Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Indie Royale 'Evolved' bundle offers The Path, Krater and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/indie-royale-evolved-bundle-offers-the-path-krater-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/indie-royale-evolved-bundle-offers-the-path-krater-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/31/indie-royale-evolved-bundle-offers-the-path-krater-and-more/#comments Indie Royale has armed a new bundle of five games, headlined by Talawa Games' side-scrolling puzzler, Unmechanical. The "Evolved" bundle, which throws in a few soundtracks and some additional DLC if you pay a few bucks more, also contains The Path, a horror game for PC and Mac inspired by the classic tale Little Red Riding Hood.

Fatshark's Krater, a post-apocalyptic dungeon crawler in which Swedish adventurers scavenge for goods from the lost world, is sandwiched in the middle of this group. You'll also get Sugar Cube: Bittersweet Factory, a 2D platformer about a sentient sugar cube escaping a cookie-bound fate, OIO, a platform-puzzler starring a wooden boy who must save his kind from a frozen state.

Indie Royale's "Evolved" bundle will be around for the next week and, as of the time of this writing, has already moved 10,000 bundles.

JoystiqIndie Royale 'Evolved' bundle offers The Path, Krater and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bundlefatsharkindie-royalekratermacoiopcsugar-cubetalawa-gamestale-of-talesthe-pathturtle-creamunmechanicalThu, 31 Jan 2013 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tale of Tales' Bientôt l'été launches on PC]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/tale-of-tales-bientot-lete-launches-on-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/tale-of-tales-bientot-lete-launches-on-pc/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/15/tale-of-tales-bientot-lete-launches-on-pc/#comments
Tale of Tales is known for developing obscure, sometimes creepy games such as The Path and The Graveyard. Its latest game, Bientôt l'été fits with the developer's track record, though it appears to be much more subdued and thoughtful in its tone compared to the aforementioned games. From what we gather, players walk around a beach while gathering chess pieces and phrases to make use of in the nearby café. It appears there's even a button for closing your player's eyes in the game, which leads to some interesting visual effects that are apparently more mechanical in nature.

Bientôt l'été is now available for PC and Mac for $10, with an "Extravagant" version available for $40 that includes the game's soundtrack and an eventual "special build" with higher res textures and uncompressed sound.

Tale of Tales drew inspiration for the game from novels by Marguerite Duras, specifically Moderato Cantabile, which provides the basic setting for Bientôt l'été: "a man and a woman meet in a seaside café." As for everything else going on in the trailer, we're as lost as you likely are.

Gallery: Bientôt l’été (12/15/12)

JoystiqTale of Tales' Bientôt l'été launches on PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bientotletemacpctale-of-talesthe-graveyardthe-pathSat, 15 Dec 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tale of Tales' The Graveyard begins life on a new platform, Android]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/12/tale-of-tales-the-graveyard-begins-life-on-a-new-platform-andr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/12/tale-of-tales-the-graveyard-begins-life-on-a-new-platform-andr/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/12/tale-of-tales-the-graveyard-begins-life-on-a-new-platform-andr/#comments

Some games are so different, deep and beautiful that they just won't die -- Tale of Tales' The Graveyard is one of those games, as it has just been ported to Android, available for download right now through the Android Market. It's nigh impossible to think about the finite nature of human existence too much -- it's been pondered for millions of years and no one's yet come up with a better answer than "42" -- and now you can guide an old European woman through such questions in a gorgeous graveyard whenever you'd like.

The Graveyard comes in two flavors, the free trial version, or the full game for $1.99. There's only one difference between the two types: You can't die in the trial, while every time you play the full game, there's a distinct possibility you will die. Much like life, which makes the trial more like the great-great grandmother to Limbo. Literally.

