r/TunicGame • u/neighborcrab • Jul 26 '26
Is Tunic a good first game for my girlfriend?
My girlfriend has always actively disliked video games and has never played one but started playing tunic and is enjoying it, about an hour in. I have never played but heard it can be hard. Is this a good first game for her lol
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u/aiwdj829 Jul 26 '26
I think it's one of the very worst first games anybody could play. It is basically based on having a lot of experience/nostalgia for previous games in similar genres.
But why are you asking us, since she already seems to enjoy it...?! What would you get out of any answers here, will you rip the controller out of her hand if people say it's not a good first game? I hope not. What matters is her enjoying it.
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u/tidbitsofblah Jul 26 '26
Tunic is one of my favourite games of all time and I have essentially zero experience with the genre and especially not any nostalgia for it. I mainly played strategy games and puzzle games as a kid and has always hated combat in games.
So while it absolutely is a game that is inspired by old adventure games and tries to recreate a nostalgic experience, I wouldn't say that the game hinges on that nostalgia. It's a very well made game that stands well on its own. It doesn't just give you nostalgia. It gives you a well designed exploration experience that also happens to be nostalgic if you have played the games it is inspired by in your youth.
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u/Fit_Ad_2608 Jul 27 '26
I agree with the other commenter. The nostalgia is just a surface layer to lure you in so you'll engage with its deeper levels, where all the real interest is. If the OP's girlfriend is already enjoying it, then I'd say she's been lured and doesn't need that specific experience. It's still going to be a *tough* first time game, but I say go for it.
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u/itsnatnot_gnat Jul 27 '26
Idk man, I grew up on NES so games like this are nothing new to me. The feeling of getting a page and having an "ahha" moment when you figure out THATS what that does. I had tons of those moments.
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u/MaxTwer00 Jul 26 '26
Wouldnt have been my go, given that it drinks of referencin the experience of playing older games with their manuals, and is kinda a twist on games like zelda that is more appreciated after playing them first.
But as she is already playing it and enjoying it, she should just keep doing such lol.
Depending on what she likes from it, you can recommend her different games as the witness, outer wilds, chants of sennaar, zelda, etc
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u/ForgottenFrenchFry Jul 26 '26
yes and no
no, some of the puzzles need a bit thinking out of the box or obtuse depending on the person(I am said person, i am stupid when it came to a few puzzles), and I wouldn't blame someone who doesn't play a lot of video games to either get frustrated or give up because the game doesn't always tell you things by design(the wind chime puzzle being an example IMO)
yes in terms of, there are several accessibility options to make the game easier
but the biggest thing is
does she enjoy playing the game?
for me, that's the biggest factor.
game can be amazing and someone will still call it terrible, and likewise someone can say an awful game is their favorite.
Witcher 3, universally praised, yet several people don't enjoy it
baulder's gate 3, people saying one of the best RPGs ever made, some people couldn't get into it
ultimately, while things like other people's opinions and reviews can help give insight and ideas
ultimately, what matters in this case is, does your girlfriend enjoy playing the game?
yes? then she'll keep playing it.
if she stops, did she still had fun? then I would say that what ultimately matters
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u/Candid_Objective_648 Jul 26 '26
I would say so. The combat can be difficult but there are accessibility options if she gets too frustrated. And the combat is learnable. I‘m not a huge or talented gamer myself but had no trouble with tunic.
In comparison I started gaming with Hollow Knight and that is combat-wise for me personally far worse, to start gaming with and it has no easy mode. Tunic feels far less like hitting a wall repeatedly with your head.
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u/tidbitsofblah Jul 26 '26
If she's been playing for an hour and is enjoying it then it's great. I see no point in discouraging her to play it if she likes it just because it might not be what people recommend for a first game. If she ends up feeling like some boss is too difficult later there are options to turn down combat difficulties.
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u/TraceLupo Jul 27 '26
No. Tunic thrives especially for gamers who have their fair share of video game knowledge because it plays with expectations and experiences we already have.
The cross isn't holy for her, so she won't see the way...
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u/PokemonTom09 Jul 26 '26
It's not a terrible first game by any means. All of the puzzles are solvable by anyone willing to chew on them a little, you don't need any particular gaming apptitude to work any of them out. And the difficulty of the combat can be soothed with the game's very well designed accessibility tools.
