Tattletail

Last updated
Tattletail
Tattletail Steam Image.jpg
Steam storefront header
Developer(s) Waygetter Electronics
Publisher(s) Little Flag Software
Director(s) Ben Esposito
Designer(s) Ben Esposito
Thomas Astle
Geneva Hodgson [1]
Programmer(s) Tom Astle
Artist(s) Ben Esposito
Geneva Hodgson
Writer(s) Geneva Hodgson
Tom Astle [1]
Composer(s) Ben Esposito
Engine Unity
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows
Mac OS
Android
Release
  • WW: December 28, 2016
Mode(s) Single-player

Tattletail is a 2016 survival horror video game [2] [3] created by Waygetter Electronics and published by Little Flag Software. The player must care for their virtual pet toy, Baby Talking Tattletail, while avoiding the pursuit of its recalled predecessor, Mama Tattletail (commonly referred to as "Mama"). The game was released on Steam on December 28, 2016. [4]

Contents

Two updates were released, one adding multiple endings and the other adding an expansion campaign that takes place after the main game's campaign. During the expansion there is a mysterious person giving the player notes referencing that they failed to fix their memories.

Gameplay

Five nights before Christmas, the player sneaks into the basement to open their present early. The gift turns out to be a Baby Talking Tattletail, a Furby-like talking plush toy. For the five nights leading up to Christmas, the player must tend to their Baby Talking Tattletail toy by feeding it, grooming it, and allowing it to charge, while completing a set of objectives each night. While the Baby Tattletail is not a threat, it is prone to generating a lot of sound when its three needs are not met, alerting Mama Tattletail of their location. While completing a set task, the player must avoid Mama by staying quiet when she is near. Failure to do so, or going too close, will result in Mama attacking the player in a jumpscare. [5] [6] [7]

Players acquire a shakable, glow-in-the-dark flashlight to navigate in the darkness, but Mama Tattletail has the ability to "kill" their flashlight when they point it directly at her. Baby Tattletail is also afraid of the dark and is quite vocal about it, creating a necessity to recharge the flashlight by shaking it quickly. However, shaking it generates sound, so the player must be careful about when and where to shake.

Over the course of the game, a series of various "Gift Eggs," presumably laid by the Tattletails, are placed throughout the house. Collecting all of the eggs will result in the player achieving the "good ending" of the game. [8]

Plot

The game takes place in 1998 through five nights, beginning on December 20 and ending on Christmas Day. The player wakes up on Night 1 to open their Christmas present early. The present is the new fad toy, a purple Baby Talking Tattletail (based on a Furby). After playing with the toy briefly (which involves feeding and grooming him), the player puts him back into his box and goes back to bed.

On Night 2, the player finds the same Tattletail in the tumble dryer, with no indication of how he got there. The player then charges him, wraps him back up into his box, and goes back to bed.

On Night 3, the player encounters the contents of an old nursery in the basement. In the corner sits the now-recalled Mama Tattletail, along with a cassette tape which can be played using the toy. The tape contains a snippet from a story in a read-along style - including prompts to "turn the page" - about how "the children thought that Mama would never find them as long as she couldn't see them" but Mama would find them nevertheless. The player returns upstairs to find that Tattletail has made a mess. Tattletail asks to be taken to “Mama”. The player returns to the spot to find that Mama has disappeared. The now-hostile Mama Tattletail then starts to hunt down the player while they try to clean up after Tattletail.

On Night 4, after a lengthy hide-and-seek session with another Tattletail, the player finds a VHS tape that shows several interchangeable camera feeds from what seems to be a Tattletail commercial (which is footage from the trailer). After some time, a few of the camera feeds' names turn red, the lighting changes from blue to green, and trash bags and obscured parts of inanimate or writhing human bodies appear.