Continue reading Tale of Tales' The Graveyard begins life on a new platform, Android

JoystiqTale of Tales' The Graveyard begins life on a new platform, Android originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosiphonemobilepctake-care-you-dont-step-on-hertale-of-talesthe-graveyardSat, 12 Nov 2011 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Notgames Fest' to fill IGF-sized hole at GDC Europe [update]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/notgames-fest-to-fill-igf-sized-hole-at-gdc-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/notgames-fest-to-fill-igf-sized-hole-at-gdc-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/17/notgames-fest-to-fill-igf-sized-hole-at-gdc-europe/#comments Between GDC Europe and Gamescom in August, you've got more than enough gaming news to read about in the coming months. But Germany's Notgames Fest organizers clearly disagree, with the Cologne Game Lab creating an indie (or "Notgames") festival during the first two days of GDC Europe (August 15 and 16).

Like the Independent Game Festival at GDC's main annual gathering in San Francisco, NGF at GDC Europe will feature indie developers showing off their wares, talking to other devs, and giving demonstrations to attendees. Also like the IGF, developers who hope to bring their games must apply ahead of time, only rather than a panel of IGF judges, Tale of Tales' Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn will be "curating" the event. If all that weren't enough for you, the event's organizers promise "BBQ and beer in an open air atmosphere." Sold! Head to the NGF main page for all the pertinent details (like ... uh ... where it is in Cologne).

Update: To be clear, the Indie Games Summit takes place at GDC Europe, and the Notgames Fest is not associated with GDC Europe, it just takes place during the event. Head over to the official GDC Europe page for more info.

Joystiq'Notgames Fest' to fill IGF-sized hole at GDC Europe [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auriea-harveycolognecologne-game-labcologne-germanygamescomgamescom-2011gdc-europegdc-europe-2011michael-samynnot-games-festivalnotgames-festivalnotgames-festival-2011tale-of-talesFri, 17 Jun 2011 20:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Get sad on the cheap with Tale of Tales' pay-what-you-want sale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/29/get-sad-on-the-cheap-with-tale-of-tales-pay-what-you-want-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/29/get-sad-on-the-cheap-with-tale-of-tales-pay-what-you-want-sale/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/29/get-sad-on-the-cheap-with-tale-of-tales-pay-what-you-want-sale/#commentsTale of Tales is celebrating the Day of the Dead this weekend with a sale on its three games, which are all sober, quiet meditations on -- what else -- sugar skulls death. Through November 2, you can pay any price you want, from $3 up, for The Path, The Graveyard and Fatale bundled together.

There is some motivation to pay more than the minimum (beyond it being pretty crass to lowball an indie like that) -- there's a "special surprise" in store for anyone who pays more than $50 for the bundle (which is regularly priced at $22). You'll also be motivating Tale of Tales to complete its latest ... tale, The Book of 8, as earnings from this sale will go toward the game's development.

JoystiqGet sad on the cheap with Tale of Tales' pay-what-you-want sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>day-of-the-deadindiepctale-of-talesFri, 29 Oct 2010 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Path honored with awards in Spain, goes half price to celebrate]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/28/the-path-honored-with-awards-in-spain-goes-half-price-to-celebr/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/28/the-path-honored-with-awards-in-spain-goes-half-price-to-celebr/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/28/the-path-honored-with-awards-in-spain-goes-half-price-to-celebr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Surreal horror/exploration indie title The Path was one of the finalists at last year's Indiecade festival, and it's been honored again with two awards at Bilbao, Spain's hóPLAY International Video Game Festival. The game won Best Sound and Best Design, and its creator, Tale of Tales, picked up a tidy sum of €12,000 ($16,000) in prize money.

To celebrate, the company is putting the game on sale, and you can pick up a digital copy right now for just $4.99, half of the usual price. Careful, though -- it's a creepy experience, combining a strange retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood tale with dynamically generated music and environments. Congratulations to Tale of Tales on the awards, which it says is the first actually won in its eight-year history. Always a finalist, finally a winner.

