Runaway, The Dream of The Turtle
Runaway, The Dream of The Turtle
Game
Game2011
Runaway: A Twist of Fate
Developer Pendulo Studios
Runaway: A Twist of Fate is a 2009 graphic adventure game developed by the Spanish company Pendulo Studios and published by Focus Home Interactive. It is the third entry in the Runaway franchise. The game follows series protagonists Brian Basco and Gina Timmins as they seek to clear Brian's name of a murder. Taking control of both characters, the player explores the game world, collects items, solves puzzles and… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
190 reactions from 3 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Nov 4, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
86
LovedLoved
131 positive · 22 negative
95% range 79–90%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 131 | 22 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Mastodon * | 0 | 0 | 10 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
145 of 167 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
86% recommend · 134 yes, 22 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 156 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Very Positive (411 of 460 positive).
Some reviewers note the game is shorter than its predecessors but provides a satisfying conclusion. [1][2][3] Several players appreciate the addition of a hotspot button and hint system, reducing frustration. [4][5][6]
Liked
Representative posts
- [12]
Like so many others, I wish there was a thumb-sideways recommendation. This game has a lot going for it, and it is certainly not a "bad" game....there were just too many niggling issues that added up to a generally poor impression for me. Pros - Good graphics - Good music - Good dialogue (well, it's not exceptional, but it's not awful either) - Smooth interface Cons - Puzzles are occasionally obtuse and/or rely on …
- [8]
Runaway: A Twist of Fate concludes the Runaway trilogy, giving it a worthy ending. There are already plenty of good reviews, so I'll just leave some short remarks. As for the trilogy, this is by far it's best part. Part 1 had absolutely awful puzzles, while Part 2 although it had better puzzles, lacked pacing and failed in the story (telling) department. A Twist of Fate furthermore increased the puzzle quality and …
- [10]
Short version: 79% Runaway 3 decided to do a 180° turn and focus on a gritty, realistic story and complex, but solvable puzzles, while leaving the vivid colours behind. If you enjoyed the craziness of the first two games for some reason, you may be appalled how “normal” this one is. Long version: Runaway: A Twist of Fate feels almost like as if it isn’t even the part of the same series ‘The Dream of the Turtle’ was. …
- [16]
What a great comeback! Honestly, after absolutely horrible 2nd game, I didn't expect that this serie may ever recover, but nevertheless, here we are. Developers admited that the 2nd game was bad, they knew why it was bad and they really did a damn good job to correct all these mistakes. I'd say, at some aspects they even overdid. It is especially noticeably how they adressed all the issues if you play this game …
- [1]
Verdict ✅ Recommended A really nice finale to the Runaway trilogy. Short, but it wraps the series in a satisfying way. Personal context ⏱️ Finished once on Steam in about 5 hours. 🕰️ I also played it around release (around 2009), but I did not finish it back then. ⚙️ Unlike Runaway 1 and 2, the settings/compatibility were way less annoying here. Who this is for 🎯 Play this if you like: classic point-and-click …
Summarised from 34 of the 182 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
Players who liked Runaway: A Twist of Fate talk about beautiful hand-drawn backgrounds and animation; those who didn't talk about some puzzles are still vague or illogical. Which matters more to you?
Critics, per Wikipedia
In March 2010, ABC reported that sales of the Runaway series—including A Twist of Fate—had risen to 1.5 million units worldwide. According to GfK, A Twist of Fate proceeded to sell another 11,348 full-price copies in Spain within roughly 18 months, at a retail price of €20. The game received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, as calculated by Metacritic. This made A Twist of Fate the site's highest-scoring Pendulo game at the time, and HobbyConsolas reported that it was still one of the highest-rated Spanish games on Metacritic by 2017. The DS version received "mixed or average reviews", according to Metacritic.