On Christmas Eve, Baby Talking Tattletail invites the player to the basement to join a "party" with yellow and blue Baby Talking Tattletails called Butternut and Dewdrop (respectively), with two more that the player must fetch. After the player gets them, they must pick up Tattletail and get some supplies from upstairs. The player then finds out that the Talking Tattletails have made a pentagram out of the Christmas lights with the VHS tape in the middle, and have begun chanting in a séance. After rewinding the VHS tape, Mama appears and steals the candles and the player must find them in vases scattered around the basement while avoiding being attacked by Mama. Once the séance reaches its climax, the tape begins to levitate and the player must destroy it. The séance then ends and the player goes back to bed.

Endings

On Christmas Day, the ending of the game depends on whether the player has collected all 22 eggs laid out across the game:

The Kaleidoscope DLC

In the free Kaleidoscope DLC, the player awakens on Christmas Day to find their present, a purple Baby Talking Tattletail. However, it looks slightly different, talks in a boring monotonous voice, and then glitches out. At the front door, the player finds a package and an anonymous letter claiming that Tattletail "wasn't like this" and "this isn't how it happened at all". The player then gradually remembers one night back and has to play through each night again in reverse order with the events and circumstances of the nights being similar, except Mama is now a friendly and caring character. Each night "ends" with a letter explaining that something went wrong, and the final letter explains that a place called the Kaleidoscope, where all memories are stored, is what is causing the changes. The player is then offered the choice to either go back to bed or enter the dangerous Kaleidoscope. Going to the Kaleidoscope results in the "good" ending in which the player will retrieve their memories. Going to bed results in the "bad" ending in which Tattletail will stay boring forever.

In the Kaleidoscope, the environment looks like a glitched, warped version of the house lit in a bluish tint. The player eventually finds a VHS tape with a letter saying that it must be played to restore the player's memories; it contains a slightly different version of the Tattletail TV advert with 2 glitches. Once the tape is played, night one is repeated, with Tattletail restored to its cheery self; and Mama restored to its aggressive self. As the player is about to wrap Tattletail back up, it tells a joke but is interrupted by Mama, and the player is transported back to the Kaleidoscope.

The player must then traverse back to the entrance of the Kaleidoscope without being killed by Mama. After escaping, the player wakes up on Christmas Day again and opens the gift. Once it is open, Tattletail gives the player a present with a final letter that praises the player and tells the player to say Hi to Tattletail for them. After Mama's grinding sound is heard, Tattletail then tells another joke to the player by telling him "me love you!", ending the game.

Development

The game was published under the name of the in-universe fictional toy company named Waygetter Electronics. In reality, the team is led by game designer Ben Esposito, and consists of character designer/co-developer Geneva Hodgson along with lead programmer Tom Astle. Cartoonist and later writer for OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes . Ryann Shannon also stars as the voice of Talking Tattletail while Hodgson voiced Mama. [9] [7]

Reception

The game has received criticism for its resemblance to the Five Nights at Freddy's series for featuring similar elements, including its visual aesthetic, five-day time limit, and animatronic-based antagonists. GameSpew's Chris McMullen praised its more structured gameplay, as well as its reproduction of 90's childhood fears. [10] The game has also received very positive reviews on Steam. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Furby</span> Electronic robotic toy

Furby is an American electronic robotic toy by Tiger Electronics. Originally released in 1998, it resembles a hamster or owl-like creature and went through a period of being a "must-have" toy following its holiday season launch. Over 40 million Furbies were sold during the three years of its original production, with 1.8 million sold in 1998, and 14 million in 1999. Its speaking capabilities were translated into 14 languages.

Tiger Electronics Ltd. is an American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld electronic games, the Furby, the Talkboy, Giga Pets, the 2-XL robot, and audio games such as Brain Warp and the Brain Shift. When it was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois. It has been a subsidiary of Hasbro since 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamagotchi</span> Handheld digital pet

Tamagotchi is a brand of handheld digital pets that was created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was released by Bandai on November 23, 1996 in Japan and in the United States on May 1, 1997, quickly becoming one of the biggest toy fads of the late 1990s and the early 2000s. As of June 2023, over 91 million units have been sold worldwide. Most Tamagotchi are housed in a small egg-shaped handheld video game with an interface consisting of three buttons, with the Tamagotchi Pix adding a shutter on the top to activate the camera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teddy Ruxpin</span> 1985 electronic childrens toy

Teddy Ruxpin is an electronic children's toy in the form of a talking bear-like creature known as an 'Illiop'. The toy's mouth and eyes move while he tells stories about his adventures played on an audio tape cassette deck built into his back. While the character itself was created by Ken Forsse, the talking toy was designed and built by Forsse’s Alchemy II, Inc. employees, including Larry Larsen and John Davies. Later versions have a digital cartridge in place of a cassette.