JoystiqThe Path honored with awards in Spain, goes half price to celebrate originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsdeveloperfestivalhoplayindiepcspaintale-of-talesthe-pathTue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tale of Tales' The Graveyard now on iPhone]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/tale-of-tales-the-graveyard-now-on-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/tale-of-tales-the-graveyard-now-on-iphone/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/08/tale-of-tales-the-graveyard-now-on-iphone/#commentsApple's platform has lately become the premiere place to find Tale of Tales' unique brand of art games. Just recently, the studio released its meditation on morality, Veritas, to the App Store, and it's following that up today with a port of its debut game, The Graveyard, for $1.99. If you're unfamiliar with the two-year old title, it's a small black-and-white piece in which you control an old lady walking through a graveyard. The only difference between the full game and the free version that will also be released soon is that, in the full version, the little old lady can die.

We can't tell you how many times we've been waiting for a bus or elevator and thought, "Boy, we wish we could meditate on our inevitable death, like, on the go." Thank goodness technology has finally made that possible.

The Graveyard ($1.99): The Graveyard

JoystiqTale of Tales' The Graveyard now on iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AppleindieiPodtale-of-talesthe-graveyardMon, 08 Mar 2010 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Silent Hill character designer working on Tale of Tales' Fatale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/silent-hill-character-designer-working-on-tale-of-tales-fatale/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/silent-hill-character-designer-working-on-tale-of-tales-fatale/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/01/silent-hill-character-designer-working-on-tale-of-tales-fatale/#comments Oh good. We weren't creeped out enough by Tale of Tales' The Path, so it's just great to hear that Takayoshi Sato of Silent Hill fame is creating character designs for the company's follow-up, Fatale. At this rate, we won't even be able to download the thing with the lights off.

Fatale, you may remember, is a 3D vignette based on Oscar Wilde's interpretation of the story of Salome (seen above), who performed the Dance of the Seven Veils in exchange for the head of John the Baptist. ... Yeah, fun for the whole family coming to PC on October 5th.

JoystiqSilent Hill character designer working on Tale of Tales' Fatale originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fataletale-of-talesthe-pathTue, 01 Sep 2009 21:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Tale of Tales' next project, Fatale, based on Salome]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/25/tale-of-tales-next-project-fatale-based-on-salome/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/25/tale-of-tales-next-project-fatale-based-on-salome/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/25/tale-of-tales-next-project-fatale-based-on-salome/#comments
We've had kind of a weird relationship with indie dev Tale of Tales. On the one hand, we love how unconventional its avant-garde games, like Graveyard and The Path, are, but on the other, we equated the latter to "getting punched in the nose by a centaur."

So, we don't quite know what to think about the news that the company's next project, Fatale, will be based on the story of Salome, who, of course, asked for the head of John the Baptist in exchange for doing the Dance of the Seven Veils. Rather than a game, the company describes Fatale as "an interactive vignette in realtime 3D."

Though maybe not a "game" per se, as you can see in the above picture, it does does provide an opportunity for one of the best hidden collectibles ever. Look for it on PC on October 5.

JoystiqTale of Tales' next project, Fatale, based on Salome originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fataleindietale-of-talesthe-pathThu, 25 Jun 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Mac users can now walk The Path]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/mac-users-can-now-walk-the-path/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/mac-users-can-now-walk-the-path/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/08/mac-users-can-now-walk-the-path/#comments
Attention Mac users, if you were bummed that the latest game from Tale of Tales, The Path, was restricted to PCs, it's time to rejoice, for the promised Mac version is finally out. Yes, you too can experience the game that's so freaky and different that it's like being punched in the face by a centaur. The game can be had either as a download ($10) or in a special USB edition (€25) that includes a custom USB flash drive containing the game and plenty of extras.

If you're unfamiliar with the game, check out a new story trailer after the break.

