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Adventure Games Thread 2019 - The Liveliest Dead Genre There Ever Was

Can never have enough rainy dystopian PnC games

Also looks like Lorelai is releasing in 20 days, so we got an early April release! Loved the prior games from the series. Excited for this one

I started looking more into this. I'm wondering if I'll get the full experience having not played The Cat Lady and Downfall.
 

Futaleufu

Member
I've been playing A New Beginning, currently in chapter 5, so far so good.

I recently learnt that Daedalic wont develop more adventure games. Too bad, they made quality games.
 

TripleSun

Member
I started looking more into this. I'm wondering if I'll get the full experience having not played The Cat Lady and Downfall.

I only played The Cat Lady but I know both Downfall and Cat Lady are different stories. You'll enjoy Lorelai without the others I'm sure. Lorelai looks to be the best one so far though, really can't wait for an emotional rollercoaster (I do recommend Cat Lady if you have free time though)
 

Airola

Member
I don't know about Downfall but at least with Cat Lady you have to be prepared to endure 20 minute talking scenes. That game had me on edge in whether to quit or not, especially in that one coffee table discussion scene. Overall I really liked the game though and I really liked how, without spoiling anything, the game had a moment where it kinda addressed the point of having boring discussions. That was a moment where I thought this is genius stuff.

The game is pretty much the ultimate in what comes to something being slow burn.
 
Hi Marko,

just saw some footage of Black Mirror again. It’s one of those games I’ve wanted to play for quite some time now but never came around to. After seeing some scenes the vibe and athmosphere immediatly reminded me of the Saint Kotar trailers. So if you don’t mind me asking: Was/is Black Mirror an inspiration for Saint Kotar and if yes, which other games would you say had the most impact on you and the idea for the game?

Well, I have to be honest and say that I have never finished Black Mirror. I did play the beginning, but, for some reason (can't remember why) I stopped and never went back into it. In terms of gameplay mechanics Saint Kotar is very close to Broken Sword, when you'll start playing the game you'll immediately notice the similarities. I found those mechanics the most UX friendly so decided to implement a similar concept to our game. As for the idea, story and atmosphere, there is no such thing as Saint Kotar :D Yes, it has some vibes from Black Mirror and Gabriel Knight for example, some people say even from the first Alone in The Dark, but what inspired me when creating the game is my own mind. There are some elements and stuff from the detective/thriller/horror genres of movies, books and tv shows, but the nucleus is just a fruit of my own imagination. It remains to be seen if people will like it, of course, I'm not full of myself and thinking "My idea is awesome and people will love the game for sure!". With my feet on the ground I keep working with my team and a goal to deliver something truly memorable.

Worth mentioning: Saint Kotar is mixing the detective and psychological horror genres. We implemented a system that allows players to switch the control of characters (very similar to Thimbleweed Park), and each character has his own way of experiencing the reality around him - meaning, scenes tend to look and sound differently based on who you got under control at the moment.
 
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bravoguy

Member
Well, I have to be honest and say that I have never finished Black Mirror. I did play the beginning, but, for some reason (can't remember why) I stopped and never went back into it. In terms of gameplay mechanics Saint Kotar is very close to Broken Sword, when you'll start playing the game you'll immediately notice the similarities. I found those mechanics the most UX friendly so decided to implement a similar concept to our game. As for the idea, story and atmosphere, there is no such thing as Saint Kotar :D Yes, it has some vibes from Black Mirror and Gabriel Knight for example, some people say even from the first Alone in The Dark, but what inspired me when creating the game is my own mind. There are some elements and stuff from the detective/thriller/horror genres of movies, books and tv shows, but the nucleus is just a fruit of my own imagination. It remains to be seen if people will like it, of course, I'm not full of myself and thinking "My idea is awesome and people will love the game for sure!". With my feet on the ground I keep working with my team and a goal to deliver something truly memorable.

Worth mentioning: Saint Kotar is mixing the detective and psychological horror genres. We implemented a system that allows players to switch the control of characters (very similar to Thimbleweed Park), and each character has his own way of experiencing the reality around him - meaning, scenes tend to look and sound differently based on who you got under control at the moment.

