Summary
Cozy games likeStardew Valleyare known for immersing players in relaxing gameplay and a colorful world and cast of characters. While some might associateStardew Valley-like gameswith farming simulators, others also find notes in story-rich titles where the protagonist engages in activities to build loving connections with their family and peers.
The new indie gameTell Me Your Storyexplores the exciting life of grandma Rose through the eyes of her granddaughter Amelia. The puzzle game is simple on the surface and definitely different fromStardew Valley, but players can expect vibrant stories as they go through each chapter of Rose’s life.
How Stardew Valley Fans Can Relate to Tell Me Your Story
Right off the bat,Tell Me Your Storyisn’t a simulation game likeStardew Valley. Players don’t have a farm they inherit from their relatives where they can plant crops, nor is there an open world where they can meet and interact with villagers.Tell Me Your Storyis mostly a point-and-click puzzle game that lets players explore grandma Rose’s cozy rural home and her exciting past as a young adventurer. This being said, the gameplay is more similar toWitch Beam’sUnpacking, especially the sticker collection feature and the puzzles where players need to organize items.
Tell Me Your Story’s relaxing vibe and heartwarming story will resonate with a lot ofStardew Valleyfans though. InTell Me Your Story, players take the role of Amelia, a schoolgirl with a vivid imagination who collects memorabilia for her scrapbook. Together with her loyal dog Peanut, they spend their summer vacation at her grandma Rose’s home, where Amelia helps with chores and discovers old photos and souvenirs from her grandma’s travels to Asia, Europe, and South America.
Tell Me Your Storydoesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, but players can download the demo on Steam. It will be available on PC and Steam sometime this year.
As Amelia flips through her grandma’s albums, she is transported to various sights of different countries, from historical landmarks to unique flora and fauna. Each page contains puzzles that uncover Rose’s special memories in each location, giving her granddaughter a glimpse of the life she had as a young woman. Some puzzles may be confusing because the game doesn’t provide instructions, but most of the time, they’re easy enough to figure out.
Tell Me Your Storymight not have the option to tend to a farm orromance villagers like inStardew Valley, but fans of the popular franchise can still appreciate being part of Amelia and grandma Rose’s story. Amelia’s scrapbook filled with memorabilia from her grandma encourages a similar level of emotional investment.
Tell Me Your Story is Quick, But Filled With Heart
InTell Me Your Story’s demo, the story progresses without any dialogue – just icons that provide context clues to Amelia and Rose’s conversations. This makes it easier for players to understand the story without having to read through blocks of text, and probably makes it faster to breeze through the game. Based on initial impressions from the demo,Tell Me Your Storyseems to be a short game too, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.Unpackingreceived negative reviews for its short game length, even though the game managed to convey a meaningful narrative amid all the puzzle levels.
Players should bear in mind that the story structure might change inTell Me Your Story’s full game. Developer RedDeerGames, which also developed thefarming simSprout Valley, might add more dialogue to provide context to the story, which may affect the game’s length. Hopefully,Tell Me Your Storywill still be able to deliver with its heartwarming narrative when it launches.
