A rather short experience, A Mortician's Tale focuses on a mortician, Charlie, as she does her job while also providing players a glimpse into the funeral industry.
Its a good experience! The visuals are cute and the music quite calm and pleasing, fitting the general vibe of the game. Game progression is typically reading your emails and then preparing a body for burial, and then attending said burial to pay your respects.
The gameplay is for the most part simplistic, with the game providing you instructions each step in regards to its main gameplay, that being preparing deceased people for their funerals. The main appeal of the game I personally found was its story and the information it provided about the funeral industry. Its rather interesting, what Charlie goes through as a mortician, the different types of burials, exploitation within the industry, how the people related to the deceased grieve and handle the situation.
My only major problem with the game really is that its quite the short experience; I believe I was about done in less than an hour. It was expected, but it does make me wish for more. It also makes part of a story segment feel a little too sudden than needed.
Overall, its a nice short experience I'd definitely recommend, especially if you're interested in the funeral industry and want to have a little glimpse into what its like. Even if the experience was short, I do think it was a memorable time.
Its a good experience! The visuals are cute and the music quite calm and pleasing, fitting the general vibe of the game. Game progression is typically reading your emails and then preparing a body for burial, and then attending said burial to pay your respects.
The gameplay is for the most part simplistic, with the game providing you instructions each step in regards to its main gameplay, that being preparing deceased people for their funerals. The main appeal of the game I personally found was its story and the information it provided about the funeral industry. Its rather interesting, what Charlie goes through as a mortician, the different types of burials, exploitation within the industry, how the people related to the deceased grieve and handle the situation.
My only major problem with the game really is that its quite the short experience; I believe I was about done in less than an hour. It was expected, but it does make me wish for more. It also makes part of a story segment feel a little too sudden than needed.
Overall, its a nice short experience I'd definitely recommend, especially if you're interested in the funeral industry and want to have a little glimpse into what its like. Even if the experience was short, I do think it was a memorable time.
A little boring for me - the mortician part gets a little repetitive, and the story is through emails.
you play as a mortician, simply put. you don't just process bodies and send them on their way -- you learn their names, you meet their families and learn who they were as people, because they were people.
it is a heavy experience for being only a few hours long. i know it made me think about things for a while.
it is a heavy experience for being only a few hours long. i know it made me think about things for a while.
very cute little game :) and educational! i learned so much within the short hour and a half i played it, from all the processes that go into embalming and cremating, to the environmental impact of these, to greener alternatives that i never knew about, such as water cremation (which saves 66% electricity and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 90% compared to regular flame cremation)! also, it is very decidedly anti-capitalist, which is always a big plus in my book hehe.
the thing i think i found most helpful about this game though is the "death-positive" spin it takes. to get personal for a moment, death has always been something that terrifies me. it is a very large source of my anxiety.
this game doesn't force you to be death-positive. many people you speak to in the game will be devastated by the loss of their loved ones. articles you read will remind you that, while you aren't personally tied to any of the deceased people, this is a traumatic time for the families and friends, and there are protocols to take to best offer your condolences.
however, the way the main protagonists speak about the topic is really refreshing. they try to show us that death doesn't have to be a terrifying thing, that in some cultures it is celebrated with song and dance. that the purpose of life isn't death... it's life! it's about making real connections with people, taking steps to live the life you want to (even if that means risking stability), and, hopefully, doing your best to leave this world a better place than you found it.
i highly recommend giving this game a try, obviously! it's very very wholesome :)
the thing i think i found most helpful about this game though is the "death-positive" spin it takes. to get personal for a moment, death has always been something that terrifies me. it is a very large source of my anxiety.
this game doesn't force you to be death-positive. many people you speak to in the game will be devastated by the loss of their loved ones. articles you read will remind you that, while you aren't personally tied to any of the deceased people, this is a traumatic time for the families and friends, and there are protocols to take to best offer your condolences.
however, the way the main protagonists speak about the topic is really refreshing. they try to show us that death doesn't have to be a terrifying thing, that in some cultures it is celebrated with song and dance. that the purpose of life isn't death... it's life! it's about making real connections with people, taking steps to live the life you want to (even if that means risking stability), and, hopefully, doing your best to leave this world a better place than you found it.
i highly recommend giving this game a try, obviously! it's very very wholesome :)
An educative and somewhat poetic experience that doesn't overstay its welcome. As simple as gameplay is, there is something to be said about performing those actions nevertheless. Staring at the dead body, cleaning it, massaging it, watching it oscillate between object and someone else's loved one.
