Storyteller on Switch: Brilliant Puzzle or Half-Baked Tale?

Imagine flipping open a storybook where you get to decide how the tale unfolds, piecing together comic-style panels with characters and settings to craft narratives ranging from fairy-tale romance to grim betrayals. That’s Storyteller on the Nintendo Switch, a puzzle game by Daniel Benmergui and published by Annapurna Interactive. Released in March 2023, this indie gem promises a fresh take on storytelling, letting you drag and drop characters into scenarios to match prompts like “Eve Dies Heartbroken” or “Duke Shoots Detective to Avoid Prison.” But does it deliver a gripping read, or does it close the book too early? As a gamer who’s spent hours tinkering with its panels, I’m diving deep into what makes Storyteller tick, its quirks, and whether it’s worth your $14.99.

Gameplay Overview

Storyteller is a puzzle game that feels like assembling a comic strip with a twist. Each level presents a title—think “A Heartbreak is Healed” or “Hatey Murders Father and Marries Mother” (hello, Oedipus vibes)—and a set of characters and settings, like a wedding, a graveyard, or a throne room. Your job is to fill three to eight blank panels by dragging characters and scenes from a menu to create a story that satisfies the prompt. It’s a bit like solving a logic puzzle, but instead of numbers, you’re juggling emotions, motives, and plot twists.

The gameplay is intuitive, especially on the Switch’s touchscreen in handheld mode, which feels like scribbling in a digital sketchbook. You drop Adam and Eve into a love scene, then maybe Adam into a graveyard to break Eve’s heart. Later levels throw in curveballs like vampires, disguises, or a devil who shakes up familiar tales. The mechanics evolve subtly across 13 chapters, introducing new actions like poisoning or kidnapping, but the core loop stays simple: experiment, rearrange, and watch the story come alive.

Compared to other puzzle games like Scribblenauts, Storyteller is less open-ended. While Scribblenauts lets you conjure almost anything to solve puzzles, Storyteller restricts you to a curated set of characters and scenes per level, making it feel more guided. It’s closer to The Witness in how it teaches you its logic without explicit tutorials, relying on trial and error to understand how characters’ moods (heartbroken, enraged, or confused) affect outcomes. For example, in one puzzle, I had to make a prince kiss a frog to save Tiny the Dwarf, but the prince refused unless I tricked him into thinking the frog was a princess. These moments of clever deduction are satisfying, but the game rarely pushes you to the brain-melting challenge of, say, Baba Is You.

Art & Design

Storyteller’s art style is a love letter to classic storybooks, with hand-drawn characters and settings that ooze charm. Think Hans Christian Andersen meets modern indie aesthetics—simple, colorful, and whimsical. Characters like Edgar, Lenora, or the conniving Butler have distinct personalities that shine through their animations. Drop a character into a scene, and they react instantly: a heartbroken Lenora might slump over a poison bottle, or a vampire might leer menacingly. The comic-panel layout and page-turning transitions between menus feel like flipping through a magical book, complete with a bookmark tab for navigation.

The audio complements this vibe perfectly. Gentle harp strings and soft sound effects create a cozy, almost ASMR-like atmosphere, making it ideal for unwinding. Compared to Scribblenauts’s playful but less cohesive art or The Witness’s stark minimalism, Storyteller strikes a balance of warmth and polish. However, some players might find the character designs repetitive, as the game reuses models across stories, which can make later chapters feel less fresh.

Story & Pacing

Storyteller doesn’t have a traditional narrative arc but instead weaves a tapestry of mini-stories inspired by classic literature—think Hamlet, Oedipus, or fairy tales like Snow White. Each chapter explores themes like love, betrayal, or tragedy, with prompts that range from heartwarming (“A Heartbreak is Healed”) to dark (“Queen Suffers Four Tragedies”). The game’s strength lies in how it lets you subvert tropes. For instance, one level tasked me with getting a character to remarry, but I could choose whether it’s a wholesome reunion or a twisted betrayal involving poison and deception.

