History YMMV / DarkParables

* ShippingGoggles:
** There were quite a few players of ''Sky Kingdom'' who felt that Jack has way more chemistry with the detective than with his actual fiancée, Emma. He's the first NPC with whom the detective spends a significant amount of time during any game; she's clearly devastated by his [[spoiler:apparent death]]; their reunion later in the game has a strong emotional, almost flirtatious vibe; and he's just a truly enjoyable character. One wonders if he was written the way he was in ''Fallen Star'' in order to thoroughly sink the ship.
** The bonus chapter of ''Ballad of Rapunzel'' ends with Gerda noting that [[spoiler:Gwyn has invited her to visit him at the palace, "under ''much'' friendlier circumstances" than when she was there in ''Rise of the Snow Queen''.]] Unlike the other ship examples listed here, this one becomes confirmed canon in the twelfth game.
** In ''Swan Princess,'' there seems to be some romantic tension between [[spoiler:Ross Red and Black Swan, which is just awkward considering his engagement to Rapunzel]]. Nothing comes of it, however.
** It's a bit of a reach, but there are a few fans who have taken to {{shipping}} the detective with [[spoiler:Hansel]]. He first appears in the bonus chapter of ''Fallen Star'', where he acknowledges her as a fellow servant of the Moon Goddess (and one in whom the goddess has taken particular interest), then returns to aid her again in ''Tinderbox'' at great personal cost. The ship tease is slight, but it had potential if the series had continued. (The fact that he looks like a golden-haired fairy tale prince doesn't hurt the shipping.)

** Your first true dose is found in the second game. It's just a [[UncannyValley really freaky copy]], but it's still really unsettling when [[spoiler:you enter Literature/SnowWhite's cottage and find the glass coffin the dwarfs made for her in her fairy tale... and ''she appears to still be inside it with her eyes wide open.'']]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: It's hard to think about what we might have gotten if the series had been given a true finale.

** In ''Dire Tree,'' there seems to be some romantic tension between [[spoiler:Ross Red and Black Swan, which is just awkward considering his engagement to Rapunzel]]. Nothing comes of it, however.

** ''Fiachra''. Dear god, Fiachra. Born part fairy, doomed to madness and cruelty while actually capable of love, unlike his siblings. Suffered an unspecified curse. Went seekign a cure. Met a girl. Fell in love with girl. Continued his journey when he had only a sliver of sight left and even starlight burned him. Left his most faithful companion, a duckling behind as a pledge of love. When he came back and asked her father for her hand is where the trouble really begins.
* NightmareFuel: In the second game. It's just a [[UncannyValley really freaky copy]], but it's still really unsettling when [[spoiler:you enter Literature/SnowWhite's cottage and find the glass coffin the dwarfs made for her in her fairy tale... and ''she appears to still be inside it with her eyes wide open.'']]

* PortmanteauCoupleName: The developers themselves have taken to referring to the pairing of Prince Gwyn and Gerda as "Gwyrda."
* {{Sequelitis}}: A lot of the reviews on Big Fish Games express the opinion that as more installments come out, the gameplay and the story become less interesting. Most fans of ''Dark Parables'' agree that the first four games are excellent; many feel that ''Final Cinderella'' is the point where Blue Tea Games just stopped caring, although ''Sky Kingdom'' was well received. ''Queen of Sands'' and ''Purple Tide'' get the most flack for lacking original ideas, as Eipix took over development of the games after Blue Tea sold the rights to them.
** In defense of Eipix, however, they do genuinely care about the series, to judge by the way they treat it on social media. ''Fallen Star'' and ''Swan Princess'' have both received excellent reviews at Big Fish Games, as compared with the previous two titles. So perhaps they will ultimately avert the trope; they certainly seem to be trying to do so, especially given the way they interact with fans on social media and even take suggestions from them.
** As of late 2017, however, control of the series has been returned to Blue Tea Games. It remains to be seen how this will change the trajectory of the series.
* ShippingGoggles: There were quite a few players of ''Sky Kingdom'' who felt that Jack has way more chemistry with the detective than with his actual fiancée, Emma. He's the first NPC with whom the detective spends a significant amount of time during any game; she's clearly devastated by his [[spoiler:apparent death]]; their reunion later in the game has a strong emotional, almost flirtatious vibe; and he's just a truly enjoyable character. One wonders if he was written the way he was in ''Fallen Star'' in order to thoroughly sink the ship.

** It's a bit of a reach, but there are a few fans who have taken to {{shipping}} the detective with [[spoiler:Hansel]]. He first appears in the bonus chapter of ''Fallen Star'', where he acknowledges her as a fellow servant of the Moon Goddess (and one in whom the goddess has taken particular interest), then returns to aid her again in ''Tinderbox'' at great personal cost. The ship tease is slight, but has potential for future games depending on the will of the creators. (The fact that he looks like a golden-haired fairy tale prince doesn't hurt the shipping.)
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: In most of the games, the titular fairy tale turns out to be connected to another story, which often takes over. It sometimes works out; sometimes it does not. The game that gets the most flack for this is ''The Final Cinderella,'' since it focuses much more on [[spoiler: the Pinocchio subplot.]] Ironically, the makers seem completely aware of this, since the tie-in game concerns rescuing the Asian Cinderella, Princess Shan, from her stepmother, the Spider Witch.
** ''Ballad of Rapunzel'' has gotten similar flack for this. We could have had a game about saving Rapunzel from the witch. [[spoiler: It turns out Rapunzel is not even locked in a tower; her half-sister is.]] The fact that the game seems to base itself more off of the Disney retelling than the earlier variants (and [[spoiler: probably wants to cash in on ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'']]) does not help.
* WinBackTheCrowd: Many players were displeased with the direction in which Eipix took the previous several games, and the commentary on Blue Tea's Facebook page indicates that they're hoping ''Return of the Salt Princess'' will do this for them.
* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: It could be argued that some of the villains qualify for this. Pinocchio definitely does, not least because he's a completely unwilling participant in his mother's schemes.
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** ''Ballad of Rapunzel'' has gotten similar flack for this. We could have had a game about saving Rapunzel from the witch. [[spoiler: It turns out Rapunzel is not even locked in a tower; her half-sister is.]] The fact that the game seems to base itself more off of the Disney retelling than the earlier variants (and [[spoiler: probably wants to cash in on ''{{Disney/Frozen}}'']]) does not help.

* ShipTease: There were quite a few players of ''Sky Kingdom'' who felt that Jack has way more chemistry with the detective than with his actual fiancée, Emma. He's the first NPC with whom the detective spends a significant amount of time during any game; she's clearly devastated by his [[spoiler:apparent death]]; their reunion later in the game has a strong emotional, almost flirtatious vibe; and he's just a truly enjoyable character. One wonders if he was written the way he was in ''Fallen Star'' in order to thoroughly sink the ship.

* EvenBetterSequel: As good as ''Curse of Briar Rose'' is, ''Exiled Prince'' improves on the formula, and subsequent games continue to expand upon these beginnings.
** In later games, you get to collect mini-parables that explain the back stories. They are fun to read, especially since they often explain how the titular fairy tales played out.