This is an incredibly short game that's very light on gameplay, which is going to turn some people away right off the bat. There is a genuinely touching message at the heart of Mortician's Tale though, and with a playtime of only an hour, you're not losing much by giving it a whirl.
A comfy and monotonous (in a good way) game that makes you think more about life. It's simple and sweet
this is an incredibly comforting game, despite its subject. it really helped me to deal with my aunt's death and to find some peace with it.
At some point, growing up, I developed a fear of dead bodies. I've always been afraid of death, ever since I was young. But, the development into being unable to touch the body of a dead fly came later, a fear I'm still unsure the origins of. It's a fear that caused me to put off playing this game for some time - despite now owning it from many bundles.
The game treats death with a lot of care. As Charlie, your job is to prepare the bodies for the funeral - whether this is through cremation or embalming. The graphics are simplistic, not shying away from the medical nature but not marvelling needlessly in it either. The bodies don't show any injuries from how they died, and the use of blood is minimalistic. It doesn't treat tragedies as a source of entertainment.
The game holds your hand through each step, not allowing you to go wrong. I didn't mind this, but it may eliminate the feeling of 'gameplay' for others. The use of colour to guide your eye is well executed, and the UI and controls are minimal and easy to understand.
The game consists of a few stages for each day you play. You can check your emails, as well as an extra tab on the computer (one of these days involving a Minesweeper esq minigame.) Upon accepting the job, you prepare the body. After this, you move to the funeral, where you can listen to their loved ones and pay respects.
The story throughout the game is interesting, and one reflective of real life. I knew where it would likely end up. I found myself engrossed into the snapshots of other people's lives at the funerals, however. Learning from only a brief moment their relationships, their worries or fears.
It's a very poignant game, yet a gentle one. I think I've come away with a better understanding of death and the process, and a respect for this.
The game treats death with a lot of care. As Charlie, your job is to prepare the bodies for the funeral - whether this is through cremation or embalming. The graphics are simplistic, not shying away from the medical nature but not marvelling needlessly in it either. The bodies don't show any injuries from how they died, and the use of blood is minimalistic. It doesn't treat tragedies as a source of entertainment.
The game holds your hand through each step, not allowing you to go wrong. I didn't mind this, but it may eliminate the feeling of 'gameplay' for others. The use of colour to guide your eye is well executed, and the UI and controls are minimal and easy to understand.
The game consists of a few stages for each day you play. You can check your emails, as well as an extra tab on the computer (one of these days involving a Minesweeper esq minigame.) Upon accepting the job, you prepare the body. After this, you move to the funeral, where you can listen to their loved ones and pay respects.
The story throughout the game is interesting, and one reflective of real life. I knew where it would likely end up. I found myself engrossed into the snapshots of other people's lives at the funerals, however. Learning from only a brief moment their relationships, their worries or fears.
It's a very poignant game, yet a gentle one. I think I've come away with a better understanding of death and the process, and a respect for this.
This game is majorly depressing. It has very repetitive gameplay but ultimately the game is what it says it is. Solid gameplay as well as nice variety of objectives. Reading several emails I didn't care about was boring. Listening to what everyone had to say was interesting too. Strange but alright. Pref cremations, 7/10.
