The medieval adventure full of silliness, Once Upon a Jester, is free for Windows, 100% free to keep, in a time-limited GOG’s giveaway offer! Go get it! Once Upon a Jester can normally cost US$14.99!
Once Upon a Jester is an independent and casual adventure game with a stylized cartoonish graphic style where you play as a harlequin performing in a series of medieval cities as part of a scheme to steal a royal diamond. It was developed by Bonte Avond and initially released on November 9, 2022.
Published by Crunching Koalas and available for Windows and Switch, Once Upon a Jester has received mixed reviews on Metacritic and hundreds of very positive ratings on Steam, at least up to the time of this publication. The game was also nominated for some awards and won some of them.
You can get the game here!
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About the game
Warning: this game may contain significant amounts of silliness!
Best friends Sok & Jester devise a mischievous scheme to steal the Royal Diamond! To complete their master plan, they must start an improv theatre show and outperform every other act – including their rivals, Hofnar & Bok. Only becoming the best show in the kingdom will get them invited to the Royal Theatrical Spectacle in the Royal Palace, where the king keeps his precious gem.
They embark on a grand adventure across a fantasy kingdom, meeting tons of wacky characters, performing improvised shows and singing their hearts out. Along the way, they unintentionally discover the freedom and joy of musical theatre. Will the pair change their wicked ways or do whatever it takes to get rich?
Features
- Embrace your creative freedom – No two shows are alike! The choices are yours as you decide how to wow your audience!
- Befriend wacky characters – Meet and befriend tons of quirky characters – all fully voiced!
A friendly Wendingo, a tree looking for its roots and a blob of pesto to name a few. - Dive into a vibrant fantasy kingdom – It’s always adventure time in hand-crafted locations like the cozy Dorp Town, the dark mysterious Woudwoods, and the radio-obsessed Stad City.
- Vibe to the indie tunes – An original soundtrack, written and performed by the creators of the game, is here to burrow in your ear and never leave!
Gameplay
Once Upon a Jester is a game that blends theatrical improvisation with adventure elements in a quirky and colorful kingdom. You play as Jester, an improv artist on a quest for a grand heist: stealing a royal diamond. To achieve this, Jester and his partner Sok must perform in a series of cities, winning the crowd’s approval to advance in the Royal Theatrical Spectacle contest and secure a spot at the royal event.
Gameplay is divided into two main mechanics:
- Exploration and Preparation – Players explore cities, interacting with residents to understand their expectations for theatrical performances. Using this information, they create posters for the shows by placing stickers representing different themes and styles. This stage also involves puzzle elements, where the goal is to match the audience’s preferences to earn the most flowers.
- Theatrical Performance – During the shows, players face a system of quick decisions and dialogue choices that affect the performance. Choices include elements like romance, action, and drama, and are executed through quick-time events that require precision and creativity. The success of the performances is measured by the number of flowers received from the audience, with improvisation being a crucial part of the game’s mechanics.
Once Upon a Jester stands out for its lighthearted and accessible approach, featuring an intuitive “meter” mechanic that guides players on what to do during performances, allowing them to focus more on improvisation and creativity rather than complex controls. The absence of severe penalties for failures encourages experimentation, turning mistakes into opportunities for more humor and fun.
More info and adventure
Overview
- GET Once Upon a Jester HERE - Download link(s) or store's listing.
- Size: 250 MB
- License: Commercial
- Operational systems: Windows 7/8/8.1/10
- Developer(s) and/or publisher(s): Bonte Avond, Crunching Koalas
- Categories: Adventure
- Views: 5
- Added by: Valewson