There are several emotions that universally instil fear in many of us, one being grief. It’s perhaps the one feeling that we’re all united in wanting to avoid, despite knowing full well that one day it’s guaranteed to take root in our lives. That’s a daunting prospect, but A Storied Life: Tabitha is perhaps a reminder that it need not be. Marvel fans will likely be familiar with the now famed Wandavision line, “What is grief if not love persevering?” It’s that sentiment which is so creatively explored within Lab42’s charming upcoming narrative puzzle game.
A Storied Life: Tabitha is set a short while after the titular character has passed away. It’s down to you to sort through Tabitha’s belongings, setting aside which items to keep, which to sell, and which to throw away. Your decisions will unveil exactly who Tabitha was, allowing for an experience that is unique to each and every player.
I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the title at this year’s Gamescom, sampling the first three of the game’s chapters. Within those, I sorted through a front porch, a kitchen, and a living room. It didn’t take long for me to realise the impact that my actions could have on the story. As I said, you’ll decide which items of Tabitha’s are most important to keep, but you’ll only be able to keep so many, rotating and slotting them into a fixed cardboard box via a Tetris-esque puzzle system.
Completing a room will reveal a chapter of Tabitha’s memoir, with each instalment featuring missing words. The items you choose to save will determine which words you can use to fill in these blanks, therefore having you determine the life that Tabitha led. If you don’t choose to save any keepsakes, for example, it may be revealed that Tabitha was somewhat of a lonely soul; saving educational certificates or work-related items might paint her as someone who was career driven. There are so many potential facets to Tabitha’s life, and that much was abundantly clear to me despite having just played a small slice of this title.
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It added a poignancy to every decision I made. At first glance, it’s mistakenly easy to look at a tattered old book and mark it as something for the trash pile, but then questions begin to arise. Why might Tabitha have kept this for so long? Will saving it unveil a hidden facet of her personality? Was it tied to a core memory? It’s fascinating, really, the exploration of placing the most intangible aspects of ourselves within wholly tangible items.
As for the selling portion of the game, players are able to select one item from each room to put up for auction with the sale price unveiled at the end of every level. This is important as when you package up your ‘keep’ items, some will need protecting. Players will need to purchase bubble wrap to cover delicate valuables or tape to reinforce the cardboard box if things get too heavy. This adds interest to the puzzling elements of the game, but so too does it all stay tied to the narrative.
During my demo playthrough, I decided to keep an old chicken-shaped teapot which I carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and tape. It struck me as the kind of item my Tabitha would’ve kept as a sentimental prized possession. I was told though that had I not wrapped the item, it’s breaking during transit would have opened up entirely different story possibilities. I can see great replayability here.
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I can’t overlook that I did, on one occasion, end up with a series of words for Tabitha’s memoir that resulted in one or two senses reading as somewhat nonsensical and I do hope that’s not too much of an issue in the wider title but there’s very little about A Storied Life: Tabitha that doesn’t instil me with a great yearning for more. It’s exactly what, for me, a cosy game should be. It’s an experience that feels, so far, like a long, cleansing exhale. So often, cosy titles treat us as if we’re expected to leave our real world woes at the door to step inside a perfect utopia. A Storied Life: Tabitha acknowledges that that’s not always possible, providing instead a safe space to explore, digest, process, and learn.
A Storied Life: Tabitha is due to launch on PC in 2026.
Topics: Indie Games, Steam, PC, Features, Preview