ⓘ Assemble Entertainment
This fairytale platformer literally lets players pull the strings of a puppet. The game is currently 90% off on Steam for the first time.
Marius Müller (translated by Marius Müller), Published 🇩🇪
In A Juggler’s Tale, the heroine is literally hanging by a thread. Players take control of Abby – a small puppet who has to perform as an acrobat in a traveling circus during the day and spends her nights locked in a cage. Anyone who wants to accompany Abby on her journey from the circus cage to freedom can now get the 2021 title from kaleidoscube and Assemble Entertainment on Steam for around $1.80 instead of $18, thanks to a 90% discount available for the first time, according to SteamDB.
After her escape, Abby finds herself in a war-torn fairytale world filled with bandits, traps and other dangers. She is accompanied by puppeteer Jack, who narrates her story in rhyme while also holding Abby’s strings. In terms of gameplay, A Juggler’s Tale combines classic platforming with small puzzles, stealth sections and chase sequences. Abby’s puppet strings are particularly distinctive and are actively incorporated into the level design: They can get caught on obstacles, for example, forcing players to find another way around. With its fairytale puppet-theater aesthetic, the platformer, developed in Unreal Engine 4, is also quite a visual treat – and it is Steam Deck Verified as well.
German gaming magazine Testing Buddies awarded the game a strong 9 out of 10, particularly praising its story, atmosphere and original puppet concept. The verdict on Steam is similarly positive, with 91% of around 2,300 reviews giving the game a positive rating. The Metascore, however, stands at just 69. Critics mainly took issue with the short runtime of around two to three hours, the simple and sometimes repetitive puzzles and several trial-and-error sections. Anyone expecting an extensive or challenging puzzle platformer may therefore be disappointed. As a short, atmospheric fairytale, however, A Juggler’s Tale seems to work well – and at a price of $1.80, the modest runtime is unlikely to be much of an issue.
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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As a child in the 90s, my Gameboy was my steady companion. After school, the PlayStation was fired up. When I finally got my first PC, I was completely hooked. My passion for gaming has never waned since. For me, writing for Notebookcheck means reporting on topics that are really close to my heart – in addition to gaming, I also like to write about e-mobility, photovoltaics and innovative gadgets. When I’m not sitting at my computer, I’m probably on water rescue duty on the Baltic coast or trying to counteract the downsides of my geek life – namely sitting for long periods – at the local swimming pool.
Marius Müller, 2026-08-31 (Update: 2026-08-31)
