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Dark Parables: The Thief and the Tinderbox
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Dark Parables: The Thief and the Tinderbox

Average Rating Breakdown
Overall rating 
Liked it!
3.6 / 5
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Average Rating breakdown 25 reviews
5 Stars
8
4 Stars
7
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
4
1 Star
2
Fun Factor 
Good
3.6 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
3.9 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
3.9 / 5
Storyline 
Good
3.6 / 5
PC
English
Eipix Entertainment presents the next heart-pounding chapter of the beloved Dark Parables series!

It's the eve of Gerda and Gwyn's wedding, but a rogue arsonist is setting the Mountain Kingdom's forests on fire! Your investigation will take you deep within the forest where a dangerous artifact will be unearthed, one that could spell doom for the whole world! An old friend will surface and his deepest desires will determine the fate of the Mountain Kingdom. Be careful what you wish for in this spectacular hidden-object puzzle adventure game!
Game System Requirements

OS: Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 10

CPU: 2.0 GHz

RAM: 1024 MB

DirectX: 9

Hard Drive: 812 MB

Big Fish Games App System Requirements

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Dark Parables: The Thief and the Tinderbox

Average Rating:
Overall rating 
Liked it!
3.6 / 5
3.6 out of 5 ( 25 Reviews Review )
67%(16 out of 24) of players recommend this game
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Average Rating Breakdown
Fun Factor 
Good
3.6 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
3.9 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
3.9 / 5
Storyline 
Good
3.6 / 5
67%(16 out of 24) of players recommend this game
Authentic Reviews Authentic Reviews
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Average Rating Breakdown
Overall rating 
Liked it!
3.6 / 5
See average rating breakdown
Average Rating breakdown 25 reviews
5 Stars
8
4 Stars
7
3 Stars
4
2 Stars
4
1 Star
2
Fun Factor 
Good
3.6 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
3.9 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
3.9 / 5
Storyline 
Good
3.6 / 5
67%(16 out of 24) of players recommend this game
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Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
85 of 100 found this review helpful
AN EXCELLENT NEW DARK PARABLES THAT IS ON FIRE!
PostedOctober 21, 2016
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biscuitsmama
 
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fromI love FROGS but wish these had a bit more color and opulence
Skill Level:Expert
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Ahh, another Dark Parables game and this one seems much better than the last offering in the series. In the Thief and the Tinderbox we come face to face with some characters from some of my other favorite games in the Dark Parables series which is always a special treat. You again play the game as a DP detective and this time you have been called to the Mountain Kingdom to investigate a rash of ...Show more
Ahh, another Dark Parables game and this one seems much better than the last offering in the series. In the Thief and the Tinderbox we come face to face with some characters from some of my other favorite games in the Dark Parables series which is always a special treat. You again play the game as a DP detective and this time you have been called to the Mountain Kingdom to investigate a rash of fires that are being deliberately set in the kingdom’s forests and, as an extra treat, you are invited to the wedding of Prince Gwyn and Gerda. As you arrive on the scene you encounter the arsonist as he is busily burning down trees but he soon attacks you and then disappears inside one special tree in the forest. As you track him you find that he is after an artifact that is buried in the old king’s tomb – one that is well-protected and extremely dangerous in the wrong hands. As you find the Tinderbox the thief attacks you and steals the treasure you have found before disappearing. It is then that you realize it is one of your old friends Kai. Why has Kai turned into a thief and worse yet an arsonist? Play this wonderful new game and find the answers as you solve the mysteries hidden in The Thief and the Tinderbox.
The graphics, sound and all the other technical features of the game are just what we expect from this development team. The only shortcoming, IMHO, is the bland FROG scenes that can’t begin to compare with the gorgeous opulence we found in the ones from the original developer of the Dark Parables series. The game offers several modes of gameplay including a custom mode where you can fiddle with various settings. One vast improvement in the newer Dark Parables games is that they include an interactive transporter type map that actually works which is something I appreciate, since in the original games I could never get the map to function properly and allow me to move quickly between scenes.
The HOPS in this game or FROGs are very different from the ones we found in the earlier games but they are okay. I found the items to locate very dull and dreary with many of them a bit different than the items that we are supposed to find. For instance in the graphic an item might be a shiny blue circle and when we look through the junk pile the item will be tarnished silver and I think that is a bit deceptive. In the original games the items always were depicted accurately and most times they were quite beautiful. While I am a bit disappointed with the FROG scenes, the puzzles are excellent. I found many of them to be different and very fun to complete. None of them were extremely difficult but at the same time not everyone will find them too easy, and this is something I appreciate. For me at least, games should be fun and not extremely frustrating when it comes to completing a puzzle before continuing with the storyline.
If you decide you would rather have the CE the extras include locating parable pieces that are scattered throughout the game. Once we find all of the pieces to complete a parable we can read that story. The other collectibles to find are 39 round medallions and after completion of the main game and bonus chapter we have souvenirs to find. The other extras include the strategy guide, bonus chapter, concept art, wallpapers, music and videos.
The storyline for the Thief and the Tinderbox is excellent and one that I am enjoying. I only stopped playing long enough to write this review and then I am jumping right back into the game. I was quite surprised that the game is an improvement over some others in the newer Dark Parables games and one that offers challenge, a great storyline, and interesting puzzles. Since I happen to enjoy fantasy type games and particularly have always been a fan of the Dark Parables series, I am finding the Thief and the Tinderbox a very entertaining game. Even though the game was an instant purchase for me, as always, please try the demo to see if this is a game you will enjoy. Show less
I recommend this game!
+70points
85of 100voted this as helpful.
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Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
26 of 30 found this review helpful
My Ideal Game
PostedOctober 21, 2016
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IAMADOL
 