this game hits like a brick in a 90 minute runtime, the kind of game you need to just sit for a while after
A handful of thought-provoking messages strewn across a game neither visually or mechanically interesting, a short indie that just sets out to bolster thy mood if you're perhaps grieving or today's work sucked humongous balls. It teaches you a few things about being a mortician, perhaps, if you bother to remember direct instructions that do not consult your ability to actually remember them. That said your bestie keeps asking you for skype dates and this is very unnacceptable social behavior graaaaaaaah
people complaining about this being slow and repetitive missed the point of what this should be, it's narrative driven so most of the "game" is getting the story through context by reading the emails
anyways this was really good i really loved it, death is a really sensitive topic and the game managed to pull some strong emotions from me somewhere 3/4 into the story
anyways this was really good i really loved it, death is a really sensitive topic and the game managed to pull some strong emotions from me somewhere 3/4 into the story
Cortito, entretenido y "algo" reflexivo - en su momento no me hizo meditar mucho, la verdad. Quizá le vuelva a dar un tiento en otro momento.
I love this game, I watch a lot of Ask a Mortician (who I was not surprised to see in the credits) and this does a wonderful job helping you understand what they might have to go through.
Though it’s obviously easy to share the sentiment, all the commentary about corporations taking upon death itself is rather weak. It points out what is certainly happening everywhere, but with an ending dictated with too much of a good heart without thinking about the consequences of actually taking the risk it comes off as naive. The preparation of the deceased through a simple puzzley segment, especially in the cremation process, the stay positive mail list and overall cuteness are probably not the best fit for most of the situations. Yet, there is something in there.
Though simplified as it may be, having to actually prepare each of the deceased gives a bit more insight into the process and labor of a mortician. The mails give new perspectives about death and how to deal with it, sometimes obvious and not that interesting, true, but sometimes hitting the right spot (“Religion provides different paths for dealing with a death, but the goal is almost always the same: offering support, guidance, and ease to the people who are grieving”). Even that cute aesthetic helps to make the process more mundane, in a good sense, considering we are in the perspective of the mortician. But not without respect.
If the game ended up gaining me it was due to the sections where you have to attend the funerals. Due to the protagonist being silent (even if she is implied to communicate at least via email), her role is as simple as necessary, just lending an ear. And not everyone will grieve the same, some will be unable to speak in tears, some will think about if things couldn't have gone differently, some put their mind on how to distract themselves to make it easier… Most importantly, there is one thing that Charlotte will always do before leaving, no matter the complications behind the bureaucracy, including that certain peculiar funeral. She will always bid farewell with a reverence.
Though simplified as it may be, having to actually prepare each of the deceased gives a bit more insight into the process and labor of a mortician. The mails give new perspectives about death and how to deal with it, sometimes obvious and not that interesting, true, but sometimes hitting the right spot (“Religion provides different paths for dealing with a death, but the goal is almost always the same: offering support, guidance, and ease to the people who are grieving”). Even that cute aesthetic helps to make the process more mundane, in a good sense, considering we are in the perspective of the mortician. But not without respect.
If the game ended up gaining me it was due to the sections where you have to attend the funerals. Due to the protagonist being silent (even if she is implied to communicate at least via email), her role is as simple as necessary, just lending an ear. And not everyone will grieve the same, some will be unable to speak in tears, some will think about if things couldn't have gone differently, some put their mind on how to distract themselves to make it easier… Most importantly, there is one thing that Charlotte will always do before leaving, no matter the complications behind the bureaucracy, including that certain peculiar funeral. She will always bid farewell with a reverence.
a lovely experience with some surprisingly emotional beats. I only wish that there was more of it, especially the last segment of the game, which was kind of abrupt compared to the previous ones. the game uses its detail well, teaching you about the process of body preparation as well as other aspects of the funeral industry while still staying accessible.
zzzzz
Very educational and sweet🌷
While playing through some longer RPGs, I longed for a short little 'snack' in between. A Mortician's Tale looked like the ideal candidate thanks to its short run time (30 minutes of my 2 hours with this game I have optionally spent with its rendition of Minesweeper) and its interesting theme.
In this game you play Charlie, who joins a family-owned funeral home as a Mortician. The game spans about a year and you 'spawn' once a month or two, go on your computer to read some optional e-mails from colleagues, friends and prior 'customers', and also to see the mandatory e-mail that tells you what your task for the day is. You either ready bodies for closed-casket (you just have to clean them) or open-casket funerals (much more tasks involved) or you cremate them, based on the families wishes.
