The Darkest Tales

When a nightmare creeps into reality, the only ones that can help are those whose magical powers we’ve believed in since childhood. A brave teddy bear heads to the far side of “happily ever after” to rescue his owner, Alicia.

The Darkest Tales is a dark fantasy, adventure and platformer game developed by Trinity Team and published by 101XP.
Released on October 13th 2022 is available only on Windows in 10 languages: English, Italian, Russian, French, German, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish - Latin America and Portuguese - Brazil.

It has received 780 reviews of which 561 were positive and 219 were negative resulting in a rating of 6.9 out of 10. 😐

The game is currently priced at 7.91€ on Steam and has a 60% discount.

The Steam community has classified The Darkest Tales into these genres:

Dark Fantasy Adventure Platformer Action-Adventure Action 2D Platformer Metroidvania Horror Atmospheric Dark Surreal Character Action Game Cute Story Rich Magic Singleplayer Hack and Slash Supernatural Emotional Controller

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at The Darkest Tales through various videos and screenshots.

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Requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows

OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 960
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 11 GB available space

Reviews

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Dec. 2024

Visual Style The standout feature of The Darkest Tales is its stunning watercolor aesthetic, evoking the pages of a twisted storybook. Levels are inspired by iconic fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood and Neverland, each warped into something macabre. While most areas are visually captivating, some, like the sea monster's interior, are overly dark, making navigation a chore. The game’s biggest visual flaw, however, lies in its clarity. In a platformer, distinguishing safe terrain from hazards is crucial, but here it’s often unclear what can be jumped on or should be avoided. This lack of clarity detracts from the overall experience, especially during more challenging sections. Music and Sound Effects The audio design bolsters the eerie atmosphere, with a soundtrack balancing whimsical and ominous tones. Teddy’s voice actor, Yong Yea, lends gravitas to the character, while Lighty’s banter adds levity. Although the sound design complements the game’s themes, it doesn’t stand out compared to other genre leaders. Story Elements At its surface, The Darkest Tales is about Teddy’s quest to save his owner, Alicia, from nightmarish realms. Beneath this, however, lies a deeper exploration of trauma and lost innocence. The game subtly examines how childhood ideals are corrupted by darker experiences, a theme that adds emotional weight to the narrative. The reinterpretation of classic characters, like Sleeping Beauty driven mad by insomnia, gives the story a haunting edge. These moments of narrative depth elevate the game beyond a simple platformer, allowing it to tell a surprisingly complex story. World or Setting The game excels in creating immersive settings, from the chilling forests of Little Red Riding Hood to the ethereal beauty of underwater dreamscapes. Each level feels distinct, blending fantasy with dread. However, the lack of a map becomes increasingly frustrating as levels grow in complexity, making navigation feel aimless at times. Compelling Characters Teddy and his companion, Lighty, carry the story with their engaging and sometimes abrasive dynamic. Their dialogue offers moments of humor and reflection, while reimagined fairy tale characters like a broken Sleeping Beauty or a malevolent Peter Pan add layers to the narrative. Level of Challenge The platforming begins smoothly, with intuitive mechanics and balanced difficulty. However, as new abilities like double jumping are introduced, issues arise. Double jumping is often unreliable, and boss battles, particularly Sleeping Beauty’s charm mechanic, lack clear instructions, leading to frustration. Difficulty spikes, such as the Peter Pan fight, contrast sharply with earlier levels, making the challenge feel uneven. While some players might relish the test, casual gamers may find it off-putting. User Interface Keyboard and mouse controls are clunky, with the controller offering a significantly better experience. However, even with a controller, some mechanics, such as the charm effect during the Sleeping Beauty boss fight, lack intuitive design, hampering the experience further. Novelty or Unique Qualities The game’s reinterpretation of fairy tales as grim, adult narratives is its strongest asset. By blending Metroidvania elements with hack-and-slash combat, it offers a unique gameplay mix, though some mechanics feel underdeveloped. And all around, it felt like it could have done more with what it tried to be. Replay Value Despite its engaging story, The Darkest Tales lacks substantial replayability. Once the narrative has been experienced, there’s little incentive to revisit it beyond achieving 100% completion. The story doesn’t have hidden layers that might reward a second playthrough. But there are the achievements and all the small things to look for that offer some replay value. In general, if you are someone who frequently plays platform games you could reasonably complete this game in 8 hours. A lot of retracing of the steps is required in order to get the 100% in each of the areas. And if you don't read up on the achievements ahead of time, you will likely need a second play through to get them all. Emotional Impact The juxtaposition of childhood nostalgia with dark themes leaves a lasting impression. The exploration of trauma and innocence resonates deeply, elevating the game from a mere platformer to a thought-provoking experience. Conclusion The Darkest Tales is a visually striking and emotionally resonant journey into the darker side of fairy tales. Its narrative depth and artistic ambition shine, but clunky mechanics, interface issues, and limited replay value hold it back. For fans of atmospheric platformers and dark reimaginings, it’s worth playing—with patience for its flaws. Best suited for players drawn to narrative depth and gothic aesthetics, but less appealing to those seeking polished gameplay mechanics.

Nov. 2024

I was recommended to play it and I suddently got attached to it. Awesome game.

Oct. 2024

Amazing game, I loved the Tim Burton meets Alice in Wonderland vibe this game gave off. I love these kind of dark fairy-tale universes. The art style, soundtrack, script, It all came together very nicely. There was a bit to be desired as far the map goes. And the abilities left a bit to be desired. But the world creation and story telling come together so well and the way it was written was so well done its super easy to look past all that.

July 2024

I really like this game a lot!!! The game play is awesome, but what really got me hooked on this game was the story line. The interaction between the bear and the fairy is endearing to say the least. Highly suggest for anyone and everyone. Id be surprised if one were not to enjoy this game.

May 2024

Decent game to grab on sale. I paid $7 for it, and it seemed worth that price. Gameplay is fun - about what you would expect from a small build side scroller. The voice acting is kinda bad, but not game ruining. Good for a weekend play if you get on the cheap.

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