Love to see this update. Now give us expected release date too.
 
to add to my previous comment: this spring or early summer we will release the playable demo titled The Yellow Mask.

The demo will let you play the very beginning of the full game. On the same day of the release we will launch the Kickstarter campaign, and, if it ends successfully, we will be able to continue development on the rest of the full game. The demo will have about 30 minutes to 1 hour of gameplay (still a rough estimation).
 
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Kazza

Member
I recently played through Monkey Island 2 and 3 for the first time since the 90s. They were among my favourite games at the time, so it was interesting to go back to them. I remember how huge the Monkey Island world seemed when I played them as a kid. I used to just walk my character from place to place and imagine really being there. Now as an adult who has been lucky enough to travel to many corners of the globe, these groups of islands don't seem so big and immersive, but they still hold up well as games.

I now have Tales of Monkey Island, Broken Sword 5, Grim Fandango, Tumbleweed Park, and the Longest Journey series to play next. Apart from playing Grim Fandago a bit back when it was released (I couldn't get into it for some reason) I haven't played any of these. I'll probably try Tumbleweed next.
 

Kazza

Member
By the way, is anyone here looking forward to Shenmue 3? I only played the series for the first time a couple of years back, but am a big fan now. For me, the slow pace and story-focused gameplay is very reminiscent of old school adventure games (only with some combat and no puzzles).
 
I recently played through Monkey Island 2 and 3 for the first time since the 90s. They were among my favourite games at the time, so it was interesting to go back to them. I remember how huge the Monkey Island world seemed when I played them as a kid. I used to just walk my character from place to place and imagine really being there. Now as an adult who has been lucky enough to travel to many corners of the globe, these groups of islands don't seem so big and immersive, but they still hold up well as games.

So cool. I always want to wait a long time before I replay the Monkey Island games but end up loading up my favorite scenes and going through them periodically. If you ever replay Secret I whole-heartedly recommend the Ultimate Talkie Edition. Which combines the VA from the remaster with the original pixel art graphics. The definitive MI1 experience as far as I'm concerned.

I now have Tales of Monkey Island, Broken Sword 5, Grim Fandango, Tumbleweed Park, and the Longest Journey series to play next. Apart from playing Grim Fandago a bit back when it was released (I couldn't get into it for some reason) I haven't played any of these. I'll probably try Tumbleweed next.

Thimbleweed is great. From a gameplay perspective it might be the best designed Ron Gilbert style "puzzle box" adventures ever made (which makes sense since he designed it). Tough but fair. It's between Thimbleweed and DoTT to me. If you want something more story focused I'd go with The Longest Journey games. The first one is a classic and Dreamfall Chapters is one of the most under-rated recently released adventure games imo.

By the way, is anyone here looking forward to Shenmue 3? I only played the series for the first time a couple of years back, but am a big fan now. For me, the slow pace and story-focused gameplay is very reminiscent of old school adventure games (only with some combat and no puzzles).

I am in extreme anticipation for Shenmue 3. I've played the games several times since I was a kid and can't wait for the story to continue. There are actually some puzzles in Shenmue. Like uncovering the hidden room and finding the Phoenix mirror. It's definitely an adventure-adjacent style of game. Shenmue is a beautiful hybrid if so many different things (life sim, open world, adventure, fighting, etc).
 

TripleSun

Member
Also I'm late to the party but found out the new game from Spike Chunsoft (Zero Escape people) is AI: The Somnium Files and it's coming July 25th.

Looks to be another mind fuck of a game, very much looking forward to it. Coming to not just the Switch, but Steam & PS4 as well.

New trailer from GDC 2019:

 
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I now have Tales of Monkey Island, Broken Sword 5, Grim Fandango, Tumbleweed Park, and the Longest Journey series to play next. Apart from playing Grim Fandago a bit back when it was released (I couldn't get into it for some reason) I haven't played any of these. I'll probably try Tumbleweed next.

You aren't alone with Grim Fandango. Never could get into it either and even in this thread more people than you'd think feel similar. Especially considering the "special classic" status the game has on a lot of adventure sites and best of lists. I felt Grim Fandango always to be rather mediocre in most aspects.

