Super simple side scroller in the same vein as inside/limbo. The overall premise was refreshing, being a puppet trying to break free from its confines. I wish they used the strings in the puzzles more as that was an awesome use of design. Game was a bit janky and unpolished, and a bit too easy. A fair go from a small team however.
Charming visuals and premise for a cinematic platformer (you're a puppet, everyone is a puppet), but platforming and puzzles never feel as polished as they should, and the amount of trial and error gets far too frustrating for its own good, particularly in the terrible stealth sections.
So torn on this. It's got a neat concept, some gorgeous background visuals and a lovely score, but the trial-and-error gameplay is absolutely excruciating. The visual signposting for what to do next is pretty lackluster and poor checkpointing means you're gonna hear the same narration over and over and over again.
This review contains spoilers
Enjoyable little puzzle platformer! Got a bit frustrated with the repetitive dialogue from the narrator when I couldn't figure out what to do, but I really enjoyed the tonal shift as Abby frees herself from the narrator's grasp. Wish it was longer and more fleshed out, but I can still appreciate it for what it was.
apesar de eu gostar da virada e do visual do jogo, o jogo tenta ser bom com limbo mas falha por ter vários bugs que te obrigam a resetar o capitulo e não ter um level design tão bom quanto limbo, não gostei dos puzzles, tive alguns problemas também com a chatice do narrador mas depois do episodio 3 ele melhora
Another beautiful looking side-scrolling puzzle adventure that sadly falls short compared to the inspirations.
There are some interesting ideas here that I liked. Like how the strings attached to characters affect the game world and how the storyteller is also the antagonist of the story.
Sadly the writing itself is not very well written and it also tries to rhyme it but mostly just fails on that aspect. Second aspect that really hampers the experience is that its very rough and buggy. For a game that lasts under two hours I had so many experiences of stuff just not working and after dying couple times the same solution just magically decided to work this time. Also half of the time these puzzle solutions feel like I'm doing something wrong and this cannot be the correct way to solve it which is not a very rewarding experience.
There are some interesting ideas here that I liked. Like how the strings attached to characters affect the game world and how the storyteller is also the antagonist of the story.
Sadly the writing itself is not very well written and it also tries to rhyme it but mostly just fails on that aspect. Second aspect that really hampers the experience is that its very rough and buggy. For a game that lasts under two hours I had so many experiences of stuff just not working and after dying couple times the same solution just magically decided to work this time. Also half of the time these puzzle solutions feel like I'm doing something wrong and this cannot be the correct way to solve it which is not a very rewarding experience.
Fun little game.
Looks good in places and pretty amateur in others. The story writes itself once you figure out what's going on. It was a really buggy and stiff experience. Fails to stand out next to the games it seems to emulate.
Great Short puzzle game that left me wanting more in a good way
I should like this game. It has all the elements I enjoy, it's a side scrolling puzzle adventure with whimsical art and music reminding me of Little Nightmares, Unravel and Inside. The issue I have is that it takes influences from these titles but doesn't understand what makes them such a great experience.
Those titles tell a silent story, using environmental and puzzle sections to visually narrate to the player what is happening in the worlds they created. A Juggler's Tale instead decides to add a narrator taking the rhyming elements of Child of Light to spin the tale as you travel and it's just awful. The writing for these lines vary from cringe inducing to just bad. Many of the words don't rhyme at all or the rhythm between lines is completely off. This is especially apparent in one section of the game where there there is no narrator and the game is infinitely more enjoyable to play.
Sometimes less is more.
It's a real shame because I like the premise a lot of a puppet girl fighting against her strings and though some puzzles are basic the novelty of puzzles around moving obstacles for your strings to pass is interesting. Sadly it's also all too brief at 2-3 hours with no reason to replay at all at the retail asking price seems a little steep to me. There is some heart here but the game just doesn't quite make it.
+ Nice idea.
+ Nice art and music.
- Narration completely ruins the atmosphere weirdly.
- Writing is mostly terrible.
- Insanely short.
