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Game
Game2026
A Storied Life: Tabitha
Developer Lab42
A Storied Life: Tabitha is a 2026 puzzle video game developed by Lab42 and published by Secret Mode. The game was released for PC, MacOS, and Nintendo Switch on April 14, 2026. Set in North Yorkshire, the game follows the unnamed beneficiary of a recently deceased woman named Tabitha, who must clear her country home and reconstruct her damaged memoirs from the possessions she left behind. The gameplay combines… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
67 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 9, 2026 · last updated Oct 11, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
78
LovedLoved
35 positive · 10 negative
95% range 64–87%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 35 | 10 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 9 | 0 | 13 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mostly Positive
35 of 45 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
80% recommend · 35 yes, 9 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 44 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (66 of 84 positive).
Some reviewers note the game is short and overpriced for its content. [1][2][3] Several players found the lack of guidance and weight limits frustrating. [4][5][6]
Liked
Representative posts
- [4]
Mixed review on this to be honest. The positives: A nice concept, where you go through rooms in a house and discard 99% of items, but hunt for three 'thematic' items to pack and take with you. Each item in the room has a series of words associated with it, and you use these words to write a memoir for the deceased resident of the house you're ransacking. Along the way, you sell one or two items simply to raise money …
- [7]
I had a good time with this game, with a few caveats! I'm also writing this review having completed the game once in "cosy" mode, so can't speak to it except through that lens. Positives - this game looks lovely and is packed with charm. The rooms feel thoughtful and intentional and I can feel the love poured into the designs of all the different objects and the storytelling told through them. I enjoyed the basic …
- [1]
Is it cozy? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes. BUT NOT FOR THE PRICE. I paid 50% off at $~7.50, GET IT FOR LESS. Not even 4 hours of content in the initial playthrough (I'm not the type to replay.) It is very wholesome and well told imo, I got really sentimental throwing things away T_T & felt like I got to know Tabitha through taking care of her things, I really like this idea through other characters, the Devs could …
- [13]
Schrodinger's Grandma: The Game! What an interesting reversal of unpacking/packing games this is! You play as a girl/young woman cleaning out the house of a recently deceased friend. Each chapter is a different room, and over the course of the game, you go through each of them deciding what to keep, what to throw, and what to donate. You can only take one box of things with you, and you're limited in how much you …
- [8]
I loved this game so much, I'm a big lover of cosy, calm, puzzle games and after playing the demo I couldn't wait until the game was released so I can play this. I'm going to replay this to try and get all the endings! I really recommend this is you're after something relaxing after a stressful day <3 If you like A Little To The Left and Unpacking definitely pick this up.
Summarised from 34 of the 66 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 10, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
A Storied Life: Tabitha sits at 78% positive across 45 opinionated reactions from 2 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
According to the review aggregation website Metacritic, A Storied Life: Tabitha received "mixed or average" reviews, with a score of 70 out of 100 for the Windows version. Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received fair approval, being recommended by 50% of critics. The game's art direction and depiction of Tabitha's home received generally consistent praise. Quinn Collins of Pocket Tactics called the design of the house the game's standout feature, highlighting the interactivity of its drawers and furniture, its logical placement of objects, and its artwork. Collins also praised the soundtrack and described the box-packing gameplay as polished and satisfying. PC…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 67 · most liked firstI had a good time with this game, with a few caveats! I'm also writing this review having completed the game once in "cosy" mode, so can't speak to it except through that lens. Positives - this game looks lovely and is packed with charm. The rooms feel thoughtful and intentional and I can feel the love poured into the designs of all the different objects and the storytelling told through them. I enjoyed the basic idea of the game too - packing up boxes of materials, sifting through what is…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mixed review on this to be honest. The positives: A nice concept, where you go through rooms in a house and discard 99% of items, but hunt for three 'thematic' items to pack and take with you. Each item in the room has a series of words associated with it, and you use these words to write a memoir for the deceased resident of the house you're ransacking. Along the way, you sell one or two items simply to raise money so you can jet off to Cape Verde, or whatever. Your initial playthrough,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is really one of those games where I wish I could rate it "meh" instead of good or bad. It's fine, and I think it would have been better if I had known what to expect, and didn't listen to all the "it'll be fine" text that exists at the beginning of the game. When I went into it, I expected something cozy and chill. The game even gives you the option to turn off the weight limitation. I played one level with them on, decided they were absolutely horrendous, and then turned them off. It…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →100%* Completion Review: (*Currently at 98% achievements as all that's left is to wait for the daily puzzles) I thoroughly enjoyed 'A Storied Life', and I think it has carved a distinct place for itself in the cosy hidden object / (un)boxing niche. The game shares similar DNA to something like Unpacking, with VERY light puzzle / organisation mechanics akin to A Little To The Left. Each room in the house feels unique and lived-in, and for being a relatively contained experience, there is a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Overpriced in terms of the overall experience. Negative: - Not enough to guide the player in the early chapters. - Finding the items in the rooms was too easy. - The story never made me feel interested in the characters. - Trashing something should not be labeled as recycling. Positive: + The weight and size limitations made the game more interesting. + The paintings were beautiful. + Multiple endings. Comments: We build the story of the lady by selecting what to keep. But…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →BONUS Monday Peachy stream!! \o/ 🍑 LIVE → twitch.tv/aurorapeachy ♥ Playing "A Storied Life: Tabitha," a cozy, emotional indie game about remembering a loved one through their treasured belongings 💜 ♥ WISHLIST & DEMO! ➡ store.steampowered.com/app/3749330/... #sponsored
neutral · AI labelView post →Not a big fan of being told by the game that I could have fun picking whatever ad lib options I wanted to complete the memoir and that there are no wrong answers, spending three hours playing the game and fighting to fit items into the box to unlock interesting words, and then getting this kinda crappy rejection letter at the VERY END saying my memoir was all over the place and that I should do better next time. The whole dog leash thing when the character clearly only ever owned a cat…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ICYMI last night, at Gamescom Awesome Indies, we revealed @lab42games.bsky.social's wholesome narrative puzzle game - A Storied Life: Tabitha 📖 Find out more about this beautiful cozy game: store.steampowered.com/news/app/374...
neutral · AI labelView post →Game I directed is shortlisted for 3 TIGA Awards ☺️ (A Storied Life: Tabitha) tiga.org/news/tiga-ga...
positive · AI labelView post →Hetty the Hen has gone missing! There's a generous reward for information on her whereabouts: a Steam Deck OLED 1TB & a copy of A Storied Life: Tabitha on Steam, plus a key for the game on either Steam or Switch for two runners-up... 🧵
neutral · AI labelView post →Release date reveal for A Storied Life: Tabitha, a wholesome narrative puzzle game about the objects we leave behind and the stories they tell. @lab42games.bsky.social Coming 14 April! #indiegames #indiedev #convergenceshowcase
neutral · AI labelView post →most bizarre game of mad libs I've played. I like the puzzle elements but wish we could pack or auction more items in each level. Some of those old tea pots or plants could be rehomed! I guess its a way of letting go of someone's past while keeping other parts?