Thimbleweed Park on the other hand is really amazing. A true love letter to the classics of the late 80s/early 90s without most of the inconveniences of the PnCs of that era. The game is a lot of fun plus its puzzles are much more accesible without the difficulty being watered down. And even if you get stuck at one point you can always resume the game with one of the other four characters.

Ron Gilbert really outdid himself with Thimbleweed (agree with ViT that it might be his best genre title) - You're in for a real treat :)
 
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I recently played through Monkey Island 2 and 3 for the first time since the 90s. They were among my favourite games at the time, so it was interesting to go back to them. I remember how huge the Monkey Island world seemed when I played them as a kid. I used to just walk my character from place to place and imagine really being there. Now as an adult who has been lucky enough to travel to many corners of the globe, these groups of islands don't seem so big and immersive, but they still hold up well as games.

I now have Tales of Monkey Island, Broken Sword 5, Grim Fandango, Tumbleweed Park, and the Longest Journey series to play next. Apart from playing Grim Fandago a bit back when it was released (I couldn't get into it for some reason) I haven't played any of these. I'll probably try Tumbleweed next.
Don't play Tales. Give Grim Fandango a good effort - it earns all its awards. You've played the original Sam & Max & DoTT I hope?
 
GOG is having a spring sale.. i was wondering if anyone would have any good suggestion to Adventure games on sale right now?? recently i been doing Wadjet Eye adventure games.
 
GOG is having a spring sale.. i was wondering if anyone would have any good suggestion to Adventure games on sale right now?? recently i been doing Wadjet Eye adventure games.
This looks interesting (know it's Steam, not sure if you only meant games on GoG) - Six adventures for about 20 bucks. Haven't played the other games so far but really loved Darkestville Castle. And if you look at the reviews most people felt the same way.
 
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Don't play Tales. Give Grim Fandango a good effort - it earns all its awards. You've played the original Sam & Max & DoTT I hope?
Imo Tales was pretty good and by far the best Telltale adventure. Definitely had a very entertaining story and the puzzles had a good balance. Hope we can agree that it's miles better than Escape at least.

I love most Lucas Arts games but weirdly never warmed up to Sam & Max very much. DotT definitely is a must play but why not play the remake - Other than better visuals and more comfortable controls it's exactly the same game. If you guys like DotT I'd also recommend Toonstruck. Just played the game thanks to Fuz a few weeks ago and even though it was mostly overlooked in its time it's at least on a level with DotT

And have you ever played the fan made sequel Return of the Tentacle? It's a prologue and "only" about two hours long but extremely well made for a free game.
 
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Kazza

Member
I am in extreme anticipation for Shenmue 3. I've played the games several times since I was a kid and can't wait for the story to continue. There are actually some puzzles in Shenmue. Like uncovering the hidden room and finding the Phoenix mirror. It's definitely an adventure-adjacent style of game. Shenmue is a beautiful hybrid if so many different things (life sim, open world, adventure, fighting, etc).

"adventure-adjacent" is a good way of describing it. Can't wait until August.

You aren't alone with Grim Fandango. Never could get into it either and even in this thread more people than you'd think feel similar. Especially considering the "special classic" status the game has on a lot of adventure sites and best of lists. I felt Grim Fandango always to be rather mediocre in most aspects.

Glad I'm not alone there. I felt a bit guilty about not liking it when I played it on release, being a huge Lucasarts adventure fan and all. I have the remaster on my Steam account and will give it another chance someday.

You've played the original Sam & Max & DoTT I hope?