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fromSpokane, WA
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Truth...I bought the Collectors Edition. But this is a lovely game in my favorite genre. If you like lovely visuals, great story line, good games and magic...this is the game for you! AND if this is the first in the series that you have seen...you need to go back and get all the previous games...This is one of my favorite series! Happy Dance!
I recommend this game!
+22points
26of 30voted this as helpful.
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Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
11 of 12 found this review helpful
The Dark Parable Kids Grew Up...And Are Wreaking Havoc!!
PostedMarch 25, 2017
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JulzCat
 
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fromCharlotte, North Carolina---USA
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
If you've played the previous DP games, you'll be familiar with the characters of Gerda, Kai and Prince Gwyn. Well, they're all grown up now and causing trouble of their own!! Of course, it's Fairytale Detective to the rescue (after she gets thrown from her horse for the 12th time...seriously lady, find an alternative means of transportation!).
We also get visited by a couple of adult ...Show more
If you've played the previous DP games, you'll be familiar with the characters of Gerda, Kai and Prince Gwyn. Well, they're all grown up now and causing trouble of their own!! Of course, it's Fairytale Detective to the rescue (after she gets thrown from her horse for the 12th time...seriously lady, find an alternative means of transportation!).
We also get visited by a couple of adult characters from former games. It's quite the reunion! The story had elements of Scandinavian and Middle Eastern folklore by way of Russian history.
I really enjoyed this game. The artwork, as usual, was superb. The mini-games were lots of fun, too. Some so challenging, I had to skip (I wasn't a fan of the puzzles with the little dots and arrows...thank goodness for customizable settings!). Very exciting and highly recommended! Show less
I recommend this game!
+10points
11of 12voted this as helpful.
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Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
7 of 8 found this review helpful
Great
PostedDecember 11, 2016
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gcrazy
 
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Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Good game. Nice intriguing ;mini games. Good color and background.
Keeps you thinking about the story.
I recommend this game!
+6points
7of 8voted this as helpful.
Was this review helpful?Yes7No1
Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
7 of 11 found this review helpful
Best Storyline Ever!
PostedNovember 11, 2016
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RoyBoy1473
 
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fromCT
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Arcade & Action, Hidden Object, Puzzle
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
One of the puzzles at the end said I had 2 moves from top or bottom and I would only get one. I didn't get it. In general the puzzles were excellent and different than usual. But my greatest delight was the storyline. Normally I ignore the story for the puzzles but this is the first to capture my interest.
I recommend this game!
+3points
7of 11voted this as helpful.
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Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
1 of 1 found this review helpful
Beautiful Game
PostedAugust 14, 2020
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cejene
 
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fromOntario, Canada
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Adventure, Card & Board, Hidden Object, Match 3
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
Short game but -
The graphics are beautiful!
Wonderful story.
HOS and mini games were very well done.
You will enjoy this game.
I recommend this game!
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
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Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
1 of 2 found this review helpful
Best of the Dark Parables series
PostedNovember 11, 2017
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ninja226
 
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fromwichita, KS
Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
I've played most of the Dark Parable series, but this is the best of the bunch. The game is VERY LONG, graphics are excellent, and good story. HOPs are the characteristic DP frags. There are many puzzles--the devs were really keen on arrange the steps needed to finish the puzzle. Most puzzles were easy, with a few exceptions.
I recommend this game!
0points
1of 2voted this as helpful.
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Overall rating 
Loved it!
5 / 5
Fantastic Game
PostedApril 5, 2018
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Mystic4
 
