Tails of Iron
Tails of Iron is an action role-playing video game developed by Odd Bug Studio and published in 2021 by United Label. Players control an anthropomorphic rat who must kill frogs that have invaded his kingdom.
Also recorded as ToI
Tails of Iron
- Date
- 2021
- Publisher
- United Label
- Language
- English · French
- Genre
- role-playing video game · adventure video game · soulsvania
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Tails of Iron is an action role-playing video game developed by Odd Bug Studio and published in 2021 by United Label. Players control an anthropomorphic rat who must kill frogs that have invaded his kingdom.
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wikidata · Q108582359 · wikipedia · Tails of Iron
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Tails of Iron • Developer — Odd Bug Studio • Publisher — United Label • Engine — Unity • Platforms — * Nintendo Switch • PlayStation 4 • PlayStation 5 • Windows • macOS • Linux • Xbox One • Xbox Series X/S • Released — September 17, 2021 • Genre — Action role-playing • Modes — Single-player
Gameplay
Gameplay
After invading frogs kill his father, young King Redgi, an anthropomorphic rat, attempts to defeat the invaders and rescue the rest of his family. Tails of Iron is a side-scrolling Soulslike game, a genre that focuses on boss fights in which players must carefully time their attacks and defense. Players can customize Redgi with different skills and change their build to fit specific battles. There are three main hand-to-hand weapon types: spears, swords, and axes. All these weapons play differently from each other and have their own advantages and disadvantages. These weapon types are used in the light weapon category and the heavy weapon category. There are also ranged weapons with three main categories: bows, crossbows, and firearms. Each have different fire rates which effect your play style and when you use the ranged weapon. Using heavy equipment can slow down players' movements but provide better attack and defense values. As Redgi defeats enemies and progresses through the story, the kingdom slowly recovers. It has a hand-drawn art style.
Development
Development
Odd Bug Studio is based in Manchester, UK. Tails of Iron is their second game. Unsure they would have the opportunity to make a third, they said they wanted to make something that appealed strongly to them: a gory, open world fantasy role-playing game with challenging combat. Redgi's attempts to save his kingdom were influenced by their worries about the studio itself. Doug Cockle narrates the game. The art style was influenced by Eastern European block printing. Gameplay influences include The Witcher, God of War, and Dark Souls, though Odd Bug said Tails of Irons difficulty was influenced more by Hollow Knight than Dark Souls. For the story, they were inspired by Redwall, Mouse Guard, The Wind in the Willows to create anthropomorphic characters in peril. The characters themselves are derived from the game director's pet rats. Unlike other Soulslike games, Tails of Iron lacks a stamina bar to limit attacks. Odd Bug originally implemented this, but they found that combat was not as fluid and dynamic as they wanted. United Label released it for Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and Windows on September 17, 2021.
Sequel
Sequel
A sequel, titled Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, released on January 28, 2025.
History of the object
Dated record
History of the object
The full dated record · 2 entries
2021
Tails of Iron published.
2021
Tails of Iron is recorded as published in 2021.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- United Kingdom
Named but not plotted · 1
Tails of Iron is associated with United Kingdom.
Country
Reception
Tails of Iron received positive reviews on Metacritic. Though they enjoyed the game, Rock Paper Shotgun criticized some of the boss fights as "barely disguised" padding. GamingBolt called it "functional and serviceable", but they found the combat and platform elements do not distinguish themselves beyond what other Soulslike games have done. NintendoWorldReport praised both the combat and the world-building, which they said was good enough to carry the game by itself.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.How to use 2D lights in Unity to set the mood. Unity Technologies.
- 2.Bokor, Antal. Review: Soulslike Tails of Iron Offers Brutal Difficulty and Gameplay. Third Coast Review. 2021-09-17.
- 3.Bell, Alice. Tails Of Iron review: a fun 2D Soulslike with a bit too much padding. Rock Paper Shotgun. 2021-09-17.
- 4.Wallace, Chris. When We Made: Behind the scenes of the Redwall-inspired Soulslike, Tails of Iron. MCV/Develop. 2021-11-03.
- 5.Beckhelling, Imogen. Tails Of Iron s villains are frogs because they have an "innate evil-ness". Rock Paper Shotgun. 2021-08-20.
- 6.Tails of Iron. Gematsu. 23 November 2021.
- 7.Tails of Iron (PC). Metacritic.
- 8.Tails of Iron (PS5). Metacritic.
- 9.Tails of Iron (NS). Metacritic.
- 10.Cantees, John. Tails of Iron Review – Functional, but Forgettable. GamingBolt. 2021-09-17.
- 11.Robin, Joshua. Tails of Iron (Switch) Review. NintendoWorldReport. 2021-09-17.
- 12.Tails of Iron II: Whiskers of Winter launches January 28, 2025. Gematsu. 2024-12-05.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 20 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Collectables
20,755 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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- Tails and the Music MakerWork
- Tails NoirWork
- Tails' SkypatrolWork
- Taimanin AsagiWork
- Taimanin Asagi 2Work
- Taimanin SquadWork
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