I did play them back on my Windows 95 PC, but I couldn't get into them to be honest. I remember just driving from place to place in Sam & Max, not really knowing what to do next. The adventure games I really loved were:
Monkey Island 1, 2, 3 (I even quite liked 4)
Indiana Jones Last Crusade and Fate of Atlantis
Broken Sword 1, 2 (again, as with MI4, I didn't mind the 3D entries either)

Sometimes you're just not in the mood for a game at a particular point in time. I'll definitely give both DoTT and Sam & Max another go (along with Grim Fandango)
 

Kazza

Member
Monkey Island 1, 2, 3 (I even quite liked 4)
Indiana Jones Last Crusade and Fate of Atlantis
Broken Sword 1, 2 (again, as with MI4, I didn't mind the 3D entries either)

Just looking at that list, I've just noticed a common theme in these - travel. I must have been around 8 years old when I first watched Guybrush enter that campfire area at the lookout point in Monkey Island 1 and announced that he wanted to be a pirate. I've lived a pretty vagabond style life as an adult and have always liked the feeling of arriving at a brand new place where no one knows you and trying to start a new adventure. Maybe the games we play when young have a bigger influence on our lives than we realise.

Anyway, I already own Tumbleweed, so I think that will be the next one.
 
GOG is having a spring sale.. i was wondering if anyone would have any good suggestion to Adventure games on sale right now?? recently i been doing Wadjet Eye adventure games.

One of my OP recommendations, Paradigm, is on sale for 5 bucks on GOG. It's light on challenge but if you like surrealistic/absurdist humor then I'd pick it up without hesitation. My go to comparison for the game is early Adult Swim (Sealab 2021, Aqua Teen, Space Ghost, etc).

Another stand-out adventure, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, is on a 75% discount on GOG. I'd definitely pick this one up because it's under 9 bucks right now and it's usually fairly expensive. Great game, you can still enjoy it if you haven't played the first and its got a substantial play time so there's a lot of value.

Also if you never picked it up, Beneath A Steel Sky is free on GOG. A classic game by the devs behind the Broken Sword series. I just played it recently and really enjoyed it. It's probably the closest to a Wadjet Eye style game of the ones I've linked (two click interface, story focused, pixel art, sci-fi). There's even a wise cracking side-kick named Joey.
 
Tales Of Monkey Island is a great game. It's got some of my favorite moments in the entire series. Especially "The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood." That chapter actually managed to produce the first maze puzzle I enjoyed in 3 forevers.
 
Just looking at that list, I've just noticed a common theme in these - travel. I must have been around 8 years old when I first watched Guybrush enter that campfire area at the lookout point in Monkey Island 1 and announced that he wanted to be a pirate. I've lived a pretty vagabond style life as an adult and have always liked the feeling of arriving at a brand new place where no one knows you and trying to start a new adventure. Maybe the games we play when young have a bigger influence on our lives than we realise.

Anyway, I already own Tumbleweed, so I think that will be the next one.

Thimbleweed cuz
 

DadEggs

Member
Has Ron Gilbert come out with how Thimbleweed has done and whats next for him?

edit: ah found part of my answer - "On March 15, 2018, Gilbert announced he was in the early stages of developing an RPG called A Little Something. "

edit 2: found the rest of my answer, kinda -
Interesting tidbit. Last quarter, Thimbleweed Park did 3x as well on Switch than Steam and overall has done better than Steam. It's hard to tell if we did really well on Switch are just badly on Stream. Probably a little of both. Steam sales were never where I thought they should be.


The Apple number is a little misleading due to the Mac App Store and iOS being lumped together. Also, the GOG number does not include Q3 due to not receiving money from them yet.

Given that it's a controller based console, I am pretty impressed with the Xbox number. Microsoft has been a great partner.

The Sony numbers are perplexing. Compared to the Xbox, the PS4 has a much larger installed base, especially in Europe where Thimbleweed Park sales have been overwhelmingly the strongest. I am constantly asked why we don't do a Vita port. This is why.

These are all LTD (Life to Date) numbers, so Steam, GOG and Xbox had a lead, which makes the Switch all the more impressive."


twp_sales_2018.png
 
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Has Ron Gilbert come out with how Thimbleweed has done and whats next for him?

ah found part of my answer - "On March 15, 2018, Gilbert announced he was in the early stages of developing an RPG called A Little Something. "

Ron Gilbert posted this graph of the LTD sales percentages for Thimbleweed Park across all platforms. You can use these SteamSpy numbers from before their accurate data went behind a paywall to get a rough picture of how well the game did. Of course this won't be exact but based on these numbers I'd estimate Thimbleweed Park did around 250k ~ 300k across all platforms by the end of last year.