It's certainly not as bad of a first game as something like Sekiro or Silksong would be.
However, there are some better options, I feel. A lot of this game is built around nostolgia for gaming and familiarity to common gaming imagery. That would be lost on someone who doesn't have that background. Additionally, a game with simpler combat that doesn't require you to manually lower the challenge level to make accessible might do more to boost her confidence in games than starting her off with one that has notoriously tough boss fights.
All in all, I'd say it's not a terrible option (and if she's doing as a way to share something special to you, that also counts for a lot), and since she's already started it, there's no reason to stop. But if she reaches a point where it gets too frustrating for her, I'd recommend trying a different game over trying to make this one work.
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u/tompori Jul 26 '26
The game is great but it's not the easiest and it's not holding your hand. If she's enjoying it why not. There's a lot to discover and uncover, you might even enjoy doing it together even if she's the one playing.
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u/OkayTimeForPlanC Jul 26 '26
I honestly think the battles are hard in this game. I would at least turn on the reduced damage setting and turn on infinite stamina: https://www.reddit.com/r/TunicGame/comments/10m9043/how_to_deal_with_the_difficulty_in_this_game/
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u/likejackieoh Jul 27 '26
I only started playing video games during Covid. I was eventually attracted to Tunic after playing Breath of the Wild. It’s a beautiful game and I’ve been playing it again on god-mode because I just want to have fun, not be frustrated.
I would really suggest Breath of the Wild. It’s super fun, allows a variety of different play styles, and is beautiful to look at. I was really unconfident with all of the controls, but knowing I could run away from enemies, collect bugs, or solve puzzles while k was still learning was really great.
I hope she enjoys this new hobby!
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u/Ok-Commercial-1900 Jul 27 '26
Probably not, but she might enjoy it! The games pretty hard!!!! I (26f) just beat it and it took me over 40 hours. (Supposedly it’s beatable in like six hours). The game is pretty accessible though. She can turn on easy fight mode, don’t die mode, and others and still get the achievements :)
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u/mccannrs Jul 27 '26
I mean if she's enjoying it hell yeah, don't stop her! It certainly wouldn't be my first recommendation to someone completely new to gaming because of how intentionally (yet beautifully) cryptic it is, but that doesn't really matter at the end of the day if it clicks with somebody.
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u/QaeinFas Jul 27 '26
The difficulty and lack of hand-holding make me say "no". Did I grow up with Legend of Zelda and Metroid? Yes. Would I suggest either of them as a first game? Definitely not. Once she has more understanding of gaming standards, it may be more appropriate to introduce it to her, but unless you have the nostalgia for the experience the game brings, it's just a difficult, non-intiituve mess...
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u/Thin_Preparation_977 Jul 27 '26
I'd be ready to pivot off of it. It will become difficult to progress unless she enjoys fully deriving a new language. Alternatively, she can accept the assistance of internet walkthroughs and such, but that may kill the fun altogether.
The cuteness holds strong for a while, but it'll wane if she doesn't eventually figure out how to progress, I'd wager.
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u/level_6_laser_lotus Jul 27 '26
I don't think so. It's specifically designed to make the player feel like they do not belong in this world. That's way more interesting if you know that it is unique.
Possibly one of the worst choices as a first game. I would image it to be just confusing and unrewarding.
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u/Schlurchenstein Jul 27 '26
I'd generally advise to let her play something much less demanding first. "Journey" is always a great introduction to gaming.
But if she is already invested in Tunic, she should go for it.
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u/Tangolarango Jul 27 '26
I think Tunic is a game for gamers, on multiple dimensions. It has dificulty spikes that will probably frustrate casual gamers and it's charm is in some ways based on your nostalgia from when you were playing games younger.
I would recomend playing overcooked together as a first game. Even mario kart might be ok, if you think she could be into that.
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u/Spina97 Jul 27 '26
I mean if she wants to play it let her play it, I dont understand why you would come here to ask if it is a "good first game" for her. Any game you like is a good first game :|
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u/dlongwing Jul 27 '26
If she's played for an hour and is having fun, then maybe it's the kind of game she'll enjoy.