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fromWhitby, ON
Skill Level:Expert
Favorite Genre(s):Card & Board, Hidden Object, Large File, Marble Popper, Match 3, Puzzle
 
Current Favorite:
Nightmares from the Deep: The Cursed Heart
4.7 out of 5(163)
 
 
 
 
 
Fun Factor 
Excellent
5 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Excellent
5 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Excellent
5 / 5
Storyline 
Excellent
5 / 5
This was a fun game to play. The game play moved along smoothly. There were interesting and sometimes slightly weird puzzles that were fun to figure out. The story was interesting and moved along at a good pace. There were lots of different locations and beautiful scenes. There were several different characters to interact with which made the game all the more engaging. All in all, a well-made ...Show more
This was a fun game to play. The game play moved along smoothly. There were interesting and sometimes slightly weird puzzles that were fun to figure out. The story was interesting and moved along at a good pace. There were lots of different locations and beautiful scenes. There were several different characters to interact with which made the game all the more engaging. All in all, a well-made game that I highly recommend. Show less
I recommend this game!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Was this review helpful?Yes0No0
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
85 of 95 found this review helpful
I Began To Grow Weary Of Finding And Placing Emblems By The Third Chapter
PostedOctober 21, 2016
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pennmom36
 
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fromI always try to find all of the fragments in the FROG's without looking at the opaque examples shown in the inventory bar, just to make it more interesting.
  • Top Reviewer
Skill Level:Expert
 
Current Favorite:
 
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
Good
4 / 5
Dark Parables is a fantastic series, and The Thief And The Tinderbox is no exception. I purchased this game in the Collector's Edition, and after I downloaded the full version, I decided to restart the game from the beginning to get a fresh perspective for this review. By the time I got to the third chapter, I started to become bored by the daunting task of finding emblem sections, combining the ...Show more
Dark Parables is a fantastic series, and The Thief And The Tinderbox is no exception. I purchased this game in the Collector's Edition, and after I downloaded the full version, I decided to restart the game from the beginning to get a fresh perspective for this review. By the time I got to the third chapter, I started to become bored by the daunting task of finding emblem sections, combining the two halves and then finding and placing them where they belong. I realize that Emblem's are what Dark Parables are all about, but perhaps the storyline fell a bit flat by this point in the game. In all fairness, it was probably because I restarted the game, but I wanted to mention this because the cliffhanger ending of the demo was so dramatic, that it makes the rest of the game seem just average. It's still a really good game, and I love how they were able to tie in the characters from other DP games, even if it was just the mention of names at times.
The Thief and the Tinderbox is Dark Parables version of Aladdin's Lamp, and this lamp as an artifact the strikes fear in even the King himself. For ages, many have sought to find and possess this gift granting Tinderbox, but young Kai has been so blinded by jealousy, that he has yet to discover why he has to be careful what he wishes for, because he just might be granted his wish!
Once upon a time, back in the day, when I first discovered my love for HOPA's, I discovered this epic series, Dark Parables. I became hooked, purchasing one Dark Parable game after another, I just couldn't get enough of them. The stories were fantastically creative, taking well know fairytales and twisting the plot ever so gently to draw you in hook, line, and sinker. But my favorite feature was the Morphing Objects which to be honest with you I didn't know they even existed until I was a couple of chapters in on Curse of Briar Rose, the first DP game I played.You know why? Because the developers were geniuses! Dark Parables were non-linear games, Morphing Objects didn't Morph until they were eventually triggered by an action you did in an entirely different scene. These Morphs were challenging to say the least and often times you had to travel to a scene several times, and then had to be patient to spot the Morphs because they morphed so slowly slowly. I beta tested The Thief and the Tinderbox, and requested that the devs please consider going back their "roots" to give us this style of morph in the game itself, and not within the HOP's. Unfortunately, this game only offers a handful of Morphing Parables to find throughout the main game, in the Collector's Edition, I really hated this feature, why bother, it's just not very fun to search for a storybook puzzle piece when there are so few pieces to find. There are 3 parable pieces to find to assemble 7 different parables so they will be far a few between. I also noticed that the graphics are becoming much crisper too, at one point the glittery gold hues were almost overbearing, especially in Jack and the Sky Kingdom, so I'm glad to see that feature change.
The Hidden Object Scenes haven't changed, and that's a good thing. Dark Parables are famous for their FROG's, this is where you are tasked with finding several fragments in three different sections. When all fragments have been found in a section, those pieces will automatically combine, and once all three sections are found the three sections will combine to make a single inventory item, usually an Emblem or fancy key, because DP are also famous for requiring you to find all kinds of fairytale emblems which seem to be missing or at least partially missing from just about every door, window, box or passageway in the kingdom. I know it may seem boring that all of the FROG's are the same type, but the scenes aren't as easy as you'd think, and they offer a nice change of pace. Other games have tried unsuccessfully to incorporate this type of HO but somehow never seem to be quite as fun as they are in this series.
The Mini Games are always a treat in this series, I look forward to solving the fantasy themed puzzles and rarely skip them. Below are brief descriptions of some of the games you'll encounter during the demo:
1) Recreate each of the masks by swapping the parts, press the arrow to rotate the masks right or left.
2) Untangle the lasers by dragging the tokens along their tracks. Press green arrows to rotate the wheel to move the center of the tokens.
3) Press buttons to guide the knight through the maze and complete the tasks. The first task is to take the checkered tile and then defeat the dog, then take the treasure in the corner, but the dog will kill you if you don't have the tile. The second task is to press arrows to move through the rotating rooms. If you get blocked you'll have to start over. The third task is to swap the tiles to create a path for the knight to reach the final treasure, you can only swap green tiles. Use the tiles to rearrange the arrow tiles. You can "skip" any or all of the three stages in this multi-layered puzzle.
4) Guide the King to the castle by arranging the number tiles in the right order, press the play button to check your solution.
5) Arrange the stars so the rays go through each of the puzzle tiles.
The Collector's Edition has 6 Concept Art pictures, 8 Wallpapers, 8 Music Soundtracks, 21 replayable Mini Games, 17 replayable FROGs, 39 Hidden Signs, 16 Videos, Collectible Souvenirs, 12 Achievements, Morphing Parables, a built in Strategy Guide and a Bonus Chapter, enjoy! Show less
I recommend this game!
+75points
85of 95voted this as helpful.
Was this review helpful?Yes85No10
Overall rating 
Liked it!
4 / 5
20 of 21 found this review helpful
DP take on "The Tinderbox"
PostedOctober 22, 2016
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nextgengranny
 