Those titles tell a silent story, using environmental and puzzle sections to visually narrate to the player what is happening in the worlds they created. A Juggler's Tale instead decides to add a narrator taking the rhyming elements of Child of Light to spin the tale as you travel and it's just awful. The writing for these lines vary from cringe inducing to just bad. Many of the words don't rhyme at all or the rhythm between lines is completely off. This is especially apparent in one section of the game where there there is no narrator and the game is infinitely more enjoyable to play.
Sometimes less is more.
It's a real shame because I like the premise a lot of a puppet girl fighting against her strings and though some puzzles are basic the novelty of puzzles around moving obstacles for your strings to pass is interesting. Sadly it's also all too brief at 2-3 hours with no reason to replay at all at the retail asking price seems a little steep to me. There is some heart here but the game just doesn't quite make it.
+ Nice idea.
+ Nice art and music.
- Narration completely ruins the atmosphere weirdly.
- Writing is mostly terrible.
- Insanely short.
Reminds me of LittleBigPlanet. I loved LittleBigPlanet.
🎥 A Juggler’s Tale (🇩🇪 2021)
What a lovely little tale. It’s not revolutionary and far from perfect, but it is gorgeous to look at and the story is sparkled with twists and darkness. Another short and sweet experience.
🎮 Played on Steam Deck
Rating: 🍎🍎🍎🐻▫️
What a lovely little tale. It’s not revolutionary and far from perfect, but it is gorgeous to look at and the story is sparkled with twists and darkness. Another short and sweet experience.
🎮 Played on Steam Deck
Rating: 🍎🍎🍎🐻▫️
YES.
This is what I keep looking for nowadays, a chilled, well-crafted adventure in which I can lose myself.
This game brings SO MANY deep ideas and ideologies that it is mind-boggling. The whole idea of having strings attached to you that can help or deter your journey can be analyzed indefinitely and, honestly, turned into a college paper.
If you enjoy playing games like Limbo, Inside, Planet of Lana and so on, please, give this a try! If you can bring some friends to embark on this adventure with you, even better.
A shout out to my dear friends Lucas and Johan for sharing this epic experience with me.
This is what I keep looking for nowadays, a chilled, well-crafted adventure in which I can lose myself.
This game brings SO MANY deep ideas and ideologies that it is mind-boggling. The whole idea of having strings attached to you that can help or deter your journey can be analyzed indefinitely and, honestly, turned into a college paper.
If you enjoy playing games like Limbo, Inside, Planet of Lana and so on, please, give this a try! If you can bring some friends to embark on this adventure with you, even better.
A shout out to my dear friends Lucas and Johan for sharing this epic experience with me.
Ein wirklich sehr schönes Spiel mit starkem Voice Acting.
Technisch hatte manchmal ein paar kleine Macken, und beim Puzzle Design hat manchmal die Klarheit gefehlt, ob ich etwas nicht richtig verstanden habe, oder ob ich es einfach nur besser ausführen muss.
Ich muss auch ehrlich zugeben, dass ich aus der Handlung nicht wirklich schlau wurde. Sie schien hauptsächlich Konflikt um des Konfliktes Willen zu haben. Ich vermute das Spiel möchte die Bedeutung von Freiheit behandeln, aber ich hab das Gefühl, dass es sich etwas in der Spiegelung der Rollen außerhalb und innerhalb der Erzählung verliert.
Technisch hatte manchmal ein paar kleine Macken, und beim Puzzle Design hat manchmal die Klarheit gefehlt, ob ich etwas nicht richtig verstanden habe, oder ob ich es einfach nur besser ausführen muss.
Ich muss auch ehrlich zugeben, dass ich aus der Handlung nicht wirklich schlau wurde. Sie schien hauptsächlich Konflikt um des Konfliktes Willen zu haben. Ich vermute das Spiel möchte die Bedeutung von Freiheit behandeln, aber ich hab das Gefühl, dass es sich etwas in der Spiegelung der Rollen außerhalb und innerhalb der Erzählung verliert.
Wasn't an interesting enough story to put in the effort when the solution to the puzzles weren't readily apparent.
OMG! What a cute little game! I had a lot of fun. The puzzles are well done and the gameplay is simple and not frustrating.
Somehow it reminds me of Fable in style and the music is great too!
