[REVIEW] Hairy Tales

Nick Mucciarone
(PC [REVIEWED], iOS)

Puzzle games have not always been known for their exciting environments or wacky characters, but Hairy Tales, an action puzzler recently released by developer Arges Systems, intends to change that. Hairy Tales is set in a mystical world where the “Hairys”, a group of friendly fairy folk, are trying to clear their world of the sickening corruption that has taken hold.

The point of the game is to have your Hairy run from the starting point to the portal, the only problem is Hairys can only run in a straight line. This is where you come in. You have to carefully move the pieces of the tile based map around so that your Hairy can make it from point A to point B. Sounds simple enough, and, admittedly, it is in the beginning. But then things take a drastic turn in a difficult direction. Soon enough you will have to navigate the map while your Hairy is moving around traps and other potential hazards. There are also three collectible mushrooms on each level to obtain, and as the games difficulty progresses, you will find yourself sacrificing the collection of all the mushrooms just so you can complete the level.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not much of a puzzle fan myself, but this game offered something different from most puzzle games I have seen, in the form of a fully movable level to navigate in real time. In the beginning, you only have to worry about moving the tiles and then making your Hairy run, but after a few levels, you will have to frantically scramble to turn the tiles as he runs on top of them. Frantic, tactile movement combined with difficult puzzles does not seem like a match made in heaven, but shockingly enough, Hairy Tales is able to pull it off.

There are three distinct areas in Hairy Tales–the forest, desert, and swamp–each of which contain many puzzles to be completed. Another interesting mechanic in this game are the bosses and mini bosses, which add another layer of difficulty to an already vexing puzzle.

Hairy Tales has a lot of interesting things I enjoyed, but there were also distinct moments that brought the game to a screeching halt: the most distinct being the game’s music. I know that, in this modern age of gaming, sound has taken a back seat to other features, but I still feel it is a vital part of any game’s anatomy. That being said, I felt the music to Hairy Tales was not only ill-fitting, but also repetitive. While I don’t claim to be a music aficionado, there is something very wrong about hearing the same tune twenty times in a row.

Even though I was not a fan of the music choice, I thought the art style for the game was spot on. The carefree spirit of the Hairys is perfectly reflected within the cartoonish graphics of each level. One thing that bothered me, though, was that the flame effects seemed to be a totally different style altogether, and it really detracted from the visually stylized setting they had created.

Hairy Tales is a game that appeals to the masses by providing not only difficult puzzles, but also a sense of adventure through the form of bosses, moving tiles, and real-time strategy. Yes, the game has its flaws, but these are easily outweighed by the pure delight of finally completing that one puzzle you just couldn’t beat.