The pacing, however, is where Storyteller stumbles. With 51 puzzles across 13 chapters, plus some bonus challenges, you can finish the base game in about 2–3 hours, as I did in one cozy evening. The early levels are too simple, serving as tutorials that hold your hand too long. By the time the puzzles get meaty—around Chapter 8, with complex setups like disguises or multi-character betrayals—the game ends abruptly. A post-launch DLC added a devil character and new challenges, extending playtime to about 4 hours, but it still feels like a novella when you’re craving a novel. Unlike The Witness, which sustains its complexity over dozens of hours, or Scribblenauts, with its near-infinite replayability, Storyteller lacks staying power. I was left wanting a “story creator mode” to craft my own tales, which could’ve added depth.

Performance & Bugs

On the Nintendo Switch, Storyteller runs smoothly, whether docked or handheld. The touchscreen controls are a highlight, making dragging and dropping panels feel effortless. Controller inputs work fine but feel clunkier compared to the intuitive touch interface. I encountered no crashes or major bugs during my playthrough, though some puzzles had finicky logic. For example, in “Duke Shoots Detective to Avoid Prison,” I tried multiple combinations to make the Duke commit a murder, but the game rejected valid setups due to overly specific requirements, leading to trial-and-error frustration. A hint system, like in Professor Layton, would’ve helped here. Overall, the game is polished but could benefit from clearer feedback when you’re on the wrong track.

Who This Game Is For

Storyteller is a niche gem that won’t appeal to everyone but hits the sweet spot for specific gamers:

• Puzzle enthusiasts who enjoy logic-based games with a creative twist, especially those who like The Witness or Scribblenauts but want something lighter.
• Casual gamers looking for a relaxing, bite-sized experience to play in short bursts, perfect for Switch’s handheld mode.
• Storytellers and writers who’ll appreciate crafting narratives, even if the game’s structure is rigid.
• Fans of Annapurna Interactive titles like What Remains of Edith Finch or Sayonara Wild Hearts for their unique, artsy vibes.

However, if you’re a hardcore puzzle fan craving brain-busters like Baba Is You or expect a long campaign, you might find Storyteller too short and simple. It’s also not ideal for action gamers or those who dislike trial-and-error gameplay.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Charming storybook art and animations that feel alive.
• Unique puzzle mechanic that blends logic and storytelling.
• Intuitive touchscreen controls on Switch.
• Inclusive storytelling with flexible character pairings.
• Post-launch DLC adds some replayability.

Cons

• Short playtime (2–4 hours) feels like a tease.
• Early puzzles are too easy, with difficulty spiking too late.
• No story creator mode or robust replayability.
• Some puzzles have obtuse logic, needing a hint system.
• Repetitive character models reduce variety.

Final Verdict

Storyteller is a delightful puzzle game that’s as charming as a well-worn storybook but leaves you wanting more pages. Its unique blend of logic and narrative, wrapped in a cozy art style, makes it a joy for casual gamers and puzzle fans looking for something fresh. However, its brief runtime and uneven difficulty hold it back from greatness. At $14.99, it’s a fair price for a polished indie experience, especially with the free DLC, but it’s hard not to wish for a sequel with more depth and challenge. If you’re after a relaxing, creative romp on your Switch, Storyteller is worth a read—just don’t expect an epic saga.

Score: 7.5/10 – A short but sweet tale that’s more novella than novel.

FAQ

Is Storyteller worth playing?

Yes, if you enjoy casual puzzle games or creative storytelling. Its unique mechanic and charming art make it a fun 2–4 hour experience, but its brevity and lack of replayability might disappoint if you want a longer game. At $14.99 (or less on sale), it’s a solid pick for puzzle fans.

How long is Storyteller?

You can complete the base game in about 2–3 hours, with the free DLC adding another hour or so. Most players finish in one or two sittings, though tackling bonus challenges can stretch it slightly.

Is Storyteller scary, relaxing, or challenging?

Storyteller is relaxing, with a cozy storybook vibe and soothing music, making it great for unwinding. It’s not scary—it deals with dark themes like murder or betrayal, but they’re presented in a cartoonish, non-threatening way. The puzzles start easy and get moderately challenging, but they’re rarely brain-crushing, which might underwhelm hardcore puzzle fans.

What games are similar to Storyteller?

• Scribblenauts: Offers more open-ended puzzle-solving with a similar creative vibe, though it’s less focused on narrative structure.
• The Witness: Shares Storyteller’s focus on teaching mechanics through gameplay, but it’s longer and more complex.
• Baba Is You: A puzzle game with a unique logic system, though it’s far more challenging and abstract than Storyteller.