Stories Untold

 PC
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 92 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 92
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 92
  3. Negative: 11 out of 92

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  1. TitaniumDragon
    Sep 5, 2017
    5
    Stories Untold is a rather odd game from Devolver Digital, which seems to sort of be their thing. At first, it appears to be some sort of weird text adventure thing, though in a “game within a game” sort of environment, as you are playing the game on a computer on a desk inside your computer.

    The game has a very 1980s vibe to it, which isn’t surprising, because it is set in 1986. It    Stories Untold is a rather odd game from Devolver Digital, which seems to sort of be their thing. At first, it appears to be some sort of weird text adventure thing, though in a “game within a game” sort of environment, as you are playing the game on a computer on a desk inside your computer.

    The game has a very 1980s vibe to it, which isn’t surprising, because it is set in 1986. It reminds me somewhat of the 1980s Twilight Zone, or similar shows; the first story immediately makes you realize that the game is going to be rather meta, but the game has a number of additional twists in store as you go through its four episodes.

    That being said, I use the term “game” somewhat loosely here; this is a strictly linear storytelling experience, and is almost entirely concerned with following directions rather than solving puzzles or interacting with the environment in any sort of meaningful way. Rather, this is more like an interactive made-for-TV movie, or perhaps miniseries – and it is about as long as one, too, clocking in at about 2 hours and 15 minutes to complete.

    While this seems to be a horror game at first, it is not the “random monster jumps out and scares you” kind of horror, and while the first episode does a reasonable job of messing with you, the later ones become much less creepy, though all of them have at least somewhat worrisome aesthetics to them.

    As the game goes on, increasingly more gameplay mechanics are added, and while the game never becomes complex, and you never really do much more than follow directions, the extremely limited adventure game interface is actually limited to only a couple portions of the game.

    All that being said, this is a very, very simple game. While this is not a walking simulator, this is still a very narrative-focused game with very little actual gameplay, perhaps more like a visual novel than anything else, though its interface is, if anything, most reminiscent of Don’t Touch Anything in terms of being in a very narrowly confined space most of the time, with just one or two screens of actual “content” per episode (though the finale is more complicated).

    Sadly, said interface is also clunky at times; the text adventure sections are particularly frustrating at times due to the fact that the interface is not always very smart about what you’re telling it to do, and there were a couple points where I struggled to do what I was trying to do due to needing to find the “magic words” so to speak.

    The only other major problem with the game is the fact that, in the end, the story as it ultimately pans out isn’t really nearly as twisty as you would have hoped based on all the other twists in the game. In fact, I was rather disappointed with the ending, as I was hoping that there was going to be one more twist, or rather, that what you were being pushed towards was not what had really happened, but was yet another lie. Alas, it was missing that extra layer, which I think might have added something more to the experience.

    If you’re looking for gameplay, this is probably not the place to go looking. And if you aren’t super enamored with dark stories with dark twist endings, this isn’t likely to be up your alley either. If you like a 1980s vibe, though, and a darker sort of vibe, this might be something you’d be interested in. It is certainly a different sort of game.    … Expand
  2. ThunderRam
    Jan 22, 2019
    5
    Stories Untold started out FANTASTIC with episode 1 of 4... but then the game withered immediately with episode 2 and never really got much traction until the very end. Even the end was kinda like "meh, seen this before" kind of vibe.

    I think Stories Untold would have been at least an 9 out of 10 if the adventure game text wasn't so linear. There was one point in the game where I was so    Stories Untold started out FANTASTIC with episode 1 of 4... but then the game withered immediately with episode 2 and never really got much traction until the very end. Even the end was kinda like "meh, seen this before" kind of vibe.

    I think Stories Untold would have been at least an 9 out of 10 if the adventure game text wasn't so linear. There was one point in the game where I was so lost in what to type for about 30 minutes because the computer never understood what I was saying. SUPER LINEAR COMMANDS.

    Try the game when it's cheap. maybe $5 or less.    … Expand
  3. dumbfrogposter
    Mar 2, 2017
    7
    Should have called it "Stories Told". Or maybe "Stories Old"

    Excellent execution marred by a horribly cliched story that we've all heard before, and some technical issues.
    I suppose it fits with the retro aesthetic, but it's not original, nor particularly interesting. Nice gimmicks coating a fairly mundane experience.
  4. Klewer
    Sep 20, 2017
    7
    A really great little game, it is very short but the look and feel of the game is really good. Sucks you in with an interesting story and a few little scares a long the way. Get it at a good price and you won't be disappointed.
  5. nusco
    Jun 21, 2020
    6
    Stories Untold is a mini-series of four short pieces of interactive fiction, with a big plot twist or two. It borrows mechanics from different genres: parser-based IF, fiddly mechanical puzzles, 3D horror / walking simulators. As a result it feels more than a little disjointed–but it manages to put together its diverse influences as it nears its dramatic ending.

    Stories Untold has good,    Stories Untold is a mini-series of four short pieces of interactive fiction, with a big plot twist or two. It borrows mechanics from different genres: parser-based IF, fiddly mechanical puzzles, 3D horror / walking simulators. As a result it feels more than a little disjointed–but it manages to put together its diverse influences as it nears its dramatic ending.

    Stories Untold has good, if a little cliche, storylines. Its main downside is that it's very railroaded: you can do generally one thing at a time, and it's the one thing that the game wants you to do. As a result, you never get any real sense of satisfaction for solving its bland puzzles–just a feeling of going through the motions. The game is also pretty painful to play in portable mode on the Switch, because of the tiny text and minuscule click areas in some sections.

    That being told, Stories Untold must be commended for the way that it puts different game mechanics together. This mashup lends to an experience that isn't perfect by any means–but it feels uniquely its own.    … Expand
  6. PeakZach
    Jun 25, 2020
    7
    Visually appealing and a fantastic, experimental concept. However, I struggle with puzzle games like this where you just have to "get" things juuuuust a certain way in order to proceed. Obviously this is the point of any puzzle, but I am a fan of scratching my head for quite some time thinking all these different possibilities when it was just a slight word difference or a correlation thatVisually appealing and a fantastic, experimental concept. However, I struggle with puzzle games like this where you just have to "get" things juuuuust a certain way in order to proceed. Obviously this is the point of any puzzle, but I am a fan of scratching my head for quite some time thinking all these different possibilities when it was just a slight word difference or a correlation that makes little sense. I love puzzles for the 'ah-ha' moment that I did not receive from this often.… Expand
  7. fivefeetunder
    Jan 30, 2020
    6
    1st story: 9/10, 2nd story: 8/10, 3rd story: 6/10, 4th story: quitted after 3rd story which just ruined the experience
  8. johc
    May 17, 2022
    7
    This game is not without its flaws. The puzzles can be frustrating at times. However, if you are a fan of Black-Mirror style storytelling in the horror genre, you will not be disappointed.

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. GameStar
    Jan 2, 2018
    82
    Creative tribute to text adventures and an in many ways surprising storytelling experiment with a well-done 80s-like scary atmosphere.
    Read full review
  2. Adventure Gamers
    Jul 17, 2017
    60
    Stories Untold is better than the sum of its parts, even if this collection of horror-themed interactive fiction vignettes never quite capitalizes on the potential of its concept.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    Jun 17, 2017
    80
    An unforgettable journey. [Issue#187, p.81]
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