I'd say those are pretty good numbers for a throwback, indie, adventure. Could be even more now if it's still selling and of course it will have gotten into more people's hands via the Epic Store giveaway.
 

Scopa

The Tribe Has Spoken
With the announcement that Daedelic Entertainment is taking on the Lord of the Rings property, can any of you more knowledgeable folk tell me what kind of quality their other games are like?
 

SScorpio

Member
With the announcement that Daedelic Entertainment is taking on the Lord of the Rings property, can any of you more knowledgeable folk tell me what kind of quality their other games are like?

I generally don't like them as much as Sierra and Lucasarts' old stuff. But that could just be rose colored glasses. Of the ones I've played, they are good. I'm hoping this new game takes the approach of The Dark Eye games. I've only played the first, but it had a great watercolor style paired with a really dark story.
 


Beneath a Steel Sky sequel Beyond a Steel Sky announced for consoles, PC, and Apple devices

I'm out right now so I only very briefly skimmed the article. Still, awesome announcement! Looks like I picked just the right time to play the first game.

edit:

Checked out the trailer and read the writeup. Game looks great. It's awesome that Dave Gibbons is involved in the project yet again. From the writeup the game seems quite ambitious. "Bounded Sandbox" brings Dreamfall Chapters' open environments to mind and that's a great thing as far as I'm concerned. Can't wait to see more.
 
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I can't figure out what type of game Beyond is

It's an adventure game. Interface seems reminiscent of Dreamfall Chapters or Life Is Strange. The trailer is only 40 seconds but you can see the different commands appear over the birds. There's also some kind of puzzle where you manipulate controls for a bridge but again you can't tell too much in 40 seconds.

But revolution makes it clear that this is an adventure game in their statement from the Gemantsu article:
About
Beyond a Steel Sky is a thrilling story of loyalty and redemption set in an eerie and terrifying world of AI-driven social controls. As can be expected of a Revolution adventure, the tale is woven with the studio’s signature humor, supported by legendary comic book artist Dave Gibbons’ acclaimed artistic style.

“Even after so many years, fans of the original game are still incredibly loyal and very passionate – and have remained vocal in demanding a sequel,” said Revolution Software founder and CEO Charles Cecil. “Adventure games are played by a large, diverse audience that hugely enjoys the interweaving of story and puzzles. Our approach has been to write an intelligent, witty adventure game that is wholly intuitive to play and assumes no prior knowledge of the original game or its universe. We aspire to write a modern day 1984 told through the medium of the adventure game.”

Beyond a Steel Sky is a hugely ambitious adventure in which intelligent, humorous emergent gameplay drives an edgy narrative. Very much an adventure, the game is set in a dynamic, bounded-sandbox world. A unique world that will respond to—and be subverted by—the player’s actions. The game characters, driven by advanced AI tech, are willful and motivated: their intelligent responses allow interesting, emergent solutions to puzzles and obstacles. The culmination of Revolution’s 30 years of developing adventure games, Beyond a Steel Sky evolves and redefines the adventure genre.

It’s a project that’s been on the minds of both Cecil and Gibbons for many years, but one they felt needed the right real world moment to to it justice.

“Charles and I have discussed returning to the Beneath a Steel Sky universe many times over the years,” said Dave Gibbons. “Fake news, social controls, polarized views—the world is confusing—we agreed that now was the right time for Robert Foster to take a trip back to and beyond that Steel Sky. I am delighted to be working with Revolution again.”

Key Features
A unique, rich game experience in an bounded sandbox world, interwoven with a deep narrative.
A story that enables players to profoundly affect and subvert the game world and its characters.
Elegantly simple, intuitive controls that allow complex situations to emerge, offering a gameplay experience that will appeal to the novice as well as the experienced gamer.
Custom-written cutting-edge graphics technology delivers a beautiful, real time, comic-book-styled world in HDR, and 4K to complement the artwork of Dave Gibbons.
Original comic book vignette to be created by Dave Gibbons.
 
