I Told You So! With Tara & Morgan

I Told You So! With Tara & Morgan is a short, comedic kinetic visual novel spinoff from the game ‘Heart of the Woods’. Players join Tara Bryck, the world’s first proven paranormal investigator, and her co-host/girlfriend Morgan Fischer as they host a webshow unraveling supernatural mysteries. The game features several bite-sized, linear episodes with anime/manga-style art, full English voice acting by the original cast, and is centered on LGBTQ+ themes. It is advised to play the base game first due to spoilers.

I Told You So! With Tara & Morgan: Review

Introduction

In the sprawling, often self-serious universe of video game sequels and spinoffs, few dare to be as unapologetically joyful and niche as I Told You So! With Tara & Morgan. Released in 2020 by Studio Élan, this short-form visual novel is not a grand epic but a delightful postscript, a victory lap for characters who earned their happy ending. It is a testament to the power of fan service done right—not as a cynical ploy, but as a genuine love letter to those who invested in the emotional journey of 2019’s Heart of the Woods. This review posits that I Told You So! is a masterclass in economical storytelling and character celebration, a bite-sized confection that, while slight in runtime, is immense in heart and represents a significant evolution in how smaller studios can nurture and expand their worlds beyond a single narrative.

Development History & Context

Studio Élan emerged from the fertile ground of the indie visual novel scene, a space defined by the accessibility of engines like Ren’Py and a passionate, community-driven development cycle. By 2020, the studio had already carved out a distinct identity with Heart of the Woods, a title celebrated for its LGBTQ+ representation, earnest supernatural drama, and high production values—particularly its full English voice acting.

The development of I Told You So! is a narrative in itself, one of capitalizing on momentum. Rather than embarking on a costly, years-long sequel, the studio leveraged the existing assets and goodwill from their first hit. The technological constraints were minimal by design; built again in Ren’Py, the project was a conscious decision to create something agile and responsive. The vision was not to reinvent the wheel but to give players more of what they loved: the characters. Released on October 30, 2020—a perfectly timed Halloween treat—the game dropped on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android, often for free or at a very low cost. This approach reflected a savvy understanding of the modern gaming landscape, where supplemental content can strengthen a core IP and sustain a community between major releases. It was a post-game DLC in spirit, released as a standalone experience.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

I Told You So! is narrative minimalism executed with maximalist charm. The premise is ingenious in its simplicity: following the events of Heart of the Woods, the exuberant paranormal investigator Tara Bryck has rebranded her webshow from “Taranormal” to the triumphant “I Told You So!”. She is now joined officially by her girlfriend, the once-skeptical wood elf Morgan Fischer, as her co-host.

The narrative is structured as a series of four short, “dubiously-canon” episodes, totaling around 4,000 words. This format is the game’s greatest strength. Each episode is a vignette, a slice-of-life comedy that explores the mundane and magical aftermath of the first game’s events. We are not presented with world-ending stakes but with the hilarious complications of dating a centuries-old elf in the modern world, or the logistical nightmares of producing a webshow now that the supernatural is irrefutably real.

Thematically, the game is a celebration of validation and shared joy. Tara’s infamous catchphrase, “I told you so,” is transformed from a boast into a shared joke with the audience and her partner. It’s about the warmth of being proven right after a lifetime of ridicule, and the even greater warmth of having someone you love by your side to celebrate it. The dialogue is razor-sharp, crackling with the effortless chemistry of a long-established couple. Tara’s manic, infectious energy, captured perfectly in the official blurb (“Watch out!!!! IT’S GONNA BE SO COOL!!!!!!!”), is perfectly tempered by Morgan’s drier, more grounded wit. Their relationship is the entire point of the experience, and it is depicted with a authenticity and affection that avoids cliché. The inclusion of Maddie and Abigail from the first game further roots these comedic episodes in the emotional bedrock of the original story, satisfying fans’ desire to see the entire cast thriving.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

As a kinetic visual novel, I Told You So! operates with a singular, deliberate gameplay philosophy: to deliver a curated narrative experience without branching paths or player choice. The term “kinetic” is key; the story moves in one direction only, like a visual audiobook.

The core gameplay loop is pure and simple: read text, enjoy the art, and listen to the voice acting. There are no puzzles to solve, no dialogue trees to navigate, and no fail states. The “interface” mentioned in the specs—”Menu structures”—refers to the standard VN controls: saving, loading, skipping text, and adjusting settings.

