Tangle Tower

Tangle Tower is a hand-drawn detective adventure by SFB Games. Detective Grimoire and his companion Sally travel to a peculiar estate to solve the murder of Freya Fellow. A figure in a painting seems to be connected to the crime.

Instead of combat, conversations, found objects and puzzles take center stage. The investigations lead through the rooms of two families, whose residents tell different stories.

Tangle Tower first released on Apple Arcade on September 19, 2019. The PC and Nintendo Switch versions followed on October 22, 2019. On October 6, 2021, the game came out for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Since September 2023, Tangle Tower has also been available as a standalone purchase for iOS and Android. This smartphone release is not the same as the original Apple Arcade offering.

The adventure has been released for PC with Windows and macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS and Android. Nintendo lists TV, tabletop and handheld modes plus touchscreen controls for the Switch version.

The PS4 version can be played on a PS5 via backward compatibility. On Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox One version can be used. This does not result in separate versions for the newer consoles.

The investigations consist of three interconnected tasks: examine rooms closely, compare witness statements and use the clues you gather in puzzles. A suspicious object can only gain meaning once a later conversation reveals new details.

The focus is on deduction rather than skill. The layout of the rooms and the different residents invite you to revisit locations several times.

A separately available original soundtrack exists for the PC version. The album contains the game's music and does not change the investigations or the plot.

The Windows version requires, according to Steam, at least an Intel Core i3 or comparable processor, 2 GB RAM, Intel HD graphics and 550 MB free storage. The store lists Windows 7 as the game's minimum technical requirement, but also notes that the Steam client has required Windows 10 or newer since 2024.

For macOS, Steam lists at least macOS 10.12, likewise 2 GB RAM and 550 MB storage.

Freya Fellow was killed in the top part of Tangle Tower. The investigators come across a strange depiction of an armed figure who appears to be the obvious suspect. This raises questions that Grimoire and Sally pursue throughout the estate.

The residents are related to one another, at odds, or connected in other ways. Which statements fit together only becomes clear after several interviews.

The characters are fully animated and speak with their own English voice acting. Even seemingly minor conversations piece together information about the relationships in the house.

German on-screen text makes the investigation easier, but the voices remain in English.

Tasks range from examining individual objects to combining several clues. Once you have understood a statement, you can compare it with observations from other rooms. Many puzzles are therefore closely tied to the case, rather than appearing as detached mini-games.

Tangle Tower is a single-player adventure. In the Switch's handheld mode, the game supports the touchscreen. On PC and console, clues are examined using the respective input controls.

An online multiplayer mode is not part of the game.

The locations are digitally painted. Light, colors and striking interior details give each room its own identity. Added to this is an original soundtrack with an orchestral character that accompanies the calmer investigations and surprising twists.