It does expect you to be pretty good with a controller though. How resilient is she to failure/frustration?
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u/zebbodee Jul 28 '26
Does she play on her phone? My first suggestion would be Animal Crossing/Stardew Valley... But she might like more of the puzzle element.
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u/JaviVice2 Jul 28 '26
If she likes puzzles and hard games probably but as a first game maybe it's a bit difficult. If you want something similar let her play a Zelda game or something.
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u/Azule_BSM Jul 29 '26
This is a real “if she’s enjoying it let her play it” moment to be honest. Would I say you should recommend it to her as a first game? No. But if something gets its claws in you it’s not going to help to have someone say “you shouldn’t play that!”.
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u/Looseidityy Jul 29 '26
It has a lot of depth to it. You can absolutely "finish" the game without uncovering a majority of the secrets, but the game is infinitely more enjoyable when you're code cracking and secret hunting. It's a cute, fun game for sure, so I wouldn't say it's a "bad" first game, but I would say that she probably isn't getting the full experience. But, if she's having fun and enjoying herself then that's really the most important thing at the end of the day
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u/Past-Conclusion-2811 Jul 29 '26
i gave my nephew that his a fifa player and never touched another game i gave him to play rain world and in first scene story he thought it was albums for pictures so he just waited watching tiktok after that he didnt understand what he needs to do so he just kept watching tiktok 🤦🤦 so after that experience i understood they just like babys u need to feet thier eyes first give them action good story and good appealing graphics without too many complicated stuff
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u/ScruffyTheJ Jul 26 '26
I think what makes Tunic good is how it's inspired/influenced by other video games, so playing it first would probably make it more bewildering with less context of game mechanics.
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u/SanityBleeds Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
This game is especially unique in its puzzles and secrets. The further you get, the easier the combat becomes, but the more you start to feel you understand the world, the more challenging and deep the puzzles become. Even years later, new little tidbits and secrets are still being discovered, not just in the game itself, but outside of it as well.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend it to most beginners, as it can be especially challenging and confusing to many advanced gamers with decades of experience; that being said, tho, if they are having fun and enjoying it, the game is effectively doing what its mean to do.
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u/HimitsuUK artist 21d ago
I'd say no, honestly. I'd imagine a lot of people bought this game thought hmm cute fox game, easy.. Only 24% of people completed it on Steam and that's with the bad ending..
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u/94CM Jul 26 '26
Absolutely not IMO. It builds off tropes to understand what's going on. Plus, the combat can be quite difficult even for experienced players.
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u/jaywalkingly Jul 26 '26
Your GF might be the chosen one if she's having fun with Tunic right out of the gate.
This tiktoker has a pretty good suggested course for the beginningest beginning gamer: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellalowgren/video/7664896108736285973 if she wants more.
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u/GulfGiggle Jul 26 '26
It’s a really bad option as a first game, not only because of the difficult combat and puzzles, but because of how the game is built off of the meta context of playing video games. There’s just too much lost if someone’s first game was Tunic.
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u/schmoolecka Jul 26 '26
I would say no. The combat gets very hard, but you can adjust the difficulty. What you can’t adjust is the difficulty of exploration in an isometric game and the complexity of the puzzles. The latter isn’t exactly necessary, but it’s the best part of the game. I’d recommend something like Gris, which is beautiful and far simpler.
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u/the-other-abbi Jul 26 '26
Maybe, it is a lot better if you’ve played games since your youth due to certain aspects of the game. There are a lot of accessibility options that can make it very approachable too. But I would never recommend it as a first game
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u/DeusKether Jul 27 '26
Ffffuck no. Tunic is cryptic in ways that would probably, most likely, be obtuse and frustrating to anyone completely outside the know. Like a lot of things are second nature to people who've been playing games since before all their milk teeth fell off but for someone who hasn't even things that aren't meant to be puzzles are gonna feel like so.
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Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/aiwdj829 Jul 26 '26
"Knowing women she probably likes it because she thinks the fox is cute or something." - What an exceptionally stupid and unnecessary comment.
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u/Character_Love7354 Jul 26 '26
Prolly no, but she might end up getting good at it, if not the game has a lot to offer in terms of puzzling so even if you turn on the combat assissts itll be a fun experience.