Tales & Tactics Reviews

Permanently lost Lobby connection.

Fun, deep, difficult.

Generic solo battler TFT clone. Graphics/artstule is so cheap/bad i can't make myself play it

Pretty dang good. Lets you get creative with builds and items because of the RNG and all the weird stuff it throws at you.

Well, fun little auto battler/roguelike with some overarching progress. It works fine and it looks fine. There isn't much to complain about. If I HAD to complain: - The voice acting sounds kinda weird. I think it is the sound mixing or something, it feels like someone is somehow interrupting your discussion or something with their dumb joke out of nowhere. - The visuals can be quite chaotic. Half the time I have no clue what is going on. But that is the fun part, no? - The UI is a mixture of "as long as it works" and "Designers first UI". It isn't bad, but it looks like it was designed by someone without a lot of experience in UI design (e. g. the start menu looks like a placeholder). Thumbs up, it is probably worth it at its current full price and definitively at its sales price. If you enjoy auto battlers.

Ultimately for me it comes down to a lack of decision making. What I want out of a game like this is to feel clever for discovering characters and abilities that synergize to make powerful combinations. What this game is instead is you pick some number of trait sets to try to hit and then you use the characters that have those traits. I don't even know what any of the characters I picked actually do outside of their tank/damage/caster archetypes and traits. Instead of building a party it feels like collecting a poker hand ("YAY I HIT MY FULL HOUSE, SHAMANS FULL OF MAGES"). And then you roll and roll and hope that you get enough copies of the characters to level them up. I also never had more than 2 out of 6 of my party members with full sets of items, so I wasn't making decisions there either. You literally put tank items on the tank, attack items on combat guys, and spell power items on casters. There's no more depth than that. The positioning system also felt superfluous. You put your tank(s) in front and then your other characters behind them. I never made any decisions more complex than that. A few of the maps had tiles like pit traps that made me move my party around, but I still just put the tank in front and non-tanks behind. Overall I paid $3.60 for the game and I got my money's worth, but I don't think it's worth much more than that.

Feels a bit too linear and not as fleshed out as I would like, and the runs end too soon in my opinion, so you never really feel that strong. I did buy this game for like $3 though, so I can hardly say it wasn't worth the price. I hope the devs continue to update and add more content.

Fun game, like the Last Flame, the voiceover sounds like that one Youtube guy and it's text heavy and the tone is kind of childish but it's fun

Tales & Tactics is a refreshing entry in the autobattler genre that cleverly merges strategic depth with whimsical storytelling, resulting in a game that feels both tactical and cozy. Developed with a clear affection for tabletop role-playing games and roguelike systems, it invites players to embark on a journey through a fantastical world where every encounter is both a battle of wits and a roll of fate. At its core, the game is about assembling a diverse party of units, positioning them wisely, and adapting to unpredictable challenges while progressing toward victory in the Grand Tournament. But rather than rushing players through a series of mechanical matches, Tales & Tactics encourages thoughtful pacing and immersion in its storybook world. The game distinguishes itself through its blend of autobattler mechanics and a narrative framework that unfolds like a tabletop campaign. Each run is structured like a chaptered adventure, filled with branching choices, colorful characters, and flavorful events. These narrative beats aren’t just window dressing—they often present meaningful decisions or rewards that shape your journey. The storytelling doesn’t overwhelm the gameplay but instead complements it, offering just enough worldbuilding and personality to make your runs feel like unique tales rather than random encounters. This marriage of narrative and mechanics gives Tales & Tactics a distinct identity in a genre often focused solely on raw competition. From a strategic standpoint, the game offers surprising depth. The core gameplay loop revolves around recruiting units from a randomized shop, combining multiples of the same unit to level them up, and equipping them with gear and perks. With over 100 units and 200 items, there’s a tremendous variety in how each run can unfold. Units are tied to specific classes and archetypes, and as your party grows, creating effective synergies becomes key. A well-balanced team that leverages positioning, passive bonuses, and complementary abilities will almost always outperform a more powerful but less cohesive group. Combat itself is automated once battles begin, but success hinges on preparation, adaptability, and long-term planning. What helps Tales & Tactics stand out is its commitment to accessibility and pacing. The game does not rush to throw complexity at the player all at once. Instead, it gradually introduces new mechanics, modifiers, and unit types, allowing players to experiment without being overwhelmed. This makes the game highly approachable for newcomers to the genre, while still providing the kind of strategic meat that more experienced players can sink their teeth into. Runs have a satisfying progression arc—from humble beginnings with a weak crew to tense, high-stakes battles against powerful AI opponents and other tournament champions. This sense of progression is satisfying and encourages repeated playthroughs. Visually, the game is bright, inviting, and stylized to evoke a hand-painted fantasy world. Each unit has distinct visual flair, and the environments vary just enough to keep things interesting without overwhelming the eye. The interface is clean and responsive, and quality-of-life features such as tooltips, auto-equipping, and unit previews make managing your team efficient and intuitive. Animations are deliberately paced, which may feel slow to players used to faster games, but fits the tone and structure of the experience. In fact, the pacing is part of the game’s charm—it allows you to reflect on decisions and enjoy the unfolding story rather than rush to the next fight. Multiplayer is not a focus here, and that’s intentional. Tales & Tactics is a single-player, strategy-first game built around discovery and iteration rather than high-stakes competition. Its roguelike structure ensures replayability, with each run offering a new mix of challenges, unit combinations, and story moments. Between events, players can build their party strategically, optimize their resources, and attempt new builds. And if a run fails, the game encourages you to try again with a different approach, aided by unlocks and knowledge gained along the way. This loop is highly satisfying and never feels punishing. While the game does have a few minor rough edges—such as some events repeating a bit too frequently or a few unit abilities feeling unbalanced—these issues are small in the grand scheme. Developer updates have shown a commitment to refinement and community feedback, and the Steam version runs smoothly and reliably. The inclusion of a modding scene or future expansions could further extend the game’s lifespan, but even in its current form, it offers more than enough content and variety to keep players engaged for dozens of hours. Overall, Tales & Tactics is a standout title that offers a thoughtful, polished, and delightfully original take on autobattler gameplay. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it refines and reshapes genre expectations in a way that makes it both familiar and novel. For players who enjoy strategic thinking, storytelling, and a bit of randomness mixed with clever planning, this game is a gem. It’s an ideal title for anyone who appreciates games that unfold like a story you’re writing as you go—full of unexpected twists, hard-earned victories, and memorable moments that feel uniquely yours. Rating: 8/10

Very poorly balanced for the most part. The engineering trait is so powerful in the later tiers that it's impossible to beat without insane RNG. Could be very compelling with more thoughtful balance.