Info about Stories Untold:

Official game description:
  
Now available on MacOS (note: dedicated graphics card is \*highly recommended\* for the best experience)  
“Stories Untold” is a narrative-driven experimental adventure game, that bends the genre into something completely unique. Combining a mix of classic text-adventure, point-and-click and more, 4 short stories are packaged together into a single mysterious anthology that has been described as “a fantastic, fascinating example of interactive visual storytelling” (Telegraph 5/5) and earning widespread critical acclaim since release.  
The game pulls together 80s retro nostalgia, innovative and experimental genre-defying gameplay, and tense, phycological horror to create “one of the most fascinating and unique tales you can play this year” (GameSpew 9/10).  
The first Episode “The House Abandon” is now available for free via a demo, to give you a glimpse of what is in store in the full game.  
“Stories Untold” was developed by No Code, a Glasgow based ex-AAA development team headed up by Jon McKellan (Alien: Isolation) and Omar Khan.  
Features:  
\- Four unique stories, with their own settings, gameplay and mechanics.  
\- Play mind-bending text adventures, process radio transmissions and conduct experiments on bizarre artifacts  
\- Gorgeous retro-aesthetic brings back vivid memories, or a glimpse into what was.  
\- Sublime synth-wave horror soundtrack, inspired by 80s horror soundtracks.  
\- Achievements to unlock, and narrative secrets to discover  
\- Genre-hopping: from psychological horror, to tense mystery and terrifying sci-fi; Stories Untold is truly “4 stories, 1 nightmare”.

Release date: Feb 27, 2017

Categories: Text-based Adventure, Narrative-driven Gameplay, Point-and-click Adventure, Psychological Horror, Retro Aesthetics, Anthology Structure, Puzzle Solving, Single-player Story

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: High External Dependency - Instructional; summary: Players consistently report needing external walkthroughs to solve puzzles, especially in later chapters, due to obtuse design and lack of in-game guidance. This creates a significant dependency on external instructional data.
- Steam Deck: score 45; verdict: Playable but Fiddly; summary: Game is functional but has notable friction on Steam Deck due to small UI text, reliance on keyboard input, and a Linux-specific invisible cursor bug.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $4.99 - $7.99
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows a split: a minority finds $9.99 acceptable, but many more consider it too high for the short 2-5 hour experience. Sale prices around $1-$2.50 are widely praised as great value. The community's fair base price appears lower than the current $9.99, with half-off ($5) often implied as reasonable. Thus, a range of $4.99 to $7.99 captures the sentiment that full price is too high for most, while still acknowledging that some find it worth the original price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 4.0h
  - Story completion: 4.0h
  - Session length: 1.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews report total playtime between 3 and 5 hours, with a typical completion around 4 hours; this is taken as gameCompletion. The same time likely covers the story, as the game is linear with minimal extras, so storyCompletion matches. One review explicitly states each short story requires about 1 hour in one sitting, establishing sessionLength. No evidence of meaningful endgame content, so endgame is null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Stories Untold hooks players with a strong first episode but loses momentum in later episodes, leading to a fun-then-drops experience where early engagement gives way to tedium.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: First episode
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: no tutorial; tedious typing sections; repetitive unskippable cutscenes; trial and error gameplay; inconsistent pacing across episodes
  - Unlock drivers: engaging story progression; superb pacing and suspense; tactile feedback and aesthetic precision; unique gameplay hook
  - Conditions: solo playthrough at night; viewing episodes as one overarching narrative; appreciation for text-driven and point-and-click adventures
- Player Archetypes:
  - Immersive Story Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing a unique, atmospheric narrative with meta-elements
    - Playstyle: Slow, immersive, one episode per sitting, with headphones in a dark room, avoiding spoilers
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: interactive storytelling fan; horror enthusiast; art game lover
    - Reference games: Dear Esther; Black Mirror; Stranger Things; House Abandon
  - Old-School Text Adventure Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia for text-based adventures and appreciation for the command input mechanics
    - Playstyle: Methodical, patient with text input, enjoys typing commands and exploring old-school interfaces
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: old-school player; text adventure fan; retro gamer
    - Reference games: Space Quest 2; Space Quest 3; Zork
  - Cautious Value-Conscious Gamer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting good value for money, considering length and replayability
    - Playstyle: Waits for sales, plays short sessions, may aim for achievements, avoids full price unless deeply interested
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: budget-conscious gamer; achievement hunter; sale watcher
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Skeptical Critic (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a coherent, satisfying narrative and traditional gameplay mechanics
    - Playstyle: Engages but becomes frustrated with meta-narrative, text input issues, or lack of translation; may stop playing
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: hardcore horror fan; traditional gamer; non-English speaker
    - Reference games: Zork


