On Your Tail (2024)

On Your Tail can be a bit rocky at times, with the game sometimes struggling to balance both its life sim and detective elements, not helped by some awkward gameplay segments surrounding the core mystery. Still, thanks to a strong and lovable cast of characters and a gorgeous little town filled with a lot of fun stuff to do, there's a ton here to enjoy, especially for those looking for something more cozy to chill out with. Indeed, it's a nice little vacation worth taking.

On Your Tail is a great cozy detective game that succeeds in almost every aspect that it needs to, with only some minor inconveniences sprinkled throughout. The core gameplay loop is solid, and I really enjoy the way you both get clues and figure out the timeline of events. The mini-games are also a great way to break up the loop, and the world itself is amazing and colorful to explore. It is a bit difficult to navigate sometimes, and using the Chronolens isn't the easiest, but it doesn't change how enjoyable the game is. And it is wonderful to play on the Steam Deck. The default settings look great and perform well, and with some slight changes to framerate and refresh rate, we can enjoy the portable experience, making this easily the best way to play.

On Your Tail brings you a charming Italian vacation experience you won't forget. The ambience is perfect, the townspeople charming, and the mysteries are fun to solve. Unfortunately this game does have some rough edges which are too hard to ignore, along with potential gamebreaking bugs. Don't let the flaws turn you away, this is still fun to play. Give Borgo Marina a chance and you will see that everything comes together to form a cozy game masterpiece.

On Your Tails is one of the most charming and surprising adventures we've played this year, even when it's held back by some gameplay flaws.

The mysterious new life sim On Your Tail has players solving crimes in an idyllic Italian coastal village.