"Grift of the Magi" is the ninth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Being the final episode to air in the 1990s, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 19, 1999. In the episode, mafia boss Fat Tony successfully extorts a large sum of money from Springfield Elementary School, forcing Principal Skinner to close it down. However, a toy company called Kid First Industries, led by Jim Hope, later buys the school and privatizes it. Classes now start focusing on toys and marketing only, and soon a new toy called Funzo that resembles the children's ideas is released by Kid First Industries in time for the Christmas shopping season. Bart and Lisa decide to destroy all Funzos in Springfield but Gary Coleman, Kid First Industries' security guard, tries to intercept them.

The Toy Retailers Association is a trade association that represents its members in the UK & Ireland. It promotes the role of the toy retailer and the value of toys to the consumer. It represents about 75% of the toy trade. The directorate is based remotely in Bodmin, Cornwall.

<i>Gift Wrapped</i> (film) 1952 American film

Gift Wrapped is a 1952 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on February 16, 1952, and stars Tweety and Sylvester.

<i>The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus</i> (1985 film) 1985 multi-national TV series or program

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is a 1985 Christmas stop motion animated television special. It was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, based on the 1902 children's book The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, the writer of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The special first aired December 17, 1985 on CBS in the United States. This was Rankin/Bass's final "Animagic" stop motion production with later releases including traditional animation. Notably, this special was an adaptation of a novel and is not connected to the continuity created by previous Rankin/Bass Productions.

<i>Babysitting Mama</i> 2010 video game

Babysitting Mama, known in Japan as Babysitter Mama is a babysitting simulation-styled minigame compilation video game released for the Wii. It is the third spin-off from the Cooking Mama series; the first two were Gardening Mama and Crafting Mama. It includes a stuffed toy human baby to play with and the player slips its Wii Remote inside. It includes 50 different baby mini games and activities, like playing, washing, etc.

<i>Among the Sleep</i> 2014 first-person survival horror action-adventure video game

Among the Sleep is a first-person survival horror action-adventure video game developed by Norwegian developer Krillbite Studio for Microsoft Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It was released on 29 May 2014 in North America for the PC. The PlayStation 4 version was released on 10 December 2015 while the Xbox One version was released on 3 June 2016. A definitive remaster titled Among The Sleep: Enhanced Edition was released for Microsoft Windows on 2 November 2017, and later released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on 29 May 2019.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys 2</i> 2014 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is a 2014 point-and-click survival horror game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the second installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series. Set in a fictional pizzeria, the player takes on the role of night security guards Jeremy Fitzgerald and Fritz Smith, defending themselves from the restaurant's hostile animatronic mascots. The player cannot leave their office, but has access to a flashlight and security cameras throughout the restaurant to monitor animatronic activity. Wearing a mask that looks like one of the animatronics allows the player to avoid being detected in most cases, though some animatronics are repelled via other methods. If the player is detected, they will be jumpscared and experience a game over. As the game progresses, Atari-styled minigames and phone calls provide insight into the history of the restaurant.

