Last month I reviewed the sixth game in a lengthy series, Dark Parables: Jack and the Sky Kingdom, and today I’m going to review the seventh in the series, Dark Parables: Ballad of Rapunzel. There will be a makeup look at the end inspired by the game so if you’re only interested in that feel free to scroll down. I’m not very tech savvy so while I will mention the game system requirements, I probably won’t be able to answer any tech questions. This also isn’t a walk through, only a review. Now onto the review!

Game Series Information

Dark Parables is a series of PC video games that currently includes fifteen separate games, there will be more in the future. The games were originally created by a company called Blue Tea Games but later games were created by another company, Eipix. All fifteen games have a common theme, reimagined fairy tales with a dark twist. They are each connected in some way and each one builds on the previous which makes for a huge, dynamic universe. These games are more adult versions of childhood fairy tales but they are pretty tame and would be suitable, in my opinion, for preteens and up. All of the games are what is considered a “point and click adventure.” They also contain mini games and hidden/fragmented object scenes.

Game System Requirements

• OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8
• CPU: 1.0 GHz
• RAM: 512 MB
• DirectX: 9.0
• Hard Drive: 1263 MB

Game Synopsis

You’ve been called to the kingdom of Floralia to track down the source of a mysterious pollen spreading throughout the world. Rumor has it that Princess Rapunzel is somehow involved – the haunting melody she sings appears to summon the pollen… But how did the once loved princess come to control such a deadly force? And who is the mysterious, shadowy figure always by her side? The secrets you uncover may be darker than you imagined in this exciting Hidden Object Puzzle Adventure!

My Thoughts

Ballad of Rapunzel was released in 2014. It is the last game in the series to be solely created by Blue Tea Games. For the rest of the series, at least as of 2019, Eipix has had most of the creative control with some assistance from Blue Tea Games. This is the last game in the series that I truly enjoyed because I do not like Eipix’s style but I’ll get more into that when I review the next game.

Though I love this entire series, (pre- Eipix, that is) Ballad of Rapunzel is my favorite and my most replayed. The atmosphere, story line and music (here’s a playlist if you’d like to listen) are second to none. The main story line is based on the German fairy tale, Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm. The game sticks fairly close to the original Rapunzel story but of course, adds in its own twists. The next paragraph will have spoilers so feel free to skip over it.

As I said above, the game is based on the basic story of Rapunzel but in this retelling, Rapunzel’s mother, Violante, dies in childbirth. Soon after, Rapunzel’s father remarries a beautiful woman named Melanie and they have another daughter, Belladonna. When Belladonna is a baby, they realize she has been cursed by Melanie’s closest adviser, Mother Gothel, with a terrible power. Rapunzel was born with powers as well, however, hers are the complete opposite of poor Belladonna’s. The game focuses on the relationship between the two sisters and the problems that their powers create. I personally love the new additions to this classic fairy tale and I’m always impressed by Blue Tea Games creativity.

As for game play mechanics, they have been improved upon with a few new additions. Notable game play changes are: pop up notes that add some kind of information or detail, collectible flowerstones and achievements for completing certain tasks.

There are two versions of this game available for purchase, the original for $10.00 or the Collector’s Edition for $20.00. I always recommend the Collector’s Edition because it includes a bonus game. The bonus game for The Ballad of Rapunzel is The Thumbelina Curse. It is obviously based on the story of Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen but it is also based on The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. I think the inclusion of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz makes this bonus game even more unique because that story is not a “typical” fairy tale. This series of games doesn’t technically need to be played in order and if you were just going to try one, I would recommend Ballad of Rapunzel.

Game Scenes

Makeup Look

My inspiration for this look was the picture above, in the Game Scenes section, on the top left. That picture is actually from the previous game, Jack and the Sky Kingdom, and was a teaser for this game. I loved the colors in it so much that I had to try and recreate it. The blues on my lower lash line didn’t show up quite as vibrantly as the blues in the picture but I’m still very happy with the overall look. I used five different eyeshadow palettes. I’ll link to either my review or where you can purchase them the first time they’re mentioned. For the tutorial, I’ll go in the order of the swatches on my hand, top to bottom and left to right. After the tutorial, I’ll also link to the brushes I used because it’s been requested for me to do that.

1. I blended the shade Kittenfish from the Colourpop It’s My Pleasure Palette above my natural crease with a tapered blending brush.
2. I then blended the shade Reign from the Profusion Spectrum Palette right above my natural crease and into Kittenfish with a tapered blending brush.
3. I then took the shade Rave from the Profusion Spectrum Palette and blended it into my crease and up into Reign with a detail crease brush.
4. I added some depth to the inner most part of my crease with the shade Totally from the Profusion Spectrum Palette with a detail crease brush.
5. I applied the shade Fula from the Juvia’s Place The Saharan Palette all over my lid. I then packed the shade Do or Dough from the Colourpop It’s My Pleasure Palette on top of Fula. I used a flat eyeshadow brush for both of these shades.
6. I applied the shade Butter Cake from the Colourpop Yes Please Palette in my inner corner with a very small crease brush.
7. On my lower lash line, I lined my eyes with the shade Bermuda from the Profusion Spectrum Palette using a small angled brush. I then blended together the shades Nautical from the Profusion Spectrum Palette and the shade Rendezvous from the Morphe 35V Palette and smudged them underneath Bermuda with a smudge brush.

Brushes Used:

• Detail Crease Brush
• Tapered Blending Brush
• Flat Eyeshadow Brush
• Small Angled Brush
• Smudge Brush
• Eye Crease Brush
• Blending Brush, I used this brush to blend out the edges.

As for the rest of my face, my blush is the Flower Pots Blush in Wild Rose from Flower Beauty. I decided to try the Korean style of putting blush on the nose and I can’t decide if I love it or hate it on me, lol. My highlight is a mix of the Diamond Dust Highlighter from Laura Geller and the Illusion highlighter shade from the BH Cosmetics Blacklight Highlighter Palette. On my lips is a mix of two e.l.f. Cosmetics Matte Pencil Lipsticks, Tea Rose and Dash of Pink, topped with the Diamond Dust Lip Gloss from Laura Geller.

That is everything for this lengthy video game review and tutorial. I hope you enjoyed it and I’d love to know what you think about the game and/or the makeup look I created! Thanks for reading and have a great day!