Tandem emerges from shadows on PC and consoles

Written by Peter Mattsson — October 21, 2021 at 10:43

Adventure games are traditionally solo affairs, but some involve elements of cooperative puzzle solving between multiple characters to succeed. French developer Monochrome has made this dual-character element the primary gameplay focus in their newly released Tandem: A Tale of Shadows, in which shadows can be platforms and gravity is in the eye of the beholder. There's a magical mansion to explore in its surreal Victorian-era world, and it's down to a little girl and a bear to uncover its secrets.

Ten-year-old Emma is fascinated by magic and magicians, particularly the illustrious Kane family. When the Kanes' only son Thomas suddenly vanishes, Emma can't help but head for their home – a gloomy gothic manor on the outskirts of London – to investigate. Meanwhile, Fenton, a charming fellow of the teddy bear persuasion, is rudely awakened when the wagon conveying him to the Kane mansion unexpectedly bounces him into the rain-soaked streets. Only by teaming up can he and Emma sneak through the gates and into the house, determined to face the dangers that await in order to find Thomas.

Presented in a stylish steampunk aesthetic with a dark fairy-tale soundtrack reminiscent of a Tim Burton film, Tandem sees the unlikely heroic duo tackle over forty puzzles spread across five increasingly weird settings, as well as attempt to outwit "mechanical toy-like enemies and bosses." (Don't worry, though: Emma isn't keen on combat, relying on wits to survive instead.) Obstacles revolve around the ways Emma and Fenton can work together to explore their strange but opulent surroundings. The action is viewed from the top when players control Emma, allowing her to use her lantern and other objects to cast shadows that Fenton (who walks on the walls in side-scrolling fashion) can use as platforms to reach places Emma can't even see. Where Emma looks around at polished wood and richly patterned coloured rugs, Fenton's view of the same scene is all shadows and dark silhouettes – and buttons and levers and other triggers that will enable Emma to progress past obstacles on the ground below.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is available now for Windows PC on Steam, GOG and the Epic Games Store, along with console versions for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch on their respective download portals.