To critique this for a lack of interactive mechanics would be to miss the point entirely. The game’s design is not flawed; it is focused. Every design decision serves the goal of effortless accessibility and narrative immersion. The innovation here is not in systems complexity, but in content delivery. By packaging the experience into short, episodic bursts, Studio Élan created a game perfectly suited for mobile play on Android or a brief respite on a PC. It respects the player’s time, offering a complete, satisfying experience in under an hour. This is a game you consume in the best possible sense, a piece of media designed for pure, unadulterated enjoyment.

World-Building, Art & Sound

While Heart of the Woods built its world through a haunting, mist-shrouded forest, I Told You So! builds its world through the intimate, familiar setting of a webshow set and the domestic spaces Tara and Morgan share. The art, credited to “Theo,” shifts slightly from the base game to accommodate the new tone. The characters are rendered in what the MobyGames data accurately calls “Adorable renditions.” The style remains firmly in the Anime/Manga tradition but leans harder into expressive, comedic caricature to sell the jokes—a raised eyebrow from Morgan, a burst of explosive excitement from Tara.

The sound design is where the package truly shines as a premium product. The game features “remixes of your favorite tunes from the original game,” recontextualizing the atmospheric and often melancholic tracks of Heart of the Woods into lighter, more upbeat themes that fit the comedic tone. This is a brilliant touch that provides immediate auditory nostalgia while firmly establishing the new mood.

Most importantly, the game is “fully voiced by the original voice cast.” This is not a minor detail; it is the cornerstone of the experience. Stephanie “Teffi” Arata reprises her role as Tara, delivering a performance of breathtaking, unhinged enthusiasm that makes every line of her monologue in the official blurb sing. Kira Buckland’s return as Morgan provides the perfect deadpan counterweight. The contributions of Allie Goodell (Maddie) and Heidi Tabing (Abigail) round out a vocal performance that elevates the text from simply funny to genuinely hilarious and heartfelt. The voice acting doesn’t just complement the game—it is the game in many ways, transforming the written word into a performed comedy special.

Reception & Legacy

Officially, the game boasts a “Moby Score: n/a” and was “Collected By 2 players” on the platform, indicative of its niche status and the fact that it flew under the radar of mainstream critical circuits. There are no professional critic reviews on MobyGames, and it was likely overlooked by major outlets due to its short length and dependent nature.

However, to measure its impact by traditional metrics would be a mistake. Its reception must be gauged within its intended audience: the existing fanbase of Heart of the Woods and the wider LGBTQ+ visual novel community. In this sphere, it was undoubtedly a beloved success. By being released for free or at a low cost, it functioned as a powerful tool of community engagement and goodwill. It demonstrated Studio Élan’s commitment to its characters and its fans beyond a single commercial product.

The legacy of I Told You So! is subtle yet significant. It stands as a prime example of the “spinoff vignette” trend in indie development—a way to expand a universe without the resource drain of a full sequel. It proves that stories don’t always need higher stakes; sometimes, the most valuable thing a creator can do is simply show their characters being happy. In an industry often obsessed with scale, it is a bold affirmation that small things have immense value. It paved the way for Studio Élan’s continued success, reinforcing their brand as a studio that cares deeply about both its stories and its audience.

Conclusion

I Told You So! With Tara & Morgan is not a game for everyone. It is a game explicitly for a specific someone: the player who finished Heart of the Woods, fell in love with its characters, and wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye. For that player, it is a perfect, priceless gem.

It is an expertly crafted piece of fan service that avoids all the pitfalls of the term. It is short, yes, but never insubstantial. It is comedic, but never at the expense of its characters’ authenticity. It is kinetic, but profoundly engaging. Through its stellar voice work, charming art, and brilliantly focused writing, it delivers an experience that is both effortless to play and immensely satisfying.

In the grand annals of video game history, I Told You So! will not be remembered as a genre-redefining epic. It will be remembered as something perhaps more rare: a flawless execution of a simple idea. It is the video game equivalent of a perfect B-side—a beloved, infectious pop song that didn’t need to be a single to become a fan favorite. It is a testament to joy, to validation, and to the fact that in gaming, as in life, sometimes the sweetest moments are the ones that come after the credits roll.