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I want to like this, but it's too clunky in interface and storytelling to really click for me. -Cannot hit Esc and go to the main menu, leading to me finally just closing the game via the taskbar to escape. -Box weight limits seem really low (4 books in one box? Too heavy! Trash them.) -The menu wheel pop-up of "hover and wait to get a menu" is annoyingly slow and bogs the play down. -Cannot auction more than one item, but can't pack much, so you toss a lot of stuff you'd have saved. -The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My review is more mixed both from cozy gaming and achievement hunting standpoints, but if I had to choose, it's a soft recommend purely for the gameplay concept. (I wish there was a mixed recommend button for Steam.) PROS: - There are two modes of play: one for those who want a relaxed, cozy gameplay, and one for those who want a challenged puzzle gameplay. What I love is that the gameplay mode does not affect earning achievements. - This game makes me think about what I value the most in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I NEED more Games likes this!!! I Hope they make another one like this, and we are seeing the life a completely different person!!! 10 out of 10!!!!!!!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →🔴LIVE NOW: Steam Next Fest Day 1🔴 Today we'll be playing the following demos! Hungry Horrors @clumsybearstudio.com Dice a Million @countlessnights.bsky.social Pipeworks Puzzle @ninesconnect.bsky.social A Storied Life: Tabitha @lab42games.bsky.social Game with Balls @gjverhoeff.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →Is it cozy? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes. BUT NOT FOR THE PRICE. I paid 50% off at $~7.50, GET IT FOR LESS. Not even 4 hours of content in the initial playthrough (I'm not the type to replay.) It is very wholesome and well told imo, I got really sentimental throwing things away T_T & felt like I got to know Tabitha through taking care of her things, I really like this idea through other characters, the Devs could even turn this into a mystery/detective type game with some of the elements of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didn't enjoy the game and ended up returning it. There were not enough instructions for me to go by. I felt like I was flailing around. I also didn't like that certain thing that were clearly not recycle went into the recycle bin. Like wtf?! There needed to be a trash bin for things like sopping wet floor mats and old canes. Next annoying thing was the fact that you could only fit so many keepsakes in the box? Again...tf? Sorry, but if you're cleaning someone's home out, odds are your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The mad lib part hardly works unless you're going for a theme, but isn't the fun of the game picking what you want to keep and trying to make it work in the box? Sometimes even the themed sets don't work in the madlib and the words aren't always interchangable, which kind of defeat the purpose of the mad lib as well. It plays very flawed, although I did enjoy the art style it felt like it needed a lot more polish.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →There was so much I loved about this game. Honestly, I could write a whole paper about it. This is one of my top favorite games right now. One play through was about three hours but there are 8 or 9 endings per play through and each manuscript chapter changes based on the items you pick. It's really cozy, not punishing, and the story is sweet. I'm excited to keep playing and see how the endings change! I can't wait to see more like this!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Storied Life: Tabitha with @wearesecretmode.com is coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam on 14th April! Wishlist now: store.steampowered.com/app/3749330/...
neutral · AI labelView post →Two game announcements in two days 😵 we've been busy! Just revealed in the gamescom Awesome Indies, A Storied Life: Tabitha is a truly beautiful creation. Heartwarming, intriguing, and cosy and heck Give it a Wishlist pls: store.steampowered.com/app/3749330/... #gamescom #indiegames #indiedev
positive · AI labelView post →With a charming art style and an intriguing narrative, this cosy point-and-click puzzle game encourages you to write a story of your own. 📚 Fill in the blanks and unravel the answers hidden across Mrs Kettlewell's memoirs in our review for A Storied Life: Tabitha. www.qualbert.com/reviews/a-st...
neutral · AI labelView post →More interesting in concept than execution I think the idea of trying to understand someone's life purely through what they leave behind is interesting, but the the fact that's done through a madlips manuscript can leave it lacking narrative closure The daily puzzles are fun though and I did enjoy looking for rare item interactions
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I loved this game so much, I'm a big lover of cosy, calm, puzzle games and after playing the demo I couldn't wait until the game was released so I can play this. I'm going to replay this to try and get all the endings! I really recommend this is you're after something relaxing after a stressful day <3 If you like A Little To The Left and Unpacking definitely pick this up.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Started up A Storied Life: Tabithia. Nice cozy game where you choose what to pack and how the story ends #AStoriedLife #Tabithia #NintendoSwitch2
positive · AI labelView post →A Storied Life: Tabitha has a FREE Demo out now! → → bit.ly/AuroraPeachy
neutral · AI labelView post →Still trying to write the gay memoir. Can't believe they let me pack cat doodoo. I'm glad my husband dies.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →such a cozy little game 🥹✨ love how many choices u get and how urdecisions actually shape the story and the characters, it’s super chill, fun to play when u’ve got some free time, and there’s always something to do definitely a 10/10 cozy game if u r into story-driven games with lots of choices, totally recommend giving it a shot! 💗