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 190 · most liked firstWow, looking back my other reviews for the prior installations of the series - Runaway: A Road Adventure and Runaway: Dream of the Turtle - and comparing, my jaw dropped for this one. The last time that I checked, Runaway series were a train wreck consisting of badly scrambled plots, annoying character stereotypes and painfully complicated gameplay. Playing the third and the last game in the series - Runaway: A Twist of Fate - I'd like to ask an obvious question: what is this wondrously…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New convention! We will be guests at Southeast Game Exchange in Greenville, South Carolina July 17th-19th! We'll be performing The Runaway Guys: Thrown Controllers, schedule will be posted at a later date. Info at www.southeastgameexchange.com
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm in Fourside atm and I just got the Runaway Five out of another jam. This game rules after you get past the punishing beginning (which is what turned me off of it years ago, it was either Frankie or the cop fight, lol)
positive · AI labelView post →I will be attending Holiday Matsuri in Orlando, FL December 19th-21st and will be on many different shows! Among them is our live game show, The Runaway Guys: Thrown Controllers! Please check the website for badges and schedules as they become available! holidaymatsuri.com
neutral · AI labelView post →Runaway: A Twist of Fate concludes the Runaway trilogy, giving it a worthy ending. There are already plenty of good reviews, so I'll just leave some short remarks. As for the trilogy, this is by far it's best part. Part 1 had absolutely awful puzzles, while Part 2 although it had better puzzles, lacked pacing and failed in the story (telling) department. A Twist of Fate furthermore increased the puzzle quality and the puzzles became a mostly natural part of the story. Setting, story, dialogue,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New convention! The three of us will be guests at Southeast Game Exchange in Greenville, South Carolina July 17th-19th! We'll be performing The Runaway Guys: Thrown Controllers, schedule will be posted at a later date. Info at www.southeastgameexchange.com
neutral · AI labelView post →Runaway lovers in Space. Haven may forever be my comfort game
positive · AI labelView post →Overview: Third Person Point and Click Adventure The Good: +Beautiful hand drawn backgrounds that really sell the atmosphere. The animation and art style is equally impressive. +The story is more subdued than the previous entry making it slightly more believable and fun. The story is told both in the present and through flashbacks which makes things a bit more interesting. + FINALLY the developers added a hotspot button so that you can see what items are important. No longer do you have…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →My Playtime: 6h (finished the game) Intro Runaway: A Twist of Fate is the third title of the [url=https://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=Runaway&developer=Pendulo+Studios]Runaway series, a point-and-click trilogy about a couple named Brian and Gina. In this episode, you'll find a way to rescue Brian and save the couple from the trouble that they encountered. This game is divided into six chapters with different playable characters from time to time. Pros: - Hint system - A lot of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Like so many others, I wish there was a thumb-sideways recommendation. This game has a lot going for it, and it is certainly not a "bad" game....there were just too many niggling issues that added up to a generally poor impression for me. Pros - Good graphics - Good music - Good dialogue (well, it's not exceptional, but it's not awful either) - Smooth interface Cons - Puzzles are occasionally obtuse and/or rely on outer-space logic. This is a common flaw in…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Runaway: A Twist of Fate, is the third and final (as of right now) entry into the Runaway game trilogy. The story, while leaping ahead a bit in time from the cliffhanger ending of Runaway: Dream of the Turtle, can be considered a direct sequel since it wraps up the events from that game. If you have played either of the other two games, which is recommended if you want to know the full story, then you will be familiar with the control scheme. This is a point and click adventure, with the left…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It worked I'm designing a new fighting game OC and filling in the "Runaway" character type (See: Vega/Claw)
neutral · AI labelView post →The twist is that they somehow fixed the series, but was it just in time? Firstly, Runaway: A Twist of Fate is the third and latest entry in the Runaway series, the point-and-click adventure series by Pendulo Studios where you follow Brian Basco - a shy physics nerd turned into a confident adult capable to stand up for himself - and his attractive girlfriend, Gina Timmins, in their Hollywood-like adventures which take some evident inspirations from a couple of known classics, like Broken Sword…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I Must have missed something along the way, because when this game came along I was all psyched for the continuation of the series. A point and click adventure puzzle game series with a nice complex plot that felt like someone's imagination had runaway with them (with a nice sci/fi twist that kept you guessing.) Then came this game. Essentially, this game says: Nope! Sorry. We made up the other two. They were interpretive fantasies of the main character. Nothing actually happened the way…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Good Point and Click, you should play the previous games before this one or you'll miss most of the story and references.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Queer & Pleasant Strangers - Fantastic Runaway Catapult In this episode: Rift of the Necrodancer Companion The Adventure Zone - The Suffering Game Graphic Novel Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor and more. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l6E...
