A Short Tale is a charming and surprisingly emotional point-and-click adventure. You play as Alex, who has shrunk down to the size of a toy in his brother's bedroom to find him. This perspective shift turns an ordinary room into a massive, wondrous world where a bookshelf is a mountain and a toy box is a labyrinth.
The puzzles are clever and well-integrated into the environment. Glitch Games has a knack for making challenging puzzles that don't feel unfair. The game strikes a perfect balance between nostalgia and mystery, with a melancholy undertone that makes the story feel much more significant than your average mobile puzzle game. It’s a short experience, as the name suggests, but every minute is memorable.
Dinsun here. Glitch Games has a specific style—clever puzzles, a bit of dry humor, and a slightly eerie vibe. A Short Tale hits all those notes. The 'shrunken' perspective is a classic trope, but it works well here, turning a simple bedroom into a massive dungeon. The Glitch Camera is a brilliant quality-of-life feature that every adventure game should have; being able to snap a photo of a code on the wall and look at it while you're at the keypad is just common sense.
That said, it didn't grab me emotionally as much as I think it wanted to. The story about the missing brother feels a bit like an afterthought to the puzzles. And some of those puzzles... well, they can be a bit 'out there' logically. If you're a fan of the genre, it's a solid afternoon's work, but it doesn't quite reach the heights of the classics.
Performance: Flawless performance on mobile; auto-save is reliable.
Buy if: You enjoy point-and-click adventures with logical (mostly) puzzles.
Skip if: You want a deep, moving narrative or long experience.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.1.9Wed Aug 19 2026
Small fixes and improvements.
"For anyone who just wants to play a game chock-full of fun and unusual puzzles while exploring a charming and nostalgia-inducing environment, A Short Tale provides plenty of entertainment for a few hours" -AdventureGamers
It’s been years since I lost Ben, so long yet it doesn’t seem long enough. I never thought I’d return here, to where everything started. Where everything ended.
Something’s calling me back to his room though; a presence I have not felt since…
--
Play as Jason as he explores his brother’s room from a new perspective. After wishing to be small again, to feel closer to his younger brother, Jason finds himself in a strange new world filled with larger than life furniture, troublesome obstacles, and less-than-helpful occupants.
Features:
* A first person point and click adventure game.
• Surprisingly large* world to explore, filled with puzzles to solve.
* Trademark Glitch humour and puzzles that will leave you screaming at us.
• Beautiful soundtrack perfectly suited to this bizarre world.
* The Glitch Camera to help you solve puzzles and keep track of clues.
* Lots of clues to find and puzzles to solve.
* Plenty of items to collect and fiendishly clever puzzles to solve!
* Loads of items to find and use!
* Clues to find and puzzles to solve!
* Auto-save feature, never lose your progress again!
*pun fully intended, naturally.
–
Glitch Games is a tiny independent ‘studio’ from the UK.
Find out more at glitch.games
Chat with us on Discord - discord.gg/glitchgames
Follow us @GlitchGames
Find us on Facebook
Requires iOS 11.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch."For anyone who just wants to play a game chock-full of fun and unusual puzzles while exploring a charming and nostalgia-inducing environment, A Short Tale provides plenty of entertainment for a few hours." – AdventureGamers
Shrink down and experience a childhood bedroom like never before in this heartwarming first-person point-and-click puzzle adventure.
Years after losing his younger brother Ben, Jason returns to the place where everything changed forever. Drawn back by a mysterious presence, he makes one impossible wish—to be small again. Suddenly, an ordinary bedroom becomes a vast world filled with towering furniture, hidden secrets, clever puzzles, and unforgettable memories.
Explore every corner, collect useful items, uncover hidden clues, and solve challenging escape room-style puzzles as you unravel an emotional story about family, loss, and growing up.
If you enjoy point-and-click adventures, escape room games, hidden object puzzles, and story-rich mystery games, A Short Tale is for you.
Features
• Immersive first-person point-and-click adventure.
• Explore a giant bedroom from a tiny perspective.
• Solve clever puzzles and escape room-inspired challenges.
• Collect items, discover hidden clues, and unlock new areas.
• Use the unique Glitch Camera to reveal secrets and keep track of clues.
• Emotional story filled with nostalgia, mystery, and discovery.
• Beautiful atmospheric soundtrack.
• Signature Glitch Games humour.
• Auto-save ensures you never lose your progress.
• No ads or in-app purchases.
Can you uncover the memories hidden within a room that once felt like home?
–
Glitch Games is a small independent game studio from the UK, creating premium mystery, escape room, and puzzle adventure games that players around the world love.
Follow us for updates, news, and behind-the-scenes content:
Discord: discord.gg/glitchgames
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlitchGames/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/glitch.games
Newsletter: https://glitch.games/newsletter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theglitchgames/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlitchGames




















It’s been years since I lost Ben, so long it seems like it was just yesterday. I never thought I’d come back here, to where it all started. To his room. In A Short Tale, you play as Alex as he returns to his brother's bedroom to find closure. However, things take a strange turn as he shrinks down to the size of a toy. Now, you must explore a world of giant toys and household objects, solving puzzles and taking photos of clues to uncover the mystery of Ben's disappearance. It's a classic first-person adventure filled with character and heart.
Beautifully rendered first-person environment
The trademark Glitch Camera for tracking clues
Heartfelt and mysterious narrative
Challenging but logical puzzles
Atmospheric soundtrack and sound design
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Navigate the room from a first-person perspective by tapping on areas of interest. Collect items like keys, toy parts, and tools to use on other objects. The gameplay is non-linear, allowing you to tackle different puzzles in the order you find them.
While it's a standalone story, it shares the same gameplay mechanics and quality found in other Glitch Games adventures.