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm a bit on the fence with this one. The game started out interesting and fun but by chapter 4 or so, I started getting frustrated. You have limited space for the items you want to keep (which eventually will give you content for the memoire's adlibs) and I think the completionist in me was really frustrated over this. I could hardy fit 4 items in the box most times. By the time I was at chapter 6 or so, I just speedran through the game just to finish it. The ending did touch me a bit,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Storied Life: Tabitha is a thoughtful narrative adventure that transforms the simple act of packing away a loved one's belongings into a deeply personal and emotionally engaging experience. Developed by Lab42 and published by Secret Mode, the game centers on preserving the legacy of Tabitha, an author whose unfinished memoir has been damaged after an unexpected accident. Instead of following a conventional adventure filled with action or dramatic conflict, the game invites players to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really enjoy this game! It's relaxing and is built around replayability. I will say not all storylines are weighted equally, especially in regards to the cat lady and crime lord aspects, but people who aren't achievement hunting shouldn't really have a problem with that while mixing and matching elements that entertain them. Casual game play over several sessions will make for a good time for anyone looking for a game to unwind with. The art style in particular really charms me.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Storied Life: Tabitha releases tomorrow: metacritic.com/game/a-stori... "A short but surprisingly powerful experience, delivering an emotional and layered story through a simple concept." - Gameliner
neutral · AI labelView post →Cozy narrative game "A Storied Life: Tabitha" comes to Switch April 14th, 2026 http://gonintendo.com/contents/57961-cozy-narrative-game-a-storied-life-tabitha-comes-to-switch-april-14th-2026 #nintendoswitch #eshop
neutral · AI labelView post →We’re thrilled to have just announced our game A Storied Life: Tabitha at the Gamescom Awesome Indies showcase! It’s a real labour of love for the team at Lab42 and we’re over the moon to be working with our friends @wearesecretmode.com on an original title.
positive · AI labelView post →I hate to rate this way, but to get all the achievements, you have to play the game over and over and over. It got seriously old after the first few times.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →An interesting but unfortunately bogged down experience The overall premise is one you've seen before - clean up after your friend or relative's death, and discover their story through the things left behind. It's a fine game, but it's very slow to progress and the elements just aren't engaging enough to justify the time investment to get all stories and achievements. You basically start the story again with the same levels, layout, etc. and it does get tiring fast. I love the art style but…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Well, I just spent the last few days playing through the game nine different times to see every single "official" version of the story, so I think it's safe to say that I liked it. It's not an especially long game, but that's a good thing, because it's very much designed around replayability. I do think that going in already knowing that it's designed around distinct "themes" tied to sets of items, that when stuck to tell a more intentional story, enhanced my enjoyment early on, instead of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I am enjoying A Storied Life: Tabitha, it is very engaging and I will probably try to 100% it. However, I did feel it was lacking in instruction at the start as I didn't realise you had to theme the manuscripts to make them make sense. Also having the ability to click on an object and go straight to the staging area would be so handy.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really liked the art style of the game and felt the UI is really well animated. We want more games with this vibe!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is a cute and relaxing point-and-click hidden object adventure of packing away objects that are used to finish a memoir. The art is well-drawn and the puzzles are easy to solve. I liked the experiences from the different endings. Its theme is interesting: you don't know a person until you've been in their shoes, yet life is subjectively viewed depending on which memories are focused on.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Schrodinger's Grandma: The Game! What an interesting reversal of unpacking/packing games this is! You play as a girl/young woman cleaning out the house of a recently deceased friend. Each chapter is a different room, and over the course of the game, you go through each of them deciding what to keep, what to throw, and what to donate. You can only take one box of things with you, and you're limited in how much you can donate, which means most things will have to be trashed. It's melancholic,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the best medium to tell a story of your choosing. Unboxing, but reverse, as you're going through memories of another person. The spirit of A little to the left for organization and fitting things together. And mad libs! Forming a story and there's MANY paths than just one. If you like all these things, you should give Tabitha a try!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played the first round on Cozy (limited resources, more stress) and the folllowing rounds on Relaxed. I'm playing through to read the multiple different stories but also because my brain enjoys the puzzle of packing things. PROS: slow paced, very low stress on relaxed mode, fun reading the various stories. CONS: I didn't realize that we're meant to be packing theme-specific items so during my first run, I very seriously thought about what someone's daughter would want to keep and what…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don’t usually play this sort of game, but A Storied Life: Tabitha properly got me. Ended up hooked from start to finish. The music does a lot of the heavy lifting - really sets the tone and pulls you in. Visually it’s great too, just really clean and nice to look at without trying too hard. It all comes together in a way that just feels easy to get lost in. I actually stayed up way too late to finish it, which says everything really. One of those where you think “just a bit more” and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I didnt quite understand the "themes" on my first run, so It seemed a little awkward but still entertaining. Second playthrough, I targeted a theme and it had me surprised and entertained, especially at the end. WONDERFUL game, I hope there are more games like this in the future! I did find a bug! In chapter 14, with the "english" language selected (not northern english) on page 3 there appears to be a missing prompt for one of the pink/dotted words. Its marked with a {p} and does not allow…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Storied Life: Tabitha is out now! Such a beautiful and heartfelt game made with love by the talented team at @lab42games.bsky.social Can you get all the hidden endings?