These tasks are rather simple and each step is carefully explained every time, so the goal is not to do it right, it's just to do it.
I know nothing about funeral homes, so I appreciated the game for showing me how they operate, how different requests are handled, about the environmental effects of embalming versus green burials, and about corporations that exploit both employees and customers even in this business.
Apart from that however, the game doesn't really manage to be emotionally impactful regarding its main character, which has no dialogue lines during the game. Anything she feels and thinks about her job, about how she handles it and anything else that could bring the players closer to her, doesn't exist, which I thought was a shame.
So while I appreciated the game for its topic, it doesn't succeed in being more than a tutorial/showcase for the 'industry', and I'm not sure if there was any intent to do anything beyond that.
In this game you play Charlie, who joins a family-owned funeral home as a Mortician. The game spans about a year and you 'spawn' once a month or two, go on your computer to read some optional e-mails from colleagues, friends and prior 'customers', and also to see the mandatory e-mail that tells you what your task for the day is. You either ready bodies for closed-casket (you just have to clean them) or open-casket funerals (much more tasks involved) or you cremate them, based on the families wishes.
These tasks are rather simple and each step is carefully explained every time, so the goal is not to do it right, it's just to do it.
I know nothing about funeral homes, so I appreciated the game for showing me how they operate, how different requests are handled, about the environmental effects of embalming versus green burials, and about corporations that exploit both employees and customers even in this business.
Apart from that however, the game doesn't really manage to be emotionally impactful regarding its main character, which has no dialogue lines during the game. Anything she feels and thinks about her job, about how she handles it and anything else that could bring the players closer to her, doesn't exist, which I thought was a shame.
So while I appreciated the game for its topic, it doesn't succeed in being more than a tutorial/showcase for the 'industry', and I'm not sure if there was any intent to do anything beyond that.
This review contains spoilers
very cool of the homeless man's funeral to make me cry like that
Made me weirdly teary :'(
i love this game
You play as Charlotte, a new mortician at Rose and Daughters Funeral Home. She prepares the bodies for viewings and does cremations. You’ll get some brief stories about the bodies passing through and their families. And emails from friends and a newsletter to provide more information about death, funerals, and surrounding issues. There’s also a corporate takeover, which leads to some emotional punches.
Visuals
A Mortician’s Tale has a very simple, low poly style. The colors are similarly simple and muted, mostly greys, blues, and purples. There are small details around the embalming room and some animation for Charlotte and the mourners.
Sound Effects + Music
There’s no voice acting and very minimal sound effects (foot steps) in A Morticians Tale. There is consistent background music, which is mainly piano and very calming.
Gameplay + Controls
A Mortician’s Tale is essentially a narrative driven funeral home simulator. You read Charlotte’s emails, which are very interesting and my favorite part of the game, to get insights and your assignment for the day. There are a few mini games where you prepare the bodies or cremate them. Then you’ll enter the funeral parlor where you’ll have to click on all of the mourners, read their dialogue, then pay respects to the deceased before returning to your office.
The controls are fine. I did have a little trouble with cremation, because if you don’t click the bones in the right place, nothing happens.
Replayability
A Mortician’s Tale took me about an hour to complete, so it wouldn’t be difficult to replay. But there wouldn’t be anything new. There is one point where you have to make a choice on which body to work on, so I would be interested to see what the second option is, but that’s about it.
Overall
I really enjoyed this short, simple game. The story is excellent and hit all of the emotions. Yes, the ending made me cry.
Visuals
A Mortician’s Tale has a very simple, low poly style. The colors are similarly simple and muted, mostly greys, blues, and purples. There are small details around the embalming room and some animation for Charlotte and the mourners.
Sound Effects + Music
There’s no voice acting and very minimal sound effects (foot steps) in A Morticians Tale. There is consistent background music, which is mainly piano and very calming.