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging story with twist (weight 0.43): The narrative is praised for being compelling and building up to a satisfying plot twist that rewards the player.
- Good puzzles with variety (weight 0.39): Players find the puzzles well-designed, fair, and enjoyable, with a good diversity that keeps gameplay interesting.
- Immersive 1980s aesthetic (weight 0.37): The nostalgic 80s visual and sound design is widely appreciated for creating an immersive and atmospheric setting that resonates with players.
- Excellent sound design and music (weight 0.29): Players consistently praise the high-quality sound design, voice acting, and soundtrack, which greatly enhance the overall experience.
- Impressive atmospheric tension (weight 0.23): The combination of atmosphere, sound, and music creates a dense, suspenseful environment that players find highly effective.
- Innovative storytelling methods (weight 0.23): Players appreciate the unique and clever storytelling approach, including a creative text-based adventure implementation.
- Overall excellent game (weight 0.23): Many players describe the game as incredible, magnificent, and spectacular, indicating high overall satisfaction.

Common complaints:
- Cliche and predictable story (weight 0.5): The story is described as cliche, predictable, and unoriginal, especially the conclusion. Some players found the later chapters disappointing and the final episode forced.
- Lack of localization (weight 0.4): The game is only available in English and lacks translations for languages such as French, Spanish, and German. Non-English speakers struggle to understand the story or progress.
- Requires guide to progress (weight 0.34): Many puzzles are very specific, obtuse, or impossible to figure out without a guide. Players often had to consult external help to proceed.
- Poor text parser (weight 0.32): The text parser requires exact commands and does not recognize synonyms. It is compared unfavorably to classic Zork-style games and is frustrating to use.
- Waste of time (weight 0.28): Some players feel the game is a complete waste of time, with tedious gameplay, poor design, and a feeling of wasted effort.
- Short playtime (weight 0.28): The game is very short, with a playtime of about 1.5 to 3 hours. Many players feel it is too brief and wish it were longer.
- Flashing lights and epilepsy risk (weight 0.21): The game contains strobing red lights and other flashing effects that pose a risk for epileptic or migraine-prone players. Warnings are requested.
- No save within episodes (weight 0.18): The game does not allow saving within an episode; players must complete each episode in one sitting. This causes progress to be lost in case of a freeze or quit.
- Episode 3 especially frustrating (weight 0.13): Episode 3 is highlighted as tiring and confusing, with annoying command-based puzzles that require perfect keystrokes and barely readable microfilm instructions.
- Unskippable intro and credits (weight 0.07): The game has unskippable intro and credit sequences that are repeated for each episode, frustrating players who want to replay.
- Limited replay value (weight 0.07): The game has little to no replay value after the first playthrough due to its linear story and short length.
- Motion sickness from 3D sections (weight 0.07): Sudden first-person 3D perspective movement causes motion sickness, particularly due to field-of-view issues.
- Inconsistent episode quality (weight 0.07): The quality of the story and puzzles varies between episodes, with some being much weaker than others.
- No sequel for other stories (weight 0.06): There is no direct sequel, leaving some storylines or potential expansions unresolved.
- Ending feels drawn out (weight 0.06): The ending is described as drawn out, forced, and wasteful of the story buildup, leaving a bad final impression.

Gameplay feedback:
- Text-based adventure gameplay (weight 0.99): The core gameplay is a text-based adventure where players type commands to interact with the game world. Multiple clusters describe this as requiring specific keyword inputs or verb-noun parsing.
- Four-episode anthology structure (weight 0.51): The game is composed of four episodes or chapters that form a complete story. Players note the episodes may have different mechanics but are connected by a shared narrative.
- Puzzle solving elements (weight 0.46): The game includes puzzle-solving mechanics that require logic and text-based commands. Some puzzles involve completing text or using specific English words.
- Retro 80s aesthetic (weight 0.41): The game features a strong retro 80s computer aesthetic, reminiscent of the Commodore 64 or Spectrum era. This includes old-school interface design and soundtrack.
- Horror and suspense atmosphere (weight 0.28): The game has a psychological horror theme focused on suspense and atmosphere. Puzzle elements are presented within a thriller or horror narrative context.
- Environmental interaction via text (weight 0.28): Players interact with the environment by typing commands like 'use', 'look around', and 'go to'. Some feedback mentions interaction with terminals and machinery.
- Point-and-click interaction (weight 0.25): Parts of the game incorporate point-and-click adventure style gameplay alongside text commands. This hybrid approach mixes traditional adventure game elements with typing.
- Command parsing with verb-noun (weight 0.16): The text parser requires classic verb-noun input (e.g., 'take', 'look'). Specific command recognition is a key part of the gameplay challenge.
- First-person exploration sections (weight 0.16): The game includes first-person walking or wandering sections in addition to text-based segments. This adds a modern exploration element to the retro style.
- Conversational adventure style (weight 0.09): Some feedback describes the game as a conversational adventure with puzzle solving and walking simulator elements. This suggests narrative-driven gameplay.