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Skill Level:Intermediate
Favorite Genre(s):Hidden Object
Fun Factor 
Good
4 / 5
Visual/Sound Quality 
Good
4 / 5
Level of Challenge 
Good
4 / 5
Storyline 
OK
3 / 5
As a child, one of my daughter's favorite fairy stories was Hans Christian Anderson's "The Tinderbox", so I figured this game would be right up my alley, & demoed (& subsequently purchased) the CE as soon as it came out. My one strong criticism of it was that the bonus chapter was VERY short (a half hour to complete w/o skipping anything), & for that reason, I only gave the CE three stars. The ...Show more
As a child, one of my daughter's favorite fairy stories was Hans Christian Anderson's "The Tinderbox", so I figured this game would be right up my alley, & demoed (& subsequently purchased) the CE as soon as it came out. My one strong criticism of it was that the bonus chapter was VERY short (a half hour to complete w/o skipping anything), & for that reason, I only gave the CE three stars. The main game, however, is of a good length, & I enjoyed playing it, even though I'm not a fan of FROGs. There's a nice selection of mini-games, w/ of a range of difficulty, & for the most part, the level of difficulty increases as you advance through the game. The fragments in the HO scenes are sometimes very small or of a different color than pictured, but w/ a bit of patience, I was able to complete them w/o using too many hints, & you can customize the hint (& skip) recharge down to 10 seconds if you wish. As for the collectible Parables, I personally found spotting them fairly challenging, as they're small, mostly inconspicuous, & they morph. The storyline wasn't great or terrible to me, either way; however, it's worth noting that areas do become closed off to you at various points (w/o warning), so if you intend to collect the Parables, it's best to look for them as soon as you enter an area (they're not found in all of them). Other than the noted exceptions in the HO scenes, the graphics for the most part are very well done. All-in-all, I enjoyed this game well enough that after completing it, I revisited the series, & have since purchased two other DP games, despite, as mentioned, not being a fan of FROGs...so it goes w/o saying that I recommend doing the demo, & seeing what you think. :) Show less
I recommend this game!
+19points
20of 21voted this as helpful.
Was this review helpful?Yes20No1
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