positive · AI labelView post →If you’ve got a spare few minutes, I recommend watching this video, tied into our game A Storied Life: Tabitha. We have a whole series of Trinkets & Treasures videos about our team’s precious items, a perfect accompaniment to the game. I can’t wait to see the rest of them! ❤️
positive · AI labelView post →Cozy narrative game "A Storied Life: Tabitha" comes to Switch April 14th, 2026: https://gonintendo.com/contents/57961-cozy-narrative-game-a-storied-life-tabitha-comes-to-switch-april-14th-2026 Nothing like snuggling up with a cozy game #switch
neutral · AI labelView post →At 7pm EST, the Demo Dive will be looking at the demo for A Storied Life: Tabitha, a cosy hidden object / organisation game by Lab42. Hope to see you there! www.twitch.tv/ceebee514
neutral · AI labelView post →One of the games I'm most looking forward to Secret Mode publishing is A Storied Life: Tabitha from our friends at @lab42games.bsky.social Every update we've seen, the game just gets better and better. If you're a fan of A Little To The Left or Unpacking, you'll love this! #CozyQuest2025
positive · AI labelView post →A STORIED LIFE: TABITHA (@Lab42Games): A game where you torture yourself over what items to keep, bin or sell whilst guessing what the deceased relative who owned them was like. Word, shape and hidden object puzzles combine in this gorgeously cosy package. store.steampowered.com/app/3749330/...
positive · AI labelView post →I definitely enjoyed this game, it was interesting to piece together all the narratives, both in trying to keep a theme and trying NOT to. I like that you can go back and replay to get different words, and appreciate the prompt to double check what you've got before the story's locked in. And once you've done more then one run, you can still go back and re-write a book now that you know more pieces you can fit together. Would recommend it, especially if you like narrative puzzles like…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This game is a great puzzle game with interesting story that you make yourself along the way... HOWEVER!!! The Foreword Thinking achivement has ruined my perception of the game. As someone who loves 100%ting games and their achivements, this type of "play game for X days" is absolutely the worst! And unlike someone who changes the computers clock to speed up this process, I did this achivement legitemately. I DO NOT RECOMEND DOING IT LEGITEMATELY!!!
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Intriguing little Game I truly had fun playing. I didn't exactly get the outcome I was hoping for, but I am sure I will give it another go at some point to see what else I can come up with. I like the idea that you are pretty much deciding what's important and what is not. Also very nice Artworks, nice atmosphere and for me, completely bug free.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game. I would've not made a mess as my first story if I used a guide but I kept the stuff I wanted and removed the rest as I didn't want to use a guide. I like the story I made though as weird as it was.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love this game!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I do really like this game! it is sweet, and I really like the packing puzzles. HOWEVER - the daily puzzles? I have had four 'level 2' puzzles that are unsolvable. I don't know if it's because I've only done one playthough of the game so maybe some items aren't 'complete' (the unsolved tanagram for instance, I had that one today and I didn't solve it in my playthorugh) or anything else. Nothing was shrinkable in my level 2 daily puzzle today, and each time I have only been able to reinforce…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So fun to play!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Very enjoyable. I had fun doing all the different memoirs. I am missing only one achievement which I have no idea how to get, the Foreword Thinking.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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