Kinda started working on what is turning out to be a "Narrative Driving Sim".
So, here, I am looking for recommandations for motorized adventure games. I am after inspiration and ideas.
Can be anything in the large family of Narrative adventure games, really anything that has at least a sequence with people talking in a motorized vehicle, I am guessing. Bonus points if the character is driving the thing.
After a long journey — and many late nights — we’re finally ready to share our adventure with you.
Whirlight is a point-and-click story across space and time, with quirky humor, mysteries, and two very unconventional protagonists.
If you love classic adventure games, we made this one for you.
This is a review for the first out of three games I choose based on games you guys suggested in this post. The games I choose were Day of the Tentacle: Remastered, Full Throttle: Remastered and Firewatch. Eventually I'll also play Grim Fandango, as it was extremely popular, but I'll give some time for other genres.
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Summary if you don’t want to read the whole review: this game is fun, but I ultimately felt that nostalgia plays a big factor in why many people would claim this is the greatest adventure game of all time. Really fun and creative, but not as special as I was hoping it would be.
This is a very interesting game. I’m surprised at how popular this game is, since I’m not from Germany or from the USA, so knowing it was popular definitely elevated my expectations about how good this game could be. I don’t think that creating expectations is inherently a bad thing, but it definitely made me play it with sharper critical lenses than I would’ve put on a game that was originally released in 1993.
So let’s start with the positives.
+ The game oozes with charm. From the surrealist aesthetics of the scenery to the carefully animated characters based on Chuck Jones**’** - Looney Tunes - style of animation, with really exaggerated stretch and squash that makes things look like they’re some sort of play-dough. The music from this game also rocks, both the original and the remastered - I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to keep playing with, since both sounded so good.
+ The narrative is really creative and it had some really funny jokes, and it impressed me that most of the jokes wouldn’t be problematic today - which is something that is kind of a recurring theme for older adventure games. Not that I care that much about it, but it definitely impressed me how well the creative elements of this game really stood the test of time in many shapes and forms.
+ From the moment I started playing, I couldn’t put the game down. It was intriguing and fun trying to find out what would be the next piece of the puzzle, or try to find out what I was missing. It really was a magnetic experience in that regard. Having three completely different sets of interactable scenes made this game’s puzzles be a blast, and considering what changes to the future each interaction would bring was a really fun way to keep players thinking about puzzles that they weren’t doing at the moment.
+ Lastly, I also LOVE that you can choose how to play the game as it was back then, as the remaster, or mix’n’match the settings. Being able to change it with just a hotkey was also a very nice touch. Still along these lines, being able to play the original Maniac Mansion (the prequel of Day of the Tentacle) from inside the game was also marvelous, but I wish there was an option to do so from the menu. I’m glad I have played Maniac Mansion and it made me appreciate DotT much more than I would’ve otherwise.
Now, for the negatives. First, I’ll talk about things that should’ve been in the remaster, and then about things I didn't like about the original game.
- There’s no hint system in this game. I understand how hints can actually discourage people from thinking, but in a game that has many moments of moon logic, I feel like that should’ve been mandatory to at least have some small directions. I say that as someone who couldn’t get many of the hints based on history, as I’m not too versed in North American colonial history, so something to help out in terms of direct gameplay impact would definitely help.
- Why on earth are there verbs that make no sense for some objects? The showing of the verbs is extremely inconsistent throughout the game, and showing irrational verbs made me completely ignore some of them and get stuck in puzzles that were supposed to be easy otherwise. For example, why is there an option to “open/close” or “pull/push” a coin in the inventory? Don’t get me wrong, I do think that verbs that have no action - BUT MAKE SENSE - should appear in the dial, but putting them in places where they made no sense made it so I just started to ignore some of the verbs altogether**.**
- Now, dislikes about the game itself. Most characters have very interesting personalities, especially the playable ones, but I really wish that the three main characters had some skill or uniqueness in gameplay for each. They’re just differently colored shells with the same filling in each. I didn’t feel like it mattered what each character was for the period they were in. I feel like the same applies to items, because each item had a specific purpose in the game and other solutions for puzzles didn’t apply - even logical ones. There are many more ways to remove a sticky gum from the floor than the singular way that the game mandatorily makes you do.
- Lastly, some minor complaints. It was way too inconsistent to be able to know from a glance which items were able to be sent across time - some big ones couldn’t, but then some other big ones could, and that made it so weird and arbitrary. I also think that the conversation system could’ve used some polish, as I couldn’t understand if I was having a singular conversation with unique answers that wouldn’t come back, or if I was in a multi-choice answer phase.
The bottom line.
This game was really fun and it captivated and entertained me with its fun visuals, narrative, music and clever puzzles, but I feel like the remaster itself could’ve improved a lot more than it did, especially because there was an option to toggle between the remaster and the original versions, so there’s no reason not to try to improve the gameplay a little more. Still, it was really fun, but it didn’t meet my expectations.
