Tick Tock: A Tale for Two |

I saw a Twitter post about this game and was immediately interested because of the co-op mechanic. Luckily LifeisXbox recently started with publishing PC game reviews so I jumped right on the occasion to write a review for it. Developer Other Tales Interactive made an everyday puzzle game but added a very unique co-op mechanic to it, so I and my girlfriend could solve stuff together.

… I have no idea how to see the time on that watch, I’m pretty sure our white little bird won’t figure it out either.

Different take on Co-op play: How you play this game is up to you, but a second player is required. In my case I played on PC while my second player played it on her phone. The thing here is that you don’t need to establish an online connection, before starting the game you select which person you want to be, player one or two. Together you must solve the puzzles by communicating in real life or over Discord (or something else), this is key because you won’t be solving anything without your game partner. While I was taking things very seriously, wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat my other player was laying on the seat with three cats. In theory you could be playing as both players at the same time but you won’t have as much fun, half of the pleasure comes from actually discussing the puzzles with your friend.
Simple but effective visuals: The clean look from Tick Tock means you’ll quickly find what is important, PC or mobile doesn’t really show a difference so the experience is practically the same. Throughout the game you’ll come across some mystifying locations, while you’ll never have a jumpscare moment or anything things do get rather dark and eerie.

In this particular puzzle, player two saw this text. Player one saw the other parts. By combining everything you’ll eventually find the solution.

Puzzles, fun but they remain rather easy: You crack the puzzles with two people, remember? This also makes the puzzles more easy because two minds are better than one. I was hoping that the puzzles would get a bit more complex but alas… I’m definitely not saying it was a boring experience, far from it. Forcing the communication and working together to solve everything remains really exciting.

I wouldn’t want to be alone in this environment… who knows what pops up around the corner. Worst case scenario Maui, the PC review manager from LifeisXbox is hiding behind a bush to tear off your arms… at least if she isn’t sleeping.

Rather short: Tick tock.. and it is done. Not as fast as actually saying the two words but you’ll finish this game in less than two hours. A shame because playing the game was really fun and it felt completely fresh with the co-op mechanic. So yeah, the moment the credits started to roll I was a little bit disappointed.

Score: 70%
Tick Tock: A Tale for Two is something I highly recommend to buy if you want to play something with your boy/girlfriend or anyone else capable of communication. Local play seems the way to go but you have enough options to communicate if your playing with someone from a distance. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, it is rather short and the puzzles will never provide you with a real challenge.
Dae Jim

Developer: Other Tales Publisher: Other Tales
Played on: PC (Steam) Also available on: Iphone/Ipad
Time to beat: Around two hours
Perfect for: A gaming couple, puzzle solving fans
Steam Game Store link: Click here

Dae Jim

Founder | Editor-in-chief | Social Media Manager
Gaming is a passion and I wanted to share my Xbox enthusiasm. That’s why I started LifeisXbox, to make sure gamers all around the world know what games they should buy or avoid. I would like to thank you for visiting my website. Your support is very welcome and I hope you stick around!