mózgu, a bonusowe punkty zainkasują ci, którzy mają nieźle wyćwiczoną pamięć wizualną. Ciepło wspominacie Runaway i inne takie? Guess what, właśnie znaleźliście grę na dzisiejszy wieczór. Oczywiście, tu nie rozchodzi się tylko o łamigłówki. Osią fabuły Escape Tales: The Awakening jest pogoń zdesperowanego ojca za wybudzeniem córki ze śpiączki, a to - jak zdążyliście się już domyślić - nie jest zadanie na kilka minut. Główny bohater decyduje się na wykonanie przedziwnego rytuału o demonicznym zabarwieniu, który niczego nieświadomych śmiałków przeprowadza przez najmniej przyjemne czeluście pamięci. Mowy nie ma o bezmyślnym klepaniu przycisku "dalej". Co rusz przewijają się wątki z przeszłości, nawiedzają nas podejrzane byty, a mnóstwo podnoszonych przez nas przedmiotów niesie ze sobą historię. Chociaż czasami oczy same przewracają się na widok chaotycznego interfejsu i miejscami niezrozumiałych decyzji designowych, gracze nastawieni przede wszystkim na zdrowy balans pomiędzy scenariuszem a zagadkami powinni czuć się zadowoleni. Udanego grzebania w labiryncie własnych wspomnień!

Całkiem fajna gra, są zagadki proste i te trudniejsze. Jak nie dajesz rady jest system podpowiedzi, a w trakcie gry możliwość (ograniczona, ale jednak) wyboru drogi rozwoju fabuły.