Score: 7.5/10 - Memorable
I played at lot of Sierra games as a kid in the 90s, and only a few adventure games since then. I recently bought Sanitarium on a whim, and it's the first adventure I've ever completed without resorting to a hint book or walkthrough. That felt really good.
It helps that each chapter of the game is rather small and self-contained. And you generally only have one or two items in your inventory at any one time. Only a couple of instances of pixel hunting. There are several "apparatus" puzzles that can be confusing at first, but aren't too bad once you spend a few minutes with them. I wouldn't say the game is "easy" in a bad way, just a bit more logical I guess compared to the adventure games I was used to. (By contrast I loved numerous aspects of Grim Fandango but so many of its puzzles were terrible).
I created a guide for installing AMBER: Journeys Beyond on modern systems using an 86Box Win98SE VM, with optional frame-generation enhancements that preserve the game's haunting atmosphere.
AMBER is an artifact from a lost time and notoriously fragile on modern systems. This guide records the working path.
Hello fellow Clickers!
We're sending post-Easter greetings from Nuremberg, where we're continuing to work on President Rocket Game at full speed. We can’t name a precise release date yet, unfortunately. It is our first project and we’re ultimately still noobs at planning a project like this one. What we can promise you though, is that this is really the final stretch and will not spiral into an out of control development with a release years later than planned. 🫱🏿🫲🏻
Feel free to wishlist here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1519180/President\_Rocket\_Game/
5 scenes + ending cutscenes are still on our to-do list before we move on to voice overs and playtesting (get in touch if you want to be part of that process). We've also finished designing the (promised) fourth ending, which we obviously can’t talk about... 🤐 🕵️
What we're happy to talk about, though: Does anyone remember the stretch goal with the side quests for the three main characters? Well, we went through our old ideas, but one of them really sank its teeth in and just wouldn't let go. What if we combined the individual side quests into one cohesive quest line that demands real teamwork between the protagonists, while also shining a light on a part of the story that's been somewhat neglected so far? Deeper story = better gaming experience! At least that's what we keep telling ourselves and we hope you'll forgive us this small adjustment, which in return gives you a few new levels, fresh NPCs, and most importantly more time with the little guy down below…
Chunky the robo-squirrel is far more than just one of Liv's gadgets. Over the course of Act 2, he's being prepped for a major infiltration mission against Brunner Tech and in Act 3, he finally gets his own well-deserved moment in the spotlight. As clever and nimble as he is, though: he won't be able to pull it off entirely on his own. Pull what off exactly? We're obviously not telling. What we can show you, however, is one of the locations involved in his mission and it is, to put it mildly, not quite what you'd expect when infiltrating a tech giant. 🤖🐿️
A dusty, slightly run-down arcade hall straight out of the entertainment dark ages (aka our/your childhoods, sniff). 🖲️ The level was inspired while hanging out in a cool arcade bar with some great new friends after adventure game hotspot fan fair in Tacoma. Whether Chunky is there to chase a high score or has entirely different plans, you'll most likely find out before the end of the year. Until then: enjoy your sunday, don't be a jerk, and keep playing point & click adventures! 🖤🖥️🖱️
Cheers,
Tilly & Matze 🚀
Hello r/adventuregames!
After Roughly 5 months of development since the release of our demo we are proud to announce the first chapter of our brand new point and click adventure series is finally available for free on Itch.io!
Tales From Terminal Theta is a comedy sci-fi story heavily mostly inspired by LucasArts point and click adventures and Space Quest (duh) where you play as an alien couple with the peculiar ability to inhabit the vacuum of Space but for some reason spend their time doing menial repair tasks on a space station full of quirky characters.
We a really small team of die hard point and click fans who grew up on whatever adventure games we could get our hands on in the 90's who finally decided to set aside our free time to create our own love letter to the genre - with just a dash of modern touches on top of traditional design.
We learned a lot making this first episode so we hope you enjoy going through it as much as we enjoyed crafting it as we get ready to embark on a new journey for a bigger and better episode 2. We also documented our journey if you're into that sort of thing, just check out our devlog on itch.io.
Based on our tester's feedback the game should last anything from 40 minutes to 2 hours depending on how much you enjoy clicking around.
You can get the whole thing for free on our page:
https://nebuliansatwork.itch.io/tales-from-terminal-theta-episode-1
Thank you taking the time to check out our game, we welcome any kind of feedback.
Hello! I've been working on this game for a little over a year now. I'm just about to release the DEMO. Wanted to share the poster, just to let folks know it's coming...
It's a sci fi comedy about a young woman called Susie who is trying to get home, or find Urf, whichever happens first.
I'd love to know what you think.
Yo llegué tarde al género. No tuve PC hasta el año 2000, así que descubrí el point & click a través de la PS1, con tiempos de carga eternos y manejando un puntero con el mando. No era la forma más cómoda, pero los juegos que me engancharon en esas condiciones se quedaron grabados a fuego.