neutral · AI labelView post →This game is a bit dated, having been release back in 2009. So I will discuss both what it was at the time of release, and how it plays in 2023. A bit of history... Mid-1990s were the heyday of point & click adventure games, or "quests" as they're sometimes called. They were in fact so popular, that in the late 1990s they were the pioneers of the FMV gaming, with Hollywood budgets for the top tier games. However as the 1990s were coming to an end, a new trend in gaming in general started to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Short version: 79% Runaway 3 decided to do a 180° turn and focus on a gritty, realistic story and complex, but solvable puzzles, while leaving the vivid colours behind. If you enjoyed the craziness of the first two games for some reason, you may be appalled how “normal” this one is. Long version: Runaway: A Twist of Fate feels almost like as if it isn’t even the part of the same series ‘The Dream of the Turtle’ was. It even starts by stating almost none of the events of the previous game ever…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The Runaway Bride of Nocturna! 🩷💜 We’re an upcoming Roblox game, check us out! #roblox #robloxdev
neutral · AI labelView post →SCHOOLBIRD RUNAWAY? HAPPY THICK THURSDAY NEW GAME NIGHT live now! www.twitch.tv/spowte
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm an ENORMOUS fan of the PICO-8, and I also really enjoy chiptunes and people that make music for game systems, so it's funny I've never shared my two fave PICO-8 music carts! Beautiful Runaway: www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=121... And Aura Power: www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?tid=50291
neutral · AI labelView post →Escape from Vlogger: Runaway D one Games. Steam disclosure -y
neutral · AI labelView post →And a lot of casual games: •Hidden Runaway - HOG based on Runaway: A Road Adventure myabandonware.com/game/hidden-... •More HOGs: Nightmare Realm myabandonware.com/game/nightma... 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea myabandonware.com/game/20-000-... (Also check the earlier post bsky.app/profile/myab...)
neutral · AI labelView post →Review - Runaway: A Twist of Fate "Totally brings back the TWIST of fate of the trilogy." Runaway: A Twist of Fate is a classic point n' click game and the third and final installment of the Runaway Trilogy. After a big disappointment to Runaway - Dream of the Turtle, Twist of Fate brings back the mystery and action that Runaway - A Road Adventure had. The graphics and art have been improved and cinematics are much much better than the first two. Twist of Fate makes up for the fails of Dream…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →229. We desperately needed a palette cleanser so we also watched Runaway Brain, the mid-90s Mickey Mouse short, which was far better. I've watched it before so here's my old review for it letterboxd.com/cckirby/film...
neutral · AI labelView post →I'll try most all "puzzle" games in the quest to find something akin to Myst. This is just awful to the point where I quit. Did not find any puzzles. No logic at all in the things you had to do. Another bad, combine everything and exhaust all conversations game. Being told 'naa' to what is actually a fine idea grates very quickly. Having previously played Deponia, at least combining things and actions resulted in some tongue in cheek feedback and a reason why that won't work. Why can nobody…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent animation/visuals and great voice acting. Endearing characters with funny dialog really colors this game and makes the experience a lot of fun.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Humorous point-and-click adventure game where you explore locations, solve puzzles, and help Gina unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of Brian, who has been accused of murder ✅Its a point-and-click game,my favorite game genre <3 ✅Solid conclusion to the trilogy that ties up loose ends from previous installments and brings everything together into a cohesive whole ✅Improved audiovisuals: attractive 2D graphics with 3D animations, smoother animation, good voice acting, and an…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Verdict ✅ Recommended A really nice finale to the Runaway trilogy. Short, but it wraps the series in a satisfying way. Personal context ⏱️ Finished once on Steam in about 5 hours. 🕰️ I also played it around release (around 2009), but I did not finish it back then. ⚙️ Unlike Runaway 1 and 2, the settings/compatibility were way less annoying here. Who this is for 🎯 Play this if you like: classic point-and-click adventures, finishing a trilogy properly, and story-focused games you can beat in…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm loving this silly game Only One Bed: 10/10 Protector x Protected: 8/10 Snowed In: 10/10 Best Friend's Sibling: 2/10 Runaway Bride/Groom: 7/10 Love at First Sight: 1/10 Beauty & the Beast (Dynamic): 8/10 Last to Know: 9/10 Unrequited Love: 0/10 Good Grovel: 1/10
