A Tale From the Dark Side

Creepy Tale: Some Other Place is a 2D adventure game in which you solve puzzles and avoid creepy creatures. You play as a young boy who finds himself in a different world after being lured into the hole of a tree by some sort of creature. You then find yourself on a quest in which you face more creepy creatures, solve puzzles, and learn about the world you’re exploring.

The game starts with three boys, their mom, and their baby sister around the dinner table. Two of the boys talk about wanting to explore, but they’re shut down by their mom.

The third boy (your character) announces he doesn’t want to explore anyway, as he has plans to fish, which is exactly what he does. While fishing, he is then approached by the strange creature who leads him to the tree and then into the other world.

There, you face your first set of puzzles. You are trapped in a small area with a big monster gnawing at some trees, and the boy finds it best not to disturb it. Near you are only a house, a fish, and the creature who brought you here. Still unaware of where you are or what is happening, it is your job to figure out a way to lure the monster away so you can venture further into the woods.

Once you have made it through a few different settings, you are then convinced by the small creature who has been following you that there is a girl in need of saving. Certain to be her hero, the boy agrees to find her and help her, which leads you on an even longer journey, encountering strange things and places, and solving more puzzles.

As with with most puzzle games, levels increase in difficulty as you go along. The puzzles in Creepy Tale: Some Other Place are sort of like escape rooms, except you aren’t always technically in a room. A level could take place outside or in a cave, but they will not allow you to continue the game until you solve every part of the level.

The puzzles also range from simple actions (such as giving creatures a certain item or dropping an item off in a specific location) to more typical, logic-based fare. An example of this would be a puzzle within an early level in which you are given a skull with certain colors and symbols around its nose, and you have to match those colors and symbols to the teeth that pop out of its mouth.

The controls and mechanics of Creepy Tale: Some Other Place are easy, as there isn’t a whole lot to do in the game. You use the left stick to move your character, and the A, B, Y, and X to jump, interact with objects, use objects, and communicate with whoever.

What’s really fun about this game, however, is its creepy atmosphere. As stated in the title, this game is a creepy tale. Its visual style is very dark—a world in which there isn’t very much color—and it features a lot of strange and unsettling monsters. Creepy Tale does a great job at creating an environment that feels eerie and worth exploring (or, more accurately, escaping from).

Creepy Tale: Some Other Place requires strategy and creative thinking, which is captivating enough, but it also has an interesting atmosphere that’s sure to hold the attention of puzzle gamers. While it may not be the longest game, it’s worth its price.