Después de mucho pensarlo he hecho mi top 5 definitivo y sé que va a dar que hablar. No aparece Monkey Island, no aparece ninguno de Sierra, y mi número uno es un juego que mucha gente ni siquiera considera una aventura gráfica. Estoy dispuesto a defenderlo a capa y espada.
He hecho un vídeo donde explico cada elección en profundidad, por qué estos cinco y no otros.
Pero lo que de verdad me interesa es saber cuál es vuestro top 5. Todos tenemos alguna elección rara que habría que justificar, y me encantaría leer las vuestras.
So I grew up with Point and Clicks and I really like ones that are kind of “cozy”. More fantasy based and whimsical rather than too scientific, modern or logical.
My favorites as a kid were Monkey Island 1, 2, and 3, Legend of Kyrandia 2 and 3, Discworld 1 and 2, Kings Quest 6 and 7, and DeathGate.
i recently played Night of the Rabbit and absolutely loved it. By far my favorite game I’ve played besides those older ones.
Anybodo have any ideas for ones simailr to those in terms of that kind of “vibe?”
Pixel hunting, illogical puzzles, audio puzzles, no hint system, etc. I know these staples are very much expected by Adventure Game lovers, but I’ve played games like Lost in Play and The Darkside Detective which have these at a strong minimum, so I was wondering if you could recommend more!
This one is harder than it seems.
Any of you know of a decent game that is similar in tone, setting, cast, or feel of Rise of the Dragon?
I realize the game isn’t considered a classic. But I like the cyberpunk aesthetic and the characters.
Thanks!
I decided to play AMBER Journeys Beyond for the atmosphere and MIDI soundtrack. While installing the game, I started an archaeological dig. At first, what I uncovered was strange, but not unusual for the 90's era. The studio, Hue Forest Entertainment, was formed for this one game and the development team disappeared from the industry immediately after the game's release. None of the actors have any other credits. Only two people from the team have other credits, Paul Cross in production and Jim Crew in music, and they've never publicly discussed AMBER. There are very few copies left because of unusual deterioration. The original beta CD was unplayable because the word "AMBER" was scratched in reverse on the data side. At the precise moment of writing the golden master CD, a power outage occurred and delayed the production date to Friday, September 13th.
But there are even spookier legends about this game that might scare the superstitious gamer away.
>!The developers of Amber: Journeys Beyond stayed at the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville to record ambient audio. They occupied Room 17, where they reported a persistent sense of being watched while drafting the script.!<
>!The physical Sigil disc is considered a conduit for the paranormal residue captured during those field recordings. Owners of the original media believe the ambient loops contain whispers and sobbing that do not exist in the digital master files.!<
>!A myth surrounds the scarcity of the original 1,000 copies. The legend suggests that the physical pits on these specific discs suffer from a unique form of data rot that manifests as intentional, in-game paranormal activity.!<
>!Louisiana folklore regarding mirrors that trap souls heavily influenced the game's atmosphere. Players have long reported seeing figures standing behind them in the reflection of their monitors during the game's dark, 360-degree panning sequences.!<
>!The character Roxy remains comatose throughout the story, but her audio files are a source of dread. Players claim that the rhythm of her breathing eventually synchronizes with their own heart rate during long sessions.!<
>!The "Phantom Phone Call" is a recurring story among the community. In-game interactions with telecommunications equipment were allegedly followed by real-life telephone rings that resulted in nothing but dead air.!<
>!The developers stated that the oppressive atmosphere of the plantation followed them back to the studio. They intentionally encoded this sense of dread into the software's logic to ensure the disc acted as an invitation rather than mere entertainment.!<
>!When an external drive seeks data on the authentic disc, it produces an irregular mechanical pulse. Collectors believe the hardware is not simply reading files; it is struggling to decode a stored memory of the haunting itself.!<
Are there any other haunted games I should play?
I've been out of the loop for the past several years and I'm looking for my next purchase.
Ideally looking for something with 2D sprites, the classic Sierra and Lucas Arts games, but I'm open to other 2D or 3D games
A combo of good story and excellent puzzle design would be perfect. I love a good story but gameplay matters most of all.
Looking for something released in the past 3ish years
I got The Drifter and I'm enjoying it.... other favs include:
Every Lucas Arts game
Siberia 1 and 2
obra dinn
I'm considering playing three or so adventure games before moving to another genre, so I gathered the ones I thought were the most interesting in my library to ask for your opinions. Which three games should I play from this selection and in what order would you recommend it?
I have 6 adventure categories on steam, so some games might not seem like adventure to some, but they are to me. The subcategories of adventure in my library are: Classic, Exploration, Hidden-object, Narrative, Puzzle and Visual Novel, so each of the games in the selection will fit in at least one of these adventure categories.