Tavern Tale makes your favorite fairy tales even better by sticking a sword into them

This is going to sound odd out of context, but I really enjoy it when someone takes a fairytale and then adds swords. TV series like Grimm and Once Upon a Time spring to mind, Kingdom Hearts with the Disney stories; still mad they closed Union X. Now we can add ChillyRooms Tavern Tale to that list, a new game for mobile devices.

We start where every good adventure begins: the pub. Yes, your favourite fairy tale heroes are rampant alcoholics, apparently, sorry to break it to you. Ran by Hank and his dwarven friends, this will be your home base between battles, and you can update it as you take your heroes to strike back against the evil witch. There is always an evil witch.

This particular witch seems to really enjoy a good Rubik's Cube, and thus, has sealed the entire world in a cube. Worse still, she has released hordes of evil beings to do her cube-based bidding. The only ones who can restore the world are adorably miniature fantasy-inspired heroes, such as Snow, The Red Hood, and Master Otto. 

Combat takes place on a grid, but unlike most RPG grids, you aren’t stuck in turn-based combat. Fights unfold in a surprisingly fast-paced action-RPG fashion, with you running around, throwing off spells, dodging wide-ranging attacks, and inevitably dying. Because, as is increasingly the case, this is a roguelike. 

Or roguelike-adjacent might be a better way to put it. You still have an RPG progression element, such as equipment, magic paths, and starstones to increase your hero's power for the next run. And after every run, you will return to the tavern to push the story along, and kick back with your favourite characters from fairytales.

Tavern Tale is available to download from the App Store and Google Play.