Somehow it reminds me of Fable in style and the music is great too!
A Juggler's Tale es un jueguito corto, donde una marioneta lucha por alcanzar su libertad.
El papel del narrador me parece muy muy interesante.
La parte plataformera es sencilla, aunque a veces funciona regular. En Switch se ve borroso, así que mejor en otras plataformas.
El papel del narrador me parece muy muy interesante.
La parte plataformera es sencilla, aunque a veces funciona regular. En Switch se ve borroso, así que mejor en otras plataformas.
This game is currently in the Humble Choice for October 2023, and this is part of my coverage of the bundle. If you are interested in the game and it's before November 7th, 2023, consider picking up the game as part of the current monthly bundle.
Seriously stop rhyming.
A Juggler’s Tale tells the story of a girl who escapes from the circus, though it’s not clear why she was locked in a cage, or what is going on other than an attempt to get a Limbo or Inside style game. In the story, the girl is a puppet in a stage play, but also that’s part of the gameplay, as the wires get caught on things. It’s a strange idea, but a unique one that does make for a couple of interesting puzzles.
There’s one big issue, the writing in this game is bad, like horribly bad. The narrator rhymes everything, and they’re not even good, interesting, or clever rhymes, but it’s just incessant to the point where I muted the narrator even with the subtitles. Also, there’s not much else to stand out and the puzzles are what you expect from an “inside” or “Limbo” Game, not much more than that, sadly.
Pick this up if you want an average game. This is a title I don’t hate but I don’t like, it’s okay. But I want so much more or something interesting. It takes about two hours to beat, but the narrator makes it hard for me to recommend, even then, nothing makes me say not to buy it, if that makes sense. It’s just that average.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/rdJm-7HQysM
Seriously stop rhyming.
A Juggler’s Tale tells the story of a girl who escapes from the circus, though it’s not clear why she was locked in a cage, or what is going on other than an attempt to get a Limbo or Inside style game. In the story, the girl is a puppet in a stage play, but also that’s part of the gameplay, as the wires get caught on things. It’s a strange idea, but a unique one that does make for a couple of interesting puzzles.
There’s one big issue, the writing in this game is bad, like horribly bad. The narrator rhymes everything, and they’re not even good, interesting, or clever rhymes, but it’s just incessant to the point where I muted the narrator even with the subtitles. Also, there’s not much else to stand out and the puzzles are what you expect from an “inside” or “Limbo” Game, not much more than that, sadly.
Pick this up if you want an average game. This is a title I don’t hate but I don’t like, it’s okay. But I want so much more or something interesting. It takes about two hours to beat, but the narrator makes it hard for me to recommend, even then, nothing makes me say not to buy it, if that makes sense. It’s just that average.
If you enjoyed this review or want to know what I think of other games in the bundle, check out the full review on or subscribe to my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/rdJm-7HQysM
Cute game with cute puzzles and a cute story. Kind of a generic story, and it's very predictable, but the aspect of being a doll and having to navigate around your strings is very unique and well done. I wish the game was longer however as I wanted more of those good puzzles :p
I liked the concept, but the story next made it past being just an interesting concept, and nothing unique in terms of game play.
A Juggler's Tale is simple, beautiful and has regular puzzles. The soundtrack is nice, and I see it as a game about freedom.
I totally recommend the game, but it's overpriced (you finish it in like ~3 hours).
É um jogo simples, bonito e com puzzles ok. A trilha sonora é boa e vejo como um jogo sobre liberdade.
Recomendo jogar, mas o preço é fora de lógica por se tratar de um jogo de aproximadamente 3 horas. 31 reais na Steam, enquanto custa 55 reais no Xbox e – pasmem – quase 100 reais no Playstation.
I totally recommend the game, but it's overpriced (you finish it in like ~3 hours).
É um jogo simples, bonito e com puzzles ok. A trilha sonora é boa e vejo como um jogo sobre liberdade.
Recomendo jogar, mas o preço é fora de lógica por se tratar de um jogo de aproximadamente 3 horas. 31 reais na Steam, enquanto custa 55 reais no Xbox e – pasmem – quase 100 reais no Playstation.