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IGDB rating82 / 100
Main story8.5h
Released2013
PlatformsPC (Microsoft Windows) · PlayStation 3

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The Wolf Among Us is set in the year 1986, nearly twenty years before the events of Fables. For years, many of the magical lands described in myth, legend, and folklore (known as The Homelands) have been occupied by an enigmatic tyrant known as the Adversary. To escape the Adversary's totalitarian regime, many of The Homelands inhabitants fled to colonial America, and created an enclave known as Fabletown, now located in modern-day Manhattan. To mask their presence from the native humans, all non-human fables have to purchase an enchantment known as a "glamour" which allows them to appear human, or be relocated to a rural community known as "The Farm". An evolution of Telltale's ground-breaking choice and consequence game mechanics will ensure the player learns that even as Bigby Wolf, Sheriff of Fabletown, life in the big bad city is bloody, terrifying and dangerous.

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CheckpointDB Spotlight

Spotlight on The Wolf Among Us

story-forwardgenre gatewaycomfort replaymystery-archaeologyMysteriousLonelyTense

A brilliant, neon-drenched fairy tale detective noir narrative. The Wolf Among Us couples branching choice-driven dialogues and strict time-limited decision parameters with a spectacular cell-shaded art direction.

The Wolf Among Us is a brilliant, highly atmospheric narrative adventure game set in a dark, neon-drenched 1980s New York City where mythical fairy tale characters survive in a hidden community called Fabletown. You play as Bigby Wolf (the Big Bad Wolf), Fabletown's sheriff, investigating a series of gruesome murders. The core gameplay loop focuses on cinematic, choice-driven narrative exploration: players investigate crime scenes, cross-examine suspects using branching dialogue trees, and complete quick-time event action combat sequences (dodge-swings, physical hits). The game's primary mechanical signature is its strict, time-limited decision parameters: your dialogue choices and investigative paths dynamically alter companion trust levels, suspect relationships, and narrative outcomes, forcing players to act on gut instincts.

Strengths

  • Outstanding, gripping detective noir narrative writing and mature fairy tale lore
  • Superb cell-shaded visual art direction and neon-drenched 1980s atmosphere
  • Branching dialogue choice reactivity that genuinely alters companion relationships

Caveats

  • Lacks active gameplay control, relying heavily on simple quick-time event sequences
  • The physical investigation segments feature highly linear and basic point-and-click tasks

Context

Developed by Telltale Games and released episodically in 2013-2014, based on Bill Willingham's Fables comic book series. It won widespread critical acclaim, praised by critics for its mature writing, spectacular neon noir visual aesthetic, and gripping narrative tension.

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Core fitAdventure › Point-and-Click
Commitment8.5h main path · HLTB
Series contextFables

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