Review: A Jugglers Tale | Xbox

A Jugglers Tale follows the adventures of Abby, a young girl at the centre of a puppeteers story in which she escapes the circus and is chased across the land. But does A Jugglers Tale drop the ball or mesmerise us with its skills, here’s my review of A Jugglers Tale on Xbox.

A Juggler’s Tale is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer in which the protagonist Abby, a simple marionette, must make her way through a medieval fairy tale world to find freedom. The puppet’s strings create a unique mechanic in that you can’t go under the obstacles for fear of getting your strings caught. As such there are a variety of unique puzzles that have you avoiding obstacles and evading the relentless cut-throats and ruffians that are hot on your heels.

Players get to explore a beautiful and grim world, inspired by the tone and mood of traditional fairy tales engaging with a multitude of characters from friendly circus bears to grumpy pin-wielding bakers. The team at Kaleidoscope has done a wonderful job of mixing low poly visuals with their own dark art style with fantastic results.

The soundscape mixes atmospheric effects with poetic narration throughout as the puppeteer weaves an intense tale of hope and empowerment.

The game is short and sweet and will take a seasoned gamer less than two hours to complete. The puzzles are simple enough and the whole game feels like watching a movie as you take Abby from escaped prisoner to ultimate hero.

I truly loved playing this game. Its refreshing game mechanics, engaging story, stunning set pieces and heartwarming story. It is no wonder that A Juggler’s Tale received multiple awards and could be THE indie game of 2021.

A Jugglers Tale is a beautiful narrative experience with poetic narration throughout. The short story and lack of replayability will put off some, but the game is worth playing and experiencing like you would a new movie. You may only play it once, but it will stay with you for a very long time.