The Book of Unwritten Tales

The Book Of Unwritten Tales is (other than a title that makes no sense!) a traditional point-and-click game with the usual humour thrown in. Set in a fantasy world, it tells the tale of an archaeologist gremlin named MacGuffin who discovers a book which gives the location of an artefact that can put an end to the war. As an evil clan abducts him, Ivo the elf witnesses the event and rescues him (at least temporarily). The gremlin tells Ivo about the book in his cellar and how the Arch-mage would know what to do. After the rescue, MacGuffin manages to pass on a ring to Wilbur the gnome and tells him to take it to the Arch-mage. And so the two unlikely hero's paths intertwine on their quest to put an end to the war.

The game-play is the tried and tested formula of picking up objects then either: using them, combining them, or giving them to someone in order to make progress. The puzzles are always logical and there's no sign of some of the crazy, illogical puzzles you tend to get in these games.

Clicking on objects in a scene gives you a description of them. The icon changes to a pick-up icon if you can place it in your inventory, becomes disabled if it is not required any more, or stays active if it is needed in a puzzle. This helps you realise what is important and what can be ignored. Pressing Space bar highlights all the items of interest rather than 'pixel hunting'.

Placing your mouse at the bottom of the screen pops open your inventory. You can right-click for a description of them, or left click to select them.

The voice acting is very good, so it's always a pleasure to listen to the dialog, but you can skip it by clicking if you wish. Early on, there's little nods to Lord of the Rings since you are playing as a small humanoid who is on a quest to keep a ring safe. As the game progresses, there's jokes based on fantasy games and some that 'break the fourth wall'. The game never takes itself too seriously.

It's a well-made point-and-click adventure, with likeable characters. The puzzles are a bit on the easy side though. If you like this type of game, then it is highly recommended.