Maybe the Game of Thrones series has ended, badly that some fans of the saga are despite the way it did. The universe created around this story is immense, the Night’s Watch being one of the richest. That must have been thinking about Devolver Digital, a video game studio that has created Tale of Crows, a spin-off delving precisely into this important piece in the saga.
To tell this story, the developer has used the idle-gaming genre in real time. One that resembles the classic “choose your own adventure” books, where the main thread is the written text. AND Apple Arcade has recruited you as an exclusive game for your catalog.
Investigating history beyond the Wall
Don’t expect great graphics. Neither are realistic battles, sparking sword fights or dragons devouring their enemies. Because Tale of Crows (“tale of crows” in English) it is not a game to use. Due to the genre it belongs to, we could say that it is a quiet game, which allows us to do other things while it develops.
The plot starts with the narration of the video above, but in text. “Sit with me, stranger, and I will tell you about the Night’s Watch.” A guy whose face we can’t see will tell us the historical pass of this brotherhood, from the beginning of time. The narrative begins 8,000 years ago, with the first Lord Commander.
Thus we begin the tour of the game, where we find three different places. In the first, we see a map with all the available missions. They are located in the north of the Game of Thrones world, of course. In the second, we visualize a wide section of the wall and in the third, the Black Castle, which is where communications are received.
The Wall was just formed by humans and the Children of the Forest, but its wall has not yet been fully strengthened. In the first missions, as Lord Commander you must make decisions that help to consolidate this colossal construction. Once these first steps are overcome, the real story will start.
A quiet game for a non-relaxing saga
Anyone who has seen Game of Thrones will know that this saga is not quiet at all. However, when conjugating it as an idle-game, we are facing something completely different. Idle-games are characterized because you must spend time until you can keep moving forward. It is a typical strategy of free-to-play games, which many users disparagingly refer to as pay-to-win (pay to win).
But Tale of Crows is not a free game with in-app purchases. It’s subject to the Apple Arcade subscription, so you won’t have to pay to speed it up. Over time is what it is, which is not excessively long either. Mind you, when you send your rangers out to explore the far north, it’s not going to be a five-minute walk.
The mechanics of the game are mainly text-based, with some animated scenarios. When you send your brothers to the cold north, they will send you back some crows to keep you informed of their inquiries. That is when you will have to make decisions that will impact your journey and that will affect the rest of your siblings. There are some decisions that should be properly weighed:
Thenns. It is a tribe of savages who, in the series, are cannibals. Avoid always disturbing them. If you come across corpses infected by a strange disease, do not touch them. Always ask the southern kingdoms to send you men. Be realistic, don’t pretend to go everywhere or take on the whole world with a bunch of crows.
Those waiting mean that the game does not require our constant attention. But also that we are looking for interaction. It is the perfect game to combine with breaks throughout the day, without having that feeling that you are hooked. Although in reality you are and you don’t want to admit it.
Tale of Crows may not be a game that convinces you to sign up for Apple Arcade. But if you like the saga and you already enjoy the subscription, worth checking out.
Download | Tale of Crows, exclusive to Apple Arcade.