neutral · AI labelView post →What a great comeback! Honestly, after absolutely horrible 2nd game, I didn't expect that this serie may ever recover, but nevertheless, here we are. Developers admited that the 2nd game was bad, they knew why it was bad and they really did a damn good job to correct all these mistakes. I'd say, at some aspects they even overdid. It is especially noticeably how they adressed all the issues if you play this game right after the 2nd one (if you did not - do not). How they mocked their own…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Oh boy... Where do I start... I love this game, I feel like it's the perfect end to the trilogy, unfortunately... I do have some issues with it. First of all... Brian's new voice doesn't feel right, it's just annoying and personally I don't like it. This has some plot spoilers, my personal issues with some of the stuff in the game> I would like to know how Tarantula got the freaking Trantonite. O'Connor is a moron but he would not just give it to her without the password. And even if she…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Great game if you can finish it, but it keeps crashing at the same point in chapter 4 where the dialogue keeps repeating itself over and over and i have to either start from the beginning or my last save point at the start of chapter 2 even though when i choose my profile at the start it says chapter 4 next to my name, yet it won't let me load to that point. A fix to this error would make this game something that i could recommend.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Excellent, more adventure games need to get ideas from this company.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A fun and lovely looking adventure to be sure, packed full of Pendulo's signature bizarre characters. That said, this final game of the Runaway trilogy has considerably scaled back that casual, oneiric insanity that made The Dream of the Turtle so wonderful -- and as a great lover of pleasantly mad things, I find that ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ tragic. Also, A Twist of Fate is about half as long as that game. No, I still recommend this . . . I just can't comprehend what made Pendulo choose "good" over…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →ROUND THREE!! I'm loving this silly game too 💚 Only One Bed: 1BILLION/10 Protector x Protected: 7/10 Snowed In: 8/10 Best Friend's Sibling: 3/10 Runaway Bride/Groom: 7/10 Love at First Sight: 5/10 Beauty & the Beast (Dynamic): 7/10 Last to Know: 9/10 Unrequited Love: 0/10 Good Grovel: 0/10
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm loving this silly game (me too!) Only One Bed: 10/10 Protector x Protected: 10/10 Snowed In: 10/10 Best Friend's Sibling: 6/10 Runaway Bride/Groom: 5/10 Love at First Sight: 5/10 Beauty & the Beast (Dynamic): 6/10 Last to Know: 7/10 Unrequited Love: 0/10 Good Grovel: 0/10
neutral · AI labelView post →Note that for some reason "Runaway City" links to the wrong game so here's the direct link to that one (NSFW): retro.jastusa.com/runaway-city/
neutral · AI labelView post →This third part redeems the Runaway trilogy. The first was a competent but old-style point-and-click; second was the same old-style but narratively not so competent; this third one is not old-style and very competent. Adds in a hotspot key to forego pixel hunting, and avoids many of the "same action on the same object at different times makes for different result" issues of the first two. Or, well, seemingly the most annoying ones in any case; I didn't much mind it here. Good fun and one of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Introduction Runaway: A Twist of Fate is a point and click adventure and a third game in the Runaway series. The game breaks the pattern of the series by being an actually good game. What's great is that it doesn't require you to play previous parts, because you can get a recap in game and the dialogue provides you with all the needed information. Pros & Cons Pros: + Engaging story with actually funny jokes this time + Interesting puzzles that rely more on the real-life logic + Hint system…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Last entry of Runaway deals with troublesome story telling of second game and throws it into a bit confusing package at start which makes you wonder what the heck has happened between there and here, but in the end it throws things into slots and makes story sensible enough. Brian has once again changed and he sounds not like himself when talking, but guess the lunatic speak style was kinda needed. He comes off this time bit wacko vs before nerdy and frat guy versions. Gina also have got and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Runaway: A Twist of Fate The very end of an insane journey filled with riddles, soldiers, aliens and vodoo. Sidenote: I am recommending this game but read along for the exact reason why I am giving this a thumb down anyways Our hero Brian Basco got imprisoned for the murder of the paragon General Kordsmeier. He was brought to an asylum after the arguments of a seemingly villainous psychologist. Funny enough that that actually saved his and Ginas life it turns out that he is the only one to…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is an interesting looking point and click adventure game, but the fixed resolution makes everything look fuzzy on displays above 1080p.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Third and last episode of the Runaway series and by far the easiest one. It took me about 7 hours to finish it, and I am no expert of Point & Click games, quite the opposite. I got stuck only a couple of times, and I could easily find a solution in 15 minutes maximum. A new feature helps a lot: using F2 all the active elements on the scene will appear. No more risks of not seeing an object somewhere. Also, if you use F1 there is an internal help system, DO NOT use it or it will be even…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Dear God!? this was meant to be the one tjhat made the others worth playing - it's not, it's the worst of the the three. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ bloody awful and possibly the worst PnC series I'v e ever had the misfortune to buy, Whilst I kind of enjoyed part of the first two, my recommendation is to avoid all of them based on the travesty that is this one
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Acts like you have a choice to change things but there is only one real way to choose if you want to progress.. I may play through it for fun but its nothing like the trailer made it out to be..