Gameplay + Controls
A Mortician’s Tale is essentially a narrative driven funeral home simulator. You read Charlotte’s emails, which are very interesting and my favorite part of the game, to get insights and your assignment for the day. There are a few mini games where you prepare the bodies or cremate them. Then you’ll enter the funeral parlor where you’ll have to click on all of the mourners, read their dialogue, then pay respects to the deceased before returning to your office.
The controls are fine. I did have a little trouble with cremation, because if you don’t click the bones in the right place, nothing happens.
Replayability
A Mortician’s Tale took me about an hour to complete, so it wouldn’t be difficult to replay. But there wouldn’t be anything new. There is one point where you have to make a choice on which body to work on, so I would be interested to see what the second option is, but that’s about it.
Overall
I really enjoyed this short, simple game. The story is excellent and hit all of the emotions. Yes, the ending made me cry.
A very short, wonderfully written game about death. It's a shame we didn't see more expressive character art in the game. Charlie's design in the promo material is great and I wish we could've seen more of that and the other main characters, but I guess all indie titles have their limits.
Oh, now this hurt. I really picked the best and worst time to play this, as I'm currently beginning (for the first time ever) to cope with the fact that I Am Getting Older, my grandparents probably won't be around much longer, that one 'aged' filter on TikTok showing me what I'm probably going to look like when I'm 70... if that is, I make it to 70, because the world is kind of caving in on itself right now and it's really hard being young, trans, and trying to get into the creative industry. I related to it a lot in the sense that I want to work for a smaller company, but the corporate creep-in is inevitable. It's scary! This game made me think about what would happen when I die, not like, if I go to heaven or what, but would happen to everyone else. What if I die young? Middle aged? Old? If I'm famous? If I end up alone? Plus, Pee-Wee died today... and I grew up on his TV show.
As for the game itself, the point and click mechanics are a bit finicky, some of the assets are a bit fuzzy, and it's a very repetitive game. Gameplay wise it's like Cooking Mama, but with scalpels and tubing, and without the flashy feedback loop and timers. Is it bad for me to say that, after reading that some of the people died in accidents, I was hoping their model would be a bit more... mangled? Not only for the sake of mixing it up a bit, but because in the funeral section, I'd talk to the family and they'd say like 'oh, I wouldn't want to see her after the accident' and I just thought to myself like, 'she looked the exact same as all the other ones'. But definitely worth a play, for the story and tone, not exactly the gameplay.
As for the game itself, the point and click mechanics are a bit finicky, some of the assets are a bit fuzzy, and it's a very repetitive game. Gameplay wise it's like Cooking Mama, but with scalpels and tubing, and without the flashy feedback loop and timers. Is it bad for me to say that, after reading that some of the people died in accidents, I was hoping their model would be a bit more... mangled? Not only for the sake of mixing it up a bit, but because in the funeral section, I'd talk to the family and they'd say like 'oh, I wouldn't want to see her after the accident' and I just thought to myself like, 'she looked the exact same as all the other ones'. But definitely worth a play, for the story and tone, not exactly the gameplay.
The game was quite boring, repetitive and slow. The job of a Mortician is very intriguing to me and even though the game shows the occupation quite good, they made it very repetitive and it lacked that something. The funerals were very simple, quick and not all that well made.
Something that they did well was definitely the minesweeper (though the symbols were confusing) and the emails/story within the emails.
Something that they did well was definitely the minesweeper (though the symbols were confusing) and the emails/story within the emails.
Dear Future Me,
you really enjoyed this game because it made you think about death in a compassionate and respectful manner. In fact it made you tear up a little thinking about all the times you or someone you know could have died. Especially that scene with the car accident.
Fuck cars. All motorists are terrorists.
Anyway go discover some more death positive media, its good.
Kind regards,
xoxo etc
you really enjoyed this game because it made you think about death in a compassionate and respectful manner. In fact it made you tear up a little thinking about all the times you or someone you know could have died. Especially that scene with the car accident.
Fuck cars. All motorists are terrorists.
Anyway go discover some more death positive media, its good.
Kind regards,
xoxo etc
You can use this in your curriculum to get a mortician job
a very cute and informative game about the mortician process. the cover art is also beautiful.