The Fable is a manga series that has made quite a name for itself in just over a decade. In 2014, The Fable manga launched a franchise that has become one of the best-selling manga today, with over 25 million copies in circulation. Today, the manga is already on its third series, has received two live-action films, and enjoyed further success with an anime adaptation. The franchise continues to grow in the newest adaptation, a video game called The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike, which is one of the more unique adaptations I’ve seen.
The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike is, as the title implies, a roguelike with some interesting additions. The game lets you play as three different characters from the manga, each with a different playstyle. Combining puzzle game, strategy, deckbuilding, and roguelike elements, this is one of the more memorable video game adaptations I’ve played. This is a work that can mimic the feeling of reading a manga you enjoy, in a way only a video game can. While it has some limitations, the core gameplay loop is one I like, even if it ends a bit too quickly.
What is a Manga Build Roguelike?
The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike is a roguelike about placing manga panels. Everything you do in a fight is determined by what panels you have put on a 3×4 grid that resembles a page. Attacks, moving, buffs, and shooting are all determined by a panel. The order goes right to left down each row, much like actually reading a manga. You have eight panels to use on your turn, and they are randomly decided based on how many you already own. If you don’t like your hand, you can redraw, but be careful because you only have one each fight. The result is a game that combines turn-based strategy, roguelike elements, and puzzles with deckbuilding.
The core game mode is battle mode. It has you pick one of three characters to complete runs with. Runs consist of three chapters filled with battles, minigames, and spots to adjust your move deck. Battles are no joke and will make you think. Your deckbuilding skills will be put to the test as you have to make whatever is in front of you work. Any attacks you take will also reduce the number of usable spots on the page, making placement harder. Finishing a fight gives you a tool to repair a broken panel, but you can only have five at a time. Failing to finish a battle in the set amount of turns will end your run and all progress.
While this can be very difficult and stressful at times, it makes finishing any fight that much more satisfying. Feeling out a page entirely is not only satisfying, but can be rewarding. After you finish the first chapter of a run, you will get to pick a bonus. That bonus will go into effect whenever you fill out a page in a fight, and it can really turn a battle in your favour. When it all comes together, it really feels like reading a battle in a manga you like. It makes winning fights more satisfying, and it even lets you see the fight uninterrupted at the end.
While fights are satisfying, they lose their luster over time. Fights are at most five turns and start to feel too short after a few runs. Runs also don’t feel as satisfying to complete, because after you unlock the third character, you pretty much have everything. After that, you only get art from the manga, and it’s not a lot either. Each run also has minigames, and none of them are fun, unfortunately. They feel like a way to pad out runs, but I didn’t like any of them. These issues hurt the game’s replayability for me, and I stopped playing battle mode after a couple of runs.
Panels and Puzzles
While I lost interest in battle mode, there was one that I kept coming back to. Puzzle mode is what it sounds like. In it, you are given a specific set of panels, and you must finish a fight in one move. This tests your puzzle-solving abilities the most and feels more satisfying than the base game. It also teaches you the different panels better than the base game, and gives me ideas for other builds to try. Whenever I lost interest in battle mode, the puzzle mode kept me playing. It even got me to do a couple of runs again, before eventually coming back to puzzle mode.
I can’t be as positive about the last game mode—a minigame called Bar Buffalo. The setup is fun, two characters are in a bar and decide to have some tequila. You start taking shots, and that’s when the minigame begins. After each shot, you must time a button press to chase it with either water, pistachio, or lemon. That’s it, and you will never play it again after the first time. It also goes on too long, and after 20 shots, I became concerned with the alcohol consumption of these fictional characters. The only positives I have are that it looks great and is the only part of the game that shows the characters’ personalities.
To Adapt or Not
The most interesting thing about this game is how it adapts the manga. Most of the time, when I review a game, I like to spend the beginning talking about the setting, story, and characters. But I couldn’t really do that here, because the game doesn’t really say anything about what it’s adapting. While fans will recognize names and different panels, I got nothing from it. The only information I got about the characters came from the two-sentence descriptions each received. They do have some personality in their playstyles and animations, but that’s about it.
I wouldn’t have known anything about the source material if I hadn’t looked into it while writing this review. While I am now interested in The Fable and will probably start reading it, I don’t see this game being a good gateway into it for most. This feels like it will mainly appeal to current fans, while being a fun short time for others. Earlier, I said it mimics the feeling of reading a manga you enjoy, and I really like that. It’s one of the most unique ways I’ve seen a property adapted, and I have a feeling it hits harder if you are already a fan. While I wish it did more as an adaptation, it never hurt the game for me. But I did think it could’ve done more.
In terms of aesthetic, the game uses manga-style panels for moves and collectables, and they all look great and fit in well. They pair nicely with the pixel art, which is well animated. It all comes together nicely, and I appreciated the look of it the more I played, especially when you play a fight back and see everything play out smoothly. I may wish it did more, but the parts that work are still a delight.
End of Chapter
The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike is an interesting game. Its core gameplay is a fun mix of strategy, deckbuilding, puzzle, and roguelike game elements. Battle mode could be fleshed out more, but it’s still a good time even if it is short. The core fights are fun, but they get paired with uninteresting minigames and subpar rewards. As an adaptation, established fans will probably be happy, but I don’t see it making new ones. While I have some problems after all that, this is still a fun time that feels very satisfying at times. I would recommend giving The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike a shot, just for how it nails the feeling of reading a manga you like. You might not play it much longer after that, however.
Disclaimer: Kodansha and MONO ENTERTAINMENT provided a Nintendo Switch copy of The Fable: Manga Build Roguelike for review purposes.