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →It was a really good adventure game. I loved the first game, the second one was a bit buggy but this time they nailed it. Great animations, good story and fun dialogs. I definitely recommend it.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This was surpisingly pretty good once I figured out how to get the video to work (bug if you have multiple screens, hit Ctr-alt-delete and then click the cancel button). Story was entertaining and the puzzles were interesting. There is even help (F1) if you get stuck.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I think it's the easiest of the trilogy. the new hot spot system makes sure you don't miss anything in a room. If you really stuck there is a clue system inside the game which gives clues as simple riddles so that you don't feel too bad for seeking help. The game looks very nice. The plot is not what you'd expect after runaway 2 but i enjoyed it nonetheless.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A perfect ending to the Runaway series, this is the best Runaway in the trilogy. I absolutely love the story and visuals in this game. I am really going to miss the Runaway games, they were great adventures.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the third game in the Runaway series, instead of playing as Brian you start off playing as Gina. Personally this one was my favorite game of the series but my least favorite Brian of the series but it's understandable seeing as what he went through I guess. It has a couple of new features over the other two like hotspots and hints. Hotspots point out everything on the screen that can be investigated or used which can be useful if you are blind like me. Hints are just as they sound...…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Finished the trilogy :) Great trilogy, easy enough, many laughs, great art, nice plot. Maybe the last chapter is the best of the three but can't really say it. Second chapter ends with a cliffhanger. 80/100
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is the game where Pendulo really started to find their feet in making a good adventure game. Most of the parts of the game that are weak are actually from trying to support things from Runaway 1 and 2. Gina and Brian co-star in this game that begins with Brian's funeral with flashbacks discovering just how our hero ended up where he did. With a doubleclick speed-walk system and a hint system that's actually fun to use (and yes, I did use it a couple of times), Pendulo have learned from…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The final part of the three part series of Runaway. As always it's quite funny and easy to get sucked into it, however the problem I had with it was the catch up from the last game when you learn everything was done a little too fast and changed the voice for Brian Basco and a few others (I don't know for what reason) and it's REALLY noticeable, as if the guy wasn't even trying to imitate the previous voice actor's way of speaking or tone of voice at all. Quite disappointing on the voice side…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →JonTron is creating a lesser Game Grumps, which as we all know is a lesser The Runaway Guys
neutral · AI labelView post →“It's not easy doing this every single day... and getting a reaction.” ~Roman Reigns Mistakes. It sucks making 'em. Especially when it's about public stuff and there's no way to pretend they never happened. There's also a good thing, though—the fact that we can learn from them. The biggest problem with Runaway 2 was that Pendulo didn't learn from the things they did wrong in the first one. Puzzles became more confusing, pixel hunting became crazy (which was a huge problem on the Nintendo Wii,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →For a series forgotten to time, in a genre that was in its last few breaths, it was truly inevitable that everything would have to come to an end. Thankfully for Runaway, the series ended at its peak. Picking up from where the... divisive Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle left off, Runaway: A Twist of Fate sees Brian defending himself against a murder charge. The murder of the previous game's secondary antagonist, Colonel Kordsmeier! Brian recounts what happened in Dream of the Turtle, but it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Seems like a nice game, but it just doesn't run for me. I can't tab out (it instantly crashes) and I can't play for too long because that, too, leads to crashes. Combined with the fact of missing (or very far spread, I never reached any before crashing) auto-saves, I'm just not willing to play the first 30 minutes of the game for a third time.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After playing the original Runaway game and deeming it a flop due to it's utterly illogical puzzle logic (or lack thereof) I didn't expect too much from this game. But what do you know - it's amazing! I believe this installment is the origin of the funky tone that prevails throughout this and all later games by Pendulo Studios. Tasteful humor, decent puzzles, amusing characters, lots of real world references, beautiful cartoonish art, great music score and a character that you can call who'll…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Final (and the most critically acclaimed) part of the Runaway series. Gorgeous visuals, thrilling narrative infused with comedy and nicely balanced puzzles make it a memorable, top-notch point’n’click. It is quite unwise to try and sum up the plot of the “Twist of Fate”, mostly because it’s full of – shocking! – twists. It starts in medias res with an unexpected set-up, carries on with Brian and Gina’s adventures (in alternating chapters) that are full of plot turns you’ll never see coming,…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
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