Software:The Book of Unwritten Tales

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Short description: 2009 video game
The Book of Unwritten Tales
The Book of Unwritten Tales
Cover art
Developer(s)King Art Games[1]
Publisher(s)Microsoft Windows
OS X, Linux
  • WW: Nordic Games
Platform(s)Windows, Mac OS X, Linux[2]
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows
  • EU: April 2, 2009
  • NA: October 28, 2011
  • UK: October 28, 2011
  • AU: April 12, 2012
  • WW: July 31, 2012 (Steam)[3]
OS X
March 29, 2012
Linux
November 6, 2012
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

The Book of Unwritten Tales is a point-and-click adventure video game created by German developer King Art Games. A prequel called The Book of Unwritten Tales: The Critter Chronicles was released in 2012. A sequel, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, was released on February 20, 2015.[4]

Gameplay

Gameplay sample

The game challenges the player with a series of puzzles and brain teasers presented as a traditional point and click adventure game. The puzzles are embedded in an adventure story that takes most players an average of 20 hours to complete. There are 60 locations to explore with a total of 40 non-player characters and about 250 interactible items.

A notable feature of The Book of Unwritten Tales is that the player controls four different characters. In some scenes it is possible to switch between two or three active characters. Making explicit use of this mechanic, some puzzles require the playable characters to exchange items or otherwise cooperate.

Reception

Domestic

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
PC Games85%[5]
GameStar85/100[6]
4Players85/100[7]

International

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic82/100[8]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Adventure GamersStarStarStarStarHalf star[9]
Destructoid8.5/10[10]
GameProStarStarStarHalf star[11]
GamesMaster81%[12]
GameSpot8/10[13]
GameSpyStarStarStarHalf star[14]
GameZone9/10[15]
IGN9/10[3]
PC PowerPlay7/10[16]
The Digital Fix8/10[17]
The EscapistStarStarStarStarStar[18]

The Book of Unwritten Tales received "favorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[8]

The Escapist gave it all five stars and said, "If you're going to try and woo a modern gaming audience with old-fashioned gameplay, you'd better be pretty special. The Book of Unwritten Tales is. It's smart, funny, [and] well-crafted and has tons of heart."[18] 411Mania gave it 8.1 out of 10 and said that the game "harkens back to the golden age of point-and-clicks and does a great job of it. Fans of the genre will love seeing a new entry into the genre that's enjoyable to play. Other PC gamers may want to check it out, as even the puzzles don't require a huge amount of thinking to solve."[19] The Digital Fix gave it eight out of ten and called it "a thoroughly entertaining and engaging adventure game with a classic fantasy storyline, well thought-out plot lines, loveable characters, and plenty of humour that is must for anybody who likes point and click adventures".[17]

In 2011, Adventure Gamers named The Book of Unwritten Tales the 64th-best adventure game ever released.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Book of Unwritten Tales - KING Art Games - Computerspiele-Entwicklung, Design und Programmierung für PC, Browser und online" (in German). Archived from the original on June 26, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120626100947/http://www.kingart.de/unwritten_tales.html. Retrieved August 21, 2012. 
  2. ↑ "The Book of Unwritten Tales" (in German). http://www.application-systems.de/bookofunwrittentales/. Retrieved June 2, 2018. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Michael, Jon (August 15, 2012). "The Book of Unwritten Tales Review". Ziff Davis. http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/08/15/the-book-of-unwritten-tales-review. Retrieved June 2, 2018. 
  4. ↑ "The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 Release!!!". February 20, 2015. Archived from the original on February 21, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150221151445/http://www.kingart-games.de/en/blog/the-book-of-unwritten-tales-2-release-2/. Retrieved June 2, 2018. 
  5. ↑ Schütz, Felix (April 9, 2004). "The Book of Unwritten Tales-Test: Der Adventure-Hit aus Deutschland". PC Games. Archived from the original. Error: If you specify |archiveurl=, you must also specify |archivedate=. https://web.archive.org/web/20090411102637/http://www.pcgames.de/aid,681236/The-Book-of-Unwritten-Tales-Test-Der-Adventure-Hit-aus-Deutschland/PC/Test/. 
  6. ↑ Matschijewsky, Daniel (April 7, 2009). "Witziges und spannend erzähltes Adventure" (in German). GameStar. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111008033336/http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/the-book-of-unwritten-tales/test/the_book_of_unwritten_tales,44507,1955203.html. 
  7. ↑ Wöbbeking, Jan (April 2, 2009). "The Book of Unwritten Tales" (in German). 4Players. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090421082621/http://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Test/11013/62888/0/The_Book_of_Unwritten_Tales.html. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "The Book of Unwritten Tales for PC Reviews". CBS Interactive. https://www.metacritic.com/game/the-book-of-unwritten-tales/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. Retrieved August 21, 2012. 
  9. ↑ Raha, Shuva (October 28, 2011). "The Book of Unwritten Tales Review". https://adventuregamers.com/articles/view/18201. Retrieved June 3, 2018. 
  10. ↑ Duncan, Alasdair (November 1, 2011). "Review: The Book of Unwritten Tales". Enthusiast Gaming. https://www.destructoid.com/review-the-book-of-unwritten-tales-214897.phtml. Retrieved June 3, 2018. 
  11. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (October 28, 2011). "Review: The Book of Unwritten Tales (PC)". GamePro (GamePro Media). Archived from the original on October 29, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111029202302/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/224395/review-the-book-of-unwritten-tales-pc/. Retrieved June 3, 2018. 
  12. ↑ "The Book of Unwritten Tales". GamesMaster (Future plc): 101. February 2012. 
  13. ↑ Todd, Brett (December 1, 2011). "The Book of Unwritten Tales Review". CBS Interactive. https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-book-of-unwritten-tales-review/1900-6346897/. Retrieved June 2, 2018. 
  14. ↑ Nelson, Mike (July 30, 2012). "The Book of Unwritten Tales Review". Ziff Davis. http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/the-book-of-unwritten-tales/1225591p1.html. Retrieved June 3, 2018. 
  15. ↑ Carmichael, Stephanie (August 15, 2012). "The Book of Unwritten Tales review". Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120825131641/http://www.gamezone.com/products/the-book-of-unwritten-tales/reviews/the-book-of-unwritten-tales-review. Retrieved June 3, 2018. 
  16. ↑ "Review: The Book of Unwritten Tales". PC PowerPlay (Next Media Pty Ltd) (207): 81. October 2012. 
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Ellwood, Steve (August 17, 2012). "The Book of Unwritten Tales Review". Poisonous Monkey. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160505162910/http://gaming.thedigitalfix.com/content/id/1073/the-book-of-unwritten-tales.html. Retrieved June 2, 2018. 
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Arendt, Susan (August 8, 2012). "[The Book of Unwritten Tales Review"]. Defy Media. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/reviews/9850-Book-of-Unwritten-Tales-Review. Retrieved June 2, 2018. 
  19. ↑ Larck, Adam (July 30, 2012). "The Book of Unwritten Tales (PC) Review". Archived from the original on August 4, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120804062115/http://www.411mania.com/games/reviews/248682. Retrieved June 2, 2018. 
  20. ↑ AG Staff (December 30, 2011). "Top 100 All-Time Adventure Games". Adventure Gamers. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120604021011/http://www.adventuregamers.com/articles/view/18643. 
  • Official website
  • MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms.[1] Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.

Features

Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers".[2] This approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months.[3] The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing.[4] A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.[5]

Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.

History

Logo used until March 2014

MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school.[6][7] Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information.[5] In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.[5]

In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount.[8] This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign.[7] A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art).[9] Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel,[10] and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.[7]

On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million.[11] The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager.[12][13][14] Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface.[1] This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.[15]

In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue.[16] Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.[17]

On February 13, 2025, Freyholtz stepped down as the site lead to move onto new projects, leaving operations to Tracy Poff, a veteran coder on the site, and Atari staff.[18]

See also

  • IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Sheehan, Gavin (2023-02-22). "Atari Relaunches The Fully Rebuilt & Optimized MobyGames Website". https://bleedingcool.com/games/atari-relaunches-the-fully-rebuilt-optimized-mobygames-website/. 
  2. ↑ Litchfield, Ted (2021-11-26). "Zombie company Atari to devour MobyGames". https://www.pcgamer.com/zombie-company-atari-to-devour-mobygames/. 
  3. ↑ "MobyGames FAQ: Emails Answered § When will my submission be approved?". Blue Flame Labs. 30 March 2014. http://www.mobygames.com/info/faq7#g1. 
  4. ↑ "The MobyGames Standards and Practices". Blue Flame Labs. 6 January 2016. http://www.mobygames.com/info/standards. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Miller, Stanley A. (2003-04-22). "People's choice awards honor favorite Web sites". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 
  6. ↑ "20 Years of MobyGames" (in en). 2019-02-28. https://trixter.oldskool.org/2019/02/28/20-years-of-mobygames/. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Plunkett, Luke (2022-03-10). "Atari Buys MobyGames For $1.5 Million". https://kotaku.com/mobygames-retro-credits-database-imdb-atari-freyholtz-b-1848638521. 
  8. ↑ "Report: MobyGames Acquired By GameFly Media". Gamasutra. 2011-02-07. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/report-mobygames-acquired-by-gamefly-media. 
  9. ↑ Corriea, Alexa Ray (December 31, 2013). "MobyGames purchased from GameFly, improvements planned". http://www.polygon.com/2013/12/31/5261414/mobygames-purchased-from-gamefly-improvements-planned. 
  10. ↑ Wawro, Alex (31 December 2013). "Game dev database MobyGames getting some TLC under new owner". Gamasutra. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/game-dev-database-mobygames-getting-some-tlc-under-new-owner. 
  11. ↑ "Atari invests in Anstream, may buy MobyGames". November 24, 2021. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-24-atari-invests-in-anstream-may-buy-mobygames. 
  12. ↑ Rousseau, Jeffrey (2022-03-09). "Atari purchases Moby Games". https://www.gamesindustry.biz/atari-purchases-moby-games. 
  13. ↑ "Atari Completes MobyGames Acquisition, Details Plans for the Site's Continued Support". March 8, 2022. https://www.atari.com/atari-completes-mobygames-acquisition-details-plans-for-the-sites-continued-support/. 
  14. ↑ "Atari has acquired game database MobyGames for $1.5 million" (in en-GB). 2022-03-09. https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-has-acquired-game-database-mobygames-for-1-5-million/. 
  15. ↑ Stanton, Rich (2022-03-10). "Atari buys videogame database MobyGames for $1.5 million". https://www.pcgamer.com/atari-buys-videogame-database-mobygames-for-dollar15-million/. 
  16. ↑ Harris, John (2024-03-09). "MobyGames Offering “Pro” Membership". https://setsideb.com/mobygames-offering-pro-membership/. 
  17. ↑ "MobyGames on Patreon". http://www.patreon.com/mobygames. 
  18. ↑ "An update on MobyGames leadership". 2025-02-13. https://www.mobygames.com/forum/3/thread/269628/an-update-on-mobygames-leadership/#post-269628. 
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