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New Kickstarter campaign from Cyan (Myst, Riven, Obduction). Seems like they're building this from the ground up with VR in mind and it's the first game they're making with a companion character. I never got too deeply into the Myst school of adventure games but I've always planned to one day. The pitch video looks neat so if you like Cyan's stuff it's worth considering.
 

Kazza

Member
Myst was a big deal back in the day, but I can't remember actually ever playing it.

$1,285,000 seems a little ambitious as a kickstarter goal (for a VR game anyway). Now that I think about it, adventure games would probably work well in VR.
 

Fuz

Member
...does Truberbrook only have autosaves? :messenger_face_screaming: No fast travel and can't rebind the inventory key, also.

Amateurs.
 
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Fuz Fuz The inventory tab is largely superficial, too. You don't actually select items from it. I guess it can help you remember what items you have? Sucks you can't rebind the key but you'll likely never have to use it.

Also I'm ready for these Fuz impressions. This could get ugly.
 

Fuz

Member
Fuz Fuz The inventory tab is largely superficial, too. You don't actually select items from it. I guess it can help you remember what items you have? Sucks you can't rebind the key but you'll likely never have to use it.

Also I'm ready for these Fuz impressions. This could get ugly.
:messenger_grinning_sweat:
The inventory key is weird. I personally never use "i" in games with inventories (always rebind on "b" for bag... more accessible), and having to click "i" forces me to move my hand away from its position. And yeah, I noticed it's just a reminder, but still... why not bind it on the mouse wheel? Also a description of the items would have been nice.
Impressions will take time. I just tried it a bit to cool off from Sekiro. Just got on the first chapter. The dialogue with the girl was weird
How did she knew he lost his physics paper? Either she's part of the conspiracy or there's some bad writing and plot holes
and it really looks pretty easy so far. But my first impressions (well, except the amateur mistakes mentioned above) are pretty good. Looks beautiful, I like the voices so far and I'm a sucker for those sort of mystery stories. Also I don't really care much for difficulty in P&C games... I mostly care about puzzles to be logical and interesting and for the storytelling.

Goddammit, I hate not having save slots. I always keep my favourite scenes stored.

EDIT: Ooooh boy, I've found the first puzzle that solved itself. Yeah, that's not good.
The fishing "puzzle". I didn't even think about it. hell, I didn't even see clearly the objects I used. I clicked on the fishing pole and automatically used 3 items.
 
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DadEggs

Member
Whispers Of A Machine release date confirmed for April 17th 2019. A lot sooner than I was expecting! Co-developed by Clifftop Games (Kathy Rain) and Faravid Interactive (The Samaritan Paradox). As someone who rather liked Kathy Rain I'm excited to see how this one turned out. There's some more in depth information on their site (no new trailer unfortunately...) and these gifs giving a brief look at some gameplay.

VeraBending.gif

BootPrints.gif

thats nice. i think first time im hearing about it.

really love that character art (not the portraits)
 
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DadEggs

Member
I'm gonna pose a question out there for folks, would love to hear your thoughts.

it's pretty broad but, what do you like in your PnCs? settings, themes, types of stories, mechanics, types of puzzles, types of UIs, etc.

If you could make your own PnC, what would it feature?

I'd probably do a fantasy/folkore setting. Influenced by Quest For Glory, Conquests of the Longbow, Legend of Kyrandia, and Inherit the Earth. Personally I enjoy when games have generations of their characters a la Phantasy Star 3, so it'd be neat to incorporate some type of system like that to play into the story and character development. would allow for branching paths and multiple endings, though if adding generations you could just as easily make that a full series, with importable saves from prior games. Anyways, i dont think i'd go with the SCUMM layout
 
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I'm gonna pose a question out there for folks, would love to hear your thoughts.

it's pretty broad but, what do you like in your PnCs? settings, themes, types of stories, mechanics, types of puzzles, types of UIs, etc.

I was playing through Detroit: Become Human with some friends last weekend which reminded me how much I really like Quantic Dream's puzzle design. Their games get tagged as being nothing but QTE's but that's really not the case. Now having played Westwood's Blade Runner I can see it was pretty much the blueprint for everything QD has done starting with Indigo Prophecy. David Cage also mentions it as a strong influence, himself. The idea to forego lock & key inventory puzzles and create these set piece problem solving scenarios (in addition to the focus on investigation and narrative choice). All that stuff was definitely cribbed by QD from Westwood's playbook.