Continue reading Mac users can now walk The Path

JoystiqMac users can now walk The Path originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 May 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mactale-of-talesthe-pathFri, 08 May 2009 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[This is not a review for The Path]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/19/this-is-not-a-review-for-the-path/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/19/this-is-not-a-review-for-the-path/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/19/this-is-not-a-review-for-the-path/#comments
I've mulled over how I would start this piece a hundred times in my head. I was searching for some way I could accurately and elegantly communicate my feelings on Tale of Tales' new indie PC horror game, The Path. But what I've decided is that I'm not good enough for that, so I'm going to give you the next best thing and just be completely honest with you, leaving nuance and subtlety at home with grandma so me and my friend clarity can have a crazy night on the town.

The Path is weird. It's like, really, really, weird. It's like a "play it for three hours and you're still not sure if you're doing it right, and then in hour four you realize that there may not even be a right way" level of weirdness. I'm not reviewing the thing because I'm honestly not sure if they did what they set out to achieve. Yes? Maybe? I have no clue.

Gallery: The Path (PC)

Continue reading This is not a review for The Path

JoystiqThis is not a review for The Path originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>pctale-of-talesthe-pathThu, 19 Mar 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Path creeps us out with launch trailer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/the-path-creeps-us-out-with-launch-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/the-path-creeps-us-out-with-launch-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/11/the-path-creeps-us-out-with-launch-trailer/#commentsWe've been getting creeped out by our review copy of The Path for a few days now, and we're honestly still not sure what to make of the thing. Now you can experience a little slice of what we've been going through with the above launch trailer for the indie game, brought to you by Tale of Tales, the team behind The Graveyard.

Is it worth $9.99 to you to lose your sanity in a modern retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood"? It's a decision you'll have to make for yourself when this ... game (if that's the right word) hits Steam and Direct2Drive on March 18.

JoystiqThe Path creeps us out with launch trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>indiepctale-of-talesthe-pathWed, 11 Mar 2009 11:21:00 EST<![CDATA[My, what low prices you have: The Path will run you $9.99]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/05/my-what-low-prices-you-have-the-path-will-run-you-9-99/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/05/my-what-low-prices-you-have-the-path-will-run-you-9-99/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/05/my-what-low-prices-you-have-the-path-will-run-you-9-99/#comments
"But Joystiq, what's The Path?" we hear you ask, bewildered. Ah, we've pulled the old bait-and-switch on you, friend. See, we pretended like this was a game you already cared about so you'd read the post and then, in turn, care about it -- oldest blogging trick in the book.

The Path is an indie game from Tale of Tales, who brought you History's Most Somber Game, The Graveyard. Its new offering, The Path, is a modern interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood and, in its own words, "offers a sincere meditation on the subjects of choice and consequence, temptation and duty, growth and change, and life and death" ... seriously, who wouldn't pay $9.99 to see what that's all about? If you'd like just a hint of what to expect, there's a brief video after the break, or you can also visit the game's exceedingly mysterious website.

Look for the game on Steam, Direct2Drive and Tale of Tales' website on March 18.

Continue reading My, what low prices you have: The Path will run you $9.99

JoystiqMy, what low prices you have: The Path will run you $9.99 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>indiepcsteamtale-of-talesthe-pathThu, 05 Mar 2009 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Check out indie art game 'The Graveyard']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/check-out-indie-art-game-the-graveyard/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/check-out-indie-art-game-the-graveyard/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/04/check-out-indie-art-game-the-graveyard/#commentsFiled under: ,


We're of the sound opinion that not enough games let you control feeble old women on the verge of death. Thankfully, here comes The Graveyard, an art game by IGF-winning developer Tale of Tales, which places players in the role of an elderly woman visiting a cemetery.

The game is incredibly short and simple, but gorgeously rendered, and features a somber, original song as an interlude to the "gameplay." The free version is only a trial, and you can pay a measly five dollars USD for the full game. The only difference? In the full game the old woman may die.

[Via TIGSource]

JoystiqCheck out indie art game 'The Graveyard' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artindieMacPCtale-of-talesthe-graveyardFri, 04 Apr 2008 14:20:00 EST