PCGame

DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale

A comedic RPG about confronting a game developer’s inner demons

Tristan Barona · Released Sep 16, 2019

AdventureIndieRPG

Reviews
Very Positive
83% of 76
Recent reviews
Not enough recent
Players
0
daily peak, Oct 29, 2026
Steam Deck
Playable
Last update on Steam
6 years ago
Dec 5, 2019
Minimum PC
Integrated
0.3 GB RAM · 0.3 GB disk
Full requirements

What is DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale?

This single-player, 2D RPG follows a struggling game developer through a town and his subconscious across two storylines. You explore locations such as arcades and burger joints, talk to characters, and fight real-time battles where the advantage shifts between you and your enemies. There are no random encounters, and character upgrades are limited.

For you if...

  • +you enjoy contemporary settings and pop culture references
  • +you like sarcastic comedy mixed with serious personal struggles

Not for you if...

  • −you want deep character progression and frequent upgrades
  • −you prefer turn-based battles over increasingly demanding real-time combat
  • −you want to avoid stories centered on mental illness

What players say

83% of 76 reviews are positive

Players praise the personal story, humor, and treatment of mental illness. Recurring complaints concern linear progression and combat that can feel clunky or unresponsive.

Screenshots and trailer

DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale screenshot 1

DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale system requirements

Minimum: Integrated, 0.3 GB RAM, 0.3 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale?

Tell us your graphics card once and every game page will answer this for you.

Set up my PC →

Minimum

OS
Windows 8, Windows 10
Graphics
Integrated
Memory
256 MB RAM
Storage
300 MB available space
DirectX
Version 9.0

Does DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Does DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale run on Steam Deck?

Playable Playable: it runs on Steam Deck with some adjustments.

  • Some in-game text is small and may be hard to read
  • All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
  • Shows Steam Deck controller icons
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Full controller support
Platforms
Windows, macOS, Linux
Achievements
16
Steam features
Family Sharing
Languages
Full audio: English.

Does DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 27, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

2 DLC available.

Games like DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale