User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Negative: 1 out of 8

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  1. Dustin
    Jan 2, 2007
    6
    Interface! I honestly believe there is an interesting game somewhere in here, but holy-awful interface Batman! I had to click through about 7 drop down menu's just to change the color of my characters outfit. The concept is compelling and well done, but the interface is a huge impediment. The game was built by a very small team, so I can accept a certain lack of polish, but I Interface! I honestly believe there is an interesting game somewhere in here, but holy-awful interface Batman! I had to click through about 7 drop down menu's just to change the color of my characters outfit. The concept is compelling and well done, but the interface is a huge impediment. The game was built by a very small team, so I can accept a certain lack of polish, but I don't appreciate wading through and endless serious of drop down menu's to do anything. There are also a number of settings whose default values are bafflingly stupid. The default behavior is for a pop up window to force its way to the front every time your character hits something it can't walk over. This can be incredibly frustrating if you get stuck on a hill. Oddly enough you character STARTS on a hill, on which it is easy to get stuck. You can alter this setting, which I imagine nearly everyone does, but to do so you must of course navigate several levels of drop down menu. According the the creator, 80% of the people who try the game out don't make it through the tutorial section. I suspect this is primarily do to the terrible interface. If they put a little time into fixing that, they might have a real hit on their hands. Expand
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. The whole time I played this game I enjoyed myself thoroughly... The world is gigantic and the people are so friendly that it just begs to be played.
  2. You can’t begin to experience the complexities of this game or reap its full benefit during a review period. If I had more free time right now, I would embrace A Tale with all of my gaming heart and dive deep into Egypt.
  3. The designers themselves have stated that A Tale in the Desert is about creating a society, and watching the experiment in action is almost as enjoyable as taking part.