Performance notes:
- General technical polish lacking (weight 0.13): Multiple users cite poor technical performance, optimization issues, and resolution problems. The game feels unpolished across various hardware configurations.
- Frequent crashes and freezes (weight 0.11): Multiple users report crashes and freezes that force chapter restarts and cause progress loss. This is a critical stability issue affecting gameplay.
- Poor performance on low-end hardware (weight 0.08): The game runs at very low frame rates (12-20 FPS) on integrated graphics like Intel UHD 620, even at the lowest settings and resolution. This indicates severe optimization issues for low-end systems.
- Lighting bugs in chapters (weight 0.04): A specific lighting bug occurs in chapters 3 and 4, breaking visual immersion. This is a reproducible graphical glitch.
- Ultrawide monitor issues (weight 0.04): On 3440x1440 ultrawide monitors, cutscenes do not fill the screen and visible artifacts appear. This indicates poor ultrawide support.
- Graphics settings lack impact (weight 0.04): The graphics settings are labeled 'Beautiful' or 'Fantastic' but show little visual difference, suggesting poor optimization or misleading presets.
- Linux cursor invisible (weight 0.04): On Linux, the cursor becomes invisible, making navigation difficult. This is a platform-specific bug.
- Edge interaction difficulty (weight 0.04): Resolution issues make edge interactions (like clicking on screen edges) difficult, likely due to scaling or resolution mismatches.

Recommendations:
- Buy on deep discount (weight 0.5): Many reviews strongly advise waiting for at least a 70-90% sale before purchasing. The game is considered fun but not worth its full asking price.
- Recommended for text game fans (weight 0.39): The game is frequently recommended to players who enjoy text-based adventures, narrative experiences, or classic 80s text adventures specifically.
- Strongly recommended overall (weight 0.26): A significant number of reviews give the game a blanket recommendation, calling it a must-play or a worthwhile experience for anyone.
- Requires good English skills (weight 0.21): A strong command of English is essential to fully appreciate the game, as there are no translations. Non-English speakers are actively discouraged from buying.
- Best experienced blind (weight 0.16): Multiple reviews emphasize going into the game with as little prior knowledge as possible to maximize the suspense and surprise.
- Not for everyone (weight 0.12): Some reviewers note the game is niche and not recommended for general audiences, though it is praised as a unique experience.

Other player notes:
- Flashing light warning needed (weight 0.04): Players report intense flashing light sections in the game that could be harmful to photosensitive individuals. A prominent warning is recommended to prevent discomfort or health risks.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Players are frustrated by the game's obtuse text parser that requires exact wording, with no tolerance for synonyms or minor phrasing differences. This is compounded by technical issues like crashes, bugs, and unskippable text animations, as well as puzzles that are nearly impossible to solve without a guide.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Many players felt let down by the story, which starts promising but devolves into clichéd tropes like the 'all in the head' ending. The later chapters fail to maintain the quality of the first, and the game's short length and lack of language support further diminish the experience.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.09): Players enjoyed the game's strong atmosphere, engaging story, and nostalgic text adventure gameplay. The varied puzzles and retro aesthetics, along with the immersive sound design, contributed to a fun and unique experience.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Players felt satisfied with the overall experience, praising the logical puzzles, cohesive narrative, and rewarding story payoff. The game's short length and atmospheric tension were seen as positives, with many finding it worth the price.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Players were excited by the strong first episode, unexpected plot twists, and the game's unique blend of horror and storytelling. The engaging narrative and nostalgic 80s aesthetics kept them hooked throughout.
- Surprise (weight 0.04): Players were surprised by the well-executed plot twists, especially the connections between chapters and the unexpected turns in the story. The game exceeded low expectations, delivering a more modern and emotionally impactful experience than anticipated.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.04): The game's retro 80s aesthetic, text-based interface, and soundtrack evoke strong nostalgia for classic text adventures and the era of ZX-Spectrum. Players appreciated the old-school feel and references to Stranger Things and Maniac Mansion.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Players were annoyed by the inability to save mid-chapter, unskippable credits and text, and specific frustrating puzzles like the Morse code and microfiche sections. Technical bugs and poor design choices in later chapters also contributed to the annoyance.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciated the game's unique approach to horror, creative fourth-wall-breaking, and effective use of atmosphere and sound. The short length and diverse gameplay were seen as strengths, with many praising the experimental storytelling and retro presentation.
- Immersion (weight 0.03): The combination of graphics, sound design, and pacing created a deeply immersive experience, making players feel like they were sitting at the actual computer. The limited camera angles and atmospheric music heightened tension and engagement.
- Curiosity (weight 0.02): The game's mysterious narrative and slow reveal of connections between episodes kept players curious and engaged. The lingering questions and suspenseful storytelling drove them to uncover the full story.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admired the game's successful blend of old-school text adventure with modern gameplay, as well as its impressive atmosphere and voice acting. The developers' creativity and attention to detail were highly praised.
- Tension (weight 0.02): The game's constant sense of threat, oppressive atmosphere, and psychological horror without cheap jumpscares kept players on edge. Sound design and narrative built a pervasive feeling of dread and unease.}