A Juggler's Tale game review: a fine time narrated in rhyme

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Key notes

  • A Juggler's Tale might be a short game, but it will live up to the fame.
  • You play as young Abby, a juggler by trade, who performs every day without getting paid.
  • The wee little puppet is suspended by strings, but throughout the game, she experiences all kinds of things.

I promise you this and I hope it will amaze
In this review, I’ll rhyme in each phrase!

Why do you ask? What’s it to you?
Well in this game, the narrator does too!

A Juggler’s Tale has an interesting story to tell,
It’s about young Abby, and she’s not doing too well.

You could say it’s sad, or argue that it’s plain impolite
How this wee little lass is forced into a daily staged fight

While scripted, to the audience it’s a thrilling affair,
how such a little girl bested a bear

But the success is shortlived; at the end of each day
the ringleader grabs her and locks her away

It doesn’t take a lot to set up the plot

Then, a small miracle, it’s lovely to see,
with the help of some critters, she steals her master’s key

Our juggler escapes, as the bear plays his part
Sure it’s exciting, but it’s only the start!

At first, she wonders: “What have I done?”
But the thoughts soon vanish at the taste of freedom

The graphics are neat, it’s a visual treat

A Juggler’s Tale is gorgeous, a sight to behold
You’ll see plenty of colorful vistas as the story unfolds

But Abby’s given no rest by the puppeteer who’s ever controlling
She runs and she runs through levels full of parallax scrolling

It’s not just walking and jumping or aiming at things
When solving puzzles, you’ll make use of your strings

The gameplay evolves, there are puzzles to solve

Running from thugs who’ll rip her to shreds
Abby’s got no choice but to rely on her threads

Though there are plenty of checkpoints, it’s never too hard
I wager there’s even a chance you’ll survive it unscarred

You’ll jump, pull levers and even train your aim,
but after few hours it all starts feeling the same

Luckily for us, A Juggler’s Tale is not overlong,
Just when it threatens to grow stale, it breaks out in song

The music, while rare, is a feast for the ears
If there were just a few more tracks, it would be welcomed by cheers

As we’re carried away by a group of singing thugs
I take a moment to bring up some small bugs

Grab the tissues, because it still had some issues

Sometimes the jumping or animations felt weird
There was even a time when Abby disappeared

Alas, such is the fate of a game with console ports
but luckily we reviewers also submit reports

So relax, fear not, it’s only a scratch,
I have full faith all bugs will be fixed in a day-one patch.

Final thoughts on A Juggler’s Tale

Pros
The narration in rhyme is truly sublime
The graphics are neat, it's a visual treat
It launched in the busy month of September, yet I promise it's a game you'll always remember
Cons
Some minor bugs at the time Grab the tissues, because they still had some issues (bugs)
As a dad with no time, it has my support, but some might find it just a bit short

Final Score: 4/5

A Juggler’s Tale feels truly unique, aside from some bugs (and maybe a short playtime) there is nothing to critique. The writing is witty and delivered in rhyme, at the end of the ride you’re guaranteed a great time.

It looks stunning, it’s colorful and oozes with style, I can only conclude that this puppet show is very much worth your while.

Get A Juggler’s Tale for PC

A Juggler’s Tale is available on Windows PC, Xbox Consoles, Playstation Consoles, and Nintendo Switch. It takes around 2-3 hours to beat.

Disclaimer: Reviewed on Xbox Series X. Review copy provided by the developer.

More about the topics: Xbox Series X