“A Juggler’s Tale” Tells A Tale That Needs To Be Broken!

Playing the indie, action/ adventure game, “A Juggler’s Tale” may make you feel like the star of your grownup bedtime story. Developed by studio startup studio, Kaleidoscube’s debut game and soon to be published by Mixtvision Games”. “A Juggler’s Tale” is set to launch in 2021 for Nintendo Switch, PS4 (PlayStation 4), Xbox, and Microsoft Windows via Steam.

The release for “A Juggler’s Tale” on PS5 (PlayStation 5) is still rumored to be a possibility. In this game, (with 2 hours of gameplay) the playable character is in a 3-dimensional, puppet play on stage. It’s while you’re in full control of your playable character, you may be wanting an applause to happen after every obstacle.

“A Juggler’s Tale” won “Best Newcomer Award” at the “German Video Game Award 2019” and six out of twelve awards at “Game Connection Europe 2019. 

Gameplay:

Abbey, (the protagonist) is a string puppet in a circus spending dusk in a cage and dawn entertaining an audience. She fled from her captors to explore the mystical world. She navigates in a traumatizing medieval fairytale, where there’s famished citizens, and is hunted by a relentless Tonda. Throughout her adventure, she’ll hear lyrically poetic rhymes from puppet master, Jack (who tells her story while controlling the strings). She’ll head riddles as well. 

The artiste, Abbey has to cross the raging rivers, survive bandit camps, and multiple traps. Trust becomes an issue in this game as well. She has to somehow avoid making mistakes and influence her destiny by winning the audience. If she can break free from the story, then she will be in content.  

From “A Juggler’s Tale” game trailer, there’s a puppet on a stage where the medieval setting showcases cardboard artwork in the background. After continuation of gameplay, the stage that Abbey is on transforms into the actual story, where the houses are 3-Dimensional and the items can be used as props. 

She can cross bridges while keeping her balance. The first chapter of the “A Juggler’s Tale” is the tutorial to learn the basics of the mechanics. Jack, the puppet master, will not allow Abbey to die from the story if it wasn’t meant to be. Jack tells the story, so if Abbey makes a mistake trying to swing over a vicious  bear, she won’t be harmed. You just get another chance to free yourself from the strings. If for any reason the bear frightens you, the bear has strings as well.

In order to escape from the cage, you must take a key from the ringmaster. You’re in an animated play and when it rains outside, the strings remain attached to the puppet. This game may give you flashbacks of movies like “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993) and “Coraline” (2009). 

“Kaleidoscube” wanted to combine the world of modern digital gaming with traditional, establishing theatre and poetry culture. With that knowledge, you can expect poetry in the game as well. 

Narration Quotes: 

“The sun's warming beams have long since given way

to clammy slivers of the moon's monochrome rays.

The ground recedes into shadows so black

you can be sure they'll never let you back.

And the stars? Well, they're there… and create a magical mood!

But alas, I suspect Abby's fate leaves them wholly unmoved.”

“Oh my! The world- my world! – shows itself from its best side!

The fields, the flowers, the horizon… cast in beautiful light!

The voices pursuing her… they slowly subdue

To wind stroking grass, cricket orchestras… sounds all so new!

The evening sky in streaks of dusk, mirroring your soul,

For the kinship of nature and wild things is devoid of control.”

“As much as I wish that it weren’t so, 

The way things are… are the way things go.”