Quantic Dream gets really creative with it, though. They also smartly recognized that having a simple puzzle with a strict time limit is a great way to split the difference between challenge and frustration. My favorite examples are: Tracking deviant androids by hacking memories in Detroit and the antique shop sequence in Heavy Rain (links contain minor spoilers).

In the first example you're tracking down two deviant (malfunctioning and erratic) androids who murdered the client of a futuristic brothel. You deduce that one of the deviants is still in the club. You track her down by hacking into the memory of other sex androids who may have picked up footage of the deviant's whereabouts. The catch is that the memory-footage each android keeps expires every 2 hours. You've got roughly 2 minutes left to use it. So the puzzle is using your knowledge of her trajectory to surmise which of the many androids on display would have witnessed her next move. This would be trivially easy were it not for the HARSH time limit. If not for that, you could just brute force it by looking at all the video feeds. But when you've only got two minutes it's a genuinely tense scramble to figure out which android has the next bit of relevant footage.

The Heavy Rain example is one that I still recall semi-frequently ever since I played the game back in 2010. I thought it was so clever because It genuinely caught me off guard. The scene starts off with a visit to an antique repair shop. The game has your player character engage in several different, seemingly mundane, activities. Stuff you wouldn't give a second thought like answering a telephone or observing some nick-nack. But then, in an instant, the shop owner is mysteriously killed. The cops were called by the killer -- who has since fled the scene -- to set you up. You have only a few moments to recall everything you touched to wipe your finger prints off each object. Mechanically, it's a very simple memory puzzle. The kind you see all the time in cheesy web games that get shared around on facebook. But the misdirection and narrative context make all the difference. When you don't see the twist coming, it's incredibly effective.

What I like so much about these is that they're integrated into the narrative in a way that feels custom built from the ground up. Narrative informing gameplay is where I think adventure games shine the most. Bringing it back to Westwood; you can see the roots of this puzzle design in sequences like this from Blade Runner. Where you happen upon a ticking time bomb with 3 possible targets. The bomb itself, the man attached to it, or his shackles. Take too much time and you die, likewise for picking the wrong target. A simple dilemma elevated by the narrative context and limited time.

It's something that TellTale regrettably failed to borrow from QD and Westwood while they were taking everything else. Which is a shame because these are concepts I'd like to see more games pick up on. The antique shop sequence in particular. I've always wondered why more adventure games haven't done stuff like that.


--
I was also gonna write something about dialogue puzzles because they're awesome but severely under-utilized (insult sword fighting is shamefully still the best one 28 years on). However, this post is already too long so perhaps another time.
 
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EDIT: Ooooh boy, I've found the first puzzle that solved itself. Yeah, that's not good.
The fishing "puzzle". I didn't even think about it. hell, I didn't even see clearly the objects I used. I clicked on the fishing pole and automatically used 3 items.

It begins.
 

TripleSun

Member
New trailer for Observation coming out on 5/21/19 on PS4 & Epic Games Store

Loved No Code's last game Stories Untold (Which you all have to play if you enjoy text adventures with a little modern glow)

This game you are investigating a space mystery as the ship's AI system. Now that's new. There's been a few other space station adventure games lately like Tacoma and The Station, but this sounds different than those games. Looking forward to this release

 
I found this currently in development isometric adventure "Utopia Syndrome." It looks fantastic. Really stunning visuals and some great VA from what can be gleaned in the trailers. It's got a very dark, unsetteling, horror vibe akin to something like Sanitarium. The developer is also not shying away from in depth pre-release content. There are even more trailers on his YouTube page, as well as a dev diary series. I'm really impressed by what's being shown so far.





Screenshots said:

No word of a release date yet, but I'll certainly be keeping up with the project.
 
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TripleSun

Member
Heaven's Vault is coming out April 16th. April is going to be a great month with this, Lorelai and Whispers of a Machine all coming out
 
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