TUNIC: A LITTLE FOX, A BIG SECRET, AND A MANUAL IN A LANGUAGE YOU CANNOT READ
9.0 of 10 bananas. Andrew Shouldice and Finji's 2022 action adventure: a small fox explores a ruined world, and you learn its secrets from torn pages of an in game instruction manual. The discovery is pure magic; the boss fights are hard, and the last puzzles can feel impossible without help.
By the Alpha. Steam listing. Updated Nov 2 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: PC on Steam (Windows and Mac), plus PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch (developed by the TUNIC Team led by Andrew Shouldice, published by Finji, released March 16 2022). The button is the Steam page, 29.99 dollars at my Nov 2 2026 check. I did not verify a fair US Amazon listing for a console copy, so Steam is the only button.
Get TUNIC on SteamSit with me a moment. When I was a young ape, games came with a paper manual, and I read it in the back seat until the pages fell out. TUNIC gives that feeling back, one torn page at a time.
What It Wants To Be
TUNIC is an isometric action adventure in the spirit of the early Zelda games. You play a small fox with a stick, then a sword, exploring a ruined land full of hidden paths. Most text is in an invented language. As you find pages of the instruction manual, you learn moves, map secrets, and the shape of the whole game.
What Works
The sense of discovery is the best in years. Things you saw in the first hour turn out to mean something huge later. Critics agreed: the PC version holds an 85 on Metacritic, and it won the D.I.C.E. award for Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game plus BAFTA awards for Artistic Achievement and Debut Game. The art and music are lovely.
What Breaks
Listen well. Combat is tough, built around stamina, dodging, and a shield, and some bosses are a real wall. The final layer of secrets asks you to solve puzzles that many players could not crack without a guide. Players who want clear directions may feel lost. There is an option to turn off failure in combat, which helps.
Who Should Play
Play it if you love secrets, old school Zelda, or games that reward notes and curiosity. Skip it if hard bosses or cryptic puzzles drive you away.
STRENGTHS
- Brilliant in game manual
- Discovery that keeps surprising
- Beautiful art and music
- Award winning design
HONEST COSTS
- Tough boss fights
- Final puzzles can feel impossible
- Easy to feel lost
Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. I did not verify a fair US Amazon console listing for TUNIC. Steam is the only button until a fair listing is real. This is not an affiliate link.