Nilus the Sandman: The Boy Who Dreamed Christmas is a Canadian part-animated and part-live-action Christmas television special which was originally broadcast on December 1, 1991 on CTV. In the United States, it was first broadcast on The Disney Channel on December 10, 1991. It was followed by two more Nilus the Sandman TV specials which premiered in 1994 and 1995, and then a Nilus the Sandman TV series airing from 1996 to 1998.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys 3</i> 2015 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's 3 is a 2015 point-and-click survival horror video game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the third installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series, and takes place in a horror-themed attraction based on the restaurant chain featured in the first two games. The player takes on the role of an unnamed security guard who must defend themself from a decrepit animatronic called Springtrap that roams the attraction while battling hallucinations of other animatronics. To survive, the player must monitor the building's security cameras while maintaining faulty systems that occasionally shut down. If the player fails to keep Springtrap out of the office or stares at the hallucinations for too long, they will be jumpscared, though only one from the former will cause a game over.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys 4</i> 2015 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's 4 is a 2015 point-and-click survival horror video game made and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the fourth installment of the Five Nights at Freddy's series. The game takes place in the bedroom of a child, where the player must avoid attack by nightmarish animatronics that stalk them. Unlike previous games in the series, the player does not have access to a network of security cameras to monitor animatronic progression, and instead must rely on audio cues. In-between nights, the player is able to play Atari-styled minigames that tell the story of a young boy that is consistently tormented by his older brother.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys</i> Media franchise created by Scott Cawthon

Five Nights at Freddy's (FNaF) is a video game series and media franchise created by indie game developer Scott Cawthon. The franchise features ten main video games, several spin-off games, novels, and a film adaptation.

<i>Five Nights at Freddys: Sister Location</i> 2016 video game

Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location is a 2016 point-and-click survival horror video game developed and published by Scott Cawthon. It is the fifth main installment in the Five Nights at Freddy's series and the sixth game overall. Set at a sister location of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria called Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental, players control a new employee who must perform maintenance work while defending themselves from a set of murderous animatronics. The gameplay in Sister Location differs significantly from the previous Five Nights at Freddy's games in that it grants players mobility between rooms where tasks are completed.

<i>Blair Witch</i> (video game) 2019 video game

Blair Witch is a survival horror video game developed by Bloober Team based on the Blair Witch series of horror films. It was published by Lionsgate Games for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass on August 30, 2019. The game is set in 1996, two years after the events of The Blair Witch Project. The game follows former police officer Ellis Lynch as he joins the search in Black Hills Forest for a missing boy. The game was later ported to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Oculus Quest & Quest 2 and Amazon Luna throughout 2019–21.

<i>Poppy Playtime</i> 2021 episodic survival horror video game

Poppy Playtime is an episodic survival horror video game series first developed and published in 2021 by American indie developer Mob Entertainment. The game is set in the fictional toy-making company named Playtime Co. The player controls a retired employee who receives a note inviting them back to the abandoned toy factory after the company's staff mysteriously disappeared. In the game, the player navigates through a first-person perspective and must solve puzzles, such as requiring a gadget named the GrabPack, to progress while avoiding various monsters in the factory.

<i>Amanda the Adventurer</i> Video game series

Amanda the Adventurer is a horror video game series developed by MANGLEDmaw Games and published by DreadXP, the video game publishing arm of Dread Central. The series started as an entry into a game jam and was developed into a full game after it was acquired by DreadXP. The game's latest release is titled Amanda The Adventurer 2.

References

  1. 1 2 "Tattletail™ – Ben Esposito".
  2. Smith, Terrence J. (December 13, 2023). "Horror Games Set Around Christmas". Game Rant.
  3. Wright, Autumn (December 29, 2022). "Ben Esposito was tired of 'wholesome' video games. Enter 'Neon White'". The Washington Post.
  4. "Tattletail on Steam". store.steampowered.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-02. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  5. Frank, Allegra (28 December 2016). "Tattletail looks like every '90s kid's worst nightmare". Polygon. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. Sykes, Tom (31 December 2016). "Tattletail is a horror game about a creepy talking toy". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  7. 1 2 Frank, Allegra (2016-12-28). "Tattletail looks like every '90s kid's worst nightmare". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-06-16.
  8. D'Anastasio, Cecilia (December 29, 2016). "Furby Horror Game Captures The Terror Of Owning A '90s Robo-Pet". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  9. "Ben Esposito's web site". Torahhorse.com. Ben Esposito. Archived from the original on 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
  10. "Tattletail Review". GameSpew. 16 January 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2017-01-18.
  11. "Tattletail on Steam". Steam. Valve. Archived from the original on 2018-06-26. Retrieved 2018-06-25.