Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown

Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown
Developer(s)Tin Man Games
Publisher(s)Tin Man Games
Platform(s)
Release
  • PS4
    • NA: April 16, 2019
    • EU: April 16, 2019
  • Win
    • NA: September 15, 2021
    • EU: September 15, 2021
  • Switch
    • NA: July 14, 2022
    • EU: July 14, 2022
Genre(s)Digital tabletop
Mode(s)Single-player

Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown is a digital tabletop game developed and published by Tin Man Games. It was initially released as a virtual reality game for PlayStation VR, but it was later ported to Windows, which optionally uses VR, and Switch, which does not. It simulates tabletop role-playing board games.

Gameplay

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Players control characters on a digital tabletop that simulates role-playing board games. A mechanical bird narrates players' adventures, and they can make choices that change the plot. Some of these choices necessitate dice rolls, which are rolled on the tabletop, to see if players succeed. Failing die rolls does not result in a game over; instead, the game continues through a different path, though some combats may be more difficult. Combat is turn-based and uses action points.[1]

Development

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Developer Tin Man Games is based in Melbourne, Australia.[2] It released the game for PlayStation VR on April 16, 2019; Windows on September 15, 2021; and Switch on July 14, 2022.[3]

Reception

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UploadVR called it "flawed yet unique". They praised its replayability and the premise of playing a digital tabletop RPG, but they found the combat a bit simplistic and the humor to be kid-friendly and toothless. They recommended it to those looking for "entertainment over challenge".[1] Digitally Downloaded said it is "eminently replayable" and praised its emulation of tabletop role-playing, which they said was elegantly simplified to work in VR.[4] Push Square praised the story, gameplay, and replayability.[5] TouchArcade praised the Switch port, which they said was still a cozy and fun game despite the lack of VR.[6] Pocket Gamer included it their list of best Switch games and said it does an "amazing job" simulating tabletop RPGs.[7]

Table of Tales was a finalist in the “Excellence in Narrative” category at the 2019 Freeplay Awards,[8] and won the ”Excellence in AR/VR" award at the 2022 Australian Game Developer Awards.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kemp, Luke (2019-05-16). "Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown Review - Not Playing Around". UploadVR. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  2. ^ "Tin Man Games". Archived from the original on 2023-11-26. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  3. ^ "Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown". RPGamer. 16 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  4. ^ Sainsbury, Matt (2019-04-24). "Review: Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown (Sony PlayStation VR)". Digitally Downloaded. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  5. ^ Fitzgerald, Simon (2019-06-05). "Indie Bin: Slay the Spire, Bomb Chicken, Giga Wrecker ALT". Push Square. Archived from the original on 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  6. ^ Musgrave, Shaun (2022-07-20). "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring Table of Tales and XEL, Plus the Latest Releases and Sales". TouchArcade. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  7. ^ Hadley, Jupiter (2023-07-12). "Table of Tales: The Crooked Crown". Pocket Gamer. Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
  8. ^ "Freeplay Awards 2019". Freeplay Independent Games Festival. Archived from the original on 2023-10-27. Retrieved 2024-02-02.
  9. ^ Slatter, Sean (2022-10-07). "Cult of the Lamb cleans up at Game Developer Awards while SAFC-supported games shine at PAX". IF Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-11-06. Retrieved 2023-11-12.
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